Instructional Strategies
KWLQ
KWLQ is a strategy I use very often. It can be a visual organizer or a class discussion. The students write or discuss what the already know about the topic and what they want to know about the topic before the teacher has the students explore. After the exploration of the topic is complete the students then have the opportunity to write or discuss what they have learned and question they haven't had answered yet. Most use just the KWL, but I like to include the Q to get students think beyond what was learned in the class room.
Click here for KWL Explanation!
Click here for KWL Explanation!
Think-Pair-Share
Think-pair-share is a strategy that can also be a visual organizer or a just a discussion based assignment. Think-pair-share helps students to share and reflect on their ideas regarding a topic, then with a partner, and finally expressing ideas in a large group. This is a great strategy to use to get students to express their own ideas first before having peer influence.
Click here for Think-Pair-Share-Explanation!
Click here for Think-Pair-Share-Explanation!
Exit Cards
Exit cards is a strategy that is quick and easy to do at the end of a class period. The teacher poses question or a response for the students to write on a index card. The student have a few minutes to fill the card out and it their ticket to exit the room. This allows the teacher to see if the students truly understood the days material and gives the teacher a chance to revisit it the next day to make sure there is understanding of the topics.
Click here for Exit Card Explanation!
Click here for Exit Card Explanation!
Self Assessment
Self assessment is a wonderful strategy to gauge your students comfortableness with class topics. After class material has been presented/taught the teacher gives the student time to reflect on how well they believe they understand the topics. Self assessment can also be used after the students have taken an exam. This way they can rate how confident they are in their answers.
Click here for more information on Self Assessments!
Click here for more information on Self Assessments!
Who Am I?
Who Am I is a strategy often used with vocabulary lessons. Students are responsible for asking their classmates rich yes or no questions and recording the question and the answer down on a question log. Student will ask multiple classmates different questions until they have found out who they are. The goal is to ask the least questions to find out who you are. This is great for teachers because students have to fully understand all vocabulary words in order to find out who they are and ask rich questions. The question log is easy for the teacher to grade as a assignment or a assessment.
Click here for question log example worksheet!
Click here for question log example worksheet!
Foldables
Foldables is a strategy that is three-dimensional visual organizer made by the students. This allows student to organize their information like main ideas, concepts, vocabulary, opinions, timeline, etc into one foldable. The student can then use the foldables to learn when making them and for later study when preparing for tests. This is a good way for the teacher to also measure the students progress with the information.
Click here on how to make foldables!
Click here on how to make foldables!
3-2-1 Approach
3-2-1 Approach is a strategy made to give students a time to summarize topics, rethink them and make a question based off the topic to see what is still not understood. Teachers can use the students 3-2-1 charts to see if the students understood all the information. The teacher can then assess how much more time is needed to have student fully understand the topic.
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Click here for more on 3-2-1 Approach!
Concept Maps
Concept map strategy is a way for students to organize their information. Concept maps show relationships between topics and terms using arrows and other symbols. This helps students reach a deeper understanding how everything in a lesson or unit relate to each other. Concept maps can be used for an assignment or an assessment to check for student connections with topics.
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Click here for more on Concept Maps!
Anticipation Guides
Anticipation guides is a strategy that enables students to make predictions about the topic before the topic is presented. There is an array of ways to approach anticipation guides but the general goal is to get students thinking about the topic and engaged in the topics before the teacher does. This is a good way to see where the class is at before explaining a topic. Some students may be very knowledgeable and other may not be.
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Click here for more on Anticipation Guides!
Role Play
Role play strategy is an excellent way to get students actively engaged in learning. Being able to actually do what you are learning can have a profound impact on what you will remember. Role play is easy to do with history events, terms, occupation and other social studies topics. The teacher can either watch and direct a role play, participate in role play, or groups of students can each come up with their own role play.
Click here for resources and more on Role Play!
Click here for resources and more on Role Play!
Journal Writes
Journal writes is a strategy that can track student progress. Teacher can have prompted question for every class period or once a week that the children record and write about in their journals or it can be a free write about a topic discussed in class. This strategy is a nice resource for students to keep track of progress and use for studying as well as for the teacher to track the students knowledge and topics throughout a unit.
Click here for more on Journals!
Click here for more on Journals!
Fishbowl
Fishbowl is a strategy that allows students to practice their knowledge and skills in front of peer and an audience. Students can chosen to discuss certain topics while the rest of the students watch, listens and reads. The fish are the students leading the discussion in the circle while the rest of the students in the audience are the fish bowl. This allows each students to get what they feel on an opinion to the classroom or for the students to "teach" the class for a few minutes.
Click here for more on Fishbowls and extensions!
Click here for more on Fishbowls and extensions!
Internet Investigations
Internet Investigation is a strategy to allow students to answer questions that they still have after lesson or unit has been taught. Internet investigations can be done as a homework assignment or in class in groups. This strategy lets students explore and investigate their own questions and share their findings with the class. This is a nice tool for the teacher so they will know what their students want to know more about, how to go about adding information into lesson and see their students do independent thinking outside of the classroom.
Problem Based Learning
Problem-Based-Learning (PBL) is a strategy that consists of carefully designed programs that can challenge students problem solving skills. Including self-directed learning, team learning, and knowledge. This can be integrated into role play and other activities. The teacher can assign students to different roles to have them think in other ways than what they believe at heart.
Click here for more explanation of PBL!
Click here for more explanation of PBL!
Take a Stand
Take a Stand is a strategy that students can demonstrate where they stand on controversial issues. This is a great social studies strategy that can be useful to talk about government, political party and elections. Students with the same stand can debate against the opposing opinion or the teacher can assign groups to an opinion to have them think in a different way.
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Click here for more on Take a Stand!