1
SMARTER Planning and
Content Enhancements:
Thinking about the content
Agenda
• Talking a bit more about the Instructional Unit
Plan
• SMARTER Planning and the trivia of content
classes
• Looking forward to using content enhancements
and the Unit Organizer Routine
Discussion Groups • Lots of research and theories and models:
• How does CLC fit with Supported Inclusion…
fit with UDL…
fit with differentiated instruction…
fit with Positive Behavioral Support…
fit with SMARTER Planning?
How does all of this stuff fit together?
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What happens when a facts curriculum drives high-stakes testing …
Coverage = Teaching Learning = Memorizing
LOGICAL ASSUMPTION:
The tests we give students reflect what we expect them to learn
So what do content tests commonly reflect?
FACTS
FACTS
FACTS
FACTS
FACTS
Lot of specialized knowledge that most people with MA degrees & PhDs don’t know unless it’s in their specialty area!
TRIVIA!
Teachers think Students think
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
A single fact-packed lesson doesn’t seem too bad
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
The long range effect doesn’t look too good!
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
FACTS
day after day…
What happens when a facts curriculum drives high-stakes testing …
FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS
End up with a curriculum that’s a mile wide…
Superficial, temporary knowledge
…and an inch deep
What happens when a facts curriculum drives high-stakes testing …
3
FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS
End up with a curriculum that’s a mile wide…
Superficial, temporary knowledge
…and an inch deep
How do we select and/or
prioritize content in our classes?
• Do we teach what is most important?
…what is relevant to the lives of our students
…what is the critical information
…what is culturally responsive?
Name Columbus’ 3 ships
Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Ponce Deleon Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
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Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Name Columbus’ 3 ships Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
Ponce Deleon
Desoto Explorer who discovered the Mississippi River?
Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Name Columbus’ 3 ships Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
Ponce Deleon
Desoto Explorer who discovered the Mississippi River?
Cortez Conquered the Aztecs?
Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Name Columbus’ 3 ships Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
Ponce Deleon
Desoto Explorer who discovered the Mississippi River?
Cortez Conquered the Aztecs?
Montezuma II Leader of the Aztecs?
5
Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Name Columbus’ 3 ships Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
Ponce Deleon
Desoto Explorer who discovered the Mississippi River?
Cortez Conquered the Aztecs?
Montezuma II Leader of the Aztecs ?
Balboa Discovered the Pacific Ocean ?
Test questions from a real 6th grade test
Name Columbus’ 3 ships Nina Pinta Santa Maria
Which of the 3 ships sank? Santa Maria
Captain of the Pinta? Martin Pizon
Explorer seeking the Fountain of Youth?
Ponce Deleon
Desoto Explorer who discovered the Mississippi River?
Cortez Conquered the Aztecs?
Montezuma II Leader of the Aztecs
Balboa Discovered the Pacific Ocean
WHO CARES? Why do we spend so much time & energy
teaching stuff that well-educated people don’t know the answer to?
By the way, did you know that the natives Columbus brought back to Spain were taken to demonstrate their potential as SLAVES?
6
Did you know Columbus was the first to ship slaves to the new world?
Did you know Columbus ordered the natives’ hands, noses, & other body parts CUT OFF if they did not produce a weight in gold each month!
What is the actual historical lesson?
Did you know Columbus was such a murderous leader that someone was sent from Spain to arrest him and that he was shipped home in chains?
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Did you know that Ponce De Leon NEVER searched for the Fountain of Youth!
It’s an “urban legend” promoted by the tourist industry that’s now treated as an historical truth that students are expected to memorize
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THIS GUY?
The reality is De Leon was searching for Native Americans to capture and to be shipped to Hispaniola as SLAVES!
IMPLICATIONS …
Not only are we expecting our kids to memorize a bunch of trivia …
A LOT of it is erroneous information that’s been re-cast as something we should value and even celebrate.
Meanwhile, students totally miss the bigger picture
If a “lost continent” was suddenly discovered today, would the people and resources there be treated the same way as in the Age of Exploration? Why or why not?
Do you think religion was intentionally used by countries as a way to build wealth during the Age of Exploration? Why or why not?
Competition for resources often causes powerful countries to manipulate and exploit weaker countries. Explain how this idea showed up during this age.
BONUS QUESTIONS (bigger picture)
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If a “lost continent” was suddenly discovered today, would the people and resources there be treated the same way as in the Age of Exploration? Why or why not?
Do you think religion was intentionally used on by countries way a way to build wealth during the Age of Exploration? Why or why not?
Competition for resources often causes powerful countries to manipulate and exploit weaker countries. Explain how this idea showed up during this age.
