Relational reasoning [RR] is the ability to derive meaningful patterns within any information stream. Further, RR can be used as a knowledge activation technique before and during reading, guiding students to notice when their prior understandings are similar to, different from, or in conflict with the text at hand. The purpose of the current mixed methods study was to investigate why and how RR prompts were a successful knowledge activation technique for rural fifth- and sixth-grade students. Forty-four students responded to RR prompts before, during, and after reading an unfamiliar text on ancient Rome, and then answered comprehension questions. Students' responses were coded according to their conceptual appropriateness, accuracy, elaborateness, and sources of knowledge. Simple regression analyses indicated that the conceptual appropriateness and accuracy of students' responses significantly predicted students' comprehension performance. A thematic analysis was utilized to determine patterns among students who performed one standard deviation above or below the mean. Results from this study suggest that educators should reconsider what we mean by knowledge activation and the ways teachers guide students to make connections between texts and their background knowledge and experiences, focusing not only on how prior knowledge and experiences might align to the text topic, but also probing students to consider how the text might be different from or in conflict with what they already know.