1. DESIGNING UNITS for SOCIAL STUDIES GPS
Day 3 :
Developing Performance Tasks and Rubrics
Day 4:
Lessons Within a Unit
Welcome
Enjoy the refreshments.
One of the most important elements of the new Georgia Performance Standards is the fact that the standards should be used to develop units containing performance based tasks. Not every lesson will be performance based, but many should be in order for students to know, do, understand and communicate what they have learned.

2. Overview of Day 3 and 4 Write a Performance Task
Write a rubric for the performance task
Explore Relationship between units and lessons
Discuss Types of activities
Examine Lesson Development
We only have a short time today, but we’re going to examine the most important elements of the Day 3 & 4 training.

3. Why performance based instruction?
Essential Question
Why performance based instruction?
This is our essential question for today. What is the difference in performance based instruction and traditional instruction? Will students come to a greater understanding of the content by using performance based?

4. Performance Standards
Provides students with opportunity to “do” social studies through performance tasks
Students demonstrate understanding by using knowledge and skills in performance task
Active not passive learning
Uses both student and teacher centered learning
When Dr. Gilliam presented the Social Studies Program Evaluation to the Board of Education, one of their questions was “how can we be sure that students are actively engaged in learning social studies?” “Sit and git” is no longer an option especially when children come to Kindergarten with the ability to use the Internet.

5. RESEARCH Guthrie, et al (1998) Yorks and Follo (1993)
Combined reading strategies with science concepts
Study found significant improvements in reading AND conceptual transfer of content
Yorks and Follo (1993)
Teaching around themes/concepts improved student engagement
The research backs up the claim that students do learn more when they are actively involved in the task. Not only do they know more content, but they actually understand it in such a manner that they can communicate what they know in more than one way.

6. RESEARCH Caron (2004) (Teacher friendly)
Six teachers in a district switched from traditional model to “issue-based” model
All six teachers reported higher involvement and engagement from students.
4 of the six reported noted improvement in achievement
Article also addresses the challenges of planning
This study involved six teachers who switched from traditional instruction to performance based. Four of the six saw remarkable changes in how and what their students were learning. The article infers that learning with understanding doesn’t suddenly happen. Teachers must change the way they are planning in order to see results. (Does Backward Design sound familiar to anyone?)

7. Standards Based Education Model
GPS
Stage 1
Identify Desired Results
(Big Ideas) Enduring Understandings 
Essential Questions 
Skills and Knowledge
(one or more)
Standards
Elements
Stage 2
Determine Acceptable Evidence
(Design Balanced Assessments)
(To assess student progress toward desired results)
All above, plus
Tasks
Student Work
Teacher
Commentary
During Day 1 of our training we talked about concepts, EUs, EQs, etc.

8. Developing a Balanced Assessment Plan
Done in Stage 2 of unit planning
Helps focus student learning
Assessments should be used regularly throughout unit, not just at the end
Assessment should be varied
Formal and informal assessments
Formative and summative assessments
Performance tasks are one form of assessment
In Day 2 training, we carefully examined how to develop a balanced assessment plan. What are the rewards for having a balanced assessment plan? (focus student learning, continual assessment so changes can be made during the unit or lesson using formative assessment.) Performance tasks are one form of assessment in a balanced assessment plan.

9. Performance Tasks & Why
If knowledge is going to be retained and understood, then students must use it in a demonstration of complex performance (Cain & Cain, 1991)
Lower-level recall does not require that students internalize knowledge to the point of being able to use it in complex performance (Erickson, 2002)
The key point here is the “demonstration of complex performance”. That doesn’t mean that the task is hard (complex) to do. It means that the task is above the knowledge and comprehension levels. Note that lower-level recall does not require that students internalize (or understand) knowledge. Why is it that a students can make 98% on a test on Friday, but can’t give you the same information on Monday? It’s because there was no understanding of the content. The important thing to remember is that students must be actively involved if they are to remember what they are learning in a meaningful way.
A good example – Two games, Jeopardy and The Amazing Race. One depends on recall, the other depends on the use of knowledge in order to win. Which is which?

