I. Prepare

A very straightforward method of starting anything! It is a two-step process requiring you to:

(1) choose the standard(s) to focus on and (2) choose your ingredients (i.e. support materials and texts).

Some helpful guiding questions I keep in mind during this step:

1. What do my students struggle with the most (as far as the standards are concerned)?
2. What subjects/topics interest my students?
3. What’s a good QW (Quick Write) to engage students?

A good QW is an open-ended question posted at the beginning of class time. For you writing fans, it’s the Prewriting part of the Writing Process. It's meant to engage the student and guide them to brainstorm some thoughts on the topics they will be studying in class.

QWs aren’t meant to intimidate or focus on specifics such as grammar conventions. QWs are meant to get students engaged and curious about the content. A good QW will focus on a universal theme or rhetorical question that will be connect to the lesson.


The above diagram is another way to approach this step.

Move on to Step II. Mix & Bake!

II. Mix & Bake