What can Curious George teach teachers about using curiosity?

Just like George your students (and you) were born with an instinctive curiosity. How can teachers take advantage of this inquisitiveness to help students learn? This is done by creating a mismatch between what students know and what they want to know.

Start your lesson with a curiosity-based introduction. Create that mismatch between known and want to know early so the kids will stay with you until that curiosity is satisfied. The man with the yellow hat did this when he set his hat on the ground for George to explore.

You can do this by asking questions like these:

Have you ever wondered how you can tell if your brother or sister is sneaking into your room by using simple materials you may have lying around your home? (electricity lesson)

Wouldn’t it be great if we knew how to make a super giant pumpkin so we could have the biggest jack-o-lantern ever? (plant lesson)

There is a way for you to learn double the information in your history book in half the time you’d normally take. Would you like to be able to do that? (study skills)

The key to understanding other people is in knowing the body language that are displaying. (psychology lesson)

Have you ever wondered why hotdogs come in packages of 10 and buns come in packages of 8? (economics lesson)

If you want to make your bike the fastest in the neighborhood, physics is the answer. (physics lesson)

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to fly like a seagull, what would happen if you press random numbers on a phone, or what it would be like to hold a bright red balloon? George has. And he found out by following through with his curiosity. If there is one thing we can take away from his experience it’s this: make sure your curiosity is always moving you in a healthy direction. If it is – go for it!