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Phenomenon-Based Learning: How to Break Down Phenomena

July 29, 2023 / Oskar Cymerman

The ultimate goal of Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenBL) is to help students develop skills necessary to solve real-world problems.

To provide meaning and context, PhenBL does away with passive strategies such as lecturing or reading about frequently abstract and difficult-to-relate-to concepts in favor of guiding students in active discoveries of the skills and knowledge required to solve real-world problems.

Phenomenon-Based Learning classroom

In a Phenomenon-Based Learning classroom, teachers look for real-world phenomena that represent the main ideas of the lesson or unit and use these phenomena as starting points lessons or units. Then, students interact with these phenomena to “solve” them - they investigate and find patterns, contrasts, causes, effects etc.

These “phenomena solutions” are achieved when students design their own ways to study and explain the whys and the hows of the phenomenon - they use provided resources (books, articles, the Internet etc.) and create products, such as visual or physical models, simulations, and experiments.

Teachers may choose to use these student-generated products as measures of student learning (performance assessments) instead of traditional tests.

Such a series of lessons is called a storyline and while storylines may vary depending on the topic or discipline, the idea that each part of the storyline should be driven by student questions and investigations makes it crucial for students to have a solid grasp on the phenomenon that starts each storyline. To this end, students must learn how to break down phenomena.

Breaking Down a Phenomenon

In my article Where and How to Begin with Phenomenon-Based Learning, I used a High School Earth Science phenomenon I named How Do Different Minerals Form? to help me create a plan for learning, but I posed this question to students: Each made of carbon; a diamond is forever, but graphite not so much. Why? The reason for showing images of diamond and graphite - two minerals all students should be familiar with and know some facts about - was to start the process of students connecting that while diamond and graphite are made of the same element carbon, they are different due to the conditions they formed in.

I realize that while investigating students could choose to focus on figuring out the processes and conditions related to graphite and diamond only so I might have to add extension lessons to help students learn and understand other ways in which minerals form. However, starting with this phenomenon is advantageous in two ways. For one, students can relate to it easily. Two, it gets the ball rolling on a major concept that temperature and pressure are key factors that affect mineral formation.

However, most students will most likely not know the specifics about diamonds and graphites and learning that they are both made of the same stuff should arise their curiosity and motivation to find out why. This might prompt them to grab their tech and start Googling, and it’s great if they want to do so, but I implore you to stop them, because you do not want superficial learning. You want in-depth, super kick-ass understanding and this requires strategy.

Observe and Ponder Chart is so oP y’all

**Click on the Image for a FREE Google Doc COPY of the Observe and Ponder Chart you can use in your classroom.**

I use the Observe and Ponder (OP) chart to help students break down a phenomenon. In small groups, they compile the two lists. First, they brainstorm and write down all of the the observations they have collected about the phenomenon. I always make the phenomenon image/video available to students in the LMS (learning management system ex. Google Classroom, Schoology etc.) our school uses, so they can review it as they complete the activity.

In the second column, students write down any questions that come to mind about the phenomenon and the observations they’ve made. These questions help direct student investigations.

The goal of the Observe and Ponder activity is to teach students a strategic way of looking at different phenomena and ultimately to help them become better at investigating and solving problems.

Taking it further: Looking at Phenomena as a class

At this point, you may allow students to start their investigations, or, if you feel they’d benefit from peer and teacher feedback, you may want to facilitate a class discussion during which students share their observations and questions they’ve generated. This provides an additional scaffold - especially useful at the beginning of the school year - that allows students to see if they are on track.

Creating a class OP chart allows you to compile and combine observations

SHD (Subtle Hint Dropping) is an additional tool you can use to aid the phenomenon breakdown process. It is extra helpful when you find glaring omissions in the Ponder column or when working with younger students who experience more difficulty in converting observations into questions to investigate. Basically, point to the specific observation in the class OP chart and ask students if anything else comes to mind that may be important to look into. You may also ask them to make an inference, or guess the reason for this observation.

And if all fails, do a think-aloud during which you tell them what you’re looking for but you don’t just give them the answer - you demonstrate your thinking process step by step that got you to it.

Why Your Phenomenon-Based Learning Future is Bright

As students participate in PhenBL activities throughout the school year and become more comfortable with Phenomenon-Based Learning and gain more confidence in their ability to deconstruct phenomena (aka becoming more OP at school and life), you can remove the scaffolds and let students guide themselves and collaborate with others.

Handing control over to the students will require that you “be in the space” with them so you can scrutinize and support their work. Just make sure you’re kind in your guidance, you have fun, and you occasionally strike up a random conversation, because they’ll appreciate the small brain breaks this provides and they’ll find out that you’re human after all. They will also enjoy having you around.

Play your cards right and you’ll become the OG who’s pretty OP. And that’s a dub and a wrap.

Sign up for my Teaching Tips, Resources, & Ideas Newsletter to get the next PhenBL post when it drops. It’ll be about Creating a Common Learning Experience for Difficult Phenomena and is free.

