Introduction
The AASL Standards Framework for Learners includes six Shared Foundations: Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage. Each foundation includes four learning domains: Think, Create, Share, and Grow. These domains support how students understand, express, interact, and develop their knowledge and skills over time.
The code “AASL A.V” refers to:
Shared Foundation: EXPLORE
Domain: THINK
Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by:
- Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats, writing and creating for various purposes.
- Reflecting and questioning assumptions and possible misconceptions.
- Engaging in inquiry-based processes for personal growth.
Explore centers on curiosity and the willingness to move through uncertainty. Within this foundation, think refers to the mental habits students need to recognize, manage, and respond to that uncertainty productively. Students living out this standard practice self-guided exploration, analytical reflection, and resilient thinking.
What AASL A.V. Asks Students to Do
At the heart of AASL A.V. is the encouragement of intellectual bravery. Students are guided to move beyond familiar territory and develop the ability to navigate situations that feel new or uncertain. The standard invites them to ask meaningful questions, try new approaches, and, importantly, recognize when something isn’t working. This standard emphasizes the value of struggle and reflection as essential parts of learning, especially in moments when quick answers aren't the goal.
AASL A.V. approach aligns closely with student-initiated discovery, where learners generate their own lines of inquiry and make decisions about how to proceed. It includes evaluating sources and strategies as they go, adapting their approach in real time, and learning to tolerate a degree of ambiguity.
Students begin to build confidence in their own reasoning as they move beyond the need for external validation. They form habits of inquiry and decision-making that support deeper learning. They are not just collecting information or producing work. They are developing an ability to think independently, even when they do not have a clear path forward.
Understanding What It Means to Explore
In daily language, the word "explore" suggests travel or investigation. In the context of this standard, it refers more to a mindset than a destination. To explore is to engage actively with a question, a problem, or a new concept. It involves setting aside fixed expectations and allowing learning to unfold through trial, questioning, and close observation.
AASL A.V. encourages learners to explore with intention. Exploration is guided by reflection and purpose, with students making choices that help them stay focused as they investigate new ideas. Students think critically about their next step as they begin to recognize gaps, questions, or possibilities that feel worth exploring.
Exploration involves both internal and external movement. Internally, students may shift their perspective, open themselves to new possibilities, or challenge their prior assumptions. Externally, they may test a hypothesis, revise a plan, or respond to feedback. In both cases, they are thinking their way forward.
Thinking Critically While Curating
The “Think” domain in AASL A.IV emphasizes critical thinking. Students engage with information by examining it closely and asking thoughtful questions. Some key questions they might ask include:
- Who created this information?
- What is the purpose of the content?
- Is it current and accurate?
- What sources support the claims?
- Are there any missing perspectives?
This helps students decide which information is useful, fair, and true. For example, a website about healthy food written by a fast-food company might not be the best source. A student thinking critically would look for health information from doctors, hospitals, or official health organizations instead.
Key Considerations: AASL A.V
Exploration begins with permission to follow curiosity. Students need time, choice, and meaningful exposure to various reading formats. Giving them access to fiction, nonfiction, graphics, audio, and digital materials supports both personal interest and deeper comprehension. Teachers can help by modeling their own curiosity and showing how reading can lead to new questions worth pursuing.
It’s also important to create space for reflection. Students benefit from routines that help them pause, reconsider what they’ve learned, and think through what they still wonder. These habits grow slowly and require consistent attention. Misconceptions are part of the process, not mistakes to avoid.
Younger students will need visual tools and shared discussions to build awareness of how their thinking changes. Older students can document shifts in understanding and trace how questions evolve over time. Across levels, the focus stays on encouraging discovery and valuing thoughtful, ongoing inquiry.
Key Actions Within AASL A.V
Competency 1: Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and writing and creating for a variety of purposes
Reflected in Choosing Diverse Materials and Creating with Curiosity. Students read across genres, formats, and topics, not just for assignments but to follow their interests. They also express their learning through writing, media, or design in ways that match different purposes—informing, persuading, entertaining, or exploring ideas.
