This appendix provides a comprehensive reference of key concepts organized by subject area. Use these concepts as starting points for designing your own CBI units. Remember: concepts must be selected based on your specific content, curriculum, and students—this bank provides possibilities, not prescriptions.
English Language Arts Concepts
Core ELA Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Perspective | The position from which a story is told or an issue is viewed | Authors' perspectives shape both what is told and how it is told, influencing readers' understanding. |
| Identity | The qualities, beliefs, and experiences that make a person who they are | Literature explores how identity is both constructed by individuals and shaped by society. |
| Voice | The distinctive style or way of expressing ideas in writing | Writers develop voice through deliberate choices about language, structure, and perspective. |
| Theme | A central message or insight about life that emerges from a text | Themes arise from the interaction between readers and texts, not solely from authorial intent. |
| Conflict | A struggle between opposing forces | Conflict drives narrative and reveals character, creating the tension that engages readers. |
| Change | Transformation over time | Compelling narratives depend on change—in characters, circumstances, or understanding. |
| Power | The ability to influence or control | Texts both reflect and shape power dynamics in society. |
| Truth | Accuracy, reality, or authenticity | Literature explores multiple truths, challenging simplistic notions of fact and fiction. |
| Communication | The exchange of meaning through language | Effective communication requires understanding both audience and purpose. |
| Structure | The organization and arrangement of elements | Writers use structure intentionally to create meaning and effect. |
| Symbol | Something that represents something else | Symbols carry meaning beyond their literal significance, enriching interpretation. |
| Argument | A reasoned case for a position | Effective arguments balance logical reasoning with ethical and emotional appeals. |
Text Analysis Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Evidence | Information that supports a claim | Credible evidence must be relevant, sufficient, and accurately interpreted. |
| Inference | A conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning | Skilled readers make inferences by connecting textual evidence with prior knowledge. |
| Author's Purpose | The reason an author creates a text | Understanding author's purpose helps readers evaluate the text's claims and techniques. |
| Audience | The intended recipients of a message | Effective writers adapt their approach based on audience knowledge, expectations, and needs. |
| Tone | The attitude expressed toward the subject or audience | Tone shapes reader response and must be appropriate for the writer's purpose. |
| Rhetoric | The art of effective communication | Rhetorical choices reveal how writers attempt to achieve their purposes with specific audiences. |
Mathematics Concepts
Number and Operations Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Quantity | An amount or number of something | Quantities can be described, compared, and operated on in multiple representations. |
| Place Value | The value of a digit based on its position | Our number system uses positional notation, with each position representing a power of the base. |
| Equivalence | Having the same value, even if expressed differently | Mathematical relationships can be expressed in multiple equivalent forms. |
| Proportion | A relationship between quantities that maintains constant ratio | Proportional relationships model many real-world situations where quantities scale together. |
| Rate | A ratio comparing quantities in different units | Rates describe how one quantity changes in relation to another. |
| Unit | A standard amount used for measurement | Units provide the reference needed to quantify and compare. |
| Operation | A mathematical process (addition, multiplication, etc.) | Operations are related through inverse relationships and properties. |
Algebraic Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Variable | A symbol representing an unknown or changing quantity | Variables enable general statements about relationships that hold across specific cases. |
| Function | A relationship where each input has exactly one output | Functions describe predictable relationships between quantities. |
| Pattern | A repeated or predictable sequence | Recognizing patterns enables prediction and generalization. |
| Change | Transformation in quantity or relationship | Mathematics provides tools to describe, represent, and predict change. |
| Relationship | A connection between mathematical objects | Understanding relationships enables efficient problem-solving. |
| Representation | A way of expressing mathematical ideas | Different representations reveal different aspects of mathematical relationships. |
| Structure | The underlying organization of mathematical systems | Mathematical structures have properties that enable manipulation and reasoning. |
Geometric Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Space | The set of all points; the context for geometric objects | Geometric objects exist in space and can be described by their properties. |
| Shape | A figure defined by its boundaries | Shapes can be classified by their properties, which determine their behavior. |
| Transformation | A change in position, size, or orientation | Transformations preserve some properties while changing others. |
| Measurement | The process of assigning numerical values to attributes | Measurement requires selecting appropriate units and tools for the attribute measured. |
| Similarity | Same shape but different size | Similar figures maintain proportional relationships between corresponding parts. |
| Congruence | Same shape and size | Congruent figures can be mapped onto each other through rigid transformations. |
| Symmetry | Regularity in a figure that allows parts to map onto others | Symmetry reveals structure and enables efficient analysis and construction. |
