This week, we will be examining some Constructivist and Social Learning Strategies through a sample lesson plan exhibiting a "Flipped Classroom" approach. So, what does all that mean?
Our topic for this lesson will be soil properties. This is a topic introduced midway through High School Earth & Environmental Science, after students have learned about different types of rocks, weathering and erosion. The goal of this lesson is for students to learn about basic soil composition and be able to identify soil texture (silt/sand/clay composition).
To "flip" the classroom, the students will be assigned a short video to watch before class, as homework.
To incorporate an element of cognitive constructivism into the video, I used EdPuzzle to add an open ended question to the beginning of the video that asks:
"What do you think is the difference between dirt and soil? Is there a difference? How do you use those words differently?"
The goal of this question is to get them thinking about what they already know about soil, but tapping more into their personal associations than their previous scientific knowledge. I'm hoping to engage the cultural and social context around soil, in alignment with the social learning strategies ("Constructivism and Social Constructivism," n.d.).
As an overarching theme for this lesson, students will be hunting for a series of treasure chests, and trying to identify their locations given a soil map and different clues. Below is an example of a soil map and key. This form of "anchored instruction" is a cognitive constructivist strategy by providing context and purpose to activities, as well as evoking schemas and enthusiasm associated with the theme ("Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom," n.d.).
 |
| Here's what a soil/treasure map could look like, complete with a key. The class will be broken up into four groups, and each group will receive a map and be started at one of four stations. Each group will have a set amount of time to try to solve the piece of the puzzle presented at the station, and then groups will rotate. Each student will also receive a learning log- a reflection tool that simply provides space at each station to answer two questions, and will have space for any prompts that are specific to that station.  This learning log asks for reflection at each station, but also gives space when needed for the given activities. A learning journal incorporates reflection into the lesson, exhibiting the constructionist view that students must reflect on their experiences in order to create knowledge (Behera, 2018). Station 1 For this station, the group will be presented with two soil samples that look relatively similar. They will be told that one is a sample from nearby where the treasure is buried, and one is a lab sample that didn't have a label and got mixed up with the treasure sample. The goal is to figure out which is the lab sample, which has a known composition, and which is from the treasure site. They will be asked to make a prediction in their learning log of which soil sample they think is the lab sample (given the soil type of the unlabeled sample). They will then be introduced to the "Jar Test" for soil type where soil is dissolved in water and the particulates settle out according to size, as shown in the image below.  In this soil test, the largest particles settle out first, and each layer of particles can be measured to determine soil type. Students will notice that the two chosen soils have different compositions, despite their similar appearance. They will then be given a guide to use a key such as the one shown below in order to name their soils based on their composition.  The Soil Texture Triangle is a commonly used tool for assessing soil type. The goal of this activity is firstly to engage students in a hands-on demonstration of how to use the jar test and the soil texture triangle to assess soil type. The second goal is to induce some surprise when the students find that the lookalike soils are quite different in composition. Creating some level of dissonance is useful in encouraging students to reduce their own emotional discomfort by adjusting their schemas to incorporate new experiences (Hartle, Baviskar, & Smith, 2012). Even if I can't surprise them, or if they don't have enough previous experience to have false assumptions, they'll be asked to reflect on this activity in their learning log and think about what they did get out it the exercise. Station 2 In this station, students will be given a soil sample with a backstory, perhaps how the soil was collected from a shovel or the boots of the character who hid the treasure. They won't have enough soil to perform the jar test, so they will instead be asked to key it out by feel, as is shown in the video below. This video demonstrates how to identify soil types by feel. This activity will be structured so that one student is reading the instructions and guiding a second student, who is getting their hands dirty with the sample. Then, they will switch and the second student can confirm the assessment of the first. In the spirits of reciprocal teaching and collaborative learning, one student first serves as the guide, and has to process the written instructions enough to be able to help the other ("Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom," n.d.). By switching, each then has the chance to provide feedback, because they have been in the role that their partner is now playing. They must agree on a soil type in order to move forward, finding the common ground in their assessments. Negotiating and talking through their observations helps not only to figure out the soil type, but to more deeply ingrain the process through discussion (Kim, 2001). Station 3 At this station, students will be given a clue about the plants growing around the treasure site, and asked to individually research what soil types these plants prefer. Students will split into pairs and each pair will take a short list of plants to research. Each student will do their own research, but will have a buddy working on the same plant list, and other group members working on other plants.  Students are likely familiar with the idea that cacti grow in sandy soils, but this gives them a chance to research some other plant-soil associations. Once they have done some individual research about the plants, they will come together with a partner to analyze their research and the implications for soil type at the treasure location. Finally, the small group will come together to share and discuss the research from each pair. This activity, loosely based on a jigsaw model, allows students to provide somewhat unique research, but process it with a partner before presenting it to a group. By working through it together, they are able to create more meaning out of their findings (Kim, 2001). Station 4 At this station, students will be given a series of clues using information they saw in the video. The clues will be given through google forms, and each student will work on their own, doing any research or review needed, to answer each question. The google form will provide immediate feedback, which allows the students to find any gaps in their understanding and address them ("Constructivism," 2020). This is a technique that support the constructivist learning model by making students aware of their own understanding and identify any gaps in knowledge (Hartle, Baviskar, & Smith, 2012). Summary By the end of the lesson, students should have employed numerous cognitive and social learning strategies to uncover the location of a mythical treasure, and learned a lot about soil and its importance. Through the stations they will have demonstrated multiple methods of learning, and applied their new knowledge in a variety of scenarios with an overarching theme. The flipped classroom approach allows for the face-to-face instruction time to be used for more engaging activities, and the treasure hunt engages students in a shared mission to learn (Happ, 2016). Throughout, they will be reflecting on their own learning, using metacognition to guide their knowledge construction (Behera, 2018). I hope that this would be a fun and engaging lesson for students, and that they all find the treasure chest! |
Constructivism. (2020, June 08). Retrieved September 11, 2020, from http://www.buffalo.edu/ubcei/enhance/learning/constructivism.html
Constructivism and Social Constructivism. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2020, from http://www.ucdoer.ie/index.php/Education_Theory/Constructivism_and_Social_Constructivism
Happ, A. (2016, August 10). How to Incorporate Social Learning into the Classroom. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://trainingindustry.com/articles/content-development/how-to-incorporate-social-learning-into-the-classroom/
Hartle, R., Baviskar, S., & Smith, R. (2012). A Field Guide to Constructivism in the College Science Classroom: Four Essential Criteria and a Guide to their Usage. Bioscene, 38, 31-34. doi:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1002158.pdf
Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/
Comments
Post a Comment