Mini-Lesson

Activating Prior Knowledge

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will practice activating prior knowledge before they read.

1. Start a discussion about getting ready to read nonfiction texts. Pass out the timeforkids.com article A Plea for Help, and ask: Before reading this article, what might you do to get ready? What steps can you take to help ensure that you will understand what you are reading? Chart students' answers on the board. (Answers may include: Read the headline and subheads, look at the pictures and read their captions, read the first and last sentence of the article and skim the article for bold words and phrases.)

2. Tell students that it is also helpful to take a moment to review what you already know about the topic. By activating prior knowledge, readers prepare themselves to find out new information. Invite students to practice this strategy. Have them read the headline and subhead, study the pictures and their captions, then discuss with a partner what they already know about the topic. Then, have students read the article independently.

3. Encourage students to share how it went. Ask: Did activating prior knowledge help prepare you to understand what you were reading? What new information did you learn from the article?