Strategies for Effective Closure
Closure is the last step in a strong and effective lesson. It provides a fitting conclusion and context for the
student learning that has taken place. Closure helps students: 1) construct personal meaning, 2) create a
place for the information to be stored and recalled, and 3) recognize what they understand and what they
still need to know. Remember, closure doesn’t have to be elaborate. Quick and to the point is appropriate as
well. Here are some examples of closure activities that you can use to engage your students.
The examples given span both elementary and secondary topics. Adjust them as you see fit to work
with your group of students. Items marked with an * have additional resources available.
Write Me a Note
Students write a note to the teacher telling what
they learned today and what they are still unsure
about.
Connect to whatever you did for Activating Prior
Knowledge at the beginning of the lesson
Have kids reconnect or change their answer based on what
they know now.
Cheat Notes
What? What? What?
Students write a summary of the information
learned that they would like to have as Cheat
Notes if there were to be a quiz on the topic
tomorrow.
Students talk with a partner about the following 3 prompts:
What? – What did we learn today?
So What? – Why is it important?
Now What? – How does this fit into our learning? Does it
affect our thinking? Can we predict where we are going?
Find the Fib
What Am I?
Give students 3 statements related to the content
covered in the lesson. Students “find the fib” by
discussing the statements with their partner and
showing the number of fingers for the statement
that is a fib. Once they find it, they have to turn it
into truth.
A riddle with 3 clues is given at the end of class about a key
concept. Once students have experienced this closure
activity several times, students can construct clues for a key
concept for closure and their creations can be used as your
opener for the next day.
Where Do You Stand?
RallyRobin
Students place themselves in a line according to
how strongly they feel about a certain opinion.
For example: Do you side more with the North or
the South?
Students share as many facts or details that they can about
a given topic, rallying back and forth, for a set amount of
time.
Give an unknown visual
Anticipation Guide *
Have students share connections according to the At the beginning of the lesson, students evaluate a set of
knowledge they gained today.
statements as true or false. At the end of the lesson,
students revisit the statements and adjust their responses.
Headline News
Tell Your Mother
Students summarize the learning from the lesson
by writing a headline.
Example: Mountains Become Molehills Through
the Process of Erosion!
Ask students to summarize the learning by formulating their
answer to this prompt: “What will you tell your mother (or
father, or brother, or friend) when she asks you what you
learned today?”
©Marana Unified School District - Office of Professional Practice – Please contact for reproduction permission
Write a Quiz Question
3-2-1
Ask students to create a question that could go
on a quiz about the topic.
Students share 3 things they learned, 2 questions they still
have, and 1 thing they want the teacher to know.
While You Were Gone…
Slate Review
Students write to an absent student and explain
how to…
Pose a question and have students quickly respond on their
whiteboards.
Synectics *
Human Continuum
Students make connections to the topic by
looking at seemingly unrelated pictures.
“The Battle of Gettysburg is like a ___ because…”
Students place themselves in a line according to their level
of understanding about a certain skill or topic. For example:
How well could you shoot a basket?
I Care- WHY?
Doodley-Do
Students explain the relevancy of the topic to
their life and how they might use it or apply it.
Students quickly sketch/doodle/draw two or three concepts
from the lesson. They may include words and/ or numbers.
Daily Dozen *
Roving Review
Students choose 2 questions from a generic list
(the Daily Dozen) to respond to about the day’s
learning.
Students write a brief statement about the learning for
today. Then, they get up and share with a partner, roving
the room until you give the signal to stop and share.
The Envelope, Please
Acronym Analysis
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher shares
several review questions for key concepts that
will be covered. Each group is given one of the
questions in a sealed envelope. At the end of the
lesson, each group opens their envelope and
works together to create a short answer to it.
Groups then share their responses with the class.
Students are given a key word (or can choose from several)
from the learning and are asked to create an acrostic
representation with phrases including key information
about the topic.
C- Can be shaped like blobs, circles, coils, and rectangles
E- Everything living is made from them
L- Little units too small to see
L- Lots of different kinds
S-Structures are different
The Most Important Thing
Minute Papers
Students complete the frame as follows:
“The most important thing about…” on a piece of
paper, a whiteboard, or simply with an oral
response.
Give students a prompt related to the lesson’s content. They
have one minute to write everything they possibly can
about the prompt. Collect the Minute Papers for an
informal look at how well your students are understanding
the content.
New Questions
Content Connections
Based on the discussion you had today, what are
some new questions you have about the topic?
Students consider connections the topic has to other
content learned.
The Life Cycle is like the Water Cycle because…
Quote Closer
www.polleverywhere.com
Share a quote and have students respond
informally.
Students respond to a prompt via a text message. Prompts
can be open-ended (What do you think about… or closedended (True/ False statements, or multiple choice).
Your own ideas!
Exit Ticket
Use any of the strategies above as an exit ticket. Collect
what the students have written to get an idea of what is
strong in their understanding.
©Marana Unified School District - Office of Professional Practice – Please contact for reproduction permission