This blog is designed to support the development of inquiry skills, disciplinary thinking and problem based learning approaches within social studies, geography and history.
This site is designed to support learning modules offered within the TDSB, however, others can benefit and contribute. Please send any comments or contributions to problembasedlearningtdsb@gmail.com.
http://learningin2025.wikispaces.com/PBL+Samples KADS Global EDU is a consulting firm that originated through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The videos are first-hand accounts of Problem Based Learning in action in three schools across the United States. The videos summarize PBL projects, and in these videos, the dialogue between teachers, the dialogue between students, and teacher and student reflections are highlighted Problem Based Learning in Social Studies and English http://www.slideshare.net/glennw98/pbl-for-social-studies-language-arts This slideshare provides examples and shows the PBL process. Examining the PBL model I have attached a file that shares some of the benefits of Problem Based Learning. We have used the Frayer Model to explain the process. Click here to access the file.
What do teachers say about PBL?
Click here to read a few views from classroom teachers about their experience.
Ministry of Education Inquiry Monograph This monograph provides useful ideas towards inquiry which is a key element of PBL. Click here to access the document. Inquiry-Based Learning The Capacity Building Series is produced by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat to support leadership and instructional effectiveness in Ontario schools. Teachers play the role of “provocateur,” finding creative ways to introduce students to ideas and to subject matter that is of interest to them and offers “inquiry potential” or promise in terms of opportunities for students to engage in sustained inquiry of their own Click here to access the document.
Growth Opportunities Use the attached resource to see how you can use Twitter to learn what teachers are doing with inquiry and PBL. Visit #ontsshg To explore possibilities, use a site like tagboard.com to search Twitter hashtags related to subjects of interest. Today we started #tdsbpbl and you may also access #ontsshg to participate in discussions related to SSHG. We used Tweetdeck on laptops and Hootsuite on ipads. http://www.pblearning.com/index.html This site is designed for teachers who want to include problem-based learning in their classrooms. You will find a number of resources including sample lessons, videos, templates for planning and instruction, research and articles, and links to additional information. Problem Based Learning in Social Studies and English http://www.slideshare.net/glennw98/pbl-for-social-studies-language-arts This slideshare provides examples and shows the PBL process. I have attached a file that shares some of the benefits of Problem Based Learning. We have used the Frayer Model to explain the process. Click here to access the file.
The Ministry of Education has explained the concepts of thinking for Social Studies, Geography and History. The intent is that students will"do" the discipline rather than "learn" about it. This focuses students on doing the work of the discipline which includes inquiry based learning.
Ontario Ministry of Education - Explanation Watch the Disciplinary Thinking video (specific focus begins at 3:32 in the clip). The clip may be found on Edugains
> Click Resources > Part 5: Social Studies, History and Geography – Overview Pages and Concepts of Disciplinary Thinking
Success Criteria Visit the resource page to access the success criteria that is related to each of the concepts (Social Studies, History, Geography). The success criteria sets the target for the use of disciplinary thinking. The success criteria becomes the tool students and teachers can use to assess student performance.
What do the concepts mean to elementary teachers?
The following video is an international clip that explains some of
the social studies disciplinary concepts (continuity and change,
significance, and cause and consequence).
Our approach in Ontario is being used in several nations.
What does disciplinary thinking look like in the classroom?
Watch this video to gain an understanding of disciplinary thinking and what it means for primary students.(Start at 2:46 to hear about her approach) Reflection: In this example the teacher speaks about her primary students explaining how they think like historians.
How can you develop the concepts with our students? Consider how we can use this to develop the concept Continuity and Change.
Understanding Historical Thinking
Middle School teachers can benefit from the following video series that explains the concepts of Historical Thinking
Try the following lessons to help students build an understanding of (Geographic) Perspective, (Spatial) Significance, Interrelations and Patterns and Trends. These introductory lessons are useful for grades 1-12. http://bit.ly/2cpLWdr
In this example from OESSTA, the teacher shows a systematic way to teach a concept of historical thinking by embedding it in instruction. Reflection: How can this video be used as a tool to explore continuity and change?
Developing Continuity and Change
Reflection: How this video can be used to explore the concept of continuity and change. What aspects can be observed and compared?
Developing Significance In this task students determine images that should be represented on Canadian coins based on their investigations.
Reflection: How can significance be addressed in the strands you are teaching?
Developing Perspective: An examination of the following articles/videos can be used to explore the concept of perspective or geographic perspective: Natural Resources The Footprint of the Canadian Lumber Industry Click here Elizabeth May on the decline of Canada's forests Click here Keystone Pipeline Click here Thousands rally to stop XL pipeline Click here First Nations take their pipeline protest to the top Click here Historical Perspective Columbus Controversy Click Here Christopher Columbus Click here Why do we need to explore different perspectives?