Ideas to Include (Applicable to K4-8)
- Format Scavenger Hunt: Students locate information in articles, infographics, podcasts, and videos, then reflect on what each format helped them understand.
- Create in a New Mode: Students retell a nonfiction topic they’ve read using comic strips, short audio clips, or annotated images.
- Purpose Shuffle: Students rewrite a short paragraph to inform, persuade, and entertain, then reflect on how content and tone must shift.
(Ideas applicable for K-3)
- Format Explorer Cards: Students explore picture books, charts, and videos, then sort them by how they help people learn new things.
- Show What I Learned Poster: Students draw or write something new they learned, choosing how they want to show it after reading.
- Story Purpose Game: The teacher reads aloud, and then students guess if the story's purpose is to tell, teach, or make them laugh.
Competency 2: Reflecting and questioning assumptions and possible misconceptions
Reflected in Challenging First Impressions and Making Space for Uncertainty. Students are encouraged to reflect on their existing ideas and compare them with new information. They learn to identify when something surprises them, feels incomplete, or doesn’t match their expectations. Teachers guide students to ask more profound questions rather than settle on quick answers.
Ideas to Include (Applicable to K4-8)
- “I Used to Think…” Chart: Students write what they thought before and after learning something, noting how and why their thinking changed.
- Fact Check Journal: Students identify surprising or questionable claims in a text and research further to confirm, refine, or correct their understanding.
- Point of View Tracker: While reading, students note whose perspective is shown and which views or voices might be missing.
(Ideas applicable for K-3)
- Surprise Face Drawing: After learning something unexpected, students draw their “surprised face” and explain what they didn’t expect.
- Yes or No Sorting: Students listen to simple statements and decide whether they agree after reading or learning more.
- What Changed? Circle Time: Students discuss one thing they thought before a story or video, and how their idea changed after listening.
Competency 3: Engaging in inquiry-based processes for personal growth
Reflected in Following a Question Trail and Building Self-Directed Learning Habits. Students explore topics through a process of questioning, investigating, and revising their understanding. They track their thinking, recognize their learning patterns, and use what they discover to grow more confident as independent thinkers
Ideas to Include (Applicable to K4-8)
- Wonder Webs: Students start with one big question and create branching sub-questions to explore over time, guided by curiosity.
- Inquiry Tracker Sheets: Students keep track of what they’re wondering, where they looked, what they found, and new questions that came up.
- What I Want to Learn Wall: Classroom display where students post questions on sticky notes and revisit them as they discover new information.
(Ideas applicable for K-3)
- Question Basket: Students drop in their questions about a topic. The teacher chooses one daily to explore with the class.
- Learning Walk: Students walk around the school or the classroom with clipboards, drawing or writing things they wonder about in their environment.
Curiosity Crown: After learning something they chose, students wear paper crowns showing their favorite new question and what they discovered.
What Students Gain Through AASL A.V
Students who engage with AASL A.V. develop a strong sense of personal curiosity and learn how to explore topics with purpose. They read in different formats, such as books, articles, videos, and charts, and notice how each one helps them understand information uniquely.
Through writing, speaking, drawing, and other creative forms, students learn to express ideas clearly. As they reflect on what they read, students begin to question what they thought they knew and become more open to new perspectives. They practice forming questions, searching for answers, and revisiting their ideas as they learn more.
These habits build confidence in their ability to learn independently and help them stay focused on topics that matter to them. Over time, they develop a steady approach to learning that is thoughtful, flexible, and grounded in curiosity. These habits can be carried into many areas of life and learning.
Conclusion
AASL A.V. offers a clear approach to how students can engage with exploration. It encourages them to respond thoughtfully to uncertainty and use moments of struggle as part of the learning process. It emphasizes the value of transitional stages, where ideas shift, plans change, and new directions begin to form. Through this process, students strengthen their ability to think with courage and stay committed to finding their own answers.
Students who master this standard are better equipped for lifelong learning, citizenship, and leadership. They know how to ask the right questions, think through confusion, and revise their actions with purpose. These habits will guide them far beyond any test or classroom.
This is what it means to think while exploring.
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