Preparing for licensure: Mr Cullen teaches about houses

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See also Planning instruction; Student diversity.

Mr Cullen teaches fifth grade at an urban elementary school, where one of the normal curriculum topics is about “where people live”. The general goal of the unit, as expressed in the curriculum framework document from the State Department of Education, is for students to understand the nature and purposes of houses and how they are affected by the circumstances of their society”. To get started in planning the unit, Mr Cullen brainstormed the conceptual web of ideas and topics shown below as “Document 1” below. He also introduced students to making conceptual webs about houses, one of which is shown below as “Document 2”. Part way through the unit, in addition, he took the class on a simple field trip to look at the houses in the residential neighborhood near the school. His notes about that field trip are shown as “Document 3”.

Figure 13.1 Mr Cullen's conceptual map about houses 

Figure 13.2 Jill's conceptual map about houses 

Document 13.1: Notes on Field Trip Looking at Neighborhood Houses

20 students walked about ½ mile around the neighborhood (30 minutes) and viewed approximately 100 houses in the process. Behavior during the walk was generally good.

Several questions asked by students (no particular order of importance):

1. Who lives in these houses?"
2. Why are some houses painted nicely but others are not?"
3. Why are some houses bigger than others?"
4. Where are some really BIG houses?"
5. Do children play on these yards and streets?"
6. Question to myself: How to address these questions back in class?