Consider how your strand or subject reflects opportunities for problem based learning.
Explore your curriclulum to determine big questions that can become the problem focus for the investigation
For social studies refer to the inquiry expectations
What are my next steps?
Consider the skills that you need to teach your students? (collaboration skills, questioning, gathering and organizing resources, interpreting and analyzing, communicating)
See how one teacher begins his inquires be focusing on building knowledge
Developing the language of Inquiry
"Most students need some help to discover what dialogue is and to develop grand conversation skills (Barnes, 2008)" http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Grand_Conversations_Junor.pdf Provide opportunities for students to see and practice the talk and listening skills needed to stimulate higher order thinking. For example: listen and speak, build on others statements, explain how you arrived at a solution, draw conclusions about what might happen next To explore this process more visit our page: Developing the Language of Inquiry.
Determine the prior knowledge that students have
Students come to many topics with an understanding from their own expeiences or background. It is useful for teachers to gather this information because it can guide the inquiry and it is a key element of the knowledge building process.
How can I find out what they know? (RAN Organizer)
1) Consider using the RAN teaching strategy (RAN Organizer). This is based on Tony Snead's adaptation of the KWL chart.
To access the file click here. (Word)
2) Another approach to determine what students know is to use an anticipation guide http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19712/. The guide will include misconceptions that surround particular concepts. Students will then explore some content related to the topic and reflect on their previous ideas.
3) See the attached page that contains a variety of strategies that teachers can use with students to determine prior knowledge and perspective.
4) Building and Activating: This article discusses the kinds of background knowledge that students bring to a learning experience. It also emphasizes the kinds of experiences that lead to understanding rather than regurgitation.
5) Examples of PBL
Explore your curriculum to determine how Problem Based Learning approaches can become the focus of your SSHG program.
Take a look at the following suggestions to see problem based challenges in grades 1-6.
Commercial Materials
Examine commercial resources that reflect challenges related to problem based learning
In East York a class is investigating their local community past and present. One of the problems is how can we learn about our past ?
Focus - Continuity and change
The class is integrating social studies and language to conduct authentic research. This plan has been shared with parents since it includes content that only parents can share. The students are asking questions, reviewing a variety of resources and analysing the data using some of the thinking concepts (continuity and change). They will be given many opportunities to communicate their learning as well.
So far the class has created different family trees to emphasize that everyone has history. This approach has also included everyone's story. Parents help their children to share the information that they are comfortable with. As I spoke with the class I could see that this activity has validated each students' experience. The family history assignment has evolved into a mapping task and provided story writing opportunities. Included in this investigation will be an analysis of images of life in the community past and present. A trip to the TDSB TUSC schoolhouse will add to the experience. The class is exploring historical fiction novels relating to the 1800s as well.
We anticipate that the class will create an annotated map highlighting the immigrant experience (past and present). We found a laminated world map at Cosco for $7.95 that will be the foundation for the annotated map. This guided inquiry has created many new questions that can be explored by the whole group.
Discipline Based Inquiry - grade 2 Inuit Unit from Alberta
Our achievement charts identify thinking as one of the components that must be assessed. This means that we need opportunities beyond "Knowledge and Understanding"
_____What is critical thinking?
The three Cs
Garfield Gini-Newman discusses the 3 Cs—critical, creative and collaborative thinking—with the host of CTV’s Ottawa Morning Live. (5:23 minutes)
In Ontario the "Thinking" segment of our achievement chart includes: use of planning skills, use of processing skills and the use of critical/creative thinking processes. In Social Studies Geography and History this includes applying the concepts of disciplinary thinking, using inquiry skills and engaging in problem-solving and decision making processes. In English this includes drawing inferences, interpreting,analysing, synthesizing, evaluating, oral discourse, research, critical analysis, critical literacy,metacognition, and creative process
Understanding critical thinking Critical thinking involves thinking through
problematic situations about what to believe or how to act where the thinker makes
reasoned judgments that embody the qualities of a competent thinker.
Read the following document to gain a deeper understanding aboutthinking critically,which really refers to the quality of our thinking.
Embedded skill development (Thinking Skills) across the curriculum
This video
explains with interesting visuals and specific examples how to systematically
integrate the skill and content dimensions of the curriculum to enhance
students' understanding and increase their ability to think and learn more
effectively. Prepared with the support of the Learning Network and the Council
of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training, the video explores (6:32
min)
_____Which questions are critical thinking questions?
Who lives farthest away from here? What is your favorite beverage? Was John A MacDonald a good leader? The CT2 has emphasized three types of questions that are asked in classrooms
Questions that focus on a literal response
Questions that ask for an opinion
Questions that require a judgement using some form of criteria
Our goal is to provide opportunities and instruction to enable students to make decisions while gathering evidence, or interpreting and analyzing information and data. This requires questions that go beyond literal information and opportunities for students to develop criteria for their decisions.
