Task
Procedure for Teaching List
Mitosis
Set up
The science class is studying cells. Students have already learned the structure of cells and certain cell processes, such as osmosis. This is some of their background knowledge. [Please see these websites.]
The teacher reviews these structures and processes. Now it’s time to study another cell process; namely, cell division.
The first objective is that students say the names of the phases of cell division, in order. [Why is this first? Because the teacher will be showing slides and discussing the phases. Students need to know WHAT she’s talking about.]
2.Objective
When the teacher says, “State the phases of mitosis in order,” students do this correctly within 10 seconds.”
5. Frame.
Teacher. “Boys and girls. Now we’re going to study division in somatic cells. The name of that process is mitosis.” [Writes mitosis on the board.]
“Spell mitosis.”
Class. “m i t o s i s.”
Teacher. “Write mitosis in your notebooks at the top of a new page.” [Check]
“Now you will learn the phases of cell division in somatic cells, or mitosis.”
Focused Instruction
6-8.Model—lead—test/check.
Teacher. “Listen, the five phases of mitosis are interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.”
“I’ll say the first three. interphase, prophase, metaphase.” [Model]
Teacher. “Say them with me.” [Lead]
Teacher/ interphase, prophase, metaphase.
Class.
Teacher. “Your turn.” [Test/check]
Class. “Interphase, prophase, metaphase.”
Teacher. “Again.” [This is a judgment call, whether to do it again to firm the list.]
Class. “Interphase, prophase, metaphase.”
Teacher. “Now the last two.” Listen. anaphase, telophase [Model]
Teacher. “Say it with me.” [Lead]
Teacher/ “Anaphase, telophase”
Class.
Teacher. “Your turn.” [Test/check]
Class. “Anaphase, telophase”
Teacher. “Now all of them with me.”[Lead]
Teacher/ “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.” Class
Teacher. “Again, with me.”
Teacher/ “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.”
Class.
Teacher. “Your turn.” [Test/check]
Class. “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase,telophase.”
9.Error correction.
If a student makes a mistake in ANY of the above instruction, the teacher immediately corrects it with the procedure: model-lead-test/check. For example, the teacher hears one student leave out anaphase. The teacher directs the correction to the whole group.
Teacher. “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, ANAPHASE, telophase.” [Model]
Teacher. “Say it with me.” [Lead]
Teacher/ “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, ANAPHASE, telophase.”
Class.
Teacher. “Your turn. Everybody. [Test/check]
Class. “Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.”
Application. When would you teach lists? Let’s say you are preparing lessons in science or history or literature. There are many lists you want students to learn. For example
1.What rights are guaranteed by the first five Amendments to the Constitution?
2.List six of the most important events leading up to the colonists’ decision to separate from Britain? (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Battle at Lexington Green…) prel.htm
3.List six main kinds of fungi.
4.Name seven figures of speech, or tropes.
Note that learning simple facts and lists is usually an introduction to instruction on important concepts and rule-relationships and routines that involve the facts and lists. For instance, you would teach students to list the five phases of mitosis before you teach them what is happening IN each phase, to identify cells in each phase, and to describe changes from one phase to another. Likewise, you would teach students to list the main events that came before the Colonists’ decision to separate from Britain so that you can THEN make a diagram of the SEQUENCE leading to the War of Independence, and then DISCUSS how the events gradually produced more and more resentment in the colonists.
You may wonder “Do you have to teach everything with THIS much scaffolding (bit by bit, modeling, leading, testing/checking to see if students learned it, correcting errors)? The answer is, WHENEVER THE KNOWLEDGE IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU MUST ENSURE THAT STUDENTS LEARN IT, THEN YES, TEACH THAT WAY. This is especially important for diverse learners. But the more students learn and the more they learn HOW to pay attention to the important elements in your communication, the LESS scaffolding they will need.]