Sample Lesson:
3rd Grade

Classifying Non-fiction Books

Goal: 3rd grade students will use a problem solving approach to invent a way to categorize non-fiction books. This lesson is used as a pre-cursor to learning the Dewey Decimal System.

Remember these Problem Solving Stages:
1. Clarify the given state (conditions)
2. Clarify the goal state (criteria for success)
3. Search for prior knowledge (principles, concepts, etc.)
4. Relate to a known class of problems (new?)
5. Decompose problem into smaller units (subgoals)
6. Determine a sequence of applications (attack)
7. Consider possible solutions (subproblems)
8. Select a plan (apply)
9. Evaluate (goal reached?)

Problem Solving Strategy Lesson

I. Introduction



A. Deploy Attention: Present problem, novel stimuli, graphics, video.

Librarian puts a pile of books on the table and tells the students she has to put the books away, but doesn't know where to put them so students can find them. (present problem)



B. Establish Instructional Purpose: Describe nature of problem, omit this step if inductive.

Withhold (inductive)



C. Promote Interest and Motivation: Can assist in everyday learning, success of problem solving.

Librarian asks students for HELP! (success is motivating)



D. Preview Lesson: Successive problems with increasing difficulty, preview primary strategies,

Librarian tells students they will complete some problem solving steps to solve this problem. (preview strategies)





II. Body



A. Review Prior Knowledge: Review declarative knowledge, review problem-solving strategies, review principles.

Librarian discusses location of fiction books, location of "easy" books, location of Kindergarten books, location of 1st grade books. L. discusses difference between fiction and non-fiction books.

B. Processng Information: Generative or supplantive? Increasingly complex problems, model solution.

1. Presentation of the problem: employ a simplified version of the problem, case studies, simulations, or in visual format.
Librarian asks for suggestions on how to organize books. Possibly by size? Color? Topic? (simplify)

2. Problem space: review information, identify relationships, match problem to solution, check for more information needed, break into small problems.
Librarian has students look at books and write down main characteristics, discuss how books could be grouped together, do they need and can they find more information to help with the process, sort fiction books from non-fiction, sort according to piles they think would be a good way to group them.(Information, solutions)

3. Appropriate principles: direct instruction of principles.
Librarian tells students that most libraries arrange non-fiction books by topic. (principle)

C. Focus Attention: Guiding questions or direct statements.
Librarian guides sorting with questions (questioning)

D. Employ learning strategies: direct instruction, modeling, or guiding questions.
1. alternate ways of representing problem: analogies, graphics, visuals
2. limit number of approaches
3. hints at solutions
4. strategies to retrieve more information
5. techniques for appraising solution
6. mental imagery
7. job aids or graphics
8. hypothesis and test, working forward, working backward, means-end
9. specific strategies for domain

Librarian puts student generated categories on the board (alternate way of representing problem)

E. Practicing: Similar difficulty, increasing difficulty, follow with feedback.
Librarian brings out similar books, then more difficult to distinguish books. (increasing difficulty)

F. Process feedback: Hints, guiding questions, model solution.
Librarian gives hints and suggestions to category, and either explains why or has student explain reasoning. (hints)


III. Conclusion

A. Summary and review: review characteristices of problem, discuss effective strategies, suggest organization of problem schema.
Librarian reviews categories that students have listed and students discuss how they have arranged the books and why. (review)

B. Transfer: Specific hints at how this applies in other situations.
Librarian lists three problem-solving techniques on the board, Analyze information, choose and employ a plan of action based on known principles, evaluate effectiveness of action. L. relates how this same procedure can transfer to other problems as planning a vaction, buying a new video game, going to the movies. (direct instruction)

C. Remotivate and close: Knowledge of how to use knowledge
Librarian reminds students how they have helped her and thanks them profusely!


IV. Assessment: Success in the ability to solve problems.

Students are able to sort videos, or CD's using the same techniques.

Remember these Macrostrategies:

1. Socratic Dialogue: Interact with mentor or expert

2. Expert Systems: Computer based programs consisting of knowledge database and an inference engine.

3. Elaboration Model: Carefully sequenced problem sets.

4. Simulations: Mimics a real situation, but with no consequences

5. Microworlds: Learner centered construction resembling a simulation

6. Anchored Instruction: Meaningful context and realistic problems.

7. Case Studies: Realistic situations

8. Problem-Based Learning: Curriculum based on problems rather than subject content

9. Cognitive Apprenticeship: Worker under a master tradesman.