Chapter 12 what is the curriculum design?

Question 0

Selected subjects are identified. Organization is tight and narrow, and the sequence is specified.

Primary strategy is lecture. Teachers are expected to teach to the prescribed sequence and use the prescribed materials.

Students learn the content. The narrow focus allows students to learn more content in less time.

Answer 0

Subject centered curriculum

Question 1

A number of subjects are integrated and theme generalizations from each subject become the big ideas.

Teachers may lecture. Focus is on the broad generalizations instead of depth in a particular content.

Students are expected to develop a broad understanding across a number of content areas. Students may not understand the broad themes and may instead simply memorize them.

Answer 1

Theme or big idea centered curriculum

Question 2

The curriculum is viewed across the P–12 continuum, the assumption being that key content will be taught more than once. In an early grade, a particular topic will be introduced in a general way.

Teachers will use a variety of teaching strategies.
The key is that teachers must have sufficient depth of knowledge to offer more content depth with each cycle in the spiral. Teachers also must make a concerted effort to add depth to student understanding with each subsequent pass.

Students are expected to learn the content at the depth taught each time. The risk is that they will not retain the knowledge and understanding developed in the previous cycle.

Answer 2

Spiral curriculum

Question 3

Includes some contents all students should know. Depending on the philosophical perspective, a set of subjects is selected to be the center of the curriculum.

Rather than discrete content courses, integrated blocks may be offered. The content is taught in relation to problems or topics. Each problem uses each of the content areas. Typically, teachers teach as interdisciplinary teams.

Students learn through the study of interdisciplinary problems. Accompanying this learning is learning in related subjects.

Answer 3

Core curriculum

Question 4

Levels of learning that all students are to reach are identified. Students are given as much time as they need and a variety of activities to aid their reaching mastery.

Teachers must be able to provide a variety of activities and ways for students to reach mastery. Teachers also must be skilled at assessing what students do and do not know.

Once students have met the criterion for a particular learning objective, they move on to addressing the next learning target.

Answer 4

Mastery curriculum

Question 5

Students work in groups and are presented with a problem. Solving the problem requires that they learn new content.

The teacher is a guide and coach rather than a dispenser of content. Only when the need arises does the teacher present content.

Students are expected to be able to work cooperatively as members of problem-solving teams. They must be self-starters and motivated to study the problem.

Answer 5

Problem based curriculum

Question 6

The standards of learning become the content.

Student learning is placed at the center rather than the topic being taught. Teachers use a wide variety of lessons and assessment strategies, all of which are aimed at assisting students in constructing their own understanding.

Students know the standards and specific benchmarks they are studying. They self-assess in relation to these.

Answer 6

Standards based curriculum