Which tool is used to record what students know, want to know, and have learned at the start of a unit?

• A. KWL chart
• B. Anticipation Guide
• C. Semantic Map
• D. Character Map

Answer: (A)

This item tests understanding of how teachers activate prior knowledge and set learning goals at the start of a unit. A KWL chart is the tool designed for this in a three-step format: what students know, what they want to know, and what they have learned. It invites students to surface their existing ideas, pose questions to guide inquiry, and then reflect on new learning after the unit, making the learning process visible and ongoing. The other tools serve different purposes: an anticipation guide prompts initial beliefs before reading, a semantic map shows relationships among ideas, and a character map focuses on traits and connections of literary characters. The KWL chart is the best fit because it explicitly captures the knowledge before and after learning as part of beginning a unit.