leppien-a teacher's thinking toolkit-iag 16
TRANSCRIPT
A Teacher’s Thinking Toolkit: Enhancing Thinking in Advanced
Students Through Inquiry and ResearchJann H. Leppien, Ph.D.
Margo Long Endowed Chair
Center for Gifted Education
Whitworth University
Spokane, WA
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Getting to Know You
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DownloadthispresentationfromtheDropbox address:
http://tinyurl.com/j9dfvfy
Today’sAgenda
• CultivatingClassroomCultureforThinking• DesigningtheCurriculumforInquiry• AdvancingThinkingToolkit
– MakingThinkingVisible– KaplanIconsandContentImperatives– RichardPaul’sReasoningWheel– DisciplinaryResources– SocraticSeminars– Interest,Choice,Exploration– ScaffoldingThinking
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QuestionsWeAlwaysHave…• HowcanIorganize andstructure aunittoensurethat
providesforinquiry?• Howdowehelpstudentstothinkcritically?• Howdoweencouragethemtotakeaninterestinour
disciplines?• Howdowearousetheircuriosity?• Howcanwemakeasustaineddifferenceinthewaythey
thinkandact?• Howcanwehelpstudentstobecomeactiveintellects,
humanbeingswhoareabletounderstandimportantideas,toanalyzeandevaluatetheargumentsandevidencethatsupportthoseideas,tocollectanduseevidenceinreachingtheirownconclusions,andlogicallyandconsistentlytoexamineconflictingclaims?
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HowWeORGANIZE andSTRUCTURE theContentinOurUnitsCanOpenDoorsforStudent
UnderstandingandtoAddressTheirBurning
Questions..emergesnotfromalistofnames,dates,facts,andterms,butfromalongingthatspringsfromaconnectionoraneedtomakeone.OurteachingwasturnedonitsheadbyreadingPhilPhenix’s(1964)ideasaboutaskingthebigquestions.Phenix saidthatoncehumanbeingsevolvedtoapointwhentheynolongerhadtospendalltheirtimebuildingfiresandslayingdinner,theybegantoseeanswerstoasinglequestion.Weareborn-andwedie-asking,“Whatislife,andwhoamIinit?”Humanbeingsdevelopedthedisciplinesofhistory,thearts,English,science,andmathtoanswerthatquestion.
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It’sWorthwhiletoreturntothehistoricalunderpinningsofanidea…..
• In 1959, at Woods Hole on Cape Cod, a group of 35 scientists, scholars and educators met with the purpose of discussing how to improve science education, to “examine the fundamental processes involved in imparting to students a sense of the substance and method of science.” The meeting was sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and over the course of the ten day meeting, several important themes emerged that were to have major implications not only for science education, but for education in general. Jerome Bruner’s book, The Process of Education, was written to provide an account of the major themes and conclusions that emerged from that conference. While the entire book is worth reading, the chapter on the importance of structure speaks most directly to the development of curriculum.
JeromeBruner
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TheStructureoftheDisciplines
The structure of the disciplines—ways of organizing key ideas and differing ways of posing and answering questions—should inform the overall curriculum. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What is the organization of ideas that would make it most coherent, understandable, learnable, and transferable by a student?
2. What are the properties of an activity, task, or project that will lead to the greatest teaching and learning?
3. How does one match the activity with students’ interests and abilities?
If teachers’ decisions about instruction are informed by an understanding of the underlying principles of their subject, they can build a bridge between the material and their students.
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Designing Units with a Focus on the Basic Principles and Functional Concepts
• Every field of knowledge is built on a set of basic principles and key concepts.
• These principles and concepts help to facilitate comprehension, information processing, and communication of information that is representative of the essence of the field.
• Basic principles are generally agreed upon truths that have been arrived at through rigorous study and research.
• Functional concepts are the intellectual instruments or tools with which a disciplinarian works (Ward, 1960) and often referred to the language of the discipline.
“Helping students to understand the big ideas”
THETHEMEOFSTRUCTURE
Basic STRUCTURES consist of essential concepts and the relationships between them.
• Supply and Demand-Economics• Conflict-History• Energy-Physics
Refers to the importance of presenting the basic structures of thedisciplines as the focal points of curricula.
