Social Science Courses/How to Motivate Students in the ClassroomCourse
- AuthorBrett Grell
Brett Grell has been in education for over 23 years. He taught high school English for 12 years before moving into curriculum development as an administrator. He has an EdS and MA in School Superintendent and Education Administration from University of Nebraska at Kearney, and BA in English and Secondary Education from Knox College.
View bio - InstructorJoanne Abramson
Joanne has taught middle school and high school science for more than ten years and has a master's degree in education.
View bio
Explore the anticipatory set definition and learn about set induction in teaching. Discover how teachers incorporate anticipatory sets and read some lesson plan hook examples.Updated: 11/21/2023
Table of Contents
- What is an Anticipatory Set?
- How to Create an Anticipatory Set
- Anticipatory Set Examples
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you create an anticipatory set?
Create an anticipatory set by considering the following: What is today's learning objective? What prior knowledge do students have that connects to today's lesson/will today's lesson build on? Why is this important/relevant to students? How will students connect to the information?
What is an example of an anticipatory set?
An anticipatory set activity engages students, accesses prior knowledge, and introduces new subject matter. An example would be to give students a scenario where they act as a character in a novel they are reading. Ask them to respond to the scenario based on their understanding of the character.
What is the hook of a lesson plan?
The hook is another term for the anticipatory set. It occurs at the beginning of a lesson and is designed to engage students in the content of the upcoming lesson.
Table of Contents
- What is an Anticipatory Set?
- How to Create an Anticipatory Set
- Anticipatory Set Examples
- Lesson Summary
Anticipatory Set is an educational term related to teaching, lesson planning, and classroom activities. Anticipatory sets are classroom activities that set the stage for the introduction of new material and learning. Anticipatory sets occur at the beginning of each lesson and are designed to encourage participation, engage students, access students' prior knowledge, and build a bridge between current knowledge and the information that is about to be presented. Lesson "hooks" or "set induction" are other terms used to refer to anticipatory sets. Some anticipatory set examples include creating contemporary analogies, using student polls, asking connecting questions, and role-playing.
Why Have an Anticipatory Set?
The benefits of anticipatory sets have been discussed since the 1960s. A term first used by Dr. Madeline Hunter, research has repeatedly reinforced the effectiveness of anticipatory sets in increasing student achievement. The brain is constantly working to create meaning out of new information that is presented. It does this by looking for connections between old information that it has stored, and the new information being presented. Anticipatory sets help to direct students' brains to draw out that previous knowledge and make these connections. This process has a dramatic effect on students' readiness for new knowledge.
Used correctly, anticipatory sets are more effective than other lesson opening activities because they focus on building pathways between old and new knowledge, rather than focusing on one or the other (old vs. new information).
Other lesson opening activities, such as quizzes or students summarizing previous lessons, focus strictly on prior knowledge. New readings or the teacher beginning class by reviewing key points of the upcoming lesson, ignore previous content. Well-designed anticipatory sets address both.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
An error occurred trying to load this video.
Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.
You must cCreate an account to continuewatching
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?
Create Your Account To Continue Watching
As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help yousucceed.
Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons.
Try it now
It only takes a few minutes to setup and you can cancel any time.
Already registered? Log in here foraccess
Resources created by teachers for teachers
Over 30,000 video lessons& teaching resources‐allin one place.
Video lessons
Quizzes & Worksheets
Classroom Integration
Lesson Plans
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Try it now
Back
Coming up next:Using Student Competition as a Motivator: Pros & Cons
You're on a roll. Keep up the good work!
Take QuizWatchNext Lesson
Replay
Just checking in. Are you still watching?
Yes! Keep playing.
Your next lesson will play in10 seconds
- Video
- Quiz
- Course
- Video Only
Anticipatory sets should be a regular part of every teacher's lesson plan. To design the most effective anticipatory set, teachers should ask the following questions when lesson planning:
1. What is today's learning objective?
- The learning objective should be clearly stated and understood by the students.
- The anticipatory set used should directly relate to that objective.
2. What prior knowledge do the students have that connects to today's lesson/will today's lesson build on?
- How can the students relate to the lesson? What relevant experiences do they have, or what prior learning connects to this new information or skill?
- The teacher should use the anticipatory set to get their students thinking about specific information they have that will connect to the new information that will be presented in the lesson.
- The anticipatory set should be designed to directly connect the essential learning objectives for the day with the students' prior knowledge.
3. Why is this important/relevant to the students?
- How will the students connect the information to their lives? Why does this mean anything to them?
- The anticipatory set should connect the students' lives to the information being presented.
4. How do I engage all of the students?
- What will get all of the students involved? Music? Partner sharing?
- Anticipatory sets ready the students for the day's learning. They should engage all students.
Anticipatory sets should also be:
- Short (three to five minutes).
- At the beginning of class, though similar activities can be used to transition between topics during each class or lesson.
- Referred to periodically throughout the lesson to reinforce the connection between old and new information.
- Varied. The use of different sensory elements in anticipatory sets, including visual media, music/auditory recordings, and tactile exercises help to engage students and set the stage for learning.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Anticipatory sets are useful and effective for all grade levels and subjects.
