Mini Instruction - Schema Theory

Mini Instruction – Schema Theory
Katie and Ross
“Rivers of Life”

Introduction to Schema Theory
Schema theory explains that a learner’s knowledge is stored in their memory as “packets of knowledge.” New understanding acquired by learners relates to these “packets of knowledge”, or schemata, and can be added to already present schemata, can allow schemata to be altered, or can create new schemata. Instructional designers can facilitate meaningful learning by using various strategies to activate schemata and help learners to use their prior knowledge in gaining new understanding.

Theoretical Principles
Learners can acquire more meaningful learning and remember better when they relate new information to prior knowledge.
Schemata – “packets of knowledge” stored in the memory
Mental Mmodels – schemata that guide the learner as they learn new information or solve problems
Accretion – “fact learning” – new information is added to already present schemata
Tuning – schemata are altered, or “evolve”, based on new knowledge and experience
Restructuring – new schemata are created to “replace or incorporate old ones”
Keys to automating existing schemata to lighten the cognitive load of the learner and therefore facilitate further meaningful learning:
Activate Prior Knowledge
•Advance Organizers – introductory materials that “bridge the gap”
between prior knowledge and new information to be learned
•Schema Signals – texts and other learning tools draw on a familiar
structure to aid learners
Make Instructional Materials Meaningful
•Comparative Organizers
•Elaboration
Use Prior Knowledge in New Contexts

Instructional Objective
The students will be able to list seven important factors that play a role in the development of a civilization. They will be able to identify these factors in various ancient civilizations, namely Ancient Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient China, and Ancient India. Later, they will be able to identify the same factors in the development of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Intended Learners
A sixth-grade class of 25 to 30 students.

Materials
•A social studies textbook for each student – needs to have information on the ancient civilizations discussed in this lesson (Recommended textbook: World Adventures in Time and Place published by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill)
•If a textbook is not available, encyclopedias, the internet, or other research tools may be used.
•4 long pieces of blue butcher paper (each about 8 feet long)
•Scissors
•Pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers
•A variety of paper (eg. construction paper, tissue paper)
•Other art supplies as available

Procedure
The class is divided into groups of seven7 or eight8 students. Each group is assigned one ancient civilization to research using their social studies textbook:
Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, or India.
Each student in the group is responsible for one specific factor that contributed to the growth and development of this civilization. (Some partnering may be needed.)
Factors:
Source of Water (the major river that flows through that civilization)
Farming
Religion
Government
Military
Transportation/Travel/Trade
Inventions/Discoveries

Each group will then receive a piece of blue butcher paper to represent their river civilization. They will cut the paper so it is wavy, like a river. The group will display the information gained from their research on their river. The river should have a title (the name of their civilization). The rest of the river will then be divided into seven7 sections on which seven7 subtitles should be written (the seven factors they have studied). The students will place a graphic next to each subtitle that represents that factor, showing they understand what that subtopic means. (Example: Next to the farming subtitle students place a picture of crops growing in a field.) The studentsy may choose various ways to represent the information they have researched: illustrations, lists, captions, 3-D art, etc.

Once the rivers have been completed, the instructor should lead a class discussion about the similarities and differences between each of the civilizations. The instructor should discuss with the students the important role played by each of the seven7 factors listed in the development of these civilizations.
Assessment
The students will be given a quiz on which they must list seven important factors in the development of civilizations.

Follow-Up Learning
Now that the students have learned about several ancient civilizations and the factors contributing to their development, they will continue to use the seven factors learned in studying other civilizations in history. As the class learns about Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the students will be asked to determine if these seven factors were present in these civilizations as well. If so, can they will identify them.? The students will create a comparative organizer displaying how Greece and Rome also had these seven factors.