K-W-L
Charts
Summary: Before students begin work on this project,
students think, talk about, and list what they know (K) and what
they want to know (W) about China, Minnesota geography, geography
studies, or trade missions. (Teachers should pick an area of focus.)
Throughout and after the project, students list what they learn (L)
through their studies. Students then write a short reflection paper
on key learning from the project.
While this activity does not necessarily support work toward a specific
standard, it can help develop a classroom culture of engagement with
a China instructional unit.
Minnesota Academic Standards Information
Subject Area Focus: ANY
Educational Level: Teachers may adapt the activity for the
various grade levels. Primary, Intermediate, Middle, High
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Directions
Objectives:
- To activate students' previous knowledge about the topic(s)
studied.
- To make connections between what students know and new
knowledge obtained.
Preparation
Create a three-column chart or table on a white board, butcher-block
paper, a spreadsheet or table, or on regular paper.
Time Required: 15 - 20 minutes; periodic updates
and reflection
Description
Whenever you are about to learn something new, it helps to start
with what you already know. Use a K-W-L chart to help students identify
what they know, what they want to know, and what they learn through
Minnesota-China Connection project. Focus on the topics that best
connect with other classroom work (e.g., Chinese culture, Minnesota
geography, geography studies, or trade missions).
- Have students work independently, with a partner, or with
a small group to list everything they know about the topic.
List these in the K (know) column of the table. Then have
students share these lists to create a whole class one.
- Follow the same process to have students list everything
they want to know about the topic. List these in the
W (want to know) column. Add these items to the whole class
chart. Use these questions and topics to guide inquiry projects
or other learning activities.
- Periodically, throughout your work on the Minnesota-China
Connection project, review the K-W-L chart to have students
list what they are learning in the L (learning) column. Also,
check to see that you are getting answers to items in the
W (want to know) column.
- At the end of the project, have students write a short
reflection paper, including a description of the most important
things that they learned.
Learning Resources: None
Printable Materials: None
Evidence of Learning: The following product(s)
supply evidence of student learning.
- K-W-L Chart
- Reflection paper
Special Notes
Technology Integration:
Incorporate technology tools and resources in ways that enhance
and support teaching and learning.
- Create the tables within a word processing (tables) or
spreadsheet document. Use a project to display and revise
the document. This will also allow you to print out copies
for students to take home for family discussions and input.
- Use Inspiration or other concept mapping software to help
categorize and organized topics raised in the W (want to
know) column.
Accommodations
Change the activity to accommodate students with different needs,
knowledge and skills.
Instead of using the shorthand K-W-L headings,
label the columns with the full descriptions. ("What do I know?" "What
do I want to know?" "What have I learned?")
Extensions
Extend students' learning with additional activities.
- Have students create a research project around one of their "What
do I want to know" statements.
- Have students organize ideas and information into
a semantic map/graphic organizer-(e.g., everything I knew,
about culture in red, everything I learned about culture in
blue, etc.).
Entire List of Curriculum Activities
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