I’d bet you
have plenty of anticipation guides saved on your computer—I know I do! And
maybe they’re your go-to for every new unit or novel. These guides are a great
way to spark curiosity and activate prior knowledge, but let’s be honest—if you
use them the same way every time, they can start to feel a little stale. Dare I
say… boring?
The problem is—and if you’re reading this, you’re probably a
teacher, so I'm sorry in advance for stating the obvious —who has time to make every activity feel fresh and exciting? But here’s the
thing—your anticipation guides are a gold mine
for engagement! With just a few small tweaks, you can turn them into
interactive, high-energy activities without
reinventing the wheel. In fact, you’re probably already using some of these
strategies—you just might not have thought to apply them to anticipation
guides. And if you don’t have one ready to go, a quick Google search can likely help you find one in seconds.
Without further ado, let’s dive into
some easy, creative ways to take your anticipation guides from routine to
remarkable!
1. Gallery Walk
Instead of having students complete their anticipation guides at their
desks, turn it into an interactive experience! Post each statement around the
room on large sheets of paper, and give students sticky notes or markers. As
they move from statement to statement, they can add their thoughts, tally marks
for agreement or disagreement, or even brief explanations. This strategy allows for a clear, visual
representation of class opinions. Plus, seeing their classmates’ responses in
real time can challenge their thinking and spark new perspectives.
Alternatively, you could provide students with a graphic organizer-style
page where they can jot down their ideas before bringing them back to their
groups or the whole class for discussion.
No matter how you structure it, this strategy encourages movement,
collaboration, and deeper engagement with the material. By getting students up
and moving, you’re not only breaking the monotony of desk work but also
creating opportunities for meaningful discussion and peer interaction.
2. Journal Prompts
How to turn the anticipation guide questions into a journal? Rather than just marking agree/disagree, you can create a slide that you
project that has the anticipation guide questions and have students choose one
or two statements and write a short journal response that encourages them to
explain their reasoning, make connections to their own experiences, or even
predict how the topic might play out in the text. This simple shift transforms
the anticipation guide from a passive exercise into a meaningful reflection
that gets students thinking before they even dive into the reading!
3. Discussion Cards
Turn your anticipation guide into a hands-on discussion activity by cutting
each statement into individual strips or formatting them into a printable card
set. Simply copy and paste the statements into a chart, print, and cut.
From here, there are SO many ways to use these
cards! My favorite is a “Tea Party Discussion.” Each student
starts with a card and circulates the room, engaging in quick, approximately one-minute
discussions (I set a timer) with different partners. Here’s the key: at the end of each discussion, students trade cards
so that they are always sharing their thoughts on a new topic.
To deepen engagement, encourage students to not only share whether they
agree or disagree by explaining their reasoning, drawing from personal
experiences, or connecting to real-world events, historical examples, or
previous texts they’ve read.
Want ready-to-go discussion cards? Check out the sets I’ve created for Homer’s The Odyssey and Walter Dean Myers’ Monster.
4. Speed Dating Discussion
Want another idea for students to engage in a lively, fast-paced discussion?
Try Speed Dating!
Arrange desks in two facing rows so that each student has a partner. Give
students one anticipation guide statement at a time (you can even use the cards
from #3) and allow them one to two minutes to discuss their thoughts
before signaling them to rotate to a new partner.
As with the other strategies, have students go beyond just answering the
question – explaining their responses, offering a real-life example or personal
experience or connecting their response to the upcoming unit.
5. Silent Discussion on the Whiteboard
Ditch the paper and take your silent discussion to the whiteboard. This is similar to a gallery walk, but I’ve
noticed that both middle and high school students LOVE writing on the
whiteboard. The key is that there is absolutely
NO talking! This gets students actively engaging in a quiet, yet
thought-provoking way—perfect for those who may not always feel comfortable
speaking up in class.
How It Works:
1. Set Up the Board: Write several anticipation guide statements across different sections of the whiteboard. You can write them in columns or just willy-nilly all over the board (my go-to!).
2. Silent Response: Give students different-colored whiteboard markers and allow them to circulate, writing their responses directly on the board beneath each statement. They can agree, disagree, explain their reasoning, or pose questions.
3. Building the Conversation: Students respond to their classmates' comments by adding check marks, stars, arrows, or written replies to build on ideas. Encourage them to ask follow-up questions, make connections to prior knowledge, or challenge viewpoints respectfully.
4. Class Debrief: After a set time (5–10 minutes), pause the activity and have students step back and analyze the responses. Facilitate a short discussion: What patterns do they notice? Did any responses change their thinking?
**Have a large class or small
whiteboard? Split the Class: Half the class
participates in the silent discussion
first while the other half works on a related task (such as responding in
journals or engaging in a quick read). Then, they switch.
6. Online Forum or Collaborative Padlet
For a tech-friendly alternative, post anticipation guide statements in an
online discussion forum like Google Classroom, Padlet or even a shared Google
Doc.
I love using Padlet for this activity. You get three free boards, and setting up a
discussion space is as simple as copying and pasting the questions. Plus, you
can enhance engagement by adding images, videos, or links to make the
discussion even more dynamic. Better yet, you can have the students contribute
their own multimedia elements!
How does it work? Students type their initial responses to the statements
you’ve provided being sure to explain their reasoning. After
posting, students reply
to at least two classmates, either agreeing, challenging ideas,
or asking thought-provoking questions to further the discussion.
See this blog post for more ideas for using Padlet.
7. Four Corners Discussion/Debate
Want to get students thinking, moving, and debating all at once? Try a Four Corners Discussion to make your
anticipation guide statements more interactive. Label the four corners of your
room with Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree,
and Strongly Disagree. Read a statement aloud, and have students move
to the corner that best represents their stance. Once grouped, they discuss
their reasoning, using prior knowledge, personal experiences, or class content
to support their views. Then, bring the discussion to the whole class by having
representatives from each corner share their group’s perspective.
To
take it a step further, encourage students to provide evidence from past
readings, history, or real-world connections. After hearing different
viewpoints, allow them to switch corners if their opinions change—this
reinforces the idea that strong arguments can shift thinking.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of all of these strategies is that they don’t have to
stand alone—you can mix and match them.
For example, you might start with a silent discussion on the
whiteboard, then transition into a Four Corners debate to encourage
verbal discussion. Or, after a speed dating discussion, students could
extend their thinking by responding to a journal prompt or engaging in
an online forum for deeper reflection. The key is variety—keeping
students on their toes and encouraging them to engage with the material in
different ways.
To wrap up each activity, consider using an exit ticket to reinforce learning and assess understanding. This could be as simple as asking them to jot down one of the following:
- One key
takeaway from the discussion
- A response that
changed their thinking and why
- A lingering
question they still have about the topic
- A connection to
a real-world event, personal experience, or prior reading
No matter which strategy you use, the goal is the same—to spark curiosity, foster critical thinking, and create meaningful conversations that set the stage for deeper learning.
I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments.
* * * * * *
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