What should be included to promote higher order skills in lesson activities?

To promote higher order skills in lesson activities, incorporating modeling and synthesizing ideas is essential. This approach facilitates deeper understanding and encourages students to engage in complex cognitive processes. By modeling, educators can demonstrate thought processes that lead to the synthesis of information, allowing students to see how to combine various concepts and apply them in new contexts. This method fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, which are integral to higher order learning.

While basic information recall and short quizzes and tests may assess foundational knowledge, they do not challenge learners to apply, analyze, or create, which are key components of higher level thinking. Hands-on demonstrations can enhance learning experiences by providing practical applications, but they may not intrinsically promote the synthesis and modeling of ideas needed for higher order skills. Thus, integrating modeling and synthesizing into lesson plans is a powerful strategy for fostering advanced cognitive development among students.