Educational Psychology

Appendix A: Preparing for licensure

Preparing for licensure: Mr Cullen teaches about houses

See also Chapter 10, Planning instruction; Chapter 4, Student diversity.

Mr Cullen teaches fifth grade at an urban elementary school, where one of the normal curriculum

topics is about “where people live”. The general goal of the unit, as expressed in the curriculum

framework document from the State Department of Education, is for students “to understand the

nature and purposes of houses and how they are affected by the circumstances of their society”. To

get started in planning the unit, Mr Cullen brainstormed the conceptual web of ideas and topics

shown below as “Document 1” below. He also introduced students to making conceptual webs

about houses, one of which is shown below as “Document 2”. Part way through the unit, in

addition, he took the class on a simple field trip to look at the houses in the residential

neighborhood near the school. His notes about that field trip are shown as “Document 3”.

Document 1: Mr Cullen’s conceptual map about houses

Styles Sizes Types Brick Wood Plaster

Appearance Construction materials

HOUSES Costs Purchase Price

Maintenance Rental costs

Parts of a House Effects of Location

Inside

Bath Outside Neighboring Schools Street

Bedroom(s) Garage Houses & Stores traffic

Kitchen Yard

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