A Solid Curriculum Has As Many Facets As the Most Ornately Crafted Diamond. Foundational

DavisEDUC 771

Abstract

A solid curriculum has as many facets as the most ornately crafted diamond. Foundational to the understanding of the lesson plan and the perspective chart is a required defining of the perspectives within the curriculum itself. For the purposes of this lesson plan and chart, there is a need to understand five of them and relate the lesson to each requirement. The assignment itself is a response paper in the form of a five-paragraph essay. While this assignment could be crafted for any age-group with appropriate simplicity or complexity instilled, this setting is more-or-less a book report for sixth graders.

Perspectives

From the moment of earliest perception, no two people share the same experience exactly. Therefore, no two people share the same perspective on everything. Many perspectives for purpose of building curriculum have been classified into a specific set of requirements. Despite the disparity between and amongst them, a well-prepared curriculum can be reviewed through the perspective of each and all. This is not to say that every assignment meets every requirement well, but each requirement can be overlaid onto each assignment.

Perrenialism

Knight (2006) reminds us that “The great works of the past are a repository of knowledge and wisdom which has stood the test of time and is relevant in our day” (p. 118). This, then, is the foundational requirement for perrenialism. The assignment should be one containing a perennial component, and as this assignment is a response to a reading, the reading selection should also have a perennial component. To gain an approved subject for this assignment, it would be incumbent upon the instructor to ensure that the reading is perennial in nature. The assignment itself provides a base of skills and knowledge that are timeless indeed.

Essentialism

Knight (2006) posits “The school’s first task is to teach basic knowledge” (p. 122). For any literature assignment, the basic knowledge must be to read, reflect, and respond. Ergo, the reading selection should present some form of essential knowledge for the student. Further, the response should identify that essential knowledge as well as demonstrate the student having gained the basic skills to read, reflect, and respond.

Progressive

The progressive assignment will ensure “Classroom activity should focus on problem solving rather than on artificial methods of teaching subject matter” (Knight, 2006, p. 108). Life is a series of problems to be solved. Within the assignment should be an element of problem solving. For this assignment, each reading should have an element of problem solving as well. Part of the assignment can be for the student to identify problems that are solved or could have been solved a different way. For the student whose job it is to reflect upon the reading, the quest is for solving the problem of identifying problems and solutions.

Reconstructive

Knight (2006) tells us that “If formal education is to be a part of the social solution in the present world crisis, it must actively teach for social change” (p. 128). As such, the student should be able to identify a need for and method for social change within the reading. Showing that requirement can be part of the writing. The skill set in learning to write a strong response paper will set the student for success in future writings and thus for the effect of social change.

Biblical

“A God-centered pattern of education demands that the Christian educator spell out clearly the processes involved in the total structure of the curriculum. This means all procedures and processes must be based on a definite theory of knowledge” (Cates, 2010, n.p.). Further, “Christian educators are not only required to meet the educational needs of the students in the growing population areas, but are also challenged to reflect a biblical worldview and integrate faith and learning in their curricula” (Quinn, Foote, & Williams, 2012, p. 173).

Curriculum and Biblical Perspectives Lesson Plan

Content Area: LiteratureGrade Level – 6th

Field: Literature

Basic Assignment – Writing the five paragraph response essay

Identify book or article

Elements of the task: As below

Timeline for project – 1 week per paragraph and 1 week review –

Total time allowed, 6 weeks

Define the following: theme, plot, setting

Compose a thesis statement

Identify three salient points

Summarize the thesis

Rewrite first salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Rewrite second salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Rewrite third salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Provide a conclusory thesis

Summarize each salient point

Summarize the paper in one complete sentence

Note: This paper will be graded on the following:

Content – does it meet each basic requirement

Organization – is it in sequence as presented in the opening

Style – This paper will be in the current APA format

Mechanics – Is grammar and composition correct

Other – Are the citations appropriate to the text and properly researched including a reference(s) page

