Foreword Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction: Why is Concept-Based Curriculum Critical for the 21st Century? Chapter 1: What Are the Essential Elements of Concept-Based Curriculum Design? Chapter 2: How Do I Set Up My Classroom for Deep, Conceptual Learning? Chapter 3: What Are the Building Blocks of Concept-Based Instruction? Chapter 4: What Additional Tools Can We Use to Design Lessons? Chapter 5: How do we Design Assessments for Conceptual Understanding? Chapter 6: How Can We Work Toward Equity in a Concept-Based Classroom? Chapter 7: How Can Conceptual Understanding Help to Preserve a Love of Learning Beyond Childhood? Conclusion: Imagine What School Could Be.... References Index
Teaching overly-factual content to young students is misguided: it is developmentally inappropriate, and ignores what we know about how children naturally learn. We can and should view all children as thinking beings, creating ideal environments for them to make sense of the world while being very careful to protect their inherent love of learning. This book teaches a concept-based curriculum in a way that respects the developmental stages of childhood with intellectual rigour. Infants rapidly develop their understanding of concepts such as hot and cold, happy and sad, in and out, and at three years old, they begin their characteristic, persistent questioning: "Why? Why? Why?" By following this natural tendency, the book's approach cultivates their conceptual understanding in a gentle manner that honours their innate curiosity.