10. Role of Performance Task
Provide students with opportunity to actively demonstrate understanding of concepts, Enduring Understandings, and content in standards and elements.
Provides one source for evaluating student understanding.
The best thing about EUs is that they force the teacher to analyze the task in order to make it good, better and finally great. In other words, an ordinary task can be analyzed and re-written into a performance task.
A performance task is only one source of evaluation data; there should be several sources before a student is given a grade.
We should not be teaching the answer; we should be teaching students how to demonstrate the answer.

11. What is a performance task?
Wiggins & McTighe (1998): “a complex assessment challenge that requires the use of one’s knowledge and skill to effectively perform or create a product to reveal one’s understanding or proficiency.”
The interesting thing about a performance task is that it doesn’t have to last two weeks, two days or even two hours. A 30 minute lesson can have a performance task. (Glen Blankenship’s example, “Candidates for President”.

12. What is a performance task?
Erickson (2001, 2002, 2007)
Combines content and skills into a format that shows what students know and can do with what they know
Tasks take knowledge to a “doing” level
May be authentic, but are not always so
Authentic: based on meaningful performances that are drawn from real-world contexts
Involve complex thinking processes
Assessing one or more EU’s addressed
Lecture + Test does NOT equal Performance Based
Skills are used to demonstrate understanding of the content. In other words, when you look at the Skills Matrix, you see how many skills students need to use in order to demonstrate understanding. Lecture + test does NOT equal a performance based task. If that is all that is taking place in a classroom, then students may demonstrate what they have memorized for the moment or for the test, but not what they know and understand for the long haul. A performance task is beyond the activity level, which may be fun or even engaging, but doesn’t provide a lot of learning for the student. (Rhonda’s castle project.)

13. Activities and Performance Tasks
Activity is two dimensional
Know and do
Know: knowledge in standards and elements
Do: recite facts from standards and elements
Does not ask students to understand
Rhonda’s Civil War example from UBD.

14. Activities and Performance Tasks
Performance Task is multi-dimensional
Know
the knowledge in the standards and elements
Understand
knowledge from standards and elements to explain Enduring Understanding Do
the performance task in which students use complex processes to demonstrate understanding of the EU using the information in the standards and elements at a minimum
Communicate
be able express understanding orally or in writing
An activity only asks students to know and do, it does NOT assess for understanding. Understanding is the ability to use and communicate information in a real world setting. The information on this slide is vital to the understanding of what it means to teach using performance tasks rather than activities.

15. Activity versus Task
Activity versus Task quiz developed by H. Lynn Erickson.
Large group discussion.
A = Activity
B = Performance Task

16. PerformanceTask or Activity
State Standard:
“Analyze Lincoln’s ideas about liberty, equality, union, and government as contained in his first and second inaugural addresses and the Gettysburg Address.”
Enduring Understanding:
Watershed events mark turning points in history.
Performance Task or Activity?
Recite from memory key passages from the Gettysburg Address.
Rhonda will have A and B cards for each participant.

17. Performance Task or Activity
State Standard:
“Analyze the causes and effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States.”
Enduring Understanding:
The availability of human and material resources provides tactical advantages in times of war.
Performance Task or Activity?
Create pie graphs that show available resources to the North and South before the Civil War.

18. Performance Task or Activity
State Academic Standard:
“Identify the reasons for and describe the system of checks and balances outlined in the U.S. Constitution.”
Enduring Understanding:
The values, beliefs, and ideals of a country are reflected in its laws and political documents.
Performance Task or Activity?
Design a graphic organizer demonstrating the U.S. system of checks and balances. Then have students use the graphic organizer to write a rationale defending why they think the systems of checks and valances reflects American values and beliefs.

