1. Content Enhancement Planning, Teaching and Assessing
with Integrated Sets of
Content Enhancement Routines
Janis Bulgren, Ph.D.

2. Unit ALL MOST SOME Content: Facts, Concepts, Definitions, Propositions
Manipulation
MOST
Generalization &
Problem Solving
SOME

3. What are the PRINCIPLES of Content Enhancements?
Teacher is expert mediator of learning.
The integrity of the content must be maintained.
Understandings are interactively co-constructed with all students.
The needs of all students are met.

4. Compatible with other planning guidelines
SMARTER Planning
With a focus on
INTEGRATION of
CONTENT ENHANCEMENTS
Compatible with other planning guidelines

7. Backward Design and Essential Learning
What is sufficient evidence
of understanding of critical content?

8. Start with the end in mind
Start with unit/lesson questions and benchmarks.
Design assessment procedures.
Construct activities to meet assessment criteria.

10. Universal Design Graphics Explicit instruction Technology
What will you do to ensure that all students learn critical information and processes?
Graphics
Explicit instruction
Technology
Focus on the Big Picture

11. Content Enhancement Teaching Routine Clusters
Used in PLANNING
ORGANIZATION
Course Organizer
Unit Organizer
Lesson Organizer
MANIPULATION
Concept Comparison Routine
Cause-and-Effect Routine
Decision-Making Routine
Argumentation & Evaluation*
INTEGRATION &
GENERALIZATION
Question Exploration Routine
FACTS & CONCEPTS
Concept Mastery Routine
Concept Anchoring Routine
Recall Routine

12. Content: Facts,
Concepts,
Definitions,
Propositions
Unit
ALL
MOST
SOME

13. Unit ALL MOST SOME Content: Facts, Concepts, Definitions, Propositions
Manipulation
MOST
SOME

14. The SMARTER Planning Process
Shape the Critical Questions.
Map the Critical Content.
Analyze Difficulties
Reach Enhancement Decisions.
Teach Strategically
Evaluate Mastery
Reevaluate Critical Questions

15. Shape the critical questions.
“What would be three or four questions that represent the heart and soul of this unit? If students could answer these, you could say that they would do well on the test.”
AND “What are the embedded demands and scaffolds that need to be integrated to help answer those questions?”

16. Planning for What is Critical Learning for ALL Students
1) What is the structure of a typical cell?
2) Why is it important to understand the function of each cell part?
3) How do green plants get their food?
4) How is energy released from stored food?

18. UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
The Unit Organizer
NAME 4
BIGGER PICTURE
Biology
DATE 2
LAST UNIT
/Experience 1
CURRENT UNIT
CURRENT UNIT 3
NEXT UNIT
/Experience
Molecular Form and Function
The Flow of Energy Through Systems
Meiosis and Mitosis 8
UNIT SCHEDULE 5
UNIT MAP
is about...
10/1
Introduction
Life processes in organisms
which are carried out at the cellular level by
which are fueled by
organelles pp
energy
10/5
Create cell project
which are suspended in
from stored food made through the process of
cytoplasm
released through the process of
10/8
Group project due
that is surrounded by the
10/9
Vocabulary quiz
photosynthesis
cellular
respiration
plasma membrane & cell wall (in plants)
10/11
Test review
10/12
Test
1) What is the structure of a typical cell?
2) Why is it important to understand the function of each cell part?
3) How do green plants get their food?
4) How is energy released from stored food? 6
compare/contrast
sequence
description
UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
UNIT RELATIONSHIPS 7
Figure 2. Example Unit Organizer for the unit “The Flow of Energy Through Systems.”

19. Analyze difficulties
“What would make this unit hard for some, most, or all of my students?”
“Do students need help with facts & concepts, manipulations, or generalization, e.g., what manipulations such as compare and contract, sequence, describe, causation were noted on the Unit Organizer?”

