Noticing and Wondering Routine: Unleash the Power of Observation-Part 1
In the last post I challenged you to apply a “Noticing & Wondering” routine to Genesis 1. However, you might be thinking: What is a “Noticing and Wondering” Routine?
“Noticing and Wondering” is a great teacher routine that we used in Ohio’s Mathematical Modeling & Reasoning Course for juniors and seniors. Individually, in small groups, or as a class, students list everything they notice or wonder. This creates buy-in for the problem at hand, but it also forces students to tune-in and look at the problem in new ways and challenge their previous assumptions.
This is such a good tool that can be used in a variety of content areas! We used it for high school math, but it would also be awesome for science, art, and language arts and of course Bible studies.
Try It!
Make 2 columns on a sheet of paper and label the first column “I notice….” and label the second column “I wonder….” Read Genesis 1 closely and fill out the table. Even if you read the passage 100 times, new things will jump out at you.
As a teacher don’t be afraid if your students wonder things that you don’t have answers for. After all, that’s the point! Learning is an adventure and especially when it’s related to God’s Word. God continually reveals new things! It’s ok to say, “I don’t know.” The “Noticings and Wonderings” routine should complement not derail your lesson plan (unless of course you want it to 😊). To help keep the class on-track, you as the teacher can decide in advance which topic(s) you are willing to explore; however, if you are really adventurous let the class decide.
Apply it!
Use a “Noticing and Wondering” Routine in your small group, Bible study, math, art, science, or ELA classroom to start conversation and delve into new topics. Let me know in the comments how it worked.
More Resources
Here are links to some “Noticing and Wondering” routines, which you can also find on my Teacher Routines page.
- The Math Forum at NCTM’s Beginning to Problem Solve with “I Notice, I Wonder”
- Erikson Early Math Institute Early Math Collaborative’s Notice and Wonder
- Beetle’s at the Lawrence Hall of Science’s I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of
- Institute for Arts Integration and Steam’s See Think Wonder Routine
- Universal Publishing’s Notice and Wonder Chart
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