Designing for Intellectual Engagement

Calgary Board of Education: High School Learning Leaders

2013

Galileo Educational Network

Improving Ideas – Looking at Discipline-Based Inquiry Tasks

Inquiry characteristic(s) you are looking for: ______

Evidence of the Characteristic / Suggestions for Improvement

CASE STUDY #1

Social Studies – Global Interdependency


What matters in Social Science discipline fields?
/ Social Scientists:
  • understand and engage in practical and ethical issues that face our communities and humankind.
  • engage in the democratic process and develop awareness of opportunities to effect positive change in communities, society and world.
  • conduct research ethically using varied methods and sources; organize, interpret and present their findings; and defend positions related to social justice
  • determine possible courses of action and consequences of potential solutions for a problem that may have multiple or complex causes and that may not have a clear solution.
  • think clearly, reason logically, open-mindedly and respectfully examine different points of view and to make sound judgments.

Learning Task: Model United Nations

You are required to research and represent the position of a country at a model United Nations Assembly. We will be discussing a total of five issues at our Model UN. You will be required to prepare an opening speech and debate each of the resolutions from the perspective of your chosen country.

Resolutions

1.Environment Resolution - Be it resolved that countries that violate international clean air and water quality standards be fined on a sliding scale commensurate with the severity of the infraction. Generated funds will be directed towardsenvironmental restoration and sustainability efforts.

2.National Sovereignty and Human Rights Resolution - Be it resolved that a United Nations standing reserve force be available to intervene when countries violate the human rights of its citizens.

3.Trade Resolution - Be it resolved that tariffs and other trade barriersbe eliminated from countries with GNP’s below an established “global poverty line”.

4.Status of Women Resolution - Be it resolved that a key strategy for reducing global poverty be addressed through targeted programsaimed at enhancing of the status of women.

5.Foreign Aid Resolution - Be it resolved that foreign aid be increased to 1% of the GNP and that it be directed towards meeting the needs of people within the poorest countries based on a poverty line recommended by a UN special committee representative of member nations.

As there will be more than one debate going on at the same time, you may be required to videotape or act as the moderator for your group during one of the debates. Remember that you are representing the views of your chosen country NOT Canada.

Preparing Your Speech and Debating the Resolutions

Sub-task 1– Developing assessment criteria – Have students view an exemplary model UN speech delivered by a college or university student. Have different students focus on voice, content, introduction, conclusion and body language. Ask them to record what they see and hear. Go through the same process with a second non-exemplar. Use the ideas generated to create the assessment criteria for the rubric that will be used to score their performance.

Sub-task 2 - Research - Gather research related to the issue you are debating as well as data that would support what you might infer your country’s position would be relative to that issue. Prepare to address the following:

  • What is the issue?
  • What might be the various viewpoints for and against the resolution?
  • What would your country's position be regarding the issue? Why?
  • What 2-3 reasons and supporting evidence could you provide to support your country's position?
  • What arguments might you anticipate from opposing viewpoints?
  • What arguments and evidence could you use to counter those opposing viewpoints?

Submit an updated copy of your research notes to the research folder located in the class dropbox each day.

Sub-task 3 - First Draft Speech - Use the information that you have gathered to write a speech that convinces the other UN members to adopt your position on the resolution.

  • Use a provocative question, strong statement, quotation, or powerful statistic to make your introduction interesting.
  • Make your position clear and provide reasons and evidence to support it.
  • Create a conclusion that reinforces your position in a convincing manner.
  • Use language and organize your ideas in ways that make your speech persuasive and convincing.

Sub-task 4 - Feedback and Revision - Parent Edit - Have a parent, guardian or other adult review your written speech using the assessment rubric as a guide. Make the necessary improvements based on the feedback you received. Submit this revised draft along with the editing comments to the designated folder inside the class dropbox.

Sub-task 5 - Rehearse Your Speech - Practice your speech until you can deliver it with confidence. Refer to the presentation component of the assessment rubric to ensure that you have met all the necessary requirements.

