Exemplary Lesson
Concept Attainment Advantages
For Students - Students work together in
cooperative groups to
present information.
- Students gain experience in
creating a hypothesis and
organize their findings.
- Students expand their
thinking to be able to view
and consider multiple
attributes at the same time.
- Students may become more
comfortable at using a trial
and error approach in solving
problems in their everyday
life. (Students create a
hypothesis, but it may not
always be true after they’ve
conducted their research.)
- Students may enhance
their verbal skills in debating
the hypotheses they
presented.
- This model assists students
in paying attention to details
when organizing their
information.
- Students may become more
open-minded to other
people’s thoughts and ideas
through their group work.
For Teachers - This model provides an
opportunity to analyze a
student’s thinking process
and make changes to enhance
learning.
- This model can be used for
all levels, kindergarten and
up, with accommodations.
- Teaching with this model
will create better learners if
lessons are within the
Disadvantages
- Students have to
understand that their
hypothesis may not be
correct the first time it is
stated.
- Students must attend to
details to fully grasp a
concept and some may not be
accustomed to working so
intricately.
- Some students do not like
to take risks, so they may
not participate in the group
work.
- Students may “shut down”
if the concept is too
difficult for them to
conceive.
-Students may not be
socially able to work with
others collaboratively.
- This model is more work
for the teachers. Textbooks
do not have ready-made
examples to use for concept
attainment.
- The teacher has many
duties, i.e. keeping track of
the hypothesis, providing
additional, quality examples
and prompting the students
without giving the answer or
 students’ ability levels. conclusion.
Students will focus on - The teacher may not be
details in learning the new able to put a lesson together
concepts. quickly – each step should be
- The Concept Attainment thoughtfully reviewed to be
Model enhances higher order sure it is a logical
thinking. Students are able progression.
to give examples to
demonstrate their
application of the concept.
-Attaining Concepts can be
used in a game-like activity
in which the students feel
challenged, but not
pressured. After students
master the concept, a fun
review might be to sort
terms or words into the
correct column of positive
exemplars and negative
exemplars. For example,
students are given word
cards and they are to work
quickly to place the verbs
under the exemplary column
and non-verbs in the other
column.

For Parents -Families that interact often
may find that their child is
able to make comparisons
between concepts and make
analytical decisions.
-This method may assist in
the communication process,
especially with teenagers,
when parents need to get a
point across.
- Parent may be able to
reason with their child on a
higher level because the
child has expanded their
thought process through the
activities presented in the
classroom.
- This method may assist in
enhancing a family’s ability
- Parents may not be familiar
with this method and find it
difficult to understand its
purpose. There may be
multiple “correct” answers
and parents may not like
having variable answers.
- This method may make the
parents feel helpless,
especially in the middle
school and high school
grades.
- Parents may feel further
alienated from the education
process because of their
lack of experience with
concept attainment.
- In dealing with older
children, parents may find
 to interact when playing more resistance when
trivia or other word games establishing and enforcing
at home. rules because the children
are accustomed to “making
their point” in school.
Children will want more of an
explanation instead of
“because that’s the way it is”
as many parents say.

How can this model be enhanced by the use of different

types of media and/or technology?

Teachers may share information with parents through e-mail about the
lesson, to enhance the home-school connection. When teachers get support
from home, it can be very beneficial to the student. Teachers may use
pictures, manipulatives and other props to assist students in attending to
the multiple attributes of given information. Students may be asked to
physically sort materials to understand the concept being taught. Small
groups of students may communicate their hypothesis through a word
document displayed on an ActivBoard. Therefore, other groups can give
feedback about the hypothesis while it is displayed. Older students may
share thoughts, as we do, through a discussion board in which hypotheses
are posted. Remember to use Internet! The teacher or TA may need to
assist students in finding urls for conducting research. 14/15

What kinds of accommodations could be made for students

with special needs when using this model?

Students with visual disabilities must be properly positioned to view screens,

monitors and other materials used in a presentation. Students with special
needs should be paired with strong peer models that are able to assist, but
not actually “do” their work for them. Students with hearing impairments
may need an interpreter, head phones for a computer or television activity
and/or a seat in the classroom that allows them to hear a presentation
clearly. The authors make the statement: “The concept attainments model
may be used with children of all ages and grade levels” (p. 73). This
statement reminds teachers that they must be aware of a student’s ability
level and form appropriate expectations for a child with special needs, as
well as typical children. Well stated
Discuss specific ways you could apply this model to your own
teaching. Describe the student population, grade level, and
subject in which you could use the model.

Setting: Kindergarten class, 20 students from various backgrounds, subject:

Math, comparing height

I would list the students’ names in two columns as follows –

Yes No
Jordan Jack
Hudson Amy
Ben Allen
Jacob Alexys

In small groups, children would talk about what the list means and where
other names should be placed. My prediction is that they would focus on a
boy column and a girl column. I would challenge them to think deeper. They
may notice that children in one column do not wear glasses, or they may look
at the clothes the children are wearing. They may consider eye color, hair
color, or skin color. I would allow each group to share their hypothesis.
Next, I would add a name to the “yes” column (Jasmine) and a name to the
“no” column (Craig). This would eliminate some of their hypotheses. Then, I
would add Alex to the “yes” column and India to the “no” column. At this
time, I would allow the groups to confer and then present their new
hypothesis. If they appear to be on track with the positive and negative
exemplars, I would ask some students to add other names under the
appropriate columns. Then, I would ask a student to explain their thoughts
and reasoning and allow other students to add more information if necessary.

