Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Worksheet: See-Think-Wonder

See-Think-Wonder is an activity that can be paired with the Smithsonian Science How webcast videos and other resources on our website. This activity will emphasize the importance of observation, which is a skill used by all of our scientists.

To begin, select an image or object that pertains to the webcast.

  • First ask your students “What do you see?” and give them a few minutes to silently record their observations. They should just be noting what they observe without any interpretation.
  • Next, ask your students “What do you think is going on?” and encourage them to provide evidence for their interpretations.
  • Next, ask “What does it make you wonder?” based on what they have seen and thought, and encourage them to ask bigger, broader questions about the topic.  
  • To conclude, ask them to share their thinking during each step with the larger group or class.
Resource Type
Posters and Worksheets
Grade Level
3-5, 6-8