19. Performance Task or Activity
State Academic Standard:
“Identify the influence of ideas from historic documents including the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and selected anti-federalist writings on the U.S. system of government.”
Enduring Understanding:
Political documents can set forth social ideals such as justice, equality or freedom, but the path to ideals is impeded by conflicting notions.
Performance Task or Activity? Create an outline highlighting social ideas such as justice, equality, or freedom for the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and selected anti-federalist writings on the U.S. Constitution. Select one of these social ideas and describe how conflicting notions have impeded the progress of these ideals. (Cite specific examples from history or current events to support your position.)

20. Performance Planning Chart
Developed by Lael Williams, from Edmonds, WA, cited in Erickson, 2007.
Know: from the standards and elements
Understand: Enduring Understanding
Do: skills matrix and standards
Student performance: the task

21. Performance Planning Chart used with permission (Lael Williams & H
Performance Planning Chart used with permission (Lael Williams & H. Lynn Erickson)
KNOW
UNDERSTAND
DO (skills matrix)
PERFORMANCE
DIFFERENTIATION
… causes of the American Revolution
…perspectives based on strongly held beliefs and values can lead to conflict and/or revolution
Research and use primary and secondary source documents to support a position
Debate a position using effective debating skills
Select your role as Tory or Patriot. Prepare to debate your position by researching primary and secondary materials. Support your position with reasoned arguments based on your character’s values and beliefs
Provide source documents at appropriate reading level. Highlight causes of American Rev.
Debate
a. Oral presentation of either position to your friends telling why you support your position.
b. Draw picture or cartoon illustrating a Tory or Patriot position.
The standard should be in the Know Column. What are some ways that a student could demonstrate understanding (communication) with this task? Give a copy of this to teachers.

22. Things to keep in mind G: Goal of the task R: Role of student in task
A: Audience: for whom is this task being developed
S: Situation (rigor and relevance)
P: Product, performance to be developed
S: Standards for success (rubric)
GRASPS is one way to remember what they student should be doing in order to understand the content. If these six things are not absolutely clear to the student, then START OVER. On Wednesday, one or our school board members spoke at length about relevance and I have to agree that we must make our content relevant in order to keep students interested.

23. Far Side Gallery by Gary Larsen
Make sure that
your students
understand what
the task is about.
Students often don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. Eddie and I know this, because we visited over 100 classrooms this year and we asked students what they were doing. Too often, they said they didn’t know.
Far Side Gallery by Gary Larsen

24. Stage 1: Course Guide—Grade/Course: World History
Standards:
SSWH 1,2,3,6a, 8
Standards:
SSWH 4,5,6b-d ,7, 12
Standards:
SSWH 9,10,11,13,14
Standards:
SSWH 15-21
Unit One focus:
Rise of Civilizations in Mesopotamia, Africa India, China, and Meso-America
Unit Two focus:
Empires & Kingdoms: Growth and expansion
Unit Three focus:
Emergence of Modern World through social, political and economic changes
Unit Four focus:
The Interconnected World: transactions through globalization
How civilizations develop
The need for societies
Common characteristics Unique civilizations
Impact of influential individual
Characteristics of various cultures
Religious development and influence
Writing and language
Movement
Why trade developed
Consequences of trade
Power, authority, & governance
Development of government
Relationship of religion and political authority
Characteristics of various cultures
Role of women
Religious beliefs
Acculturation of religion, law, and the arts
Movement
Development and expansion of trade networks
Diffusion of religious beliefs
Interaction among empires
Conflict and Compromise
Rise and fall of civilizations
Power, Authority, & Governance
Political diffusion among empires
Political, economic, and social structure of empires
Characteristics of various cultures
Renaissance, reformation, humanism
Influential people
Movement
Impact of exploration and expansion
Influence of technological innovation
Conflict & Compromise
Consequences of revolutions and rebellions
Political and social changes
Change, Continuity
Contributions of artists and scientists
Power, Authority & Governance
Enlightenment (questioning ideology)
Mercantilism
Characteristics of various
Movement
Industrialism and the supply of natural resources
Ethnic conflicts
Conflict & Compromise
Wars, conflicts and their global impacts
Treaties and their impact
Terrorism and its worldwide effects
Change, Continuity
Global and economic organizations and its connections
Global impact of Imperialism and Nationalism
Changing role of women in political and economic affairs
Consequences of Holocaust
Power, Authority & Governance
Influence of foreign domination
Give out this handout. Slides are based on Unit 2.

