Activating Strategies Provide the “Hook ‘n Link” to Engage and Improve Learning

Denise Burson
Sep 28, 2009

Activating Strategies are the key element in focusing students at the beginning of a lesson.  They offer us the opportunity to create a teachable moment rather than waiting on the vagaries of chance.  By piquing students' interests from the beginning we have the chance to channel their natural energy and enthusiasm into a positive classroom mode.  Activating Strategies also allow us to create a basis of knowledge and familiarity with information or topics which our students may not have encountered before.

Below is an activity by Dr. Joyce Melton Pagés you may be able to use/adapt for your classroom:

Activating Strategy – Scavenger Hunt
This strategy involves students in reading, using references, organizing, collaborating, and many other activities!  They read these words in a wide variety of references and discover their relevance in the real world.  With this strategy, children actually learn their vocabulary words---and they have fun doing it!

How is the Scavenger Hunt used?  
The Scavenger Hunt is used to activate thinking, heighten student interest and motivation on a topic before a unit begins. This provides students with necessary prior knowledge to begin the unit of study. This strategy is not only enjoyable for teachers and students, but it serves to expose students to vocabulary associated with a subject before the subject is actually studied. By the time they have finished, students will know more about the topic than when they started.

Steps for Getting Started:

Step 1.   A few days before a new unit of study, the teacher announces the topic for that unit and distributes a list of vocabulary words and concepts to the class. Have the students form small groups---usually three or four students per group.  Provide a list of five to eight words for primary grade children.  Intermediate grade students can have longer lists.  The Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt list should contain the key words that will support the teaching unit or inquiry unit to be implemented.  For example, a list of vocabulary words related to a weather unit might include some of the following words:

Step 2.  Each team is given an identical list of terms for the scavenger hunt.  Provide the children with time to search for the words.  Have the students use library books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, internet web sites, and other appropriate resources at school and at home to find the words on the list.  They should collect examples of the words, create sentences using the words (including enough context to support meaning making), collect pictures, draw pictures, build models or examples, etc.  Tell students how much each item or example is worth in terms of points.  A possible way to assign points could be:  5 points for building a model representing the word/process 3 points for finding a newspaper/magazine article about the word/process 2 points for finding a book about the word/process OR a picture about the word/process OR a description in a dictionary, encyclopedia, or almanac about the word/process OR drawing a picture of the word/process

Step 3.  Allow the teams to meet a few minutes every day to assess how they’re progressing in the collection of items and examples.  Tell the groups to keep their progress and "findings" secret; they are competing with the other groups to earn the most points.  This is very motivating for some children.  Encourage them to plan a strategy for gathering the examples of the words outside of school.  Every student is expected to contribute to the team effort.
 
Step 4.  Presentation Day:  Students are to bring their items to school.  Give the teams a few minutes to organize their objects in piles by word (items/examples for "water cycle" in one pile, items/examples for "hurricane" in another pile, etc.)  Have a large sheet of paper prepared for each word.  Show the first word page and have teams share what they found or know about the word from their reading and searching.  The teacher records their ideas on each word page.  These pages may be posted on the wall for use during the unit.

Step 5.  The teams sort their items/examples by type (books about the topics in one pile, pictures in another pile, models in another pile, etc.)  The students count up points in each pile, add them together, and calculate their total.

Step 6.  When the actual unit is taught, the teacher and students can refer to the posters for assistance.

For more about Activating Strategies for lessons and Launch Activities for units refer to Connecting Exemplary Practices in Acquistion Lessons and Planning Units for Learning.