School on Wheels Social and Emotional Learning
Curiosity
Curiosity is having a strong desire to learn or know something. Curious people seek answers to their questions for the sake of gaining knowledge. Those who are curious may also actively seek challenges and new experiences to broaden their horizons. The following activities foster curiosity through research, visual exploration, and imagination.
Complete all activities in order. Click the “Session” headings below to open each lesson plan.
Reminders for students and tutors:
● Listen with interest.
● Participate.
● Ask open-ended questions.
● Choose the best way for each of you to reflect and show your learning
Packet Completion Information:
You will find the link to the completion form at the end of Activity #3 – please complete it together when you’ve finished all of the activities on this page. After submitting that form, you are welcome to sign up for another SEL trait if you’d like to try more activities!
What’s going on?
Sometimes the curious path leads you to experience the unexpected!
5 min: S.E.L. Check-in activity
Start by looking through the following slideshow of images with your student: What is going on?
- Your student should choose one image that piques their curiosity.
Next, ask your student to describe what they think is happening in the image. To encourage curiosity, ask open-ended questions such as:
- Why or how do you think this happened?
- Where or when do you think this image was taken?
- How do you think the people in the image are feeling?
5 min: Session review & preview
Review the previous session and the School on Wheels 2024 Community Padlet.
Reminder: During your session, take a screenshot of your student’s work to add to the Padlet later. You can also summarize what you worked on if you are not comfortable taking screenshots.
Preview the plan for today.
10-15 min: Homework help (as needed)
10-15 min: Academic support
5 min: Break
10-15 min: Fun and Interactive Learning Activity
5 min: S.E.L. Check-out activity
To prompt curiosity, ask your student one of the questions below.
The goal is to get creative with their answers. These questions do not have a “right” answer, but they
do help encourage imagination and can be fun! You can also come up with a question related to
their interests.
- What would you do if you could change one thing about the sky?
- Before cars, people traveled by horse. How do you think we will travel in the future?
- Imagine you’re a food critic; what foods are you interested in trying? What do you think they
will taste like?
Submit a screenshot, or if unfamiliar with taking screenshots, you can summarize what you and your student worked on.
Curious history
Let your curiosity take you back in time to meet a historical figure!
5 min: S.E.L. Check-in activity
Curiosity is a desire to know about something. There is a good feeling we get when our curiosity is satisfied. One way to express curiosity is through research. Explore historical figures with your student and help them pick one person they are curious to learn more about. It is okay if they are unfamiliar with the person or they might already have someone in mind!
Here are three options to help choose a historical figure:
- PDF document: Selected biographies
- In-person matches: Print the slides or download and review them offline.
- Remote matches: Use this option if the internet is unstable or you prefer not to search through websites with your student.
- Website: Short Biography – Famous People
- Website: Biographies: Inventors, World Leaders, Women, Civil Rights
5 min: Session review & preview
Review the previous session and the School on Wheels 2024 Community Padlet.
Reminder: During your session, take a screenshot of your student’s work to add to the Padlet later. You can also summarize what you worked on if you are not comfortable taking screenshots.
Preview the plan for today.
10-15 min: Homework help (as needed)
10-15 min: Academic support
5 min: Break
10-15 min: Fun and Interactive Learning Activity
5 min: S.E.L. Check-out activity
With a curious mind, read these “Weird But True!” facts and explore the slideshow of interesting facts with your student.
Discussion questions:
- Which was the weirdest/biggest surprise?
- Are there any you are curious to learn more about?
- Do you know of any facts that you think should be added to this list?
Submit a screenshot, or if unfamiliar with taking screenshots, you can summarize what you and your student worked on.
Curious Future
You never know what the future will bring, but it’s fun to imagine!
5 min: S.E.L. Check-in activity
Help your student feel curious about their future.
Ask your student to make a list of things they like, are interested in, makes them happy, etc. You can write or draw on the Curious Future worksheet, on your own paper, or use the BBB whiteboard.
With a curious and creative mindset, discuss ways to make a career involving something they like from their list. Search online through a job search engine (like indeed.com) or have fun inventing a position.
- For example: If your student enjoys ice cream, they can be an ice cream flavor creator, new flavor tester, or even work at Ben & Jerry’s and create unique flavor names!
BONUS: Your student can draw a picture of themselves doing this job, design a business card, or write a paragraph explaining why they would be the best candidate for one of the positions.
5 min: Session review & preview
Review the previous session and the School on Wheels 2024 Community Padlet.
Reminder: During your session, take a screenshot of your student’s work to add to the Padlet later. You can also summarize what you worked on if you are not comfortable taking screenshots.
Preview the plan for today.
10-15 min: Homework help (as needed)
10-15 min: Academic support
5 min: Break
10-15 min: Fun and Interactive Learning Activity
5 min: S.E.L. Check-out activity
*This reflection can be a conversation or silent, written down, drawn or doodled… However you and your student prefer to reflect.
Quote reflection: “Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Guiding questions:
- What do you think the quote means?
- Have you ever been curious before and it led you to like or do something new?
- What is something you still feel curious about? What can you do about it?
Submit a screenshot, or if unfamiliar with taking screenshots, you can summarize what you and your student worked on.