Explain how student investigations, such as an “I Notice…I Wonder…” activity, support effective questioning, discovery, and inquiry skills in science and health.

Both teacher questioning and student questioning are essential to learning. One way to help students generate questions is to complete an “I Notice… I Wonder…” activity. During this activity, the teacher shows a phenomenon or engineering problem through demonstration, displaying a picture, or showing a video with the purpose of students making observations and asking questions about what they see. Additionally, strategically planned teacher questions can help drive student inquiry.

As a lead teacher on your team, you have been asked to design and prepare for an “I Notice, I Wonder” activity that will introduce a new lesson.

Note: You may choose to use a standard and objective from your Topic 2 assignment or select a new standard to inform this assignment.

Choose one of the following deliverables to complete this assignment:

• ELM-455 “I Notice, I Wonder” template
• A digital resource using a free online platform such as Trello, Padlet, or Canva that can be shared with other teachers on your team

Part 1: “I Notice, I Wonder” Activity

Utilizing the deliverable of your choice, address the following:

• A K-8 science standard. Note: If the selected science standard lends itself to cross-curricular alignment, also include a health standard.
• The essential/driving questions for the lesson and a possible answer to the questions.
• An aligned learning objective or learning target.
• A description of the scientific phenomenon or engineering problem, a picture, or a link to the video.
• Your brainstormed list of observations (I Notice) and questions (I Wonder) that students might generate. Include a minimum of five observations and five questions.
• Five strategically planned teacher questions that would activate students’ prior knowledge, drive student inquiry and learning, and encourage exploring and problem-solving during the investigation of the phenomena/problem. Use the Crosscutting Concepts and other resources to draft effective and meaningful questions that drive student inquiry. Label each question with a corresponding crosscutting concept, which represents the lens through which we think about and make sense of the phenomena or problem.
• At least three possible investigations based on the questions generated that would help answer the essential/driving question. Label each investigation with at least one science and engineering practice that students would engage in during the investigation and describe how that might look.

Part 2: Reflection

Write a 150-300 word reflection addressing the following:

• Explain how student investigations, such as an “I Notice…I Wonder…” activity, support effective questioning, discovery, and inquiry skills in science and health.
• Describe how you might adapt this instructional activity to meet the needs of diverse students and address the challenges they may face with the activity.
• Discuss at least one example of how this inquiry-based activity can incorporate global learning.

Support your work with 2-3 scholarly resources.

How to Write an “I Notice, I Wonder” Activity for Science Instruction

Introduction

Inquiry based science instruction encourages students to actively engage in the learning process by observing phenomena, asking questions, exploring ideas, and developing explanations through investigation. The “I Notice, I Wonder” strategy creates opportunities for students to develop curiosity and critical thinking while strengthening scientific reasoning skills. Students become active participants in constructing knowledge rather than passive recipients of information. This instructional strategy aligns with science education practices that promote observation, questioning, investigation, and problem solving (National Research Council, 2012).

Part 1: “I Notice, I Wonder” Activity

Science Standard

Tennessee Science Standard: 3.LS2.1

Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Health Standard

Tennessee Health Education Standard HE.3.PCH.1

Explain how healthy behaviors influence personal health and wellness.

Essential or Driving Question

How do animals survive better when they live and work together?

Possible Answer to Essential Question

Animals often survive better in groups because group behaviors help them find food, protect themselves from predators, care for young, and improve overall survival chances.

Learning Objective

Students will observe animal group behaviors and explain how cooperation among animals supports survival and health.

Scientific Phenomenon Description

Students will watch a short video showing groups of animals working together such as birds flying in formations, ants carrying food, fish swimming in schools, and elephants protecting young members of the group.

Video example:

National Geographic Animal Group Behaviors Video

The phenomenon demonstrates how animals display organized behaviors that increase safety and survival.

Student Observation Statements: “I Notice”

Students may generate observations such as:

I notice birds fly together in patterns.

I notice fish stay close to one another.

I notice ants carry objects together.

I notice larger animals protect smaller animals.

I notice animals seem to move in coordinated ways.

Student Questions: “I Wonder”

Students may generate questions such as:

I wonder why birds fly in groups.

I wonder how animals communicate with each other.

I wonder whether animals survive better alone or together.

I wonder why some animals protect younger animals.

I wonder whether all animals live in groups.

Teacher Questions Driving Inquiry

Teacher Question 1

How does being part of a group affect an animal’s ability to survive?

Crosscutting Concept: Cause and Effect

Teacher Question 2

What patterns do you notice among animals that work together?

Crosscutting Concept: Patterns

Teacher Question 3

What would happen if these animals stopped cooperating?

Crosscutting Concept: Stability and Change

Teacher Question 4

How are the parts of an animal group connected to one another?

Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models

Teacher Question 5

How does the structure of a group help animals function more effectively?

Crosscutting Concept: Structure and Function

Possible Investigations

Investigation One

Students observe videos and images of different animal groups and record similarities and differences.

Science and Engineering Practice

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Students compare behaviors and identify patterns across species.

Investigation Two

Students participate in a simulation activity where some students complete a task individually while others work in groups to collect classroom objects.

Science and Engineering Practice

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Students collect information regarding efficiency and cooperation.

Investigation Three

Students research one animal species and create visual presentations explaining how group behavior contributes to survival.

Science and Engineering Practice

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Students gather information from multiple sources and communicate findings.

Part 2: Reflection

Student investigations such as the “I Notice, I Wonder” activity support effective questioning, discovery, and inquiry skills because they encourage students to actively participate in learning through observation and curiosity. Rather than simply receiving information from teachers, students generate ideas and questions that guide their understanding of scientific concepts. Inquiry based activities allow students to construct meaning through exploration while developing analytical and problem solving abilities. Students also strengthen communication skills through discussion and collaboration during investigations (National Research Council, 2012).

This activity can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse learners through multiple instructional approaches. Visual learners can benefit from pictures and videos, while auditory learners may benefit from discussions and verbal explanations. English language learners may receive vocabulary support and sentence stems such as “I notice…” and “I wonder…” to assist participation. Students requiring additional support can work with partners or receive modified tasks that maintain learning objectives while reducing complexity. Differentiation creates opportunities for all students to engage successfully regardless of learning differences.

Inquiry based activities can also incorporate global learning by exposing students to animal behaviors and ecosystems from various regions of the world. Students could compare animal cooperation in African savannas, rainforests, oceans, and polar regions while examining how environmental conditions influence survival behaviors. Such experiences encourage broader understanding of global environments and interconnected ecological systems.

References

National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academies Press.

National Science Teaching Association. (2018). Science and children: Inquiry based science learning. NSTA Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

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