For example, for a humanities course such as English, world languages, reading, and the social sciences, useful sets include:
- Personal story or example - have students complete a journal prompt about a personal experience they have had with a relevant topic.
- Artistic examples - art, poetry, or music that is connected to the current topic. Have students draw out those connections.
- Quote - have students interpret and apply a quote from a current or related reading.
For math and science-related courses:
- Demonstrations - demonstrate an upcoming topic while referencing/having students identify relevant prior knowledge.
- Predictions - have students make predictions about a scenario based on prior knowledge.
- Video - watch a video about a topic and then ask students to hypothesize base on their understanding of the video
For younger students:
- Picture/Cartoon - have students connect ideas by drawing pictures/cartoons or interpreting them.
- Sentence Completion - provide fill-in-the-blank sentences for students to complete that generate thought about the day's topic.
- Story Time - read a picture book to students and ask them to identify things they knew and things they didn't know as they listen.
For older students:
- Survey - have students take a position on a relevant topic.
- Scenario - create a relevant scenario and have students respond.
- Music/pop culture - show or ask for relevant examples of topics in pop culture.
Many of these (above), and others, can be easily adapted to a variety of subjects and grade levels.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Effective anticipatory sets engage students, encourage participation from all learners, and access prior knowledge that is relevant to the new information that will be presented in that day's lesson. Also known as hooks or set induction, anticipatory sets are proven by research to have a positive impact on student learning when used as a regular part of lesson planning. They are short activities, which occur at the beginning of a class and are focused on learning objectives, prior knowledge, and relevance. Examples include quote interpretation, predictions, and student surveys. While there are certain activities that are more effective for specific grade levels and/or subjects, student learning in all grades/courses is improved by the proper use of anticipatory sets. When designing an anticipatory set, make certain to ask four questions: What is today's learning objective? What prior knowledge do students have that connects to today's lesson/will today's lesson build on? Why is this important/relevant to students? and, How do I engage all students?
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Video Transcript
What Is an Anticipatory Set?
You could start off your lesson by saying, 'Today we're going to study weather patterns.' However, it would be much more exciting to watch a video of a lightning storm. This is the idea behind the anticipatory set. The anticipatory set is a short activity at the start of a lesson that focuses the students' attention and gets them ready and excited for the material you're about to present. The anticipatory set should grab the students' attention, connect to their prior learning, and prepare them mentally or physically for the lesson ahead.
Anticipatory Set Parts
The anticipatory set contains five essential elements. It should engage and prepare students, connect with earlier lessons, explain the material students will learn, explain the activity the students will complete, and connect with future lessons.
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Engage and Prepare | The teacher shows the students a video of a lightning storm. The teacher asks the students to name the different elements of the storm that they can observe. (Lightning, thunder, wind, rain, clouds, etc.) The students brainstorm how these elements affect the living and nonliving things that they see in the video. |
| Connect with Prior Learning | The teacher states, ''Previously we have learned about natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes.'' |
| State What Students Will Learn | The teacher continues, ''Now we will look at weather-related natural disasters like lightning storms, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes.'' |
| State How Students Will Learn | The teacher tells students that they will be working in small groups, with each group learning about a different weather-related natural disaster. The groups will present their information to the rest of the class. |
| Connect with Future Learning | The teacher states, ''Tomorrow we will come up with ways to make these natural disasters easier to survive.'' |
When designing the anticipatory set, use the following questions as a guide:
- How can I engage and excite as many students as possible so that they're curious about the upcoming content?
- How can I explain the lesson's content, and its connection to past and future lessons, in a way that my students will understand?
- What do my students need to know in order to be successful in the day's lesson?
Examples of Lesson Hooks
The interesting activity that starts the anticipatory set is referred to as the hook. As long as the activity engages the students and connects to the upcoming lesson, it qualifies as a hook. As such, there are a wide range of possibilities with which you can begin your anticipatory set. The following list contains a few ideas of things you can bring in or do to inspire your students.
- Journal or discussion prompt
- Personal story of your own
- Picture or cartoon
- Video
- Science demonstration
- Article, short story, quote, or poem
- Change in the environment (such as a song playing or a sign displayed as students enter the room)
- Prop from a story or play
- Challenge or riddle
- Brainstorm
Lesson Summary
All right, let's review what we've learned about anticipatory sets and its different parts and how they work. The anticipatory set is a short activity at the beginning of the lesson that focuses the students' attention and prepares them to learn. There are five essential parts to an anticipatory set:
- Engaging and preparing students
- Connecting the lesson with prior learning
- Stating what the students will learn
- Stating how they will learn it
- Connecting the lesson with future learning
The engaging activity that starts the anticipatory set is referred to as the hook. Examples of hooks include class and small group discussions, video clips, poems, or riddles.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a Member
Already a member? Log In
Resources created by teachers for teachers
Over 30,000 video lessons& teaching resources‐allin one place.
Video lessons
Quizzes & Worksheets
Classroom Integration
Lesson Plans
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Try it now
Back
Recommended Lessons and Courses for You
- Related Lessons
- Related Courses
