Know Your Why!: Curiosity is a Superpower - Resources to Engage Students in Curious Exploration of the World

I Made It! I never look at a finish line as an ending. I wonder where I will go next? #AlwaysLearning

April 30th, 2023

My challenge for April is to explore something new each day and share what I discover. I didn't let myself or anyone down. One post per day for 30 days! (April Challenge Update Calendar Doc)

My exploration has all about new resources and ideas, so I thought I would finish up the month with some resources connected to curiosity.

My Classroom

I try to encourage my students to be curious about topics and ideas in my classroom, for example:

"I'm Feeling Lucky" - Google Earth

Google Earth has an amazing feature, called "I'm Feeling Lucky". At least once a week I have my students roll the dice and explore a new location. We keep a travel journal of questions you would ask if you were ever able to visit the location.

Observations and Questions Connected to Images

Many of our classroom notes/discussions start with an image connected to the topic. I ask students to make observations and ask questions before we take a deeper dive into the topics of the day.

Google Search Trend Brain Breaks

A few times a week we jump into the Google Trends and discuss what the world is searching for and why. Sometimes we get lucky and we find stuff connected to our learning for the day.

Open Ended Questions

Instead of asking questions that have an answer, I try to frame questions that are more open-ended,

What is the most interesting thing you explored on the site?
If you had time, what is one thing you would go back to in the notes to learn more about? Why?
What did you learn?
What would you share with your partner after exploring?
What did you see/observe?

Additional Resources

For students, I always add additional resources at the start of an activity. My idea is the emphasize that getting to the end is not the only goal. I think this places a higher value on "exploring more" than when they are at the end of the document.

I know I have more habits connected to curiosity in my classroom that I am not thinking of right now, but I want to get to the heart of this post and start exploring some resources that could be used by teachers and students to be curious and explore.

Curiosity Resources on the Web

One Minute List
Spend 60 seconds a day learning something new.

Wonderopolis
Check out a wonder of the day.

Curiosities & Puzzlements
Each week, you’ll get a list of five free links to fascinating images and intriguing videos to share with your class.

Smithsonian Learning Lab
he Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.

Genius Hour
Where passions come alive.

Noah Project
A global community of nature enthusiasts photographing and learning about wildlife

The Kids Should See This
Smart videos for curious minds of all ages.

Technovation Families
Develop curiosity, creativity, and confidence through family-friendly, hands-on activities.

Big Think
The mission is to make you smarter, and faster. At Big Think, they introduce learners to the brightest minds and boldest ideas of our time, inviting viewers to explore new ways to work, live, and understand our ever-changing world.

Highbrow
Each morning, wake up to a new 5-minute lesson delivered to your email inbox. Choose from 300+ topics.

Ted-Ed
Short videos and animations from the brightest minds support a kid's sense of wonder about the world.

Big Think
Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content -- with thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, we help you get smarter, faster

Why Curiosity?

Books and Curiosity Resources

Know Your Why Posts Connected to Curiosity