Stretch and Challenge: ‘Big Question’ lesson planning and

structure.

This lesson was produced following a CPD session provided for NQTs on the subject of stretching and challenging the more able students. I then further researched the topic and decided to teach a “Big Question” lesson. This style of lesson revolves around one central question that students are given at the very start of the lesson or series of lessons. By integrating the question through the lesson the students are very aware of their end goal and how well they are progressing towards being able to answer it more fully than they could at the start of the lesson. The quote below explains how the question should be structured in such a way that all students are able to access it and begin to form an answer but that they can also see that each section of the lesson is adding to their knowledge and they are able to through time construct a better answer.“Big question teaching piques student curiosity and allows them to engage in the topic from their initial point of understanding. Students can engage in the question and share their initial thoughts. These initial take-aways evolve throughout the lesson with the aid of discussion, thereby providing a more constructivist model in which students are guiding the learning.”http://www.inclusiveclassrooms.org/inquiries/inclusive-teaching-strategies/strategy-three-big-question-teaching I used this idea to plan a lesson based on assessing the positives of the I-phone being manufactured in Asia. This is a subject that the students are interesting in and by using the initial question “Is the i-phone a positive or negative innovation?” they were all able to use background knowledge to answer in some way and the initial answers also allowed me to gauge previous knowledge. I then provided information about how the production has boosted the economy and asked the students the question again and unsurprisingly they were more positive about the I-phone. They could clearly see that this section of the lesson had meant they were able to answer the same question from a more informed position. I then countered this information by allowing the students to complete a card sort in which they became aware of the poor conditions that the employees made the I-Phone in. I then again asked the same question and again it was clear to them that they needed to rethink their stance to bear in mind the further information. This led to a change of some students perception but all were able to question themselves and come up with justification for their answer. It was very clear to the students that the lesson had followed a particular path and that they were now able to answer the question using geographical terminology and support their opinion with evidence. Overall the use of the “Big Question” gave a very clear structure to the lesson and allowed all students to access the lesson as well as see that they had made progress.

STARTER: THINK - Is the i-phone a positive or negative innovation?

i-Phone

L.O.sAll – Identify that there are positives and negatives of I-Phone production

Most – Compare the positives and negatives of i-Phone production

Some – Evaluate the positives and negatives and select an argument to support

What do you already know?

Think about

• The cost to buy• The cost to make• Where it is designed• Where it is made• Who does it benefit?

All these companies in Japan have received large contracts to supply Apple with parts for the i-Phone

How does this help Japan?

Write 5 lines to explain the benefits to Japan.

Is the i-phone a positive or negative innovation?

60 hours Maximum working week stipulated in Apple's "supplier responsibility" code of practice 54 per cent Factories breaking Apple's rules on working hours (according to Apple's Supplier Responsibility 2010 Progress Report) 39 per cent Factories breaking Apple's injury prevention rules 30 per cent Plants breaking Apple's hazardous substance rules

86F Temperature exceeded in workshops at the KYE Factory in China, which supplies Microsoft 2,000 Number of Microsoft mice mouse-makers in the KYE Factory must make per shift 15 hours Maximum length of a shift at the KYE factory

30 pence Hourly wage of 300,000 workers at Foxconn in Shenzhen

Is the i-phone a positive or negative innovation?

In your opinion is the production of the i-phone good for Asia?

• I think that the i-phone being produced in Asia is good because…..

• In my opinion producing the i-phone in Asia is negative because…..

• One positive factor is …..• It is a bad thing that…..