How can you lead the develop of Critical Thinking Approaches in your learning community?
See the presentation listed below. This outlines a presentation delivered in Alberta with embedded video clips.
There are six levels of bloom's taxonomy, in order (lowest to highest), are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The stages reflect different aspects of the cognitive domain, which relate to how the brain processes information and thoughts. The tools associated with Blooms Taxonomy can help us to facilitate questions that demand reasoned decisions. This tool emphasizes the importance of remembering information, but it also shows other aspects of thinking.
What does Bloom's Taxonomy look like? (variety of posters)
Reflection
How do these questions relate to the curriculum you teach?
What opportunities (scaffolding) do you need to provide so students can succeed with these types of questions?
_____How can I move forward in my classroom?
-creating frequent opportunities to develop skills
-teaching specific thinking tools to build competence
-supporting independent student use of the thinking tools Listen to Lucy West as she talks about the discourse that occurs in many classrooms.
How can changes in this discourse promote student thinking opportunities? Can we model and practice the skills that lead to critical thinking? See the Language of Inquiry page to explore ideas relating to accountable talk.
Use this summary during your planning to help you embed critical thinking
into every lesson. This guide is useful without becoming a member):
_____Critical Thinking Challenges
See the samples of critical challenges primarily produced through the Critical Thinking Consortium. These samples reflect primary, junior and intermediate classrooms.
_____What about Assessment?
Thinking is part of our Achievement Chart in Ontario so it is integral to learning. The achievement chart provides a rubric and teachers can develop success criteria with their classes and departments to ensure that students are evaluated fairly. The assessment process (As and For) provides students with opportunities to receive feedback to improve their learning.
Reflection How does the achievement chart help us to focus on Thinking in our assessment and evaluation? What aspects of thinking are focused on in the current units/course outline you are teaching? How are you using assessment for/as learning to develop reasoning skills? How can your grade team/department focus on developing "thinking skills" so students can use content to make reasoned decisions?
In this critical challenge, students develop and use criteria to select artifacts that represent their personal identities. Students share their artifacts with a partner and discuss their significance, before selecting the three most powerful artifacts that represent their most unique and important features.
In this critical challenge, students examine historical images depicting key groups (e.g., Francophone, First Nations, Metis, Inuit, European immigrants) in urban and rural settings in Alberta. Students then tell a story about life in Albertas past, based on the evidence found in the visuals.
Creating a Commemorative Box http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssoc5/html/creatingacommemorativebox_cc.html
Decorate the inside and outside of a commemorative box to show both the influence of a specific person on a community and the impact of that community on the person's identity.
Identify especially notable contributions made by one of the groups living in Alberta during the 19th and early 20th centuries and express your appreciation, in a letter, to an appropriate cultural organization connected to the group.
Determine the stories that artifacts tell about life for early Albertans.
Write a persuasive letter to a curator explaining why a particular artifact deserves to be added to the museum's
Students explore the implications of Confederation by determining whether three key decisions represented an extreme makeover or merely a paper change to life in Canada in the 20 years before and after 1867.
In this two-part critical challenge, students research and assess the most significant contribution made to pre-Confederation British North America by assigned historical figures, then write brief epitaphs that praise the involvement and contributions of three of these figures.
In this critical challenge, students rewrite a pre-Confederation Canadian event, based on a specific perspective, using relevant and available evidence.
In this two-part critical challenge, students gather evidence to rate the extent to which four conditions for peaceful co-existence were present for an assigned group - First Nations, Metis, French or British - during the fur trade of the 1700s. Students then write a recipe for peaceful co-existence among the four groups, based on the perspective of their assigned group.
In this critical challenge, students consider criteria, based on such factors as transportation, natural resources, geography and climate, to determine the best location for a new community in an assigned region of Canada.
In this two-part critical challenge, students identify the perspective and message depicted in drawings of early contact between Europeans and First Nations people in pre-Confederation Canada. Students then redraw or describe the drawing, based on an alternative perspective.
In this critical challenge, students research the events and results of the Red River resistance of 1869 and the second Metis uprising of 1885. Students then write and perform a monologue that reflects the experiences and perceived reactions of an individual who played a key role in these conflicts.
Several examples of the inquiry process were shared and we listened to a colleague from Midland as he explained how inquiry and problem based learning is demonstrated in his classroom.
In the picture below we see how the class acted on their learning. They shared with the greater community and they have impacted town. Click here to read the complete article.
Planning for authentic integrated learning with a focus on Canadian Identity (video). This could be considered a problem - How do we repreent Canadian Identity?
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