20. Comparison Table CELL STRUCTURE Animal cell structure
C Communicate targeted concepts
O Obtain the Overall Concept
M Make lists of known characteristics
P Pin down Like Characteristics
A Assemble Like Categories
R Record Unlike Characteristics
I Identify Unlike Categories
N Nail down a summary
G Go beyond the basics
Comparison Table
CELL STRUCTURE 2
Overall Concept 1
Concept 1
Concept
Animal cell structure
Plant cell structure
Characteristics
Characteristics
Has plasma membrane surrounding cytoplasm
Has organelles suspended in cytoplasm
Has no cell wall
Has small vacuole
Has no chloroplasts 3
Has plasma membrane surrounding cytoplasm
Has organelles suspended in cytoplasm
Has cell wall
Has large vacuole
Has chloroplasts 3
Extensions 9 4
Like Characteristics 5
Like Categories
Compare nerve cells and
muscle cells in animals.
Has plasma membrane surrounding cytoplasm
Has organelles in cytoplasm
The layer around cytoplasm
The location of organelles
Has no cell wall
Has small vacuole
Has no chloroplasts 6
Unlike Characteristics
Unlike Categories
Has cell wall
Has large vacuole
Has chloroplasts
The cell boundaries
The size of the vacuole
The presence of chloroplasts 7
Both animal cells and plant cells have a plasma membrane that surrounds cytoplasm in which organelles are
suspended. However, only plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts. Also, the vacuoles in plant cells are
larger than the vacuoles in animal cells.
Summary 8
Figure 5. Example Concept Comparison Table for the concepts “animal cell structure” and “plant cell structure.”

21. Multiple-Concept Comparison Table, p. 12
Overall Concept 1
Concept 3
Characteristics
Multiple-Concept Comparison Table, p. 1
Steps 1-3 of the Concept Comparison Routine
Step 1: Communicate Targeted Concepts
Step 2: Obtain the Overall Concept
Step 3: Make lists of Known Characteristics

22. Multiple-Concept Comparison Table, p. 24
Like Characteristics
Multiple-Concept Comparison Table, p. 2
Steps 4 -9 of the Concept Comparison Routine
Step 4: Pin down Like Characteristics
Step 5: Assemble Like Categories
Step 6: Record Unlike Characteristics
Step 7: Identify Unlike Categories
Step 8: Nail down a Summary
Step 9: Go beyond the Basics 5
Like Categories 6
Unlike Characteristics 7
Unlike Categories 9
Extensions 8
Summary

23. This unit would be hard because:
Some students have the background knowledge.
Students are required to frequently compare, conclude, find causes, evaluate, etc.
Many students have poor question exploration skills.
Some students have difficulty identifying important from unimportant information.
Major concepts are very abstract, and students need a concrete way to understand them.

24. Anchoring Table PASS THROUGHS CONTROL CENTER
Unit:
Name: Date:
Known
Information on
Blackboard 3 2
Known Concept 1
New Concept
Work areas & machines within a fast food restaurant
Organelles within the plasma membrane of a cell 4
Characteristics of Known Concept 6
Characteristics Shared 5
Characteristics of New Concept
walls have special windows that regulate what goes in & out of the restaurant
PASS THROUGHS
plasma membrane regulates the transport of materials in & out of cell
manager’s office runs the restaurant
CONTROL CENTER
nucleus controls cell activities
SMALL MACHINES TO MAKE PRODUCTS
small ice cream machine makes special products to stay in restaurant or to send-out
ribosomes are very small particles that make proteins for use in the cell or to send out of the cell
generator supplies the power for the whole restaurant and its machines
ENERGY PROVIDER
mitochondria contain ATP, which is the main energy source for the work of the cell
endoplasmic reticulum (ER system), a maze of membranes arranged as tubes & sacs, produces a variety of molecules & packages them for later use
workers’ table provides the work space for preparing and packaging the food
ASSEMBLY LINE
Golgi apparatus looks like a stack of flattened sacs, one side receives products that are modified and sent to other side to be distributed to parts of cell or to other places outside the cell
counter server puts together the final order (ketchup w/ fries, dressing for salad, etc.) and gives to “eat in” or “to go” customers
SERVER
lysosomes are small membrane-bound sacs filled with enzymes used to break down food (to be re-used by cell)
a container is used for recycling paper, plastic, aluminum, glass
RECYCLING BIN
cabinet is used for storing supplies
vacuole stores materials such as water, salts, proteins, carbohydrates
STORAGE 7
Understanding of the New Concept:
Within the plasma membrane of a typical cell are organelles: a nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, and vacuoles.
Fig. 3. Example Concept Anchoring Table for the Concept “Organelles Within the Plasma Membrane of a Cell.”

25. Reach enhancement decisions
“How can I enhance the critical content and reduce the difficulty of learning the information in this unit?”
AND “What are the few, critical pieces of information that ALL students must know?”

