Teacher guide · Curious Lab · Medium · about 32 min

⛰️ Mighty Mountains

Pupils practise curiosity through "Mighty Mountains": How mountains form.

Lesson guide

  1. 1. Hook · 5 min

    Show the ⛰️ mission title and read the opening: "Highest mountain on Earth?". Take three quick guesses.

  2. 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. 3. Do · 10 min

    Pairs work through the 3 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"

  4. 4. Discuss · 10 min

    Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.

  5. 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. 1. Highest mountain on Earth?

    ☐ Ben Nevis

    ☐ Mount Everest

    ☐ Snowdon

  2. 2. Most mountains form when…

    ☐ People dig

    ☐ Rain piles up

    ☐ Tectonic plates push together

  3. 3. UK's highest mountain?

    ☐ Ben Nevis

    ☐ Everest

    ☐ Kilimanjaro