Math is all around us! As an educator I love helping children discover the authentic ways we use math in our everyday lives! As children recognize the integrated, meaningful ways math helps our world work, their interest and confidence in the subject will grow. Exploring the authentic math that exists in our surroundings may help nurture children’s interest and confidence, building a strong foundation for subsequent experiences.
The ‘see, think, and wonder’ routine is a specific sequence of steps that guides children’s thinking regarding a specific observation. Children first describe what they see, focusing on their power of observation. Next, they interpret these observations and articulate connections to what they have seen. Finally, they share a question or wondering about the object in order to guide their future thinking work.
The 'Winter Day - See, Think and Wonder' video can be used in physical or virtual learning spaces to help facilitate math conversations. At first children can be invited to carefully observe each photo and share what they see. Ask children to use rich description as they articulate their observations. Next, ask children to make personal connections to the information presented in the text and photos. They can articulate what they think about the question prompts in the text, or make inferences about the information shared in the photos. Finally, ask children to share what they wonder about the text and photos. Educators can pause the video at any point to give children more time to engage in math conversation about their observations and wonderings.
As children engage in conversation, reflect upon their ideas. What are children curious about? What do they notice in the foreground, and background of each photo? What connections can they make to the video? What experiences do they have that relate to the objects or situations being presented? Is there something they are interested in learning further? How might they go about conducting mathematical research if they have access to these objects or scenarios in real life? What knowledge do they need to have in order to research their question? What tools and supports might help them in their quest? How can they share their findings with others?
After the children have explored the video, consider asking them to co-create their own version of the media in the form of a 'See, Think, and Wonder' class book. Children can illustrate pictures and write their own narratives. Invite children to look around their homes and communities for other seasonal situations to explore. Perhaps children can digitally document what they find and add these to their own Winter Day book. Images can also be gathered and shared in a video form. The possibilities are as endless as the questions children ask.
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