Building text/unit specific background knowledge:

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1. Open ended discussion questions or anticipation guides

2. Explore maps and take virtual field trips

3. "I notice, I wonder" gallery walks 

4. Informational videos

5. Guided notes 

6. Research projects/you become the expert projects

7. Picture books

8. Guest speakers/interviews

9. Thinking maps

10. Sensory activities/experiments

11. 20 questions with a twist

• Present a topic, person, text title, place, or idea

• Have students collectively come up with 20 questions they are wondering or would like to know about that topic

• Revisit the 20 questions at the end of the unit and see how many your class can answer

12. Guess Who/Guess Where/Guess When game 

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Building general background knowledge:

1. Would you rather: person/place/time period edition

2. Daily student news 

3. Article of the week

4. On this day in history

5. Independent reading

6. Guess Who/Guess Where/Guess When game