ATL in Biology
Approaches to teaching and learning is the core of the IB pedagogy and central to the DP curriculum including the DP Biology course. This page lists the different approaches to teaching and approaches to learning, and connects to some resources which teachers and their students can use.
Approaches to teaching
The resources on the InThinking Biology site try to incorporate a range of approaches to teacching.
This table shows a few examples.ATL - teaching and skills Biology idea Teaching based on inquiry Teaching focused on conceptual understanding Using guiding questions from the Biology guide within the UbD model for planning backwards. Teaching developed in local and global contexts Using Ecology topics to illustrate opportunities to relate to local context or global. e.g. A study of bryophytes in Doha might be tricky! Teaching focused on effective teamwork and collaboration Classroom activity which involves groupwork, game / routines, e.g. Elevator Pitch activity from Game Storming to approach Photosynthesis topic. 4 groups of 4 students develop a short ‘pitch’ about one aspect of the process, and then one from each group form 4 new groups so that in a group each student has one part of the information to ‘pitch’ to the others. Teaching designed to remove barriers to learning Providing scaffolds for certain skills - e.g. Calculating magnification.
Teaching students with English as an additional language, Describing graphs,Teaching informed by assessment Formative assessment activity using diagnostic questions to evaluate prior knowledge or understanding after some lessons. Approaches to learning
During their DP Biology course, students will have opportunities to use the five key approaches to learning that are central to IB pedagogy.
Thinking skills Right question institute activity getting students to generate open inquiry questions - from structured prompts Social skills A useful groupwork activity that encourages listening, giving and receiving feedback, and to build consensus is the Harvard Uni, Project Zero thinking routine, “Think Pair Share” Communication skills Presentation, or written tasks are common. This example is a little different from that, and uses the Harvard Visible thinking routine –See think wonder with an example taken from e.g. Membrane structure and molecules / osmosis? Self-management skills Setting expectations for students to be more active in their reflection and improvement of their work is a good way to promote self-management. Providing a structure can help, some teachers use coloured pens. Research skills An activity using the Big6 research modelling for students, developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkow. An example from B3.2.13 in the Bio guide: Differences between the single circulation of bony fish and the double circulation of mammals.
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This is a top page, to introduce the section.
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Further resources for IB style approaches |
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