Curriculum and Biblical Perspectives Chart

Perspective / Perceptions &
Goals / Essential
Questions / Materials &
Resources / Classroom Procedures / Classroom Assessment
Perennialism / This text is/was one that will/has stood the test of time. / How is this text relevant to today’s world? / Approved book or Article
APA
Knight, 2006, p. 118
Bullock, et al, p. A-37 / Generate a five paragraph essay indicating the significance of the theme, plot and setting as relevant to real world issues. / COSMO Grading as indicated in basic lesson plan.
Essentialism / This text reinforces specific learning objectives / What basic knowledge is gained from this text? / Approved book or Article
APA
Knight, 2006, p. 122
Bullock, et al, p. A-37 / Generate a five paragraph essay indicating the significance of the theme, plot and setting as relevant to needed skills and knowledge. / COSMO Grading as indicated in basic lesson plan.
Progressive / The text aids in problem solving and advances the children in those skills. / What problems are presented and how are they resolved? / Approved book or Article
APA
Knight, 2006, p. 108
Bullock, et al, p. A-37 / Generate a five paragraph essay indicating the significance of the theme, plot and setting as relevant to problem solving. / COSMO Grading as indicated in basic lesson plan.
Reconstructive / Character skills that aid in the benefit of society are in this text. / How does this text advocate for social change? / Approved book or Article
APA
Knight, 2006, p. 128
Bullock, et al, p. A-37 / Generate a five paragraph essay indicating the significance of the theme, plot and setting as socially relevant. / COSMO Grading as indicated in basic lesson plan.
Biblical / This text advocates Biblical principles. / What Biblical foundation is espoused in this text? / Approved book or Article
APA
Cates, 2010, n.p.
Quinn, et al, 2012, p. 173
Bullock, et al, p. A-37 / Generate a five paragraph essay indicating the significance of the theme, plot and setting as relevant to Biblical values. / COSMO Grading as indicated in basic lesson plan.

References

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American psychological association (Current ed.). Washington, D.C.

Bullock, R., Brody, M., & Weinberg, F. (2014). The Little Shawnee Handbook (Vol. 2). New York: W. W. Norton.

Cates, P. (2010, July 11). A Christian Philosophy of Education. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from

Knight, G. R. (2006). Philosophy & education: An introduction in Christian perspective (4th ed.). Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press. ISBN: 9781883925543.

Quinn, M., Foote, L., and Williams, M. (2012). Integrating a Biblical worldview and developing online courses for the adult learner. Christian Scholar's Review 41(2) Winter 2012, pp. 163-173.

Select a content subject area (history, science, math, literature) and a grade level to develop. Design a chart that illustrates how each of the curriculum perspectives (Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressive, Reconstructive, Biblical) would structure the course by Perceptions & Goals, Essential Questions, Materials and Resources, Classroom Procedures, and Classroom Assessment. Use the attached template to complete the chart and incorporate at least five APA citations.

CURRICULUM PERSPECTIVES

Perennialism, Heavy emphasis on Thought – “People are rational animals” (Knight, 2006, p. 116). “Human nature is universally consistent; therefore, education should be the same for everyone” (ibid, p. 117). “Knowledge is universally consistent; therefore, there are certain basic subject matters that should be taught to all people” (ibid, p. 117). “The subject matter, not the child, should stand at the center of the educational endeavor” (ibid, p. 118). “The great works of the past are a repository of knowledge and wisdom which has stood the test of time and is relevant in our day” (ibid, p. 118). “The educational experience is a preparation for life, rather than a real-life situation” (ibid, p. 119).

For Perennialists, the aim of education is to ensure that students acquire understandings about the great ideas of Western civilization. These ideas have the potential for solving problems in any era. The focus is to teach ideas that are everlasting, to seek enduring truths which are constant, not changing, as the natural and human worlds at their most essential level, do not change. Teaching these unchanging principles is critical. Humans are rational beings, and their minds need to be developed. Thus, cultivation of the intellect is the highest priority in a worthwhile education. The demanding curriculum focuses on attaining cultural literacy, stressing students' growth in enduring disciplines. The loftiest accomplishments of humankind are emphasized– the great works of literature and art, the laws or principles of science. Advocates of this educational philosophy are Robert Maynard Hutchins who developed a Great Books program in 1963 and Mortimer Adler, who further developed this curriculum based on 100 great books of western civilization.

Essentialism, Heavy emphasis on Natural Sciences – “The school’s first task is to teach basic knowledge” (Knight, 2006, p. 122). “Learning is hard work and requires discipline” (ibid, p. 123). “The teacher is the locus of classroom authority” (ibid, p. 123).

Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to be transmitted to students in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this conservative perspective is on intellectual and moral standards that schools should teach. The core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills and academic rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some ways to Perennialism, Essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change. Schooling should be practical, preparing students to become valuable members of society. It should focus on facts-the objective reality out there--and "the basics," training students to read, write, speak, and compute clearly and logically. Schools should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be taught hard work, respect for authority, and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-productive instincts in check, such as aggression or mindlessness. This approach was in reaction to progressivist approaches prevalent in the 1920s and 30s. William Bagley, took progressivist approaches to task in the journal he formed in 1934. Other proponents of Essentialism are: James D. Koerner (1959), H. G. Rickover (1959), Paul Copperman (1978), and Theodore Sizer (1985).

