Teacher guide · Curious Lab · Medium · about 32 min
⛰️ Mighty Mountains
Pupils practise curiosity through "Mighty Mountains": How mountains form.
Lesson guide
1. Hook · 5 min
Show the ⛰️ mission title and read the opening: "Highest mountain on Earth?". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Sniff the Beagle's line as your prompt: "Great question! Ready to dig one layer deeper? Pick your next mission below."
3. Do · 10 min
Pairs work through the 3 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used curiosity today.
Discussion questions
- What was the hardest choice in "Mighty Mountains", and why?
- Highest mountain on Earth — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- Most mountains form when… — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- UK's highest mountain — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- Where could you use curiosity outside school this week?
- If you did this again, what would you change?
Adapting it
Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.
Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.
Curriculum links
- National Curriculum: Geography: locational knowledge, place and map skills
- National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically — asking questions and observing
- National Curriculum: Geography/History: enquiry and using sources
- PSHE: Living in the wider world: media literacy and checking information
Pupil sheet
⛰️ Mighty Mountains
Name: ____________________ Date: __________
1. Highest mountain on Earth?
☐ Ben Nevis
☐ Mount Everest
☐ Snowdon
2. Most mountains form when…
☐ People dig
☐ Rain piles up
☐ Tectonic plates push together
3. UK's highest mountain?
☐ Ben Nevis
☐ Everest
☐ Kilimanjaro