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Concept-Based Inquiry in Action

Strategies to Promote Transferable Understanding

First Edition
By: Carla Marschall, Rachel French, Corwin

Foreword by H. Lynn Erickson and Lois Lanning

Concept-Based Inquiry in Action provides teachers with the tools and resources necessary to facilitate the construction and transfer of conceptual understanding in any K-12 classroom.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781506391298
Published By: Corwin
Series: Corwin Teaching Essentials
Year: 2018
Page Count: 368
Publication date: June 20, 2018

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Review Copies

Review copies may be requested by individuals planning to purchase 10 or more copies for a team or considering a book for adoption in a higher ed course. To request a review copy, contact sales@corwin.com.

Description

"This is exactly what my school needs right now to support colleagues to build on the foundations of our written concept-based curriculum and to take-off our taught curriculum to the next - and highest - levels."
Neville Kirton, Deputy Head of Secondary
Colegio Anglo Colombiano, Bogota, Colombia

"Filled with strategies, illustrations, diagrams, and pictures, this book really gives you the insight you need to help students better understand what they are learning. So many great ideas that can be used in any classroom. A must read for all educators."
Amanda McKee, 9th, Algebra/Geometry, Secondary Certified Instructor/Mentor
Johnsonville High School, Johnsonville, SC

Create a thinking classroom that helps students move from the factual to the conceptual

All students deserve the opportunity to think conceptually. But seeing conceptual relationships does not come naturally to every student. How can teachers construct thinking classrooms where students can move from the factual to the conceptual level of thinking?

Concept-Based Inquiry in Action has the answers. In this book, the authors marry theory with practice to create a new framework for inquiry that promotes deep understanding: Concept-Based Inquiry. The key is helping students to inquire into concepts and the relationships between them using guiding questions developed by the teacher, the students themselves, or by the teacher and students together. Step by step, the authors lead both new and experienced educators to implement teaching strategies that support the realization of inquiry-based learning for understanding in any K–12 classroom.

The book and its accompanying website are rich with the resources necessary to facilitate the construction and transfer of conceptual understanding, including

Numerous practical teaching strategies, aligned to each phase of Concept-Based Inquiry, that can be modified for diverse populations
Visual notes that represent significant ideas discussed within each chapter
Videos of instructional strategies and teacher interviews that show Concept-Based Inquiry in action in K–12 classrooms around the world
Templates of graphic organizers, sample anchor charts, and blackline masters that support the use of teaching strategies in the classroom
Planners that show how the phases of Concept-Based Inquiry come together in a unit

In a world filled with complexity, the role of the teacher as a facilitator of conceptual understanding has never been more pressing. Concept-Based Inquiry in Action provides teachers with the tools necessary to organize and focus student learning around concepts and conceptual relationships that support deep understanding.

Key features

The book will feature:

A new framework for inquiry that leads to deeper understanding: Concept-Based Inquiry

Blackline masters/templates of graphic organizers and student rubrics, supporting use of teaching strategies in the classroom.

Videos of instructional strategies and teacher interviews, showing Concept-Based Inquiry in action. With footage across multiple continents and from different school settings, our video component demonstrates various ways that concept-based practices have been adapted to meet the unique needs of the classroom.

Author(s)

Carla Marschall

Carla Marschall is an experienced educator, curriculum developer, and pedagogical leader, who has worked in a variety of leadership roles in international schools in Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore over the past ten years. She currently works as the Director of Teaching & Learning at UWC South East Asia, with the mission to make “education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” A certified Lynn Erickson Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Consultant, Carla is the co-author of Concept-Based Inquiry in Action (Corwin, 2018). Carla holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Applied Educational Leadership and Management from the Institute of Education, University of London.

Website: http://www.connectthedotsinternational.com/

Rachel French

Rachel French, MA Ed, Rachel is a full-time educational consultant and presenter. Through workshops and ongoing consultation Rachel supports schools around the world with the planning and implementation of Concept-Based Inquiry. She also coaches and provides feedback to teams of teachers on curriculum development. She is experienced in aligning Concept-Based Inquiry and the IB programmes.

Rachel is an international teacher, who has worked in schools in South America, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. She is a certified Independent Consultant, Presenter and Trainer with Lynn Erickson and Lois Lanning. Rachel has presented numerous workshops in Europe and Asia, including workshops with Dr. Erickson, Dr. Lanning and Carla Marschall.

Rachel is also the director of Professional Learning International (PLI), a company she founded to support international schools and educators in accessing leading professional development opportunities. Through PLI, Rachel French is now the sole provider of the annual Dr. H. Lynn Erickson and Dr. Lois A. Lanning Certification Institute for Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Trainers and Presenters.

