CHAPTER 13
Strategies for Activating Prior Knowledge
What Is It?
Activating prior knowledge entails “eliciting from students what they already know and building initial knowledge that they need in order to access upcoming content” (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2018).
Before we can activate prior knowledge, we must learn what students currently know. And once we have determined what they understand, we can take the additional time to build on that knowledge to ensure they have the foundations to learn new content.
Why We Like It
Ensuring that students have the necessary prior knowledge before beginning new learning is essential to their understanding of science concepts. We cannot make any assumptions about student knowledge. We must allow them to share what they currently know, tap into that knowledge, and continue to build on it. This process creates a more successful learning environment.
Supporting Research
Research supports that it is easier to learn new knowledge when there are familiar pieces within it. Students achieve higher rates of learning when they are familiar with and have a working memory of previous concepts (EurekAlert, 2015).
Education researcher Robert Marzano found through various studies that what students already know about a concept is one of the most important factors in how well they will learn new content (Marzano, 2004, p. 1).
Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Connections
When students can leverage their background knowledge, they are practicing their critical thinking skills because they are connecting prior knowledge to new learning. Many of the strategies also allow for building effective communication skills as students share their background knowledge and begin to make connections.
Application
The activities highlighted below help to identify background knowledge students currently have, as well as develop additional knowledge needed before they begin learning new concepts. The strategies we find most effective include KWL charts, anticipation guides, Blind Kahoot!s, videos, and identifying misconceptions.
KWL CHARTS
KWL charts are graphic organizers used to gauge what students know before beginning a new concept. They are composed of three columns.
Students complete the first two columns before instruction begins. The first one is the “K” column, which stands for what students already know about a concept (or, in reality, what they think they know since it may not be accurate). “W” is the second column and is where students write down questions about what they want to know about the concept.
Students complete the last column during and/or after instruction. This is the “L” column, which indicates what students have learned.
We like to use KWL charts not only to determine background knowledge but also as a way to help students organize notes throughout a lesson or unit. It is a helpful tool for students to use when they need to refer back to concepts, such as when they are completing a lab or studying for a test.
Figure 13.1: KWL Chart Example—States of Matter shows an example of a completed KWL chart. KWL charts can be used at any time during a unit; however, we tend to introduce a KWL chart when we begin a new concept. We announce that the class is going to learn about a specific topic, for example, the states of matter. They each get out a sheet of paper and make three columns. If this is the first time we've used KWL charts, we have students title the columns: “What I Know About States of Matter,” “What I Want to Know About States of Matter,” and “What I Learned About States of Matter.” We then have them circle the words “know,” “want,” and “learned.” In subsequent KWL charts, we instruct students to use the letters (KWL) when they title their columns. Teachers can also save class time by distributing a pre-made blank KWL chart.
We instruct students to complete the first and second columns individually. We give them an example and ask, “Do you know how many states of matter there are? If you do, you can put that statement in your K column and, if you do not, you can add it to your W column.” When we use KWL charts, students often ask how many items they need to write in each column. We explain that there are no minimum requirements; however, if they have less written in the K column then they should have more written in the W column and vice versa.
As students work, we walk around the room to assist those who are struggling to complete the first two columns. In our experience, this usually occurs because they don't have enough background knowledge to fill out the K column or to ask questions in the W column. To help these students, we ask them questions, such as, “What are the states of matter?” and “Why is it important to learn about the states of matter?” If they can answer the question, they place the answer in the K column, and if they don't know the answer, they write the question in the W column.
If students are struggling to create questions for the W column, we suggest they create a different question for each of the five W's and the H (who, what, when, where, why, and how). We've found this to be an effective trick to get students started. Another option is to have a list of “question starters” on the wall that students can use as a reference source. Teachers can search “question starters” online for examples.
Once students complete the first two columns, which usually requires about 5 min, we provide time for students to share their W column with their learning partners and to work together to add new questions.
We rarely instruct students to share what they know because sometimes a student's entry in their K column is incorrect and we want to prevent them from teaching inaccurate information to their learning partner. However, this “knowledge” is important information because it helps us to identify students' misconceptions. Additional resources for identifying misconceptions and how to address them can be found in that section later in this chapter. If we're confident that most students have a substantial amount of accurate prior knowledge on the concept, we may have students share what they “know” with their partners and with the entire class. We might even have students contribute to a class chart in those cases.
