Background knowledge
Are links with students' background knowledge made explicit?
High-connection lessons provide students with opportunities to make connections between their linguistic, cultural, world knowledge and experience and the topics, skills and competencies at hand. Background knowledge may include community knowledge, local knowledge, personal experience, media and popular culture sources.
Low-connection lessons introduce new content, skills and competencies without any direct or explicit opportunities to explore what prior knowledge students have of the topic, and without any attempts to provide relevant or key background knowledge that might enhance students' comprehension and understanding of the 'new' material being offered.
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No reference is made to background knowledge: students' community and cultural knowledge or school knowledge covered in previous studies, other subjects and lessons.
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Initial reference or solicitation is made by the teacher to background knowledge and experience.
At least some connection to out-of-school background knowledge.
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Students' background knowledge and experiences are consistently incorporated into the lesson, with the lesson shunting back and forth between known material and new material.
At least some connection to out-of-school background knowledge.
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In a year 6 Social Studies class, the children worked in small groups over a number of lessons to design a theme park. This topic was closely connected to the students' world beyond the classroom because the school is located close to a number of major theme parks.
As well as having visited these parks, some of the children knew park employees and the parks were significant in the community's psyche. Along with designing themes, rides and attractions, the children were also required to consider a range of other issues such as profit margins, marketing, integration with other local industries and services, facilities for people with special needs, personnel issues and pricing. The groups gave regular reports to the class and were required to respond to questions posed by the teacher and other students.
A feedback cycle of researching, developing and presenting the theme park designs was well established in the class when this observation was made.
A local theme park manager had also been invited to a final presentation of the proposals and to comment on each design.
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