Such concepts, when understood, enable students to understand many of the phenomena in that discipline and similar phenomena that may be encountered elsewhere. As time goes by, students return again and again to the basic concepts, building on them, making them more complex, and understanding them more fully.
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SelectingBigIdeasChoosing the big ideas to focus on requires figuring out
what principles and concepts are key to a given subjectand how curriculum decisions might be made with these in mind.
“If you were an English teacher, and you could only teach one story,one novel, or one piece of literature that had to represent, in somefashion, the window to the world of literature for your students,which would you choose? Would it be King Lear? Would it be Romeoand Juliet? Would it be one of Arthur Miller’s plays? Would it be aFaulkner short story? Would it be Tolstoy’s War and Peace? Andwhy? And what would you ask students to do with the piece ofliterature?”
• These questions could be applied to all subject areas as teachers wrestle with the big ideas in their discipline. 13
CoreIdeasBecomeDeeper
• “Any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development” (Bruner, 1960, p. 33).
• Bruner developed the concept of a spiral curriculum that returns to the same subject matter at periodic points in time, but at each “spiral” the material is substantially deeper in its intellectual demands.
Disciplines have certain structural elements—core ideas and approaches to knowledge and understanding—that should guide curriculum development in a manner that connects to the development of the child.
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Advancing Thinking Through Visible Thinking, Depth and Complexity (Kaplan Icons) ,
Reasoning Wheels, etc….
Escalate the Process15 16
Visible Thinking Websitehttp://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.html
Artful Thinking Websitehttp://www.pzartfulthinking.org/index.php
http://www.agencybydesign.org 17 18
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Artful Thinkinghttp://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03b_Introduction.html
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http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03b_Introduction.html
38https://www.smore.com/uvbmt
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QUESTIONS THATHELPYOUTIERORMAKEALEARNINGTASKMORECOMPLEX
Dr.SandraKaplanDepthandComplexity,andContentImperativeIcons
http://www.byrdseed.com/introducing-depth-and-complexity/
http://envisiongifted.com/critical-thinking.html 41 42
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QUESTIONS THATHELPYOUTIERORMAKEALEARNINGTASKMORECOMPLEX
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ConceptualClarificationQuestions
• Getthemtothinkmoreaboutwhatexactlytheyareaskingorthinkingabout.Provetheconceptsbehindtheirargument.Basic'tellmemore'questionsthatgetthemtogodeeper.– Whyareyousayingthat?– Whatexactlydoesthismean?– Howdoesthisrelatetowhatwehavebeentalkingabout?– Whatisthenatureof...?– Whatdowealreadyknowaboutthis?– Canyougivemeanexample?– Areyousaying...or...?
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ProbingAssumptions
• Probingofassumptionsmakesthemthinkaboutthepresuppositionsandunquestionedbeliefsonwhichtheyarefoundingtheirargument.Thisisshakingthebedrockandshouldgetthemreallygoing!– Whatelsecouldweassume?– Youseemtobeassuming...?– Howdidyouchoosethoseassumptions?– Pleaseexplainwhy/how...?– Howcanyouverifyordisprovethatassumption?– Whatwouldhappenif...?– Doyouagreeordisagreewith...?
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ProbingRationale,ReasonsandEvidence• Whentheygivearationalefortheirarguments,digintothatreasoningrather
thanassumingitisagiven.Peopleoftenuseun-thought-throughorweaklyunderstoodsupportsfortheirarguments.– Whyisthathappening?– Howdoyouknowthis?– Showme...?– Canyougivemeanexampleofthat?– Whatdoyouthinkcauses...?– Whatisthenatureofthis?– Arethesereasonsgoodenough?– Woulditstandupincourt?– Howmightitberefuted?– HowcanIbesureofwhatyouaresaying?– Whyis...happening?– Why?(keepaskingit-- you'llnevergetpastafewtimes)– Whatevidenceistheretosupportwhatyouaresaying?– Onwhatauthorityareyoubasingyourargument? 57
QuestioningViewpointsandPerspectives• Mostargumentsaregivenfromaparticularposition.So
attacktheposition.Showthatthereareother,equallyvalid,viewpoints.– Anotherwayoflookingatthisis...,doesthisseemreasonable?– Whatalternativewaysoflookingatthisarethere?– Whyitis...necessary?– Whobenefitsfromthis?– Whatisthedifferencebetween...and...?– Whyisitbetterthan...?– Whatarethestrengthsandweaknessesof...?– Howare...and...similar?– Whatwould...sayaboutit?– Whatifyoucompared...and...?– Howcouldyoulookanotherwayatthis?
