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Engagement Is...
Engagement Is...
“Learning requires engaging with concepts, skills, and information in a way that mesmerizes and transforms students, such that they do not want to stop until they succeed” - Dr. Nancy Sulla
Engagement consists of
Identifying same and different
Following multiple steps
Identifying cause-and-effect relationships
Categorizing information
Thinking about multiple concepts simultaneously
Initiating a task
Persisting in a task
Make executive function visible and actionable during instruction so students can engage meaningfully with content. Through targeted prompts and visuals, students are supported in attending, processing, making connections, and managing cognitive demands without watering down the rigor.
Check out the resource below. Created to support the SDI (Specially Designed Instruction) classroom, but can be modified to be used with any student.
Explore Cause and Effect Relationships
Explore Cause and Effect Relationships
Dr. Sulla shares that everyday life is filled with cause-and-effect relationships! Mastering this concept and using it strategically can lead to great success in life and career, as it is an important foundational skill for engagement with content and, relatedly, solving real-world problems. Use the resources below to explore sample cause and effect graphic organizers which are great ways for having students grapple with information.
Simple cause-and-effect diagrams help students, particularly younger or struggling students, see the connection among events: This happened, so then this happened. Click the image above for the link.
Simple cause-and-effect diagrams help students, particularly younger or struggling students, see the connection among events: This happened, so then this happened. Click the image above for the link.
Sample uses of the graphic organizer appear below:
Sample uses of the graphic organizer appear below:
Identify an event and/or character action and how it affects the protagonist and/or other characters in the novel.
Identify the setting and how it affects the character and/or conflict in the book.
Describe the effect a particular line of code has on an object.
Identify an event that led to another event in a historical conflict (e.g., American Revolution, World War II, etc.).
Find cause-and-effect relationships when watching the news or television shows, cooking, or interacting with others.
What if the bystander decides to simply walk away instead of telling a teacher? How does that single choice affect the person being bullied?"
Describe the effect of mixing different primary colors together.
What if you apply a second layer of wet paint before the first layer is dry? How does that affect the crispness of your lines and the 'bleeding' of the colors?"
Describe the effect on singing when breathing through the diaphragm.
What if you try to do a jumping jack but keep your arms perfectly stiff like a robot? How does that specific action affect the flow and rhythm of your movement?
What if the drummer suddenly stops playing the beat? How would that affect the other students’ ability to stay together in the song?
Click the image below for the link.
Click the image below for the link.
Next, students can look at secondary effects: a causes b, but then b causes c. Sample uses of the graphic organizer include:
Next, students can look at secondary effects: a causes b, but then b causes c. Sample uses of the graphic organizer include:
Describe the primary and secondary effect of a natural disaster, e.g., hurricanes, floods, drought, etc.
Track the primary and secondary effect as a result of a character’s actions or words.
Identify the primary and secondary effects that occurred as a result of a war.
Hypothesize the primary and secondary effects if multiple members of the band don’t practice their part or if
What happens if the saxophone is played too loud? What would happen if some of the instruments in the song don’t play on cue? If the cello came in too soft how would that affect the song?
What if one of the singers in the choir forgets to take a deep 'diaphragmatic breath' before a long phrase. How would that impact the sound (ex: going flat)? How would that affect the way the rest of the choir tunes their own notes to match?
Making a choice like staying up late to finish a video game. What could this action cause you to miss in the morning? (Ex: Missing breakfast or oversleeping and rushing or feeling groggy). How does that secondary effect eventually impact your ability to focus during your afternoon PE class? *This scenario focuses on longer term impact and not just the immediate situation. Consider additional examples for scenarios have impacts later in the school day. Example: Having a rough morning can throw off your entire day.
What if an athlete ignores a small, nagging pain in their ankle and continues to play at 100%? How could it impact their running form? How might that affect their knee or hip health later in the season?
What if an artist places the light source directly behind the subject? What happens to the silhouette? How does that affect the viewer’s ability to recognize the character's emotions?
Click the image below for the link.
Click the image below for the link.
Sometimes, one event, action, or feeling will produce multiple effects, which then produce another effect:
Sometimes, one event, action, or feeling will produce multiple effects, which then produce another effect:
Describe the effects of a natural disaster (e.g., hurricane, flood, drought, etc.) on both wildlife and humans in that region.
Identify the chain of events that occur as a result of a character’s action or an event in a novel.
Identify a historical or current event that spurred multiple effects.
Hypothesize different possible effects that would result from increasing the price of an item of high demand.
Describe the causes (e.g., reactants) and effects (e.g., products) of cellular respiration, photosynthesis, or any process.
Visualize a student practicing "active listening" during an intense and high-stakes group project. How could this action produce multiple effects on the team's productivity? Trust between the members? Stress level of each student?
