A Reader Asks... Check My Lesson Frame

A new LYS teacher asks the following:

SC,

I loved the training and am working to implement Lesson Framing.  Will you check one of my Frames and give me some feedback?

Warm-up: In 3-5 sentences, explain the affect precipitation and snowmelt have on stream discharge, and how does this affect a stream's ability to erode?

Objective:  Today we are going to learn about porosity, permeability, and groundwater.

Ending question: You will demonstrate for me your understanding of porosity and permeability by analyzing and appraising the value of shale, sandstone, and limestone as aquifers.  Justify your appraisal/analysis.

Thanks!

SC Response

No problem and thank you for asking. Here you go.

1. Critical Writing as a warm-up activity… Nice!  I'm already loving this lesson.

2. A concrete, easy to understand learning objective.  Mr. M is going to guide us in getting our Environmental Science on! Consider my brain primed.

3. Just a slight tweak with the closing question. Use this format and you are golden!!!  "I will explain and defend my analysis of porosity and permeability to my partner."

This is one of the best first attempts at Lesson Framing that I have ever seen.

Here are some keys to remember when developing you closing questions:

A. Present the close as an "I will…"  Not only does this shift the ownership of the learning to the student, he/she also reads the question as an active "Me," instead of "You."  This is a critical, but often missed, distinction.

B. The closing question is where the student demonstrates he/she got "it" as a result of experiencing the lesson and/or task.

C. A good rule of thumb is to have the student either talk or write for the close 90+ percent of the time.  

Keep up the great effort and you will soon be amazed by the improvement in student performance!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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