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ProbeImplicationsandConsequences• Theargumentthattheygivemayhavelogicalimplicationsthatcanbeforecast.
Dothesemakesense?Aretheydesirable?– Thenwhatwouldhappen?– Whataretheconsequencesofthatassumption?– Howcould...beusedto...?– Whataretheimplicationsof...?– Howdoes...affect...?– Howdoes...fitwithwhatwelearnedbefore?– Whyis...important?– Whatisthebest...?Why?Whatareyouimplyingbythat?– Whenyousay...areyouimplying…?– Butifthathappened,whatelsewouldalsohappenasaresult?– Why?Whateffectwouldthathave?– Wouldthatnecessarilyhappenoronlyprobablyhappen?Whatisan
alternative?– Ifthisandthatarethecase,thenwhatelsemustalsobetrue?
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QuestionsAbouttheQuestion
• Andyoucanalsogetreflexiveaboutthewholething,turningthequestioninonitself.Usetheirattackagainstthemselves.Bouncetheballbackintotheircourt,etc.– Whatwasthepointofaskingthatquestion?– WhydoyouthinkIaskedthisquestion?– Whatdoesthatmean?
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Evaluating Sources
• Not all historical sources are
equal
• Consider ways to assess the
validity of the sources
• Multiple sources are needed
in order to fully understand the
complexity and importance of
any historical event , era,
person or group.
• DBQ’s provide multiple
sources for students to use to
draw conclusions and make
interpretations.
Bobbie Malone and Nikki Mandell
http://www.uww.edu/cls/history/for-teachers
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http://www.uww.edu/cls/history/for-teachers
Stanford History
Education Group
http://sheg.stanford.edu
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/re
ading-like-a-historian-sourcing-complete-
lesson
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What Is History?
• History is a discipline: a way
of thinking that encourages
students to analyze historical
evidence, evaluate it, and
then demonstrate their
understanding of that
evidence.
• The “best” history courses
engage students in the study
of historical artifacts and
documents – which are often
contradictory and muddled –
from which they draw their
own interpretations or
conclusions.
Digital Vaults-curated collection
of 1,200 items. One section,
Pathways Challenges, provides
quizzes that ask kids to analyze
a specific resource and then find
the related document within the
collection. Students who create
free Digital Vaults accounts can
collect primary source
documents and images and use
them to create digital posters and
videos within the available
templates.
http://www.digitalvaults.org
http://edugrationtech.com/digital-
vault/
Historical Scene Investigation-
presents historical cases for
students to crack. Each case
presents kids with clues to analyze
in order to form a conclusion to
each investigation. The clues come
in the form of primary documents
and images and include secondary
sources and provides students with
“case files” in which they can record
the evidence they find in the
historical content. At the conclusion
of their inquiries, kids must answer
questions and decide if the case
should be closed or if more
sleuthing is necessary. If the
premade activities don’t fit your
curriculum, use the model to create
your own historical scene
investigations with your own
resources.
http://hsionline.org
Where questions, not answers, are the driving force in thinking.
What does Socratic mean?
Socratic comes from the name
Socrates,a classical Greek philosopher who developed a
Theory of Knowledge: the surest way to attain reliable knowledge was
through the practice of disciplined
conversation…dialectic.
How did Socrates use the dialectic?
He would begin with a discussion of the obvious aspects of any
problem,feign ignorance about a subject,
and try to draw out from the other person his fullest possible knowledge about it.
The Question:The Socratic Seminar opens with a
question
posed by the leader. Responses to the opening question generate new
questions from the leader and participants, leading to new responses.
