ABSTRACT
Curiosity is a curious subject. It’s often mentioned as a trait common to scientists, for scientists certainly need it. And, although curiosity is considered fundamental to creativity and innovation, the term rarely appears as a focus in education, and is often lost as individuals age. Science is a natural stimulant for curiosity and science class is the perfect place to foster it. In the traditional science classroom, curiosity is not fostered. Students are generally led through the curriculum with great breadth, but little depth and little chance to pursue what they are particularly curious about. Professional scientists, on the other hand, often spend their lives researching a topic of interest in great depth. Teachers asking higher order questions in class is important, but it is when the students ask those kinds of questions and try to answer them that the stated goal can be reached, and curiosity deepened.
