How do I assess the students prior knowledge and interests?
Many teachers find the use of a KWL chart a rich source of indicators of students’ prior knowledge and interests. On a piece of chart paper the teacher writes: “K: What do we know about (selected science topic)?” When the students are providing “facts” on the topic, the teacher writes down comments without judgement or correction. (Example: “What you’re saying is. . .”) If the students are corrected at this stage, they will stop contributing for fear of embarrassment, and the teacher’s ability to assess prior knowledge will be diminished. Student areas of interest are assessed with “W: What do we want to know about (selected science topic)?” In a similar fashion, the teacher writes the question on the paper and students offer questions on the topic. The teacher can watch for nonverbal student reactions to the question. If several students turn their heads toward the questioner, look up, etc., this may be an area of wide appeal. If only the questioner seems interested, this student may
