- Recap PBL Exploration Scenario
- Critical Thinking Skill
"We can't just teach our children to think, we have to teach them thinking skills"
Inquiry Lesson three:
"I want you to think about a time you had to make a decision and you weren't sure what to do"
"What were you thinking about doing?"
"Can someone share some examples of what they were thinking about"
"When you were thinking about what to do that is called decision making, and all the different things your were thinking about are called options"
"How did you figure out that was the best option for you?"
- Instinct (previous experiences - (valued highly based on beliefs)
- Laziness (looking for a quick option - immediate gratification)
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Beliefs, essence, spirituality and being are an important part (students need to be mindful of this)
- What might the result be (consequences/repercussions)
"Let's think about something we have read lately, can anybody think about a decision one of the characters had to make etc..."
- Use our novel study as the hook
- This will draw out all the essentials of what they have to consider
"What decisions had to be made?"
"How did the make them?"
Decision making thinking map
- What makes the decision necessary?
- What are the options?
- What will happen as a result of the decision that you make?
- What information do you have of what the consequences are?
- How important are the consequences?
- Which option is best in light of the consequences?
- Further scaffolding with a graphic organiser
Charlotte's Web (decision making excerpt)
Could work on this in groups
- Dad decided to kill the pig because it was weak
- Fern decided her Dad had made an unfair decision
- Mrs Argyll made a decision to tell Fern what her father was doing with the axe
- Fern decided to try and talk Dad out of killing the pig
- Dad decided to explain things to Fern
- Fern decided to grab the axe (from verbal protest to physical protest)
When doing this brainstorm with the class student's may ask 'I wonder' questions or make statements, record them down and come back to them.
"Why did Dad have to make a decision?"
- Financial stand point (Vet costs)
- He said runts are always trouble
- He had already seen there was a runt in the litter
- Thinking about the other pigs well being
"Lets say your were Dad and what Fern had said to you made you think again about killing the runt piglet. What might you think about/what might his options be?"
- Give it away/donate to SPCA
- Keep it and look after it
- Make Fern responsible for it
- Release it into the wild
- Let nature take its course - leave the pig in there, if it survives it does
"Lets choose one of these options"
Option - Make Fern responsible for it
"What might the consequences be of this decision?"
- Show Fern why he wanted to get of the runt if something happens to the pig
- Fern may get emotionally attached to the pig
- Teaches Fern responsibility
- Fern might raise a healthy pig
- Dad might end up having to look after the pig if Fern loses interest
- Teach Fern manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga - how to look after something other than herself
- Fern might feel relieved that the pig gets to live
- Fern might feel trusted and valued if Dad listens to her
- Dad might have to rethink what he knows
Graphic Organiser
Give each group a consequence to evaluate
"Why do you think this will be a result of the decision?"
"How important do you think this is?"
Option - Fern will gain responsibility and raise a healthy pig
Why will this be a result of the decision?
- Dad listened to her and gave her responsibility to succeed
- Dad doesn't want to upset Fern and seem heartless
- Fern might a lesson by experience rather than listening to Dad
- Dad chooses to give Fern a chance
How important do you think this is?
High importance:
- Responsibility of ownership
- Priority
- Learning of diet, caring etc...
- Decision making for when she is adult and she is questioned
"Is this a positive consequence that supports the decision?"
"Is this a negative consequence that suggests this decision not be made?"
Add a plus or a minus to the graphic organiser
Put this up around the room as our model for decision making
By the end of term they will need to come up with a plan that answers the provocative question!
End of the week give them a chart to do their 5 favourite options for the exploration they want to explore.
"I want you to use the organiser for two of your options and think about your other three options"
- Scaffold deeper thinking
