	Different By Design
	*Differentiated Curriculum Units to Challenge All Learners*

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Concept-Based Curriculum

Learning Through Big Ideas

Big Ideas

Many bright children are global thinkers - they need to see the whole picture before analyzing the details. They usually have a heightened awareness of the interconnectedness among people, ideas, and environments. They are also likely to be able to transfer this knowledge to a variety of different settings. For example, they might see a color pattern when stringing beads, a natural pattern on butterfly wings, or a process pattern while getting ready for dinner.

It is essential that our children become thinkers and problem solvers, not just memorizers of facts. They need big ideas that they can take with them through their lives so that they will be able to understand complex interactions and become true innovators. The Different By Design concept-based curriculum will help achieve those ends.

What Makes A Good Concept

Many curricula teach themes such as bears or winter. These themes are much different than true concepts. Concept-based instruction is based on the following characteristics:

Abstract
Abstract concepts stimulate higher-level thinking. They rise above the fact base to foster a deeper understanding. Many curricula for younger grades will use "apples" as a concept. Apples are very tasty, and they keep the doctor away, but they fail to stimulate higher level thinking. They fall short of providing children with a "big idea" that will help them process their world.

Timeless
Concepts should remain constant through time. Even though factual examples of a concept can be found, the concept transcends individual situations. An example from the Kindergarten curriculum is the concept of Change. When a student understands that change is inevitable, they can take that understanding and apply it across different stages in their learning. For example, a six year old may understand that people and animals grow and change over time, while a ten year old may begin to recognize that relationships change over time.

Universal
Universal truths are those that can be applied across many different fields of knowledge. This is crucial in order for students to draw connections between different areas of their life. With these "big ideas", students are able to view the world through different lenses and are able learn how ideas and situations are related.

The Kindergarten curriculum uses Environment as a concept. When your students study environments, they will see that the forest is an environment for a deer, their homes are a part of their environment, the weather is a part of the outside environment, and the community is a larger environment. Even at age 5, children begin learning ideas that will follow them throughout life.

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