Prepare for Open Debate

  • Create a list of arguments and evidence that you can introduce during the open debate
  • Consider the arguments that the opposing side might use against your position and decide how you could counter those arguments
  • Prepare to record ideas and make notes as you listen to the speeches of the other UN delegates
  • Listen carefully to the speeches made by other delegates noting contradictions, inconsistencies and flaws in their logic and/or evidence.

Assess Your Performance - All of the speeches and debates will be videotaped. Review the video of your speech and debate participation. Use the debate rubric as a guide for preparing a self-assessment of your speech performance. Determine where on the continuum your performance would fall for each of the categories and provide specific evidence and examples from the video recording to justify your assessment.

Opening Speech / Excellent / Proficient / Adequate / Fair
Introduction
and Conclusion / Engages the audience / Clearly aware of intended audience / Aware of intended audience / Rarely takes audience into consideration
Support of Position
with specific details and examples / Details are interesting, accurate, and complete
Research evidence demonstratesa thorough understanding / Details are accurate and generally complete
Research evidence demonstrates a good understanding / Details are generally accurate but may not be complete
Research evidence demonstrates a general understanding / Few details are included indicating minimal research
Superficial understanding demonstrated
Presentation
rehearsal
voice
- pacing
- volume
- clarity
-expression
eye contact / Delivery is smooth
Rehearsal is evident
Effective pacing, volume, expression and eye contact / Delivery is generally smooth
Some evidence of rehearsal
Some attention to pacing, volume, expression and eye contact / Delivery falters on occasion
Some evidence of rehearsal
Adequate volume and some attempts to make eye contact but no expression / Delivery is halting and uneven
Little evidence of rehearsal

CASE STUDY #2

Novel Study


What matters in the discipline of English Language Arts?
Understand and appreciate language, and to use it confidently and competently in a variety of situations for communication, personal satisfaction and to extend learning / Listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to:
  • explore and effectively communicate thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
  • comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.
  • manage ideas and information.
  • enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
  • respect, support and collaborate with others.
Think and Act Reflectively - Metacognition
  • develop critical self-awareness, conscious reflection, analysis, monitoring and reinvention.
  • apply skills of metacognition, reflecting upon what individuals have learned, why it matters and what else they need to learn
Develop Student Agency and Self-efficacy
  • To be able to self-regulate and conduct selves as independent, self-motivated problem solvers and co-creators of knowledge.

Task 1 –Develop Assessment Criteria with Students

Students work in groups to compare an exemplar and non-exemplar of an initial response piece. Each group discusses the differences between the two examples. A recorder from each of the groups adds their group’s ideas to a shared Google document. The class reviews the Google doc and looks for common criteria identified by each of the groups. Criteria are then grouped into categories. Each table group works with 1 of the categories and builds it into a rubric showing 4 levels of performance. Teacher refines the draft rubric and presents it to students to guide their work as they prepare their own initial responses to a novel they are reading.

Task 2 - Initial Response

Read the assigned section of the novel and prepare an initial response to it. As part of your initial response you must choose at least one quotation from the novel that you think represents something significant. Relate one key idea from this section of the novel to some other important idea or issue that has or is happening in the world today. Use the criteria in the scoring rubric to assess your written response and submit both your initial response and assessment to the class assignment drop box. Your response should be thoughtful, well-articulated, carefully edited, and roughly 5-700 words in length. Use the class generated rubric to score your initial response and provide evidence from your response to support your assessment claims for each category of the rubric.

Task 3–Develop assessment criteria with students

  • Ask students to think about the worst oral presentation they’ve ever seen or heard. What made it so horrible? List characteristics as students offer their ideas. Do the same with the best oral presentation students have seen or heard. Use the ideas student generated to create a draft 4 level rubric for the seminar discussion. Refine the rubric as needed based on students’ experiences of using it. You may need to add or delete things as you begin to use it to guide student performance. Audio record the seminar discussion and have students use the rubric to assess their own performances and identify areas for improvement.

Task 4 - Seminar Discussion

  • Use your written responseto rehearsewhat you will say during the presentation to your seminar group. Refer to the rubric for additional guidance in preparing for the seminar presentation and discussion.
  • Rehearse your response so that you can deliver it smoothly and with confidence.
  • Prepare 3-4 discussion thought provoking questions related to the novel that you would like to discuss during the seminar.
  • Review the scoring rubric related to the seminar presentation so that you will be prepared. Be prepared to note any new understandings that emerge during the seminar discussion.

