The move
Open class with a question students want answered, and hold back the answer until the lesson gives it.
See how it works
- Hook + guesses
- Teach: point back to the hook
- Reveal the answer
At a glance
- Time in class
- 2–3 minutes
- Prep
- 5 minutes: find one puzzle, mystery image or arguable question tied to today’s lesson.
- Materials
- Board or projector
- Grouping
- Whole class
- Use it when
- The first two minutes of class
Why it works
Curiosity is a gap between what we know and what we want to know. When students are curious, they pay closer attention and remember more of what comes next, even details beside the main question.
Step by step
In class: about 8 min
- 1Show the hook30 seconds
- 2Guess1 minute
- 3Share two guesses1 minute
- 5RevealLast 5 minutes
- Show the hook30 secondsPut the image, puzzle or question up as students walk in. No directions yet.
- Guess1 minute“Write down your best guess. No wrong answers yet.”
- Share two guesses1 minuteTake two or three. Don’t confirm or correct.“Hold onto that. By the end of class you’ll know.”
- TeachLessonPoint back to the hook when the lesson reaches the answer.
- RevealLast 5 minutes“Who was closest? What made you think that?”
See it in action
A close-up photo of a butterfly wing. “What is this?”
“Why does a can of diet soda float but regular soda sinks?”
A 1920s ad with the product hidden. “What were they selling?”
Watch out for
- Hooks with no link to the lesson: the answer must come from today’s content.
- Revealing too early: the payoff is the wait.
- Long discussions: cap it at three minutes.
Level up
- Don’t reveal the answer until the last five minutes.
- Let students vote on the most convincing guess before the reveal.
Make it work for everyone
- Multilingual learners: image hooks need no reading.
- IEP and 504 supports: let students point or circle on a printed copy.
- Early finishers: write a second question the hook makes them wonder.
Tech option
Use a slide that zooms out from a close-up, or a short muted video clip.
Resources
Printables
The Student Interest Survey in Card Docs is a good source of hooks students will care about.
Pairs well with
Reflect
Did students bring up the hook again during the lesson? That’s the sign it worked.
Evidence
ModerateGruber, M. J., Gelman, B. D., & Ranganath, C. (2014). States of curiosity modulate hippocampus-dependent learning via the dopaminergic circuit. Neuron, 84(2), 486–496. People remembered more when they were curious, including unrelated information shown during the curious state.
Find the research: Gruber (2014)