Kwl Activity

KWL ACTIVITY FOR CLIL LESSONS

Creativity for CLIL – [email protected]


What's all about?

K-W-L chart tracks what a student knows (K), wants to know (W), and has learned (L) about a topic. It is a visual organizer.

When can be used it?

- Either before, during and after research projects.- To brainstorm what they know (topic introduction)- To review the unit.

How does it look like?

- The chart can have different shapes, depending on the topic and level. - Make them be creative! Examples (worksheet attached too)- You can even use post-it notes and make them find them all over the class.


Type of students and subjects

All ages, all kinds, all subjects, all levels.

Teaching Ideas

Using a K-W-L chart, students can prepare to research a topic and use it to track information gathered along the way.

This tool will help students confirm what they know about a topic and encourage them to think about how they want to focus their research.

Ask students leading questions for each column of the chart, such as, “What do you already ‘know’ about this topic?” “What things do you ‘want’ to learn about the topic, so you can focus your research?” and “What did you ‘learn’ from doing your research?”









More Teaching Ideas

For older students, you may want make a K-W-L-S chart, with the fourth column focusing on what students may “still” want to learn even after completing research.

Readers

Use the K-W-L chart to direct students’ thinking as they begin reading a new chapter book. Show them the title and cover of the book and encourage them to think about what the book might be about. Then ask students to think about what they might already know about the book or the book topic. Encourage

them to brainstorm about the events in the book and pose questions about the events or characters. These can be recorded on the chart as a class or individually. As students read the story, instruct them to revisit their questions in the “What I

Want to Know” column every few days and answer them in the “What I Learned” column.


Reader Example


Example: KINGFISHERS

1. Activate students' vocabulary2. Motivate them to speak, guess and ask

K W L

What's this animal?

Where does it live?

Why is it called “kingfisher”?

1) Students' Questions


K W L

It's a bird What's this animal?

It can fly Where does it live?

It eats fish Why is it called “kingfisher”?

It's small

It's colourful

2) Students' Previous Knowledge on the Issue


3) Show Text to Students

Kingfishers are beautiful birds. They live in many countries of the world. They eat small fish. However, they are in danger. The waters in many rivers are polluted. There're no food in them, so they can hardly eat and feed others. There's also anther problem: kingfishes build their nests in holes in rivers. When people build near the riverbanks, there's no quiet place for birds to make them.

Kingfishers are beautiful …...... They live in many …............... of the world. They eat small fish. However, they are …............. The waters in many rivers are ….................. There're no food in them, so they can hardly......... and feed others. There's also anther problem: kingfishes ….............. their nests in holes in rivers. When people build near the.................., there's no quiet place for birds to make them.

4) The class or in partners, aloud, they try to complete the missing gaps.For lower levels: get rid of some words but keeping the first letter.


Kingfishers are beautiful …...... They live in many …............... of the world. They eat …............... fish. However, they are …............. The waters in many rivers are ….................. There're no …............ in them, so they can hardly......... and …........ others. There's also anther problem: kingfishes ….............. their nests in holes in rivers. When people …................ near the.................., there's no quiet place for birds to …........... them.

5) More and more difficult... Aim: keywords learning

6) Make them rehearse before reading it out loud

7) You can also make them write out the text.

8) Then, corrections can be done with a CD or audio.

Great activity: all 4 skills are covered.


K W L

It's a bird What's this animal?

Birds

It can fly Where does it live?

Near riverbanks

It eats fish Why is it called “kingfisher”?

?

It's small How long do they live?

?

It's colourful

9) Finally, go back to the grid and make them complete it.

10) If there's a question whose answer is not in the text, ask them to look for it.

Education

Kwl Activity