BEFORE Instruction Scenarios by Dr. Angela Nagel

Before Instruction

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:08:05 UTC

Pre-Assessment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Scenario 1: Vocabulary Readiness Check

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:08:32 UTC

Ms. Ellis is about to introduce a new set of vocabulary words in her middle school history class. Before beginning the lesson, she asks students to complete a quick “word sort” where they categorize words as "Know Well," "Heard Before," or "Don't Know." She uses their responses to determine how much time she needs to spend on certain words.

Scenario 2: KWL Chart in Science

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:09:11 UTC

Before starting a unit on ecosystems, Mr. Williams has his students complete a KWL chart (Know, Want to Know, Learned) about food chains and food webs. As students share their "Want to Know" questions, he adjusts his lesson plan to incorporate student interests and address misconceptions.

Scenario 3: Math Warm-Up Diagnostic

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:11:37 UTC

Ms. Jensen gives her 3rd graders three quick estimation problems before a lesson on rounding numbers. She notices that half the class is struggling with place value, so she decides to begin the lesson with a short place value review before teaching rounding strategies.

Scenario 4: Observing Student Conversations

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:12:06 UTC

Mr. Carter is about to start a Shakespeare unit in his 9th-grade class. Instead of giving a formal pre-test, he asks students to discuss their experiences with Shakespearean language in small groups. As he listens in, he jots down common misconceptions and adjusts his approach accordingly.

Scenario 5: Writing Prompts as a Diagnostic

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:12:34 UTC

Before introducing persuasive writing, Ms. Young gives students a freewriting prompt: “Convince me of something you believe strongly in.” She does not grade the responses but scans them for logical argument structure and persuasive techniques to determine which skills need to be reinforced.

Scenario 6: Informal Conversation Check

dranagel921 — 2025-02-27 17:13:05 UTC

Mr. Garcia is starting a unit on Newton’s Laws of Motion. Before the lesson, he asks, “Have any of you ever ridden a roller coaster? What do you notice about how your body moves?” As students share their thoughts, he mentally notes their level of prior knowledge and decides to start with an interactive demo instead of direct instruction.