American classrooms have seen change after change over the last few years, balancing the post COVID student experience and adapting to continuous updates in technology. Facts are sitting at almost every fingertip, in each back pocket, or even on your wrist! A quick search can give you almost any tidbit of information you may ask. Classrooms must move away from the regurgitation of dates and facts! Concept Based Curriculum Instruction (CBCI) introduces true critical thinking into today’s classroom.
Wait… CBCI?
CBCI is an educational framework that is led by the creativity, problem solving, and inquiry of the students. It’s design is 3 dimensional- what does the student know (factually), understand (conceptually), and do (skillfully)?
- CBCI pushes students past the lower cognitive work of regurgitating facts. They are asked real world questions in an environment where they can explore the process to really establish a deep understanding of the topic
- CBCI expects students, through teacher guidance, to connect different concepts. This skill is imperative in transferring knowledge and skills across subject areas, or into job sites.
- CBCI presents students with an opportunity to grow their personal intellectual character. Young learners experience creative thinking, critical thinking, Reflective (metacognitive) thinking, and problem solving.
Why CBCI?
- Curriculum is more than standards, textbooks, or courses of study.
- CBCI impacts the lives of students beyond the classroom. It provides them with the access to their greatest resource- their intellect. This can not easily be taken away from them. Students will gain the ability to transfer knowledge and skills between classes, jobs, and within their chosen communities.
- Both teachers and students have empowerment and agency
- CBCI gives the students a voice in their education. The students’ question, build upon each other, and explore avenues that the teacher might not have thought of. Each person comes from a different background. Each class may go different directions when attempting to answer larger conceptual questions.
CBCI in Action
I am an elementary school intervention specialist. I work with K-1 students with moderate to intense needs in a unit. My students can often face challenges with completing certain academic assignments. In my classroom, students have begun experiencing concept based curriculum instruction through structured play opportunities.
For my unit plan, I want to focus on the concept of cause and effect. Students can explore what will happen in different situations. I can ask what will happen if the toy car gets hit by another toy car. They can explore this off of a ramp, on the floor, both cars pushed, only one pushed- whatever they come up with! I will provide different terrains for the cars to be in (sensory bins with rice, sand, rocks, leaves). We can then explore cause and effect in falling building blocks, or blowing and popping bubbles. I will provide several different opportunities for them to explore.
My biggest challenge will probably be that my student population is pre-verbal. I will provide visual supports such as AAC for “fall” or “stop” to aide in the discussion of what is happening. They may also become focused on their own goals with the toys rather than continuing to explore our concept and may need many prompts and breaks.