26. CONCEPT DIAGRAM À Â Á À Á Â Ã Ä Å Æ + + cell membrane cell component
Key Words
CONVEY CONCEPT À Á Á
OFFER OVERALL
cell membrane
cell component
CONCEPT
boundary
barrier
phospholipid
bilayer
non-restrictive Â
NOTE KEY WORDS Ã
CLASSIFY
CHARACTERISTICS
Always Present
Sometimes Present
Never Present
is a thin, flexible covering
contains cholesterol (animals only)
is rigid
is composed of phospholipid bilayer & proteins
is impassive
acts as a boundary and barrier + +
is non-restrictive
regulates transport of substances in and out of the cell
organelle
is in plant and animal cells Ä
Examples:
EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Nonexamples:
plasma membrane
cell wall
membranes around cell organelles
small intestine
heart valve Å
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE Æ
The cell membrane, a thin flexible covering composed of a phospholipid bilayer & proteins, is a cell
component that acts as a boundary and barrier and regulates the transport of substances in
and out of plant and animal cells.
TIE DOWN A
DEFINITION
Figure 4. Example Concept Diagram for the concept “cell membrane.”

27. CONCEPT DIAGRAM Key Words Examples: Nonexamples: Always Present
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL
CONCEPT
CLASSIFY
CHARACTERISTICS
Always Present
Sometimes Present
Never Present
Examples:
TIE DOWN A
DEFINITION
EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH
NEW EXAMPLE
Nonexamples:

28. Teach Strategically
“How can I provide more informed and explicit instruction?”

29. Question Exploration Guide
Modern Warfare
David Cole
Text Reference
Name:
Course
Lesson
Unit
Critical
Question #:
Title 2
Date:
Why are biological weapons such a great danger? 1
What is the Critical Question? 2
What are the Key Terms and explanations?
Organism
A living thing
Biological weapon
Harmful substance made from an organism or its poisons 3
What are the Supporting Questions and answers?
1) What are some types of biological weapons?
2) How do they affect people?
3) How can people stop the effects of
biological weapons?
1) Some types of biological weapons are parasitic plants, submicroscopic
organisms, bacteria, and ricin from the castor bean.
2) They can kill people and can also kill crops.
3) Treatments to stop the effects of biological weapons have not been
adequately developed. 4
Biological weapons can kill people and crops, and treatments are inadequate.
What is the main Idea answer? 5
How would crop damage affect people’s lives?
How can we use the main idea? 6
Why are vaccines effective only if they are given
before people are exposed to biological weapons?
Is there an Overall Idea? Is there a real-world use?
Figure 2. Example Question Exploration Guide for the critical question, “Why are biological weapons such a great danger?”
This is where the copyright will go ©

30. Teaching Routines POWERFUL Teaching Devices EXPLICIT Linking Steps
Focus on helping a teacher inform, guide, and involve students in ways that will promote content learning through the use of
POWERFUL Teaching Devices
EXPLICIT Linking Steps
STRUCTURED Cue-Do-Review Sequence

31. “Are my enhancements working?”
Evaluate Mastery
“Are my enhancements working?”

32. Create tests around the critical questions. And…..
If they fail to answer the questions….
Either reteach the content or
revise your questions

33. Question Exploration Guide
Morgan Welles
Text Reference
Name:
Course
Lesson
Unit
The Flow of Energy Through Systems 6
Critical
Question #: 3
Title
10/9
Date: 1
What is the Critical Question?
How do green plants get their food? 2
What are the Key Terms and explanations?
What are chloroplasts?
Chloroplasts are structures in the cells of green plants.
What is chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is the green pigment located in the chloroplasts. 3
What are the Supporting Questions and answers?
1) Where do plants get the food they need?
2) How do plants make sugar?
3) Where is sugar made in plants?
4) What is so special about a chloroplast?
5) What is the process of sugar-making in plants
called?
6) Other than sugar, are there other products?
1) Plants make their own food (sugar).
2) Plants make sugar by taking energy from sunlight and combining it with water and
carbon dioxide.
3) Sugar is made in small bodies in the plant cells called chloroplasts.
4) Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll helps the plant make sugar.
5) The process is called photosynthesis.
6) As part of the process, oxygen is released into the air.
Green plants use a process called photosynthesis to make their food (sugar). 5
How can we use the main idea? 6
Is there an Overall Idea? Is there a real-world use?
Explain what happens to sugar production during
the winter when daylight is short and the weather
is drier.
Our atmosphere is, in many ways, a result of the
process of photosynthesis. How are current human
activities affecting our atmosphere?
Figure 6. Example Question Exploration Guide for the Critical Question “How do green plants get their food?”

34. Formative measures
informal questioning
quizzes
assignments
Summative measures
tests
projects

35. Reevaluate Critical Questions
“How well can the students answer the critical questions?”

36. How would this look with Argumentation and Evaluation?