K-W-L Form

Objective

The objective of a Know-Want to know-Learn Chart is to allow students and teachers to see how students' knowledge on a specific topic changes. 

Use

Pre-Unit

Before starting a new unit, have students complete the "Know" column individually for five minutes. After those five minutes, have a class copy available on a surface you can edit and write down what the students share that they already know. It is okay to take wrong answers. 

After completing the "Know" column, tell an introduction of what the unit will cover. Do not give too many details. Have the students then complete the "Want to learn" column. Give students five minutes to complete this activity. After the five minutes, write down any of the "Want to learn" responses your students may share on the classroom copy.

*Keep these copies available. If you are using Google Classroom, attach it as a material so that students can see how their knowledge base changed as a class.*

Post-Unit

When you have completed the unit, prior to any quizzes or tests, have the students complete the "Learned" column. Have them do this before any quizzes or tests to allow for the students to see how much knowledge they have gathered. This has helped some students with testing anxiety. 

Collect the K-W-L charts as you see fit. I collect them after every unit. For example, if we are covering types of rocks, students will complete one for each type of rock. I will collect all three K-W-L charts as soon as we finish all the rocks. This will allow students to add to the "Learned" column if something that happens later impacts their knowledge of something from earlier. 

Resource

K-W-L Form - you will need to save it in your Google Docs to be able to edit.