If you look on the Mosaic Tools page, you will find some lessons on profundity written by Jeff Beal some time ago. I have used these in order to help children get to theme. He might also have posted children's literature that supports certain themes. I haven't looked it up in a while. Nancy In a message dated 6/21/2009 9:05:45 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Yes, that is closer, but it has to encompass all subjects. I add in music and art because I value them. (our school does not have an art or music teacher) Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org ________________________________ From: Beverlee Paul <[email protected]> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 11:55:23 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] themes So let me take a stab at this again. Like "Oceans--Teeming with Life" or "Homes and Habitats." Is that closer? On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 9:52 PM, Joy <[email protected]> wrote: > No, not for a cute sign.This is the name of my integrated thematic unit, > and should be connected to an essential question, as well as everything we > do. It would be connected to the literature we read, the math we do, etc. > > > Joy/NC/4 > > How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content > go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org > > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Beverlee Paul <[email protected]> > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group < > [email protected]> > Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 11:35:51 PM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] themes > > Joy, as I'm reading this over, I think it's dawning me on what you're > asking, at least what I think maybe you were trying to ask us. Are you > maybe thinking of a "slogan" such as librarians, etc. put on cute bulletin > boards? Like at the beginning of the year when people put things by their > door so kids can recognize their room easily? Like Hop into our Pad, only > not that silly? I've now confused myself amazingly well. I'm with > whomever > said to please tell us more about what you were asking. There's something > about the word "theme" that we are all defining according to our own > schema, > and maybe you weren't even asking anything about as deep as we're (I'm) > thinking. Are you thinking of a specific use for why you'd want to name a > theme one thing or another? Please clear up my fuzz! Bev > > > > On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 9:28 AM, thomas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Joy, Beverlee, etc. > > > > I got some of my ideas about developing inquiry yes from Harste, Burke > and > > Barbara Flores and others from that wonderful connected group of > educators > > many of whom are directly connected to the Goodmans and each > other(thinking > > here there were some great articles in the Whole Language Catalog)...But > I > > also got ideas from Coalition of Essential Schools and maybe they were > > influenced also by the above. Whatever, a useful way to think about > > themes....especially those that lead to an inquiry stance is to ask > > "essential questions." Find the overarching question (or several > > interrelated questions) that is rich and authentic, keeping in mind the > > interests and developmental levels of your children and yes, sometimes, > > even > > the expected "curriculum" at your grade level. In other words you gain > > little by working against the science or social studies focus of your > grade > > level per your particular state. (Some would differ with me here and its > > not like sometimes I didn't ignore that as well) > > > > It would sometimes take me weeks to figure out what the big question was, > > one that would include the concepts and strategies and knowledge that I > > wanted to cover. Phrasing it as a question I think automatically turns > it > > to a sentence rather than a simple topic. Even if you start with a > topic, > > if you turn into a question it pushes you on that inquiry journey and to > > deeper thinking about the topic. For example, your students would like > to > > study horses. Ask why do horses play such a central role in the life of > > some Native American nations? Remember our Mosaic work and how learning > to > > ask good questions is more important than giving right answers?? > > > > Next I think through the concepts(deeper understandings) I expect > children > > to learn through this inquiry. Then I figure out the critical knowledge > > that they'll work with. Yes, knowing "some" stuff, some facts is > > important. > > But this forces me to narrow this down to pivotal knowledge, not just > > collections of facts, dates etc. that could be tested on a multiple > choice > > test! > > > > Then I think through the skills and strategies they'll use to accomplish > > their inquiry - group and individual. > > > > Then and possibly throughout I consider the underlying values and > > assumptions underlying my plan and consider how they might emerge in the > > children's work. I always ask myself the social justice, fairness kind > of > > questions here. How will different perspectives be privileged in this > > work? > > How will I respect the diverse children in my class and so on? > > > > Then I figure out how I will assess how we are accomplishing, whether we > > did > > accomplish (formative and summative assessment) and I run that back > through > > All of the above to add, delete, refine etc. > > > > Then I begin work on resources and particular ways to begin the unit and > so > > on. In some ways, this last step is where I used to start my planning. > > But > > doing all the other thinking above results in much better teaching and > > learning I think. It is open to emerging understandings and information > > because I start with the stance that the question is a real one for me, > not > > just the children. > > > > Gosh, sorry if I've gone on to long. It just always help to think > through > > what we're doing and I love it that the whole question > > of themes has emerged here. > > > > Sally > > > > > > > > > > On 6/19/09 3:50 AM, "Joy" <[email protected]> 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? > > > > > > I wonder if I struggle with this because our standards are given to us > in > > bits > > > or because I am not thinking globally? I always thought I was a big > > picture > > > kind of person, maybe I'm mistaken. I can see how things tie together, > > and > > > have developed projects that are integrated, but struggle with the > label. > > > > > > > > > > > > Joy/NC/4 > > > > > > How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and > > content go > > > hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. 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