Creating a Positive Classroom Environment

that Welcomes Higher Order Thinking

Christie NessCarla Diede

Why take the time? Students don’t care what you know

until they know how much you care. Students’ environment is different from

past students. Attainment of life skills is vital. Breaks down barriers to learning. Take time now to save time in the

future.

Make it meaningful Best to start at the beginning of year Keep the goal in mind

› What skill(s) are you focusing on? Don’t just do the activity to do it

› Analyze the activity through questions› Expect more than “just because” answers› Push students to explain themselves and

their feelings If you can get kids to think critically about a

“fun” activity, then they will be more likely to do the same with a content-based activity

Listening Activity: Beyond Pass Right-Pass Left

Summary: Students try to focus on a story while multitasking by passing objects to other students.

Instructions:› Each student needs a small object.› Students line up in 3 equal rows

(need at least 9 students)› Read the “Another Day with the Wright Family”

story › When left, right (or Wright), back or front is said

each student passes one object in that direction

Listening Activity: Beyond Pass Right-Pass Left

“What” Questions› How hard was it to keep up with the story?› What problems did you have when passing the object?

“So What” Questions› What impact did other’s actions have on your ability to

stay up with the story?› How hard was it to listen and pass the objects at the

same time?› How much of the story can you remember?› What role does concentration play in communication?

“Now What” Questions› What problems can occur when we don’t communicate

clearly?› How can we improve our communication with others?

Communication Activity:FORE!

Summary: Similar to Mine Field activity. Students will need to direct another student through a golf course.

Instructions:› Each student draws a 9 hole golf course and

places an X to indicate a starting point.› Students are paired up and not allowed to see

each others drawing.› Student A is blindfolded and student B

describes to student A how to move through student B’s golf course.

Communication Activity:FORE!

“What” Questions› How easy was it to follow the instructions that you were

given?› Which role did you like better, giving or receiving the

instructions? “So What” Questions

› Would it have been easier if the person drawing could talk? Why or why not?

› Describe a situation where unclear communication could be dangerous.

› Whose role is more important, the person talking or the person listening? Why?

› How can you be sure that someone has understood you correctly?

“Now What” Questions› What steps can we take to communicate more clearly?

Communication Strategies

Think-Pair-Share› Each student is given time to think about the topic on their own

before sharing with a partner. One Sentence Stories

› Students share a story with others, but are only allowed to say one sentence.

30 seconds and the Big Question› Students are given a question to discuss and each student is

given 30 seconds to share their thoughts and ideas. Chips to Chat

› Each student is given a single chip and must put it in the middle of the table to share. They cannot share again until everyone has shared. Then they start over.

Sharing Circles› Students are given an allotted time to share. No one else may

comment on what they said until they have gone completely around the circle and everyone has shared their ideas.

Problem Solving:ABC’s Not so Easy

Summary: Work as a group to write out the ABC’s as legible as possible.

Instructions:› Need markers with strings attached to

them and paper.› Students each grab one or two strings

attached to the marker.› Students work together to hold the marker

upright and write out the ABC’s

Problem Solving:ABC’s Not so Easy

“What” Questions› What was your first reaction to the challenge?› Did you come up with any strategies before starting?

“So What” Questions› What can this activity teach us about working together?› If you become frustrated while working with the group

what can you do to decrease your frustration?› Did you look at other teams to get ideas and would that

be cheating? “Now What” Questions

› If you fail the first time you try something what can you do to improve your chance of success?

› How does working together help up solve problems?

Other areas to consider Trustworthiness Respect Responsibility Fairness Caring Group Dynamics

› How many student to student interactions are you using?

Keys to Success

Keep it simple.

Energize and engage students with the activity.

You need to decide the purpose of the activity.

Students should be at the center of everything you do.

Reflective Questions Three Types

1. Content/Thinking – focus on the thinking skills used and consists of facts, concepts and information

2. Collaborative/Social – focus on interaction that occurs between students and collaboration skills used

3. Personal – focus on what individual learned or felt

Knowledge – Remember Comprehension –

Understand Application – Apply Analysis – Analyze Synthesis – Create Evaluation – Evaluate

Bloom’s Taxonomy - Pretest

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Surface Area & Volume of Solids Questions:

› What are the formulas you use to find the surface area of a prism and a cylinder?

› How does the volume of a cone compare to the volume of a cylinder with the same height?

› How would you modify a pyramid to increase its volume without changing its height?

› How is the surface area of a prism related to the shape of its base?

› How would you grade your partner’s analysis of how the prism’s base relates to its surface area?

› What changes would you make to the candy wrapper to decrease the amount of wasted material?

Middle School Questioning Example

Forces Questions

› Describe Newton’s three laws of Motion.› Compare the terms mass and weight.› Calculate the force of an object that weighs 45 kg

and moves at a rate of 15 m/s/s.› Explain why and what would happen if I

dropped an apple and a feather in a vacuum environment.

› What changes would you make to your parachute to decrease the force on the egg.

› How would you grade your partner/group on your parachute project.

High School Questioning Example

Handout: Blooms Find another person(s) in the room who

teaches a similar subject and/or grade level

3-5 minutes› Think of a unit/chapter/lesson you will be

teaching or have just finished teaching› Create at least one question at each

level of thinking

Your turn: Higher Order Questioning

Remember

Understand

•Choose appropriate units and measure the dimensions of each piece of candy and candy wrapper.

Apply •Find the surface area of each piece of candy and the area of each wrapper.

•Calculate the amount of and percentage of wasted material.

Evaluate

•Compare the amount of and percentage of each candies’ wasted space.•Explain the criteria used to order the candies from least to most

efficient.

AnalyzeCreate

•Identify which candy company has the most inefficient wrapping procedures and write a letter outlining how it affects you as a consumer.

•Include evidence to support your position and suggest a possible solution.

Middle School Project Example :Candy Wrapping

High School Project ExampleLabel the

variables and units for force

Summarize Newton’s three laws of motion

Read the current science article and relate the article to what we have learned with force

Illustrate a cartoon that

describes one of Newton’s three laws

Solve 3 of the 10 problems I created.

You must use the three step process

Explain why a shot gun “kicks” when fired. Make sure to use

terms from this unit

Create and solve your own force problem.

Evaluate one of my force problems.

Measure the force needed to move a 15 kg, 45 kg, and 75 kg

object.

Teaching steps for learning concepts› Start with main idea and address preconceptions

Use visual representation› Draw concepts or create mind pictures

Clarify understanding versus memorizing Encourage questioning

› Get students to lead their own learning through questions.

Metacognition› Thinking about how they think and learn.

Additional Strategies to teach your kids how to think critically

References Tom Jackson, 2000 : Still More Activities

That Teach. Red Rock Publishing. Jeanne Gibbs, 1995: Tribes: A New Way

of Learning and Being Together. Center Source Systems

David A. Sousa, 2006: How the Brain Learns: Third ed. Corwin Press.