Inductive Learning: Teaching Styles and Strategies Essay

Introduction

This essay is an example lesson in literature using the inductive method strategy. The objective of the lesson is to find any points of similarity according to Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life and Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. Particular chapters from both of the books will be class and home reading assignments.

Main text

The lesson according to the inductive method will be divided into phases which will correspond to the objectives set.

• PHASE I: Gather and examine data: In this phase I am going to give a brief background and the student will be introduced to the major events in the life of both authors which were mentioned in the book along with giving explanation to the issues that might arise such as the historical setting.
• PHASE II: Group and label the data: In this phase I am going to ask the student to divide the events of the biographies into groups such as childhood, puberty, education and etc. The student must identify each important event and provide explanation as to why they think this event is important in their future life based on the chapters they read.
• PHASE III: Interpret information: In this phase the students much analyze the groups they identified in order to parallel similarities between the two characters. The similarities they find such as the importance of education for both Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass. The students must find other similarities and point out the differences which occur in accomplishing the goals the authors put to them. The use of other resources that support or oppose their analysis is encouraged.
• PHASE IV: Synthesize: In this phase the student might have already come out with a thesis from the previous phases.

The thesis should include similar statements to the following:

• Franklin and Frederick Douglass held progressive religious views.
• Both of the men found that the books were their first teachers and educators.
• Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglas are self-made men.

And any other conclusions they came up with. An assignment is given to the students that should synthesize their learning. The assignment will be constructed from two three different parts which will be similar to the following:

1. Describe the point of coincidence in both timelines of both authors.
2. Write a letter to one of the authors admitting what life achievements they tend to.
3. Comparisons of today and back then, what would have changed?

Based on the assignments the students choose, I could analyze what the strong and the weak points based on answers and the ratio of the assignment type choice.

• PHASE V: Evaluate the lesson: In this phase I’m going to evaluate the progress done through the goal accomplished, and what particular phase was hard or helpful, which activities I should have made the students participate in to make the lesson more understandable.

Summary

Inductive Learning helps students see the associations among parts of significant information and to make their own statements, on their own terms. Additionally, this strategy initiates the process of internalization. This way, the strategy allows students to see that the strategy is not simply an instructional tool; it is also a thinking formation they can relate to in other situations and other contexts. I consider the Metaphor learning strategy is more suitable for a subject such as language learning or sociology.

Works Cited

Silver, H. F., Hanson , R. J., Strong, R. W., & Schwartz, P. B. (1996). Teaching Styles and Strategies. 1582840024: Thoughtful Education.

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Chapel Hill, NC: 1999.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography and Other Writings. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.

Prince, M. J., & Felder, R. M. (n.d.a). Inductive Teaching and Learning Methods. Web.