Adding Rigor to InstructionPresented by Fannie L. McKenzie

Anticipatory Set: Quick Rigor Quiz

Take 6 minutes to rate the level of rigor embedded in each of the statements on your Quick Rigor Quiz using the following:

1--------Lowest 2--------Below Adequate 3A--------Adequate 3B--------Highest

1. more clearly define rigor2. identify rigor in the

curriculum and instruction.

3. develop curriculum and activities that have rigor.

OBJECTIVES:Participants will be able to:

• What is rigor?• How can we

increase rigor in our lessons?

Our Essential Questions

1) One of several variables essential for achieving high levels of learning.

2) The elements in the curriculum and/ or instruction that cause the learner to engage in complex, strategic thinking.3) It results in learners engaging in solving problems, analyzing arguments, negotiating issues, making predictions, examining assumptions & values, evaluating evidence & conclusions.

What is RIGOR?

• Complexity: To what extent is the curriculum organized around complex, interrelated concepts?

• Emotional Engagement: To what extent does the curriculum arouse strong feelings?

Characteristics of Rigor

• Provocativeness: To what extent is the curriculum concerned with central problems in the discipline that challenge students' previous concepts?

• Ambiguity: To what extent does the curriculum focus on symbols and images packed with multiple meanings?

Characteristics of Rigor

• 47% of dropouts said classes weren’t interesting.• 43% had missed too many days of school and couldn’t catch up.• 69% were not motivated to work hard.• 66% would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them.

Rigor-Related Findings From the

Silent Epidemic

• 71% recommended making school interested.• 55% said there should be help for students who have trouble learning.• 81% called for more “real-world” learning opportunities.• 75% wanted smaller classes with more individual instruction.

Rigor-RelatedRecommendations from

Dropouts

• Fifty math problems for homework when fewer will achieve mastery• More grammar worksheets for the student who finished the assignment early• Using a seventh grade text book with your high performing sixth grade students• Covering more material in a shorter period/ time• Cold or impersonal• For a select group of students

Rigor is Not…

Inviting Students to Think Critically Using Rigor

(all levels are significant)

Rigor and Higher Order Thinking• Higher order thinking is also called “critical” or “strategic” thinking.• Higher order thinking can be described as the ability to use information to solve problems, analyze arguments, negotiate issues, or make predictions (Underbakke, Borg, & Peterson, 1993; Wenglinsky, 2002).• It involves examining assumptions and values, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions (Petress, 2004).

Fannie’s RigorMeterLevel 1

A. point to in book, etc. (fact, info, process, etc.)

Level 2 A. point to.. B. use skill C. 2 or more steps

Level 3A A. reasoning required B. some

complexity C. more than one possible answer

Level 3BA. create, judge, evaluate B. need time to think C. requires investigation

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels

Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels

Which has more rigor?

What are the science

lab rules?

Versus

What do you think happened here?

Comparing Payment PlansActivity: Answer the following question. Note your plan of attack. What are you thinking? Does this require rigorous thinking?

– A video store charges $8 to rent a video game for five days. Membership to the video store is free. A video game club charges only $3 to rent a game for five days, but membership in the club is $50 per year. Compare the costs of the two rental plans. Justify your answer.

Injecting Lessons with Rigor

Why?HOW

? When?Ask probing questions.

• How did the use of adjectives enhance the meaning of the short story?

•What is the relationship between an adjective and an adverb?

• Identify the adjectives in the paragraph.

• What is an adjective?

Injecting Lessons with Rigor

Invent a new ending for the story where the wolf comes out ahead.

(Extended Thinking or Reasoning, Synthesis, Create)

Judge the homes from worst to best, according to strength, cost, and building time.

(Extended Thinking or Reasoning, Evaluation, Evaluate)

Using models, demonstrate which house stood up the best.

(Reasoning, Using Skills and Concepts, Application, Applying)

Read the story and list the type of house built by each pig.

(Recall, Knowledge, Remembering)

Injecting “The Three Little Pigs” with Rigor

Let’s practice using the rigormeters!

1. Name the planets2. What is an ABAB rhyme scheme?3. List the southern states.4. What are the four basic mathematical

operations?5. What are the elements in the story?

Group Practice w/RG

• Each group of two is to choose one of the following questions/activities to develop a question/activity that mirrors each of the remaining three levels of the rigormeters. 1. Recite the preamble to the Constitution.2. Why did the character in the play leave?3. Larve is made from what?4. Identify the scientific method.5. Measure each chemical element.

• http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=16465

Independent Practice w/RM

• Using data from your discipline and the rigor meters to:STEP 1) develop a Level 1 question/activity. STEP 2) develop one question/activity for each of the remaining three levels of rigor.

Review

1) Retake Quick Rigor Quiz2) Discuss Key Points3) Next Steps……

• What is rigor?• How can we increase rigor

in our lessons?

Our Essential Questions:

What are your answers?

RigorMeter Observation Form

Q/A #1____Level 1: point to in book, etc. (fact, info, process,

etc.)____Level 2: point to, use, & 2 or more steps____Level 3A: reasoning, some complexity, more than

one possible answer____Level 3B: create, judge, evaluate & need time to

think & requires investigation

(Cont.)(Optional) Write the question/activity for #’s 1 – 3.Q/A#1:_______________________________________

___________________________________________Q/A #2: ______________________________________

___________________________________________ Q/A #3: ______________________________________

___________________________________________