5 kids with technology on grassy lawn
Grade 5

Wonderopolis

Empowered Learner

Overview​

Wonderopolis is a free informational site that asks and answers interesting questions about the world. Wonders of the Day questions are posted daily, and each is designed to get kids to think, talk, and find learning moments in everyday life.

Students will:

  • Be able to select a topic, research it and share the information of their wondering.

Vocabulary Words:

  1. Research: Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
  2. Explore: To explore is to inquire into or discuss.

To prepare for this lesson:

  • The teacher introduces Wonderopolis to students and shows them how to navigate the site.

  • The teacher explains and shows students the text features within the articles in Wonderopolis.

  • The teacher provides students with a document to organize their findings.

  • View the About document.
     
  • View the Educator Guide.
     
  • Watch the video Using Wonderopolis for Research. 
     

See the Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students website in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

  1. The teacher will introduce Wonderopolis to the students. 
  2. The students select a wondering topic from Wonderopolis.
  3. The students read articles and watch a video on the topic.
  4. The students organize findings in a document or journal.
  5. The students share findings with the class or in small groups.

Different options for assessing the students:

  • Observations
  • Check for understanding
  • Have students identify passages in the informational text that answer the questions.
  • Ask students to summarize one or more important facts from the Wonder in their own words.
  • Wonderopolis has a Test Your Knowledge section.

MITECS: Michigan adopted the "ISTE Standards for Students" called MITECS (Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students) in 2018.

Empowered Learner
1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1b. Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
1d. Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.

Device: PC, Chromebook, Mac, iPad 

Browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, ALL

App
Google Play Store

Websites:
Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis About Guide

Wonderopolis Educator Guide

Using Wonderopolis for Research

CONTENT AREA RESOURCES

Students can create a Wonderopolis Journal and write and illustrate what they have learned.

A Project Based learning center can be created for students. They can build, draw and create connected to their wonder learnings.

There are many math related wonders that students can investigate and share what they have learned.

Wonderopolis will be useful in science research and STEM activities.

  • Research topics in social studies that connect to curriculum being taught.

  • Students can work in small groups to have discussions on a topic and then share with the class.

Report a bad link, inappropriate content or out-of-date content. 

Credits
This task card was created by Julie Hoehing, Lake Shore Public Schools, April 2018. Updated November 2023. 


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