Curiosity has always been at the heart of our classroom learning experience, and our Curiosity Classrooms are the next step in enhancing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) concepts. It allows students to use materials that promote problem-solving and creativity, as well as share their ideas and discoveries.
Additional benefits of Curiosity Classrooms include:
- Encouraging and training teachers to integrate similar developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning strategies into curricular units in the classroom
- Engaging parents and encouraging family learning at home
- Complementing in-school learning with visits to Chicago Children’s Museum
And our Curiosity Classroom doesn’t just benefit our students—we’re planning to use this space to launch parent trainings on how to best support your student’s learning. This will help strengthen the connection between what our students are learning at school and their experiences at home.
Purpose
A Curiosity Classroom is a welcoming, flexible space that:
- Inspires students and teachers to be curious and explore
- Supports an evolving STEAM learning curriculum
- Supports state and city curriculum standards
- Provides direct, hands-on learning
- Inspires collaboration and cooperation
- Includes permanent features & changeable loose parts
- Leaves room for teachers to bring their own ideas
Purpose
A Curiosity Classroom is a welcoming, flexible space that:
- Inspires students and teachers to be curious and explore
- Supports an evolving STEAM learning curriculum
- Supports state and city curriculum standards
- Provides direct, hands-on learning
- Inspires collaboration and cooperation
- Includes permanent features & changeable loose parts
- Leaves room for teachers to bring their own ideas
Principles
Key principles of the Curiosity Classroom:
- Use materials that invite problem solving, self-expression and creativity
- Wonder, observe, question, test, fail, try again
- Provide authentic materials, equipment and tools
- Invite children to document and share ideas and discoveries
- Focus on STEM concepts that can be directly experienced and are open-ended
- Include direct experiences with the natural and living world
Participating Schools
With Curiosity Classrooms bringing so many benefits to Chicago’s students, the District wants to ensure that families across the city are aware that schools in many Chicago neighborhoods have them.
- BARTON 773-535-3260 7650 S WOLCOTT Ave Chicago, Illinois 60620
- BOUCHET 773-535-0501 7355 S JEFFERY Blvd Chicago, Illinois 60649
- EARLE 773-535-9130 2040 W 62ND St Chicago, Illinois 60636
- ELLINGTON 773-534-6361 243 N PARKSIDE Ave Chicago, Illinois 60644
- HENDRICKS 773-535-1696 4316 S PRINCETON Ave Chicago, Illinois 60609
- KING ES 773-535-3875 644 W 71ST St Chicago, Illinois 60621
- MASON 773-534-1530 4217 W 18TH St Chicago, Illinois 60623
- MAYS 773-535-3892 6656 S NORMAL Blvd Chicago, Illinois 60621
- MIRELES 773-535-6360 9000 S EXCHANGE Ave Chicago, Illinois 60617
- SMITH 773-535-5689 744 E 103RD St Chicago, Illinois 60628