Concept-based curriculum & Collaborative inquiry

1. Concept-based curriculum&Collaborative inquiry Presenter: Adam Ebrahim 8th ELA & Humanities Fresno, CA

2. Agenda • Disclaimer: • I make absolutely no claim of being an expert in anything. • I am also not here as a representative of the International Baccalaureate program. • I am here to discuss how I build units and conduct instruction and hope you find something useful for your practice. • Concepts: What & Why? • Concept Schemas • Building Concept-Based Units • Collaborative Inquiry as a Posture • Integrating Inquiry Within Concept-Based Units • Closure 75% 25% Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

3. What is a concept? • “A concept is a mental construct represented by a word.” (Understanding by Design) • “A conceptis a big idea—a principle or conception that is enduring, the significance of which goes beyond aspects such as origins, subject matter or place in time.” (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998) ***IB+UbD • “One or two word concepts are timeless, abstract or broad. Concepts may be very broad macroconcepts such as change, system, or interdependence; or they may be more topic specific, such as organism, habitat, or government. (Lynn Erickson, 2002) ***IB Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

4. Why concepts? Concept-based curriculum: Allows students to connect subject matter to diverse phenomena. Facilitates complex discussion Re-contextualizes discreet knowledge Allows the teacher to teach from a position of interest and strength Resists silver bullets Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference ***Lynn Erickson. Concept-based teaching and learning. IBO, 2012.

5. Mining Course Descriptions for Concepts (UC Berkeley: Physics) • PHYSICS 209 CLASSICAL ELECTROMAGNETISM • Prerequisites: 110A-110B or consent of instructor. Maxwell's equations, gauge transformations and tensors.  Complete development of special relativity, with applications.  Plane waves in material media, polarization, Fresnel equations, attenuation, dispersion. Wave equation with sources, retarded solution for potentials and fields, Cartesian and spherical multipole expansions, vector spherical harmonics, examples of radiating systems, diffraction, optical theorem.  Fields of charges in arbitrary motion, radiated power, relativistic (synchrotron) radiation, radiation in collisions. Activity 1 • Circle all of the words that you think would make interesting concepts. • Pick one concept and think about subject matter that you may cover in the next month. • How could this concept connect with the subject matter? • What potential cross-curricular connections do you see? Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

6. Mining Concepts • New Zealand: National concept-based curriculum http://seniorsecondary.tki.org.nz • Public International Baccalaureate resources • Syllabi for college courses • Check current texts, try to extract concepts • Think back to the things that have fascinated you throughout the learning experience in your life. Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

7. Lynn Erickson’s Concept Models Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

8. How I think of concepts… Space A concept is a node that allows for the consideration of the relationship among diverse phenomena. Concept-based curriculum organizes diverse content into conceptual schemas. Conceptual knowledge organizes discreet content into complex relationships and empowers learners to construct meaning in new contexts. Ex: Force Time Context Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

9. Concept as an organizing principle(8th Grade Humanities: American Revolution) Cross –curricular ties with physical science, physical ed, etc. Primary source docs on subject Examine cases of domestic violence victims killing abusers Space Textbook reading for purpose Examine school code re: defending self Force Compare Dr. MLK & Malcolm X speeches Time Philosophers: casus belli Ghandi’s Salt March v. Armistar massacre Student Walkouts Arab Spring documentary Excerpts from Turban for the Crown Context Comparative infantry tactics/OPORDs Use of Drones When is the use of force justified? Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

10. Activity 2: Connecting Subject Matter through Concepts Continue with the concept you chose from the course description, or choose another from the sample list I provided, or select one you think may be useful in your practice with an upcoming unit of study. • What are some topics that connect your subject matter to other places in the world through your chosen concept? (space) • What are some topics that connect your subject matter to other time periods through your chosen concept? (time) • What are some different topics that connect your subject matter to different contexts—cross-curricular, past subject matter, different levels/arena of analysis—through your chosen concept? (context) Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

11. Conceptual Schemas in Units of Inquiry International Baccalaureate Example: (in handouts) Key Concept: Change Related Concepts: Ideas, Will, Force Concept Statement: Human beings can achieve a greater sense of changeby generating new ideas and enacting them in the physical world through the force of will. Unit Question:Is there a better way? Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

12. Conceptual Schemas in Units of Inquiry How I tend to think of it • A concept schema ties concepts together and builds a framework for a student to understand complex processes and phenomena • The schema builds coherence in units of study • The schema allows students to transfer knowledge across disciplines and into their experiences in the world. Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

13. Essential Question: How can individual affect change through an increased sense of agency? Correlated: What role do ideas play in precipitating change? How can ideas enter the physical world through acts of will? When is force justified? Hypothesis: Discontent triggers the imagining of few ideas that become a tangible force through acts of human will resulting in positive development. Summative Assessment: Test the hypothesis by comparing the Iranian and American Revolutions Activity 3: Concept Schema American Revolution Ideas Change Will Force Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

14. Essential Question: How can individual affect change through an increased sense of agency? Unit Title: Revolutionary Acts Teachers: Ebrahim Hypothesis: Discontent triggers the imagining of few ideas that become a tangible force through acts of human will resulting in positive development. Correlated Q: What role do ideas play in precipitating change? Correlated Q: When is force justified? Correlated Q: How can ideas enter the physical world through acts of will? Interim Task Interim Task Interim Task Summative Performance Task: Tied to SBAC, Next Gen, C3, etc. Test the hypothesis by comparing the Iranian and American Revolutions Performance Task Train Up: Skills Topics/Formatives/Standards Topics/Formatives/Standards Topics/Formatives/Standards Sources: Sources: Performance Task Train Up: Source Review & Consolidation Sources: Description: Tied to SBAC, Next Gen, C3, etc. Philosopher Debate Description: Tied to SBAC, Next Gen, C3, etc. Sci Fi Common Sense Pamphlet Description: Tied to SBAC, Next Gen, C3, etc. OPORDS Battles Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

15. Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

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17. Collaborative Inquiry as a Posture Teacher Constructed Sermon Military Ind. Study EDI Int’l Bacc. Individual Group Rhodes Scholar Student Constructed Student Seminars Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

18. Collaborative Inquiry as a Posture Sermon Military Teacher Constructed Interactive Lectures Guided Projects Never-Ending Essay Individual Group Group-Determined Projects Individual-Determined Projects Rhodes Scholar Student Constructed Student Seminars Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

19. Adapt Curriculum Adapt Curriculum Adapt Curriculum Summative Performance Task Interim Task Interim Task Interim Task Student Constructed & Determined Teacher Constructed & Determined Concept-Based Student Created Project Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference

20. Conclusion/Reflection • If you would like: adam.ebrahim@live.com • Check out: Transitioning to Concept-based Curriculum by Lynn Erickson • If you would: Please leave me a post-it with your grade/subject area and a concept you find fascinating. A description of why would also be greatly appreciated. I have found that… • Concept-based units provide rich frameworks for inquiry that encourage students to construct meaning within and outside the classroom • Creating concept-based curriculum develops student/teacher agency • Concept-based units facilitate rich discussion • Concepts necessarily shift the mode of instruction to collaborative inquiry Adam Ebrahim: CTA Good Teaching Conference