ORELA Instructional Strategies & Curriculum Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher wants to activate prior knowledge before introducing a new unit on ecosystems. Which strategy is MOST effective?
- Assigning a textbook chapter to read overnight
- Using a KWL chart to surface what students already know (Correct answer)
- Giving a summative test to establish a baseline grade
- Lecturing for 20 minutes on key vocabulary
Correct answer: Using a KWL chart to surface what students already know
A KWL (Know-Want to know-Learned) chart explicitly activates and records prior knowledge, orienting students before new content.
Question 2: Backward design curriculum planning begins with which step?
- Selecting engaging activities and materials
- Choosing the textbook chapters to cover
- Identifying desired learning outcomes first (Correct answer)
- Writing daily lesson plans
Correct answer: Identifying desired learning outcomes first
Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) starts by defining what students should know and be able to do, then plans assessment and instruction accordingly.
Question 3: Which instructional approach is BEST suited for helping students develop metacognitive skills?
- Direct instruction with teacher modeling only
- Think-alouds where students verbalize their reasoning process (Correct answer)
- Silent independent practice on worksheets
- Competitive timed drills
Correct answer: Think-alouds where students verbalize their reasoning process
Think-alouds make cognitive processes explicit, helping students become aware of and regulate their own thinking strategies.
Question 4: A curriculum map is PRIMARILY used to:
- Track individual student attendance records
- Align instruction across grade levels and ensure scope and sequence (Correct answer)
- Determine which students need intervention services
- Create seating arrangements for diverse learners
Correct answer: Align instruction across grade levels and ensure scope and sequence
Curriculum maps document what is taught when, enabling vertical and horizontal alignment across grades and subjects.
Question 5: During a unit on persuasive writing, a teacher incorporates debate, essay writing, and poster creation. This exemplifies which principle?
- Multiple means of representation (UDL)
- Summative assessment design
- Multiple means of action and expression (UDL) (Correct answer)
- Behaviorist reinforcement schedules
Correct answer: Multiple means of action and expression (UDL)
Offering varied ways for students to demonstrate learning—debate, writing, visual art—aligns with UDL's principle of multiple means of action and expression.
Question 6: Scaffolding in instruction is BEST described as:
- Reducing assignment length for struggling students permanently
- Providing temporary, targeted support that is gradually removed as competence grows (Correct answer)
- Grouping students by ability for all tasks
- Repeating the same lesson using identical methods
Correct answer: Providing temporary, targeted support that is gradually removed as competence grows
Scaffolding is intentional, temporary support calibrated to learners' current level and systematically faded as learners gain independence.
Question 7: A teacher designs a lesson where students rotate through stations focusing on reading, hands-on lab work, and digital simulations. This is an example of:
- Flipped classroom model
- Direct instruction sequence
- Station rotation blended learning (Correct answer)
- Socratic seminar format
Correct answer: Station rotation blended learning
Station rotation is a blended learning model where students cycle through different modalities at teacher-designed stations.
ORELA Instructional Strategies & Curriculum Design 2
A teacher wants to activate prior knowledge before introducing a new unit on ecosystems.
Which strategy is MOST effective?