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categories / Science, Earth Science, Chemistry
tags / teaching teens, parenting teens, deeper learning, independence, lifelong learning, simplicity, skills, success skills, learning, making life easier, kids

Phenomenon-Based Learning Lessons: Choosing and Using Phenomena

July 22, 2023 / Oskar Cymerman

This poster shows and explains what phenomena are and gives many examples of natural and human made phenomena. — **Phenomena are everywhere and can be natural or designed by humans.**

Explained and exemplified, let’s talk about how to use phenomena in the classroom.

Before you Choose a Phenomenon

Use backwards design to plan for what you (and the state you teach in) want your students to learn. This involves using the main (core) idea (or ideas if more than one) of the lesson/unit and creating a concept map or an outline of the ideas that connect to it - ideas that help create and explain the whole picture. Check out my previous post: Where and How to Begin with Phenomenon-Based Learning if you’d like some help on this. Laying out the major content you want to focus on will lead you to the right phenomenon.

Choosing a Phenomenon: Part 1

Good phenomena address the content to be learned and are relevant and/or interesting to your students. This doesn’t mean that every phenomenon has to blow students’ minds (though mind blowing helps) but it is important to pick an event students can relate to somehow (you can create a common experience for your class to help with some difficult phenomena).

So, when choosing a phenomenon, consider (1) the content to be learned, (2) the diversity of your students, (3) the scope: does the phenomenon anchor the entire unit, or represents a part of one unit, or is used for a single lesson?, and (4) how you will present it to the students: video, image(s), school grounds stroll, field trip etc.

Beginning with a phenomenon

Beginning the lesson by showing students a phenomenon should stimulate student interest and get them thinking about the smaller (but important) concepts that ultimately tie into the core idea of the lesson. Most of the time, I use images or a video that may contain a prompt but do not give my students much background information. Rather, I aim to ignite the process of students investigating on their own while I guide them - ask leading questions, look for misconceptions, and ask them to dig deeper and revise their thinking if it strays. Initially, the hardest part was trusting in the process - that student-led exploration can lead to them discovering and understanding the core idea. This is why the teacher guidance is so important.

Let’s start exploring this process by examining the two phenomena examples below:

Social Studies (HS): Show students the Omaha Beach D-Day Landing movie clip from Saving Private Ryan and ask a question such as: 2,400 US soldiers died storming Omaha Beach on D-Day. Why was the US willing to enter WWII and sacrifice so many lives in mid-1944 after staying out of the war for nearly 5 years? You could use EdPuzzle to trim the video if you wish and add the question you want at the end, so students can view it and make some claims to answer the question in small groups before you discuss as a class.

Earth and Space Science (MS / HS): Show students the Diamond vs. Graphite image and pose this question: Each made of carbon; a diamond is forever, but graphite not so much. Why?

Each phenomenon is tied to the core idea. The Omaha Beach landing phenomenon does not beat around the bush - it is presented in a way that directly ties the event to the core idea of US entering WWII. 11th graders working in small groups can likely tackle this lesson in one day. The science example is more indirect - I am looking for my students to connect the differences between two forms of carbon and how different minerals form on Earth. Depending on the ensuing storyline I create, student might spend several days first investigating and then modeling the different mineral-forming processes.

Both phenomena cannot be answered with one sentence and require digging deeper. As students investigate, they find themselves asking new questions that require further investigation. Additionally, each phenomenon is either interesting or easy to relate to.

Choosing a Phenomenon: Part 2

Choosing an appropriate phenomenon can be challenging and may require some heavy thinking. The best way to get better at picking phenomena is picking phenomena. The more you create, the better you get at creating. Here’s the phenomenon recipe I use:

Break down the core idea.
List different things, events etc. the core idea makes you think of.
Consider student age, interests, backgrounds, experiences etc.
Pick items from #2 that are relevant or interesting, question provoking, not easy to explain, and not super frustrating.
Use the list from #4 and find/create a phenomenon to represent it. You can Google: events related to ___________ or examples of _____________ - just be careful not to pick something that’s too simple.

And then there are times when it just appears to me. With practice, I am confident it will happen to you too. Or maybe you already are a phenomenon ninja and don’t yet know it. Dive into Phenomenon-Based Learning and find out.

My next post will explain How to Guide Student Investigations of Phenomena. Sign up for my Teaching Tips, Resources, & Ideas Newsletter to get it when it drops. It’s totally free.

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categories / Science, Earth Science
tags / teaching teens, parenting teens, deeper learning, independence, lifelong learning, simplicity, skills, success skills, learning, making life easier, kids

Where and How to Begin with Phenomenon-Based Learning

July 15, 2023 / Oskar Cymerman

Being told by the admin that you’ll be using a brand new learning approach in your classroom next year is often overwhelming and upsetting because it involves first learning and understanding a new process, then figuring out how to use a new set of strategies this process comes with, and then accepting the facts that:

You are being forced to change how you teach.
You will have to spend significant time adopting the new way and creating new lessons.

This is exactly what happened to me last year when our school district mandated the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenBL).