25. Enduring Understanding Example World History Unit 2
Students will understand that movement of ideas, people, and culture has both positive and negative impacts on the development of societies.
Content from standards related to concept of movement
Trade networks
Crusades
Diffusion of religious ideas
Performance task for this EU should deal with impact of these things on the societies involved and, if possible, connect to the world today.
What is the Enduring Understanding asking students to do? What is the content that is related to the concept of movement? How can you develop a performance task about the past and relate it to the future (for relevance)?

26. Brainstorming Task Ideas
Explain importance of global education to a corporation’s philanthropic division, which has a grant request for new global education program
Need to explain historically how cultural diffusion through movement has affected cultural development of all societies involved
Prepare presentation for Board to explain the impact of trade during this period and show how related to trade today (similarities of today)
Enduring Understanding relates movement and cultural diffusion with impact of trade and spread of religious ideas during the Middle Ages.
Analyze situational photos to identify positive and negative impacts of cultural diffusion. Do any of these issues remain today? Choose from a list of possible products such as political cartoons, editorial, letter to the editor, or diary entry.
Here are some possible tasks. Remember this is World History, so you will want to think about your own students. Note that these tasks are not complete. This is brainstorming about how to begin the task.

27. G.R.A.S.P.S Goal: understand impact of movement Role: presenter
Audience: corporate board
Situation: explain why the board should give a grant for teaching impact of cultural interaction
Product: PowerPoint, presentation, paper:
Standard(Rubric):

28. Skills Incorporated
What skills should a student use to complete this task?
Include all skills that apply.
Map and Globe
7, 8, 12
Information Processing
6, 8, 11, 12, 15
Look at the Map and Globe Skills and the Information Processing Skills page. Are there others not listed on the slide?

29. What this task does Reflects understanding of time period
Understanding of factors affecting cultural diffusion and its impact
Helps student understand the impact on modern life
Ties historical events to modern impacts
Accelerates, requires looking ahead (Thompson, Learning Focused)
Need research on modern to see impact
Could also be time, change, and continuity
The key idea on this slide is that students learn more by performing a task than by hearing a lecture and taking a test.

30. Other points
IF YOU ASSESS CONCEPT(S) WITH A PERFORMANCE TASK IN ONE UNIT, YOU DO NOT WANT TO ASSESS THE SAME CONCEPT IN THE NEXT UNIT
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO ASSESS ALL CONCEPTS IN A GIVEN UNIT THROUGH PERFORMANCE TASKS
The ability to develop and assess performance tasks is open to your creative ability and your willingness to take the time to do it. What value do you place on students ability to understand and communicate information?

31. Other points
PERFORMANCE TASKS ARE MORE THAN TAKING AN ACTIVITY, WRITING A RUBRIC, AND CALLING IT A PERFORMANCE TASK
REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING
An activity is not the same thing as a performance task. It takes planning in order to develop a performance task on a complex (Bloom’s) level.

32. “At the end of the Revolutionary War unit last year, I asked the students to create their own Declaration of Independence from their teacher. The students thoroughly enjoyed this chance to roast their teacher, declare their grievances, and rebel. However, this project did not give them a greater understanding of the forces behind the real Declaration of Independence, nor did it reinforce earlier lessons on the Revolutionary period. My performance assessments did not truly test student performance of the unit goals.”
- 10th grade teacher after implementing concept based unit and trying a “performance” task
- Caron (2004)
Haven’t we all done something like this? We were so proud of our activity, and students very so happy and full of joy, but didn’t learn a THING! It takes time to think and to plan performance tasks. That’s why we need collaborative planning. I rarely come up with great ideas on my own. It’s when I’m talking and exchanging ideas that I’m able to really develop something useful. (One of my best traits is to take your work and make it better!!! That’s called communication, cooperation and collaboration AND it works!

