September Question of the Day Ideas for 1st to 3rd Grade
September brings a new class, new names to learn, and a lot of routines to build. You need mornings that feel calm and predictable.
A September question of the day gives students the same simple routine every morning. They read the question, find the answer, and write it down. It also shows you how each student reads, searches, and writes. Here are some of my favorite September 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 September?
Good September questions spark curiosity about amazing animals and our planet. A few questions about healthy habits fit the start of the school year.
Here are some questions from my September set.
Amazing animals
What is the only mammal that can fly?
What is a mudskipper?
What is a caecilian?
Why do snakes shed their skins?
Why do zebras have stripes?
Our Earth
Why is the Earth round?
Why is it cold on the top of mountains?
Could I find a fossil on the playground?
Why is it important to recycle?
Healthy habits
What is a healthy food choice?
How do we get sick?
How Can You Connect These Questions to September?
Use the healthy habits questions while you set classroom routines, the recycling question when you set up your classroom bins, and the animal questions to spark curiosity.
Ask "How do we get sick?" when you teach handwashing and classroom health routines.
Use "Why is it important to recycle?" when you introduce your classroom recycling bin.
Ask "Could I find a fossil on the playground?" and then take a look at recess.
Save the mudskipper and caecilian questions for a day students need a surprise. Most have never heard of these animals.
A 5-Day Plan for September
Start as a class, then let students work with partners. Keep the first weeks simple so every student feels successful.
Monday: What is a healthy food choice? Research it together as a class.
Tuesday: What is the only mammal that can fly? Research it together again.
Wednesday: What is a mudskipper? Students work with a partner.
Thursday: Could I find a fossil on the playground? Students work with a partner, then look at recess.
Friday: Why is it important to recycle? Students work with a partner, then share with the class.
Teacher Tip for September
The first few weeks are a great time to teach students how to write short notes instead of copying. Model how you turn a long sentence from a book into a few key words. Read How to Teach Kids to Write Jot Notes for a simple way to teach it.
Where Can You Get All 25 September Question of the Day Questions?
My September 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 October inquiry questions.
Try four questions free. Get a free question of the day sample in all four formats, ready to print.
