Curriculum Topic Study Presented by Becky W. Smith

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Curriculum Topic StudyPresented byBecky W.
Smith

• Understanding what students need to know about
  core content and the program of studies.

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Presentation Provided by the P-12 Math and
Science Outreach Division of PIMSER
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Whos All Here?
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Something to think about

• Why is it important to think through the flow of
  learning before choosing or inventing activities?
• How is this different from what you do now?
• Turn to a partner and discuss these questions.

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Why are we here?

• Kentucky Core Content for Assessment
• Program of Studies
• Why do we have them?
• Are they the same thing?
• Why should I be concerned with PoS?

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How were they developed?

• Stakeholders in the development of national
  standards
• Criteria for inclusion utility, social
  responsibility, intrinsic value, philosophical
  value, and childhood enrichment

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What resources can we use to make sense of what
we teach?

• Materials Science for All Americans,
  Benchmarks, Atlas, National Science Education
  Standards, CTS book, Science Matters, Making
  Sense of Secondary Science.

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Benefits to teachers?

• How can we know what content bullets,
  understandings, and skills mean in order to
  provide effective instruction for our students?
• What misconceptions exist with my students on
  certain topics?
• What does instructional research say about the
  best way to teach the topic?

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Curriculum Topic Study

• Materials needed
• Specific content bullets, program of studies
  skills/understandings
• Books
• Time, time, time

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Curriculum Topic Study Process

• Identify the specific topic you wish to study
• Find the study section in the CTS book
• Read indicated selections from resources

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Properties of Matterpg. 171 CTS

• We will be working through a topic together.
• We will all complete Section I and II.
• We will jigsaw Section III, IV, V, and VI.

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Section I

• ADULT CONTENT
• What big ideas and major concepts make up this
  topic?
• What new content did you learn or improve your
  understanding of?
• What examples or contexts were used to explain
  the ideas?
• What other new insights about the topic did you
  gain from the reading?

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Now Pair Up!
How can what you read help you to improve
instruction and student understanding?
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Section II

• INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
• What suggestions are provided for effective
  instruction of the topic?
• What student learning difficulties,
  misconceptions, or developmental considerations
  are mentioned?
• Does the reading suggest contexts, phenomena,
  representations, or everyday experiences that are
  effective in learning the ideas in the topic?
• What other new insights about the topic did you
  gain by reading this section?

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Its Time to Jigsaw!

• The next 4 sections will be done as a jigsaw.
• Each group will be responsible for their section
  and sharing out important points with the group.
• Group 1Section III
• Group 2Section IV
• Group 3Section V and VI

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Section 3 Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas

• Which learning goals align well with the topic?
• What concepts, specific ideas, or skills make up
  the learning goals in this topic?
• How do these goals help you clarify what is
  important to teach in the topic?
• How do these goals help you determine what you
  can eliminate or place less emphasis on?
• How does the level of sophistication in the
  learning goals change from one grade span to the
  next?

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Section 4 Examine Research on Student Learning

• What specific misconceptions or alternative ideas
  might a student have about this topic?
• Are there suggestions about what might contribute
  to students misconceptions or difficulties?
• Which ideas seem to be the most resistant to
  change?
• Is there an age or grade when students are more
  likely to learn certain ideas in this topic?
• How does the research draw attention to certain
  prerequisites?

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Section 5 Examine Coherency and Articulation

• How does a map help you trace a concept or skill
  from its simple beginning to a culminating,
  interconnected, sophisticated idea?
• What connections can you identify among concepts
  or skills in the topic?
• What connections can you identify to different
  content areas within and outside of science?
• What prerequisite ideas can you identify for
  learning the topic at your grade level?

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Section 6 Clarify State Standards and District
Curriculum

• Which suggestions from Sections 2-5 align well
  with your state or district standards or
  frameworks?
• Where do you see gaps that need to be addressed?
• How does the addition of cognitive performance
  verbs affect the learning of ideas in the topic?
• How can the research findings inform the
  placement of your state or district standards?

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Do I really need to know about misconceptions?
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Curriculum Topic Study Effects

• In-depth knowledge of content understanding
  needed at the end of k-12 education
• Awareness of student problems and misconceptions
  with particular content
• Understanding of instructional implications of
  content on unit design

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CTS Possible Products

• Formative Assessments
• Instructional Units
• Aligned Curriculum
• Aligned Course requirements

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Contact Information

• Becky Smith
• Warf45_at_windstream.net