What is Background Knowledge

In this chapter, teachers will learn the importance of tapping into a child's prior experiences or background knowledge to help students gain the full understanding of a topic or subject matter. These practices help teachers recognize the background knowledge a student has on a subject matter; this information can assist them in their planning of a unit or specific learning objectives. This chapter provides elementary educators with practical ideas and a solid template or structure to help teachers brainstorm the countless ideas to weave pop culture into their instructional practices. Teachers should use these pages as a springboard to initiate the creative planning process to meet the needs of the students in their own classrooms. It is divided into sections of pop culture that are present in our 21st century society. As pop culture continues to change, teachers can use its appeal to get students excited about learning.