A three-column KWL chart opens a 3rd grade world geography unit on maps, continents, and oceans. Students fill in what they know and what they want to know before the unit starts, then come back at the end to record what they learned. The 2-page sheet has no questions of its own, so the W column carries the weight. It fits C3 Framework D1.4.3-5, because the questions students write become supporting questions for the unit.
D1.4.3-5
“Explain how supporting questions help answer compelling questions in an inquiry.”
The W column, where students list their own questions about maps, continents, and oceans for the unit to answer.
A short line tells students to complete the K and W columns before the unit on maps and globes begins and the L column at the end.
Three columns labeled What I KNOW, What I WANT to know, and What I LEARNED, each with a large writing space.
Day one
Give students five minutes on the K column alone. Many will list continent names, which tells you where to start.
Question sort
Read out a handful of W questions and sort them on the board by maps, continents, or oceans. It shows which part of the unit students care about most.
Unit wrap-up
Hand the charts back on the last day. Students answer their W questions in the L column, and any they still cannot answer make a short research task.
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