Students deserve to be challenged with real-life problems to unlock their creative potential. This is why inquiry-based learning or problem-based learning (PBL) approaches simulating world situations with open-ended solutions cause students to think outside the box and push their learning in new directions.
In my current teaching practice, I try to hook students by creating learning opportunities and challenges centered on them. Our school also takes an Artful Learning approach which means art-infused strategies are included in all subject areas. Students must use their creative brains to make meaningful connections with the content and concepts being covered in class. My goal is for them to use our Language Arts class as a way to button up those 21st-century skills so that they have what it takes to be a lifelong learner.