Kim This feels very comfortable to my way of thinking! sally
On 6/19/09 8:41 AM, "Kim Catano" <[email protected]> wrote: > Renee, > The enduring understandings are the big ideas that have lasting value beyond > the classroom. It is like taking a topic about Newton's Laws and developing > an essential understanding of what we what them to understand about the > laws. H Lynn Erickson's book Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction is an > excellent PD book about this subject. She outlines what a unit theme is and > how to design it. She says, "You can state you unit focus as a topical > theme, but for higher-level integration, you will also want to identify a > conceptual lens for the unit." I may choose a theme like Change, but add > how we face change with integrity. My topic may be the Depression Era or > WWII. An understanding I may write: "Students will understand that when > change is faced with integrity there is often a positive result." My > essential questions may be, "What does it mean to face change with > integrity? What does it take to face change with integrity?" Because I teach > Reading, I then would look at my indicators and write, "How does an > individual's point of view affect change? We would then do a unit study > with our novels--perhaps WWII on the home front. I could then integrate > fiction and nonfiction texts. > Kim > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Renee > Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 10:32 AM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] themes > > Joy, > > I don't think I understand your question about themes and thematic > teaching. What is it that you want to actually do? I'm so confused. > > I never thought that a theme needed to be a whole sentence. That sounds > like a silly rule to me. In my opinion, teaching thematically simply > means that all aspects of the curriculum (as is possible) are tied > together with a major thread in order to create deeper meaning and > understanding. > > Can you expand on what it is that you want to do? > > Renee > > > > On Jun 19, 2009, at 3:50 AM, Joy wrote: > >> >> Beverlee, >> If there is a group that can help me push my thinking, this is it. I'm >> pondering your suggestion that sentences are needed to describe >> themes. That is an interesting idea. Does the sentence narrow the >> concept, or does it broaden it? > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
