Prompt Element: Connects with students’ lives

The more a prompt connects to students’ lives or their experiences, the more likely students are to engage with it.  Using examples, scenarios, and illustrations that put the content in familiar settings is an effective approach to formulating prompts.  A potential concern here is that using a specific setting might introduce context that is foreign for some students.  When considering a particular context, it is important to make it accessible for all students expected to respond.  Teachers or researchers who have particular knowledge of the target student audience are important resources in crafting such prompts.