This document provides information about Chester County High School's block schedule format and strategies for teaching effectively within a block schedule. The block schedule divides the school day into longer class periods of about 90 minutes, with classes meeting fewer times per week than a traditional schedule. The document discusses the pros and cons of block scheduling and provides guidelines for lesson planning within a 90-minute block, including allocating time for different activities like direct instruction, guided practice, and independent work. Suggestions are also given for varying teaching strategies to engage different learning styles and incorporating formative assessments.

1. Chester County High School

2.  8:30-11:00  12:30-2:15
 Topics  Lesson Plans

4. What do you think you know about this topic?
What questions or puzzles do you have?
How can you explore this topic?
Visible Thinking Strategies

5.  Pros  Cons
◦ Less students per day; more ◦ If student misses a day,
time with each student they actually miss more
◦ More time for labs, hands-on content
activities and group work ◦ Teacher sees students
◦ Students have less either 2 or 3 times a
homework/less subjects to week.
study each night ◦ Teachers may not use all
◦ More planning time* of the minutes available
◦ Less transitions therefore less wisely
opportunity for wasted time ◦ Loss of continuity in
◦ Teachers are not limited in subjects requiring daily
teaching strategies repetition
◦ Less information to process
throughout the day
◦ More time to integrate our
student organizations into
classes

6.  Bell work/Attendance-10
 Review-10
 Direct Instruction-20
 Guided Practice-20
 Independent Practice – 20
 Closing/Homework-10
 Only a Guideline
 Adjustments can be
made according to
topic
Average Adult Attention
Span = 20 minutes  Warren County, NC
 Patty’s Blog

9.  Direct Instruction / Demonstration (I do)
 Guided Practice (We do)
 Independent Practice (We do)
 Application (You do)

15.  Build assessment strategies into the learning
cycle to give the learners ongoing feedback
based on their progress toward targeted
standards.*
 Vary the type of assessment strategies so that
all learners may thrive.*
* Gayle H. Gregory; Lynne E. Herndon.
Differentiated Instructional Strategies for the
Block Schedule (Kindle Locations 359-360).
Kindle Edition.

16.  Chunking – 3 or 4 chunks; could be different
topics.
 Vary teaching strategies to appeal to different
learning styles.
 Build in opportunities for interactive
dialogue, movement, and hands-on tasks, as well
as for intrapersonal moments of reflection.
 Gayle H. Gregory; Lynne E. Herndon.
Differentiated Instructional Strategies for the
Block Schedule (Kindle Locations 357-358).
Kindle Edition.*

17.  Bell work
◦ ACT question of the day
◦ ACT sample questions
 Incorporate ACT skills into lessons
◦ Ex: Writing business letter with proper verb tense
◦ Ex:
◦ Ex:
◦ Ex:

18.  Effective Use of Planning Time
 Time Management
 Use of Technology

19.  individually develop a 90-minute lesson plan
for submission
 complete the KWL chart for submission

20.  Making Blocks Work
 Strategies for Block
 Mike Rettig - the Block
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Gayle H. Gregory &
Websites
Lynne E Herndon, 2010