A Great Resource for Stimulating Thinking…Free Teacher’s G
uideP
rom
otin
g C
riti
cal T
hink
ing
Mathematical Resources
http://www.lindajsheffield.com
Dr. Linda Sheffield
http://map.mathshell.org/materials/index.ph
p
https://www.illustrativemathematics.org
http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage
http://www.insidemathematics.
org/tools-for-educators
http://www.yummymath.com
Resources to Access
Extend, Enhance, or Accelerate the Content
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Open Educational Resources
Strategies for Engaging Students in Conversations/Discussions
Four C
orner C
onversations
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1. Label the four corners of the room with signs reading: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree.
2. Generate a list of controversial statements related to the material being studied. Statements most likely to encourage discussion typically do not have one correct or obvious answer, elicit nuanced arguments (e.g., “This might be a good idea some of the time, but not all of the time”), and represent respected values on both sides of the debate. Examples of effective “Four Corners” statements:
• The purpose of schooling is to prepare youth to be good citizens.
• Individuals can choose their own destiny; their choices are not dictated or limited by the constraints of society.
• One should always resist unfair laws, regardless of the consequences.
• I am only responsible for myself.
Four Corner C
onversations
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3. Students use graphic organizer or worksheet to mark their opinion (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree), and then provide a brief explanation.
4. Read one of the statements aloud, and ask students to move to the corner of the room that best represents their opinion.
5. Ask for volunteers to justify their position. When doing so, they should refer to evidence from history, especially from material they learned in this unit, as well as other relevant information from their own experiences.
6. Encourage students to switch corners if someone presents an idea that causes a change of mind. After a representative from each corner has defended his or her position, you can allow students to question each other’s evidence and ideas.
7. Debrief: Students can reflect in their journals about how the activity changed or reinforced their original opinion or chart the main for and against arguments on the board as a whole-class activity.
Use of A
nticipation G
uides
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1. Techniquetoexpressanopinionaboutideasbeforestudentsencountertheminatextorunitofstudy.
2. Preparesstudentstorecognizeandconnecttothesethemesastheysurfaceintheirlearning. Reviewinganticipationguidesattheendofalessonorunitisonewaytohelpstudentsreflectonhowlearningnewmaterialmayhaveinfluencedtheiropinions,perhapsbyreinforcingpreviouslyheldbeliefsorbycausingideastoshift.
3. Designeffectivestatementsrelatingtouniversalthemesanddilemmasandphraseinawaythatmakesensewhenappliedtoeventsintheunitofstudyandtosituationsinstudents’lives.Listedbelowaresomesuggestedstatementstopreparestudentstoaddressthethemesofjusticeandforgiveness:
• Punishingperpetratorsforwrongdoingisnecessarytoachievejustice.• Offendersshouldsufferforthecrimestheyhavecommitted.• Justiceisbestachievedwhentheperpetratorsrepairtheharmtheyhave
caused.• Afteracommunityhasbeenthroughatimeofconflictorviolence,itis
betterforeveryonetomoveonandforgetthecrimesorhardshipsofthepast.
• Thetruthheals.Perpetratorsshouldbeencouragedtoconfesstheircrimesinexchangeforlightersentencing.
• Aneyeforaneyeleaveseverybodyblind.
Use of A
nticipation G
uides
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1. Howcommondoyoubelievetheactofrevengeisineverydaylife”Writeaboutspecificincidences,includinganyinwhichyouwereinvolvedorhavewitnessed.
2. Doyouconsideryourselftobea“thinker”or“doer”?Explainyourresponse?3. Haveyouorhasanyoneelseyouhaveknowneveryseenorclaimedtohavewitnessed
somekindofsupernaturalbeing?Explainthecircumstancesaroundtheevent.Doyoubelieveinthesupernatural?Explain.
4. Haveyoueverbeenthevictimofunrequitedlove?Howdidyoufeel?Haveyoueverbeentherecipientofaffectionfromsomeonewhomyoudidnotcareabout?Howdidyoufeelaboutthissituation?
5. Writeaboutatimewhenyoudiscoveredthatsomeonewaspurposefullyplottingagainstyouforsomereason.Explainthesituation—howyoufelt,howitturnedout.
