Science · Kindergarten · The Senses and Scientific Inquiry · Weeks 28-36

Asking Scientific Questions

Students develop the habit of asking 'why' and 'how' through open-ended exploration of natural artifacts.

• Common Core State Standards
• K-ETS1-1

About This Topic

Scientific curiosity starts with questions, and this topic builds the explicit habit of asking 'why' and 'how' when encountering natural objects and phenomena. Aligned with K-ETS1-1, students explore natural artifacts , a pine cone, a bird feather, a piece of bark, a shell , and practice generating questions that require investigation rather than simple observation to answer. The difference between 'What color is this?' and 'Why does this cone open and close?' is the difference between description and inquiry.

In the US K-12 science framework, question-asking is a core science practice that runs from Kindergarten through high school. Beginning in Kindergarten means students have years to develop the disposition to wonder rather than just to report. Natural artifacts are ideal prompts because they are genuinely surprising and resist quick explanations.

Active learning structures like mystery object investigations, open-ended exploration stations, and question-sorting activities create the conditions for authentic inquiry. When students handle an unfamiliar object and are asked 'What do you notice? What do you wonder?', they generate questions that are personally meaningful and that motivate them to seek answers.

Key Questions

1. Analyze what you notice about this mystery object.
2. Explain how we can find the answer to a question we have about nature.
3. Construct a question about an object that requires an investigation to answer.

Learning Objectives

• Classify observations about a natural artifact into categories of 'what I see' and 'what I wonder'.
• Formulate a testable question about a natural artifact that requires investigation beyond simple observation.
• Explain how asking 'why' or 'how' leads to scientific investigation.
• Identify similarities and differences between descriptive statements and investigative questions about natural objects.

Before You Start

Using the Five Senses

Why: Students need to be able to use their senses to gather information before they can make observations and ask questions.

Identifying Objects

Why: Students should be able to identify common objects in their environment to begin making observations about them.

Key Vocabulary

artifact	An object made by a person or found in nature that we can study.
observation	Noticing and describing things using our senses.
investigation	A careful study or search to learn about something.
question	A sentence that asks for information.
inquiry	The process of asking questions and seeking answers to learn about the world.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Good scientists know the answers before they start.

What to Teach Instead

Not knowing the answer is exactly what makes something worth investigating. Scientists often spend careers on questions they haven't resolved. Normalizing 'I don't know yet, let's find out' as a scientific attitude helps students stay comfortable with uncertainty.

Common Misconception

If you can't answer a question right away, it's not a good question.

What to Teach Instead

Some of the most important scientific questions take years to answer. At Kindergarten, distinguishing between questions that can be investigated now versus questions that need more tools or information is a productive step, not a failure.

Common Misconception

Questions about nature have one right answer.

What to Teach Instead

Many scientific questions, especially observational ones at this level, have multiple valid answers depending on what property or angle you examine. Encouraging students to extend each other's answers rather than compete for the 'right' one builds a more accurate picture of science.

Active Learning Ideas

Mystery Object Investigation

Place a natural artifact (pine cone, dried seed pod, feather, piece of pumice) on each table. Students observe using their senses, write or draw two things they notice and one question they have. Groups then share questions and the class sorts them into 'we can find out by testing' and 'we need to look it up.'

25 min·Small Groups

Question Wall: Testable vs. Research Questions

After a free exploration session with natural materials, students write or dictate one question each on a sticky note. Post all questions on the wall and guide the class to sort them together: which questions could be answered by doing an experiment right here, and which would need a book or a scientist to answer?

20 min·Whole Class

Think-Pair-Share: Asking Better Questions

Present two versions of a question: 'Is this rock big?' versus 'Does the color of a rock tell us where it came from?' Ask pairs to discuss which question is more interesting to investigate and why. Guide students toward recognizing that testable, open questions produce more learning than yes/no ones.

15 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Museum curators at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History examine ancient artifacts, asking 'how' they were made and 'why' they are shaped a certain way to understand past cultures.
• Park rangers at Yellowstone National Park observe animal behaviors and plant growth, asking 'why' certain patterns occur to protect the ecosystem and educate visitors.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give each student a picture of a natural artifact (e.g., a leaf, a rock). Ask them to write down one thing they 'notice' and one thing they 'wonder' about it. Then, ask them to turn their 'wonder' into a question that needs an investigation.

Discussion Prompt

Present a pine cone. Ask: 'What do you notice about this pine cone?' Record student observations. Then ask: 'What questions do you have about this pine cone that we can't answer just by looking?' Guide students to formulate investigative questions like 'Why do pine cones open and close?'

Quick Check

Provide students with two example questions about a feather: 'This feather is brown' and 'Why do birds have feathers?' Ask students to circle the question that would require an investigation to answer and explain why.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I help Kindergarteners distinguish between observations and questions?

Use the sentence frames 'I notice...' for observations and 'I wonder...' for questions, and practice them explicitly before the investigation. When a student states a fact as a question ('Is this brown?'), gently redirect: 'That's a great observation , can you turn it into a wonder question about why or how?'

What natural artifacts work well for Kindergarten question-generating activities?

Pine cones, bird feathers, smooth river stones, dried seed pods, pieces of bark, small shells, and magnified insect specimens all prompt strong reactions and questions. Novelty helps , choosing objects students haven't handled before in class generates more genuine curiosity than familiar items.

How does active learning develop scientific questioning habits?

Question-asking is a practice, not a content item to teach once. Active structures like mystery object investigations, wonder walls, and question-sorting activities give students repeated, varied experiences of generating and evaluating questions. Over time, wondering becomes a reflex rather than a prompted behavior.

How does K-ETS1-1 connect to scientific questioning?

K-ETS1-1 emphasizes defining problems that can be addressed through design or investigation. Asking investigable questions is the first step in that process. Students who can distinguish between a question they can test and one they need to research are ready to begin the engineering and inquiry design cycles in later grades.