KWL chart · Teaching · Classroom
How to use a KWL chart, with a volcano lesson as the example
By T. Krause
A KWL chart works when you go back to the first column at the end, and a chart filled in once and left on the wall misses that. Here is how to use one across a unit, followed through an invented volcano class that starts with a wrong idea and ends with an open question.
To use a KWL chart, ask students what they already know about a topic and write it all under K, including the wrong ideas. Turn their doubts and interests into questions under W. Teach the unit, then fill in L together and go back to K to check what still stands.
K stands for know, W for want to know and L for learned. Donna Ogle described the method in a 1986 article in The Reading Teacher. We haven't read the article itself. Colorín Colorado's summary says that the procedure helps teachers respond to what students know and models the thinking involved in reading for information. The University of South Florida's page on the strategy says it's typically used with nonfiction, which fits a science or history topic better than a story.
The three stages, and who does what
| Stage | Teacher | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Before: K | Records, doesn't correct | Say what they think they know |
| Before: W | Turns doubts into questions | Ask what they want to find out |
| After: L | Sends them back to K and W | Say what they learned |
Two instructions from the sources do most of the work here. South Florida's page says "Accept all predictions" at the K stage, and that you're only recording at this point. Kent State's short procedure says to "Note disagreements and questions in the W column". So when two students disagree, you don't settle it. You write the disagreement down as a question and let the unit answer it.
A volcano unit, column by column
The class, its remarks and its timing below are invented. The science comes from the US Geological Survey, with links where it's used. These notes are on our KWL chart template.
Before the first lesson: Know
The teacher asks what the class knows about volcanoes. Two notes go up.
- They erupt lava
- Lava and magma are the same
The second note is wrong in a useful way. The teacher doesn't say so. Another student says she thinks magma is something different, and that disagreement goes into the next column.
Still before the first lesson: Want to know
South Florida's page says these must be written as questions, so "I'd like to know about eruptions" won't do.
- Why do they erupt?
- Can we predict eruptions?
- Is lava the same as magma?
The teacher now has a reason to teach each of these. If a question falls outside the unit, it can stay on the chart for later, along with a word to the student who asked it.
During the unit
The board stays open. When a lesson answers a question, the teacher points to it. Nobody needs to wait for the end to tick one off.
At the end: Learned
The class adds three notes and checks each one against a question.
| Question | Learned | Does it answer it? |
|---|---|---|
| Why do they erupt? | Magma is lighter than rock, so it rises | Partly |
| Is lava the same as magma? | Magma that erupts is called lava | Yes |
| Can we predict eruptions? | Scientists measure ground swelling | Not yet |
The first two come from the USGS page on how volcanoes erupt. It says magma rises "Since it is lighter than the solid rock around it", and that "Magma that has erupted is called lava". The third comes from its Hawaiian Volcano Observatory page on ground deformation, which says that as magma builds up before an eruption "the ground surface typically swells".
That page calls ground deformation "an important indicator", which is different from a date. So this class writes a new question under W, "How close can scientists get to the date?", and it stays open at the end of the unit. An open question is a fair result for a KWL chart, and you can use it to start the next lesson or a piece of homework.
The step that's easy to skip: back to Know
Now the class returns to the first column.
"They erupt lava" stands. "Lava and magma are the same" doesn't, and the student who wrote it can move it or cross it out. South Florida's page says you can "reexamine" the K list later, and our template's last step asks students to do this. Without it, the wrong idea from the first day simply stays on the chart.
When a KWL chart is the wrong tool
The class has no starting point. If nobody knows anything about the topic, K stays empty and W is guesswork. A short clip or a reading first gives them something to respond to.
Your lesson is a story or a poem. The chart assumes facts that students can look up and check. South Florida's description, "typically used with nonfiction", points the same way.
You need to hear from everyone. A spoken KWL can end up with a few voices. On a shared board, each student can add a note at the same time, and our class brainstorm template works the same way if you only want the opening question.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a KWL chart take?
We don't have a sourced figure. In this invented unit, K and W take about ten minutes before the first lesson, and L and the check take about ten at the end. The board stays open in between.
Can students use a KWL chart alone?
Yes. A student can keep one for a topic they're revising, writing their own questions under W and checking them off. Kent State's procedure is written for a group, so that's an adaptation.
Should I correct wrong ideas straight away?
South Florida's page says not at the K stage. Record them and return to them. If a wrong idea could hurt someone, such as a safety matter, we'd correct it on the spot, which is our judgement and not part of the method.
Set one up for your next unit
Open the KWL chart template, replace volcanoes with your topic and clear the notes. Keep the board's link somewhere you'll see it when you plan the unit, because the W column can shape the lessons. Our guide to writing a lesson plan picks up from there.