Imagine a classroom where students use their phones to record a large book and a small piece of crumbled paper falling at the same time. In these classrooms‚ students do not just work their way through problems. Instead‚ they use scientific ideas to figure things out․

This distinction matters.

Too often, science instruction leans heavily on synchronous learning, individual work, note-taking, and getting the “right answer.” However, the true goal of science education isn’t completion. Science education should instead focus on cultivating the lifelong journey of curiosity.

This goal leads us to the following question: How do we make students more curious about the scientific world around them?

One answer involves using cognitive strategies or curiosity-driven instruction‚ but this solution requires educators to focus as much on how we teach students as on what information they need to learn․ Try the following strategies in your classroom.

Start with Curiosity, Then Build Thinking

Raise a question or describe a phenomenon before you introduce a topic․

Instead of defining genetic engineering‚ show two sets of grapes that look different and ask students these questions: Why do we refer to one set of grapes as seedless while the others are called seeded grapes? If the grape doesn’t have seeds, how does it reproduce? How did it get here? 

Asking such questions is a good way to activate prior knowledge (schema) and encourage student questioning, both of which are hallmarks of higher-order thinking․

From there‚ use cognitive strategies to support the students as they begin to develop understanding․

Make Science Concepts Stick

With so much of science being abstract‚ examples can be useful․ Students can easily understand abstract concepts when they have a more familiar concept to anchor their thinking. For instance, you could describe the cell as a factory or electrical circuits as a water pipe system․

We can take this a step further and pair these examples with dual coding, which occurs when we combine visuals and words. An example of this approach would be to label a diagram of the heart and read a text that explains blood flow. This strategy allows students to process information both visually and verbally․

To push things even further, use think-alouds to model how you think through scientific concepts. You could say, 

"I'm noticing this graph trends upward. That makes me think . . .” Gradually teach students how to think through concepts by letting them practice using questioning strategies:

• Why does this happen?
• How does this connect with the unit we have been learning?
• What do you notice?
• What do you wonder?
• Why do you think that?
• What evidence supports your thinking?

This shift puts students in the role of a scientist instead of having them passively listen to information. As a result, students can move from memorizing scientific facts to reasoning․

Give Students Tools to Organize Their Thinking

Science can feel overwhelming, especially for students who struggle with processing large amounts of information. That’s where graphic organizers come in. We often see graphic organizers in language arts, but they help in science as well. A concept map for ecosystems or a Venn diagram comparing dicots and monocots can help students visually structure their thinking. 

You can also strengthen understanding through interleaving—the process of mixing different types of problems or concepts. Interleaving can be applied to real-world topics such as water quality by having students revisit the issue through multiple lenses. Students could solve problems on graphs; explore chemical properties like pH, turbidity, and contaminants; read about the water crises in Jackson, Mississippi, and Flint, Michigan; and develop evidence-based solutions. This approach helps students understand when and how to apply knowledge instead of just recalling it. 

Strengthen Memory Through Active Thinking

Although memorization can be useful, how students memorize matters in science․

Mnemonics are a simple yet effective tool for learning certain concepts. 

For instance, many students already know the mnemonics

"Old People From Texas Eat Spiders" (cranial bones) and

"ROY G BIV" (colors of the rainbow).

However, having students create their own mnemonics increases their engagement with and ownership of their learning. These mnemonics become powerful tools during retrieval practice, where students actively recall information instead of simply rereading notes.

Digital tools such as Quizlet allow students to turn their mnemonics into flash cards and use retrieval practice, while platforms such as Socrative support both multiple-choice and short-answer retrieval. Both tools have been shown to strengthen long-term memory. Remember that if students can’t remember something, they can’t build on it.

Overall, teaching science is not just about teaching the students content—it’s also about intentionally teaching them how to think. Strategies such as curiosity-driven instruction, graphic organizers, dual coding, interleaving, mnemonics, retrieval practice, and modeled thinking all work together to deepen understanding, but they don’t have to be implemented all at once. Start small by incorporating one or two strategies into each unit, and over time, you’ll begin to see a shift. When these strategies are used intentionally, students can bridge curiosity with the cognitive strategies they need to become our next generation of scientists. 

Kristen Barnes is the assistant director of the Upward Bound Math and Science program at Tougaloo College and a doctoral student focused on science education and cognitive strategies for learning. A former middle and high school science and special education teacher, Barnes has been recognized with honors such as the Mississippi Science Teachers Association Distinguished Science Educator of the Year and the NSTA Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers. Her work centers on helping students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, develop critical-thinking skills and access STEM learning through inclusive, research-based practices.

The mission of NSTA is to transform science education to benefit all through professional learning, partnerships, and advocacy.