Lesson #7:

Lesson #8:

Modifying an Instructional Sequence

Purpose: This lesson provides pre-service teachers with the opportunity to modify an instructional sequence based on the criteria presented in this module.

Overview: Good material must accompany good teaching. Often, good materials that meet the criteria are not available and the teacher must adapt materials to correct these deficiencies. In this lesson, pre-service teachers select a unit or instructional sequence to modify and teach in their field placements. Pre-service teachers use the criteria presented in this module as a basis for instructional sequence modification.

When and How to Use This Lesson: This lesson serves as one of two assessment tasks for this module. By this point in the module, pre-service teachers should have applied the criteria to curriculum materials they may use in the classroom. As a result, they should have an idea about the strengths and weaknesses of the materials. This lesson gives pre-service teachers an opportunity to improve the materials and the enactment of the materials based on the criteria.

Goals:

To use the criteria to modify a unit or instructional sequence.
To teach the modified unit or instructional sequence, if possible.

Activity Time Needed Function of Activity:

Activity #32 Homework (120 minutes) Synthesis and

Modify and Instructional Sequence Assessment
Materials:

Field Units - Pre-Service Teachers need access to units they will be teaching in their field placements.

Lists of ideas for modifying materials for each criterion generated during each lesson.
Possible Pre-Service Teacher Preconceptions:

Remind pre-service teachers to identify the learning goal for the materials they will modify and make sure all modifications relate to the learning goal identified.

Procedures:

Pre-service teachers may either work individually or in field placement teams to modify a unit or instructional sequence. If possible, the unit or sequence selected for modification should be the same unit pre-service teachers analyzed from their field placements so that they are already familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the unit. Also, if possible, the unit selected for modification should be one that pre-service teachers will be able to teach or teach part of in their field placements. If these conditions are not possible, make modifications as appropriate.

Pre-service teachers should justify all modifications based on the Examining Curriculum Materials criteria and indicators.

If possible, pre-service teachers should teach their modified instructional approach.

This activity should be completed as a homework assignment.
Assessment:

Each pre-service teacher should turn in for evaluation a modified instructional sequence with changes highlighted and a justification for modifications that reflects the Examining Curriculum Materials Criteria. Use the following response features for evaluation. After evaluation, provide pre-service teachers with appropriate feedback and revisit key points, if necessary.

Feature No.

Label

Description

1

Learning Goal

A learning goal is identified for the instructional approach. The learning goal reflects national and state standards documents.

2

Unit Purpose

The instructional approach conveys an overall sense of purpose and direction that is motivating to students and aimed at the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion I.A.

3

Sequencing Activities

The instructional approach involves students in a sequence of activities that takes the students' perspectives into account and systematically builds toward understanding of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion I.C.

4

Addressing Student Ideas

The instructional approach explicitly addresses students' ideas relevant to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion II.D.

5

Providing Real World Phenomena

The instructional approach includes accurate and comprehensible representations of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.C.

6

Representing Ideas Effectively

The instructional approach includes accurate and comprehensible representations of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.C.

7

Providing Practice

The instructional approach provides questions and/or tasks in a variety of situations for students to practice knowledge or skills related to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.F.

8

Encouraging Students to Explain Their Ideas

The instructional approach routinely includes suggestions for having each student express, clarify, jusify, interpret, and represent his/her ideas about the learning goals and for having students get feedback. See indicators for Criterion V.A.

9

Guiding Interpretation and Reasoning

The instructional approach includes questions and/or tasks that guide student interpretation and reasoning about experiences with real world phenomena, representations, and/or readings related to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion V.B.

10

Probing Student Understanding

The instructional approach includes assessment questions and/or tasks that require students to show, use, apply, explain, etc., their understanding of the knowledge and/or skills specified in the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion VI.B.

Feature No.	Label	Description
1	Learning Goal	A learning goal is identified for the instructional approach. The learning goal reflects national and state standards documents.
2	Unit Purpose	The instructional approach conveys an overall sense of purpose and direction that is motivating to students and aimed at the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion I.A.
3	Sequencing Activities	The instructional approach involves students in a sequence of activities that takes the students' perspectives into account and systematically builds toward understanding of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion I.C.
4	Addressing Student Ideas	The instructional approach explicitly addresses students' ideas relevant to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion II.D.
5	Providing Real World Phenomena	The instructional approach includes accurate and comprehensible representations of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.C.
6	Representing Ideas Effectively	The instructional approach includes accurate and comprehensible representations of the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.C.
7	Providing Practice	The instructional approach provides questions and/or tasks in a variety of situations for students to practice knowledge or skills related to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion IV.F.
8	Encouraging Students to Explain Their Ideas	The instructional approach routinely includes suggestions for having each student express, clarify, jusify, interpret, and represent his/her ideas about the learning goals and for having students get feedback. See indicators for Criterion V.A.
9	Guiding Interpretation and Reasoning	The instructional approach includes questions and/or tasks that guide student interpretation and reasoning about experiences with real world phenomena, representations, and/or readings related to the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion V.B.
10	Probing Student Understanding	The instructional approach includes assessment questions and/or tasks that require students to show, use, apply, explain, etc., their understanding of the knowledge and/or skills specified in the learning goals. See indicators for Criterion VI.B.