+

Inquiry to Meet the Common Core State Standards

Training Modules brought to you by the Idaho State Department of Education and Rachel Bear, Jess Westhoff, Ramey Uriarte, Paula Uriarte, and Chris Butts, Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

+
Opening Activity: Stand and Deliver
1.
2.

Everything that is learned must be taught.

Students and teachers have equal responsibility for learning.

3. 4.

Only the curious will learn.

Genuine understanding cannot be measured.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Inquiry Unit Planning: Overview

Essential Question: How can we use the Common Core State Standards and inquiry to create significant learning experiences for our students?

Step

1: Articulate Unit Goals (see Module #4)

Step
Step Step Step

2: Craft an Essential Question

3: Create a Culminating Project 4: Develop Frontloading Activities 5: Sequence Instruction

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Our Learning Targets

Create

a unit plan that structures significant learning experiences for your students and that is aligned with the Common Core. and practice strategies for helping students develop the writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills required by the Common Core.

Explore

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

It is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.
~Albert Einstein

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Why Wilhelms Inquiry Model?

Follows Intuitive Relevance Situated

Apprenticeship Model

Learning Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991)

Click here to see a video exploring the question Why Inquiry?

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Models of Inquiry
Tina Blythe & Associates (1997) Teaching for Understanding Framework Articulate Throughlines (Overarching Goals) Identify Generative Topics and Understanding Goals Work Toward Performances of Understanding 1-Introductory 2-Guided 3-Culminating Ongoing Assessement

Kath Murdoch (1998) Integrated Inquiry

Wiggins & McTighe (1998) UBD, The Backward Design Process Stage 1: what is worthy and requiring of understanding? State 2: What is evidence and understanding? Stage 3: what learning , experience, and teaching promote understanding, interest, and excellence

Wilhelm (2007) Inquiry and Design

Tuning in Finding Out Sorting Out Going Further Making Conclusions Taking Action

Identify a problem or issue/ask an essential/framing question Set the task/identify culminating projects and how to get there Find and become familiar with important data/texts Develop new data (survey, experiment, etc.) Select and organize data Analyze data to see new patterns Represent what has been learned Share what has been learned Solicit feedback Reflect Revise Undertake Social Actions

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

The Apprenticeship Model: The Six Ms

1) Motivate: Essential Questions and Frontloading Model: Teacher Does/Students Watch

2)

Examples: read alouds, guided reading, think alouds, drama strategies, and visual strategies

3)

Mentor: Teacher Does/Students Help and Students Do Together/Teacher Helps

Gradual release of responsibility and genuine collaboration

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

The Apprenticeship Model: The Six Ms (continued)

4) Monitor: Students Do Together or Alone/ Teacher Watches

Independent application of all strategies to complete culminating projects

5)

Multiple Modalities: Students Assisted in Various Ways

Use strengths to address weaknesses

6)

Multiple Measures of Success: Multiple Opportunities to Demonstrate Progress and Achievement

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Click HERE to see an overview of Inquiry

Frame the Unit with an Essential Question

Scaffold Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge through Sequencing Frontload Concepts, Procedures and Prior Schema and Motivate

Sequenced, Cyclical, Engaging Instruction to Practice Concepts and Procedures

Gradual Release of Responsibility as Students Work Toward Culminating Project, Collecting Feedback

Assess Learning with a Culminating Project that represents the students answer to the EQ Click HERE to see an explanation of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge

Step One: Articulate Unit Goals

See Standards Grouping Activity in Module #4

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Step Two: Craft an Essential Question

Guiding Question: How can we craft essential questions that will engage students in the real work of historians, scientists, agriculturalists, executives, writers, readers, artists, and mathematicians?
What

types of questions do people ask in your discipline?

Click here to see a video of this activity

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

+ Purposes of Essential Questions

Mirror the thinking of experts in the discipline Establish a purpose for the learning Generate motivation

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

+ Criteria for Essential Questions

Open-ended and arguable multiple possible answers Student friendly Get at the heart of the discipline

Edgy
Concise and clearly stated Could transform students understanding and ways of being in the world

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Examples of Essential Questions

Biology: Why do things die? Literature: Should we conform? History: How should we use our power? Government: What makes a great leader? Math: When is it appropriate to estimate?

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Examples of Essential Questions: Which one is best?

Which wars have had results that have not justified fighting? Is war necessary? Do you agree with engaging in war?

What reasons are compelling enough to justify war?

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Brainstorm Essential Questions

Select one of the four groups of standards you created during step one in Module #4.

Consider the group of standards, thematic title, and texts you listed.
Brainstorm possible essential questions based on the standards, theme, and/or texts.
Ask questions that Get at the heart of your discipline Require students to make judgments Raise ethical or moral issues Matter for students now and in the future

Tips to Remember:

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Your Essential Question

Write the essential question you have selected for your unit on your Unit Planning Template.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Step Three: Create a Culminating Project

Guiding Question: How can we create AUTHENTIC assessments (which are also significant learning experiences) that allow us to learn what students know and can do?

