For every matter we learn at school, the students already have a notion. It can be correct, incomplete or delusional. It is important that students recall this past knowledge and match new knowledge and skills with previous ones, supplementing the gaps and changing the wrong places. Using previous knowledge in a new context or addressing new challenges is not an easy task at any age. In order to prepare students to introduce new knowledge into students' existing ideas or to change existing notions, the teacher must help the student to recall the knowledge or skills that can be useful at that lesson, and especially those that are indispensable as a basis for learning the new knowledge and skills. [Skola2030.lv]
Description of the method. The teacher defines a task for which ideas are searched. For example - What can be done so that everyone understands the lesson’s topic? What can we do to achieve the objective of the lesson? Each student has a minute to write one idea on an A4 paper. After a minute, the teacher signals and students give their idea paper to their neighbour. student reads their neighbour's idea, thinks about it and adds his/her own idea. After a minute they switch again. This can be done in several circles until they run out of ideas. After generating the ideas, each student selects from his/her paper one best/most interesting idea and tells about it to the whole class.
Lastly, the teacher invites students to agree upon three to five ideas that they thought were interesting and they are going to use in the lesson. (Method is offered by Latvia)
Description of the method. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher defines the theme and the result to be achieved. Then a short informational introduction, which refreshes their knowledge (video, caricature, infographics etc.), may be presented. Students are asked to create a small table and write down answers to 4 questions about the topic of the lesson. [source: materials of Fulfillable mission]
Write down 3 things you associate with …
Write down 3 examples/ persons/ shapes etc.
Draw
Describe your understanding of the notion ... (Method is offered by Latvia)
Physics. Topic: “Force and speed”
Watch the video and answer a question (Why? Or a specified task, for example, what kind of movements are seen, which forces take place? What is similar or different in these two videos. )
Where in your life is speed important and why? Andris is moving with the escalator, what happens with his speed? (summing up the speed).
Why do you feel lighter in water? And why can we dive anyway? (Lifting force)
write down 3 things you associate with speed
write down 3 examples of speed
draw at least 1 type of speed
describe how you understand the term “speed”
(after acquiring the theory it is possible to return to this once more and fill it in with the new knowledge)
What can be achieved with friction? (theme electrization, warmth).
Description of the method. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher shows several pictures on the screen where things or processes that students already recognize and understand are shown (could also show real things, photos, videos etc.) The task for students is to find similarities, what is common in all pictures. This way students look at things they already know from a different point of view, through a simple task they get in the mood for the lesson and connect to the lesson, unconsciously starts to think about the topic of the lesson. [source: materials of Fulfillable mission] (Method is offered by Latvia)
Science. Topic “Single celled organism diversity” Tēma “Vienas šūnas organismu daudzveidība” (Example "What is common?")
Description of the method. In order to clear up the students’ opinion about some of the questions, the teacher stick the sheets of paper in all 4 corners of the classroom with the numbers 1 to 4. Each number corresponds to one statement. Students formulate their opinion and place themselves next to the number which confirms their opinion most precisely. After that the teacher asks the students to discuss the group’s opinion and one of the group members are asked to tell their opinion to others.
- fully agree
- more agree than disagree
- more disagree than agree
- disagree
(Method is offered by Latvia)
Latvian literature. In order to find out students’ opinions after they have read the novel ‘’Salna pavasari’’ about Liene’s choice to get married with the rich Malnieks.
Computer Science. Teacher gives a statement to the student “A lot of people write things on the internet that they would never say to each other face to face.”
Latvian language. To promote a discussion, find out students’ opinion - Does reading improve vocabulary skills and how?
Latvian language. Students evaluate their skills and answer the questions:
-I know how to make compound sentence;
-I can name all subordinate words which introduce the auxiliary sentence;
-I can use punctuation in the compound sentence.
Description of the method. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher writes a key word on the board, shows a picture or a video related to the aim of the lesson to interest students in the topic. The students are asked to freely and spontaneously contribute words, ideas, guesses - anything they associate with the topic. During the idea generation it is important to realise that none of the ideas are wrong or bad, they are to be accepted. Only during the lesson or reflection can the teacher encourage to think how the ideas correspond or connect with the key word. If the teacher adjusts students’ ideas, creativity is discouraged. Furthermore, it is harder to note the senseless notions in order to work on them. The teacher only writes down the student ideas on the board.
Such an approach has a positive impact on learning, improves the involvement of students, attracts attention to the topic, enables the teacher to study students’ previous knowledge and avoid potential misunderstandings. (Method is offered by Italy)
Geography. Topic: "An interdisciplinary approach to orientation on Earth": at the beginning of the lesson the teacher introduces the Orienteering proposing three questions on the interactive board and records students’ answers on it. (Example "Orientation")
Geography. Topic: "A TRAVEL AROUND EUROPE". The teacher prepares an introduction to promote students’ curiosity through a short video and then, a following activity based on brainstorming. The video is about some popular European capital cities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53MDg6_HlNA. Brainstorming activity is based on the following questions:
Which European capital would you like to visit?
Why? What would you like to see there?
Which places do you think are the most attractive?...
The description of the method. This task can be done with the whole class, or students can do it individually, in pairs or in groups. Students find out the topic of the lesson. The topic is written down in the middle of a sheet of paper, digitally or on the board. The students are asked to contribute words they associate with the topic.
Mind maps can be used for different reasons, for example, to recall previous knowledge, create ideas and/or associations. In these cases mind maps will be created from existing ideas and will make them visible. However, mind maps can be used to structure and visualize information during learning. This can be one of the ways to make notes. In this case the mind map will be created with the existing information which must be arranged in a logical way, allowing the students to see how a concept, event, etc. is connected and how they derive from each other. (Method is offered by Norway)
Mathematics. Key word: Percent. Words students could choose: clothing sale, statistics, newspapers, salary, loans, money.
History. Key word: Revolution. Words students could choose: American Revolution, French Revolution, riot, violence, change, intolerance, social injustice, development. (Example "Mind map")
Physical education. Topic: “The movement”: at the beginning of the lesson the teacher introduces Movement proposing students the following questions:
How do you move ?
Do you respect your possibility of movement?
How do you use your ability?
When do you use technique gestures?
Then the teacher records students’ answers on the interactive board and builds the concept base of the map with the teams’ suggestions:
daily movements,
sport movements
expressive movements
The description of the method #1. This task can be done with the whole class, or students can do it individually, in pairs or in groups. Students get a picture of a wordcloud and are asked to explain how the different words related to the topic of the lesson. There are plenty of free websites where you can create a word-cloud with your students, ie. mentimeter.com.
The description of the method # 2. Students create their own word cloud. There are several sources online where you can create online live word clouds, for example mentimeter.com. The teacher opens the site on a screen and the students are asked to enter the site with their own devices and write down three words they associate with the topic. The word cloud will evolve as the students keep putting in new words. (Method is offered by Norway)
History. The students are asked to write down words they associate with a certain topic, for example The Cold War. Students write down key words, like the Soviet Union, The US, etc. The words that most students use, will become the biggest words in the word-cloud. (Example 1 "Wordcloud"; Example 2 "Wordcloud")
The description of the method. Students complete a short multiple choice questionnaire. The teacher can include as many questions as they like, but the questions should not be very hard since the purpose is to jog the students’ memory. (Method is offered by Norway)
History. World war 2. (Example "Multiple choice")
The description of the method. Teacher helps students to identify similarities and differences with their previous knowledge.Students are offered visual information which needs to be studied in detail, preferably drawn. Then students look for similarities and differences with what they had previously learned. In order for the students to draw what they see, they need to be attentive to details. (Method is offered by Italy)
Biology. Students are examining animal cells in a microscope and the teacher gives students a structured scheme to complete using their observations.(Example "Compare cells")
English language. Observation of pictures: a Barbarian. Teacher gives the students some stimulus questions such as the following: 1) Who is it? 2) Why is he wearing these clothes? 3) What is he doing? What is his pose like?
The description of the method #1. Teacher offers students the result to be achieved in the lesson. Students formulate their own result to be achieved - What do I want to do or reach in this lesson?
The description of the method #2. Teacher offers his/her lesson objective and invites students to tell/write one thing they expect from this lesson.
For the development of self-management skills, it is important to “measure” at the end of the lesson whether the planned result was achieved or not. (Method is offered by Latvia)
The description of the method. A landscape (forests, mountains, rivers, clouds, house, apple tree, flowers, lightning, etc. The main point is to have a diversity) is drawn on a blackboard or a large sheet of paper, and everyone is asked to place a sticky note (post-it) in a place that corresponds with the feelings at that moment - the beginning of learning. Everyone briefly tells the class why they're putting the sticky note right there. At the end of the day or topic, the teacher can invite to look at this landscape again and, if anything has changed, move the sticky note. (Method is offered by Latvia)
The description of the method. Each student writes a single key-word or a short phrase related to a concept/subject, how they understand it. Then glue the sticky note to the “blackboard”, observing the sticky notes glued by classmates and trying to glue your own closer to the similar ones thus creating a system. (Method is offered by Latvia)
Geography. Topic: Climate change. Possible key-words: Greta, warmth, melting, warmer weather, pollution, etc.
The description of the method. Teacher writes several concepts. students need to create pairs by making logical connections and then conclude which of the concepts is unknown/unclear to them. When this concept is clear, students write questions using the previously unknown concepts. (Method is offered by Latvia)
Biology for example: erythrocytes, white blood cells, platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells, blood plates, blood, blood circulation. How does the blood circulatory system work in the body?
The description of the method. Students’ previous knowledge and notions about various topics can be inaccurate. When actualising the topic, the teacher can purposefully challenge students’ views, experience and knowledge by offering a provocation which encourages to think and review these notions. (Method is offered by Italy)
Physical Education. Topic: “My movement” The students have to watch the video “YES I CAN” about movement. ( (ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzjuQoNM534) After that they have to reflect and write down their personal opinions on how the movement overcomes the barriers of communication and collaboration.
Sciences. Teacher offers sentences on the board. For example, - A blanket keeps you warm. The moon shines. Students are asked provocative questions - how does the blanket keep you warm? If a blanket keeps you warm, will it warm a stone if we put the blanket on it?