inquiry learning – the verbs and thinking tools

Inquiry Learning – the Verbs and Thinking Tools

ASLA Conference. Hobart.

28 Sept–1 October 2013

Incorporating: • A Thinking Skills Framework based on Bloom’s Taxonomy • Using critical and creative thinking tools and co-operative learning

tolls in units of work • Linking assessment with the content and skills and processes

Your Presenter is:

Eric Frangenheim ([email protected])


© 2013 ITC Publications

RAS Alert – for higher levels of engagement and retention of information

RAS ALERT (Reticular Activating System)

Your Focus Group and Topic: E.g. Year 9 Science – Matter/Forces or Year 3 English – Poetry

1. What should your students enjoy about this topic? ________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What major Content will they learn? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What Social Skills will they learn? __________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What Cognitive Skills will they learn? VERBS _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What Technical Skills will they learn? ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What Attitudes and Dispositions will be encouraged? _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright 2013 ITC Publications

This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced by any means whatsoever (except pages specifically marked ‘Blackline Masters’), or stored in any kind of retrieval system or transmitted in any form (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owners as prescribed under the Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments.

Acknowledgement: The thinking skills and all materials in this booklet are found in the teacher diaries ‘the innovative teachers' companions’®. The training videos, lesson plans, silent card shuffle activities and writable templates are available at www.teacherpd.com.au and at www.itcthinkdrive.com.au.



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Planning Units with Bloom’s Taxonomy – Four Choices of Purpose

Blooms Taxonomy Purpose/Outcome for Unit Design – Four Choices

Acting like an inventor, experiencing ‘light bulb’

moments to generate new products, ideas or ways of

doing things

Choice 4 Largely aimed at generating alternatives, improvements, modifications based on the materials below.

Flies: What could we do to minimise the negative effects of flies?

Choice 3 Largely aimed at judging the material that has been investigated, e.g. To what extent would the world be better off without flies?

Flies: To what extent would the world be better off without flies?

Choice 2 Largely aimed at more in-depth investigation, exploration, research. Students need to show more in-depth understanding, based on their efforts.

Flies: Investigate and discuss the role of flies in our ecosystem.

Choice 1 Largely skills-based. The purpose is for students to show they can apply the materials taught, e.g.: • Using Pythagoras’s theorem • Write a basic letter to the editor • Use Science skills • Comprehension skills

Flies: Information and charts on Flies e.g. of a Unit. Flies. (To what extent would be better off if we eliminated all flies?)

Acting like the scales of justice to ‘weigh up’ the

evidence to make and justify a decision

Higher-order Thinking

Acting like a magnifying glass to identify the

component parts of an issue, situation or object

Acting to apply new skills, rules and concepts to related

and new situations

Acting like an expert, showing understanding of words,

concepts, cause and effect and ‘reasons for’!

Foundation Thinking

Acting like an internet database to recall information, facts

and data?

Four Choices for Exits of units. KLA: Yr: Unit Name: Exit 1: Foundation Thinking Skills Exit 2: Analysing Skills Exit 3: Evaluating Skills Exit 4: Design Skills



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Thinking Tools/Strategies/Processes

Suggestions for use of certain cognitive and cooperative thinking tools to be infused within a unit

Start of Unit • KWL • Round Robins • Scavenger Units/RAS Alerts • Alpha Ladders • Silent Card Shuffle • Topic Bingo

• Metaphor

Main Section of Unit • Time Lines • Concept/Mind Maps • Double Bubble Map • PMI/PCQ • PCQ Extension • SWOT Analysis

End of Unit Choice 2: Analyse • PCQ • SWOT Analysis • Y Chart • KWL • ICON Prompt

Choice 3: Evaluate • Decision-Making Matrix • PCQ Extension • Extent Barometer • Elimination Draw

Choice 4: Design/Create • Pros:Cons:Improve • Word Association • 1:4:P:C:R • SCAMPER/MAS • Y Chart



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Strategy: Metaphor

Topic: Leadership is Servant Hood (Senior Primary – General)

LEADERSHIP is

SERVANT HOOD

• The best leaders only ask of others what they are willing to do themselves

• Humility is the key to great leadership

• Positions of authority often give great opportunities to be of use to others

• Good servants know their ‘masters’ well enough to anticipate their needs

• Getting your hands dirty is the best way to show people you are serious

• Leaders often have to deny themselves for the good of those they lead

• A leader must be available when s/he is needed

My Topic: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________

is

________________________

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………………



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Strategy: Alpha Ladder

Topic: Words for Writing (English, General) (English, Yr.4: ACELA1495)Complete an Alpha Ladder to build a comprehensive vocabulary on a specific topic for writing tasks, e.g. Disaster!

Nouns Verbs Adjectives Adverbs

A avalanche, aftershock, ambulance

activate, administer, allocate

awesome, abnormal, abandoned

ably, anxiously, accidentally

B bystander, buildings, bodies

build, bolster, boost bewildered, broken, bizarre

barely, breathlessly, blindly

C committee, control, cordon

co-ordinate, conduct, control

ceaseless, clammy, crazy

chaotically, critically, compassionately

D disaster, drought, debris

diagnose, dispatch, detect

dangerous, damaging, disastrous

dangerously, desperately, dramatically

Extension Activity: Students could use an Alpha Ladder to create topic vocabulary lists and display them on the classroom walls.

