Bring in copies of a credible article, infographic, or similar document relevant to what students are currently learning. Have students read the article and highlight any points they found interesting or that they did not understand/follow/agree with and then discuss the points raised. You could do something similar with YouTube videos or TED Talks.

This can allow students to see beyond the material presented in class and apply that material to real life situations or other knowledge they already have. It can also help to answer the question “what am I going to need this for?”

Previewing: Haven’t started anything new in class yet? Pick out an article about the content coming up. You don’t have to be responsible for introducing students to new course content, but you can prime their brains for the topic by thinking about current events.

Adapted from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction