brain based teaching_learning_erickson

Lynn Erickson Slides

• These slides may be used on a limited basis to share information in your school or school district with appropriate credits to

H. Lynn Erickson.

Shaping the Conceptual Mind

Let’s think about… * How can we meet the deeper intent of academic Standards by moving from a two dimensional to a three-dimensional design for curriculum and instruction?

* How is knowledge structured? How can we use this structure to focus teaching and learning, develop the intellect, and significantly improve the academic performance of all students?

* What are some specific strategies for brain-based teaching and why is development of the conceptual mind critical to brain-based teaching and learning?

Social Change Forces impacting education

• Expanding role of technology• Changing job demands• Increasing global interdependence of people• Changing social norms and value structures• Worldwide competition and markets• Rapid growth of knowledge• Ecological concerns

Living, Learning and Working

Critical, Creative, and Conceptual Thinking

Traditional Curriculum... is Topic Based

SCIENCE: Plants, snakes, fish, the human body, genes, volcanoes, the Earth, space travel, machines, water, mountains, streams…

AMERICAN HISTORY: American Revolution, Westward Movement, the Constitution, our Government, the Civil War, the 60’s, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Colorado leaders, Native Americans…

ENGLISH: Grammar, syntax, essays, Edgar Allan Poe, The Cay, Romeo and Juliet, Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Skills…

ART: Van Gogh, Picasso, drawing, crafts, art appreciation…

Two Dimensional Curriculum Model-

Processes & Skills

Factual Content

Topic-based

Concepts &Principles

Processes &

Skills

Factual Content

Three Dimensional Curriculum Model-Concept-based

Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional Coverage-centered Idea-centered “inch deep, mile wide” -facts provide a foundation to

understand conceptual, transferable ideas.

Intellectually shallow Intellectual depth - lacks a conceptual focus -a “conceptual lens,” or focus, to create a factual/ requires mental processing on conceptual brain synergy the factual and conceptual levels--

producing intellectual depth in thinking and understanding.

Inability to transfer Concepts and Generalizations Transfer factual knowledge -allows the brain to make connections - facts do not transfer; and see patterns. locked in time, place, or situation.

Fails to meet the intellectual Develops the intellect to handle a world demands of the 21st century of increasing complexity and

accelerating change.

Key Points

Factual LevelTopics/Facts

Conceptual LevelGeneralizations“Big Ideas”

Curriculum Design

The Structure of Knowledge

Barry’s clipart.com


People migrate to meet a variety of needs.Migration may lead to new opportunities or greater freedom.

Early American settlers migrated west.

Early American settlers looked for new opportunities.

Westward Movement

• Migration • Opportunity• Needs • Freedom

High School Generalizations:Social Studies (examples)

Government:1. Forces of imperialism, nationalism, militarism, and geo-political alliances, taken to the extreme, can lead to international conflicts.

History:2. Key events in history can signal turning points that drastically

alter the social, economic and political directions of a society.

Economics:3. Economic depression in one country can substantially affect the economies of other nations.

Culture:4. New technologies and scientific breakthroughs can improve the

quality of life--but may also present ethical dilemmas.

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

The Amazon Rainforest: Organisms

biology; evolution; mutation; environment;behavior patterns; adaptation;

Environmental factors influence an organism’s biology and behavior patterns.


An organism’s behavior patterns exhibit an evolutionary logic.


slope derivative line

Measurement of distance and speed

Velocity can be mathematically represented by the slope of a line.

The slope of a graph at a particular point indicates the instantaneous rate of change.

graph

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

Concept

• Timeless• Universal• Abstract• Represented by 1 or 2 words• Examples share common

attributes

A concept is an organizing idea; a mental construct...

-Science Order Organism Population System Change Evolution Cycle Interaction Energy/Matter Equilibrium

Conflict/Cooperation Patterns Populations System Change/Continuity Culture Evolution Civilization Migration/Immigration Interdependence

Prejudice Perspective Conflict Cooperation Power Relationships Envy Emotions Oppression Influence

Examples of Subject Area Concepts

-Writers’ Craft Organization Word Choice Context Conventions Fluency Voice Presentation Symbolism Allegory Metaphor Protagonist Antagonist

-Literary Themes- Social Studies


– Visual Art Rhythm Line Color Value Shape Texture Form Space Angle

– Music Rhythm Melody Harmony Tone Pitch Form Tempo Timbre Pattern

– Mathematics Number Ratio Proportion Symmetry Probability Pattern Order Quantification System


The student understands that..._____________________________________________________.

