Understanding Figurative Language and Concept Attainment

Jennifer Gonzalez introduces the Concept Attainment strategy, a method for teaching abstract concepts through Yes and No examples. She demonstrates this with figurative language, guiding students to develop and refine definitions. The process involves showing examples, testing definitions, and applying learning in new tasks. The strategy is based on Jerome Bruner's work and is detailed in 'The Strategic Teacher' by Silver, Strong, & Perini.

What is the primary purpose of the Concept Attainment strategy?

• To introduce a new idea

• To memorize facts

• To solve mathematical problems

• To write essays

Which of the following is NOT an example of a concept that can be taught using Concept Attainment?

• Cooking recipe

• Noun

• Linear equation

• Mammal

What are Yes examples in Concept Attainment?

• Examples that are irrelevant

• Examples that fully embody the concept

• Examples that partially fit the concept

• Examples that are incorrect

What is the role of No examples in Concept Attainment?

• To fully embody the concept

• To show examples that lack some qualities of the concept

• To provide incorrect information

• To confuse students

In the demonstration, what is the first Yes example of figurative language?

• "Joe is a beast when he's hungry."

• "This class is boring."

• "Joe is cranky when he's hungry."

• "The flowers smiled up at the sun."

Why is it important that No examples are not too obvious?

• To make them funny

• To ensure students take them seriously

• To make them memorable

• To confuse students

What is the initial definition students come up with for figurative language?

• Describing a process

• Comparing something human to something not human

• Using literal language

• Comparing two similar things

What realization leads students to revise their initial definition?

• Examples involve comparing two unlike things

• Examples are literal

• Examples involve human and non-human comparisons

• All examples are similes

What is the revised definition of figurative language after further examples?

• Describing a literal process

• Saying something literally true

• Using only metaphors

• Saying something that isn't literally true but conveys a feeling

Which example challenges the students' definition of figurative language?

• "The flowers smiled up at the sun."

• "It's raining cats and dogs."

• "Joe is a beast when he's hungry."

• "This class is boring."