HOW TO BUILD A BETTER LESSON by Dr. Jane E. Pollock
Chpt. 3, Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time (ASCD, 2007), Chpts. 3,4,and 5 Improving Student Learning One Principal at a Time (ASCD, 2009)
Components
of the Lesson
G: Goal
Teacher shares the
goal of the lesson
A: Access Prior
Knowledge
Chapters from
Classroom
Instruction
that Works
What we are trying to get the brain to do
– the neuroscience of the brain
Chapters 8 and
4
We are trying to get the brain to focus on the
goal; reduce impulsivity and stick to a task
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Chapters 10, 6,
2, and 7
We are trying to get the brain to associate;
make analogies and compare
Questions, cues and advance organizers
Nonlinguistic representations
Identifying similarities and differences
Cooperative Learning
Declarative and
Procedural
Knowledge
Chapters 3, 5,
and 11
We are trying to get the brain to gather and
organize information
Summarizing and note taking
Homework and Practice
Application of
Declarative and
Procedural
Knowledge
Chapters 2, 9,
and 10
We are trying to get the brain to categorize;
analyze perspectives, construct arguments;
extract themes, deduce, analyze for logical
errors, systems analysis, investigate; make
decision, solve problems, create a test and
invent; follows complex directions
Identify Similarities and Differences
Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers
Generate and Test Hypotheses
Homework and practice
Chapters 8 and
4
We are trying to get the brain to “put a tab on
the folder”, make a connection to the goal and
retain the information learned
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and practice
Teacher accesses
students’ prior
knowledge
N: New
Information
Teacher shares
new information;
new information is
practiced
A: Application
of New
Information
Apply what was
learned
G: Goal is
revisited
Teacher reminds
the student about
what to “click and
save” and provides
feedback to the
student
The Nine Effective Strategies the Teacher
should use during this component of the
lesson (from Classroom Instruction that
Works)
Learning Strategies We need to teach our
students
Each of these thinking skills requires a process for
students to learn to organize and reorganize
information in order to retain it longer and use the
information to construct new ideas.
Identify Similarities and Differences
Compare: describe how things are the same and
different
Create an Analogy: substitute something familiar for
something difficult
Classify: group similar items into categories
Use Analysis Techniques
Analyze Perspectives: consider different points of
view
Create an Argument or Persuade: to make a claim or
convince others to change their viewpoints
Analyze for Logical Fallacy: articulate errors in
thinking
Analyze as a System: consider change to make an
improvement
Generate and Test Hypotheses
Make a Decision: select from seemingly equal choices
Solve a Problem: negotiate obstacles to find a good
solution
Investigate: resolve issues about which there are
contradictions (projective, historical, or definitional)
Invent: develop original products or processes to
meet specific needs
Steps in the Critical Thinking Skills- Elementary
Identify Similarities
and Differences
Comparing: describing how things
are the same and different
1. I find the items to compare
2. I choose features to compare
the items
3. I tell how the items are the
same or different
Creating an Analogy: finding and
explaining patterns in specific
situations
1. I identify the important
information
2. I find a pattern in the
information and describe it
in a general way
3. I find another example that
uses the same pattern and
show how it does
Classifying: grouping things that
are alike into categories
1. I find items to classify
2. I choose categories into
which to sort items
3. I sort identified items
4. I tell how they fit into
categories
5. I reclassify items
Use Analysis
Techniques
Analyzing Perspectives: describing
different points of view
1. I find an idea about which
people disagree and tell how
they disagree
2. I identify an opinion about the
idea
3. I describe the explanation
about the opinion
4. I identify a different option
and explain it
Creating an Argument: providing
support for a claim
1. I notice something and then
make a statement about it
that needs to be supported
with more information
2. I give examples and
information to support my
statement
3. I give information that
explains when my statement
does not apply
Finding Fallacy: finding and
describing errors in thinking
1. I identify parts of a situation
in which someone is trying to
get me to believe something
2. I find unusual claims in the
information
3. I describe the unusual claims
in the information
4. I describe the unusual claims
as fallacy(circular reasoning,
loaded language,
bandwagon)
5. I find ways to correct the
error in thinking
Systems Analysis: viewing
something as a system
1. I identify something as a
system
2. I state all of the parts of the
system and how they work
3. I change one part of the system
to see what would happen
4. I make a conclusion about how
the one change made the
system change
5. I repeat the process
Generate and Test
Hypotheses
Decision Making: using
characteristics to select from
choices that seem equal
1. I identify a decision that I
need to make
2. I identify alternative choices to
consider
3. I identify the characteristics to
consider
4. I identify the importance of
each characteristic
5. I identify the importance of
each characteristic by each
alternative to select the best
one
6. If I need to, I change
characteristics or values
Problem Solving: overcoming
barriers in the way of reaching a
goal
1. I identify the goal
2. I identify the barriers that
are in the way of reaching
the goal
3. I identify various ways to
overcome the barriers
4. I select the best alternative
and try it to see if it is
effective
5. I try different alternatives
and see if they are effective
Investigation: finding and
defending ways to clear up
confusion or define a topic such as
an event or a concept
1. I explain information known
about a topic
2. I tell important ideas that are
confusing about the topic
3. I find information and
examples about the topic
4. I tell a way to clear up the
confusion about the topic
Invention: developing a product or
process to meet a need
1. I suggest something that can be
made or done better
2. I tell a purpose for my
invention
3. I set standards
4. I make a model, sketch or draft
of my invention
5. I seek feedback about how my
invention meets the need
6. I revise and edit my invention
until it meets the standards
Experimental Inquiry: testing and
explaining what we observe
1. I observe something and
describe it
2. I explain what I see and
make a prediction that I can
test
3. I make and conduct an
experiment about my
prediction
4. I gather results from the
experiment
5. I explain the results based
on my prediction