E-mail: Rachel_french@prolearnint.com

Website: www.professionallearninginternational.com

Corwin

Table of Contents

Foreword by H. Lynn Erickson and Lois A. Lanning

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Illustrator

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Foundations of Concept-Based Inquiry

Bringing Together Inquiry-Based and Concept-Based Learning

Part 1: Exploring Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry Approaches in Concept-Based Inquiry

Part 2: Exploring Concept-Based Learning

Concepts as Organizers

The Structures of Knowledge and Process

Disciplines Draw From Knowledge and Process

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 2: Concept-Based Inquiry

A Model of Concept-Based Inquiry

The Phases of Concept-Based Inquiry

The Complexity of Inquiry

Concept-Based Inquiry and the Inductive Approach

Creating a Culture of Concept-Based Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 3: Planning for Concept-Based Inquiry

What Planning Steps Support Concept-Based Inquiry?

How Can Teachers Enhance Their Understanding of a Unit?

What Role Do Guiding Questions Play in Concept-Based Inquiry?

What Do the Phases of Concept-Based Inquiry Look Like in a Unit?

Pacing in Concept-Based Inquiry

How Do the Phases of Inquiry Support Teacher Planning for Concept-Based Inquiry?

What Are Approaches for Making Interdisciplinary Links?

Connecting to the Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 4: Engage

Activating Prior Knowledge Using Engagement Strategies

Using Strategies to Motivate Students

Initial Questions, Initial Thinking

Rethinking Our Use of Engagement Strategies

Opinion-Based Strategies

Experiential Strategies

Discussion-Based Strategies

Assessment in the Engage Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 5: Focus

Using Concept Formation Strategies to Focus an Inquiry

Concepts Provide Breadth and Depth

Levels of Conceptual Thinking

Effective Concept Formation Practices

Concept Formation Strategies: Deductive and Inductive Approaches

Choosing Concept Formation Strategies

Assessment in the Focus Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 6: Investigate

The Power of Factual Examples

Case Study Approaches

Focus on Skill Development

A Preface to Strategies

Assessment in the Investigate Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 7: Organize

Making Meaning Using Organizers

Cognitive Load Theory and the Importance of Organizing

Representation and Conceptual Understanding

Sharing Findings as a Community of Inquirers

A Preface to Strategies

Assessment in the Organize Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 8: Generalize

An Inductive Approach to Generalizing

Developing Strong Generalizations

Scaffolding Thinking

The Value of Recording Generalizations

The Importance of Discussion

A Preface to Strategies

Assessment in the Generalize Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 9: Transfer

Transfer That Deepens Understanding

Testing and Justifying Generalizations

Understanding New Events and Situations

Predicting and Hypothesizing

Applying Learning

Taking Action

Assessment in the Transfer Phase

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 10: Reflect

The Power of Reflection

The Reflective Cycle

Building Agency

Reflection Throughout the Inquiry

Assessing Reflection Throughout the Inquiry

Connecting Phases of Inquiry

Pause and Reflect

Chapter 11: Concluding Thoughts

A Vision for Thinking Classrooms

Understand and Adapt

Resources

Resource A. Concept-Based Inquiry Glossary of Terms

Resource B. Concept-Based Inquiry Planner

Resource C. Sample Concept-Based Inquiry Planner: Industrialization Unit

References

Index

Reviews

"For all its pedagogical purity, concept-based learning continues, no doubt, to perplex in practice. This book synchronizes concept and inquiry-based learning, demystifying the theories that underpin them and providing a wealth of practical classroom strategies that, ultimately, serves to deepen students’ conceptual understandings. This is exactly what my school needs right now to support colleagues to build on the foundations of our written concept-based curriculum and to take-off our taught curriculum to the next - and highest - levels."

Neville Kirton, Deputy Head of Secondary
Colegio Anglo Colombiano, Bogota, Colombia

"I feel that this is a book that is timely and needed for a clearer picture of Concept-based Inquiry in action. This is a manuscript that educators would be able to pick up, understand, and apply into the classroom."

Brenda Booth, Coordinator of Consultant Teachers, Concept-Based Trainer
Burlington-Edison School District, Burlington, WA

"Filled with strategies, illustrations, diagrams, and pictures, this book really gives you the insight you need to help students better understand what they are learning. So many great ideas that can be used in any classroom. A must read for all educators."

Amanda McKee, 9th, Algebra/Geometry, Secondary Certified Instructor/Mentor
Johnsonville High School, Johnsonville, SC

"It’s not every day that you read educational literature that you know will immediately have an impact on developing and improving your teaching practice. This book is like a guide that will lead you through the steps to becoming a better Concept-Based teacher. It is a book that teachers will take to planning meetings, have open, and refer to everyday. Just as a travel guide leads you too new discoveries this book will lead you to new discoveries with Concept-Based Inquiry. With this book you will see change and success in not only your teaching practice but also the understanding that the students will have in their learning."

Trudy McMillin, Grade 5 PYP teacher, Lower School Maths Coordinator
Thuringia International School

Other Titles in: Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Critical Thinking Skills

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Related Resources

Access to companion resources is available with the purchase of this book.
The Phases of Concept-Based Inquiry [Lessons and Strategies]