In OER Project courses, some openers and closers are designed for a specific lesson and will directly connect to that lesson content. In other cases, they will be more content-independent, serving as routines that teachers can use any day with any lesson. Many openers and closers offer opportunities for informal writing, and they’re also great ways to inject fun into the lesson.
Openers: These are quick and fun, activating prior knowledge, revealing student misconceptions, and preparing students for what’s coming in that lesson. These are meant to hook student interest and provide opportunities for informal writing.
Closers: These provide teachers with excellent opportunities to quickly check for understanding and should be used for formative assessment throughout the course. Like openers, closers often prompt students to engage in informal writing. Closers can also be used to preview content for upcoming lessons.