The Tea Party Discussion Strategy
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1. Giveeverystudentaquoteonarelatedtopic.Forexample,duringFahrenheit451thequotesrelatetoconformityandnonconformity.WhenreadingLordoftheFlies,thequotesareallabouthumannature.Thestudentshavetoreadtheirquotetoasmanyclassmatesastheycanin5minutes.Thenwehaveafollowupconversationasaclassaboutthequotestheyfoundmostinterestingand powerful.Justtheactofstandingupandmovingaroundmakesthisactivityfunforstudents.
Crow
dsourcingD
iscussion Strategy
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Engagestudentsinaclassroomtocollectivelycompileor“crowdsource” information.
Step1:Challengestudentstogenerateinformationincollaborativegroups.
(Handout“Sonnet116”andhavetheexplore howallsonnetssharethesamestructureandsimilarcharacteristics.Theydiscussthesonnetandmakealistofinferencesaboutsonnetsafterexamining,analyzing,anddiscussingthisspecificsonnet.
Step2:Studentcompileinformationonlargesheetsofpaperandpostintheclassroom.
Step3:Encouragestudentstousemobiledevicestofurthertheirresearchonsonnets.(Whoweretheywrittenfor?Whataretheirintentandpurpose?Whatthemeswerecommon?)
Step4:Collectivelyreviewthecrowdsourcedinformation.
https://hollyclarkdotnet.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/how-to-use-crowdsourcing-in-the-classroom/
Communicate,Collect& Collaborate
• Usesomeofthesedigitaltoolstoenhancebrainstorming,postingresponsestoinquiries,andsharinginformationordata.
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http://padlet.com/tonyv/inhand
http://en.linoit.com
https://padlet.com
http://croak.it http://explaineverything.com
https://tellagami.com
https://todaysmeet.com
DirectInstructiononAccountableTalk
• Staying focused
• Talking in a variety of perspectives and ideas
• Asking for clarification
• Building on the ideas of others
• Disagreeing in respectful ways
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• Purposely plan for conversation by focusing on the learning goal(s).
• Brainstorm and co-construct a list of discussion etiquette, norms, and behaviors.
• Co-create an anchor chart.• Practice activities that allow for
structured interaction (e.g., think pair share).
• Use wait time to allow for students’ internal dialogues.
• Plan questions that promote lively discussions.
Purposes and Prompts to Make Talk Accountable
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Consider Different Approaches to the Assessment
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for understanding in unusual ways using powerful ideas and questions.
Consider Different Approaches to the Assessment
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Help students process important information worth thinknig about.
Consider Different Approaches to the Assessment
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To see that students can think about how something is structured or thought about.
Consider Different Approaches to the Assessment
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Allow many ways to show understanding-visually.
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https://newsela.com
Read the same current events content, but it is
differentiated to fit the needs of the specific student.
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https://edpuzzle.com
Teachers start by uploading a video from another site or one that they created. In
EDpuzzle, teachers can crop the video, insert an audio message, record their voice
over the entire video, prevent students from fast-forwarding, and embed different types
of quiz questions throughout. Then teachers assign students to watch the videos with
the appropriate questions or notes. As students watch them and answer questions, the
teacher can see how far they watched, how many times they watched a section, and
their answers to the questions
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http://ed.ted.com
Inquiries,Investigations,andIndependentInvestigations
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Steps for Guiding Student Research
• Assess,Find,orCreateStudentInterests• HelpStudentsFindaQuestion(s)toResearch• DevelopaPlanofActiontoGuidetheResearch• HelpLocateMultipleResources• ProvideMethodologicalAssistance• DevelopaResearchQuestion(s)toAnswer• ProvideManagerialAssistance• HelptoFindProductsandAudiences• ProvideFeedback/EscalatetheProcess• Evaluate
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, Find, and Create InterestInvestigations Stem from Many Sources:– Individual interests– Curricular units of study– Problems that exist in the world (city, state,
