Manzanita Bilingual School
Where childhood is a joyful endeavor...
Developing Curiosity through Nature
The Power of a Curious Mind
"What makes children want to learn? According to research, it's the joy of exploration -- a hidden force that drives learning, critical thinking, and reasoning. We call this ability curiosity, and we recognize it in children when we see them exploring their environment, devouring books and information, asking questions, investigating concepts, manipulating data, searching for meaning, connecting with people and nature, and seeking new learning experiences." --Price Mitchell (2015), Edutopia.
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Nature as a Tool for Developing Curiosity
Nature is full of things to be curious about. It seems like the more you know about Nature, the more you want to learn. The more you learn about Nature, the more curious we become. Whether looking at scat and trying to determine which animal has passed through or determining which species of bird built a nest, Nature holds an endless supply of life's unanswered questions.
At Manzanita Bilingual School, we embrace the unanswered question and use nature as a tool to develop the senses and the curiosity of children. We engage students in a variety of outdoor activities that increase their observation skills so that they begin to notice what is going on around them. Then, we provide children with the time and resources to search out the answers to the questions that they have generated. We allow curiosity to lead the child's learning.
