The Screaming Hairy Armadillo may sound like pure fun (and it is!) but it’s also a launchpad for something deeper: meaningful, memorable learning fueled by curiosity.
When paired with Curiosity-Based Thinking, this strange and surprising cast of creatures becomes a powerful way to help students reflect on what they’ve learned, imagine what they can do with it, and connect it to the learning still to come.
It’s a gateway to something much deeper: lifelong learning powered by curiosity.
As the school year winds down, it’s easy to fall into the countdown mindset. But what if we flipped that? What if the final days of school became some of the most meaningful, memorable, and fun? That’s what this new series is all about.
Welcome to Wild Curiosity: Summer Learning with The Screaming Hairy Armadillo—a collection of quick, curiosity-driven activities designed for grades 3–6 teachers and students to finish the year strong and launch into summer with wonder. Each short article brings you easy-to-use prompts from the book and its free Educator Guide, all aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and fueled by my Curiosity-Based Thinking methodology.
What’s Curiosity-Based Thinking?
Curiosity-Based Thinking takes everyday learning and turns it into a personal adventure. It starts with a spark of curiosity, dives into discovery, reframes what we thought we knew, and ends with students creating something new. It’s flexible, fun, and totally student-centered.
Curiosity-Based Thinking ensures all learning and doing is catalyzed by curiosity and enjoyable throughout execution.
Let’s take a peek at what that looks like in action.
What? to Wow! with the Vampire Squid
Want to blow students’ minds (and not your prep time)? Pick an animal like the Vampire Squid. Then, guide students through the What? to Wow! process:
What makes the Vampire Squid different from other sea animals?
Who relies on or is impacted by the Vampire Squid in its habitat?
When is the Vampire Squid most vulnerable or successful?
Where does the Vampire Squid live that helps it survive?
How does the Vampire Squid use its abilities to stay safe?
Why should we care about the Vampire Squid’s existence?
Huh? What is something you don’t understand about the Vampire Squid?
Wow! What’s the creative opportunity? (Invent a gadget inspired by bioluminescence!)
Suddenly, science turns into storytelling, innovation, and reflection. Students revisit what they’ve learned about survival and adaptation.
For some bonus curiosity, pause and ask your students to imagine how those ideas could shape the future. Maybe even their own?
Reclassify the Animal Kingdom
Here’s another student-favorite: take the existing categories in the book like “Funny Names” and remix them into original ones like “Masters of Disguise” or “Extreme Eaters.” (Educator Guide, p. 4)
For example, students might reclassify the Yeti Crab—not just for its name, but for its ability to thrive in a deep-sea “Goldilocks Zone.” This helps them reflect on biology, predict how animals (and humans!) adapt, and practice creative, systems-level thinking.
Why End the Year This Way?
Because students remember how they felt learning more than what they learned. By giving them tools to reflect on their learning, predict where it can take them, and connect it to the wider world, we make curiosity a habit, not just a hook.
In each upcoming article, you’ll get an activity that:
Sparks reflection on what students learned this year
Encourages imaginative leaps into future learning
Connects classroom knowledge to the real world (and wild animal facts!)
Can be done in 15–30 minutes with minimal materials and maximum engagement
You’ll also be modeling what it looks like to end strong, stay curious, and carry learning into life—not just summer.
Let’s Get Wild (with Learning)
This series is my invitation to you: make these final weeks joyful, meaningful, and filled with questions. Try the activities, tweak them, make them your own—and share what works! Let’s make curiosity our classroom closer, not just our conversation starter.
The first activity drops soon, and trust me—it’s going to be a scream.
Stay curious,
Matt
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