Strategy #6: K-W-L-Plus Level of expertise: 5
What is the strategy?
K-W-L-Plus is a before, during and after reading activity that engages students as they construct meaning from a text. A chart and graphic organizer are used to encourage students in my class to use background knowledge to explain what they know about a topic as well as create questions to focus their learning. As these students are viewing the internet slide show, they will be thinking about the questions they have created as well any additional questions related to this topic. After viewing the text, my students will synthesize information they have learned and present the information in a graphic organizer.
Why use this strategy?
K-W-L-Plus allows my students to identify what they already know about estimating numbers with decimals. It gives them the opportunity to incorporate key vocabulary terms such as “rounding” and “approximation” in their review of this topic. While brainstorming information they know, students will create questions they have about estimating decimals as well as the practical uses in their everyday life. Once my students have viewed the slide show, they will synthesize new information such as “clustering” with information they are already familiar with and present it in a logical manner using a graphic organizer.
How does it work?
- I will give my students a K-W-L chart. They are to place their name and the topic at the top.
- Students will take a few minutes to brainstorm silently what they know about estimating numbers with decimals as well as questions they have about this topic.
- The information will then be placed using pencil in the appropriate columns of the chart: “K” and “W.”
- Students will then share with a partner the information from these two columns and discuss the reasons for what they wrote.
- Using the smart board, one student from each group will use the color green to write one thing they know about estimating as well as one thing they want to know. A whole class discussion will follow in which key vocabulary terms and ideas will be identified. Students will copy any additional information they do not have from the smart board onto their K-W-L chart.
- Students will watch the slide show. I will pause the slide show in spots where the narrator asks viewers to solve a problem. Students will solve the problems in their journal with the help of a partner. (I will skip over slide 3 as this slide is asking students to solve a problem unrelated to this topic.)
- As students are watching the slide show, they will be thinking of questions they still have.
- Students will use a colored pencil to write under the “W” section any new questions they have after watching the slide show.
- Students will switch back to the pencil to write in the “L” column information learned after watching the slide show.
- Students will share with their partner what they wrote.
- After watching the slide show, one student from each group will add to the smart board using the color red a question they still have about the topic. They will place their questions in the “W” column under the questions they had previously had.
- One student from each group will then write under the “L” column in green what they learned from the slide show.
- A group discussion will follow regarding information that was learned as well as questions that arose after watching the internet slide show.
- In groups of two or three, students will create a graphic organizer that illustrates key information about what they know about estimating numbers with decimals as well as information learned about this topic.
Sources:
Kwl plus template. (2006, October). Retrieved from http://www.ltl.appstate.edu/reading_resources/KWL_Plus
Williams. (Producer). (2008). 3.3 estimating decimals audio. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/mrwilliams-83235-3-estimating-decimals-audio-6thgrade-math-education-ppt-powerpoint/
What does it look like?
*See hard copy
