Because of my recent involvement with environmental education in the Hocking Hills I have found a list of good questions to ask students. When children say “what’s that?” Do they really want a name? to help them focus on what is discovered, instead of telling an answer, ask another question:
Is it alive? How do you know?
What does it look like? What is it doing?
How does it move?
What direction is it going?
Do you see any eyes, nose, mouth, feet, etc?
If it has one and you can’t see it, why not?
What is another thing like it?
How does it protect itself?
Is it alone or are there others near by it?
If you took it home and kept, what might happen?
Where does it rest?
Where is its home?
when do you see it?
how might it die?
do you think it will look the same when it dies?
how do you think it was born?
do you think it was a different shape when it was a baby?
Students have the ability to find answers. Analyzing and coming up with hypotheses about what they discover will help them arrive at real answers which will make a greater impact on them. Even as adults, when we do not know what something is, we dissect it, analyze it, and come up with conclusions about its significance. Children should be able to have that same kind of freedom.
Students have the ability to find answers. Analyzing and coming up with hypotheses about what they discover will help them arrive at real answers which will make a greater impact on them. Even as adults, when we do not know what something is, we dissect it, analyze it, and come up with conclusions about its significance. Children should be able to have that same kind of freedom.
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