Writing Key Ideas

When people starting fourth dimension get down writing enduring, essential understandings, they are oft really full general as well as obtuse. The overuse of the verbs impact, affect, influence equally good equally the verbs is, are as well as receive got is a major argue for these weak statements. Learning how to scaffold your thinking using questions is a powerful tool for tightening, clarifying, as well as developing generalisations to deeper levels of sophistication. To scaffold a generalisation from a weaker Level 1, role as well as respond the questions "How?" "Why?" as well as "So what?" Read through the next illustration of a scaffolded generalisation from the bottom upwards (Level 1 to Level 3).

Level 3: Severe disruption of a community's social as well as economical infrastructure leads to feelings of loss, anxiety, confusion, as well as anger. Or, severe disruption of a community's social as well as economical infrastructure requires rigid leadership alongside the mightiness to work solve, communicate effectively as well as collaborate to become things done.

So what-is the significance, or effect, if the social as well as economic, infrastructure is disrupted?

Level 2: Natural disasters tin post away disrupt the social as well as economical infrastructure of a community.

How do natural disasters impact a community?

Level 1: Natural disasters impact a community.

Note that nosotros desire to driblet the weaker Level 1 generalisations inwards our units as well as instruct to Level 2. Teaching to this degree volition heighten academic standards because nosotros are educational activity deeper, conceptual specificity. Level three tin post away locomote used to differentiate as well as challenge advanced learners, or you lot may wishing to accept all the students through to Level 3.

Here are approximately additional scaffolding samples from a 9th shape physics unit of measurement on constant acceleration developed past times Matt Watson as well as Cathy Harne, Twin Valley School District, Elverson, Pennsylvania:

Level 3: The velocity of an object tin post away locomote determined from an x-t graph fifty-fifty if the x-t graph is curved.

So what is the significance?

Level 2: By drawing secant chords as well as solving for the gradient of the chord, i tin post away decide the instantaneous velocity of the object at an intermediate clock reading.

How does the gradient decide the velocity?

Level 1: The gradient of an x-t graph tin post away decide the velocity of an object.

Erikson H. L., 2007, Concept-Based Curriculum as well as Instruction for the Thinking Classroom, Corwin, CA.