Activating Strategy

Brief Description of the Strategy

3-2-1

List: 3 things you already know about X, 2 things you’d like to know more about, and 1 question related to the key concept or learning.

5-3-1 (alone, pair, group)

Learners brainstorm 5 answers individually, 3 answers in pairs, and 1 answer in groups.

Acrostics

Give learners a key word/concept and ask them to write a detail or descriptor starting with each letter of the word/concept.

Admit  Ticket

Ask learners a question as admission to class; it can be concerning prior knowledge related to the learning, learning from the prior day’s lesson or some information steering learner thinking prior to learning.

Alphabet Response

Each learner or group thinks of a descriptor or fact about the topic that starts with their assigned letter.

Alphabet Sequential Round Table

Learners fill in a grid with words/phrases related to the lesson, passing the grid to add new information each time.

Anticipation Activity

Provide 5-10 statements about the lesson topic. Learners respond based on prior knowledge, then revisit at the end of the lesson to update their responses.

Carousel Brainstorming

Groups respond to questions or statements on chart paper around the room, adding to or responding to previous responses. Use as a lesson activator.

Charades/Improvisation/Role Play

Learners create dramatic representations predicting the learning to come.

Cloze Activity

Learners fill in blanks in a paragraph with key terms from a given list to preview vocabulary and assess prior knowledge.

Concept Map/Word Map

Use a graphic organizer to record what learners know about a concept: definition, properties, examples, and non-examples. Revisit after the lesson.

Dear…

Write a letter to a person or character about the lesson's focus.

Frayer Model

Use a graphic organizer to explore a key concept from the lesson.

Gallery Walk

Present information, text, pictures, etc around the room. Learners walk, observing material and responding via predetermined criteria. 

Game On!

Questions or tasks related to the learning presented as a game or competition to learners.

Give One-Get One

Learners write 3 ideas/answers and then get 2 additional answers from peers.

Illustration/Drawing/Cartoon/Tattoo

Learners create illustrations or cartoons about what they already know about a new topic.

Imaginary Scenario

Learners enter the room and are immediately assigned a scenario related to the learning of the day. In Science, “You are all electrical engineers hired to determine the best way to provide lights to our city.” ELA, “You are movie critics charged with writing the best critical analysis of an exciting scene.” Math, “You work for a candy bar company and are assigned to come up with the best packing for the newest candy bars.” Learners must brainstorm all they think they will need to know and learn relating to their imaginary roles. 

Journals

Use a journal entry in response to a prompt related to the lesson's focus.

KWL

Use a three-column organizer: What I Know, What I Want to know, and What I Learned. Fill in the first two columns before the lesson and the last column after.

Kinesthetic Tic Tac Toe

Learners move to different squares on a grid and discuss prompts related to the lesson.

Learning Logs

Similar to journals, use a learning log entry to connect previous lessons to the current one.

Meet and Greet (or “Speed Dating”)

Learners introduce themselves using vocabulary terms related to the lesson.

Numbered Heads Together

Groups of four discuss a question. Randomly select a learner from a group to answer. Repeat with new questions.

Pass the Note

Write a question concerning today’s learning on one or more sheets of paper. Pass the paper(s) to learners. Learners respond to the question and write another original question as well. The paper(s) continue to circulate until all have had a chance to respond. 

Plus/Minus/Intriguing

Learners respond to prompts with agree (+), disagree (-), or intriguing (I).

Post-It Questions

Learners write questions on a Post-it note relating to the learning of the day and stick it to the board. They return to their Post-its at the end of the learning, turn over and compose an answer as a summarizer.

Quick Talk

Learners engage in quick talks about an issue related to the upcoming lesson.

Quick Writes

Learners write freely on a topic for a set time without regard to written conventions.

Questions to the Teacher

Have learners list 3 questions they want to pursue in relation to the lesson's focus.

Read Alouds

Read a text sample to activate thinking related to the lesson's focus.

Read and Say Something

Learners read a text portion and discuss it with a partner.

Red Light Green Light

Play Red Light Green Light with learners responding to lesson-related prompts when they freeze.

Sentence Starters/Prompts

Provide sentence starters for learners to complete, such as "One thing I already know about X is..."

Snowball Fights

Learners respond to preconceived notions on paper, wad it up, toss it, and respond to another learner’s paper. Repeat the process.

Sorts

Provide learners with several visuals, numbers, words or sentences  relevant to the lesson's content. Have learners sort these in any number of ways from ranking, classification, true/false, etc to get them to pull in prior knowledge. 

Stand the Line

Learners take a step toward or away from a line based on agreement or disagreement with prompts. Share thinking verbally.

Sticky Notes

Learners respond to a question/topic on sticky notes, post them, and revisit at the end of the lesson.

StoryBoard

Learners fill in a storyboard with drawings representing their prior knowledge about the topic.

Think-Pair-Share

Learners think about a question, discuss with a partner, and share with the group.

Think-Pair-Write

Learners brainstorm with a partner on a topic/question and then write their own response.

Think-Write-Share

Learners think about a question, write a response, then share with a partner.

Thumbs Up Thumbs Down

Learners give a thumbs up or down sign to indicate their response.

Transformed Text 

Transform a text into a different genre (e.g., newspaper article, letter) and ask learners to capture the main idea or key points.

Turn and Talk

Learners discuss a prompt/question with a shoulder partner.

Twenty Questions

Learners ask yes/no questions to figure out a topic or concept from the upcoming lesson.

Video Clips

Find a video clip relating to the learning of the day. Learners cannot simply just watch. Have them respond, evaluate, question, elaborate on the content in some way.

What Ifs  

Present learners with hypothetical scenarios to stimulate critical thinking and discussion. "What Ifs" can range from the absurd to practical.  For example, asking "What if there were no bees?" in a science class or "What if you had $100 to spend on a pizza party?" in a math class.

What’s Missing?

Compose sentences about today’s learning with key words or ideas left black. Have learners write or discuss the possible missing pieces.

Why, Why,  and Why

Learners are given a single word topic relating to today’s learning. In response, they have to compose as many questions as they can. The only rule is that the questions all have to begin with the word, “why.” 

Word Splash

Learners write meaningful sentences using a splash of key words from the lesson.

Written Conversations

Learners write in response to a prompt, exchange papers, and respond to each other’s writing in a timed sequence.