As IB learners we strive to be inquirers. We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

This IB learner profile is one of 10 attributes recognized and valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.

University faculties regularly note IB students’ passion for discovery.

IBO.org

• Visit places that spark inquiry like a museum, park or nature preserve.
• Explore the areas of your child's interest by visiting the library to borrow books.
• Develop an understanding of the Internet. Work with your son or daughter when the Internet is being used and try to instill the understanding that some internet sites are not reputable.
• Model being an inquirer. Ask questions and wonder!
• Praise your child for asking a question
• Have your child jot down their wonders in a journal. Spend time researching these wonders!

Here are three sites that make screen time a learning time:

• The Tinkering Studio: Experiments with science, art, technology, and other delightful ideas.
• How Stuff Works: Articles broken down by subject areas to answer those difficult questions
• The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids: Features riddles, puzzles, a question of the day, a timeline of interesting history facts, sky events and weather conditions to track at home with your children

The See-Know-Wonder thinking routine encourages children to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry. Encourage your child to engage in inquiry with the three simple prompts below:

• What does it mean to be an inquirer?
• Did [character] have any good inquiry skills you can use?
• How do you know [character] was being an inquirer?
• How did the inquiry process help [character]?
• How do you know the [character] was going through an inquiry process?
• Were any of the [character’s] curious? How do you know?
• Describe how a character used their curiosity/inquiry process to solve a mystery. Could they have done anything differently?

Snowflake Bentley is a children's picture book written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian. Published in 1998, the book is about Wilson Bentley, the first known photographer of snowflakes. Azarian won the 1999 Caldecott Medal for her illustrations.

When preparing to introduce biographies as a genre, it is important to begin by helping students understand that biographies are literary non-fiction books. This means that the information in these types of texts should be accurate and reliable, but there might still be some creative license used when writing a biography to allow for interesting descriptions and dialogue. For more information visit: https://www.differentiatedteaching.com/snowflake-bentley-lessons/

Library Visit

Visit one of your local libraries and spend some time in the biography section. Which biographies stand out to you? Why?

"What Do You Do With an Idea?" is a children's book that essentially encourages readers to embrace and nurture their ideas, no matter how small or seemingly crazy they might be, by actively working to develop them and bring them to life, ultimately showing how even a single idea can have a positive impact on the world around them; it celebrates the power of imagination and the process of turning thoughts into reality.

• Describe a time when you had a new idea. How did your idea make you feel?
• Why does color show up at the end of the book?
• Why is it scary sometimes to share your new ideas?
• Why do you think the boy felt happier when his idea was around?
• How are you courageous when you come up with a new idea?
• What do you think it means to become friends with your idea? How does that help it grow?
• What could you tell someone who wants to give up on their idea?

Activity Idea: Pasta Tower

Pasta towers are a great way to teach students about structural engineering. Using dry spaghetti and marshmallows (or other binding materials), students can design and build a tower that must support a given weight at the top (like a small ball or egg). This activity teaches about tension, compression, and load distribution—concepts engineers use when designing skyscrapers and bridges. A neat part of this activity is everyone can create a unique design.

Click the image for more information and stem activities.

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