What if the most powerful thing you could do for student engagement wasn't a flashy lab or a big project — but just getting kids to ask the questions instead of you?

Questioning is one of the most underused tools in upper elementary science. Not teacher questions — student questions. In this episode Nicole walks through the exact practice she uses to get students generating real, relevant science questions, why observations always come first, and the simple move that takes the whole experience to the next level.


In This Episode:

  • Why student curiosity starts to wane by upper elementary — and what we can do about it
  • The phenomenon-first sequence: observations before questions, volume before judgment
  • How to help students identify which questions are relevant without shutting down their curiosity
  • The abbreviated warm-up version you can use every single day in five minutes
  • The "call out" move: how to use student-generated questions to launch your lessons and why it builds buy-in fast


Links Mentioned:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter, resources, and the phenomenon prompt list for this episode: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📝 What Do You Look For When Selecting Science Phenomena?

📝 Four Ways To Actively Engage Students With Anchor Phenomena



📬 Stay Connected


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