The main points behind “Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction” influenced my thinking as an educator the most.
- Critical Thinking in Students: CBCI emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. To help prepare them for the real-world students are encouraged to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.
- Big Ideas/Essential Understanding: Students should have a deeper understanding in comparison to memorizing facts. Students should connect new knowledge to their existing understanding.
- Student Engagement: Organizing the curriculum around concepts, allows the classroom to foster higher levels of engagement. Students should want to be part of class discussions, excited to have hands on activities, and demonstrations/acting.
What is Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (CBCI)?
CBCI focuses on concepts rather than just facts. This approach works well in the classroom because it helps students understand the underlying principles. Their understanding/skills can be applied across different subjects and real-life scenarios. CBCI helps develop a lifelong deep understanding, critical thinking, and life skills. Using CBCI makes it easier for students to want to learn.
Concepts/Process for my own Unit Plan: The Nervous System
- Integrating Real-World Problems: Focusing on scientific concepts rather than just facts. Designing projects that allow students to explore ideas more in depth.
- Example: Starting with the neuron, students can build a 3D neuron and record how neurons travel from one another in a start stop motion video.
- Discussion/Simulations: Engaging students in discussions and reflections about the concepts they are learning helps solidify their understanding. This can encourage metacognition. By discussing how concepts relate to their own experiences, students develop a personal connection to the lesson.
- Example: After learning about sensory and motor neurons, they will be introduced to how the brain processes good and bad sensory experiences. Students will create a short skit with guiding questions on what senses are being used and how did the brain process the experience? The class will answer questions after the skit.
- Project-Based Learning (PBL): By focusing on core concepts like collaboration and problem-solving. In PBL activities students can transfer these skills to different projects and subject even going into high school/college.
- Example: Once students are aware of the PNS and CNS, they will investigate diseases of the systems. Students will be learning the process of testing, diagnosing, medications, and statistics of their disease.
Major Challenges Potentially in the Unit Plan
- Evaluation: Getting feedback throughout the unit plan to allow student voice in the activities.
- Preparation: Giving every student enough time and information to prepare for PBL.
- Discussions: Encouraging ALL students to participate. Needing to make the discussions enticing with real-life stories or positive reinforcement.
TCE Threshold Concepts
- Both teachers and students have empowerment/agency: Allowing students to have a voice in how they want to do their projects such as allowing them to pick a nervous system disease they are interested in or allowing them to create a skit makes them feel seen and part of the classroom.
- Curriculum is more than standards, textbooks, and courses of study: Teachers need to take the time to be creative and prep in order to step away from a textbook. Such as aligning what they are learning with the real-world.
- Teaching is/an intellectual engagement: Knowing the demographics of the school allow teachers to make experiences that are relatable to their students.
https://lessonbud.com/blog/teaching-for-understanding-concept-based-curriculum-and-instruction
https://www.onatlas.com/blog/concept-based-learning-curriculum
Source: Erickson, L, Lanning, L, & French, R. (2017). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom End Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.