Same Science › Phenomena and design › Phenomena: I notice, I wonder
What are phenomena in science class?
Many science units now start with a phenomenon: something real and a little puzzling, like water drops forming on a cold can. Kids write what they notice (facts they can observe) and what they wonder (questions), then turn the best wonders into questions they can investigate. The whole unit works toward explaining it.
- Notice: what you can see, hear or measure. No explaining yet.
- Wonder: questions about what you can't explain yet.
- The class turns wonders into testable questions.
Why schools teach it
Learning starts with a puzzle
The NGSS framework builds units around explaining real phenomena, and asking questions is science practice 1. Kids learn the science because they need it to explain something they saw.
Homework may ask for noticings and wonderings with no right answer yet. That's on purpose: the explanation comes later in the unit.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What do you notice? Only what you can see.
What does it make you wonder?
Which wonder could you test?
What might explain it? It's fine to guess for now.
Skip this
- Explaining the answer right away.The unit is built to discover it.
- Mixing noticing with explaining.“It's condensation” is an explanation; “drops appeared” is a notice.
- Dismissing odd questions.Wonders are where investigations come from.
See it in action
Phenomenon: a balloon shrinks when put in the freezer
I notice
The balloon got smaller and wrinkly. It grew back when warmed.I wonder
Did air leak out? Why did it come back?Testable question
Does the temperature of the air change the size of a balloon?
A testable question names something to change and something to measure.
Free practice sheet
Make a phenomena sheet
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Fridge cheat sheets
Science Fridge Cheat Sheets
Every science method in one printable book (36 pages): a cheat sheet page like this guide, plus a practice sheet and its answer key for each, in Classic and handwritten Notebook styles. $8 one time, or all 7 subjects for $29.99. See all prices.
Teacher? This method has a classroom pack on TeachersPayTeachers: an anchor chart, a parent letter and practice sheets with answer keys, $4. See the pack
Parents: tell your child's teacher about this guide
Parents also ask
What's an anchoring phenomenon?
The big puzzle a whole unit is built around, revisited as the class learns.
Is there a right answer to I notice, I wonder?
Not at first. The goal is careful observing and good questions.
What makes a wonder testable?
It names something you could change and something you could measure.
How is this different from the old way?
Instead of reading facts first, kids start with a puzzle and learn the facts to explain it.