Activating Prior Knowledge

All of the lessons in Digitability are designed to build off of one another. Activating prior knowledge builds connections between the content that students have previously learned and the content they are currently learning. During the Guided Watching section of the lesson plan, teachers ask a variety of questions before playing the lesson video. Prompting strategies should be used to aid students in recalling prior learning. Questions include asking about prior knowledge that students were taught in previous videos. This allows students to make the connection of how what they have learned previously relates to the information they are about to learn. 

Prior knowledge connections can be made from previous lessons, or from students' real life experiences. Activating students' prior knowledge is designed to support comprehension, because students will already have some background knowledge as a foundation for the new information to build off of.

Asking a number of questions increases engagement opportunities for students. Teachers direct students to identify the badge that is being unlocked in the current lesson. Students will be reinforced for identifying the current badge, then students will watch the lesson video together and use engagement strategies to remain on task. Teachers use this evidence-based practice to connect the Warm Up to the Guided Watching, giving additional attention to, and providing context for the badge that is about to be earned together as a group.