SEE-THINK-WONDER
K-12
Big Idea
The see-think-wonder routine uses observation as a springboard for thinking more deeply. It requires students to take notice and observe an image or object before attempting to interpret it. Using wonder as the final step ensures time for students to use their observation skills to gather new information, think about it, and synthesise it before taking it further into new areas to explore.
Directions
- Display the image you've selected.
- Encourage students to look closely and try to observe as many details as possible.
Give students five minutes to jot down answers to the following questions:
- What do you see? Remind students to only report on things they actually see in the image.
- What do you think about that?
- What does it make you wonder?
- Facilitate a group discussion about the questions. Ask students to use the following stems when sharing: "I see...," "I think...," "I wonder...."
More Ideas
- As part of the summary discussion, have students create a T-chart. On the left side, they record what they wonder about, and, on the right side, they record answers to the questions as they learn new information about the topic under discussion.
- Scaffold this strategy by having the whole group observe an image and complete the activity together on chart paper.
- Extend the conversation by having students post the answers to their question in an online format such as Padlet, Edmodo or a Google doc; they can also participate in an online discussion with students from another location.