If you’re fishing, what do you put on the hook: what you like, or what the fish likes? Source unknown
Inquiry projects, themes and other learning activities that "hook" students are often centered around their interests. By engaging their curiosity and attention in this way, students are more likely to invest time and energy in their work.
Content, process and product can all be differentiated according to student interest.
For example :
Build in Choice
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Following a mini-lesson on myths, Grade 5 students get a chance to read and explore different myths. They form literature circle groups based on the myth they are most interested in and engage in lively discussions with others who have similar interests. Student engagement increases when there is a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction to choose from. |
Encourage Exploration
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These Grade 3 students are developing a deeper understanding of how narratives work by sharing their discoveries of the way their favourite narratives are put together. |
Connect to Students’ Lives
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Working with popular media texts, including magazine and television ads, Grade 6 students select images of children their age that pique their interest. They use critical media questions to guide their exploration of how images work to construct meaning. Students develop their own products to demonstrate their learning. |
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Make Learning Authentic
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The New Zealand Ministry of Education offers information on using students’ interests in planning for teaching.