Problem … “Big Ideas” or “generative ideas” are typically treated as incidental, BONUS learning rather than as essential-for-ALL-to-understand
..or only the really “bright” students are expected to understand the big idea
… everybody else is expected to memorize the trivia
BONUS QUESTIONS (bigger picture)
Kids are well prepared to play “millionaire”… … they can tell who Cortez was
… who discovered the Mississippi River
… who was searching for the Fountain of Youth…
But totally “NOT GET” the bigger picture or understand the relevance of
the information
Deciding what is critical content
for courses
What is the critical content for your course?
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• Reevaluate Critical Questions
“How well can students answer the
critical questions?”
“Are my critical questions really
critical?”
“Did they learn what I expected?”
Thinking about Critical Content…
Knowledge
Thinking About the Curriculum...
Knowledge
Course
11
A Unit
ALL
MOST
SOME
A Unit
Generalization &
Problem Solving
Content
Manipulation
Content: Facts,
Concepts,
Definitions,
Propositions
ALL
MOST
SOME
Thinking about CRITICAL CONTENT
Higher
Order
Thinking
12
ALL
MOST
SOME
Thinking about STUDENTS
The Question &
The Conversation
What should ALL
students know?
ALL Students Should Know ???
Seed plant
Life cycle
Haploid
Diploid
Pollen
Egg cell
Angiosperm
Gymnosperm
Angiosperm
reproduction
Gymnosperm
reproduction
Reproductive
structures
-flower
-cone
Gametophyte stage
Sporophyte stage
Seed
Structure of Flower
(petals, sepals,
carpals, stamens)
Ovary
Fruit
Pollination
-animal pollination
-wind pollination
Seed dormancy
Seed dispersal
Seed germination
Agriculture
Crop Plants
Fertilization
Zygote
Embryo
Cotyledon (seed leaf)
Monocot
Dicot
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MOST Students Should Know
Gametophyte stage (concept)
Sporophyte stage
Alternation of Generations
Embryo sac
Ovule
Male cones (pollen)
Female cones (seed)
Pollen tube
Endosperm
Tube nucleus
Sperm nuclei
Double fertilization
Vegetative reproduction (horizontal stems, stolons,
plantlets)
Plant propagation (grafting, cutting, budding)
SOME Students Should Know
Male Gametophyte
Female Gametophyte
8N embryo sac
Details of:
Fertilization in angiosperms
Double fertilization
Tube nucleus
Sperm nuclei
Vegetative reproduction
Plant propogation
Farming techniques
ALL Students Should Know
Seed plant
Pollen
Angiosperm reproduction
Gymnosperm reproduction
Reproductive structures
-flower
-cone
Structure of Flower
(petals, sepals, carpels,
stamens)
Pollination
-animal pollination
-wind pollination
Seed dormancy
Seed dispersal
Seed germination
Agriculture
Crop Plants
14
Thinking About
ASSESSMENT &
DEMONSTRATING
COMPETENCE
What’s the Score?
• Shape the Critical Questions.
• Map the Critical Content.
• Analyze Difficulties
• Reach Enhancement Decisions.
• Teach Strategically
• Evaluate Mastery
• Reevaluate Critical Questions
The SMARTER Planning Process
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Planning time is limited--
content is endless!
SMARTER Planning can
keep us from being
“buried alive in the quick
sand of standards.”
The UNIT ORGANIZER Teaching
Device
• is used under teacher guidance
• focuses attention on critical outcomes
• identifies critical content features
• prompts elaboration on critical points
• helps make relationships concrete
• is designed to enhance student….
• … organization • … understanding • … remembering • … responses • … belief in the value of the content
Is a visual device that
17
The “Big Idea”
Paraphrase
• Captures the major point
of learning
• Relates to students
• Understandable
• Inclusive
18
Line
Labels
• Linked bubbles can be read as a series of sentences
• Represent clearest and most accurate picture of relationships between key ideas/concepts
is about
Plate Tectonics
Earth’s changes
over geologic time
occur at
plate boundaries
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NAME
DATE The Unit Organizer BIGGER PICTURE
LAST UNIT /Experience CURRENT UNIT NEXT UNIT /Experience
UN
IT S
EL
F-T
ES
T
QU
ES
TIO
NS
UN
IT
RE
LA
TIO
NS
HIP
S
UNIT SCHEDULE UNIT MAP
CURRENT UNIT 1 3 2
4
5
6
7
8
Working with Decimals
Expressing number values in relation to "10"
pp. 54-72
word names
rounding fractions
percents
through
by with
with
How can rounding help us solve problems?
