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KWL chart (free printable organizer)

Three tall columns headed K, W and L with ruled lines to write on. Edit the headings or add a fourth column, and print one for each student or for the class.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Colour
KWL Chart, page 1KWL ChartTopic: ______________________________NameDateKWhat I knowWWhat I want toknowLWhat I learnedFree at teach.peabody.kids

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.

About this sheet

A KWL chart gives a lesson a beginning and an end. Before a unit, students write what they already know, which surfaces what they believe and sometimes what they have wrong, and what they want to find out, which gives the unit a purpose they chose. After the unit, they fill in what they learned, and the contrast with the first column is the evidence of learning. The columns are tall, and the letters are large so they can be read from the board. Type a fourth heading, such as How I can find out, and the chart becomes a KWHL chart. Print one per student, or draw it large on chart paper from the same page.

Grades: 1 to 8. Best in: September, October, January.

How to use it

  1. Edit the headings if you like. Add a fourth line, for example How can I find out?, and the page draws four columns.
  2. Fill in the first two columns before the unit starts, as a class on the board or individually on paper.
  3. Return to the chart at the end of the unit and fill in the third column, then compare it with the first.

Five ideas for class

  1. Fill in the K column in pairs and ask each pair to share one fact. Disagreements are good: write them down and revisit them at the end.
  2. Group the W questions into themes and let students choose a question to research, so the unit follows their curiosity.
  3. Use a sticky note for each item in the K and W columns on a large class chart, and move the notes into L as they are answered.
  4. Keep the chart for the whole unit and add to the L column at the end of each lesson, so learning is visible as it happens.
  5. Use it before reading a nonfiction text, then again after, so students notice what the text added to what they knew.

Related

Questions

Can I use it for a whole class?

Yes. Print it, enlarge it from the PNG, or copy the headings onto chart paper and fill it in together on the wall.

What if a student writes something that is wrong in K?

Leave it, and come back to it at the end. A correction that the student finds for themselves is worth more than one you give them at the start.

Is it only for nonfiction?

It works best with nonfiction and science, but you can use it with a novel study, for example What I know about the setting.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

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