We collect the students' KWL charts so we can read each one to determine the extent of students' background knowledge. Our lesson is then differentiated based on this information. When we read our students' KWL charts about the states of matter, we discovered that every student knew solid, liquid, and gas, but only two of them knew there were other states. Our district requires us to teach solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, so we knew the emphasis of our lesson would have to be plasma.
We then teach our lesson about the states of matter. Afterwards, students are provided time to record their learning in the L column.
Once the students have completed the third column, we ask if there are any questions from the W column that weren't answered. There are two different types of questions that go unanswered and we treat each type differently.
KWL—Unanswered Questions “Parking Lot”
Student questions from the W column may be unanswered because the questions are off-topic or require a deeper teaching and learning experience than what we had planned. For example, when we taught the states of matter, a student asked, “Who invented plasma TVs?” We didn't know the answer, but it is an interesting question.
Students who have these types of questions are instructed to write each one on a single Post-it note and stick them to the door, which acts as a “parking lot” for questions. As students leave the classroom, they can choose to grab one of the Post-it notes (it could be one of their own questions), complete the research, and share the answer with the class the following day. We offer these students a small reward, such as extra credit points.
KWL—Unanswered Questions But the Content Was Taught
Another reason students' questions may not be answered is because they did not learn the content as it was being taught. In this case, their unanswered questions are an effective formative assessment tool. If the majority of students missed the same information during the lesson, we know the lesson needs to be altered and the content needs to be retaught. If only a few individual students didn't learn the content, then we address and answer these questions as a class. Students are instructed to discuss the topic with their learning partner and then we ask for volunteers to explain the answer to the class.
An extended variation of KWL charts is KWL-S charts where the S stands for “What I still want to know.” In this fourth column, students list any remaining questions they might have after we have completed teaching our content. We often use this column for additional lesson ideas because student engagement is likely to be high. For example, after learning about the states of matter, several students wrote down that they still wanted to know the state of matter of milkshakes, fire, and slime. We used these ideas to develop an assignment where students could choose one ambiguous object, such as a milkshake, to determine its state of matter.
ANTICIPATION GUIDES
Anticipation guides are tools used to activate prior knowledge and peak interest in new concepts. They are most often used prior to reading texts but can also be utilized before introducing new science concepts. The guide presents a series of opinion statements to which students indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree. Students then write a quick sentence explaining their reasons. Figure 13.2: Astronomy Anticipation Guide is an example of one we use when introducing an astronomy unit.
We begin by providing a copy of the anticipation guide to every student. We want students to feel comfortable sharing their candid thoughts, so we explain that these are opinion statements and there are no right or wrong answers. We also clarify that it is common for students to change their minds as they learn new material and they will have the opportunity to revise their answers. After students have completed their anticipation guides, we collect them for later use.
At the end of the unit, we return students' anticipation guides. Students now have the opportunity to document new opinions and change their answers. We then take time for students to share why they changed their minds. This process can also be used as a formative assessment because student comments can indicate their level of understanding.
Another way of using anticipation guides is incorporating the four corners strategy that is discussed in Chapter 10: Strategies for Discussions. The four corners of the classroom are titled “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,” “Agree,” and “Strongly Agree.” After completing the anticipation guide individually or with a partner, we read the first statement to the class. Students move to the corner that represents their opinion. We invite specific students to share their reasoning with the rest of the class. This format can provide physical movement and increase engagement. There are ideas for incorporating kinesthetic movement into lesson plans in Chapter 12: Strategies for Incorporating the Arts and Kinesthetic Movement.
BLIND KAHOOT!
In this section, we provide resources for creating and using a specific online game called a Blind Kahoot!, in addition to variations that do not require technology. A Blind Kahoot! is used to introduce new material to students and provides them with an opportunity to use prior knowledge they bring into the classroom. In addition, the game itself helps students learn the prior knowledge they need to learn new concepts. In Chapter 16: Strategies for Reviewing Content, we discuss additional online games that can be used to review content.
A Blind Kahoot! is an online game played with a class of students. To play, the teacher must be able to project their teacher Kahoot! account on a screen or board that all students can see in order to access the game questions. Ideally, every student uses their own technology (laptop, computer, smartphone, tablet, or Chromebook). However, students can be grouped into pairs if there is a shortage of devices.
