Tuning In
Hooking Curiosity & Uncovering Prior Knowledge
Stage Goal
Engage student interest, activate prior knowledge, reveal initial misconceptions, and generate student-driven inquiry questions.
🧠 Thinking Routines
See, Think, Wonder
Stimulate careful observation and open-ended curiosity.
Protocol Steps
- 1.Display a mystery code snippet, robot, or device picture.
- 2.Ask: What do you SEE? (Observe without interpreting)
- 3.Ask: What do you THINK is happening?
- 4.Ask: What does this make you WONDER?
Example Prompt
"Look closely at this automated assembly line video. What do you see, think, and wonder?"
Zoom In
Encourage detailed observation by revealing visual information incrementally.
Protocol Steps
- 1.Show a small zoomed-in crop of a digital diagram or board.
- 2.Ask students to generate hypotheses.
- 3.Zoom out to reveal more context and adjust theories.
Example Prompt
"What component is hidden in this zoomed-in circuit macro photo?"
Think, Puzzle, Explore
Surface prior knowledge and identify personal inquiry pathways.
Protocol Steps
- 1.THINK: What do you already know about this topic?
- 2.PUZZLE: What puzzles or confuses you about it?
- 3.EXPLORE: How can we explore these puzzles together?
Example Prompt
"What do you think happens inside a Wi-Fi router when you tap 'send'?"
📝 Graphic Organisers
KWL Chart
Track Know, Want to know, and Learned across the inquiry.
Notice & Wonder T-Chart
Two-column log capturing raw observations vs emerging questions.
Initial Concept Mind Map
Central topic node with radiating prior-knowledge associations.
💻 EdTech Tools
Mentimeter
↗Real-time word clouds and interactive live polling for instant class responses.
Padlet
↗Collaborative digital sticky-note wall for sharing initial ideas and questions.
FigJam
↗Visual whiteboard for live digital brainstorming and sticker voting.
Canva Whiteboards
↗Interactive canvas with mind-mapping nodes and visual stickers.
🏫 Classroom Activities
Robot Mystery Box
Pass around an unplugged Beebot or robot part. Students draw what they see and post sticky notes with their 'wonder' questions on a class Padlet.
Interactive Word Cloud Launch
Prompt students on Mentimeter: 'What comes to mind when you hear the word INTERNET?' Analyze the generated word cloud together.
Deconstruct a Bug
Present a broken Scratch game script. Run 'See, Think, Wonder' in small groups to hypothesize why the sprite isn't moving.