33. Write your own task Select a unit from the course guide. In your group
Write a task on chart paper using the format provided on the performance planning chart
Group Presentation (3 minutes)
Understanding
Performance Task
Use the World History, US History or 6th grade units. Give everyone a Performance Planning Chart. Basically want to know what students should UNDERSTAND and the PERFORMANCE TASK they are to demonstrate.

34. DESIGNING UNITS for SOCIAL STUDIES GPS
Writing Rubrics to evaluate performance tasks
All of you are familiar with rubrics. It is essential to use a rubric when students are involved in performance tasks.

35. According to Grant Wiggins…
“What is to be assessed must be clear and explicit to all students:
NO MORE SURPRISES!
….rubrics must accompany all major assignments and assessments.”
Assessment is not a game of “I’ve Got a Secret”. Students should know what they will be assessed on and how they will be evaluated. How do we know what is good enough? A well designed rubric will help teachers judge student work and will help students create better work with better evidence of student understanding.

36. A rubric Shows levels of quality Communicates standards
Tells students expectations for assessment task
Includes dimensions (criteria), indicators and a rating scale.
Is NOT a checklist (yes or no answers)
Go through each of these points.

37. Advantages of Using a Rubric
Provides specific feedback about the quality of their work
Provides a way to communicate expectations and progress
Ensures all student work is judged by the same standard
Go through these points.

38. Advantages of Using a Rubric
Disengages the “halo” effect and its reverse
Leads students toward quality work.
Makes grading easier and less subjective
Go through these points.

39. Caution!
Pay attention that you are scoring the evidence of what you want the student to know and be able to do
Don’t get confused by criteria that sounds good but doesn’t match the goal.
You may need to write the rubric, put it down and come back to it later in order to be sure that it is evaluating what you want to evaluate. It is no help to you or to your students if your rubric doesn’t do what it needs to do.

40. This is NOT a rubric! Both members of group speak: _____/5
4 correct activities of your cabinet department: _____/10
Visual demonstrating an activity of department: _____/5
Presentation taken seriously/convincingly _____/5
TOTAL _____/25
This is not a rubric!

41. Basic Rubric Template Scale Criteria Indicator Indicator Indicator
This is a standard rubric template. Other templates and types of rubrics can be found at Rubistar. Note that you will want to customize your rubric from the general layouts of Rubistar, and that not all the examples found there are quality rubrics.
Indicator
Indicator
Indicator
Indicator

42. An Ugly Rubric
Is too wordy so that no one can understand the dimensions or indicators, let alone use them for a fair grade
Looks like a checklist – Have it, don’t have it
Evaluates each work against other items of work
Evaluates the wrong thing so student can just jump through hoops to get a good grade.
How can I evaluate my rubric?

43. Good Rubrics Are tools Show level of quality of a performance or task
Communicate standards clearly and specifically
Are given to students to set expectations
Show what to avoid
Address misconceptions
Are consistent and reliable
Use content that matches standards and instructional emphasis
Go through each of these points.

44. Sample rubric for WH task
Scale
Criteria 1
(needs work) 2
(improving) 3
(meets standard) 4
(exceeds standard)
Shows impact of movement on multiple cultures.
Correctly uses one example from one empire studied. No modern examples
Correctly uses one example from one or two empires studied. One modern example, but does not explain relationship to historical example.
Correctly uses two examples from two or three empires studied. One or two modern examples, and shows relationship to historical examples.
Correctly uses multiple examples from all empires studied. Three or more modern examples and shows relationship to historical examples.
Relates impact of movement then to now.
Provides limited explanation of similarities of cultural to interaction today
Explanation talks about process of change, but does not address areas of similarity in then and now
Explanation talks about change and similarities but does not make effectively generalize about cultural diffusion
Effectively demonstrates how over time processes change, but impact remains constant
Uses appropriate methods of presentation
Uses one form of presentation. Little if any technology used
Uses one form of presentation. Incorporates technology. Makes limited use of representations.
Uses multiple forms of presentation. Incorporates technology, Limits uses of representations.
Blends a variety of presentation modes, uses graphs, charts. Makes good use of technology
Here is a good example based on the WH unit we used earlier, although it could be improved. How could you add criteria with out making it overwhelming to the student? There is a gradual increase in the complexity expected in the student work. Look at the verbs. Are they moving up Blooms?

