Improving Higher Order Thinking Skills for ELN Students By Rebecca Lang

What Are HOTS? O Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) include: analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating O Many ELN (Exceptional Learning Needs) students think concretely O Graphic Organizers (GO) free up memory and give a concrete form to abstract thinking Shakespeare: HOTS or Not?

Storyboards Type I & II Purpose: Project planning that begins with a problem in mind Discussion paired with visual tool helps eliminate confusion Greater understanding of thought-process (metacognition) Purpose: Pictures help comprehension Sequence of events made clear Cause and effect made visible

Love FateViolence “Rosaline…I have forgot that name” [II,iii] “Either thou or I… must go…” [III,i] “I defy you stars…” [V, i] “O my love…Death… hath no power…” [V,iii] “Peace… I hate the word…” [I,i] “…star- crossed lovers…” (P) Love is undying Love is fickle People choose violence People choose their fate Violence is a cycle You can’t outrun fate

X Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence for help Hey Baby Boo hoo! But I’m already married Romeo kills Tybalt Get out!!! I chose a husband for you Juliet’s Dad forces her to marry Paris Help me or I’ll kill myself Calm down. I’ve got an idea… Tybalt Prince Romeo Paris Capulet Juliet Friar Kni fe

Flowcharts Venn-Euler Diagram Purpose: Cause and effect made visible and explicit; this develops reasoning Comprehension increases when sequence of events made clear Can be used for “how-to” writing Purpose: Can be used for comparing and contrasting Relationships are made explicit; this increases reading comprehension Makes logical thought visible

How R&J Died, Con’t Write a Happy Ending Juliet stabs herself Juliet sees Romeo dead Romeo drinks poison and dies Romeo thinks Juliet’s really dead Juliet fakes her own death Juliet needs to escape marriage to Paris Romeo and Juliet live happily ever after… Juliet needs to escape marriage to Paris

Citizens of Verona : Prince Mercutio Paris Involved in Feud: Romeo Juliet Benvolio Actively Causing Trouble: Tybalt Feud in Romeo and Juliet Modern Gang Warfare

Evaluation by Matrix O Elimination by Aspects Matrix O Addition Matrix Purpose: Turns seemingly impossible decisions into doable tasks; this reduces frustration and increases motivation Requires students to organize and evaluate information

LoveFateFeud Understa nd topic? +++ Ample quotes? +++ Analyze quotes? +-+ Form thesis? ++ Interest in topic? -+ RomeoTybalt Killed someone 2010 Attempted to kill someone 05 Provoked a fight 05 Tried to stop a fight -50 Total: 1520 What Topic Should I Choose for my Thesis? Who is Most to Blame for the Feud’s Violence? Conclusion: I will write my thesis on the feud. Conclusion: Tybalt is most to blame for the violence.

Metaphor and Analogy Purpose Abstract made concrete; this increases comprehension See wholes by examining parts; this develops analytic reasoning skills Begin thinking about other ways to use metaphors; this develops synthetic thinking skills Info presented/ manipulated in creative ways catches attention Campfire Metaphor A visual that strengthens the metaphor and teaches cause and effect.

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