Lesson Q3 L1 – The I Wonder Wall

Lesson Overview

Quarter 3 · Unit 7: I Wonder and Find Out · Week 1 · PreK–K · Lesson length: 20 minutes

Essential Question: What do we wonder about plants?

Lesson Focus: Children look at surprising plant objects (a sprouting potato, a pinecone, a cactus pad, a seed pod), share “I wonder…” questions, and add them to a picture wall.

Why It Matters: Questions drive science. Starting the quarter with children’s own wonderings tells them their curiosity matters, and the wall becomes the list of things the class will try to find out together.

Teacher Note: The teacher writes each question on a card and the child adds a drawing so everyone can “read” the wall. Sort later into “Let’s test it” and “Let’s look it up.” Keep the wall up all quarter.

Source: New lesson — New for this series (Quarter 3), inspired by the book’s “What do you observe? What do you wonder?” routine.

Standards & Learning Targets

Standards Alignment

NGSS Kindergarten Performance Expectations (builds toward): K-2-ETS1-1 — Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Student Learning Targets

Learning Targets — students will be able to

• Look closely at a surprising plant object.

• Ask an “I wonder…” question.

• Add my question to the wall.

Key Vocabulary: wonder · question · notice · curious

Materials & Teacher Prep

Materials Needed

• Wonder objects: sprouting potato, pinecone, seed pod, cactus pad (spines removed) or aloe leaf
• Hand lenses
• Index cards and crayons
• Wall space titled I Wonder…
• Student Workbook page 3.1

Teacher Prep Checklist

• Gather four wonder objects on trays.
• Title the wall with a big question mark.

Safety: Cactus spines and thorns: look, don't touch. Adults handle any spiny plants with tongs or thick gloves. Sources: NSTA, Safety in the Science Classroom (2013). See the Safety & Fact-Check Log.

Lesson Flow & Timing

Phase 1 · Engage — The Hook

Teacher Talk

Scientists notice things and then they wonder. Look at this potato. It has something growing out of it! I wonder why. What do you wonder? Hold up or point to an example as children say wonder, question, and notice with you.

Ask Children: “What do you notice?” “What do you wonder?”

PCM Differentiation

Thinker (thinking voice): Thinkers can ask a how or why question about the object.

Harmonizer (feelings voice): Harmonizers can wonder about how people use the plant.

Phase 2 · Explore — Play & Partner Time (Kagan)

Cooperative Structure

Kagan structure: RoundRobin. Around the table each child shares one “I notice” or “I wonder,” so every voice is heard in a small group. (See the Teaching Reference for the structure’s steps.)

Step-by-Step

• Step 1 — Notice (3 min): Tables rotate trays and use hand lenses. Children say “I notice…” to their group.

• Step 2 — Wonder (3 min): Each child shares an “I wonder…” question in a RoundRobin; the teacher writes it on a card.

• Step 3 — Draw it (2 min): Children add a drawing to their card and tape it to the wall.

Teacher Moves During Explore

• Model “I wonder why…” and “I wonder what would happen if…”

• Accept all questions; celebrate curiosity.

• Read the wall aloud at the end.

Phase 3 · Explain — Talk It Over

Mini-lesson — Questions. Ask children what they noticed with the hand lenses and what they wonder; write a few of their words on the board, then name notice, wonder, and question on the I Wonder Wall.

• Notice: see something with our senses.

• Wonder: think about what we don’t know yet.

• Question: words that ask; scientists find answers by testing or looking.

Key Message: Scientists notice and wonder, and our questions will guide what we find out this quarter.

Check for Understanding — Ask Children: “What is your wonder question?” “How could we find out?”

Phase 4 · Elaborate — Student Product & Differentiation

Student Product

Each child adds a question card with a drawing to the I Wonder Wall. (Student Workbook page 3.1.)

Differentiation: PreK and Kindergarten

PreK: Children point and say “I wonder…” with a teacher’s model and draw the object.

Kindergarten: Children ask their own how or why question and suggest a way to find out.

ELL Support: Model with gestures; accept questions in any language and translate with a family helper.

Phase 5 · Evaluate — Closure, Exit Ticket & Assessment

Exit Ticket

Ask each child about today’s lesson, “The I Wonder Wall” — each child may answer by saying, pointing, or showing (no reading or writing):

1. Tell me one wonder.

1. What did you notice?

Answer Key / Look-Fors: Children share a question that starts with I wonder or why. A real question, not a fact, is the look-for.

Expanding Circles — how does this connect to… Self — my wonders • Classroom — our I Wonder Wall • School — questions at school • Community — library books answer questions • World — scientists everywhere wonder

Formative Assessment

• Meets (3): Asks a clear wonder question and suggests a way to find out.

• Approaching (2): Shares a wonder with modeling.

• Not Yet (1): Not yet asking — offer two starters (“I wonder why…”, “I wonder if…”) and point to an object.

Extend & Looking Ahead

• Extension: Add a wonder box at the science center with new objects weekly.

• Looking Ahead: Next lesson we sort living and nonliving things.