Developing inquiry in Kindergarten Students

The kindergarten students have been learning about the library neighborhoods and the kinds of books live in each neighborhood. We started with picture books, moved into early readers, stopped by series, and now arrive at the Wonder Wall or nonfiction neighborhood.

I started with my somewhat long welcome message.

After learning about spine label stickers from different neighborhoods, the kindergarten students shared things they were wondering about. Students shared things like...

How do birds fly?

How do leaves change color?

How do machines work?

How do giraffes get born?

I then followed my wonderings as a model for inquiry. I had read of the safe landing of these astronauts in the Guardian.

 

I didn't show the students these pictures, but may do so next week. I talked about seeing pictures of the safe landing and wondering who went up to the Space Station and how they were chosen. I talked through the process of finding a book along the Wonder Wall that could begin to answer my questions. I showed the students Astronaut Handbook  by Meghan McCarthy. I also talked through finding out if it was fiction or nonfiction. After deciding this, we read the book to see if we could answer my wondering questions.

In a WONDERful turn of events, the reading of Astronaut Handbook inspired quite a number of questions from the students. We'll be trying to answer them next week. 

These students are natural scientists. Have a look:

How many years do they train to be astronauts?

How old do you have to be?

I wonder why they have to wait so long to take off.

What if there are not enough seats?

How do they get down?

What if they can't blast off?

What of they find something wrong?

How do they get to the space ship?

Do they practice flying on normal planes?

How do they eat?

Do they have a bed?

What do they do once they get there?

How many days does it take to get to the Space Station?

How many feet is the sky to the ground?

How do they go to the bathroom?

How do you sleep?

How did the red spot got on Jupiter?

I WONDER what we will learn!