ALT Instructional Design and Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher uses a KWL chart at the start of a unit on ecosystems. What instructional purpose does this primarily serve?
- Summative assessment of prior knowledge
- Activating prior knowledge and setting learning goals (Correct answer)
- Differentiating instruction for advanced learners
- Providing a rubric for the final project
Correct answer: Activating prior knowledge and setting learning goals
KWL charts (Know, Want to know, Learned) activate prior knowledge and help students set personal learning goals before instruction begins.
Question 2: Which approach best exemplifies backward design when planning a unit?
- Selecting engaging activities first, then identifying supporting standards
- Beginning with desired learning outcomes, then designing assessments and instruction (Correct answer)
- Ordering textbook chapters sequentially and assigning chapter tests
- Choosing materials based on student interest surveys before writing objectives
Correct answer: Beginning with desired learning outcomes, then designing assessments and instruction
Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) starts with identifying desired outcomes, then determining acceptable evidence, then planning learning experiences.
Question 3: A student with dyslexia struggles with a reading-heavy science assessment. The MOST appropriate accommodation is:
- Exempting the student from the science content standards
- Providing the test in an audio format or with text-to-speech (Correct answer)
- Reducing the total number of science standards assessed
- Assigning a peer tutor to read the test aloud during class
Correct answer: Providing the test in an audio format or with text-to-speech
Text-to-speech or audio formats remove the reading barrier while still allowing assessment of science knowledge, maintaining standard rigor.
Question 4: When writing a lesson objective using Bloom's Taxonomy, which verb indicates synthesis-level thinking?
- Identify
- Recall
- Construct (Correct answer)
- Define
Correct answer: Construct
Construct is a higher-order verb associated with creating/synthesis — the highest level of Bloom's revised taxonomy — while identify, recall, and define reflect lower levels.
Question 5: A teacher notices that formative assessment data shows 60% of students misunderstand a key concept. The best next step is to:
- Move forward so the class stays on the pacing guide
- Re-teach the concept using a different instructional strategy (Correct answer)
- Send home additional homework on the topic
- Note the gap and address it at the end-of-unit review
Correct answer: Re-teach the concept using a different instructional strategy
Formative assessment is meant to inform instruction in real time; when the majority of students misunderstand a concept, re-teaching with a new approach is appropriate.
Question 6: Which instructional model follows the sequence: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate?
- Direct Instruction
- The 5E Model (Correct answer)
- Gradual Release of Responsibility
- Hunter's Lesson Design
Correct answer: The 5E Model
The 5E Instructional Model (Bybee) uses Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate as its five phases, commonly used in science education.
Question 7: A lesson plan includes an objective, instructional input, guided practice, and independent practice. This structure reflects which framework?
- Project-Based Learning
- Madeline Hunter's Lesson Design (Correct answer)
- Understanding by Design
- Differentiated Instruction
Correct answer: Madeline Hunter's Lesson Design
Madeline Hunter's Lesson Design includes elements such as anticipatory set, objective, input, modeling, guided practice, and independent practice.
ALT Instructional Design and Planning 2
A teacher uses a KWL chart at the start of a unit on ecosystems.
What instructional purpose does this primarily serve?