See – Think – Wonder activity comes from the Harvard School of Education Project Zero. This strategy is a fun and non-threatening way to introduce the book. It is designed to get students thinking about why something looks the way it does. It is a great way to motivate student interest prior to reading it since the elements of the cover represent a number of key elements in the story.
From Project Zero:
The routine works best when a student responds by using the three stems together at the same time, i.e., “I see…, I think…, I wonder… .” However, you may find that students begin using one stem at a time, and that you need to scaffold each response with a follow-up question for the next stem.
Prompts:
- Do you think this is a fiction or nonfiction book? Why?
- What clues do you see related to time and setting of the story?
- List the separate design elements you see. Why do you think the author included them?
- What problems do you think the main character might face?
- What clues has the author provided for you in the title?
- What other details do you see?
- How do they relate to each other?
- What are you wondering about?