*At a higher level, how could that impact the success to the overall project outcome?
What if a player on the team currently winning, stops to help an opponent who may have fallen down? Describe the impact to the game's momentum? Crowd's reaction? Or the Player's own reputation.
*At a higher level, how would these outcomes change the culture of the program or interaction against teams in the future?
Categorization
Categorization
Dr. Sulla shares that, categorizing information helps in memorization, building understanding of content, and making meaning. It helps in building a foundation for new content. You’ll find categorization of content in every subject area in school; and it is important to provide students with opportunities to categorize and think about how one develops categories.
Dr. Sulla shares that, categorizing information helps in memorization, building understanding of content, and making meaning. It helps in building a foundation for new content. You’ll find categorization of content in every subject area in school; and it is important to provide students with opportunities to categorize and think about how one develops categories.
In the art example above, students must:
Understand balance and harmony
Identify representations of balance and harmony
Sort representations into categories
Categorization is another great way to help with memory, understanding content and making meaning.
Examples:
Health: Categorize food items based on their Primary Nutrient (e.g., Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Energy duration).
PE: Categorize sports skills by Open Skills (responding to a changing environment, a soccer pass, golf swing, etc.) vs. Closed Skills (predictable environment, like a free throw).
If a student masters a "closed skill" like that of a golf swing, how does that foundational stability allow them to eventually adapt to "open" conditions or even variables such as wind or uneven grass?
PE: Categorize the topic of "Game Strategies" into Offensive Space-Creation, Defensive Denial, and Transition Speed.
How does categorizing an opponent's weakness in one of these areas allow a team to initiate a multi-step winning play?
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
Teacher presents students with a broad question or problem. Students then respond on a post-it note or digital platform and arrange the responses based upon similar categories. Then have students discuss why the ideas fit within these subcategories and relate to one another.
Content Examples:
For ELA, you might have students categorize words that have a similar definition (e.g. kind, nice, etc.)
For Math, you might give students terms/words and students can group them into categories like “words associated with addition” or words associated with “division.”
For ENL/ELLs, you might give students a set of words and ask them to group similar words together. The reality is that some students might start to group the words as nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. While another group of students might see the words in a different way and group them accordingly. They can collaborate to see where there are patterns and connections.
Health: Categorize the effects of a chosen "Community Health Initiative." Students work to identify various categories. Examples could be Physical Health (more exercise), Social Health (community gathering), Environmental Health (more trees), etc.
Affinity Map Examples in Music:
Secondary Music Example: Music class with instruments: Students are asked to actively listen to a complex musical piece, which is developing their ability to focus and limit distractions. Using the affinity mapping, they then categorize musical elements like melody, rhythm, and harmony, which demonstrates cognitive flexibility and planning skills.
Collaboration: They then collaborate with peers to analyze and interpret these elements which fosters social skills and strengthens working memory. Finally, they use this knowledge to create original compositions based on these analyses which requires self-awareness, decision-making, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Elementary Music Example: Students actively listen to a short, catchy melody, which is a practice in focus and attention. They then sort simple musical elements like high and low sounds or fast and slow rhythms onto colorful sticky notes, which develops cognitive flexibility and planning skills.
Collaboration: Collaborating with classmates they can create a class song or rhythm pattern. This fosters social skills and strengthens working memory. If they were to perform the created piece it would require self-awareness, coordination, and the ability to adapt to changes in tempo or pitch.
Consider: How could you use affinity mapping with High School students who are preparing for college?
If...Then Cards
If...Then Cards
If . . . then cards are related to cause-and-effect and are a proactive structure for students prone to off-task behavior. One of the most important characteristics for success is the ability to delay gratification: to persist in a task or goal in spite of tempting distractions, and to self-assess to see if the desired outcome and behavior were achieved.. How do we build this valuable executive function skill in our students? Try the "If...Then" cards.
Click the image of the "If...Then" above 🔝 in order to access the resource!
Have students consider a short-term goal they are trying to achieve in which they could be derailed by distractions.
Behavioral/SEL: If, Then Sample
Pro Tip: Have them anticipate those distractions and consider how they would thwart them, which allows them to hold themselves accountable. This could be a phrase they would say to themselves or an action they would take. This can be behavioral or academic. Ex: "If I am frustrated...then I will..." or "If I am overwhelmed...then I will...." Later, they can reflect (another executive function skill) on how well they did in staying on track or accomplishing the goal if it took more than one attempt.
Perseverance
Perseverance
Perseverance doesn't develop by accident. It grows when students are intentionally challenged, given space to sit with uncertainty, and supported to persist.
When struggle is quickly removed, students miss opportunities to build stamina, flexibility, and confidence. The key is to make perseverance possible and visible each day. Use these cards to help students persist in a task. Are there any students for whom you think this structure might work? How could you adapt it?
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