Applied Lesson Plan - Social Constructivism

Applied Lesson Plan – Social Constructivism

This lesson could be taught very nicely using cognitive apprenticeship. First the students would observe the more knowledgeable other model the food pyramid. After the pyramid has been taught and modeled, the students will be asked questions regarding the food pyramid. The more knowledgeable other will support the students by giving hints, reminders, or more representations to help the students answer these questions about the food pyramid.

In order for the students to receive scaffolding, the teacher will provide assistance as the student’s further research the food pyramid. The students will use cultural tools such as the internet to discover more about the pyramid and its model. They will explore in-depth about the food pyramid including the different food groups and the recommended daily intake amounts. The teacher will be helping the students to get started by showing them how to find the food pyramid using their cultural tool, the internet. The more knowledgeable other will ask specific questions to the learner in order to give the students an idea of what to look for. The more knowledgeable other will start scaffolding the students by asking them questions about what the different food groups are and the leaner will hopefully gear their focus toward that.

Once the students have displayed that they know what they are doing and how to research the food pyramid, the teacher will let the learner figure it out themselves and will be there as a guide and will walk around and wait for questions to be asked. The teacher will maintain the zone of proximal development by making sure that the students receive a balance of both direct instruction and guided instruction. Students will articulate their knowledge of the food pyramid by explaining it to each other. They can also do this by drawing the food pyramid and labeling its recommended daily intakes. This will ensure that the zone of proximal development is maintained.

The students will then compare their food pyramid model with the one the more knowledgeable other used to model with at the beginning of class and they can reflect on what they have learned. The teacher will ask the students how this information can be applied to their lives and will guide them to the correct answer. If students do not understand what the teacher is looking for the teacher will explain the usefulness of the food pyramid in staying healthy. Throughout the lesson, there is some instruction from the more knowledgeable other given to the learner but this relationship is especially maintained through asking and answering guided questions to help scaffold the students and maintain their zone of proximal development.