Every question is multiple choice and has two to four answer options. Students compete against one another for the highest score. Points are awarded for correct answers and the sooner an answer is chosen, the more points a student earns.
If students have played a Kahoot! game before, it's important to first explain that the Blind Kahoot! they are about to play covers content that has not yet been taught. We tell our students, “We are going to play a Blind Kahoot!. It's ‘blind’ because the game is going to ask you questions about topics we haven't yet taught you. It's your job to do your best at guessing and learning. Each question will provide you with information that will help you answer the next one, so it will be important to be attentive.”
To create a Blind Kahoot!, we begin with the end in mind. We first decide what concept(s) we want students to have learned by the end of the Blind Kahoot!. As an example, we wanted students to learn the difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems. We use the following step-by-step process to create the Blind Kahoot!. To provide an example for each step, we used the Blind Kahoot! that we created for the nervous system.
- What is the first thing students need to know? What background knowledge is important for them to have? Write a multiple-choice question. This is called a “blind question.”
- Students should learn the basic body parts that are part of the nervous system: brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
- Q: Which of the following body parts is NOT part of the nervous system?
- Brain
- Blood
- Nerves
- Spinal cord
- Identify what students learned in the previous question and ask a similar question to test that they learned the content. This is called a “reinforcement question.”
- Students should have learned that the brain, nerves, and spinal cord are body parts that are in the nervous system.
- Q: Which body system includes the brain, nerves, and spinal cord?
- Immune system
- Muscular system
- Endocrine system
- Nervous system
- Decide what students should learn next. Write a blind question in multiple-choice format.
- Students should know the function of the nervous system: detect information, execute responses, and process information.
- Q: Which of the following is NOT a function of the nervous system?
- Detect information
- Execute responses
- Circulate fluids
- Process information
- Combine the learning in the previous three questions to ensure students are learning and making connections. Ask a reinforcement question.
- Q: What is the nervous system?
- Brain, spine, and nerves that receive and process information
- Brain, spine, and blood that receive and process information
- Brain, spine, and nerves that receive and process waste
- Brain, spine, and nerves that handle information
- Q: What is the nervous system?
- Decide what students should learn next. Write a blind question in multiple-choice format.
- Students should understand there are two major divisions of the nervous system: central and peripheral.
- Q: What are the two major divisions of the nervous system?
- Peripheral and medial
- Medial and peripheri
- Peripheri and central
- Peripheral and central
- Identify what students learned in the previous question and ask a reinforcement question to test that they learned the content. It's effective to add learning from previous questions to this reinforcement question because it reinforces student learning.
- Students learned there are two divisions to the nervous systems called the peripheral and central nervous systems.
- Q: What is the function of the peripheral and central nervous systems?
- To detect information and respond
- To process information and respond
- To detect and process information and respond
- To respond to new information
- Decide what students should learn next. Write another blind question in multiple-choice format.
- Students should know one of the differences between the central and peripheral nervous systems: the central is in the bone and the peripheral is not
- Q: What is the difference between the peripheral and central nervous systems?
- P = all of the system that is in the bone; C = not in the bone
- P = all of the system that is in the bone: C = in the tissue
- P = all of the system that isn't in the bone: C = in the bone
- P = all of the system that is in the blood: C = in the bone
- Identify what students learned in the previous question and ask a reinforcement question to test that they learned this content.
- Students learned that the peripheral system isn't in the bone and the central nervous system is.
- Q: Which body parts are part of the central nervous system?
- Spinal cord and nerves
- Brain and nerves
- Nerves and tissue
- Brain and spinal cord
This questioning pattern (first a “blind question” followed by a “reinforcement question”) continues until the original learning goal is complete.
Blind Kahoot!s are teacher-paced so that the whole class answers the same question at the same time. This process prevents students from working ahead and provides time between questions. We use this time to answer student questions, ask them questions, or expand on content. Students can also use the time to take notes in their science notebooks. English language learners or students with learning challenges can use a graphic organizer, such as Figure 13.3: Blind Kahoot! Nervous System Notes, to help them take notes. The answers remain on the screen after each question, giving students time to write notes or complete their graphic organizer.
As we play the game, we ask some students who answer “blind questions” correctly, “How did you know the answer?” Students may have gotten lucky and guessed correctly, while others may have had background knowledge they leveraged to answer the question. We allow them time to share this knowledge with the class so that everyone can benefit from this student's experience.
