"I Notice, I Wonder"

Purpose

"I Notice, I Wonder" is a thinking routine that encourages careful observation and curiosity. Students begin by objectively noticing details without judgment, then generate questions based on their observations. This strategy develops critical thinking, observation skills, and inquiry habits. It helps students slow down their thinking, attend to details they might otherwise miss, and formulate meaningful questions that drive deeper investigation.

Materials

  • Stimulus material (image, object, text passage, video clip, math problem, science phenomenon, etc.)

  • Chart paper or whiteboard divided into two columns: "I Notice" and "I Wonder"

  • Optional: Individual recording sheets with two columns for student responses

  • Optional: Sticky notes for students to write observations and questions

  • Optional: Document camera or projector to display stimulus for whole class

Instructions

  1. Present the stimulus: Display or provide the material students will observe. Give them time to look, listen, or examine without talking.

  2. Model "I Notice": Demonstrate making objective observations without interpretation or judgment. Use sentence frames like "I notice..." followed by factual descriptions.

  3. Collect "I Notice" statements: Have students share what they observe while you record responses in the "I Notice" column. Accept all observations and encourage specific, detailed noticing.

  4. Transition to "I Wonder": Explain that now students will generate questions based on their observations. Model with examples like "I wonder why..." or "I wonder what would happen if..."

  5. Collect "I Wonder" questions: Have students share their questions while you record them in the "I Wonder" column. All questions are valid; there are no "wrong" wonders.

  6. Extend thinking: Select one or more questions to investigate further through discussion, research, or hands-on exploration.

Classroom Management

Establish clear expectations that "I Notice" statements should be observations, not opinions or interpretations. Help students distinguish between "I notice the character is smiling" (observation) and "I notice the character is happy" (interpretation). Create an anchor chart showing the difference between noticing and wondering. Encourage students to build on each other's observations and questions. When energy lags, provide think time or allow students to turn and talk with a partner before sharing with the whole group. Celebrate curiosity by responding positively to all questions, even if you don't know the answers.

Differentiation

  • For struggling students: Provide sentence stems or frames, work in small groups with teacher support, or focus on simpler stimulus materials with fewer details to notice.

  • For English language learners: Pre-teach vocabulary related to the stimulus, allow use of home language, provide visual supports, or pair with supportive peers for discussion.

  • For advanced students: Challenge them to move beyond surface observations to deeper patterns, ask them to generate hypotheses based on their wonders, or have them research answers to their questions independently.

  • For students who struggle with question formation: Provide question stem cards, model multiple types of questions, or allow them to turn a notice into a wonder with support.

  • For students with attention challenges: Use highly engaging stimulus materials, keep initial observation time brief, or allow movement during the activity.

Extension

  • Investigation phase: Select the most interesting wonders and design investigations, experiments, or research projects to answer them.

  • Written reflection: Have students write about what they noticed and wondered, then explain which question they'd most like to answer and why.

  • Multiple rounds: Return to the same stimulus after learning more about the topic and create new "I Notice, I Wonder" lists to see how understanding has deepened.

  • Student-led: Have students bring in their own stimulus materials to share and lead "I Notice, I Wonder" activities with peers.

  • Cross-curricular application: Use this routine across all subjects—in math to analyze problems, in science to observe phenomena, in social studies to examine primary sources, in literacy to study texts.

  • Gallery walk: Post multiple stimuli around the room with chart paper at each station. Students rotate through, adding notices and wonders at each station.

  • Digital documentation: Use shared documents or classroom tools to collect and organize notices and wonders that can be revisited throughout a unit of study.