© 2016 Learning Sciences International.

Unusual or intriguing information is a form of missing information used to fascinate, captivate, and arouse curiosity. To illustrate, think about the samples provided.

Facts like this might appear on the surface to be somewhat trivial, however, they tend to capture one’s attention. They fill in information for the student that is unexpected. With intentional planning, teachers can provide interesting and unusual facts for their students that tie directly to the topics being addressed in the unit of instruction.

Providing unusual information does not have to rest with the teacher, students can bring in unusual facts about the lesson topic. Allot time at the beginning of class for students to share the facts that they have discovered. If the students have been divided into teams, the responsibility for bringing in interesting information might shift weekly from team to team.

KEY CRITERIA

Presenting Unusual or Intriguing Information

Design Question 5 Element 32

© 2016 Learning Sciences International.

• Elvis Presley got a ‘C’ in his 8th grade music class.

• A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

• No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times.

• The 1912 Olympics was the last Olympics to present gold medals that were entirely made of gold.

• Otters sleep holding hands; crickets hear through their knees; snails can sleep for three years.

• The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s gum.

• Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

• The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body.

© 2016 Learning Sciences International.

Providing unusual information does not have to rest with the teacher, students can bring in unusual facts about the lesson topic. Allot time at the beginning of class for students to share the facts that they have discovered. If the students have been divided into teams, the responsibility for bringing in interesting information might shift weekly from team to team.

Presenting unusual or intriguing information requires intentional planning. Techniques should be planned for engagement and to spontaneously engage or re-engage students. Monitoring techniques should be determined to verify whether students cognitively engage or re-engage as a result of the presentation of unusual or intriguing information.