My Topic: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

A: N:

B: O:

C: P:

D: Q:

E: R:

F: S:

G: T:

H: U:

I: V:

J: W:

K: X:

L: Y:

M: Z:



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Strategy: Double Bubble Map

Topic: Text Types – Similarities and Differences (English, Yr.5: ACELA1504) (English, Yr.7-9: Creating Texts)

Purpose is to present a point

of view

Purpose is to tell a story

Provides evidence to support argument

Designed to evoke emotional

response

Has resolution/climax or anti climax

Often used to influence opinion

PERSUASIVE TEXT

Uses emotive words

NARRATIVE TEXT

Has a story line with character and settings

Simple present tense Content may

be factual

Structure designed to answer: Who,

What, Where, When, Why and How?

My Topic: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________



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Strategy: SWOT Analysis

Topic: Swatting Flies – Should We Remove Flies from the Planet Forever? (Science, Yr.7: ACSSU112)

• We will not have to put up with these little ‘beasties’ flying around near us.

• Reduced consumption of insecticides.• Decreased incidence in the spread of germs. • Spider populations may drop in numbers as a vital

part of their diet is affected.• No longer a need for a fly swatter

• ‘No flies’ may cause a ripple effect up the food chain, e.g. competition for another source of ‘insect’ food may cause species further up the food chain to suffer.

• Other organisms that rely on a diet of flies may not have enough food to survive.

(Positive influences)• With no flies around the home, most people will

feel that the spread of germs and diseases will be reduced.

• In some parts of the world, people may not have to wear elaborate headgear to avoid contact with flies.

• Tourists who visit Australia’s outback would be enthused about not encountering any flies.

(Negative influences)• With flies out of the way, other flying insects may

have their populations affected, e.g. mosquitoes that once competed for food, space and habitat may breed into plague proportions.

• Insects like lady bugs may reduce in numbers significantly as ‘fly predators’ seek out alternative diet options.

Based on your SWOT Analysis, create a presentation using Prezi (http://prezi.com/).

Create a website that strongly supports your opinion. Use Yola (www.yola.com) to easily create and publish a professional looking website within minutes!

My Topic: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Action 1: ....................................................................................................................................................................

Action 2: ...................................................................................................................................................................



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9

Strategy: Extent Barometer

Topic: To what extent is online shopping good practice?

Perspectives Data RatingStore Owners • Losing sales to internet orders

• Same rent or building costs to be paid, even though sales declining

• Loss of livelihood• Staff layoffs• Store owners could modify their own

business to have an online presenceShopping Centres

• As businesses close down shopping centres lose rent and income

• As store owners move their businesses online there are fewer companies wanting to move into the empty rental space

• Rent goes up for those businesses that want to keep their retail presence

Shoppers • Choose online due to the wider variety of goods

• Access to products and services from a variety of countries

• Delivered to door and therefore convenientCost • Products and services almost always

cheaper online• Store owners have larger overheads and

can’t lower prices sufficiently in order to compete

Online shopping has a definite negative effect on store owners and shopping centres, but it means lower prices for the consumer.

My Topic: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

ITC Supporting Resources

The innovative teachers companion®

The innovative teachers’ companion®, is now in its 12th year of publication and is used extensively in schools throughout Australia and New Zealand as an essential teacher resource. The 2011 edition was sold in Australia, New Zealand, Nauru, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The companion is also in its 4th edition in the USA. Contributors such as Art Costa (Habits of Mind), Dr Bill Rogers (Behaviour Management), John Joseph (Brain-Based Learning) and others have assisted in offering teachers practical ideas for the classroom. A team of writers, led by Margaret Bishop, has contributed many of the daily examples where these ideas can be transferred into ‘even better’ classroom practice. NOTE: The Secondary Edition is now available in 4, 5, 6 or multi periods per day versions.

NOW AVAILABLE: the innovative students’ companion The innovative students' companion complements and aligns with the innovative teachers' companion to ensure your whole-school approach to thinking and learning is complete. The innovative students' companion is a comprehensive handbook that will assist your students to effectively approach and complete any assessment task. From exams to assignments, every single student now has a trusted companion that will enhance their ability to think critically and creatively, effectively plan responses and to execute written or spoken assessment tasks with ease.

The Thinking Skills Framework Poster The ITC Thinking Skills Framework is an eye-catching and colourful A1 sized classroom wall poster. It is aimed at encouraging teachers to discuss the language of thinking with their students. This includes the six cognitive levels of Blooms Taxonomy, associated verbs, sentence starters and thinking tools, all of which are more likely to lead to the use of higher-order thinking in the classroom.

itc thinkdrive

Provide all teachers and students with instant access to easy-to-use thinking tools.

This web-based platform provides offers you the flexibility to connect to better thinking on all of your school’s devices.

thinkdrive contains: • 47 videos • 52 writable thinking skill templates • Over 50 ‘How To’ templates • 104 examples of primary and secondary classroom applications

Visit www.itcthinkdrive.com.au

Please visit www.itcpublications.com.au to learn more about these classroom resources

inquiry learning – the verbs and thinking tools

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