Anticipation Guide

How to Use

Write four to six short, declarative, thought-provoking statements about the new concept, some true and some false. Include two sets of columns before and after the statement. One column should be labeled “Agree” and the other “Disagree” (see template).

Read or display the statements to the class. Allow students time to respond to each statement, either individually, with a partner, or as a class. They should use the columns to the left of each statement to mark whether they agree or disagree.

Conduct a short class discussion about the statements before presenting the new material. Ask students to explain why they agree or disagree.

Revisit the guide after presenting the new material and have students use the columns to the right of each statement to mark whether they now agree or disagree based on what they’ve learned. Have students compare their changes with a partner. If their responses are not the same, ask them to see if they can convince their partner to change.

When to Use

Use an Anticipation Guide to structure meaningful conversation that reviews what students already know and engages them in critical thinking about the topic they will be exploring. You can use an Anticipation Guide:

• Before/after introducing new material to tap into prior knowledge
• Before/after watching a film clip to gauge a reaction
• Before/after reading a short text to begin a discussion

Variations

Add an extra “why” column to get students to support their answers and explain their decision making process after they make their final decisions.

To help students understand point of view (POV), you can use an anticipation guide where students write down how they feel about the statements. Then, after they read the story, they write down how a specific character feels about the same statements.

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