December Question of the Day Ideas for 1st to 3rd Grade
December can be the hardest month to keep students focused. Concerts, parties, and the countdown to winter break fill every day.
A December question of the day gives students something steady to come back to. The routine stays the same, even when the rest of the day changes. Here are some of my favorite December questions and a 5-day plan.
New to question of the day? Try four questions free, with booklet pages for recording answers. Get the free sample.
What Are Good Inquiry Questions for December?
Good December questions connect to winter, animals in the cold, and dinosaurs. A few questions about the body give students something they can test right at their desks.
Here are some questions from my December set.
Winter
Why do some birds fly south for the winter?
How do squirrels know it is time to gather acorns?
How can plants grow in the Arctic?
Why are candy canes striped?
Animals
Why do camels have humps?
What is the world's smallest dog?
What insect can jump the highest?
What is the largest amphibian?
Dinosaurs and Earth
How fast could dinosaurs run?
Why were dinosaurs so big?
What is at the center of the Earth?
Everyday science
How many times do we blink in a day?
How do furnaces work?
Why can't we see the wind?
How Can You Connect These Questions to December?
Use the winter questions as the weather turns cold, the dinosaur questions for students who love dinosaurs, and the blinking question for a quick test at their desks.
Pair the birds and squirrels questions with a unit on how animals get ready for winter.
Ask "How do furnaces work?" on a cold morning when the heat comes on.
After students research "How many times do we blink in a day?" have partners count each other's blinks for one minute.
Save the dinosaur questions for a day when students need something exciting.
A 5-Day Plan for December
Keep the plan simple so the routine feels calm. Students work on their own or with a partner every day.
Monday: Why do some birds fly south for the winter? Students work with a partner.
Tuesday: Why do camels have humps? Students work with a partner.
Wednesday: How many times do we blink in a day? Students research, then count their blinks with a partner.
Thursday: How do squirrels know it is time to gather acorns? Students try it on their own.
Friday: How fast could dinosaurs run? Students research on their own, then share with the class.
Teacher Tip for December
Before winter break, send the question of the day booklets home. Families love seeing what their child has learned. Add a short note inviting them to ask their child one of the questions over the break.
Want to take research further in the new year? Read How to Teach Inquiry-Based Learning in Grades 1 to 3.
Where Can You Get All 25 December Questions?
My December set has 25 inquiry questions, enough for every school day before break and a few extra. It comes in four formats: question cards, questions on rings, cut and paste, and no prep booklets. Booklet covers come in color and black and white, with regular lines and primary lines.
Not sure which format fits your class? Read Which Question of the Day Format Is Right for Your Class?
Planning ahead for the new year? Here are my January inquiry questions.
Try four questions free. Get a free question of the day sample in all four formats, ready to print.
