As part of the Teaching American History grant, Oakland teachers of history collaborate on lesson planning and evaluation using the Lesson Study method.
Lesson Study is a structured process in which a group of teachers identify an instruction problem, plan a lesson using primary resources, teach the lesson (one member of the group teaches the lesson while the others observe), evaluate and revise the lesson and share the results with other teachers.
By collaboration and an emphasis on lesson revision, the insights of several teachers are brought to bear on the problems of effectively teaching challenging historical concepts.
Lesson Study methodology is widely used in Japan and has been credited for the shift from “teaching as telling” to “teaching for understanding” in Japanese mathematics and science classrooms.
For more information on Lesson Study see the article by Catherine Lewis, " What are the Essential Elements of Lesson Study?" The California Science Project Connection. Volume 2, No. 6. November/December 2002.)
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