Literacy is not a decontextualized drill of skills or learning just about "a book." You will highlight, ponder, and tab as you read about the design of Concept-Based literacy lessons. All students deserve the best literacy instruction—and this IS the BEST. —H. Lynn Erickson The guide for designing and implementing Concept-Based literacy lessons A Concept-Based Curriculum is designed to help students uncover important, transferable understandings about what it means to be a capable reader, writer, speaker, viewer, listener, and thinker. But, too often, a well-designed, conceptual curriculum does not translate into conceptual teaching. Concept Based Literacy Lessons helps bridge that divide, and provides practical support for teachers implementing Concept-Based literacy lessons. This essential guide picks up where the book, Designing Concept-Based Curriculum for English Language Arts left off. Authors Lois Lanning and Tiffanee Brown explain how to move from design to actionable practice by providing tools and examples straight from the classroom. They’ll also show teachers how to use common literacy instructional practices (such as Socratic Seminar, close reading, think aloud, explicit instruction, and so forth) to support students′ transfer of conceptual understanding. Written especially for literacy teachers, readers will find Step-by-step help with lesson planning for conceptual understanding and transfer Ideas for supporting inductive learning Classroom Snapshots that showcase familiar literacy practices in Concept-Based classrooms Strategies to promote critical, reflective, and conceptual thinking Model elementary and secondary Concept-Based lesson and unit plans A chapter devoted to answering frequently asked questions For educators looking for practical ways to implement a Curriculum and Instruction Model that’s more inquiry-driven and idea-centered, look no further than this book.

This indispensable guide combines proven curriculum design with teaching methods that encourage students to learn concepts as well as content and skills for deep understanding across all subject areas.

Students become experts and innovators through Concept-Based teaching Innovators don’t invent without a deep understanding of how the world works. With this foundation, they apply conceptual understanding to solve new problems. We want our students to not only retain ideas, but relate them to other things they encounter, using each new situation to add nuance and sophistication to their thinking. To do this, they need conceptual understanding. This book serves as a road map for Concept-Based teaching. Discover how to help students uncover conceptual relationships and transfer them to new situations. Specifically, teachers will learn: Strategies for introducing conceptual learning to students Four lesson frameworks to help students uncover conceptual relationships How to assess conceptual understanding, and How to differentiate concept-based instruction Look no further. For deep learning and innovative thinking, this book is the place to start. "The authors tear down the false dichotomies of traditional vs innovative education and provide a practical toolkit for developing creativity and applying knowledge through Concept-Based learning. Every practitioner needs this book to juxtapose what worked well in the 20th Century with what is essential in the 21st Century and beyond." Michael McDowell, Superintendent Ross School District, Ross, CA "While most good educators recognise the incredible value of teaching conceptually, it is challenging. The authors have created accessible, practical baby steps for every teacher to use." Dr. Vincent Chan, principal Fairview International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Create a thinking classroom that helps students move from the factual to the conceptual Concept-Based Inquiry is a framework for inquiry that promotes deep understanding. The key is using guiding questions to help students inquire into concepts and the relationships between them. Concept-Based Inquiry in Action provides teachers with the tools and resources necessary to organize and focus student learning around concepts and conceptual relationships that support the transfer of understanding. Step by step, the authors lead both new and experienced educators to implement teaching strategies that support the realization of inquiry-based learning for understanding in any K–12 classroom.

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

This book helps teachers and teacher librarians effectively collaborate to teach students the concept of the Big6 and complete research projects in meaningful and memorable ways. Utilizing the popular and familiar illustrated graphic novel format that appeals to young learners, Big6, Large and in Charge: Project-Based Information Literacy Lessons for Grades 3–6 is a book of collaborative unit plans for teacher librarians and teachers that includes all the reproducible materials needed to implement the units. The units are based around the Common Core State Standards, AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner, and other national content standards. Developed by two library media specialists with extensive experience in creating educational and entertaining lesson plans for teachers, the book takes the concept of Big6 a step further by transforming the process into an engaging character who drops in to help students solve the problems. The exercises presented are based on interesting, realistic situations and are specifically designed to encourage critical thinking.

Teacher education is an evolving field with multiple pathways towards teacher certification. Due to an increasing emphasis on the benefits of field-based learning, teachers can now take alternative certification pathways to become teachers. The Handbook of Research on Field-Based Teacher Education is a pivotal reference source that combines field-based components with traditional programs, creating clinical experiences and “on-the-job” learning opportunities to further enrich teacher education. While highlighting topics such as certification design, preparation programs, and residency models, this publication explores theories of teaching and learning through collaborative efforts in pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 settings. This book is ideally designed for teacher education practitioners and researchers invested in the policies and practices of educational design.

Develop students’ critical thinking, abstract reasoning, and creative learning skills with concept-based teaching! Take learning beyond the facts with a teaching approach that develops conceptual thinking and problem-solving skills. A Concept-Based curriculum recaptures students’ innate curiosity about the world and provides the thrilling feeling of using one’s mind well. Concept-Based teachers will learn how to: Meet the demands of rigorous academic standards Use the Structure of Knowledge and Process when designing disciplinary units Engage students in inquiry through inductive teaching Identify conceptual lenses and craft quality generalizations

This research-based guide addresses the challenge of implementing differentiated small-group instruction in K–6 classrooms where students' abilities, needs, and interests vary widely. It is packed with ideas about how to structure literacy lessons that incorporate both collaborative and needs-based small-group instruction in order to help all students succeed. The authors explain how to use assessment to group students appropriately and how to develop whole-class instruction that leads to productive work in groups. Each chapter details engaging activities that will improve speaking listening, writing, reading, and technology skills for diverse students, including English language learners. In a large-size format for ease of photocopying, the book includes more than two dozen teaching tools.

Highlight the assets of English Learners in your classroom Students do better in school when their voices are heard. For English Learners, that means not only supporting their growing language proficiency, but also empowering them to share their linguistic and cultural identities. This practical guide, grounded in compelling research and organized around essential questions and answers, is designed to help all educators build on their current competencies to authentically harmonize home languages and cultures in the classroom. Inside you’ll find • The emotional, social, linguistic, cognitive, and academic rationale for incorporating cultural and linguistic assets • Creatively illustrated powerful practices with concrete examples of successful implementation • Myth-busting reflections to spark critical thinking about diversity, inclusive education, and family engagement • Curriculum connections tied to American and Canadian standards By recognizing and validating every student’s linguistic and cultural assets, you create a supportive environment for academic success.