Hello fellow educators!
UFOs, now officially called UAP, are being discussed in our congressional halls. I promise your students will lean into this topic, they love nothing more than a true mystery. Even though other news dominates the media, what could be more exciting or important to explore?
I have put together questions and prompts to guide you, but of course, you know your students best. As you guide them, honor your own curiosity and responses. Exploring the unknown can be thrilling, confusing, or even unsettling—your feelings are part of the process. Notice what surprises or challenges you. Model what it looks like to ask questions, wrestle with uncertainty, and remain open to discovery. Students respond immediately to authenticity; they are inspired when a teacher explores, wonders, and strives to understand alongside them.
This guide provides age-appropriate discussion questions and activities to help students engage deeply with the hearing while also encouraging you to notice your own reactions and insights. Curiosity is contagious—the more you allow yourself to wonder, the more your students will too.
If you are not ready to make this a full lesson, consider simply planting a seed when topics like aliens, space, or the unknown come up. Some easy ways to start the conversation:
- “Did you know that UFOs are now called UAP? This stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. The term reflects that these craft are not only in the sky but also in our oceans. They are not just flying saucers—they can be triangles, orbs, or even Tic Tacs.”
- “Did you know we just had our third congressional meeting on UAPs?”
When students start asking questions, write them down exactly as they ask them. Do not paraphrase. Once one question is out in the open, more will bubble up, especially if you model curiosity and intellectual humility yourself. You don’t need to know all the answers, you need to inspire curiosity and critical thinking. Keep the questions visible in your classroom so they can breathe, evolve, and inspire further exploration.
Exploring the UAP Congressional Hearing – Teacher & Student Guide
For teachers and students of all ages
Purpose: Use the recent congressional hearing on UAPs to inspire curiosity, ethical reflection, critical thinking, and creative exploration. Questions and activities are scaffolded by age group and tied to inquiry domains: wonder, ethics, science, religion, and societal impact.
Teacher Note: Exploring unknown phenomena can be exciting, confusing, and even unsettling. Your own curiosity and questions are part of the classroom experience. Model inquiry, wonder, and reflection alongside your students. By embracing your own questions and uncertainties, you create a shared learning adventure.
It is crucial that when discussing topics that can be challenging or provoke different perspectives, especially those that might make students rethink history or question their assumptions, you provide a tool to check in on where they are. The Courageous Conversations Compass is an excellent way to do this before, during, and after the discussion. It helps you understand how students are processing the information and reminds everyone that we all process things differently.
Key Resources:
- Congressional Hearing Video and testimony transcripts
- Schumer UAP Disclosure Amendment
- Whistleblower definitions & examples:
- K-12 classroom implementation for UAP
- Trusted UAP resources for students
For reference, here are the previous hearings:
The first hearing with Ryan Graves and David Grusch – video transcript
Second hearing: Exposing the Truth with written testimonies and video
news coverage of the latest hearing- what do you notice? what does it make you wonder?
Any teacher in any subject can bring this topic into the classroom because it naturally crosses disciplines. From science to history, art, philosophy, and humanities, these questions open doors for students to explore, wonder, and think critically about the unknown. This is an opportunity to ignite curiosity and encourage big-picture thinking in ways that few topics can.
Harvard’s Project Zero Thinking Routines are an excellent match for the UAP phenomenon.
Developmentally appropriate questions for the classroom
Grades 3 through 5
Focus: Ethics, questioning, observation
Discussion Questions:
- What is a whistleblower? Why are they important? Why might someone speak up about things others don’t know?
- How do we know what is real and what is speculation?
- How would you feel if you saw something unexplained?
Activities:
- Create a “Question Map”: Write a question about the hearing in the center and draw branches for answers, ideas, or guesses.
- Mini debate: If you discovered something unusual, who should know? Why?
- Look up terms in the Schumer Amendment: “Non-Human Intelligence,” “Disclosure,” etc.
Teacher Journal:
- Take a moment to reflect: what question would you ask if you were in their shoes? What are you wondering right now?
- As students ask questions about whistleblowers or unexplained phenomena, pay attention to your own questions and uncertainties. What would you like to know more about?
Middle School
Focus: Science, evidence, critical thinking, ethics
Discussion Questions:
- What evidence was presented? What is missing?
- What ethical questions arise if this information becomes public?
- Are there parallels to historical events where whistleblowers revealed important truths?
- How do science and religion interpret unknown phenomena differently?
Activities:
- Analyze a clip or transcript excerpt and classify statements as fact, opinion, or speculation.
- Research a historical whistleblower and compare their impact to today’s UAP witnesses.
- Create questions for Congress or scientists based on the hearing.
Teacher Journal:
- Quick self-check: which assumptions are being challenged for you? How might your perspective be shifting alongside the students?
- When analyzing evidence or debating ethical implications, check in with yourself: What assumptions do you hold, and how might your perspective be shifting?
High School
Focus: Cross-disciplinary inquiry, societal implications, imagination
Discussion Questions:
- How might confirmation of UAPs challenge our assumptions about science, history, or religion?
- Why is questioning important for society and individuals?
- What parallels can you find between UAPs and myths, religion, or historical unexplained phenomena?
Activities:
- Socratic seminar on ethical, scientific, and societal implications.
- Critical analysis essay: Evaluate media coverage, archives, witness testimony, and Congressional discussion.
- Research project: Investigate terms from the Schumer Amendment and explain relevance today.
Teacher Journal:
- Reflect silently: where do you feel uncertainty or curiosity? How can you show students that exploring the unknown is valuable?
- Encourage yourself to sit with discomfort or uncertainty alongside your students. How does your curiosity evolve when confronted with new possibilities?
College / University
Focus: Advanced interdisciplinary inquiry, research, theory
Discussion Questions:
- How does UAP disclosure challenge epistemology—how we know what we know?
- What are the ethical responsibilities of governments, scientists, and citizens?
- What historical or religious parallels help us understand contemporary encounters?
- How do whistleblowers shape public understanding of unknown phenomena?
Activities:
- Comparative analysis: Examine Congressional hearings, historical disclosures, and mythological narratives.
- Research proposal: Identify gaps in evidence or knowledge, propose ways to investigate responsibly.
- Facilitate a seminar connecting ethics, science, religion, and imagination in UAP study.
Teacher Journal:
- Pause to journal briefly: what ethical, scientific, or societal implications stand out to you personally? How does this inform the questions you guide students to ask?
- Notice how your own ontological shock or ethical reflections deepen your teaching. How can you model inquiry and critical thinking while remaining open to the unknown?
Cross-Age Themes & Extensions
- Schumer Amendment: Use definitions and language as research prompts.
- Whistleblower Studies: Discuss types, roles, and societal impact.
- Ethics & Society: Reflect on how discovery of unknown phenomena affects communities and decision-making.
- The Importance of Questions: Emphasize inquiry, curiosity, and critical thinking as central skills.
Parallels & Connections: Compare UAP phenomena to myths, religious stories, and historical “unknowns.”
wonderstanding 