While the game is in play, we stand in the back of the room if they are on computers or walk around if they are on smartphones. We want to see the students' screens because we can use the color of their screen to identify students who may need support. Green screens indicate students who answered the questions correctly and red screens indicate students who answered the questions incorrectly. We want to provide extra learning opportunities to the students who answer a “reinforcement question” incorrectly. We may have a one-on-one conversation at their desk to clarify information, but in the case that the majority of the class missed a “reinforcement question,” we have a whole class discussion.
We create an answer key and a script to help us guide students through the Blind Kahoot!. Figure 13.4: Blind Kahoot! Teacher Notes—Nervous System is an example of the notes we use while students complete the nervous system's Blind Kahoot!. The notes include a summary of the questions and answers, in addition to a suggested script of how to introduce some of the questions. As we facilitate the Blind Kahoot! and walk around the room, we carry the notes with us so they're easily available.
See the Technology Connections section for the many resources available for making Blind Kahoot!s. When a teacher logs into their Kahoot! account, there is a search feature that allows teachers to find and use Blind Kahoot!s that have already been created. To search for these Kahoot!s, enter “#blindkahoot” or “blind kahoot” in the search bar. To narrow the search, other words can be added such as, “#blindkahoot rock cycle.” After finding another teacher's Kahoot!, we make a copy and modify it to meet the needs of our students.
When devices aren't available, Blind Kahoot!s can be played with individual mini-whiteboards. The only required adjustment is for keeping score. We allow each student to track his or her own score. They earn one point for every question they answer correctly.
As in all of our instruction, we do not assume that everything that comes up in a Blind Kahoot! is automatically retained by students the first time they hear it. Games are just one additional way to introduce and/or reinforce academic content.
VIDEOS
Videos that are 3–6 min in length are an effective tool for science teachers to activate and build knowledge before introducing a new concept. Videos can also increase interest and engagement.
We always give students a purpose for watching videos because we want to focus their attention on a specific concept. For example, we used a 4-min video to introduce wind turbines.
Prior to teaching about wind turbines, we surveyed our students to determine their background knowledge. We teach in Arizona, so we asked students, “By a show of hands, how many of you have driven to California and seen the wind turbine farm in San Gorgonio Pass?” Students shared their experiences and vacation stories. We then asked, “Has anyone seen any other wind farms?” Again, students shared their stories with the class. When we asked students the two survey questions, we were activating their background knowledge.
We next introduced the 4-min video, which highlights a female wind turbine technician who climbs and repairs 300-ft turbines. Prior to starting the video, we advised our students, “After the video, we are going to ask you how wind turbines become damaged and why it's important to fix them quickly.” While students were watching the video, they were building the background knowledge they would need to complete the lesson.
English language learners can be encouraged to watch the same video the night prior to learning the information in class or a similar one in their home language (ideally, time can be made for them to do this previewing activity in class). Then, when we watch the video in class, we play it at a slower speed, in English, and add closed captioning. These modifications help everybody! The Technology Connections section provides links to multilingual videos and other video-related resources.
IDENTIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS
Students often enter their science classrooms with misconceptions from previous learning and/or life experiences. These misconceptions can prevent students from learning new concepts. We need to determine what misconceptions our students have and address them before moving on with new content.
According to the National Research Council, there are five types of science misconceptions (National Research Council, 1997, p. 28):
- Preconceived notions—those based on previous experiences or observations that may not be correct. For example, some people may believe that statistics are unbiased and error-free.
- Non-scientific beliefs—misconceptions based on non-scientific references, such as religious beliefs. An example is the belief that Earth is significantly younger than 4.6 billion years old.
When we know we will come across non-scientific beliefs, such as those embedded in religion, mythology, or astrology, we address them proactively. For example, before teaching evolution, we tell the class, “Today we will begin learning about evolution. There are many ideas that explain how humans were created and we are not dismissing any of them. However, because this is a science class, we will be focusing on the scientific theory of evolution.” We suggest that teachers acknowledge opposing ideas when necessary but follow their state's science standards when teaching a concept that may not be aligned with a community's belief system. Of course, there may be rare situations where “opposing ideas” need to be immediately challenged beyond an “acknowledgment,” such as if a student suggests intelligence is based on ethnicity.
