Use motivation traps to engage students. Identify the student's interests. For example, ask whom he idolizes, such as a hero. Instruct the student to list his hobbies and to tell how much time he spends on each listed activity.
Engage the student in conversation about his interests. Ask him why he enjoys fishing, for example. Make notes about the level of interest he displays when discussing different activities. Suggest hobbies not on his list to gauge additional interests. List activities in which the student expresses particular interest.
Create lesson plans using resources and activities that incorporate the student's interests with the course material. Perform an Internet search, for example, for "using fishing to teach medieval history," or "fishing in the Middle Ages." Ask the student for books and websites he likes as possible curriculum source material.
Engage the student in the "motivational trap." Provide an activity in which the student displays a balance between his interest and the course material. Instruct a student, for example, to write a creative diary page as if he were a fisherman in medieval France. Ask him to describe his day using references you provide and library sources.
Evaluate how successfully the student absorbs course material using intrinsic motivation. Assess his use of reference materials and his use of key components, such as geographic information and historical data, and of course material.