Why this approach is important

Encouraging your students to ask questions about all kinds of materials and objects is important to their learning in science. It is a way to stimulate interest and capture attention. Students need to develop their scientific literacy in order to make informed choices about their lifestyle and work. Being able to question science activities and findings is therefore a crucial skill to develop in your students.

Students’ questions give you an insight into the issues and problems that they are trying to understand and may be struggling to make sense of. It is as they raise these questions that they try to link together new ideas or observations with what they already know. It is important, therefore, that you as their teacher pay attention to their questions and handle them effectively. Students’ questions help you to evaluate their learning.

Being able to sort and classify is an important skill for everyone because it allows us to choose and select the best material, object, substance or way of working to do a task effectively. Key to sorting and classifying effectively is being able to raise questions about the objects being sorted to identify similarities and differences. Collections of objects and materials present good starting points for helping students to raise their own questions.