How do you change a fraction into a decimal? (Now, show me!)
How do you change a percent into a decimal? (Now , show me!)
Steps
Pros and Cons
Addition and Subtraction Measurement
Basic Math Idea and Skills Using Math Skills
David Mendez
11/5
11/5 Problems on p. 54.
11/6 Problems on pp. 55-57
11/8 Quiz on names and rounding
11/9 Class demonstrations
11/10 Problems on pp. 59-61
11/11 Problems on pp. 63-65
11/12 Conversion quiz
11/13 Problems on pp. 67-69
11/14 Problems on pp. 70-71
11/15 Class demos and review
11/16 Test
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1/8/2013 University of Kansas Center for
Research on Learning
Content Enhancement Teaching Routines
Planning & Leading Learning
Course Organizer
Unit Organizer
Lesson Organizer
Exploring
Text, Topics, & Details
Framing Routine
Survey Routine
Clarifying Routine
Order Routine
Teaching Concepts
Concept Mastery Routine
Concept Anchoring Routine
Concept Comparison Routine
Increasing Performance
Quality Assignment Routine
Question Exploration Routine
Recall Enhancement Routine
Vocabulary LINCing Routine
21
68 University of Kansas Center for
Research on Learning 2006
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present
Examples: Nonexamples:
TIE DOWN A DEFINITION
EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT
CLASSIFY CHARACTERISTICS
69 University of Kansas Center for
Research on Learning 2006
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present
Examples: Nonexamples:
TIE DOWN A DEFINITION
EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT
CLASSIFY CHARACTERISTICS
elephant
human
warm-blooded
nurse the
young
whale
bird
shark
walk on 4 legs
can fly
cold-blooded
Mammal Vertebrate
warm-blooded
nurse the young
has hair
walks on 2 legs
walks on 4 legs
swims in water
can fly
moves on the ground
is cold-blooded
human
elephant
whale
bat
snake
alligator
shark
bird
A mammal is a warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair and nurses
its young.
duckbill platypus
70 University of Kansas Center for
Research on Learning 2006
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present
Examples: Nonexamples:
TIE DOWN A DEFINITION
EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT
CLASSIFY CHARACTERISTICS
United
States
Athens
leaders
accountable
views
tolerated
direct
indirect
rule by dictator
Democracy a form of government
leaders accountable by elections
citizens have equal voting rights
individuals can oppose government
direct representation
indirect representation
centralized power
decentralized power
separation of power
rule by king
United States
England in 1993
Athens (500 B.C.)
China in 1993
England under Henry VIII
Macedonia
(under Alexander)
A democracy is a form of government in which leaders are accountable to the people through elections, citizens have equal voting rights, individuals can oppose the government, all views are tolerated, and there is a statement of civil and political right
rule by dictator
all views are tolerated
statement of civil & political rights
Russia 1993
unified power
censorship of press
hereditary transfer of power
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71 University of Kansas Center for
Research on Learning 2006
3 Collect
Known Information
4 Highlight
Characteristics of
Known Concept
5 Observe
Characteristics
of New Concept
6 Reveal
Characteristics
Shared
7 State
Understanding of
New Concept
Known
Information
Name: Date: Anchoring Table
2 Name
Known Concept
6 Characteristics of Known Concept Characteristics of New Concept Characteristics Shared
Known Concept New Concept
1 Announce
the New Concept ANCHORS
Linking
Steps:
Understanding of the New Concept:
Unit:
1 2
4 5
3
7
Federalism
in the U.S.A.
Decision making
in your school
Federalism in the U.S.A. is a form of government in which decisions are made by
both state and national govts. Rules to decide how power is divided are based on the Constitution. Some
powers (e.g., make war, coin money) belong to the national govt. Other powers (e.g., education, marriage,
gambling) belong to the states. Some powers (e.g., tax, punish crimes) belong to both.
administra-
tors
penalties
teachers
make
assignments
administra-
tors expel
rules
teachers
not sure if
powers are
written down
Decisions are made by state &
national govts.
Rules, based on Constitution,
tell how power is divided.
Some powers belong to national
govt (war, money).
Some powers belong to states
(education, marriage, gambling).
Some powers belong to both
(tax, punish crimes).
Decisions are made by
administrators & teachers.
Rules, written or understood, tell
how power is divided.
Some powers belong to
administrators (expel).
Some powers belong to
teachers (give assignments).
Some powers belong to both
(make rules, set penalties).
2 groups are involved.
Rules tell how power is divided.
Some powers belong to both
groups.
Some powers belong to the other
group.
Some powers belong to one group.
The Teaching Device: The Anchoring Table