community, global, etc.)– Unresolved questions– Someone asking students to generate solutions to
problems
Strategies for Generating Interest:– Sharing articles from Discover, Newsweek,
newspapers– Guest speakers– Student interest inventories/questionnaires– Questions that students ask– Student identified problems– I wonder bulletin boards– Interest centers
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Help Students Find a Question(s) to Ask
• Listening to their questions• Observing their actions• As they begin to wonder why• Their pattern of reading
interests• Favorite subjects• Extracurricular activities • When they mention a concern• Casual statements or opinion• Interest in particular topics
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Kids as Professionals
DelanoHeroesfilmwasmade5yearsago. IworkedwithagroupofGTkidsonthatproject. Wedidminiworkshopsonhowtointerview,runthecamera,createdasetoftenessentialquestionsforeachintervieweeandsetupappointmentsforeveryWWIIvetinDelanothatwaswilling.Someinterviewsweredoneatschoolinourstudio. Wewenttosomehomesandthenursinghome. Itwasafabulousexperienceforeveryone.Wehadabouttenhoursofinterviews. Honorsocietystudentsandaparentvolunteertranscribedallthetapes,andtheIediteditoriginallydownto30minutesthatincludedinterviewsfromeveryone. Thefinalfilmiswhatyouseeonmywebsitethathasbeeneditedfromtenhourstotenminutes. MyhusbanddidthevoiceovernarrationandReader'sDigestgaveusrightstothearchivalfootage.Abouthalfofthevetsweinterviewedarenowgone. Iamstillproudofthatprojectbecauseofthecollaborativenatureofit. ItranforawhileoncableinthemetroonpayperviewthroughtheHistoryCentergreatestgenerationproject.Seefilmat:http://chaseproductionfilm.com/delano-heroes.html
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Stude
http://chaseproductionfilm.com/delano-heroes.html
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Thegreatquestionswanttobeansweredineachofus.Wealmostcan’thelpbutattendwhenthosequestionsareraised.Toteachistohelpourstudentsraisequestionstheycareaboutandtosetouttogethertolookforanswers.
Learnho
wadisciplinestud
iesitself.
IndependentInvestigations
Astudentorasmallgroupofstudentsbecomeinterestedinparticulartopics,questions,orproblemsthatstartthe“itchthatneedstobescratched.’
Aimeelovestotinkerwithobjectstoseehowthingswork.Infifthgrade,shebecameconcernedwithhergrandmother’sdifficultiesinweedinghergardenduetoarthritis.Sheshowedadrawingtoherteacherofan‘easytograsp’gardentoolforindividualswitharthritis.Shedescribedhertoolasapressuresensitivedevice
designedtolockintoseveralpositionsandsimulateweedingmotions.Aimee’sinterestsarewide,buthertrueloveisthestudyofnaturalphenomena.Sheenjoyshands-onscienceactivitiesanddescribesherhomeexperimentstoherteacher.Herunderstanding,stronginterest,andknowledgeofsciencetopicsareadvancedforherage.
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Cube 1
• Roll the dice to generate beginning questions. Select one word from each cube to generate possible questions.
• Use research phrases to prompt possible research questions.
It might be interesting to know if?It might be interesting to know how?It might be interesting to know why?Historically, I wonder how or why?I wonder if _____ is related to ____?What factors influenced..?If I _____, I wonder if _____will occur?
Cube 2
Cube 1 WordsWho, What, When, Where,
Why, HowCube 2 Words
Is, Can, Will, Could (Should, Would), Might, Did
Generating Research Questions
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Question BoxesFill out the boxes with your questions.
How
Why
Where
When
What
Who
Should, Would, Could
MightWillCanDidIs
Name(s) ______________________________________108
SomeInterestingStudentProjects
http://www.texaspsp.org
Questions to Guide the Selection of the Thinking Skills/Reasoning Process to
Incorporate into a Lesson
Thinking Skills Stimulus QuestionsComparing How are _____and ____ similar and
different?
Classifying How might ____be organized into groups? What are the rules or characteristics that have been used to form the groups?
Analyzing Perspective What are the different perspectives or points of view on this issue?
Induction What conclusions could be drawn from the data?
Constructing Support Is there a position that you want to defend on a particular issue?
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Questions to Guide the Selection of the Thinking Skills/Reasoning Process to
Incorporate into a Lesson
Thinking Processes Stimulus QuestionsDecision Making Is there an important decision that should be
studied or made?
