February Question of the Day Ideas for 1st to 3rd Grade
February can feel like the longest short month. Cold mornings, indoor recess, and restless students make focus hard to find.
A February question of the day puts that extra energy to good use. Students get one quick question, find the answer, and write it down. Here are some of my favorite February questions, ideas for the month, 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 February?
Good February questions cover winter survival, curious animals, and everyday science. Questions with a surprising answer keep students interested on long winter days.
Here are some questions from my February set.
Winter science
How do animals survive in winter?
Do insects hibernate?
Why is ice slippery?
Why are there clouds?
Animals
How do seahorses stay upright?
Why can't kangaroos hop backwards?
How do cats purr?
Why do turtles have shells?
Everyday wonders
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
What is a funny bone?
What did people clean their teeth with before toothpaste?
Why did dinosaurs become extinct?
How Can You Connect These Questions to February?
February is National Children's Dental Health Month in the US, and it is still deep winter. Both make easy connections.
Use the toothpaste question during Dental Health Month.
Pair the winter survival and hibernation questions with a winter animals unit.
Put the questions on a ring at a research center for indoor recess days.
Use "What is a funny bone?" during a unit on the human body.
A 5-Day Plan for February
Mix winter science with a few surprising questions. Start as a class, then move students to partners and then to working on their own.
Monday: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Research it together as a class.
Tuesday: How do animals survive in winter? Students work with a partner.
Wednesday: Why is ice slippery? Students work with a partner again.
Thursday: What did people clean their teeth with before toothpaste? Students try it on their own.
Friday: How do cats purr? Students research on their own, then share with the class.
Teacher Tip for February
Turn the tomato question into a friendly class debate. Students choose "fruit" or "vegetable," then find one fact from a book or website to back up their answer. They learn that good answers need evidence.
Want to take research further? Read How to Teach Inquiry-Based Learning in Grades 1 to 3.
Where Can You Get All 25 February Question of the Day Questions?
My February set has 25 inquiry questions, one for each school day of the month. 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? Here are my March inquiry questions.
Try four questions free. Get a free question of the day sample in all four formats, ready to print.
