Once you have your chart outlined, follow these steps to fill it out before, during, and after the lesson:
Start with column 1: Know
Under the first column, have students share what they already know about (or associate with) the topic at hand.
You can use the KWL chart for both group and individual learning. You may want to break the class up into small groups and then have each team share their notes with the rest of the class.
Consider pulling up an online KWL chart on the projector to fill out together as a class. Students can also fill out their own worksheets individually as you go to help them stay on track through the lesson.
This is a good exercise for teachers to see what the class already understands collectively and plan their lessons accordingly. For instance, Column 1 can help teachers to identify any misconceptions students may have going into a lesson.
Depending on the situation, you may want to correct students at this stage or simply use the information to plan your lesson to ensure those misconceptions are clarified later in the curriculum.
Pro tip: Come prepared with additional questions to prompt the students to brainstorm and guide their thought process.
Fill out column 2: Want to know
Once your class has identified what they already know, the next step is to fill out the âWâ column. Have students answer: What do you want to know about this topic?
Again, you may want to split the class into smaller groups or pairs to start the discussion and then have them share their ideas with the whole class to record on a master KWL chart. If your class doesnât have much experience with or knowledge of the topic, provide prompting questions to help them brainstorm.
Adding âWho, What, When, Where, Why, Howâ to the top of the column is often enough to spark ideas and get the conversation flowing.
This step is a powerful teaching aid because it helps teachers identify student interests and questions on a topic and adapt their lesson plans accordingly. When done well, the result is more engaged students and more effective learning outcomes. Â Â
Complete column 3: Learned
Throughout the lesson or unit, students can refer to their KWL chart and fill out the third column: Learned.
Here they will record what they are learning and check off the questions they had listed in the second column that were answered. Students can share what they found interesting or surprising and correct any misconceptions they might have had from Column 1.
Some teachers like to have students fill out their KWL charts throughout the unit as they go, while others wait until the end of the unit to have students record everything they learned. Either way, this stage provides students another opportunity to review and reinforce their learning. It also helps teachers track student progress and learning outcomes.
KWL chart example
So what does this look like in practice? Letâs say youâre teaching an elementary weather unit on clouds. Here is a basic example of a completed KWL chart:
Topic: Clouds
K:
- There are different types of clouds.
- One type is called a cumulus cloud.
- Clouds are made of water.
W:
- What are storm clouds?
- How do clouds form?
L:
- Types of clouds: Stratus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Stratocumulus, Altostratus, Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Altocumulus
- When warm air rises, it cools and condenses into tiny water droplets. As more water droplets are created, a cloud forms.
KWL+SIFR: Variations of the KWL chart
There are other variations and applications of the basic KWL chart. Depending on your lesson plan or objectives, you may want to try some of the following variations.
You can add other columns to KWL charts to continue and enhance the learning process. Here are a few additional columns to consider:
S: Still want to know
KWLS adds a fourth column for students to note what they still want to know about the topic following the lesson or unit. This is the place to identify any unanswered questions from the first column or list new questions that arose during the lesson or assignment.
This is a useful piece to include so teachers can address student questions before moving on to the next unit and continually improve and rework lesson plans for future classes.
I: Importance
Here students answer âWhy is this information important?â This is especially useful when tracking learning through a longer unit or referring to the KWL chart as a study guide for exams or essays. Understanding why information is important or relevant also helps students connect with the material by putting the lesson into context and staying motivated throughout the learning process.
F: Found
This column is where students can track where they found information. Itâs a great tool for keeping their sources organizedâespecially if they need to reference them in an assignment or want to look up the information again later to study.
R: Remember
Finally, the R column gives students a place to note any key info they want to remember. Again, this is particularly helpful for studying and test preparation.
While they can be applied to numerous lesson plans, the I-F-R columns are most useful for notetaking on reading or other assignments where students may want to track sources, remember key information for later reference, and understand the significance of what theyâre learning.
Using Lucid for Education
KWL charts are a simple but powerful tool for students and teachers alike to engage with the lesson material and improve learning outcomes.
With Lucidchart, teachers and students can collaborate and share information in real-time. Because it is cloud-based, anyone with a Lucidchart account can participate, including other classrooms, whether theyâre down the hall or on the other side of the world.
Use Lucidchartâs KWL chart template to get started today.