So, I got right on it - I embraced working for free over the summer, sacrificed family time for curriculum writing, and thanked my admin team for the opportunity to better myself.

Good for you if you called bullshit on the statement above because my initial response was less than stellar. I was upset. Here I was - teaching chemistry - feeling like I really hit my stride in the last few years. I was building relationships and having fun helping teens learn. I had it figured out and I was doing a good job in preventing most kids from hating chemistry; and if you remember high school chem you know that’s a feat.

And now, all that was about to change and change is the very thing we’ve evolved to avoid and resist. Thanks to our amygdala, change brings on fears associated with uncertainty, discomfort, difficulty, lack of control, and incompetence. Change is hard.

So my lizard brain took over and I first wanted to quit, then find a job in some neighboring district, then switch professions ‘cause teaching’s such a pain in my back brain, and finally become financially free overnight by turning into a GOAT investor who consistently beats the stock market and lives the life. I even bought this book. I complained and cursed to anyone who’d listen too, because peace of mind turned to fear and fear to stress and stress sucks.

But then I remembered that I really like teaching, working with kids, my school, colleagues, and my principal who helped me create my flexible seating classroom and is always supportive. She came through this time as well and found a way to pay her science teachers for 40 hours of summer curriculum work. I know there are many school districts where teachers are forced to do this work for free and it blows and they are justified in their resentment of such disrespect.

I have no control of what district admins will do and what they do pisses me off sometimes. But since I have no control over them I chose to focus on what I can control, which is learning how to use this phenomenon-based thing. So I did and I started using PhenBL.

Here, I share how I interpret and use Phenomenon-Based Learning. I hope you find it helpful. This post is meant to help you figure out how to keep track of what students need to learn during the course of a PhenBL lesson - how to create a plan that will help you guide your students as they investigate on their own.

The main premise of PhenBL is not to give students any answers but have them find the answers for themselves and for teachers to mindfully guide them toward these answers. The “answers” are all of the concepts you want students to learn dictated by the learning standards you must follow. Phenomenon-Based Learning done right can help students avoid shallow learning as it stimulates diving deep into the lesson topics to find more thorough understandings.

planning for More complete learning using Phenomenon-Based Learning

Start with one core idea and make a quick concept map or an outline that breaks this idea down into main supporting ideas and the facts about them.

The core idea

This is the key concept or the essential question that translates the learning standard to something normal humans can understand. This is the big understanding that requires putting together multiple other understandings to be fully understood.

High School US History: Reasons for the United States Entering WWII

Middle School / High School Earth and Space Science: How Do Different Minerals Form?

The main supporting ideas

These are the few main ideas that provide major facts about the core idea. This could be a list of reasons for the core idea.

US History: Reasons for the United States Entering WWII (CORE)

The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese Control of China and Asia
Germany's Aggression and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Sinking U.S. Ships
Fear of German Expansion and Invasion

Earth and Space Science: How Do Different Minerals Form?

Precipitation
Volcanic Processes
Metamorphism
Weathering
Organic Deposition

The Facts

These are various important truths or basis students learn as they investigate the phenomenon. These facts lead them to uncovering the main supporting ideas for why the phenomenon happens, and ultimately learning the ins and outs of the core idea.

US History: Reasons for the United States Entering WWII (CORE)

The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor: Why did they attack? Why is Pearl Harbor important? What was the US initial response?
Japanese Control of China and Asia: How did they gain this control? Why does US care?
Germany's Aggression and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Sinking U.S. Ships: Why are they provoking the US? How long has this been happening and why did US hesitate to respond? How does this affect the US economy and world standing?
Fear of German Expansion and Invasion: What are the global consequences of this? How does it affect the US? Is Germany even capable of attacking the US mainland?

Earth and Space Science: How Do Different Minerals Form?

Precipitation: Explain this process. Types of precipitation. Factors involved. Examples of minerals that form.
Volcanic Processes: Explain this process. Intrusive vs Extrusive. Factors involved especially heat. Examples of minerals that form.
Metamorphism: Explain this process. Types. Factors involved especially heat and pressure. Examples of minerals that form.
Weathering: Explain this process. Factors involved. Examples of minerals that form.
Organic Deposition: Explain this process. Factors involved. Examples of minerals that form and organisms that are involved.

This is the stuff you want your kids to learn - the core idea, the short list of main reasons that support it, and the details about each - as this creates a more complete picture; as opposed to leading students to regurgitation of facts on the test they will forget shortly after the test. You know, the status quo.

Chances are you are already doing a version of this when planning lessons or units of study, because it involves nothing more than backwards design - figuring out the unit, or the lesson takeaways first - followed by planning the activities that help students learn these takeaways and assessments that prove they’ve learned this content.

Then, you create a storyline. A carefully chosen phenomenon begins the story. The activities that follow are parts of the storyline and the performance assessments culminate it. But let’s use the KISS method - one thing at a time, ‘cause easy does it. Till next time.

Did you find this post helpful? The next one will dive into Choosing a Phenomenon. Sign up for my Teaching Tips, Resources, & Ideas Newsletter to get it when it drops. It’s totally free.