This spring, Mrs. Garrison’s third grade class at Flat Lick Elementary in Knox County, kicked off a study of the earliest known residents of North America with an engaging gallery walk to spark curiosity and initial student interest, also referred to as priming for learning. The unit is part of the high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) adopted by the district in 2024. The gallery walk allowed students to examine and make predictions about artifacts representing different Native American tribes.
Mrs. Garrison has noticed her students’ interest in learning growing all year, and this experience was no different. The eagerness her students showed for learning more after the gallery walk was the most she had ever witnessed.
By incorporating total participation techniques like “Turn and Talk” and “Think-Pair-Share,” Mrs. Garrison fostered a positive learning climate where all students confidently engaged in discussions, allowing them to experience deeper learning. “Where some once saw being called on as a punishment, they now feel excited to share,” she noted. These strategies have not only increased participation but also have allowed her to introduce higher-order questioning.
Garrison expressed her students are taking greater ownership of their learning—embracing challenges, sharing insights and showing pride in their work. As Mrs. Garrison reflected, “With many of the artifacts being things we still use today, students enjoyed getting to see where the objects came from as well as the people who brought them to North America. Getting a small glimpse into the earliest known settlers has piqued their interest into how they lived once they arrived, how they adjusted to different environments, how tribes were formed with other people who shared similar languages, customs, beliefs and traditions, etc.”
Increased engagement and ownership of learning reflect what we want for all Kentucky students. The instructional process Mrs. Garrison used during this unit aligns with the core principles from learning science which include essential deeper learning components that are necessary for vibrant learning. HQIR implementation can support teachers in integrating deeper learning as it is embedded within the HQIR, strengthening Tier 1 instruction. For more information, a series of modules is available to help educators make sense of Integrating Deeper Learning and HQIR.
