Discovery learning is based on a theory that it is best for students to discover facts and patterns themselves rather than simply being handed the information. Having students discover foreshadowing is a great way to pique students' interest in this topic. Utilizing movies or shows can be particularly effective because directors use clues like change in lighting, musical cues or sound effects to suggest or hint at an upcoming event in the same way that authors use foreshadowing. By playing students a movie clip that includes these cues, a discussion about their function can evolve and can provide a segway into the topic of foreshadowing.
Once students understand that directors use hints and clues that suggest events to come, the discussion can be re-directed towards literature. Asking the students whether they can think of any examples of suggestions in books they have read will give them the autonomy to begin their own conversation about foreshadowing. Deciding with the students on a working definition of foreshadowing based on their responses to the discussion will wrap up the introduction to the device. An appropriate definition could be "hints or suggestions that the author uses to tip off the reader of what is to come."
Asking students to identify major events in the story they are currently reading can be a great way to informally assess comprehension and to introduce an activity on foreshadowing. By beginning with a major event and tracing the story back to find examples of foreshadowing, students will gain a sense of the intricate planning involved in crafting a story. It is important to also exphasize that foreshadowing should be used as a tool to help form predictions about what is to come in the text.
Students will benefit from brainstorming different types of foreshadowing that authors use. For example, changes in weather, tone, symbolism, prophecy and even dreams. This will help struggling students know what to look for. Creating student groups and assigning each group a different event from the story will create a good variety of foreshadowing examples from throughout the text. Groups should actively engage with their text to find and be able to cite foreshadowing. Having groups or individuals share what they have found and discussing it with the class will help them and other students to synthesize the information and create closure for the lesson.