45. Sample rubric for AG task (in progress)
Scale
Criteria 1
(needs work) 2
(improving) 3
(meets standard) 4
(exceeds standard)
Identifies elected officials and powers/services offered at each level.
Either elected officials OR Powers are missing at EACH level. Powers/services are placed incorrectly. Elected officials matched to wrong levels.
More than 1 elected officials are placed at the wrong level OR more than 1 powers/services are assigned to the wrong level. Less than two examples or powers/services are given at each level.
Each level has the correct elected officials indicated with no more than 1 out of place. 2 correct examples of powers/services are indicated at each level.
Each level has the correct elected officials indicated with NONE out of place. MORE than two correct examples of powers/services are indicated at each level.
Describes source of power for various levels using specified terms.
Only correctly explains where 1 level of government gets its power. Uses less than 3 of the required terms correctly.
Correctly explains where only 2 levels of government get their power. Only uses 3 of the required terms correctly.
Explains where each level of government gets power. Correctly defines all terms in paragraph.
Explains in detail where each level of government gets power. Correctly uses all terms and gives specific, correct examples of each term.
Evaluates distribution of power in the federal system.
Incorrectly describes relationship between levels of government.
Correctly describes relationship between national/state OR state/local, but does not connect all 3. Does not state opinion. Does not…
Correctly describes relationship between national/state/local. States opinion, but provides no specific factual examples….
Correctly describes relationship between national/state/local with specific, relevant examples. Supports personal value…..
What is good and bad about it? It may not evaluate everything you want to evaluate. It does go from lower level to higher level of complexity.

46. Our Rubric Aha Moments! Rubric for content AND product
Content rubric - criteria can come from elements in standards and skills matrix
Meets to Exceeds - What do students need to do in order to exceed the standard?
Think higher level Bloom’s!
Quality vs. Quantity
Start off with one good performance task and rubric each semester! Don’t kill yourself!
Discuss this in detail.

47. DESIGNING UNITS for SOCIAL STUDIES GPS
Day 4:
Lessons within a unit
Why design lessons within a unit? Why not just write lessons and be done with it? With a unit, a teacher is able to differentiate, develop performance tasks, use multiple types of formative assessments, etc. The unit is the completed puzzle and the lessons are the pieces of the puzzle.

48. Relationship between units and lessons

49. The Unit
Combines multiple standards/elements under a large heading applying to many big ideas and topics
One standard is NOT a unit
Composed of multiple lessons
May have a unit Essential Question
Consists of multiple enduring understandings/themes
Go through each of these. The important point is that one standard is NOT a unit. A unit contains multiple standards. Look at the three examples given. There are several standards in each unit, which means that several lessons should be developed in each unit. More than one concept will be taught in a unit, although it may be that only one concept is taught in a lesson.

50. The Unit Taught over an extended time period
Typically several weeks
Should have a culminating performance task/assessment
The performance task allows students to demonstrate mastery of the standards
A unit should include several examples of performance based tasks. Some of the tasks may take several days to complete. Some of the tasks may take only 30 minutes.

51. The Lesson Addresses one or more elements
Guided by an essential question
May be taught over several class periods
Has some kind of assessment attached to it
Balanced Assessment Plan
Number of lessons will vary depending on size of unit
Go over each point about what a lesson should include.

52. The Lesson
Uses content from the standards and elements to address essential questions and enduring understandings
Balanced Assessment Plan will help with lesson planning
Targets a specific component of the performance task
Incorporate skills into lessons
Go over each point.