- Conceptual misunderstandings—occur when students do not understand a basic science principle, which then creates faulty ideas of science concepts. For example, the difference between a hypothesis, theory, and law can cause conceptual misunderstandings. People may think that because something is “only” a theory, it's not been proven by science.
- Vernacular misconceptions—occur when words are being used differently in science than in everyday use. The word “work” has a different meaning in everyday life than it does in physics.
- Factual misconceptions—are formed in early years due to various sources such as adults, movies, etc., that remain unaddressed throughout the years. Examples include the belief that going outside with wet hair in the cold will make you sick and lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
There are various ways to identify student misconceptions. KWL charts and anticipation guides are both tools that can be used because they allow students to share their knowledge or opinions on science concepts before learning begins in class.
Dr. Annette Taylor, an experimental psychologist and university professor, provides six steps for addressing student misconceptions (Taylor, 2017):
- Pretest students—ask questions that help to identify if students have misconceptions that are common in the content area. See the Technology Connections section for online resources that list students' most common misconceptions.
- Teach the facts—engage students in activities that explore fact-based content.
- Describe the misconception—acknowledge the misconception but avoid the “familiarity backfire effect,” which is when students' misconceptions are strengthened because they hear what is said first (the misconception) and then stop listening so they miss the refute. Taylor suggests that to avoid the “familiarity backfire effect,” teachers shouldn't put a lot of emphasis or focus on the misconception.
- Refute the misconception—provide the explanation and proof that the misconception is false.
- Fill the gap—there was a gap of knowledge created when the misconception was refuted so reteach the facts that were taught in Step 2: Teach the Facts.
- Inoculate—prepare students for the next time they encounter the misconception. Teach them how others will convince them that the misconception is the truth and how to respond when this occurs.
We provide two examples of how we use this process. The first example is how we use Dr. Taylor's six steps to teach altitude and the second example pertains to climate change.
- Step 1: Pretest Students: When we write pretests for the purpose of uncovering misconceptions, we ask only short-answer questions so that we can identify students' background knowledge and see how well they use reason. See Figure 13.5: Altitude Pretest for Misconceptions for an example of a pretest that tests specifically for misconceptions.
When we teach altitude, our pretest usually uncovers the misconception that as altitude increases, the temperature increases. Students may answer question #2, “Does the temperature increase or decrease as the altitude increases and why?” with, “The temperature increases because you are getting closer to the sun.” This is an example of a conceptual misunderstanding because students don't know or understand that air is thinner as altitude increases.
- Step 2: Teach the Facts: We create a lesson that teaches students that temperatures decrease as altitude increases. Students analyze and interpret data from graphs to determine this negative relationship. See Chapter 11: Strategies for Teaching Math for resources to teach students how to analyze and interpret graphs.
- Step 3: Describe the Misconception: Once students interpret the graph and realize that as altitude increases, the temperature decreases, we mention the misconception. We tell the class, “Some people believe that as the altitude increases, the temperature increases because they are closer to the sun but this is not correct.”
- Step 4: Refute the Misconception: We then provide students with a reading assignment that includes a graph displaying altitude versus atmospheric pressure. Students read the article and analyze and interpret the graph. They work in groups to write a paragraph that refutes the misconception.
- Step 5: Fill the Gap: We pair up with another class, preferably one that is not learning about altitude. The students are challenged to explain to a person in the other class why the temperature decreases as the altitude increases.
- Step 6: Inoculate: We return to the classroom and ask students, “What will you say to someone who believes that as the altitude increases, the temperature increases?” Students work with a partner to create a response and then student volunteers share their answers with the class.
This next example pertains to teaching climate change.
- Step 1: Pretest Students: See Figure 13.6: Climate Change Pretest for Misconceptions for our climate change pretest.
When we teach climate change, our pretest often uncovers many misconceptions. The first one we focus on is the difference between weather and climate. We've found that most students are unaware there is a difference and they use the two terms interchangeably.
- Step 2: Teach the Facts: We create a lesson that teaches students that weather is the daily (and sometimes hourly) status of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, and air pressure, but climate is the average temperature and precipitation from the last 30 years (World Meteorological Association, n.d.). Students analyze and interpret weather reports and graphs to determine the differences. See Chapter 11: Strategies for Teaching Math for resources to teach students how to analyze and interpret graphs.
