Investigating

Students in my classes loved investigating. I would set aside an hour each week for them to tackle some important learning. Before anyone began, they had to write five questions about what they were investigating.

You probably know the type of questions. They begin with W words: who, what, when, where, and why. My students found the first four questions were easy to write, but the ‘why’ was the hardest.

If you struggle with ‘why,’ you’re not alone. Why questions tap into the deep thinking parts of our brains. The prefrontal cortex is right behind our foreheads. It’s a large area because it does a lot of work.

When you investigate something … but wait, let’s back up. Investigating can mean a lot of things. It could mean putting together a report for school or building a Lego model.

Both of those activities require your prefrontal cortex. It’s the part that makes decisions, choices, and options.

Following a plan to build your Lego model makes it work hard.

Trying to stay awake during that math lesson makes it work harder because it’s always playing catch up. It’s like coming in 10 minutes late at the movies.

That’s why my students liked investigating. Their prefrontal cortexes could work at their own pace.