Through open-ended provocations students are invited to investigate and uncover mathematical concepts. Provocations often begin with an inquiry question, merging students’ interests and curriculum content. In this example, near the end of the school year, students are bringing together two familiar ideas – patterns and shapes.
We were looking for a cross-curricular way to address probability content in Grade 4 Mathematics and content from Applied Design 4, which is new to the curriculum. We came up with the idea of making a game of chance, because we felt that the process of creating a game would reinforce new concepts in math and applied design by giving students an opportunity to apply these concepts in practice.
This instructional sample illustrates a sequence of lessons using a literacy-based approach in a Grade 6 Core French classroom. Although this particular sample was filmed in a Grade 6 classroom, the approaches demonstrated in the video are applicable to a range of grade levels.
This short exercise introduces teachers and students to design thinking. Students are challenged to design a watering system for a school garden that can be sustained with minimal human intervention during summer break. Students will gain an understanding of the needs of various stakeholder groups through empathic interviewing.
In this design challenge, student teams are asked to create an advertising campaign that will appeal to teens and convey strategies for getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night. Teachers provide opportunities for students to conduct research and explore issues related to sleep deprivation in a digital world.
In this activity, students are challenged to design a prototype machine or tool that is capable of restoring balance to Earth’s damaged ecosystems. Teachers should build prior knowledge related to the concepts of sustainability and ecosystems before the design day.
Dr. Lynn Erickson is an author and private consultant assisting schools and districts around the world with understanding the power of concept-based curriculum and instruction and its effects on learning. While consulting with the Curriculum and Assessment Branch in the Ministry of Education in 2012, Pat Horstead interviewed Lynn Ericson about her ideas.