Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Why a Concept Based Approach?
• Quality programming
“When translating NSW syllabuses into specific
classroom programs, lessons and learning
activities, the first thing teachers will need to do
is select and organise the essential knowledge,
understandings, skills and values from the
syllabus around central concepts or ideas.”
Quality teaching in NSW Public Schools
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Topic based and Concept Based Curricular Designs
TOPIC-BASED
CONCEPT-BASED
Facts and activities centre around a specific topic of
study, such as the Industrial Revolution.
Facts and activities centre around a specific topic of
study, but a conceptual lens forces thinking to higher
levels as students consider “transferable ideas from
questions” that derive from the topic of study.
Topic-based objectives, drive instruction.
Essential questions that are drawn from both the
topic and generalisable levels of knowledge drive
instruction.
Curriculum is focused on learning and thinking about
specific facts.
Curriculum is focused on using specific facts to
understand transferable concepts and ideas.
Content categories and topics provide the curricular
structure for Grades K-12.
Discipline-based concepts structure the categories
and topics of curriculum for Grades K-12
Instructional activities focus on specific topics and
facts.
Instructional activities focus on specific topics and
facts in order to generalise understanding beyond the
facts to the conceptual level.
Instructional activities call on a variety of discrete
skills.
Instructional activities call on complex performances
using a variety of skills and strategies.
Curriculum is topic centred.
Curriculum is idea and strategy centred.
Adapted From: Erickson, L. (2002). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching beyond the Facts
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
5 THINGS THAT CONCEPT-BASED CURRICULUM &
INSTRUCTION DOES
A Aligns curriculum pedagogy, instruction and
assessment
E Emphasises and identifies strategies for what
students should, KNOW, UNDERSTAND and DO
I Identifies concepts in curriculum, rather than just
facts
O Organises the concepts/content into instructional
units/lessons that contextualise the
outcomes/curriculum
U Unites “big ideas” for deeper understanding
Adapted From: Public Schools of North Carolina, NCCTm Conference, 2009
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
The Structure of Knowledge
•
•
Knowledge has an inherent structure from topics and facts, framed by concepts, which
combine to form generalisations, principles and theories.
Traditional, two-dimensional curriculum/instruction models focus more on the topic
and fact levels and assume an understanding of related concepts and principles:
Processes & Skills
Factual
Content
Coverage-centred (single dimensional)
“inch deep, mile wide”
Intellectually shallow
Lacks a conceptual focus to create factual/
conceptual brain synergy
Inability to transfer factual knowledge
Facts do not transfer; locked in time, place or
situation
Fails to meet the intellectual demands of the 21st
Century
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
•
Concept based, three dimensional curriculum/instruction models raise the intellectual bar by
teaching to ideas (generalisations/principles) and by using the topics and facts as foundational
support for the deeper understandings:
Processes & Skills
Factual
Content
Idea-centred (multi-dimensional)
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 and generalisations transfer
Allows the brain to make connections and see patternsKnowledge Integration
Develops the intellect to handle a world of increasing
complexity and accelerating change
Higher order thinking
Concepts/Generalisations/ Principles
To develop the intellect and increase motivation for learning, curriculum and instruction must
create a “synergy” between the lower (factual) and higher (conceptual) levels of thinking.
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE
STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE
It is the Conceptual Mind that ….
•
•
•
•
•
•
creates connections to prior experience and finds relevance
synergistically works with factual level of knowledge to develop the intellect
creates deeper understanding at the factual and conceptual levels
recognises the transferability of knowledge
becomes the springboard for inspiration and action
To make continued progress in improving educational outcomes, curriculum
programming must maintain a dynamic balance between:
Concept
Based
Programs
CHALLENGE
COMFORT
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Topic
Based
Programs
Concept based curriculum programming should inspire our
students...........................
•
•
•
•
•
•
to think deeply (creatively, imaginatively, interpretively, critically)
to question openly to take risks
to value the ideas, contributions and learning styles of others
to think globally
to value humanity (cultural perspectives etc) and the environment
to challenge ideals and solve problems
Adapted from Lynn Erickson (Concept-Based Curriculum Learning 2005, 2011)
Quality Teaching
And
Habits of Mind
(Costa & Kallick)
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Concepts : Where do they come
from?
Concepts derived from the
Concepts impacting
Concepts from other
Adaptation
Aesthetics
Allegory
Analogues
Analysis
Appreciation
Appropriation
Bias
Characterisation
Cohesion
Context
Design
Dialogue
Hybridity
Imagery
Inference
Intertextuality
Mood
Narrative Voice
Parody
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Persuasion
Point of View
Positioning
Reflection
Representation
Style
Subversion
Tone
Visual Lang.
Visual Literacy
So Where Does Learning Across the Curriculum Fit?
