What my board would look like today…Big Idea: Meaningful learning

Big Idea Question: How can Big Ideas and Questions make my class more meaningful to students?

Guiding Questions: What are Big Idea Questions? How can they be used? How can they promote knowledge transfer? How can I implement and assess this kind of learning?

What would your ideal graduate look like?What do you want them to learn?

How do you want them to approach our subject?

Developing Global Thinkers

Question ignited, Big Idea fueled

Robb VirginFarmington Area Schools, MNUniversity of Minnesota – Twin Cities

NCSS says the aim of social studies is:The promotion of civic competence –

“knowledge, intellectual processes, and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and engaged participants in public life”

AMLE says:“To become a full functioning, self-actualized

person, each young adolescent should:Become actively aware of the larger world, asking

significant questions about that world and wrestling with big ideas and questions for which there may not be one right answer.”

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe say:

It’s not about covering content

It’s about thinking and producing within content and applying learning to issues and problems students will face

Global Thinkers Investigate the world

Are knowledge-thirsty and ask questions

Recognize problems

Communicate ideas

Collaborate

Take action

(newglobalcitizen.org)

Mickey Kolis (2011) says:for information to be relevant, the individual must believe it

will answer a question they have

questions are the start of any learning journey

C3 Framework

Now more than ever students need to ask good questions and develop robust

investigations into them!

What do we want students to learn?How do we want them to approach our subject?

Big Ideas

Question – answer – question

The Case for Big Ideas & Questions

This is the C & the IThe what and the how

Big Idea vs. Essential Questions vs. Guiding Questions

Big Idea vs. Essential Questions vs. Guiding Questions

What my board would look like today…Big Idea: Meaningful learning

Big Idea Question: How can Big Ideas and Questions make my class more meaningful to students?

Guiding Questions: What are Big Idea Questions? How can they be used? How can they promote knowledge transfer? How can I implement and assess this kind of learning?

Your message is everything

Common Department Big Ideas Change – What causes change? What causes things to stay the same?

Citizenship – What are our responsibilities to our communities?

Conflict – What causes conflict? What is worth fighting for? Will there always be conflicts?

Culture – What is culture? Why should we study other cultures?

Global Connections – What causes people, ideas, and resources to move? How does this create interdependence? What impact does this have?

Power – What is power? How is it gained and used?

Progress – What is progress? What does it mean to be successful?

It just makes sense to start with questions…

The Case for Big Idea QuestionsPragmatic Reasoning

“The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything”Consistency DifferentiationCommunication to stakeholders

“Big Ideas and GQs help me know what to expect”

How to use Big Idea Questions1. Carefully select a question that will bring to life the issue(s) to

be studied

2. Intro unit by building connections

3. Investigate the topic Secondary to primary

4. Require regular reflection in light of new information and ideas

(Lattimer, 2008)

What

is worth

fighting f

or? (1)

What

happens a

fter conflict

s? (1)

What

cause

s conflict

s? (2)

What

is pro

gress?

(2)

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Big Idea Question (year)

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Help organize think-ing

Help historical connections

Help personal connections

Help learn in general

0

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Strongly Disagree

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Survery Question Topic (in order of appearance on survey)

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Student Survey

Common Department Big Ideas Change – What causes change? What causes things to stay the same?

Citizenship – What are our responsibilities to our communities?

Conflict – What causes conflict? What is worth fighting for? Will there always be conflicts?

Culture – What is culture? Why should we study other cultures?

Global Connections – What causes people, ideas, and resources to move? How does this create interdependence? What impact does this have?

Power – What is power? How is it gained and used?

Progress – What is progress? What does it mean to be successful?

Name:

Thoughts on Conflict & The Civil War

The Civil War killed more Americans than any conflict in our nation’s history. I want you to think deeply about why these people fought and whether you agree, disagree, or both. Our goal is to better understand why people fight in effort to prevent future conflicts so that our lives can be more enjoyable.

Questions to consider:

1. What caused the Civil War? Were there different causes? 2. Why did soldiers fight? Were there different reasons? Are there some that you agree

with more than others? 3. Could your opinion about what’s worth fighting for change? If so, why or how? Money, a

personal connection to an event, or just development in thinking? If not, why not? 4. Will there always be conflict?

Your task:

In writing, discuss your thoughts on the Civil War and conflicts in general. Use the questions listed above to guide you. Your response should include specific information from the Civil War, information from other historical and/or current events, connection to personal experiences, and your opinions. You are not limited to these questions or topics and can write in any fashion you want, as long as I can read it.

Year 2 with same Big Ideas8% making historical connection on first assessment of

year 27% making historical connection on first assessment

But, we also said we wanted students to: Think and produce within content and apply

learning to issues and problems they will face

(Wiggins and McTighe)

Personal Connections

What is worth fighting for? What happens after conflicts?0

102030405060708090

100

Assessment 1Assessment 2

Big Idea Question

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tion

Help organize think-ing

Help historical connections

Help personal connections

Help learn in general

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20

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40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Undecided

Agree

Strongly Agree

Survery Question Topic (in order of appearance on survey)

% o

f stu

dent

s

Student Survey

Global Thinkers Investigate the world

Are knowledge-thirsty and ask questions

Recognize problems

Communicate ideas

Collaborate

Take action

C3 Framework

Now more than ever students need to ask good questions and develop robust

investigations into them!

How to use Big Idea Questions1. Carefully select a question that will bring to life the

issue(s) to be studied

(Lattimer, 2008)

Make Just One Change (Rothstein & Santana, 2011)

1. Question Focus

A. Ex from Reconstruction Unit: The Civil War didn’t change much

2. Produce questions

A. Ask as many questions as you can

B. Don’t stop to discuss or judge

C. Write exactly as stated

D. Change statements to questions

3. Improve questions (closed open)

4. Prioritize questions

What did students come up with? The first thing I hear…. “What new sports rules were there?”

We landed on:1. What was life like for former slaves?

2. How did Southerners’ lifestyle change?

3. Did the North and South cooperate?

4. How did they physically rebuild and pay for it?

What can we do with these questions? Student-led standardized

Student-led customized Groups investigate question together Learning Teams

How can I assess this kind of learning?

“Big Idea Questions help me make connections to things we’ve already

learned and my life.”

Thank you-- Robb Virgin -- robb.virgin@gmail.com

Thanks to the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and Farmington Area Schools for supporting this work and presentation

References and resourcesKolis, M. Student Relevance Matters: Why do I Have to Know this Stuff? Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2011.

National Council for the Social Studies. Essential Skills of a Social Studies Education. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies, 1989.

Rothstein, D. & Santana, L. Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press, 2011.

Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998.

Wiggins, G. The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything. Educational Leadership, 47(1989): 44-8, 57-9.

This list is not exhaustive, please contact me for additional resources