MODEL: CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES

(A Concept Attainment Game)

OBJECTIVE: Students learn to use scientific method through a child-centered, constructivist process.
MATERIALS:
For Teacher: about 15-20 exemplars that do and do not fit your predetermined category.
For young students: a red and green unifix cube for each child------- For older students: paper and pencil
PLANNING:
1. Find a topic where two similar things are in different categories. For instance, paintings can be impressionist or realist, states can be southern or northern, dwellings can be permanent or temporary.
2. Select a concept ­ one that you want your students to understand better. For instance, if they are having trouble understand the difference between a fact and an opinion, you could select "opinion"
3. Generate a list of examples of positive and negative exemplars. These can be pictures, words, or objects.
4. Put the exemplars in an order which will lead students to false hypotheses before the uncover your concept. This is not to trick them, but to help them use scientific method. If they guess the correct concept first, they wonít learn as much.

STEPS OF THE MODEL


 
SET Say, "Today you are going to guess what I am thinking. I have a concept in mind, and you will have to try to guess what it is. Here is one example that fits my concept and one that doesnít. 

EXAMPLE (pictures or words): 

waitress________bus driver

LESSON

  1. Show students the next exemplar in the order that you have predetermined, perhaps "farmer." Tell them that it is their job to tell you what category it belongs in, but that they must guess what you are thinking. Many guess might seem correct, but only your concept is the final answer.
  2. Say, "Ready, show me" and be sure that all students make their choice at the same time.
  3. Young students can indicate their choice by holding up a red or green cube ­ if you are working with young students you will head up one column of exemplars with red and one with green. Older students can just point one direction or the other, or hold up fingers 1 or 2 if you label the columns with numbers 1 & 2.
  4. This is the most important step: ask students to tell you what their theories are, and why. This is where students will learn from each other, and further develop their thinking. With older students, after the first exemplar, insist that their write down each new hypothesis, and cross out the old ones when they no longer fit.
  5. Then slowly put the next exemplar where you had planned.


    6. Waitress_______bus driver

    Farmer_______________

  6. Proceed with one exemplar after another in this fashion, calling on as many students for their theories each time as the traffic will bear and still pay attention. IF SOMEONE GUESSES YOUR CONCEPT, DONíT LET ON, JUST PROCESS AS USUAL.
  7. Continue until a number of students have come upon the your concept. Then invite anyone who thinks they have the correct theory to add more exemplars on their own. These student-generated exemplars often help the rest of the class to come to the correct concept.
  8. When most students seem to have figured out the concept, let them name it, and then discuss it with the class, asking how they figured it out.
 

EVALUATION:
PROCESS ONLY You will monitor attention and thinking processes during the game. For older students, collect their list of hypotheses and give it an "A" or "full credit" for involvement.

NOTE: Older students can create their own versions of the game, using the same words but a different theory. Then they can play the game with each other or in front of the class.

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