concept-based teaching creating connections for student understanding david chadwell...
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Concept-Based Teaching
Creating Connections for Student Understanding
David Chadwell
© David Chadwell, July 2006
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 1: Review of Standards
Look over your standards and write down concepts that are: Recurring Central to the standards Interesting
Concepts are: Overarching across space and time Not specific
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 1: Review of Standards
6th Grade, partial Laws Rulers Trade Transportation Religion Culture Geography Civilizations Development
7th Grade, partial Conflict Government Power Growth Imperialism Balance of Power Resources Communication Technology
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 2: Grouping Concepts
Place concepts into distinct groups that have something in common.
Label each group with a MAJOR concept
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 2: Grouping ConceptsExamples
Expansion: globalization, colonialism Technology: communication, weapons,
industrialization Power: laws, democracy, revolution,
political parties, conflicts, inequality Economics: capitalism, socialism,
communism, trade, transportation, labor Culture: religion, life style, celebrations
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Step 3A: Generating a Big Idea
From Step Two, list the three or four major concepts that are recurring within the standards and that you think are really important. 1. Government 2. Geography 3. Economics 4. Conflict
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Step 3B: Generating a Big Idea
Connect the MAJOR concepts to a final overarching concept that links all of them. The overarching concept can come from your original list or be from a new insight.
Create a sentence using the word “affect”, “are” or “is”. The MAJOR concepts will connect to the overarching concept. The overarching concept is the Big Idea Concept. Conflicts in government, geography, and
economics affect power.
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 3C: Generating a Big Idea
Read your sentence and ask yourself, “How?” Rewrite your sentence while answering “How”. The desire to increase power brings about
changes in government, economics, and geography which cause conflicts.
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 3D: Generating a Big Idea
Read your sentence and ask yourself, “So what?” Rewrite your sentence while answering “So what”. The desire to affect power causes conflicts
in the lives of people and changes the geography, government and economics of societies.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
You have created a big idea statement that is based on your content standards. This statement is the vision or mission statement for your classroom. It is what you and your students work toward each day. Use your big idea statement as a question for discussions, exit or entrance slips, or essay questions. Create a rubric to evaluate their responses!
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Step 4: Concept Web
Web your concepts using your main “Big Idea” concept as the center and your MAJOR concepts as the first spokes.
Fill in details and sub-concepts around each MAJOR concept using ideas from your grouped list (in step two.)
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
land and i ts interactionpower and authori ty
use resources to meet needs intersection of two or
more groups
PowerChanges in the Power
of a Society
GEOGRAPHYGOVERNMENT
ECONOMICSCONFLICT
Interdependence
Conquest
Human Rights
Struggles
Revolutions
TradeMarkets
Terri torial Change
Environment
Natural Resources
Uni fication
Al liances
Labor
Natural Resources
Pol itica l Ideas
Technology
Control
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Appendix 1: Web of Big Idea of Civilization
land and its interactionpower and authority
use resources to meetneeds the way of life
Civilization
GEOGRAPHYGOVERNMENT
ECONOMICSCULTURE
Religion
HealthEducation
Communication
Homes
Celebration
Vanity
Trade Transportation
Landforms
Climate
NaturalResources
DecisionMaking
Military
Labor
Recreation
Products
Justiceand Laws
SpecializedConstruction
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Now What?
Big Idea Statement Post as guiding force Helps you make decisions about content Gives purpose to lessons & activities Create questions to continually revise
Major Concepts – Web Preview or review with each unit Graphic organizer to connect units through
concepts
(c) David Chadwell, July 2006 for personal use only, not to be distributed or presented in any way
Long Range Plans
Big Idea Statement Unit Standards Central Concepts (most of the concepts from
the concept web will be taught, but only one or two should really be emphasized or used with a project.)
VERBS from standards Terms after “including” from standards