Statistical Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Data | Information collected for analysis | Data must be collected and organized appropriately for the questions being investigated. |
| Variability | The spread or dispersion in data | Understanding variability is essential for making valid conclusions from data. |
| Distribution | The pattern of values in a data set | Distributions describe how data are spread across possible values. |
| Probability | The likelihood of an event occurring | Probability quantifies uncertainty and enables prediction under conditions of randomness. |
| Sample | A subset of a population | Samples enable conclusions about populations when properly selected and analyzed. |
| Correlation | A relationship between variables | Correlation indicates association but does not establish causation. |
Science Concepts
Physical Science Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Matter | Anything that has mass and takes up space | Matter can be described by its properties, which determine how it behaves and interacts. |
| Energy | The capacity to cause change or do work | Energy is conserved—it can be transferred and transformed, but not created or destroyed. |
| Force | A push or pull that can change motion | Forces cause changes in motion, with net force determining the change. |
| Motion | Change in position over time | Motion is relative and can be described through position, speed, velocity, and acceleration. |
| Interaction | Influence between objects or systems | Objects interact through forces at a distance or through contact. |
| Stability | A state that tends to persist | Systems are stable when forces and energy transfers are balanced. |
| Wave | A disturbance that transfers energy through a medium or space | Waves transfer energy without transferring matter. |
Life Science Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| System | A set of interacting parts functioning as a whole | Living systems exist at multiple levels, from cells to ecosystems. |
| Interdependence | Mutual reliance between components | Organisms depend on other organisms and their environment for survival. |
| Adaptation | A feature that helps an organism survive in its environment | Adaptations result from natural selection acting on genetic variation over time. |
| Cycle | A sequence of events that repeats | Matter and energy cycle through ecosystems, continuously being reused and transformed. |
| Diversity | Variety within and among species | Diversity results from variation and selection and contributes to ecosystem resilience. |
| Structure-Function | The relationship between form and role | Structure determines function at all levels of biological organization. |
| Reproduction | The process by which organisms produce offspring | Reproduction enables continuation of species and transfer of genetic information. |
| Growth | Increase in size, number, or complexity | Growth requires matter and energy and involves cellular processes. |
Earth and Space Science Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Change | Transformation over time | Earth is a dynamic system that has changed over geologic time and continues to change. |
| Scale | The relative size or extent | Earth processes operate at scales from microscopic to global, from seconds to billions of years. |
| Cycle | A repeated sequence of events | Earth's materials cycle through systems over various time scales. |
| System | Interacting components functioning together | Earth is composed of interacting systems—geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere. |
| Pattern | A consistent, observable regularity | Patterns in natural phenomena can be used to make predictions. |
| Resource | Materials that meet human needs | Earth provides resources that are distributed unevenly and require responsible management. |
| Evidence | Information from observations and measurements | Scientific understanding of Earth's history comes from evidence in rocks, fossils, and other data. |
Crosscutting Science Concepts (NGSS)
| Concept | Application Across Disciplines |
|---|
| Patterns | Observed patterns guide organization and classification; patterns raise questions about underlying causes. |
| Cause and Effect | Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multiple; cause-and-effect relationships can be used to predict phenomena. |
| Scale, Proportion, and Quantity | Natural phenomena operate at various scales; understanding requires appropriate tools and models for each scale. |
| Systems and System Models | A system is a group of related parts; models help us understand complex systems we cannot fully observe. |
| Energy and Matter | Tracking energy and matter flows helps explain phenomena; matter is conserved, energy is transferred. |
| Structure and Function | How something is shaped determines what it can do; relationship between structure and function is central to science. |
| Stability and Change | Conditions of stability and determinants of change are essential to understand systems. |
Social Studies Concepts
Historical Thinking Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Change | Transformation over time | Change occurs at different rates, scales, and with varying degrees of continuity. |
| Continuity | Persistence over time | Some features of society persist even as others change dramatically. |
| Cause | Factors that bring about effects | Historical events result from multiple causes at different levels (individual, social, political, economic). |
| Consequence | Results or effects of actions or events | Consequences are often unintended and extend far beyond original causes. |
| Perspective | A point of view shaped by experience and context | Historical understanding requires considering multiple perspectives. |
| Significance | Importance or impact | Historical significance is constructed, not inherent; it changes over time. |
| Evidence | Information from the past | Historical knowledge is constructed from sources that must be analyzed and interpreted. |
