Concept Attainment
Comparing Models
Comparing Models
Where would you put concept attainment along this continuum?
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Comparing Inductive Reasoning and
Concept Attainment
Comparing Models: One Content, Many Strategies
Concept Attainment:
American Picnic
For a year or so my wife and I, and several other Americans, lived in a mining camp near a very small village in the rain forests of West Africa. We were quite cut off from the things we were used to. Even a day's journey would not have brought us to a shop, restaurant, or movie theater because the roads were poor. And we had no television--only a transistor radio. So we had to make our own good times, with small parties and picnics. We had a favorite spot for our picnics, and on Saturdays, if the weather was good, we always went there. The spot was a large table rock that jutted out over a bend in the river. The view from the big, flat rock was magnificent, especially at sunset. We would cook our supper over a campfire and have a wonderful time, American style. Imagine our surprise when we heard the way the people of the village describe our picnics.
"These foreigners have a strange ritual that they must follow on a special day of the week. They always go to the big rock over the river, so obviously it is sacred to them in their religion. They all watch the sun go down, and as it sets, they sing in a very strange way. We think the singing is meant to cast a magic spell. Then they light a fire. When it is burning brightly, they open a bundle and take out a lot of long, brown human fingers. Each person puts a finger on a spear and cooks it in the fire and then eats it. Some eat two or three fingers. We do not know where they get them. But we must watch out and protect ourselves against such people."
CONCEPT ATTAINMENT:
Objectives: (What objectives are embedded in this model? What objectives are specific to this lesson?)
Materials: copies of "The American Picnic"
Syntax of Lesson:
Motivation: Today's lesson requires everyone to wear a detective's hat. I will give you some clues and some examples of things that ARE what I am thinking about and some other examples of things I am NOT thinking about. By comparing this different kinds of examples you should detect what I am thinking about.
Phase one: Presentation of Data and Identification of Concept
1. Read "An American Picnic". Draw a line between the paragraphs.
2. In paragraph 2 in the example below, notice that the following words and phrases are highlighted: strange, must, special, always, big, so obviously it is sacred to them, they sing in a very strange way, we think the singing is meant to cast a magic spell, brightly, long, brown human fingers, but we must watch out and protect ourselves against such people.
These are examples of what I am thinking about. Everything else in paragrah two is NOT an example of what I am thinking about.
3. What is alike about the highlighted words/phrases?
4. Would someone like to guess my idea? How does that fit what we said was alike about the highlighted words/phrases? (Record ideas on the board, discuss if they fit with yes examples.)
5. Can someone sum that up in a sentence or two? What characteristics must the item have to be a judgment or opinion? (essential attributes: belief or conclusion based on insufficient evidence, using reasons and/or criteria, personal view (I, my, we, our), attitude, appraisal; more than one outcome.) What are some other characteristics that judgments and opinions may have? (May use comparative words; may use believe, think, value, stance.)
6. What can we call the non-circled items? (facts and inferences)
Phase two: Testing Attainment of the Concept
1. Reread the first paragraph.
2. Can you find examples of judgments in this paragraph? Circle. Tell why you think they belong in this category.
3. Can you find examples of facts and inferences in this paragraph? What are some differences among facts, inferences and judgments/opinions?
Phase three: Analysis of Thinking Strategies
1. As you were trying to figure out my idea, what did you think about? Why did some people groan when I said "no" to an example?
2. As you were finding examples in the first paragraph, what did you try? When else can you use the process of elimination?
Summary:
1. Can someone give me a list of several related facts?
2. Can someone draw an inference from these facts?
3. Can someone use these inferences and facts to make a judgment?
4. How do we prevent inaccurate judgments from being made?
Evaluation (How would you evaluate this model, this lesson?)
Students:
Teacher/strategy:
American Picnic
For a year or so my wife and I, and several other Americans, lived in a mining camp near a very small village in the rain forests of West Africa. We were quite cut off from the things we were used to. Even a day's journey would not have brought us to a shop, restaurant, or movie theater because the roads were poor. And we had no television--only a transistor radio. So we had to make our own good times, with small parties and picnics. We had a favorite spot for our picnics, and on Saturdays, if the weather was good, we always went there. The spot was a large table rock that jutted out over a bend in the river. The view from the big, flat rock was magnificent, especially at sunset. We would cook our supper over a campfire and have a wonderful time, American style. Imagine our surprise when we heard the way the people of the village describe our picnics.
"These foreigners have a strange ritual that they must follow on a special day of the week. They always go to the big rock over the river, so obviously it is sacred to them in their religion. They all watch the sun go down, and as it sets, they sing in a very strange way. We think the singing is meant to cast a magic spell. Then they light a fire. When it is burning brightly, they open a bundle and take out a lot of long, brown human fingers. Each person puts a finger on a spear and cooks it in the fire and then eats it. Some eat two or three fingers. We do not know where they get them. But we must watch out and protect ourselves against such people."
EdTe 226
September, 2001