Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction : Teaching Beyond the Facts

This book explores concept-based learning across disciplines and grade levels. Teachers can use the specific strategies to create a seamless learning program that teaches students the skills they need to think conceptually and to solve problems in today's complex, changing world. Chapter 1 reviews national, state, and local standards through a set of concept-based questions to illustrate the differences between concept-based and topic-based design models. Chapter 2 discusses the critical components for a concept-process curriculum in the context of a systems design. Chapter 3 presents a detailed plan for designing concept-process integrated units. Examples from school districts illustrate the role of concepts in taking thinking beyond the facts and maintaining the integrity of different disciplines in the integration process. Unit planning pages show the integral relationship between critical content, essential enduring understandings, essential questions, and student activities. Chapter 4 considers the value of a concept-process curriculum integration model in school-to-work programs. Chapter 5 presents tips from teachers on creating content-process integrated units. Appended are National Academic Standards order information, SCANS Competencies PD Book