U.S. Trade and Competition

2

3

1FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS


– Social Studies Conflict/Cooperation Patterns Populations System Change/Continuity Culture Evolution Civilization Migration/Immigration Interdependence

Markets Supply and Demand Cost Interdependence Beliefs/Values Goods/Services Conflict Cooperation Perceptions Patterns Power Systems

- Economics



Change in Our Community:_______

2

3

1FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS



2

3

1FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

FACTS

Checking Our Generalizations

No proper or personal nouns No pronouns in sentence (“our, we, they…”) Has a present tense verb Contains at least two concepts Is a transferable idea that is supported by the factual content May need a qualifier (“often, can, may”) if not true in all situations—but is still an important idea

Line 3:

Key PointsStructure of Knowledge

Knowledge has an inherent structure from topics and facts, framed by concepts, which combine to form generalizations, 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.

Concept-based, three-dimensional curriculum/instruction models raise the intellectual bar by teaching to ideas (generalizations/principles) and by using the topics and facts as foundational support for the deeper under- standings.

Topics and facts do not transfer. They are locked in time, place, or situation. Concepts and Generalizations transfer through time, across cultures, and across situations.

The concepts, generalizations, and principles add the third intellectual dimension to curriculum and instruction.

There is a Theory Level, but we need to focus our work on the Concepts, Generalization Levels at this time.(A Theory is an idea supported by the best evidence available, but not yet fully proven.)

Students will understand the concepts and principles of…

• Science• Mathematics• Social Studies• Art...

Example: State History Standard

Content Standard: Understand the development of culture.

Performance Indicator: Grades K-4: Describe life in early America before and after European contact.

(Why?)

Example: State History Standard

Content Standard: Understand the development of culture.

Sample Performance Standard: Grades 5-8: Identify and explain the impact of

major figures in U.S. and world history, related to significant issues, movements and events.

(Can you think of a “conceptual lens” to integrate thinking at a higher level?)

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.

Performance Tasks

Performance Task Planner

[What] Investigate [topic]....

[Why] …in order to understand that

[generalization]…

[How] Engaging Scenario…[performance]

Performance Task Example - Primary Grades

What: Investigate the responsibilities of citizens in a community...

Why: in order to understand that citizens help build a community.

How: Demonstrate understanding by creating a Citizenship Booklet showing acts of positive citizenship. Select one act and describe how it supports the community.

Task Planner

What:

Why: …in order to understand that innovations and technology cause cultures to progress.

How: (Engaging Scenario-Performance) You are an archaeologist preparing a presentationon the development of prehistoric cultures for an archaeologyclass. Chart the information you research on a map and create a colorful and appealing graphic organizer to display the development of prehistoric cultures. Present your information to the class stressing the innovations and technologies that caused the prehistoric societies to progress.

Investigate prehistoric cultures

Page 5

Step 1:

Student Performances:

Reflect the most important Understand (Generalizations), Know (Factual Knowledge), and able to Do (Skills) of a unit

Student Performances are the assessment evidence of mastery.

Student Performances are not simple “activities.”

Working on Performance Statements

Enduring Understanding (Generalization): Watershed events mark turning points in history.

Standard: “Analyze Lincoln’s ideas about liberty, equality,

union, and government as contained in his first and second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address.”

Student Performance: Recite from memory key passages from the

Gettysburg Address. (Activity or performance?)


Enduring Understanding (Generalization): Watershed events mark turning point in history.

Standard: “Analyze Lincoln’s ideas about liberty, equality, union, and

government as contained in his first and second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address.”

Student Performance: Recite from memory key passages from the Gettysburg Address. Tell why Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is

considered a “watershed event” in American History or… Explain why Lincoln’s ideas about liberty, equality, union,

and government are critical to an understanding of American Democracy today.


Enduring Understanding (Generalization): The availability of human and material resources provide

tactical advantages in times of war.

Standard: “Analyze the causes and effects of physical and human

geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States.”