- Step 3: Describe the Misconception: Once students interpret the data and realize that weather is daily but climate is an average of 30 years of data, we tell the class, “Some people believe there is no difference between the two terms, but they are incorrect.”
- Step 4: Refute the Misconception: We then challenge students to compare today's weather report in various land biomes around the world (desert, rainforest, grasslands, savannah, chaparral, deciduous forest, taiga, and boreal forest) with the climate for these same biomes. Students work in groups to calculate the difference between today's temperature and precipitation with the climate's temperature and precipitation.
- Step 5: Fill the Gap: We provide a meme that confuses the terms weather and climate. Students rewrite the meme so it's correct.
- Step 6: Inoculate: We ask students, “What will you say to someone who confuses weather and climate as the same thing?” Students work with a partner to create a response and then student volunteers share their answers with the class.
DIFFERENTIATION FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS
One method of differentiation for English language learners is to present them with background material in their home language. We mentioned doing this with videos, but we can provide them with articles in their home language as well. See the Technology Connections section for a list of these resources.
To build necessary background knowledge, students with learning challenges can also benefit from previewing videos. Student learning can be easier when articles are “engineered,” which means white space is added between paragraphs, headings are added to paragraphs, and new vocabulary terms are defined. See Chapter 8: Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension for additional information.
Student Handouts and Examples
- Figure 13.1: KWL Chart Example—States of Matter
- Figure 13.2: Astronomy Anticipation Guide (Student Handout)
- Figure 13.3: Blind Kahoot! Nervous System Notes (Student Handout)
- Figure 13.4: Blind Kahoot! Teacher Notes—Nervous System
- Figure 13.5: Altitude Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout)
- Figure 13.6: Climate Change Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout)
What Could Go Wrong?
Sometimes it is assumed that students do not have the background knowledge about a topic because it is different from our own. We need to remember that students from different cultures often bring varied experiences and different prior knowledge into the classroom. It is important to draw on their experiences to benefit all of our students. For example, students from Central America may be able to talk about the impact climate change has had on refugees fleeing that area (Sample, 2019).
Technology Connections
Stephanie Castle is the spokesperson for Blind Kahoot!s. Her blog, “The Art of Blind Kahoot!ing,” is available at https://kahoot.com/blog/2015/10/28/art-blind-kahooting. It includes an instructional video for how to make Blind Kahoot!s.
There is a Blind Kahoot! template available at the Kahoot! Website (https://create.kahoot.it/share/blind-kahoot-template/fca0f1d5-29bf-4693-8a4e-87be19362617). And K!Academy offers a detailed instructional manual for Kahoot!, including Blind Kahoot!s. It can be accessed at https://files.getkahoot.com/academy/Kahoot_Academy_Guide_1st_Ed_-_March_2016_-_WOA.pdf.
In addition to a Blind Kahoot!, there are many other online games available for classroom use. Larry Ferlazzo provides a list in his blog post, “The Best Websites for Creating Online Games” (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/04/21/the-best-websites-for-creating-online-learning-games).
The New York Science Teacher offers a list of the most common misconceptions in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics (https://newyorkscienceteacher.com/sci/pages/miscon/subject-index.php). The National Science Teaching Association published a list of misconceptions that are common in the elementary grades (http://static.nsta.org/connections/elementaryschool/201209AppropriateTopics-ElementaryStudentScienceMisconceptions.pdf).
Larry Ferlazzo compiled a list of resources that are available in multiple languages. This list is available in his blog post, “The Best Multilingual and Bilingual Sites for Math, Social Studies, & Science” (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/10/03/the-best-multilingual-bilingual-sites-for-math-social-studies-science). It is frequently updated. “A Potpourri of the Best & Most Useful Video Sites” (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/11/06/a-potpourri-of-the-best-most-useful-video-sites) offers additional resources.
Attributions
Thank you, Caroline Woody, for helping us to develop the Blind Kahoot! graphic organizer students can use to take notes.
Figures
Figure 13.1 KWL Chart Example—States of Matter
Figure 13.2 Astronomy Anticipation Guide (Student Handout)
Figure 13.3 Blind Kahoot! Nervous System Notes (Student Handout)
Source: Reproduced with permission of Caroline Woody.
Figure 13.4 Blind Kahoot! Teacher Notes—Nervous System
Figure 13.5 Altitude Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout)
Figure 13.6 Climate Change Pretest for Misconceptions (Student Handout)