Notice and Wonder

The Notice and Wonder strategy is a simple yet powerful tool that encourages curiosity, observation, and critical thinking. Students are presented with a visual, text, problem, or scenario and asked two guiding questions: “What do you notice?” and “What do you wonder?” This strategy helps students slow down and engage deeply with the content, fostering inquiry and discussion. It creates a safe space for all learners to contribute, promoting student voice and making thinking visible. Ideal for launching lessons, exploring new concepts, or analyzing complex material, Notice and Wonder turns passive observation into active learning.

STEPS:

PRESENT A STIMULUS: Share something intriguing with students—this could be an image, quote, graph, video clip, problem, data set, or short reading. It should be rich enough to spark observations and questions.
ASK THE TWO KEY QUESTIONS: Write or display these questions for students to consider:
1. 1. - What do you notice? (observations)
    - What do you wonder? (questions or curiosities)
INDIVIDUAL THINK TIME: Give students a few minutes to think silently and jot down their responses to both questions. Encourage them to look closely and think deeply.
SHARE IN PAIRS OR SMALL GROUPS: Share in Pairs or Small Groups: Have students share their noticings and wonderings with a partner or in small groups. This step helps them refine their thinking and build on others’ ideas.
WHOLE-CLASS DISCUSSION: Whole-Class Discussion: Bring the class together to collect responses. You can list students’ ideas on chart paper, a whiteboard, or a digital tool like Padlet. Highlight patterns, interesting questions, or surprising observations.
USE RESPONSES TO GIDE THE LESSON: Use what students noticed and wondered to:
1. 1. - Launch a new topic
    - Investigate questions further
    - Clarify misconceptions
    - Transition into deeper exploration or problem-solving

SCAFFOLDS:

Scaffolds for "Notice" (Observations)

Sentence Starters:

“I see that…”
“It looks like…”
“One thing I notice is…”
“A pattern I see is…”
“Something that stands out is…”

Guiding Prompts:

What do you see or read?
What details catch your attention?
What do you recognize?
Are there any words, shapes, or ideas repeated?
What is happening in this image/problem/text?

Scaffolds for "Wonder" (Questions/Curiosity)

Sentence Starters:

“I wonder why…”
“What would happen if…”
“How does this relate to…?”
“I’m curious about…”
“Could it be that…?”