Click here to see a video of this activity

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Purposes of Culminating Projects

Allow students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts and procedures summative assessment opportunities Create an immediate venue for application of what was learned

Establish a goal students are working toward throughout the unit

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Your Culminating Project

Use

the Culminating Project Template to develop your culminating project. you are happy with your project, copy the description to your Unit Planning Template.

When

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Step Four: Develop Frontloading Activities

Guiding Question: How can we immediately motivate students to engage in the inquiry while simultaneously activating their prior knowledge and establishing the learning targets?

Click here to see a video of this activity

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Purposes of Frontloading

Activate students prior knowledge and build students background information regarding the central ideas of your unit. Motivate students for reading and inquiry. Organize the inquiry by helping students set purposes for their learning, clarify what they are coming to know, and monitor their learning progress.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Example of Frontloading: Two Pictures

Examine

the two pictures of Johannesburg :

Johannesburg, 1886

Johannesburg, 1896

What
What

do you notice?
do you wonder?

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Example of Frontloading: Opinionaire

Consider

the statements listed. Next to each statement write A (agree) or D (disagree). Be prepared to defend your responses. with your group about your responses to each statement. As a group, try to come to consensus on each of the statements. group discussion: which were most compelling?

Talk

Full

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Example of Frontloading: Think Puzzle - Wonder

On

a sheet of paper, write down what you know or think you know about the conservation of energy principle. here to see a video of this activity

Click In

the next available space, note the questions you have about conservation of energy or other ideas you thought of while watching the clip. with a partner to generate ideas about how we can explore your questions. Write these down.

Work

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Your Frontloading
On

the second page of the Unit Planning Template, describe one or two frontloading ideas you have for your unit. to consider your essential question and your culminating project. What would be best the way to introduce students to the unit?

Remember

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Step Five: Sequence Instruction

Guiding Question to Consider: How can we provide extended practice in miniature to help students develop practical expert knowledge, especially through meaningful social activity?
Principles of sequencing: Easy to Hard Immediate to Imagined Familiar to Unfamiliar Oral to Written Short to Long Scaffolded/Supported to Independent Collaborative and Socially Supported to Individual Concrete to Abstract Visually Supported to Purely Textual
(Ideas for sequencing from Wilhelm, 2007; Wilhelm, Baker and Hackett, 2001)

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Example of Instructional Sequence

Central

Standard: RL.7.9Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. for Sequencing: Story telling and fictionalizing with peer Photographs and paintings Documentary and film clips Excerpts from letters and poems Articles and short stories Novel

Ideas

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Your Instructional Sequence

Consider your central CCSS standard for your unit. Using the principles of sequencing, create a plan for how you will scaffold that skill throughout the unit.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Your Instructional Sequence: Share

Talk to a partner at your table. Provide a brief overview of your unit and the skill you have chosen to focus on.

Describe the sequencing you have determined to help your students develop this skill.
Explain how you are following the principles of sequencing to support your students in developing this skill.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Composing the First Draft of Your Inquiry Unit Plan

Work alone or with a partner to finish drafting your Inquiry Unit Plan. Central CCSS Standard (written out) Other CCSS focus standards (abbreviated) Essential Question Culminating Project Frontloading Activity Instructional Sequence for the Central Skill (and, possibly, other sequencing ideas) Other Ideas for the Unit Possible Texts (Informational/Explanatory and Literary) Hang your poster on the wall when you are finished

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Synthesis: Gallery Walk of Unit Plans

Walk around and view your colleagues posters.

Write your specific feedback (in the form of a PQP) on a sticky note and attach it to the edge of your colleagues poster.
Praise Question Possibilities

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Gallery Walk Debrief: P-Q-P

Praise:

As a group, what did we do well? Anything you saw that you really liked?
What are we wondering about planning inquiry units? What are some areas for improvement?

Questions:

Possibilities:

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

Connect Extend - Challenge

Your exit ticket is a Connect Extend Challenge.

Connect what we explored today with what you already knew.

Explain how your thinking was extended or pushed in new directions.

Describe what is still challenging or confusing.

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants

References
Blythe, T. (1998). The teaching for understanding guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Common core state standards initiative. (2012). Retrieved from www.corestandards.org. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning, legitimate peripheral participation. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible, how to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass. Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wilhelm, J. D. (2007). Engaging readers & writers with inquiry, promoting deep understanding in language arts and the content areas with guiding questions. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Wilhelm, J. D., Baker, T., & Dube, J. (2001). Strategic reading: Guiding students to lifelong literacy, 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.

Acknowledgements

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants involved in developing activities in this module:

Kellie Hannum Anna Daley Cecilia Pattee Jess Westhoff Rachel Bear

Boise State Writing Project Teacher Consultants