What this lets you do
Keep the question, evidence and explanation in one lesson
Begin with a phenomenon learners can inspect, capture a prediction before the evidence is revealed, and organise the observations that follow.
Because each part stays in the same lesson, the final explanation can return to the original response and show precisely what the evidence changed.
1 Open with the phenomenon
Begin with something that needs explaining
Show an unexpected result, a visible pattern or two observations that do not sit comfortably together. Then use an instruction node to focus attention on what learners should notice without giving away the explanation.
The opening should create a real question for the lesson, not simply introduce an activity.
- Place the image, demonstration or data beside the prompt
- Ask what learners notice before naming the principle
2 Commit the first idea
Ask for a prediction before learners see the evidence
A multiple-choice or free-text question gives every learner a place to state what they expect and why. Submitting that first idea makes the later comparison meaningful, including when the prediction turns out to be wrong.
- Collect an individual prediction before discussion
- Prompt for a reason when the thinking matters as much as the choice
3 Structure the evidence
Collect observations in a form the class can compare
Keep measurements, observations or source notes in consistent rows and fields. A shared structure makes the pattern easier to inspect and gives the class something concrete to compare with the original prediction.
- Use the same headings and units for each observation
- Keep the evidence next to the question it is meant to answer
4 Close the inquiry loop
Put the first prediction beside the evidence and explanation
Return to the opening question after the evidence is visible. Ask what changed in the learner’s account, then introduce the formal model or explanation that makes sense of the pattern.
Direct teaching has not disappeared. It arrives when learners have a question, a prior idea and evidence to connect it to.
- Revisit the original response instead of replacing it
- Use the final explanation to connect the evidence to the general principle