Activating hard thinking

Sequencing: prior knowledge and questioning

List of prior knowledge to assess

Before starting a new unit of work or lesson, write a list of prior knowledge that students need in
order to be successful in developing new connections. Think about the concepts, connections, and
different domains of knowledge (declarative and procedural). Use the concept and knowledge
building technique to support this process. This helps focus on how students’ familiar knowledge
fits with new knowledge. If there are learning gaps, address these gaps before moving forward.

Question choice
Select questions that all students should be able to answer by the end of a lesson or series of
lessons. These questions should be about core knowledge of a complex procedure or task; they
should be designed to allow students to recall facts, give an explanation about a specific concept or
technique, carry out a routine calculation, or apply a rule or technique (e.g., write an explanation of
how artists evoke emotion).

Ideal responses
Write down responses you hope to get from questions (verbal or written). Use the same format that
the students will use. Have these ideal responses accessible during lesson time as a reminder of
what to look for.

Response errors
From your ideal response, anticipate where students may go wrong. Think about each possible
error (e.g., is there a gap between new learning and prior learning? Do I need to provide different
representations? Do I need more worked examples? Do I need to provide extra practice? Do I need
to provide more scaffolding?).

Things to consider
The age of your students
Your experience with the curriculum content

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