| Interpretation | Making sense of evidence | Reasonable people can interpret the same evidence differently. |
Civic and Government Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Power | The ability to influence or control | Power operates at all levels of human organization and requires accountability. |
| Authority | Legitimate power | Authority derives from various sources and can be challenged when seen as illegitimate. |
| Rights | Entitlements that individuals possess | Rights involve tensions between individual liberty and collective well-being. |
| Responsibility | Duties and obligations | Rights imply responsibilities; citizenship involves both. |
| Justice | Fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens | Concepts of justice vary across cultures and change over time. |
| Democracy | Government by the people | Democratic systems require participation, protection of rights, and peaceful conflict resolution. |
| Law | Rules established by authority | Laws reflect values, shape behavior, and require enforcement and adjudication. |
| Citizenship | Membership in a political community | Citizenship involves rights, responsibilities, and identity. |
Economic Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Scarcity | Limited resources relative to unlimited wants | Scarcity forces choices, creating opportunity costs. |
| Choice | Selection among alternatives | Economic decisions involve weighing costs and benefits. |
| Opportunity Cost | The next-best alternative forgone | Every choice has an opportunity cost, even when not directly visible. |
| Incentive | Something that motivates behavior | People respond to incentives in ways that can be predicted and influenced. |
| Market | Where buyers and sellers interact | Markets coordinate economic activity through prices. |
| Supply and Demand | Relationship between availability and desire | Prices result from the interaction of supply and demand. |
| Trade | Exchange of goods and services | Trade enables specialization and creates benefits for participants. |
| Interdependence | Mutual reliance in economic relationships | Modern economies depend on complex webs of exchange and specialization. |
Geographic Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Sample Generalization |
|---|
| Location | Where something is | Location shapes access to resources, connections, and opportunities. |
| Place | The physical and human characteristics of an area | Places develop unique identities from the interaction of physical and human features. |
| Region | An area defined by common characteristics | Regions are human constructs that help organize geographic understanding. |
| Movement | The flow of people, goods, and ideas | Movement connects places and spreads cultural and economic patterns. |
| Human-Environment Interaction | How people affect and are affected by their surroundings | Humans both adapt to and modify environments, with consequences for both. |
| Space | The distribution of phenomena across Earth's surface | Spatial patterns reveal relationships and processes. |
| Scale | The level of geographic analysis | Phenomena look different at different scales—local, regional, global. |
Cross-Disciplinary Concepts
These concepts appear across multiple subjects and enable interdisciplinary connections:
| Concept | Appearance Across Disciplines |
|---|
| System | Science (ecosystems, body systems), Social Studies (economic systems, government), Math (number systems) |
| Pattern | Math (numerical patterns), Science (patterns in nature), ELA (literary patterns), Social Studies (historical patterns) |
| Change | Science (chemical change), Social Studies (historical change), ELA (character change), Math (rate of change) |
| Structure | ELA (text structure), Science (molecular structure), Math (algebraic structure), Social Studies (social structure) |
| Relationship | Math (functional relationships), Science (ecological relationships), ELA (character relationships), Social Studies (international relationships) |
| Evidence | Science (experimental evidence), ELA (textual evidence), Social Studies (historical evidence), Math (mathematical proof) |
| Perspective | ELA (narrative perspective), Social Studies (historical perspective), Science (scientific models as perspectives) |
| Cause and Effect | Science (causation), Social Studies (historical causation), ELA (plot causation), Math (logical implication) |
| Balance | Science (equilibrium), Social Studies (balance of power), ELA (balanced argument), Math (equations) |
| Cycle | Science (life cycles, water cycle), Social Studies (economic cycles), ELA (narrative cycles) |
Using the Concept Bank
Selection Criteria
When choosing concepts from this bank:
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Alignment: Does this concept align with your curriculum standards and content requirements?
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Transfer Potential: Will understanding this concept enable students to transfer learning to new contexts?
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Developmental Appropriateness: Is this concept accessible to your students while still providing intellectual challenge?
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Connection Potential: Does this concept connect to other concepts students have learned or will learn?
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Engagement: Does this concept address questions that matter to students and their world?
Customization
Remember that generalizations must be specific to your content and students:
- Use the sample generalizations as starting points, not final products
- Adapt language for your grade level
- Ensure generalizations are actually true and supportable
- Connect generalizations to your specific content and contexts
Vertical Articulation
Consider how concepts develop across grade levels:
- Elementary: Introduce concepts through concrete examples
- Middle School: Develop more abstract understanding of concepts
- High School: Apply concepts to complex, authentic situations
Work with colleagues across grade levels to ensure coherent conceptual development.
