Wonder Rings
A Collection of Questions
How do you inspire students to become active learners who pose questions and search for answers? Create Wonder Rings to capture kids' questions about tulip bulbs, planting experiments, garden locations, sunlight, and seasonal change. Wonder Rings will keep student-posed questions central to the learning process throughout the Tulip Garden investigation.
Write these topic words on the board.
- Tulip Bulbs
- Planting
- Climate, Weather, and Seasonal Change
Gather the class together to create questions about the topics. For instance, ask students if they think bigger bulbs will emerge first in the garden. As a class, generate questions about tulip bulbs, planting, and climate. Have students think about each of the topics and jot down their own questions.
Introduce your students to Wonder Rings by showing this photo or sharing a sample. Provide hole-punched index cards or paper tags, markers, pipe cleaners, or metal rings. Instruct students to write one question on each card or tag. Provide a few blank cards for questions generated over the course of the investigation. As students find answers to their questions, they will write the discovery statements on the back of the tag. Be sure to set aside time throughout the Tulip Garden investigation to revisit the wonder rings and celebrate the questions and discoveries students are collecting.
Tip: Provide time for students to add questions to their Wonder Rings when questions arise (while making observations, anayzing maps and data, reading books, etc.).
