Lesson Opener
The lesson opener is meant to engage students, stimulate background knowledge, define what students will be learning, generate curiosity, and serve as an advance organizer for learning.
Lesson Opener Resources
Sparking Interest - How will I grab students’ attention?
Helping Students Focus - What new wrinkles, surprises, and twists will I add in the lesson opener and as the lesson unfolds?
The Keys to Engagement - How do I get every student to engage in learning activities?
Stories - Effective Stories / How to Tell a Story
Expand Your Toolkit of Hooks - Picture Prompt / Pro and Con Grid / Visible Thinking / Rank the Information
How is it Used by Teachers?
Teachers generate engagement in a lesson opener through sparking curiosity, connecting to background knowledge and providing a window into what will be learned.
The lesson opener should happen at the beginning of every lesson.
Teachers spark curiosity by using mystery, suspense, surprising truths/facts, or academic controversy to hook student interest.
Teachers use connecting with positive emotions such as joy, helpfulness, optimism, eagerness, or enthusiasm to learn.
Teachers prepare students for learning by helping them to recall background knowledge and reveal curiosity-provoking gaps in their current knowledge.
Teachers frame learning as an investigation of big ideas or essential questions.
How is it Used by Students?
Students are able to see what's in it for them and why it's important.
Students see what they will learn in achievable steps and how they'll ultimately demonstrate deep learning.
Students set goals for mastery rather than performance goals.
Students are prepared for learning by recalling background knowledge and revealing gaps in their current knowledge.
Derived from Teach Like a Champion version 3.0