53. Lesson or Unit? (U) Changing role of women in US History
Importance of oil to the Middle East
Impact of the Great Schism
Georgia at War
Characteristics of early African Societies
Southeast Asia Today
Women and the Civil War
America’s Legal System
Civil Rights Movement in Georgia
Principles of Macroeconomics
(U)
(L)
(L)
(U)
(L)
(U)
(L)
(U)
(L)
(U)

54. Connecting lessons to Enduring Understandings
Stage 1
Need to add the slide with the stages before or after this to use as a review of the stages.
Stage 2
Stage 3

55. Lesson Checklist Is DIRECTLY linked to standards and/or elements
Addresses one or more CONCEPTS/THEMES, ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Addresses one or more sub essential questions
Content DIRECTLY supports Enduring understanding
Includes at least one assessment
Includes use of appropriate skills
Is consistent with language of the standards

56. Selecting Appropriate Strategies

57. Covering vs. Uncovering: What does it mean to “uncover?”
Bringing the “big ideas” to life
Focusing on learning, rather than teaching
Helping students to understand, not just remember the understanding of others
Incorporating a number of different teaching strategies that are driven by the achievement targets
Teaching for breadth and depth
Go over each of these points.

58. Teaching for Breadth and Depth
Unearth it
Analyze it
Question it
Prove it
Generalize it
Breadth
Connect it
Picture it
Extend it
Discuss the comparison between these two lists.

59. Use Language of the Standards
ANALYZE: discuss factors that contributed to item; discuss the impact of item on other items; discuss how item changed
COMPARE: give similarities and differences; may include contrast
DEFINE: give specific characteristics, traits; give unique qualities
DESCRIBE: give general characteristics, traits; tell about various aspects of topic
EVALUATE: provide a value judgment; present multiple opinions; discuss before and after item; may include comparing intended consequences with outcome
EXPLAIN: state reasons for or consequences of a topic; give a detailed account of how something happened
IDENTIFY: list; give name from description; choose from a group
ILLUSTRATE: use specific examples; put into visual or graphic
LOCATE: find on a map; indicate when on timeline
TRACE: provide background for; could mean literally on a map or graph
Be sure to incorporate skills matrix here as well
Give out this handout and discuss.

60. THE CONCEPT WALL
How does using a concept wall show the relationship between and among the lessons and units?

61. Student Centered vs. Teacher Centered
SCALE-UP project* (NC State University) found use of student centered teaching with undergraduates:
Increased problem solving ability
Increased conceptual understanding
Improved attitudes
Reduced failure rates
(Beichner and Saul 2004)
Discuss this.

62. Student Centered vs. Teacher Centered
Student Centered Lessons
Students are focus of activity
Teacher as facilitator, mentor
Typically inquiry based with students searching for solutions/answers
NOT ALWAYS GROUPWORK!
Teacher Centered Lessons
Teacher is primary focus
Teacher as “information source”
Typically lecture based (but not always)
Discuss the comparison between these two lists.

63. Student Centered vs. Teacher Centered
A healthy balance is desirable
Anything done day after day has the potential to become boring and routine
Some content naturally lends itself to student centered instruction
Both styles require the teacher to be well versed in the content

64. Think in terms of how the lessons will connect!
What do I do now?
Design lessons that achieve the goals of the standards in terms of your themes/concepts!
Easier said than done!
RE-READ the standards and elements to see what is required of the student
Describe, analyze, identify, trace, explain, etc
Think in terms of how the lessons will connect!

65. Writing Units/Lessons
PICASSO
Unit/lesson writing in July 2007
Aligned to GPS and new materials
During July, teachers will be needed to write units based on the new GPS in social studies. We will also have the new materials at our disposal as well. More information about this is forthcoming.

66. “If you study to remember, you will forget, but, If you study to understand, you will remember”
- Unknown
“It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated.” - Alec Bourne