It is my goal for the students to recognize that the students in the “yes”
column are taller than the students in the “no” column.

Note: This activity may not take place at one sitting and may have to be
broken up to accommodate the attention span of kindergarteners.
Great activity! It follows the model perfectly and will be effective for this
model. 74/75
“Average” lesson

Model Name Here Advantages Disadvantages

Developing Self Concept
For Students 1. Improves self 1. In a group situation,
esteem by if not closely
focusing on monitored by a
achievements. teacher, students
2. Allows students will put other
to make plans for students down.
the future. 2. Students may lie
3. Focuses on what about how they truly
students like feel to gain
about acceptance by peers.
themselves.
4. Motivates
students to see
the end result
not just the
means.

For Teachers 1. Can impart and 1. Schools today are

importance of “self”. basically a “bullying”
2. Gives students the environment.
ability to feel worth 2. Teachers may not be
in themselves as well able to help with self
as other classmates. concept due to
3. Through different outside factors such
learning experiences, as home life and
gives students more socio-economic
of a sense of backgrounds.
accomplishment and
increases self
esteem.

For Parents 1. May see a shy child 1. May see a child

come more out of withdraw socially by
their shell due to the being ridiculed by
idea of self peers about their
importance in school. sense of self.
How can this model be enhanced by the use of different types of
media and/or technology?
Media can be used to allow the students to find differences and
similarities with each other. They may also to Instructional
training to learn more about wants, desires and needs. More info
needed here. 10/15

What kinds of accommodations could be made for students with

special needs when using this model?

Students, and parents, with special needs could have someone

help them to simplify and understand more fully the concepts
being discussed or implemented. This would create a greater
understanding between all involved. How would you make
accommodations? More info needed here. 10/15

Discuss specific ways you could apply this model to your own
teaching. Describe the student population, grade level, and
subject in which you could use the model.

I would use this model in a middle school health class setting. As

children reach puberty and are thrust into a new school with
others they have never met before, they may feel insecure.
Cliques are formed. Children are picked on and bullied. I would
allow them to explore their self esteem so they do not get
overwhelmed by the new setting.

How would you “allow them to explore their self esteem?” What
type of activity might you use?
More info needed. 10/15

Your answers are okay, but I expect to see fully developed

responses with specific strategies.
60/75
 Models Comparison Chart

Model Name Here Advantages Disadvantages

For Students Place your answer here. (5 Place your answer here. (5
points) points)

For Teachers Place your answer here. (5 Place your answer here. (5
points) points)

For Parents Place your answer here. (5 Place your answer here. (5
points) points)

How can this model be enhanced by the use of different types of

media and/or technology?
(15 points)

What kinds of accommodations could be made for students with

special needs when using this model? (15 points)

Discuss specific ways you could apply this model to your own
teaching. Describe the student population, grade level, and
subject in which you could use the model. (15 points)
This assignment requires detailed analysis and discussion of each model. This analysis allows you to
demonstrate to the instructor your depth of understanding of the models of instruction.
Cut and paste to use the template above to prepare charts for the models discussed in the text (75 points):
“Poor” lesson

EDST 710 Assignment #1

Instructional Model (1): Concept Attainment

Name of Web site (1): University of Saskatchewan

URL(1): http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/mcvittiej/bio30unit1/lessons/lesson05.htm

Grade level (1): 12

Subject (1): Chemistry

Provide a brief overview of the lesson (20): The concept being taught is the amazing importance of
carbon in just about every thing we touch. The students are given vasts amounts of organic compounds and
their make-up maps to determine what is familiar between all of these. Of course the learners will discover
the presence of carbon in everything that lay before them. The interest is stirred through a new found
discovery in actually seeing carbon in all of these materials.

What are the greatest strengths of the lesson? How, specifically, would it encourage student
learning? (20) Discovery is pretty much the motivating factor in this lesson. I can imagine the class
became pretty noisy as “attainment” occurred throughout the class with the discovery of the dominant
element placed before the class. The sound of attainment can be pretty motivational for those who have not
discovered just yet. How do you facilitate the discovery? 5/20

What, if any, weaknesses do you see in the lesson? (10) Time required to reach a majority of attainment
could vary from class to class. Why is that a problem? More info needed here. 2/10

Does this lesson differ from the model as described in the text? If so, briefly describe those differences.
(20) 1/20
No
More info needed here. You might say it includes all of the parts and particularly…..

I am sure you expect your students to answer with more than “yes or no” 23/75
The entire plan is too short. To answer the questions completely and show you have master of the model, I
expect much more information. Review samples available.
 EDST 710 Models: Lesson Plan Assignment

Instructional Model (1):

Name of Web site (1):

URL(1): http://

Grade level (1):

Subject (1):

Provide a brief overview of the lesson (20):

What are the greatest strengths of the lesson? How, specifically, would it encourage
student learning? (20)

What, if any, weaknesses do you see in the lesson? (10)

Does this lesson differ from the model as described in the text? If so, briefly describe
those differences. (20)