Chapter 12 page 281
owners may be able to vote. A variable attribute of the concept EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE is the color
of the lines--the lines may be red or blue; it doesn’t matter.
Best examples. Best examples are simple examples that clearly present the key features of the concept.
Expository examples. Expository examples are matched pairs of examples and nonexamples from
successive concepts (and matched sets of concepts for coordinate concepts). The expository examples
explain to students explain the attributes to students so that students understand why the different instances
are categorized differently.
Example: 2x^2 + 3x + 5 = 0. This equation has an x^2 term, and it is an equality, so it is a quadratic
equation.
2x + 3x + 5 = 0. Although this equation is an equality, it has no x^2 term,
so it is not a quadratic equation.
Interrogatory examples. Interrogatory examples are examples in which students are asked about each
constant attribute and then asked to classify the example.
Example: 2x^2 + 3x + 5 = 0. 1. Is the equation an equality? YES NO
- Does the equation have an x^2 term? YES NO
Is it a quadratic equation? YES
NO
2x + 3x + 5 = 0. 1. Is the equation an equality? YES NO
- Does the equation have an x^2 term? YES NO
Is it a quadratic equation? YES
NO
Interrogatory examples should gradually include some complex examples that are not so easily
classified.
Practice examples. These are examples that the student classifies (without the interrogatory questions
shown above). The student is given feedback after each classification.
B. Designing a Concept Lesson
Here are the key steps in designing a concept lesson.
- Decide if a concept lesson is needed.
You need a concept lesson in any of these situations:
a. if the material involves new terms that you want the learner to understand, know how to use, or
know the meaning of (e.g., mitosis, acid, sonnet, cubism, political neutrality, equilateral triangle).
b. if you want the learner to learn a definition