I Wonder...

Have you wondered what medicine is made from, why you need your toes, or how the ocean waves are created?  If so, I have the solution for you.  Wonderopolis!

Everyday I am completely amazed by the things that I learn from Wonderopolis.  This is one of my favorite websites for anyone to learn from.  Wonderopolis is a website that has a wonder of the day.  For each wonder of the day, there is a video, written information, an option to have the information read to you, a discussion board, wonder words, a gallery of pictures, further wonders and so much more.  Wonderopolis doesn't stop there though.  You can search through past wonders, let Wonderopolis know what you are wondering about and vote on wonders that have been submitted.

There is so much educational value in this website.  When I was teaching first grade, I used this with my fast finishers.  They could look up wonders that interested them and then they would report back to the class what they learned.  I also make sure that when I'm creating unit resources for my teachers that I search Wonderopolis for wonders that fit the unit.  For example, for a unit on the solar system I found wonders such as "Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?", "Where is the Milkyway?", "What is the Hottest Planet?", "How Hot is the Sun?" and so many others.

The educator sandbox is another great tool on the website.  You can search by grade level and topic to find wonders that fit what your students are learning in class.  There are also blog posts that talk about things going on right now and the wonders to go with them.  Their Twitter feed is here as well.  Wonderopolis is constantly tweeting wonders of the day, past wonders that fit with the time of year, and educational information.

If you haven't checked out this great resource, go to www.wonderopolis.org to see for yourself all of the amazing things it has to offer.  If you have additional ideas about how to use this in education, leave your comments below or tweet them mentioning @techtimewithj9 and @wonderopolis.  Enjoy!!!!

Image from: www.wonderopolis.org