Chapter 8: Metacognitive Processes

Chapter 8

Consider a lesson plan you might use.  Which metacognitive skills/abilities are involved as students gain facility/knowledge in this domain?

I think I would create a lesson on purposes of writing and narrow in on opinion pieces. This would be intended as a writing activity for a fourth or fifth grade classroom. We would discover the differences between fact and opinion through powerpoint, then view different pieces and talk about what context clues point to it being an opinion. I would require students to try and takes notes to follow along, possibly giving them a diagram to organize their thoughts and be able to write out their evidence and reasoning. I think I would incorporate probing questions to see what they know and their opinion about opinions. I think it is important to convey that there are not wrong opinions, incorporating ideas of acceptance and tolerance. I would then have students participate in an authentic task by writing an opinion paper/article to the school newspaper about an issue they have a strong opinion about (i.e. changing school dress code).

Think of an activity or lesson component that explicitly teaches one or more metacognitive and one or more problem solving skills.

 I would use a geometry lesson for third grade students. Based on the angles previous learned, I would create different scenarios where the student must use their previous knowledge to measure areas, perimeters, distances and angles. (i.e. of the backyard of a house) In order to answer the mathematical problem students must use an algorithm to find the correct solution(s). A strategy I would implement is drawing a model on a smaller scale with very simple numbers and writing the possible solutions in order to gain understanding of the concept itself. After they begin to catch on, I would draw my own model on the board and call on students to walk me through the procedure.