Activating Strategy

Activating StrategyKWL-PLUS

Deborah J. MyrickMiddle School-Halifax County Schools

NCTA – Summer AcademyWestern Carolina University

June 2007

Introduction Steps Example How It Works Links

Introduction to KWL-Plus

Purpose: This strategy is used to activate students’ background knowledge and develop connections from the known to the unknown.

Description: KWL Plus begins with activating students’ prior knowledge of a topic and determining what information students would like to know. After motivating students to read the text, KWL Plus culminates with a summarizing of the new learning.

Step One to KWL-Plus

• Ask students what they know about the topic. Individually or in pairs, have students record their responses under the K (Know) column of the worksheet.

Step Two to KWL-Plus

• Share the individual responses with the entire class. Ask the students what additional information would make learning more complete. They record their responses under the W (Want) column of the worksheet.

Step Three to KWL-Plus

• Have students read the selected text on the topic. As they discover new information, have them record this under the L (Learned) column of the worksheet.

Step Four to KWL-Plus

• Allow time for discussion of the topic.

Step Five to KWL-Plus

• Students can then organize their information in a concept map and write a summary of the content learned.

KWL PLUS

K W L

Summary____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sample KWL-PLUS for Woodchuck

K W LBrown in color

Lives underground

“How much wood can a woodchuck chuck….”

Where in the US are they found?

How big are they?

What do they eat?

Member of the squirrel family

Malocclusion (teeth)

Found in eastern US

Example

WOODCHUCK

Eastern US UndergroundBase of bluffs

Grass fruits

Barrel-shapedHeavy claws

5-10 lbs

Groundhog dayTongue twisters

Summary Woodchucks are members of the squirrel family. They are brown in color and are found in the eastern part of the country. They eat grass and fruits and they are the same as aGroundhog.

For More Information on this Strategy:

Santa, C M. , Havens. L. T. & Maycumber, E. (1988). Project CRISS: Creating independence through student owned strategies. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.