Share+What+You+Know+(SWYK)

**Share What You Know (SWYK)**
Section 6.5 (Instructional Strategy 16)

In order to make connections (especially to informational texts) students will often retain information better if they are able to relate or apply the information to their own lives. Sharing these connections also helps students to think in a more broad context about the topic they are examining.
 * Rationale:**

1. Explain to students the value of making and processing connections that they have to the material examined in class. Filling out the SWYK chart will help students to record and remember the connections they are making. 2. Distribute the SWYK reproducible to all students. 3. Use an example from the reading you are currently doing in class. For instance, if you are studying //Romeo and Juliet// you might have students relate an instance in their life where they have experienced love or lust at first site. 4. Have students record what the text reminds them of in the first section of the SWYK reproducible. 5. Next, have students draw a picture of an idea from the text to show that connections might also be made in pictures as well as words. 6. Have students share the connections they have made in small groups.Encourage them to record some of the more memorable connections from their conversation to help them remember the plot points and information. 7. Encourage students to make connections independently whenever they encounter a new concept.
 * Instructions:**

This strategy will help students better relate to characters or situations in novels that they might feel somewhat distant from. As you go through a novel with a situation that might be more complicated or from a very different perspective challenge students to see how it really can and does relate to their own life. Using the //Romeo and Juliet// example, you could perhaps have students look at Tybalt's perspective and how they can relate to his irrational aggression.
 * Application to Language Arts:**