Task 5 - Written Reconsideration

Use the notes that you made during the seminar to prepare a reconsideration of that section of the novel. Be sure to refer to the scoring rubric to ensure that you have included some of the ideas presented by others in your seminar group as well as new insights of your own. Use the criteria in the scoring rubric to prepare a self-assessment of your reconsideration and submit both to the class drop box.

Written Response

/

Oral Seminar Presentation

/

Written Reconsideration

/

Personal Management Skills

4

/ Demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of a significant event in the novel
Uses carefully chosen and specific evidence from the novel to connect it to real world events / Engages audience
Rehearsal is evident and delivery is smooth
Effective pacing, volume, expression and eye contact / Two or more significant ideas from the seminar are presented and at least one new insight is offered for reconsideration / Takes the initiative to use a range of resources to explore creative possibilities
Always behaves responsibly and does not require supervision

3

/ Demonstrates a clear understanding of a significant event in the novel
Uses specific evidence from the novel to support ideas and ties them to real world events / Clearly aware of intended audience
Rehearsal is evident
Good pacing, volume, expression and eye contact / Two or more ideas from the seminar are presented and at least one well developed new idea is offered for reconsideration / Takes the initiative to use teacher and peer assistance to extend knowledge, skills and ideas
Behavior rarely requires
supervision

2

/ Adequate understanding of an event in the novel is demonstrated
Evidence from the novel is general. Relationship to real events is general / Generally aware of intended audience
Some evidence of rehearsal
Appropriate volume and some eye contact / Reference to ideas from seminar is present and new ideas are offered but they are general / Does not take the initiative to use teacher and peer assistance when to extend knowledge, skills and ideas.
Behavior requires some supervision

1

/ Little understanding of the novel is demonstrated. Good bits are ignored or absent.
Relationship to real events is vague, irrelevant or confusing / Rarely takes audience into consideration
Little evidence of rehearsal
Inadequately prepared / Little consideration is given to ideas presented in the seminar and new ideas presented are vague, confusing or off topic / Requires frequent teacher intervention and supervision
Frequently unable to manage time or behavior

Suggestions for Improvement

Area for Improvement / Based on the DBIR what suggestions might you provide for strengthening the design of this task?

Exploring Topics for Intellectually Engaging TaskPossibilities

Establishing Worthwhile Learning Tasks
Use the ideas you explored in the concept-map to help you establish worthwhile learning goals for your students.

  1. What is most important for students to understand about the topic and/or discipline? (NOTE: these are often articulated in the front matters of your Programs of Study. What are the central ideas or key understandings that students must acquire within this area of study?)
  1. What important competencies (ways of knowing, doing and being) reflective of the discipline or field of study must students develop?
  1. How do experts who work in this field do their work? What is the learning culture of this discipline field like? How do experts in this field bring forward evidence and present their work?
  1. In what ways is technology used within this discipline field to advance and document knowledge? What technologies could students use to demonstrate understanding and/or that mirror the ways technologies are used within the discipline?

Complete the following learning goal statements:

  • Through this study I want my students to understand that…
  • And I want my students to be able to (identify 1or2 important competencies)…

Generate ideas about task possibilities or a series of activities that would enable students to meet these learning goals.How will you begin or hook students into the topic?What might you do to provoke thinking and/or fuel students’ curiosity?

Assessment For Learning

Develop an assessment plan for a task or series of activities that students will be completing between now and our next session.

Brief description of task or learning activities:

  1. Establishing clear and specific criteria with students
  • What real-world or authentic exemplars could you use as models to help students identify characteristics of high quality workand to guide them as you generate assessment criteria together?

Anticipated criteria emerging from the exemplars:

Draft Quality / Professional Quality
  1. What kinds of feedback loops (suggestions for improvement and time for revision) will you create to support student learning? When will these loops occur?
  1. What evidence of learning might you gather each day and throughout the study to help inform your teaching?
  1. How might you use the evidence of learning you gather to inform student next learning steps?

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Prepared for CBE High School Learning Leaders

by Galileo Educational Network, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary - 2013