Organizing & Summarizing

K-W-L Creator

Grades

3 - 8

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About this Interactive

Overview

Ever since their introduction by Ogle in 1986, K-W-L charts have been widely used to help students prepare for reading by organizing what students know (K) and want to learn (W) before they read and then reflecting on what they learned (L).

This interactive tool is equipped with the worksaver functionality so that students can save their work at different stages in the K-W-L process. Users have the ability to embed text links, giving an extra level of interaction and explanation so students can show their examples of their knowledge.

Related Resources

Printouts

Strategy Guides

Lesson Plans

Calendar Activities

K-W-L Chart

This K-W-L Chart, which tracks what a student knows (K), wants to know (W), and has learned (L) about a topic, can be used before, during, and after research projects.

Inquiry Charts (I-Charts)

This guide introduces I-Charts, a strategy that enables students to generate meaningful questions about a topic and organize their writing.

Promoting Student-Directed Inquiry with the I-Search Paper

The sense of curiosity behind research writing gets lost in some school-based assignments. This Strategy Guide provides the foundation for cultivating interest and authority through I-Search writing, including publishing online.

Tracking and Supporting Student Learning with Kidwatching

In this strategy guide, you'll learn how to use kidwatching to track and support student learning. Teachers observe and take notes on students' understanding of skills and concepts and then use the observations to determine effective strategies for future instruction.

Engineering the Perfect Poem by Using the Vocabulary of STEM

Students research engineering careers and create poetry to understand the vocabulary of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Making It Visual for ELL Students: Teaching History Using Maus

Spark the engagement of English-language learners or reluctant readers with the graphic novel Maus. The visual information provided by the genre serves as a support for reading and critical engagement.

Weather: A Journey in Nonfiction

Questions about weather clear up when students use what they learned from their books to create a presentation to share with the rest of the class.

Creating Question and Answer Books through Guided Research

This series of activities is designed to teach research strategies. Students use KWL charts to guide their inquiry and publish their results in a collaborative question and answer book.

Using Word Storms to Explore Vocabulary and Encourage Critical Thinking

Students learn that dogs are more than just pets in this lesson, which teaches them to use research and vocabulary-acquisition strategies to learn and write about working dogs.

Using the Check and Line Method to Enhance Reading Comprehension

Do your students skim assigned text material without even engaging their brains? The Check and Line method encourages students to think about what they are reading and monitor their own comprehension of the information.

Exploring Plagiarism, Copyright, and Paraphrasing

Students investigate issues of plagiarism, fair use, and paraphrasing using KWL charts, discussion, and practice.

"Licensed" to Drive: Old West Figures

This lesson invites students to create a "Driver's License" for characters that have made a contribution to western expansion in the United States.

Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967.

After discussing a statement made by Thurgood Marshall, students consider each piece of the comment and create a K-W-L chart to begin an investigation with other resources.

On this day in 1910, animal rights activist Joy Adamson was born.

A KWL chart is used to organize information about lions. Persuasive letters are written lobbying for programs and resources to protect these animals.

K-W-L Creator

About this Interactive

Overview

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