The 7 Stage Brain Based Learning Lesson Planning

The 7 Stage Brain Based Learning Lesson Planning Outline

The process • The following strategies are organized in a sequence as outlined by Eric Jensen that makes sense to the brain. The list is by no means exhaustive. Use this outline as a means to check against your lesson plans to make sure that you have set appropriate goals for each of the learning stages.

Stage 1: Pre Exposure • This phase provides • Ideas of this stage: – Post an overview of the new the brain with an topic on the bulletin board. overview of the new – Encourage good nutrition and drinking plenty of water. learning before really – Start here student knowledge digging into the base begins and build upon their concept. Pre exposure interests related to the concept. – Have learners set their own helps the brain goals and discuss goals for the develop better class as well. conceptual maps. – Plan Brain wake-ups, such as cross laterals.

Stage 2: Preparation • This is the phase • Ideas to incorporate: – Create a “you are there” where you create the experience. curiosity or the – Elicit from learners what excitement. It is possible value and relevance the similar to the topic has to them personally. “Anticipatory Set” but – The brain learns very well from concrete experiences. Provided goes farther in a real, physical or concrete preparing the learner. exposure for the class. – Provide a hook or surprise or a bit of novelty to engage learner emotions.

Stage 3 – Initiation and Acquisition • This stage provides the immersion. • Try these: – Provide concrete learning experiences Flood with content! Instead of the such as case studies, experiment, a single, lock step, one bite at a time field trip, interviews, etc. presentation, provide an initial – Provide activities that employ a virtual overload of ideas, details, majority of the multiple intelligences. complexity, and meanings. Allow a – Offer a group or team project that sense of temporary overwhelm to encompasses building, finding, occur in learners. This will be exploring, or designing. followed by anticipation, curiosity, – Attend theater, put on a skit, and a determination to discover produce a commercial, or create a meaning for oneself. Over time it all class/school newspaper. gets sorted out by the learner. It is – Provide enough choice so that learners like the real world outside the have the opportunity to explore the classroom, subject using their preferred learning modality: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. – A well designed computer program or activity can be very helpful at this stage.

Stage 4: Elaboration • This is the process stage. It requires genuine thinking on the part of the learner. This is the time to make intellectual sense of the learning. • Try these: – Provide and open ended debriefing of the previous activity. – Tie things together so the learning across disciplines occurs. – Have learners design an evaluation procedure or rubric for their own learning. – Have learners explore the topic online. – Hold a debate, essay contest or panel discussion on the topic. – Have students to the teaching in small groups, as class presenters, in pairs.

Stage 5: Incubation and Memory Encoding • This phase emphasizes the importance of down time and review time. The brain learns most effectively over time, not all at once. • Try these: – Provide time for unguided reflection. – Have learners keep a journal of their learning. – Have learners take a walk in pairs to discuss the learning. – Provide stretching and relaxation exercises. – Provide a music listening area. – Ask learners to discuss new learning with their family and friends.

Stage 6: Verification and Confidence Check • This phase is not just • Try these: learners present for the benefit of the – Have their learning to others. teacher. Learners – Student interviews and need to confirm their evaluate each other. learning for – Students write about what they have learned in a themselves, as well. journal, essay, news Learning is best article, report. remembered when the – Students demonstrate student possesses a learning with a project. – Students present a role model or metaphor play or skit or theatrical regarding the new concepts or materials. – performance. Quiz, verbal or written.

Stage 7: Celebration and Integration • In the celebration phase it is • critical to engage emotions. Make it fun, light, and joyful. This step instills the important love of learning. It must never be missed. Try these: – Have a class toast with juice. – Provide sharing time, peer sharing, demonstration, acknowledgements. – Play music, hang streamers and blow horns to celebrate the end of a successful unit. – Invite another class, parents, principal, or community guest through video conferencing to view projects. – Facilitate a class designed and produced celebration party. – Incorporate the new learning in future lessons! Never introduce something, then drop it. If it is not important enough to refer to in the future, don’t waste time on it to begin with.

What this means to you: • It is critical that we plan learning with the brain in mind to ask a different set of questions. Rather than, what should I teach, ask how will students best learn? As you plan the learning, keep the focus on basic principles that support the brain’s natural learning tendencies. Create a complex interdisciplinary curriculum that provides for plenty of learner choice. Provide structure, but in an environment that represents the unique nature of each learner and their individual needs and experiences.