Description
This well-researched book provides a valuable instructional framework for high school biology teachers as they tackle five particularly challenging concepts in their classrooms—meiosis, photosynthesis, natural selection, proteins and genes, and environmental systems and human impact. The author counsels educators first to identify students’ prior conceptions, especially misconceptions, related to the concept being taught, then to select teaching strategies that best dispel the misunderstandings and promote the greatest student learning.
The book is not a prescribed set of lessons plans. Rather it presents a framework for lesson planning, shares appropriate approaches for developing student understanding, and provides opportunities to reflect and apply those approaches to the five hard-to-teach topics. More than 300 teacher resources are listed.
Contents
Introduction
Part I: The Toolbox: A Framework and Strategies
Chapter 1. A Planning Framework to Address Conceptual Change
• Why Are There Hard-to-Teach Biology Concepts?
• Introducing the Planning Framework
• The Research Behind the Framework
• Organization of the Book
• Caveats and Clarifications About the Book
-Preconceptions
-Implementing Strategies
-Brain Research and Student Beliefs
-What We Can’t Cover Comprehensively
Chapter 2. Instructional Approaches to Promote Student Understanding
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered
• Connecting Research to Practice
-Perspectives on Science
-Conceptual Learning
-How Research Guided This Book’s Organization
• The Instructional Strategy Sequencing Tool
• Metacognitive Approach Tools
• Standards-based Approach Tools
-Inquiry Tools
-History and Nature of Science Tools
• Sense Making: Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Representational Tools
• A Note on Technology
• Some Thoughts on Assessment
• Resources
• Endnotes
Part II: Toolbox Implementation: The Framework and Tools Put into Practice
Chapter 3: Reproduction: Meiosis and Variation
• Why This Topic?
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered…
• Case Study: Setting the Stage
• The Framework: Predictive Phase
-What Is the Conceptual Target?
-What Is a Logical Learning Sequence?
-What Criteria Should We Use to Determine Understanding?
-Summary of the Predictive Phase
-Reflection and Application
• The Framework: Responsive Phase
-Identifying Preconceptions
-Eliciting and Confronting Preconceptions, Sense Making, and Demonstrating Understanding
• Chapter Summary
• Resources
• Endnotes
Chapter 4: Flow of Energy and Matter: Photosynthesis
• Why This Topic?
• Minds of Our Own Scenario – Setting the Stage
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered…
• The Framework: Predictive Phase
• The Framework: Responsive Phase
-Identifying Preconceptions
-Eliciting and Confronting Preconceptions
-Completing the Responsive Phase: Sense Making and Demonstrating Understanding
• Chapter Summary
• Resources
• Endnotes
Chapter 5: Evolution: Natural Selection
• Scenario
• Why This Topic?
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered…
• The Framework: Predictive Phase
• The Framework: Responsive Phase
-Identifying Preconceptions
-Eliciting and Confronting Preconceptions and Sense Making
-Demonstrating Understanding
• Chapter Summary
• Resources
• Endnotes
Chapter 6: Molecular Genetics: Proteins and Genes
• Why This Topic?
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered…
• Vignette
• The Framework: Predictive Phase
• The Framework: Responsive Phase
-Identifying, Eliciting, and Confronting Preconceptions
-Sense Making: Strategies to Address Preconceptions
-Demonstrating Understanding
-Sense Making and Demonstrating Understanding for the Learning Targets
• Chapter Summary
• Resources
• Endnotes
Chapter 7: Interdependence: Environmental Systems and Human Impact
• Why This Topic?
• What Will and Will Not Be Covered…
• The Framework: Predictive Phase
-What are the Conceptual Targets?
-What is a Logical Learning Sequence?
-What Criteria Should We Use to Determine Understanding?
-Reflection and Application
• The Framework: Responsive Phase
-Identifying Preconceptions
-Eliciting/Confronting Preconceptions, Sense Making, and Demonstrating Understanding
• Chapter Summary
• Resources
• Endnotes
Research References
Appendices
Appendix A: Templates, Tools, and Guidelines
Appendix A1: Instructional Strategy Sequencing Tool
Appendix A2: Work Template
Appendix A3: Steps of the Planning Process
Appendix B: Concept Maps of Targeted Topics
Appendix B1: Map for Variation in Inherited Characteristics
Appendix B2: Map for Flow of Matter in Ecosystems
Appendix B3: Map for Natural Selection
Appendix B4: Map for Proteins and Genes (Cells: Cell Functions)
Appendix B5: Map for the Interdependence of Life