Cross-curriculum priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Sustainability
General capabilities
Critical and creative thinking
The cross-curriculum priorities are not intended to be
taught explicitly in English. Simply because they are not
‘concepts of English’.
However, they are an integral part of the new syllabus
and the understanding that knowledge is transferable.
For this reason, the cross-curriculum priorities are
already embedded in the English syllabus for you.
Ethical understanding
Information and communication technology capability
Intercultural understanding
Literacy
Numeracy
Personal and social capability
Other learning across the curriculum areas
Civics and citizenship
Difference and diversity
Work and enterprise
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
A Mind Map: is not essential, it is simply a means of visualising the programming process to ensure
that all outcomes are being addressed, across all modes of the syllabus. It is merely a tool to aid in
the early stages of program development.
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Selecting a Concept Based on a Rich
Text
DESIGN: examining
the way elements
are selected in text
construction, for a
purpose.
HYBRIDITY: mixing
elements of different
types of texts within a
text.
REPRESENTATION:
The way ideas are
portrayed and
represented in texts.
COHESION: of
different elements to
sequence events and
convey meaning
within a text.
CHARACTERISATION:
The boy and the Duck.
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Concept
Devices
Text Structures
Language Features
HYBRIDITY: mixing elements of
different types of texts within a
text.
Modality:
subjective/personal
Chapters
Variation in font to convey
meaning
Central Concept: Meaning can be
enhanced by using a variety of text
structures within a text.
Word Play: ‘Spot’
Narrative:
Imaginative Text
Diagrams, Plans & Labelling
Instructional Level: Stage One
Layout: spatial arrangement
of print & graphics on a
page; size of font, placement
of illustrations, captions,
labels, headings etc
Advertisements
& Newspapers
•Grammar in context
-Connectives
-Clauses
-Pronouns
Extension of Instructional Level:
Stage Two – Hybridity + Cohesion
Salience: emphasis,
highlighting what is
important; bold type,
capitalisation, colour, etc
Communication
• Variety in sentence
structure
References/Links: the use of
the advertisement to tie
ideas together
Informative Text
• Variation in word level
-Vocabulary (everyday,
topical, technical)
--Spelling
Assumptions: ‘A dog is a
perfect pet’
Information Report / Persuasive
Writing
Commas, full stops,
apostrophes, speech mark,
colons, exclamation marks,
capital letters
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
Where to next..................
EN1-1A
Central Concept:
Meaning can be
enhanced by using a
variety of text structures
within a text.
EN1-2A
EN1-3A
EN1-4A
EN1-5A
HYBRIDITY: mixing
elements of
different genres
within a text.
EN1-6B
EN1-7B
EN1-8B
Layout
References/links
EN1-9B
Narrative Text
EN1-10C
Informative Text
EN1-11D
Persuasive Text
CONTENT:
Select specific
content for
each outcome
directly from
the syllabus.
This content
should be
centred
around
‘student
learning
needs’ and
the chosen
concept.
EN1-12E
Diagrams/labels
Character Perspective
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
ACTIVITIES:
The content
areas selected
should then
be used to
generate the
teaching and
learning
activities for
the unit of
work.
3 aspects of
assessment
(For/As/Of)
should be
apparent.
Time for the syllabus...............
Central Concept:
Meaning can be
enhanced by using a
variety of text structures
within a text.
HYBRIDITY: mixing
elements of
different genres
within a text.
Identifies how
language use
in their own
writing differs
according to
their purpose,
audience and
subject matter
EN1-7B
Writing &
Representing 2
Develop and apply contextual knowledge
• discuss some of the different purposes for written and
visual texts
Examine the use of text and visuals in Wanted: The
Perfect Pet. Discuss:
-The variety of types of text used
- The change in font style
- The variety of visuals within the text
- Why would the author use a variety of text and
visuals? Explain
-Would it have made a difference if it was just written as
a narrative without the variety? Justify responses
Understand and apply knowledge of language forms
and features
• understand that different types of texts have
identifiable text structures and language features that
help the text serve its purpose
Identify the different types of texts in Wanted: The
Perfect Pet. Examine the structure and language
features of each type of text.
Respond to and compose text
• draw on personal experience and feelings as subject
matter to compose imaginative and other texts for
different purposes
In Wanted: The Perfect Pet, Henry wanted a dog. What
would be your perfect pet? Write a variety of types of
texts around this animal; i.e., narrative, advertisement,
information text, persuasive text
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)
REMEMBER
“We are not throwing the baby out
with the bath water, we are simply
adding the bubbles to make the
experience more meaningful!”
Sharon Tooney
The programs that are currently in place in your school, i.e., Accelerated
Literacy, do still have a place within your English teaching. They are the
framework within which you will deliver your teaching and learning program to
your students.
Bouts Sayasenh (Literacy Consultant, Albury) &
Sharon Tooney (Assistant Principal, Albury)