Should you be doing the explaining or the Kids?

Hopefully I have gotten you excited about learning this new approach and given you some time to explore it for yourself.

Now I have some explaining to do, except I don’t.

In this lesson model, we are allowing kids to explain what they have seen. We have gotten the kids’ interest and have let them explore the topic a little.

Now they have a working knowledge of the topic.

Explaining is about connecting the working knowledge they have gained through exploring and observing with vocabulary and scientific theory.

Your role is to help with vocabulary and misconceptions they may have about what they have already observed.

That is all we are doing. We are helping the name what they have seen during their explorations.

Explaining will depend on the kids to some degree.

It will require some input from you in most instances. This is when the material that you might typically talk about first will come in. Things like how much vocabulary they had before arriving to the lesson will alter how long the explanation phase will last. My best advice: don’t overwhelm.

Note Making and Note Taking

You will probably need to do some note taking, which can be lapbooks, notebooking, or traditional notes (although I HEART these doodle notes). Make sure that you are breaking up the monotony of writing.

There are lots of graphic organizers, 3-D graphic organizers, and other ways to help your kids become experts at note making and note taking. If you aren’t sure about the note making and note taking options, grab this cheat sheet. I think using a combination is one way to both break up the monotony and reinforce the material.

Note Making and Note Taking

Chris Kesler from Kesler Science suggests that you cut out a single piece and paste it into the notebook. Then discuss. Have the kids prep the next pieces and then write and add it to the notebook. Remember that the human attention span just isn’t very long.

How many of you have started the lesson with vocabulary?

I know that I’ve done it MANY times and it’s definitely how I was taught. It just isn’t as effective.

If we begin to look at teaching as capturing attention first, this makes so much more sense in terms of getting the kids to buy-in to what we are teaching.

Use this cheat sheet to decide on which note taking method will work for your lessons.