Chapter 5Quickening the Pace of Students’ Background Knowledge Acquisition

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2009). Background Knowledge: The Missing Piece of the Comprehension Puzzle. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

• Discuss the learning cycle and the role of background knowledge

• Examine techniques for building background knowledge through indirect means

• Examine techniques for building background knowledge through direct experiences

Today’s Purposes

The Learning Cycle• A person’s learning is continually

influenced by gains in information

• The new information can either confirm (assimilation) or revise (accommodation)

• According to Piaget, these are done in order to maintain equilibrium

Information

Attention

Purpose

Prior Knowledge

selects

directs

generates

modifies

Understanding

creates

Table Talk

Marzano notes that there are two ways to build background knowledge: directly and indirectly. What are examples of each that you use in your classroom?

• Teacher modeling of comprehension skills is effective with adolescents (Alfassi, 2004)

• Provides students with insights into the ways that an expert makes cognitive decisions

• An opportunity to profile discipline-specific expertise

Building Background with Think-Alouds

Virtual Frog Dissection Lab

Thinking Aloud with a Calculator

• Annotating a piece of text in English

• Interpreting a piece of sheet music in band class

• Reading and interpreting an editorial cartoon in history

• Others?

Other Examples

Wide Reading

• One of the quickest and least expensive ways to build background knowledge (Ivey, 2006)

• Written text provides both a window and a mirror of human experiences

• The Matthew Effect: Strong correlation between reading volume and reading acheivement (Stanovich & Cunningham, 1997)

• Two approaches: Sustained Silent Reading and Independent Reading

Comparing SSR and Independent Reading

Sustained Silent reading Independent Reading

Goal Reading for pleasure Reading for knowledge acquisition

Text Choice Students select from a nearly unlimited range of possible materials

Students choose from a constrained list identified by the teacher

Text Difficulty

Student alone determines whether text meets his or her needs

Texts may be differentiated to meet range of reading levels in the classroom

Text Topic Wide range of topics within school and district guidelines

Topic selected by teacher as part of the curricular emphasis

Accountability

No book reports or assigned reading logs

Assignments may include reading logs, written summaries, discussion groups

Teacher Role

Reading while students read, and holding brief conferences with individual students

Conferring with students on reading topic and administering informal assessments

Table Talk

What are some of the benefits of implementing SSR? Independent reading? What are some of the complications to take into account?

Graphic Organizers

• Another means of building background knowledge indirectly

• Strengthens schema by showing relationships among concepts

• Best practices for using graphic organizers (Vekiri,2002):– Displays should address the goals of the

task– Displays should be provided along with

explanations and guidance– Displays need to be spatial and timely in

coordination with text

Adapted from: San Lorenzo (CA) High School English Department.

Appeal Definition Example

LOGOS

A deliberate appeal to the reader’s sense of logic and need for factual proof or reasonable sense.

It is against the law to let a dog run free and you could be fined.

ETHOS

A conscientious appeal to the readers’ appreciation o f credentials or professional experience.

I am the Neighborhood Watch captain and it is my job to keep the block safe.

PATHOS

A deliberate appeal to the reader’s emotions, including pity, sympathy, fear, guilt, compassion, or love.

There is an elderly man who could get knocked over, and my little kids are afraid of the dog.

Graphic Organizer in Social Studies

Building Background Through Direct Means

• Guest speakers provide “an invitation to learn” (Wortman, 1992)

• Goals for bringing in a guest speaker include:– Bring the field into the classroom– Open students’ minds to varying viewpoints– Alter students’ attitudes and perceptions in

favorable ways (Payne, et al., 2003)

Field Trips

• Make connections to classroom learning

• Research ahead of time

• Prepare students

• Prepare chaperones

• Follow up (Kisiel, 2006)

Table Talk

How do you prepare students before a guest speaker or field trip? How do you follow up?

Assessing Your Practice

How do teachers foster background knowledge across the sc hool day? 5 4 3 2 1

Use the rubric to determine your goals for buildingBackground knowledge in your classroom.

Building Background Knowledge

Indirect and direct methods for building BK are used daily, including teacher modeling, wide reading, and experiential learning outside the classroom.

Indirect and direct methods for building BK are used daily, including teacher modeling and wide reading. These methods are confined to in-class learning.

Indirect methods, such as wide reading and experiential learning are used, but teacher modeling occurs only occasionally.

Methods for building background knowledge are used occasionally, primarily when students demonstrate a gap.

Lessons are designed to present content. Any gaps in background knowledge are assumed to be the responsibility of students.

• Use interactive maps available at http://www.mapsofwar.com/ to provide students an overview (with timeline) of the development of religion, democracy, war, and other topics of interest for US and World History classes and middle school social studies classes.

• Check out virtual dissections available online, including one for the eye http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html

• Learn more about the logistics of implementing a schoolwide sustained silent reading program by reading The SSR Handbook by Janice Pilgreen (2000; Heinemann).

Building Your Own Background Knowledge