Thursday 6 June 2013

Wonderopolis


I have been wanting to post about Wonderopolis for a while but I wanted to come up with the perfect lesson to write about. The possibilities are endless so I decided to leave that part up to you. It a website that displays a 'Wonder of the Day' each day to promote thinking and conversation. To go along with this question, you can find basic information, vocabulary words, questions to promote thinking, and even other resources for finding out more about the topic. There are often even lessons and activity ideas to match.

I have heard of teachers doing a Wonder Wednesday and I like this idea of doing it once a week so that you can be selective in the wonders you choose - there is a huge archive. You would be unlucky not to find one that matches your current topic. I think one idea would be for students to have a go at answering the 'Wonder' in their writing. They could also use research skills (under supervision) on iPads, of course, to find the answers. As a class you can then look at the resources on Wonderopolis that give the answer.

You may be wondering why I am posting about this website on my iPad Blog or you may have guessed - it is also an app. The app has most but not all of the same features as the website.
Just to inspire you even more, here are some recent wonders:

Why Do Stink Bugs Stink?
Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?
How Does a Thermos Work?
Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?
Where is the Biggest Castle in the World?


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