Progressive, -- “The process of education finds its genesis and purpose in the child” (Knight, 2006, p. 106). “Pupils are active rather than passive” (ibid, p. 107). “The teacher’s role is that of advisor, guide, and fellow traveler, rather than that of authoritarian and classroom director” (ibid, p. 107). “The school is a microcosm of the larger society” (ibid. p. 108). “Classroom activity should focus on problem solving rather than on artificial methods of teaching subject matter” (ibid, p. 108). “The social atmosphere of the school should be cooperative and democratic” (ibid, p. 109)

Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on the content or the teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active, not passive. The learner is a problem solver and thinker who makes meaning through his or her individual experience in the physical and cultural context. Effective teachers provide experiences so that students can learn by doing. Curriculum content is derived from student interests and questions. The scientific method is used by progressivist educators so that students can study matter and events systematically and first hand. The emphasis is on process-how one comes to know. The Progressive education philosophy was established in America from the mid 1920s through the mid 1950s. John Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his tenets was that the school should improve the way of life of our citizens through experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making, planning of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects. Books are tools, rather than authority.

Reconstructive, “World society is in a state of crisis, and civilization as we know it will come to an end unless current practices are reverse” (Knight, 2006, p. 126). “The only effective solution to world problems is the creation of a planetary social order” (ibid, p. 126). “Formal education can become a major agent in the reconstruction of social order” (ibid, p. 127). “Teaching methods must be based on democratic principles that rely upon the native intelligence of the majority to recognize and act upon the most valid solution to the world’s problems” (ibid, p. 127). “If formal education is to be a part of the social solution in the present world crisis, it must actively teach for social change” (ibid, p. 128).

Social reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social questions and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education. Theodore Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder of social reconstructionism, in reaction against the realities of World War II. He recognized the potential for either human annihilation through technology and human cruelty or the capacity to create a beneficent society using technology and human compassion. George Counts (1889-1974) recognized that education was the means of preparing people for creating this new social order.

Critical theorists, like social reconstructionists, believe that systems must be changed to overcome oppression and improve human conditions. Paulo Freire (1921-1997) was a Brazilian whose experiences living in poverty led him to champion education and literacy as the vehicle for social change. In his view, humans must learn to resist oppression and not become its victims, nor oppress others. To do so requires dialog and critical consciousness, the development of awareness to overcome domination and oppression. Rather than "teaching as banking," in which the educator deposits information into students' heads, Freire saw teaching and learning as a process of inquiry in which the child must invent and reinvent the world.

For social reconstructionists and critical theorists, curriculum focuses on student experience and taking social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger, international terrorism, inflation, and inequality. Strategies for dealing with controversial issues (particularly in social studies and literature), inquiry, dialogue, and multiple perspectives are the focus. Community-based learning and bringing the world into the classroom are also strategies.

Biblical – “Christian educators are not only required to meet the educational needs of the students in the growing population areas, but are also challenged to reflect a biblical worldview and integrate faith and learning in their curricula” (Quinn, Foote, & Williams, 2012, p. 173).

Quinn, M., Foote, L., and Williams, M. (2012). Integrating a Biblical worldview and developing online courses for the adult learner. Christian Scholar's Review 41(2) Winter 2012, pp. 163-173.

“A God-centered pattern of education demands that the Christian educator spell out clearly the processes involved in the total structure of the curriculum. This means all procedures and processes must be based on a definite theory of knowledge” (Cates, 2010, n.p.).

Cates, P. (2010, July 11). A Christian Philosophy of Education. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from

Content Area: Literature

Grade Level – 6th

Literature – Writing the five paragraph response essay

Identify book or article

Define the following: theme, plot, setting

Compose a thesis statement

Identify three salient points

Summarize the thesis

Rewrite first salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Rewrite second salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Rewrite third salient point as topic sentence

Identify three sub-points including at least one direct citation

Summarize the thought

Provide a conclusory thesis

Summarize each salient point

Summarize the paper in one complete sentence

Note: This paper will be graded on the following:

Content – does it meet each basic requirement

Organization – is it in sequence as presented in the opening

Style – This paper will be in the current APA format

Mechanics – Is grammar and composition correct

Other – Are the citations appropriate to the text and properly researched including a reference(s) page