The Anticipation/Reaction Guide helps students activate and evaluate prior knowledge. Students make predictions based upon background knowledge and evaluate these predictions after exposure to new information. (H.L. Herber, 1978)
Follow these steps to create an Anticipation/Reaction Guide:
- Identify major concepts or “big ideas” you want students to learn from the text.
- Create four to six statements that support or challenge students’ beliefs about the topic.
- Share the guide with students and ask them to Agree or Disagree with the statements and be prepared to defend their opinions.
- Discuss with class.
- Have students read the text to find evidence to support or disprove their responses.
- After reading, students will confirm or revise their responses.
Sample Anticipation/Reaction Guide Greece Central School District, North Greece, NY
Anticipation/Reaction Using Familiar Vocabulary
First: Acknowledge your own opinions and thinking on a topic.
Read the statements below and circle T for True or F for False in the “Me” column based upon your opinions and background knowledge
Second:
Examine Herblock’s political cartoon, “This is the Forest Primeval –“ and check T or F based upon your analysis of the cartoon.
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/herblocks-history/light.html
- Circle the things that you see that support or inform your thinking of true or false.
- Number the circle to connect with the statement that the
circle informs.
Third: Further research
- What is the problem being described?
- What more do you need to know about the problem?
Anticipation/Reaction Using Challenge Vocabulary
First: Acknowledge your own opinions and thinking on a topic.
Read the statements below and circle T for True or F for False in the “Me” column based upon your opinions and background knowledge.
Second: Read a Something about the Topic
Examine Herblock’s political cartoon, “This is the Forest Primeval –“ and check T or F based upon your analysis of the cartoon. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/herblocks-history/light.html
- Circle the things that you see that support or inform your thinking of true or false.
- Number the circle to connect with the statement that the
circle informs.
Third: Further research
What is the problem being described?
What more do you need to know about the problem?