Welcome, Young Explorers

Overview

Students begin the “Our Curious World” unit by learning discussion and teamwork routines, then share questions about themselves and the world around them. They practice listening, taking turns, building on classmates’ ideas, and recording one question they would like to investigate.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to explain what it means to be curious.
• Students will be able to participate in a partner and small-group discussion.
• Students will be able to listen, take turns, and respond respectfully.
• Students will be able to draw or write a question about themselves or the world.

Success criteria

• I can share an idea or question with my partner.
• I can listen while someone else is speaking.
• I can take turns and use respectful words.
• I can draw or write one question I am curious about.

Curriculum links

• Informational Reading: With prompting and support, students engage with appropriately complex informational texts.
• Informative Writing: Students communicate an idea or question clearly through drawing, labeling, and beginning writing.
• Speaking and Listening: Students participate effectively in conversations with diverse partners and build on others’ ideas.
• Measurement and Data/Number: Students may count and record the number of group questions, using whole-number numerals.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and hook. Teacher displays the opening question slide showing a child looking closely at a surprising natural object and asks, “What might this explorer be wondering?” Students silently think, then share one possible question with a partner.

2. 5–10 min · Introduce the unit. Teacher uses the unit introduction slides to explain that the class will investigate people, places, objects, patterns, and questions throughout the unit. Read a short, age-appropriate informational passage on the slides about how explorers observe, wonder, ask questions, and learn; pause to clarify unfamiliar words. Students identify one thing the explorer noticed and one thing the explorer wondered.

3. 10–17 min · Build discussion routines. Teacher models a brief “not-so-helpful” conversation and then a helpful conversation using the prompts on the discussion routine slides: “I agree with…,” “I wonder…,” “Can you tell me more?” and “My idea is…” Emphasize eyes and body directed toward the speaker, quiet listening, taking turns, and kind responses. Students rehearse the routines with a partner, taking turns answering, “What is something you enjoy learning about?”

4. 17–30 min · Team question exploration. Teacher places students in five groups of four and displays the teamwork directions. Assign or invite four roles: Speaker, Listener, Question Keeper, and Encourager; rotate roles halfway through. Give each group a large sheet of paper and ask, “What could we learn about ourselves or the world?” Students brainstorm questions, with the Question Keeper recording words or drawing ideas. Each group chooses one question to share. Teacher circulates, prompts quieter students, and checks that all voices are included. Groups may count their questions and write the matching numeral.

5. 30–39 min · Individual curiosity page. Teacher distributes the personal curiosity page and models drawing a question before adding labels or a sentence frame: “I wonder why…,” “I wonder how…,” or “I wonder what….” Students independently draw or write one question, then add a small picture showing what they already notice or know. Partners read or explain their pages to each other.

6. 39–45 min · Share and close. Teacher uses the closing reflection slides to invite three or four students to share. Class practices responding with “I wonder…” or “That makes me think about….” Students place their curiosity pages in the class question collection and complete a brief oral exit check: “One discussion routine I used was…” and “One question I have is….” Preview that future lessons will return to their questions.

Resources

• the “Our Curious World” introduction and routine deck
• the personal curiosity page
• the visual timetable cards
• Chart paper or large group recording paper
• Markers, pencils, and crayons
• Sticky notes
• Five table signs or group labels
• Class question collection folder or display space

Assessment

• During partner practice, listen for turn-taking, active listening, and respectful responses; reteach a routine briefly when needed.
• During group work, use a checklist to note whether each student contributes an idea, listens, and responds appropriately.
• Review the worksheet for a clearly communicated question and use student sharing to identify confidence, language, and participation needs.

Differentiation

• Support emerging writers with the sentence frames, picture choices, oral rehearsal, adult or peer scribing, and permission to draw and dictate a question.
• Support English language learners with gestures, visuals, modeled examples, partner rehearsal, and key words such as “notice,” “wonder,” “question,” and “listen.”
• Support students who need help with attention or transitions by displaying the visual timetable cards, previewing each step, and offering a quiet workspace or brief movement break.
• Extend ready students by writing two related questions, explaining which question they would investigate first, or adding “because” to explain their thinking.