See-Think-Wonder
Updated 2026-08-15
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A thinking routine from Harvard Project Zero, used in inquiry-based teaching, in which participants first state what they observe, then what they think it means, then what they wonder about. The core proposition is that separating the three acts slows the jump from a glance to a conclusion, so interpretation is built on stated evidence and curiosity is treated as a legitimate output. The key qualification is discipline in the first step: if evaluation enters during observation, the routine collapses into opinion and the later steps lose their foundation.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Observation lock: state only what is visible before offering any interpretation. - Inference labeling: mark each explanation as a hypothesis rather than a finding. - Question harvest: end by recording the questions the observation opened rather than closing with a neat answer.
Anchor fast decisions
A glance produces an impression that feels like a fact, and once that impression is formed, later reasoning serves to justify it. Forcing the observation to be stated first, in language that excludes judgment, exposes how little was actually seen and creates a gap that interpretation must then fill with evidence. Treating wonder as a required output rather than a distraction keeps the inquiry open, which is what sustains exploration beyond the first explanation.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Zeroverified
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