CONCEPT-BASED UNIT DESIGNAccording to Dr. Lynn Erickson

Claudia Fayad – PYP Coordinator

The Workshop• “Working the Conceptual Level

Through the PYP, MYP and Diploma Programmes”

• Dr. Lynn Erickson– Concept-Based Curriculum and

Instruction for the Thinking Classroom (2007)

– Stirring the Head, Heart and Soul: Redefining Curriculum and Instruction (2008)

The Aims• How can the IB help us move from a

two-dimensional to a more effective three-dimensional model for curriculum and instruction?

The Aims (II)

• How is knowledge structured, and how can we use this structure to focus teaching and learning, and significantly improve the academic performance of all students?

The Aims (III)

• What is a “conceptual lens”, and why is a conceptual lens essential to develop higher-level thinking and increased motivation for learning?

« There will not be a significant improvement in education until teachers

(and administrators) understand the importance of concepts and conceptual

understanding to intellectual development, deeper understanding, and student

motivation for learning. »

Dr. Lynn Erickson

Traditional curriculum is topic-based

• Our Earth• The sun• The human body• Space travel• Desert animals• Volcanoes • The states of matter• etc

Two-Dimensional Curriculum Design

THREE-DIMENSIONAL CURRICULUM DESIGN

Processes/Skills

Factual/Content

Factual/Content

Processes/Skills

CONCEPTS

,

PRINCIP

LES

AND

GENERALI

SATI

ONS

vs

Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional

COVERAGE –CENTERED,INTELLECTUALLY SHALLOW

• “inch-deep, mile-wide”• Lacks a conceptual focus to

create a factual/conceptual brain synergy

IDEA-CENTERED,INTELLECTUAL DEPTH

• Facts provide a foundation to understand conceptual, transferrable ideas

• A “conceptual lens” or focus requires mental processing on the factual and conceptual levels—producing intellectual depth in thinking and understanding

Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional (II)

FAILS TO ALLOW FOR TRANSFER,FAILS TO MEET THE INTELLECTUAL DEMANDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

• Facts do not transfer: locked in time, place or situation

CONCEPTS AND GENERALISATIONS TRANSFER,DEVELOPS THE INTELLECT TO HANDLE A WORLD OF INCREASING COMPLEXITY AND ACCELERATING CHANGE

• Topic• Fact • Locked in time, place

or situation• Trivial—as compared

to concepts• BUT, you cannot

understand a concept if you don’t have factual examples!

• Concept• Generalisation • Allows for transfer• Universal• Abstract

Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional (III)

CONCEPTUAL LEVEL

• Generalisations• Essential understandings• Big ideas• Enduring understandings (Wiggins & McTighe)• Universal generalizations• Significant concept statements (MYP)• Central Idea (PYP)

A Concept-Based Unit

According to Dr. Lynn Erickson

What makes a unit “concept-based”?

• The conceptual/factual synergy built into the curricular design

• Concept-based units can be either transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary or intradisciplinary

Concept-based unit components1. Title2. Conceptual lens3. Concepts and sub-concepts4. Generalisations (essential, enduring

understandings)5. Guiding & essential questions6. Critical content7. Key skills8. Performance tasks & scoring guides9. Learning experiences10. Resources & teacher notes

Unit Title

• « The centering topic of study »• For the PYP: The TransdisciplinaryTheme

Conceptual Lens

• « A broad, integrating concept that acts as a conceptual filter for students to use in processing factual information. »

• Without a conceptual focus for content study, the intellectual work for the unit will be shallower

• Examples: perspective, change, conflict, etc.• (HEREIN LIES OUR “PROBLEM”!)

Concepts & Subconcepts

• « The macro- and micro-concepts that give transferable relevance to the study, and that are derived from the critical content. »

• « Concept: A mental construct which frames a set of examples sharing common attributes. Concepts are timeless, universal, abstract (to different degrees) and broad. Examples: cycles, addition, ratios, organisms, diversity. »

• For the PYP: KEY & Related Concepts

Generalisations (Enduring, Essential Understandings)

• «Statements of transferable, conceptual understandings that are drawn from, and supported by, the critical content. »

• Because these ideas transfer, they cannot be specific to a time, place, person or location. These significant, conceptual, enduring ideas that students must understand at a deeper level as the result of the unit study

• For the PYP: Enduring Understandings

Guiding & Essential Questions

• « Questions of different types (e.g., factual, conceptual, or essential (provocative) that guide student thinking from concrete to abstract levels. »

• For the PYP: Teacher Questions

Critical Content

• « The factual knowledge students must KNOW in order to be competent with the topics of the unit. »

• For the PYP: Lines of Inquiry???

