PGCE shared resource on China

Introduction

Children are naturally curious, asking questions and seeking answers from a very early age. Curiosity has the potential to drive research and this can be done effectively in a collaborative setting in the classroom. Such an approach has the potential to spark interest, encourage involvement and stimulate enthusiasm.

Introducing curiosity driven research

What do you know about honey… about honey bees and about beehives? Probably not a great deal, yet this is a fascinating and pertinent topic as bee populations are threatened by habitat destruction and climate change. The implications on pollination and food production are considerable.

Running the Activity

1. Divide the class into small groups, of say 3 or 4 students. One student is allowed to use a mobile phone or tablet/computer to research questions raised by the rest of the group in discussion. Groups should be tasked with discussing what they know about honey and bees and then formulating and agreeing questions to be asked. The researcher provides answers which should fuel further discussion leading to additional questions. Thus a cycle of collaborative research is initiated.
2. Run the activity for 10-15 minutes or for as long as productive research and discussions are continuing.
3. Ask each group to volunteer one amazing piece of information that they have found out today.
4. Review the research process, focusing on curiosity driving the discussion and questioning, the value of collaborative working and the enjoyment of this type of activity.

Application to the Curriculum

Whilst the focus on honey and bees may be somewhat tangential to GCSE and A level specifications, it provides a good and inclusive focus (everybody knows something about honey and bees) to demonstrate this collaborative and curiosity driven approach to research. A similar approach can now be used in the introductory study of other topics, such as tropical rainforests, TNCs or changing places.

Conclusion

I believe that for students to do well they need to want to learn. They need to see a purpose and have a thirst for knowledge and understanding. By encouraging curiosity we are tapping into a natural human instinct that, whilst often buried by ‘stuff’ and stifling approaches, lies there just below the surface like a seed ready to sprout. Through curiosity, students can discover the joy of finding things out.