Activating Strategy - What’s Already in My Head?
Brenda Hill
Jan 04, 2010
How is the "What's Already In My Head?" used?
What's Already in My Head is a quick, easy activating strategy that can be used to assess students' prior knowledge on a topic or about a concept. It is the "hook" to motivate and it provides the "link" from prior knowledge to new learning. Each student may independently complete the What's Already in My Head? strategy and then share answers with a partner or students may work with a partner to complete the activating strategy. You may choose to have students classify and categorize words and phrases that were generated in the What's Already in My Head? activity to further assess prior knowledge on the subject.
What's Already in My Head Examples?
Other useful web sites on the importance of activating prior knowledge:
- Critical Issue: Building on Prior Knowledge and Meaningful Student Contexts/Cultures
- Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge
