Overview
A K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) chart is an effective and structured way of gauging students' background knowledge and interest in a topic or concept. It also scaffolds metacognitive awareness and may contribute to intrinsic motivation.
Through this activity, you will be able to:
- Activate students' prior knowledge on a subject, surface their curiosities, and support reflection.
- Support students to make connections between prior learning and the current unit.
- Demonstrate to students how their understanding of the content is evolving over time.
- Learn more about student's interests related to the current unit to make the content more interesting and meaningful to students.
Materials
- Large poster or bulletin board space (or digital collaborative document)
- Markers or sticky notes
- Individual KWL worksheets (optional)
Conducting the Practice
Create a template that has three columns: K-W-L, representing "Know," "Want to Know," and "Learned."
Once you have introduced a new unit, ask students to write what they already know about the topic in the K (What I Know) column. Students can do this individually or in small groups.
Create a list of all students' responses. This can be a large piece of paper, a list on a whiteboard or chalkboard, or a projected spreadsheet. Sometimes it is appropriate to correct false information at this point in the process. Other times, you might want to leave the misconceptions so that students can correct them on their own as they learn new material.
Next, have students add questions in the W (What I Want to Know) column. You do not necessarily need to add all of these questions to the class's list, but it's good to invite a couple of students or groups to share what they wrote.
Some students may not know where to begin if they don't have much background knowledge on the topic. It can be helpful to put these questions on the board as prompts: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? It may also be helpful to share that questions like, "What is this even about?" are invited for the W column. Students' responses and questions can be used to direct the course of study.
Ask students to share what they want to learn. Make notes of connections to future topics so that you can remind students that a topic that they were excited to learn about is coming up. This step also provides an opportunity for teachers to present what they hope students will learn in the unit.
Collect the K-W-L charts to share back with students later, or have them keep the charts in a safe place for the remainder of the unit.
At least two or three times throughout the unit, ask students to review their K-W-L charts by adding to the L (What I Learned) column. This can be done at the end of each lesson, or it can be done at the end of the week or the end of the unit.
As students record what they have learned, they can review the questions in the W (What I Want to Know) column, checking off any questions that they can now answer. They can also add new questions. Students should also review the K column so they can identify any misconceptions they may have held before beginning the unit.
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Rushing through it: Give students adequate time to think and contribute, especially during the "K" and "W" stages.
- Not revisiting the chart: The chart should be a living document that you reference throughout the unit.
- Ignoring misconceptions: If students share incorrect information in the "K" column, note it without judgment and plan to address it during instruction.
- Teacher-centered completion: Make sure students are driving the content of the chart, not just the teacher filling it in.
What to Look For
- Students making connections between prior knowledge and new content
- Increased curiosity and questioning from students
- Students referencing the chart during discussions or activities
- Growth in students' understanding from beginning to end of unit
- Students identifying areas they want to explore further
Additional Inspiration
This practice was adapted from the Supportive Teaching Guide developed by the Learning and Development Group at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research in partnership with PERTS.