Early in my teaching career, I looked forward to the beginning of a new unit as a time for both me and my students to catch a breath.

Under the ardent lights of the stage, I would follow my internal teleprompter, delivering the same monologue to my live studio audience: “Great news, everyone. Today will be an easy day. I’m not going to push you very hard. We just want to lay a foundation.”

I thought that a respite focused on rote memorization of vocabulary and copying definitions, concepts, and notes was necessary to lay the groundwork for higher-order thinking later. I was wrong.

Over the years, I’ve come to learn that you can successfully introduce a new unit without sacrificing the much-needed deeper-thinking opportunities for students. Here’s how I do that.

Kicking Off Thematic Units in Middle School

I am always going after the hearts and minds of my students. A good theme is universal. Submerging the class into a relatable and relevant debate or discussion vis-à-vis theme cultivates engagement as we collectively create a context to move forward in. It may seem logical to teach vocabulary of content first. However, vocabulary without context is just words. I’ve found that context and relatability allow for application, analysis, and evaluation rather than simple memorization.