CONCEPT-BASED
CURRICULUM AND
INSTRUCTION
FOR THE THINKING
CLASSROOM
2013 H. Lynn Erickson
We will identify the components of a concept based curriculum.
I will work with my team to explain why a concept based curriculum is
important and apply these skills in my lesson planning process.
LET’S LOOK AT BES DATA
Data Gathered from the Walkthrough process
last year at BES indicated that we need PD
in:
• Questioning
• Wait Time
• Higher Level Thinking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fKU9LZ2kw
WHAT IS CONCEPTBASED CURRICULUM?
Concept –based curriculum is a three-dimensional
curriculum design model that frames the factual and
skill content of subject areas with disciplinary
concepts and generalizations. Concept-based
curriculum is contrasted with the traditional two
dimensional model of topic and skill-based
curriculum design.
Two-dimensional models focus on facts and skills.
Three-dimensional models focus on concepts, facts
and skills to gain deeper conceptual understanding of
disciplinary content.
TOPIC BASED AND CONCEPT BASED
KEY POINTS
TW0-DIMENSIONAL VS. THREE-DIMENSIONAL
Coverage-centered
“inch deep, mile wide”
Intellectually shallow
lacks a conceptual focus to create a
factual/conceptual brain synergy.
Factual knowledge does not transfer
facts do not transfer; locked in time place
or situation.
Fails to meet the intellectual
demands of the 21st century.
Idea-centered
facts provide a foundation to understand
conceptual, transferable ideas.
Intellectual depth
a “conceptual lens”, or focus, requires mental
processing on the factual and conceptual
levels—producing intellectual depth in thinking
and understanding.
Concepts & Generalizations Transfer
allows the brain to make connections and see
patterns.
Develops the intellect to handle a
world of increasing complexity and
accelerating change.
GIVE ONE TO GET ONE ACTIVITY
Walk around the room and give/get ideas from fellow teachers
about how their classroom is set up for two dimensional and
three dimensional thinking.
Give One to Get One works well when students are using their interactive
notebooks or class notes. Each student is asked to find a partner with
whom he/she will compare notes. The students take a moment to identify
the information they have in common. Each student identifies something
he did not record but his partner did. This new information is then recorded
in each student’s notebook. In effect, each student gives one and gets
one. Pairs can report to the whole class sharing what they learned.
TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
• FACTUAL
• CONCEPTUAL
• PROCEDURAL
THINK ABOUT THIS….
Know=Factual knowledge which is locked
in time, place or situation.
Understanding=Conceptual
Understanding which transfers through
time, across cultures, and across
situations.
NOTICE/WONDER CHART
Create a thinking map at your table where you
will write down ideas that you are noticing and
wondering about.
I Notice…I Wonder
I Notice…I Wonder is a technique where students will create a
thinking map where on one side they list things or
characteristics they have noticed about the content,
including connections they make. On the other side of the
map students list questions they have about the content.
Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction
I Notice
I Wonder
KEY POINTS
Structure of Knowledge and Process
• Knowledge has an inherent structure of topics, facts and
processes/strategies/skills framed by concepts, which
combine to form generalizations and principles.
• Traditional, two-dimensional curriculum/instruction models
focus more on the topic, fact, and skill levels and assume an
understanding of related concepts and principles.
• Concept-based, three-dimensional curriculum/instruction
models raise the intellectual bar by teaching to ideas
(generalizations/principles) and using the topics, facts and
skills as support for the deeper understanding.
KEY POINTS CONTINUED
STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS
• Topics and facts do not transfer. They are locked in time, place
or situation. Skills transfer across applications but need to be
related to generalizations to apply with deep understanding.
• Concepts and Generalizations transfer through time, across
cultures and across situations.
• The concepts, generalizations, and principles add the third
intellectual dimension to curriculum and instruction. Curriculum
and instruction models must address the factual/skill and
conceptual levels if students are to think at higher levels,
achieve deeper understanding, and gain the ability to transfer
knowledge.
STRUCTURE OF PROCESS
THE STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE
Cultures use available resources to
meet their basic needs.
The beliefs, values and heritage of a
people help shape their cultural
identity.
Beliefs/values
Needs
Identify
Culture
Resources
Mexican-American Culture
THE STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE
People migrate to meet a variety of needs.
Migration may lead to new opportunities or
greater freedom.
Migration
Opportunity
Needs
Freedom
Westward Movement
Early American
settlers migrated
west.
Early Americans
settlers looked
for new
opportunities.
LET’S CONNECT OUR LEARNING
Let’s look within our Instructional
Focus Document and find:
• Facts-highlight in yellow
• Topics-highlight in blue
• Concepts-highlight in yellow
• Generalizations-highlight in green
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE
MODEL AND HOW DOES IT
CONNECT WITH OUR IFD
DOCUMENT?
Write down some ideas with a shoulder partner and we
Will use the Whip Around Teaching Strategy to Check
for Understanding.
Whip Around
Whip Around is often used as a closure activity. Students are asked to
make a list of three items related to the lesson, unit or study. Students
individually respond on a piece of paper. After they have listed at least
three items, they stand up. The teacher randomly calls on a student to
share an item. Students check off any items shared by another student
and sit down when all of their ideas have been shared with the group,
whether or not they were the one to share the idea
THE WHY….
When we teach to the levels of concepts
and generalizations we are teaching for
deep understanding and the transfer of
knowledge.
UNIVERSAL GENERALIZATIONS
•
•
•
•
Broad and Abstract
Universal in Application
Generally Timeless
Represented by different examples
that support the generalization
CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE
•(Circle) Something that is still
going around in your head
•(Triangle) Something pointed
that stood out in your mind
•(Square) Something that
“Squared” or agreed with your
thinking.