Key and Related Concepts

The Key and Related Concepts give direction and meaning to the students' learning. Most topics can be looked at through a variety of lenses depending on the goal of the learning.

Concepts vs. Knowledge

Instead of focusing on factual knowledge and the ability to memorize information, concept-based teaching and learning uses ideas that can easily be transferred across subjects.

Knowledge-Based

WWII

Extinct Animals

Addition

Concept-Based

Conflict

Conservation

Systems

Key Concepts

The purpose of concept-based learning is to guide students towards deeper understanding across, between, and beyond subjects.

Let's take the topic of chocolate and look at it through Key Concepts.

Form: What are the ingredients? How is it made?

Function: How is chocolate used in cooking?

Causation: What does eating chocolate do to our bodies?

Change: How does chocolate change its state of matter?

Connection: What does chocolate come from? What process does it go through before it ends up in the store?

Perspective: Does everyone enjoy chocolate? Why or why not?

Responsibility: How does manufacturing chocolate impact people and the environment? What does "Fair Trade" mean?

Related Concepts

Related concepts are more specific than the key concepts. They provide conceptual understandings that are more closely connected to the content areas.

While Key Concepts are very broad and can be used across curricula and content areas, Related Concepts add depth and detail to the conceptual understandings in specific subject areas.

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