Key Skills

• « Skills that define what students must be able to DO. »

• Skills are transferable across situations.• Units should isolate and name the transferable

skills that are being taught and then employ those skills in learning experiences and assessments to be certain that they are taught and assessed.

• For the PYP: Transdisciplinary Skills

Performance Tasks & Scoring Guides

• « Student performance tasks that demonstrate what students must KNOW, UNDERSTAND, and be able to DO in the unit. »

• Based on the Backwards Design model of Wiggins & McTighe teachers design the unit tasks—then design the learning experiences leading up to the performances.

• The idea is to set students up for success by teaching with the end in mind.

Performance Tasks & Scoring Guides (II)

• « In a concept-based three dimensional model, the scoring guide addresses criteria describing quality performance for conceptual understanding as well as for content, knowledge and skills. »

• For the PYP: Performance Assessments & Rubrics• Plan the other unit assessments (e.g., selected

response, essay, etc.) to show evidence of learning.

Learning Experiences

• « The unit activities and student performances, supported by teacher lesson plans, that prepare students for success on the performance tasks, and that address the KNOW, UNDERSTAND and able to DO components in the unit. »

• For the PYP: Learning Experiences – Stage 4

Unit Resources & Teacher Notes

• « A listing of the needed resources to carry out the unit instruction, and any helpful teacher notes. »

• For the PYP: – Resources (Stage 5)– Reflecting on the Inquiry (Stages 6 through 9)

Our “Problem”

OUR CHALLENGE, RATHER!

Concepts

• Abstract to different degrees• Different levels of breadth• ‘Intelligence’ is a concept• ‘Transportation’ is either/or,

depending on how you use it• If used as a topic, ‘Movement’

would be the concept

Micro-Concepts and Macro-Concepts

• Macro-concepts provide the transferability necessary for a transdisciplinary curriculum.

• Micro-concepts provide more discipline-specific conceptual breadth.

Sample Conceptual Lenses• Conflict• Complexity• Belief• Paradox• Interdependence• Interactions• Freedom• Transformations• Force • Identity

• Patterns• Relationships• Origins• Change• Revolution• Perspective• Reform• Heroes• Power• Influence

• System• Balance• Structure• Function• Innovation• Design• Genius • Aesthetics • Creativity• Values

Dr. Erickson’s position• “The greatest concepts aren’t

always the ones with the greatest transferability.”

• “You need discipline-specific depth and rigour—don’t overdo transdisciplinarity.”

• “Have a transdisciplinary Central Idea and supporting ideas, and also conceptual lenses, macro-concepts and micro-concepts.”

PYP World Programme* Head’s position

• “Our the first organiser are the Transdisciplinary Themes.”

• “We (in the PYP) have one Central idea, and are beginning to write enduring understandings.”

• “The Key Concepts ensure transdisciplinarity in the PYP.”

• “The related concepts can be more discipline-specific.” (!)*

Ms.

Jenn

ifer G

iddi

ngs

The Compromise• Transdisciplinary Theme• Central Idea• Enduring Understandings• KEY Concepts• Related concepts*

*Involve more disciplines for breadth, more discipline-related concepts, but do not sacrifice depth for it.

The Compromise (II)

*There need not be one-to-one-correspondence between KEY and related concepts...

*although every related concept needs to be tied to a KEY concept.

*Therefore, you could have, say, 5 related concepts and 3 KEY ones.

THE PROPOSAL FOR US AT CCB

• Let’s not throw away the conceptual lenses that we already identified—and still find useful

• (The great transdisciplinarity of our current POI is an asset!)

• BUT let’s add more Key and related concepts to our units, so that we may give it more discipline-related breadth

Our task for the following days:

1. Extract concepts from transdisciplinary content embedded in English programme 2. Identify KEY concepts for each one of those related concepts3. Suggest 2 or 3 Transdisciplinary Themes for each English unit

Thank you!