Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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The CTS Study Guide
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At the heart of the Curriculum Topic Study process is the CTS study guide. Click on one of the topics below to see an example of a science or mathematics CTS guide included in the CTS resource books:
• Physical Properties and Change
• Probability
There are 147 topic guides in the science CTS book and 90 topic guides in the mathematics CTS book. Each CTS guide identifies a particular topic in science or mathematics and links six purposeful outcomes in the left column to selected readings from the nationally available source materials in the right column. Teachers select, examine, study, reflect upon these pre-selected readings, to improve their understanding of teaching and learning related to the topic and apply actions that improve their practice. Teachers who have been using the standards and research previous to the development of these CTS guides remark how much easier and quicker it is to be able to find information relevant to the topics they teach- the time consuming work of searching for the right information has been done for busy teachers!
Each CTS Guide uses a standard template divided into two corresponding parts. The left hand side, labeled "Section and Outcome", contains the Roman numeral numbered sections I-VI and is titled with the user outcome for that section. Users can decide to do all six sections or choose only the sections that fit their particular purpose. The following describes each of the sections and their outcomes:
• Section I. Identify Adult Content Knowledge- This section helps users identify what all adults (including teachers) should know in science or mathematics by the end of their K-12 education to be considered literate in science or mathematics. It also provides content explanations for science or mathematics ideas encountered in the media, public issues, and other popular science or mathematics venues in which an adult understanding of science or mathematics is important.
• Section II. Consider Instructional Implications- This section helps users identify important considerations for K-12 or grade span instruction, provides a broad overview of the big ideas, concepts, and skills for K-12 students related to the topic, and suggests effective instructional strategies and contexts.
• Section III. Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas- This section helps users identify the concepts, specific ideas, level of sophistication, and appropriate terminology related to a topic at different grade levels.
• Section IV. Examine Research on Student Learning- This section identifies related research so that users can examine developmental considerations, possible misconceptions and their sources, intuitive ideas and lines of reasoning, and difficulties encountered by students in understanding scientific or mathematical ideas.
• Section V. Examine Coherency and Articulation- This section helps users examine the K-12 conceptual growth in understanding as a coherent flow of ideas build in sophistication over time, identify important prerequisites for learning, and examine connections between ideas within and across topics.
• Section VI. Clarify State Standards and District Curriculum- This section helps the user clarify the meaning and intent of their own state standards or learning goals in their district curriculum by taking the previous five sections and linking the information to the context the user works in. It also helps the user identify important, key ideas in science or mathematics that may be missing at the state or local level which should be addressed along with their standards.
The right hand side of a CTS guide, titled "Selected Sources and Readings for Study and Reflection," includes the selected readings from the CTS common set of resources for study and reflection. Each section provides two choices of source material. Users may choose to read selected, related sections from both choices of source material, or choose to focus on only one. • Section II. Consider Instructional Implications- This section helps users identify important considerations for K-12 or grade span instruction, provides a broad overview of the big ideas, concepts, and skills for K-12 students related to the topic, and suggests effective instructional strategies and contexts.
• Section III. Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas- This section helps users identify the concepts, specific ideas, level of sophistication, and appropriate terminology related to a topic at different grade levels.
• Section IV. Examine Research on Student Learning- This section identifies related research so that users can examine developmental considerations, possible misconceptions and their sources, intuitive ideas and lines of reasoning, and difficulties encountered by students in understanding scientific or mathematical ideas.
• Section V. Examine Coherency and Articulation- This section helps users examine the K-12 conceptual growth in understanding as a coherent flow of ideas build in sophistication over time, identify important prerequisites for learning, and examine connections between ideas within and across topics.
• Section VI. Clarify State Standards and District Curriculum- This section helps the user clarify the meaning and intent of their own state standards or learning goals in their district curriculum by taking the previous five sections and linking the information to the context the user works in. It also helps the user identify important, key ideas in science or mathematics that may be missing at the state or local level which should be addressed along with their standards.
At the bottom of each study guide is a link to the CTS web site, where users can access the CTS database to find optional readings and media resources to supplement individual CTS guides.
Curriculum Topic Study 2005