1. What does this mean?

2. Teaching Beyond the Facts Trying to teach in the 21 st century without conceptual schema for knowledge is like trying to build a house without a blueprint. -H. Lynn Erickson Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction

3. The Key: Conceptual Teaching What is conceptual teaching? Using schema to organize new knowledge. Developing units around concepts to help students learn. Relating to and providing for schema based on students prior knowledge or experiences. Teaching knowledge/skill in context related to concepts. What it’s not! Worksheets Drill Memorization of discrete facts.

4. A Conceptual Model Principle #1: Engaging prior understandings Addresses a student’s prior knowledge. It is not a pre-test, but the experiential knowledge of a student. Principle #2: The essential role of factual knowledge and conceptual frameworks in understanding Heart of conceptual teaching. Factual knowledge is important, but must be placed in a context if it is to be retained. Memory of factual knowledge in enhanced by conceptual knowledge, and conceptual knowledge is clarified as it is used to help organize the important details. Principle #3: The importance of self-monitoring Suggests teachers must help and encourage students to evaluate their learning. Students need to learn how to ask question that enhance their learning and relate it to what they already know. From How Students Learn: History in the Classroom National Research Council

5. How is conceptual teaching different? Topic Based Facts and activities center around specific topic. Objectives drive instruction. Focus learning and thinking about specific facts. Instructional activities use a variety of discrete skills. Standards Based Use of facts and activities are focused by enduring understandings. Essential questions, drawn from enduring understandings, drive instruction. Facts are learned to understand transferable concepts and ideas. Instructional activities call on complex performances using a variety of skills.

6. The Big Idea: Thinking Connecting Themes The key to SS GPS is the use of generalizations or connecting themes. Generalization connected to students’ interest = Increased engagement and inquiry. Students are “doing” the subject with guided instruction. H. Lynne Erickson refers to generalizations as Enduring Understandings. Students demonstrate understanding of selected themes using knowledge and skills acquired during the school year. Themes are not the end product of a single unit or lesson, but the product of long term, on-going instruction.

7. How do we use the GPS to teach conceptually? Look at standards for common THEMES or CONCEPTS What do we mean when we say “history repeats itself?” Think cause and effect relationships What causes wars? Why do people create governments? How does location impact a society? What’s important about technological innovations?

8. Would you rather your students…  Be able to list all European explorers and where they first made contact with the Native Americans  Be able to list all of the changes made in writing the Constitution or  Be able to discuss the impact movement and migration have using example from European exploration in the 16 th century?  Be able to explain the role of conflict and change throughout history using examples from the Constitutional Convention?

9. What’s an Enduring Understanding? Larger concepts or themes focused on principles, or processes within a domain, rather than discrete facts or skills. Universal and timeless Applies to more than one time or place or culture Applicable to new situations within or beyond the content. Basis of conceptual teaching Provide scaffolding Standards provide specificity to concepts Example: The student will understand that when there is conflict between or within societies, change is the result. – Connecting Theme: Conflict and Change

10. Purpose of Enduring Understandings In order to teach conceptually, you must use Enduring Understandings because... – Each unit teaches 2-3 concepts at a time – Creates scaffolding to organize facts – Uses broad statements that apply to many situations – Relates facts to what students already know How do we teach conceptually using Enduring Understandings? – Introduce the Enduring Understandings at the beginning of the year using real world experiences. – Unit 1 is the key! We’ll go into more depth with this on Day 4. – EU’s are the vehicle by which we do conceptual teaching

11. More Thinking Beyond the Facts The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share it greatest joys. -Dan Pink A Whole New Mind