TEACHING STRATEGIES

 Find my rules
 Blind sequencing
 Gallery walk
 Corners

3-2-1
List three new things you learned today, 2 things you want to know more about and 1
question you still have.

Exit Ticket Folder

Ask students to write their name, what they learned, and any lingering questions on a
blank card or "ticket." Before they leave class, direct them to deposit their exit tickets in a
folder or bin labeled either "Got It," "More Practice, Please," or "I Need Some Help!" --
whichever label best represents their relationship to the day's content. (Source: Erika
Savage)

YES/NO QUESTION – Thumbs Up Thumbs Down

Three W's

Students discuss or write

 What did we learn today?

 So What? (relevancy, importance, usefulness)
 Now What? (how does this fit into what we are learning, does it affect our thinking,
can we predict where we are going)

Element of Surprise
Students receive an envelope containing a card with a word or phrase selected by the
teacher. Students discuss the concepts and list the content-specific vocabulary
necessary to discuss it.

Force Analogy
 Jigsaw

Incorrect Statement

Top Tips:
1. Keep it pacey – a maximum of 5 minutes
2. Keep the task simple – it shouldn’t need lots of explanation. Modelling one example can help.
3. Use it to check prior knowledge or consolidate learning from the previous lesson
4. Don’t make it too hard. It’s more important that we engage at this point and make students feel
clever!
5. Write the Do Now on the board if moving classrooms to give you time to log in
6. Use the Do Now – peer assess or self assess it. Learning from the Do Now should flow into the next
activity.

Do Now ideas:
1. Key word spread: lots of key words on the board and students have to write a paragraph using as
many key words as possible. Click here for an example
2. What’s wrong and why? There is an incorrect diagram on the board that students must re-draw and
label to make it correct e.g. incorrect electric circuit
3. True or False? Lots of statements on the board, some are right and some are wrong. Students find
the wrong statements and re-write them correctly
4. What was the question? There are answers or key words on the board and students must write the
questions.
5. Odd one out and why? Teacher gives 3 items – could be pictures. Pupils must find the odd one out
and explain why.
6. Memory. 10 facts on the board. Pupils must learn these. After 5 mins remove the words and quiz the
students.
7. What would happen next? Show students an image and then ask them to describe what would
happen next and why e.g. football being taken deep under the sea by a diver
8. Start of topic. Mind map – what do you know already?
9. Highlight it! Give students some text and ask them to highlight a specific type of word e.g.
fuels/living things. It’s great AFL.
10. Poem. Get students to write a poem about the learning from the last lesson. Provide key words
What do I, my partner and class already know?
Using spider diagrams to assess prior knowledge in science. Students complete a spider diagram on
a topic chosen by the teacher. This example is for exothermic reactions. Students brainstorm on
their own what they already know about exothermic reactions. They share their ideas with their
partner and add to their spider diagram. Finally, the class discuss their ideas as a group and the
teacher/student adds this to a class spider diagram on the board. The teacher can walk around
during the activity to identify misconceptions and ascertain understanding. This can inform the
next phase of the lesson. (PDF)

Silent group retrieval

practice
Students work silently in groups of four to annotate and develop ideas around specific stimuli.
This could simply be a question, equation, word or a series of images. Each student gets time
at annotating each quadrant. This idea is probably best understood by clicking here.

Ask students to draw concept maps

A concept map can be a useful tool to assess prior knowledge. It’s similar to the spider diagram
above but a little more complex as it asks students to think more about the relationship of
knowledge and how it fits together in a hierarchical structure. Concept mapping was originally
developed by Novak and his research group as a means of representing frameworks for the
interrelationships between concepts (Novak & Gowin, 1984). If you are going to use concept
maps make sure you have trained students first about how to draw them. Click here for an
excellent summary of concept maps.

Assessing prior knowledge by getting students to ask

the questions
 Imagine you are teaching the first lesson on
satellites. You don’t want to start your lesson assuming students know nothing about satellites,
but are unsure of what they already know. A powerful approach is to show an inspiring image
and ask: what questions do you have? The subsequent questions asked by the class will reveal
a great deal about prior knowledge and identify class experts. For example, a student who asks,
“What shape is the orbit?” is clearly familiar with the term orbit and understands that orbits have
different shapes.

You will be amazed by the creativity of the questions in your class. Examples from this image
included: How old is it? How did it get there? Did the Russians put it there? What speed is it
travelling at? Are those solar panels? It’s a quick and powerful approach, so give it a try with an
inspiring image.

Using diagnostic MCQ questioning

The AAAAS Project

2061 Science Assessment Website provides free access to some fantastic diagnostic MCQ
questions to really assess students’ understanding and identify misconceptions. The multiple
choice science test items assess students’ conceptual understanding, not just facts and
definitions and test for common misconceptions and alternative ideas students have along with
their correct ideas. Other sources for MCQs are listed here.

You can also make your own. These questions on evolution provided the stimulus for some
really fruitful conversations about evolution and natural selection that helped to make prior
knowledge visible.
Ask students to draw a picture

OK, so you may think this

sounds a bit ‘low level’. But if the question is right then a picture can paint a 1000 words. Again,
the conditions for the task need to be made really clear so that all students complete it, whether
they enjoy drawing or not and in a clear time frame! It is really important that you ask students to
annotate the features of the drawing so you can understand their thinking. In this example, are
students drawing an ancestor that has features shared by both the cow and the pig, or are they
drawing a half-cow half-pig misconception!?

Without hesitation, repetition or deviation!

A student comes to the front of the class and talks about a topic without hesitation, repetition or
deviation. This is timed using a timer on the board. It really helps if you give students a prop to
talk about. Classmates can then put their hand up if they spot a hesitation, repetition or
deviation. This is a great way to assess prior knowledge at the start of a lesson or topic.

Example: a student is given a pot plant and asked to talk without hesitation, repetition or
deviation for one minute on the subject of photosynthesis.