Word Splash

Purpose:

Making Connections

Additional Purpose(s):

Interacting with Text

Overview:

Learners are invited to make connections to their background knowledge and experiences in order to predict relationships between terms or concepts.

Procedure:

1. Select key terms or concepts from a text that learners are about to read, see, or hear.  
2. Splash the selected terms or concepts at angles on a chart or screen.
3. Invite learners to work with a partner or in small groups to generate statements (not just words or phrases) that predict the relationship of the terms to the topic.
4. Then make the text available to learners. As they read, view, or listen, ask them to pause at regular intervals to check their predictions against the information in the text. 
5. Learners should revise their statements as they read and place a question mark next to any statements that are not verified or negated in the text.  

Materials:

Key terms or concepts from a text displayed in a Word Splash.

Source:

Adapted from: Lipton, L., & Wellman, B. (1998). Pathways to Understanding (p. 42). MiraVia.