Student Performance: Create pie graphs which show available resources to the

North/South before the Civil War. (Activity or Performance?)


Enduring Understanding (Generalization): The availability of human and material resources provide

tactical advantages in times of war.

Standard: “Analyze the causes and effects of physical and human

geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States.”

Student Performance: Create pie graphs which show available resources to the

North/South before the Civil War, and describe how resources can affect the outcome of a war.


Enduring Understanding (Generalization): The values, beliefs, and ideals of a country are reflected in their laws and political documents.

Standard: “Identify the reasons for and describe the system of checks and balances outlined in the U.S. Constitution.”

Student Performance: Design a graphic organizer demonstrating the U.S. system

of checks and balances. Then have students use the graphic organizer to write a probe that defends why they think the system of checks and balances reflects American values and beliefs. (Activity or Performance?)

Working on Performance StatementsEnduring Understanding (Generalization): Political documents can set forth social ideals such as justice, equality, or

freedom, but the path to ideals is impeded by conflicting notions.

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 anit-federalist writing on the U.S. system of government.”

Student Performance: 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 writing on the U.S. Constitution. Select one of these social ideas and describe how conflicting notions have impeded the progress to these ideals. [cite specific examples from history or current events to support your position.] (Activity or Performance?)

Working on Performance StatementsEnduring Understanding (Generalization):

As a society becomes more complex, the role of government can increase in the daily life of its citizens.

Standard: “Explain the impact of significant international events such as

WWI and WWII on changes in the role of government.” “Predict the effects of selected contemporary legislation on

the roles of government.”

Student Performance:Create a 3-column chart. In the first column list significant international events such as WWI, WWII and Global Terrorism. In the second column show some of the resulting U.S. legislation, or governmental policies, enacted in response to these events. In the third column detail the impact of the legislation on the daily life of citizens. In a paragraph below the chart, answer this question: “How does the increasing complexity (social, economic, political) of a society lead to the expansion of government?”

Science: Working with Student Performances

Enduring Understanding (Generalization): Organisms maintain a constant internal environment called homeostasisin order to ensure survival.

Standard:“Describe how organisms maintain stable internal conditions while living in changing external environments.”

Student Performance:Construct a graph demonstrating homeostasis in complex organisms. (activity or performance?)

Science: Working with Student Performances

Enduring Understanding (Generalization): Organisms maintain a constant internal environment calledhomeostasis in order to ensure survival.

Standard:“Describe how organisms maintain stable internal conditions

while living in changing external environments.”

Student Performance:Construct a graph demonstrating homeostasis in complex include a statement on the importance of homeostasis whenorganisms live in changing external environments.

Driving Teaching Through Questions

Rather Than Objectives

Geographic Regions and Cultures of the Eastern U.S.

Objectives

• Understand the impact of geographic regions on the development of culture...

• Identify the geographic regions of the eastern United States.

• Compare the regions of the east.

• List the geographic features for each region

• Describe how people use their land to meet basic needs

• Identify your enthusiasm for this study


Guiding Questions

• Why do regions differ?• How do regions in the

east differ?• Why do different

cultures use land differently?

• How do the arts of Native American cultures reflect their natural surroundings?

• Why do Native American arts so often reflect nature?

• How is a culture affected by its geography?

• How is geography affected by a culture?


Guiding Questions

Types of Guiding Questions

Philosophical – (or “essential questions”) “Can a nation have too much wealth?” “Should a more powerful nation dominate weaker nations?” “Is war ever justifiable?”

Conceptual –

“Why do nations desire to explore new lands?”

Factual - “In what ways did the early American explorers disrupt Native American cultures?”

The Value of Concept-based Instruction

• Engages the personal intellect and emotions of the student; increases motivation for learning.

• Requires a higher level of thinking.

• Teaches students how to see patterns and connections between facts and ideas.

• Provides relevant focus for content study.

The Value of Concept-based Instruction

• Facilitates the transfer of knowledge.

• Meets different ability levels

• Creates a brain schema for processing new information

• Develops verbal and written fluency with the English language - Develops the art of conversation - Deepens reading comprehension

brain based teaching_learning_erickson

Education

organismsf f f f f f

speedf f f f f f f fa

conceptual focus

social change forces

social norms

conceptual levels

conceptual lens

structure of knowledgepeople