Lesson #5:

Sequencing Activities

Criterion IC

Purpose: This lesson emphasizes the importance of creating coherent sequences of lessons that work together to help students understand the content of the learning goal..

Overview: During this lesson, pre-service teachers analyze the function of specific activities within several examples of lesson sequences. Pre-service teachers also apply the indicators of Criterion IC to curriculum materials.

When and How to Use This Lesson: This lesson emphasizes the importance of creating lesson sequences that are more than just collections of activities and that each lesson in a sequence serves a specific purpose in moving students towards a better understanding of the learning goal.

Instructors may feel that their pre-service teachers are not ready to consider lessons in a unit sequence. In this case, this lesson may be addressed later in the module.

Goals:

1. To provide opportunities to examine the function of specific activities within an activity sequence.
2. To examine the indicators for Criterion IC - Sequencing of Activities
3. To apply the indicators for Criterion IC to curriculum materials.

Activity #17 10 Minutes Establishes a Problem

Problem #3 - Effective

Teaching Approaches

Activity #18 20 Minutes Model and Apply Criterion

Introduction of Criterion IC - IC with Coaching

Sequence of Activities Using

Activity #19 20 Minutes Apply Criterion IC with

Examining More Example Coaching/Fading

Units Using Criterion - IC

Activity #20 20 Minutes Apply Criterion IC with

Application of Criterion IC to (or Homework) Fading / Assessment

Field Placement Units

Activity #21 5 Minutes Generalize & Strategize

What Would You Do? - IA, VIB, IC

Roth, K. J., Anderson, C. W., and Smith, E. L. (1987). Curriculum materials, teacher talk and student learning: case studies in fifth grade science teaching. Journal of Curriculum Studies 19 (6) 527-548.

Activity #18

1. 
   
Sequence of Activities for Food for Plants (1 per pre-service teacher)
2. Examining Curriculum Materials
Form IC - Food for Plants - Blank (1 per pre-service teacher)
3. Evaluating Curriculum Materials
Form IC - Food for Plants - Completed (1 per class)
4. Overhead projector or other projection equipment

Activity #19

1. Sequence of Activities for Weather Unit (2 per group)
2. Sequence of Activities for Sound Unit (2 per group)
3. Blank Evaluating Curriculum Materials Form IC - (2 per group)

Activity #20

1. Blank Evaluating Curriculum Materials Form IC - (1 per pre-service teacher)
2. Field Units - Pre-Service Teachers need access to units they will be teaching in their field placements.

Poster paper & markers or some other way to record pre-service teacher responses.

It is important that pre-service teachers understand that unit plans are not just random collections of activities. In a successful unit or sequence of lessons, each activity serves a specific function in moving students towards a better understanding of the learning goal. Within a unit , the sequence of activities must bring out student ideas and support students in revising their ideas.

Refer back to the Roth, Anderson, and Smith (1987) article. In a group discussion format analyze Case #3, focusing of the following points.

1. What are some reasons why the unit did not successfully help students gain an understanding of the learning goal? [The unit did not challenge students' initial ideas. Students never changed their initial misconceptions; they only added on to their original ideas that light was just another type of food that plants took in and needed to be healthy.]
2. What was missing from the unit? [The unit never challenged students initial misconceptions and then did not offer plausible replacement conceptions in a logical manner.]
3. What would be a logical sequence of activities? [Early activities should provide a purpose, followed by activities that establish student ideas, then activities that challenge ideas, a presentation of new conceptions, and opportunities to practice new conceptions.]

Activity #18 - Introduction of Criterion IC -Sequence of Activities Using Food for Plants

1. Distribute the Evaluating Curriculum Materials Form IC - Food for Plants - Blank.
2. Briefly discuss the indicators for Criterion IC.
3. Distribute the Sequence of Activities for Food for Plants
4. In small groups, have pre-service teachers examine the Sequence of Activities for Food for Plants for the following features;
1. Identify groups of activities that appear to serve a similar function.
2. Identify the purposes of each group of activities as it relates to the conceptual change model.
1. Which activities provide a sense of purpose?
2. Which activities elicit student ideas?
3. Which activities challenge student ideas?
4. Which activities present new conceptions?
5. Which activities provide opportunities to practice new conceptions?
3. Have each pre-service teacher apply the indicators for Criterion IC to the Sequence of Activities for Food for Plants and complete the Evaluating Curriculum Materials form.
5. In a large group format, debrief the class on how well they thought the Food for Plants pre-assessment met the indicators for Criterion IC. Possible techniques include
1. Using an overhead or computer projector, complete the Examining Curriculum Materials Form IC for Food for Plants based on class feedback.
2. Project a completed version of Materials Form IC for Food for Plants for comparison with class findings.
3. Post a completed version of Materials Form IC for Food for Plants for pre-service teachers to access later.

Activity #19 Examining More Example Units Using Criterion - IC

1. Distributes two copies each of the Sequence of Activities for Weather and the Sequence of Activities for Sound to each group.
2. Distribute one copy of Examining Curriculum Materials Form IC -Blank to each pre-service teacher.
3. Each group divides into two partner-teams. Each partner team applies the indicators for Criterion IC to one of the two lesson sequences (weather or sound). Each partner team completes an Examining Curriculum Materials Form IC.
4. Upon completing their analysis, each partner team shares with the other partner-team in the group the results of their analysis.
5. As a whole class, share some of the common findings that groups found for each sequence. What were the strengths and weaknesses of each unit sequence?

This activity can either be an in-class or homework assignment. Pre-service teachers need access to the units or lessons they will be teaching in the classroom. Pre-service teachers should evaluate those units based on the indicators for Criterion IC, completing the appropriate form. Remind pre-service teachers that they must identify the learning goal of the lesson or unit and apply the indicators to the parts of the lesson or unit that address that learning goal. Pre-service teachers may work individually or in field placement groups. However, each pre-service teacher should hand in the completed forms.

Activity #21 What Would You Do? - IA, VIB, IC

1. In a group discussion format, elicit from pre-service teachers characteristics of the materials they examined, including Food for Plants, that meet Criteria IA, VIB, IC. Use poster paper or a similar method to record responses for each criterion.
2. Ask pre-service teachers how, if they know, their classroom mentor teacher is planning to adapt the sequence of activities for the field units. What are the classroom teachers changing, and why? Record responses.
3. Keep the responses for later use. Pre-service teachers may find them useful for adapting materials later.

Activity #20 serves as the assessment for this lesson. Each pre-service teacher should turn in for evaluation Examining Curriculum Materials Form IC. Use the following response features for evaluation. After evaluation, provide pre-service teachers with appropriate feedback and revisit key points, if necessary.

Sequence of Activities

Food for Plants

Weather Unit

Sound Unit

Examining Curriculum Materials Forms

IC for Food for Plants - Blank

IC for Food for Plants - Completed

IC Blank