Another purpose of the Exploration Phase is engaging students' curiosity. Questions, demonstrations, or scenarios set up situations in which students are confronted with discrepant information or want to learn more, encouraging them to ask the questions they need to ask to learn.

When students share their ideas about a topic, they ask questions, solicit opinions, argue for a point of view, and disseminate information. In The Mysterious Malady, groups discuss how they evaluate scientific claims they see in different media. They share examples of different kinds of claims and evidence they have seen, and how they responded.