Lesson Choreography: Synthesis

I created this chart to help students visualize the lesson. 

What I like about my work with UClass is that their platform forces me to integrate many features of apt, blended lesson planning including image, digital links, paper/pencil, common core standards, vocabulary, and the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. I find that my head actually hurts as I integrate all of these pieces into what I plan to be a well-designed learning experience for my fourth graders and any other young learners who may partake of these lessons.

What happens to create this brain crunch?

First, I start with the common core standard. I dig deeply into the language which often represents many concepts in a few words, hence cumbersome. I tear the standard apart into pieces as I think about the many ways my fourth graders approach learning. I wonder about what they'll need to understand this concept.

Next, I create a worksheet that leads students through a number of activities to unpack the standard including new language, model making, guided description and discussion, problem solving, and practice.  I also work to synthesize the learning with past and future concepts as well as images, experiences, and facts that are of high interest and memorable to young children.

For example, today I created a Powers of 10/Metric Lesson. I also embedded standards related to patterns, mathematical language, model making, multiplication, and division. I added activities that ranged from easy review to enrichment, and I synthesized past work with place value charts, writing/understanding numbers, rounding, base-ten model making, place value posters, and base-ten understanding.

I'm looking forward to using this activity with students as I can imagine that some light bulbs will begin to shine as students understand the base-ten system and chart with greater depth and real world application.

Teachers are lesson choreographers. We continually meld standards, expectations, student interest/passion/need, and context together to create learning environments and experience that develop confidence, concept, skill, and knowledge in multiple ways. I truly enjoy this activity, and my work as a beta-tester and participant with UClass and eduCanon in addition to my collegial work and share online and at school are growing my skill and commitment in this area. The only problem that remains is one common to educators today--so many ideas, tools, and possibilities, and so little time.


Disclosure: I receive a small fee for the UClass lessons I write.