Attention & Memory
The name of the process when new information is stored into memory
What is encoding?
The formula shown in the document for cognitive load
What is Cognitive load = Task demand/ Available resources
Which type of question (Option 1 or Option 2 in the examples) does the document say prompts more effortful thinking?
Option 1: In what year did Zora Neale Hurston write Their Eyes Were Watching God?
Option 2: Why were the themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God controversial, given the time in which it was written?
Option 2
According to the text, can we assume what students know and don't know? (Yes/No)
No
Define "Learning Science" in one concise sentence based on the document.
"Learning Science" = a set of principles, grounded in cognitive science evidence, about how people learn, applied as demonstrable teacher actions for equity-driven, evidence-informed practice.
According to the Science of Learning text, the place where information must first be paid attention to before encoding occurs
What is working memory?
Chunking and how it helps with cognitive load
What is chunking?
What is grouping information into meaningful units so learners hold fewer items in working memory?
What is reducing cognitive load by packaging elements together?
Give one reason the document gives for why Option 2-type questions are preferable.
Because it ascribes meaning, requires learners to stay longer at the idea, and prevents accidental correctness.
The document states: "Making the practices of teaching and learning explicit allows us to utilize prior knowledge more effectively."
In one sentence, explain what it means to make teaching practices explicit.
It means naming and modeling the strategies, routines, and decisions teachers make so students' prior knowledge can be intentionally used.
What does "schema" refer to in the Schema Theory diagram?
A schema is an organized mental framework or network of prior knowledge and concepts activated when encountering new information.
The difference between encoding and retrieval
Encoding = What is learning new information? Retrieval = What is remembering stored information?
The document gives a commonly accepted number of items that working memory can hold
The number using the format given in the text
What is 7 (+/-2)?
Convert this recall question into an effortful thinking question about a historical event: "In what year did X happen?" (Provide the new question.)
Recall: "In what year did X happen?"
Effortful: "Why did X happen in that period, and how did the events leading up to it influence the outcome?" (Any similar transformation.)
Name one short reason why understanding how students learn is a matter of instructional equity.
Because when teachers understand learning processes, they can design instruction that gives all students fair access to durable learning.
The document describes "working memory." In one sentence, define working memory and its role in learning.
Working memory temporarily holds and processes information we pay attention to so it can be encoded into long-term memory.
The model of the mind in the document lists several stages (Environment → Attention → Working Memory → Encoding → Long-Term Memory → Retrieval → Forgotten).
What is: "A student listens to a teacher's explanation (attention), holds the steps in working memory while practicing, and repeats them to form a memory trace (encoding)." (Any valid classroom example.)
Using the cognitive load formula, give a short explanation (one or two sentences) of what would happen if task demand increases but available resources stay the same.
What is:
If task demand increases while resources stay the same, cognitive load rises and students may experience overload, making learning harder.
The document uses an analogy for effortful thinking: "Dig Deeper = Effortful; Dig Smarter = Connected; Dig in the Right Place = Targeted on the Learning Objective."
Give a classroom example (one or two sentences) showing "Dig Smarter."
Example: Instead of asking students to list facts about an ecosystem, ask them to compare two ecosystems and explain how a change (like the removal of a predator) would shift relationships — prompting connections and application.
The document says "Learning Science is not an initiative. It's the lens through which we improve our practice."
In two sentences, explain how a school leader might use learning science as a lens for professional development.
Example: Use learning science to select PD topics (e.g., cognitive load, retrieval practice), run lesson study focused on explicit practices, and observe for application, giving feedback aligned to evidence-based strategies.
Explain the humorous "How to draw an Owl" example’s instructional point: what does it illustrate about teaching or learning? (One or two sentences.)
It illustrates that vague, oversimplified instructions (two circles) won't normally produce complex learning; effective instruction must show the intermediate steps and support — a metaphor for scaffolding.
Our exploration of the Science of Learning refers to strengthening "memory traces" to make memories durable and retrievable.
Two classroom strategies teachers can use to strengthen memory traces, and how each helps
(1) What is Spaced retrieval practice — revisiting content over time strengthens memory traces; (2) What is Elaborative interrogation — asking students to explain "why" or "how" connects new info to prior knowledge, deepening encoding.
Describe how a teacher might reduce extraneous cognitive load when introducing a multi-step lab activity. Include at least two concrete actions.
(1) Provide a worked example before independent practice; (2) Break the lab into short, sequenced steps with visuals and reduce irrelevant text/instructions.
Design a single effortful-thinking question for an 8th-grade science lesson on photosynthesis that requires students to explain why a change would affect plant growth.
(Write the question exactly as you would ask students.)
Example question: "If a plant is moved from bright sunlight to a shaded area and given the same water, explain how and why its rate of photosynthesis and growth would change. Use your understanding of how plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight." (Accept variations that require causal explanation.)
Give two concrete actions a school leader could take to ensure every teacher develops knowledge about how learning happens (connect to examples from the document).
Examples: (1) Provide regular, evidence-based PD sessions on topics like cognitive load and retrieval practice; (2) Create collaborative PLC time where teachers analyze student work through a learning-science lens.
The document contrasts shallow recall with deeper questions. Provide a short rubric (3 bullet points) an 8th-grade teacher could use to decide whether a question is likely to prompt effortful thinking.
Sample rubric:
Question asks for explanation, cause, comparison, or application (not simple recall).
Question requires students to connect ideas or use prior knowledge to support an answer.
Question cannot be answered correctly by guessing or recalling a single fact.