Problem Solving Is there some obstacle that needs to be overcome?
Investigation Is there something that happened in the past that could be studied? Is there a possible or hypothetical event that could be examined? Is there a new concept or theory that could be described in detail?
Experimental Inquiry Is there a prediction about _______that can be made and then tested?
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Think Like a ScientistWhat Scientists
DoWhat Skills Scientists
Use
Questions They Ask
Strategies They Use
Scientists use discovery
to investigate the
observation of a
phenomenon (or event).
They formulate
hypothesis (a guess
based on knowledge),
experiment to
demonstrate the truth or
falseness of their
hypothesis, and make
conclusions that validate
or modify it.
•Observation
•Questioning
•Prediction
•Analyze
•Summarize
•Generalize
•Interpret data
•Reason
•Classify
•Evaluate
•Compare/contrast
•Infer
•Deduce
•Problem Solve
•Flexibility of thought
(open-mindedness)
•What past knowledge do
I have that could help me
understand what I am
investigation now?
•What methods would
best be used to find an
answer?
•What hypothesis can I
make about this
investigation?
•What evidence do I have
to prove my hypothesis?
•Have I investigated all
possibilities before
forming a conclusion?
•If there is an obvious
solution, is it the best
solution?
•Keen powers of
observation
•Asking and answering
questions
•Collecting data
•Comparing and
contrasting
•Finding patterns and
connections
•Making guesses
(hypothesis) based on
prior knowledge
•Make careful
experiments that can be
retested by other
scientists
•Analyzing findings
•Finding proof with
evidence
What Statisticians Do
What Skills Statisticians Use
Questions Statisticians Ask
Strategies Statisticians Use
Statisticians have an eye for categorization. They look for numerical patterns and consider part/whole relationships, disassembling complex systems of data and re-patterning them hierarchically, horizontally, vertically, and/or circularly. They are aware of pictorial and symbolic (non-numerical) representations. Statisticians are comfortable with perfectionist, concrete types of thinking behaviors and follow clear and orderly processes when collecting data.
•Transfer information•Maintain databases and portfolios•Dissect quantitative perplexity•Present findings in an array of formats, both visually and verbally•Aware of patterns and inconsistencies•Accommodate, sort, and reconfigure•Organize scattered information quickly and cohesively•Group and block•Seek mean, median, and average-oriented conclusions•Observe keenly
How can we persistently collect and refine our research?
What norms, baseline judgments, or reference points should be considered?
How can we flexibly express statistical relationships interchangeably and reciprocally?
What mental scaffoldings do we construct when inputting and accessing the information?
What protocols and formats should we use to transmit our data?
•Consider part/whole relationships•Report accurately•Keep well defined areas/fields of focus•Employ various checklists to ensure thoroughness•Matrix •Have routines yet remain open-ended •Reason deductively•Maintain orderliness•Sort and retrieve fluently•Critique current categorization methods•Discern differing levels of complexity •Think graphically
Think Like A Statistician
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Think Like a HistorianWhat Historians Do
What Skills Historian Use
Questions They Ask
Strategies They Use
Historians investigate
and analyze ideas,
facts, and purported
facts about the past in
order to explain the
what, why, and how of
events. Their ultimate
goal is to verify or
dismiss these facts in
order to help us better
understand the people,
places, and events in
our past.
•Analyze
•Classify
•Compare and contrast
•Evaluate
•Map
•Debate
•Examine
•Reason
•Critically interpret text
•Problem solve
•Decision making
•Extrapolate
•Synthesis
•Detect bias
•Judging credibility
•What is it that I am
trying to find out?
•What are the solution
pathways I can take to
uncover this truth or
falsehood?
•Is the information
relevant?
•Is it fact or opinion?
•Is it biased?
•Is the credible?
•Is the fact accurate?
•Do I have evidence to
support my hypothesis?
•Analyzing sources both
primary and secondary
•Making and testing
hypothesis
•Distinguishing relevant/
irrelevant information and
authenticity
•Determining point of view
•Searching for patterns
and connections
•Inferring historical
meaning
•Contextualizing/
sequencing
•Corroborating details
through comparison
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Resources
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