Appendix C: Templates

This appendix provides ready-to-use templates from throughout the book. These templates support various aspects of CBI planning, instruction, assessment, and professional growth. Print them, copy them, or adapt them digitally for your needs.

How to Use These Templates

Customization Guidelines

These templates are starting points, not prescriptions:

1. Adapt language for your grade level and context
2. Add or remove sections based on your needs
3. Modify formatting to fit your planning style
4. Combine templates when useful
5. Evolve over time as your practice develops

Organization

Templates are organized by purpose:

• Unit Planning Templates: Designing CBI units
• Lesson Planning Templates: Individual lesson design
• Assessment Templates: Evaluating conceptual understanding
• Student Tools: Supporting student inquiry
• Professional Growth Templates: Developing your practice

Unit Planning Templates

Template 1: CBI Unit Design Framework

Unit Title: _______________________________________________

Grade Level: _____________ Subject: _____________________

Duration: ________________________________________________

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATION

GUIDING QUESTIONS

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

SUMMATIVE TRANSFER TASK (Preview)

UNIT SEQUENCE OVERVIEW

Template 2: Concept Development Planner

Concept: ________________________________________________

Unit/Context: ____________________________________________

CONCEPT ANALYSIS

EXAMPLES ACROSS CONTEXTS

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING

GENERALIZATION(S) THIS CONCEPT SUPPORTS

Template 3: Generalization Quality Checker

Draft Generalization: _____________________________________

QUALITY CRITERIA CHECK

TRANSFER TEST

List 3 contexts where this generalization should apply:

Does it hold true in each? If not, revise.

REVISED GENERALIZATION (if needed):

Lesson Planning Templates

Template 4: CBI Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: ____________________________________________

Unit: ___________________ Lesson # in Unit: ___________

Duration: ________________________________________________

CONCEPTUAL FOCUS

LESSON STRUCTURE

OPENING (_____ minutes)

DEVELOPMENT (_____ minutes)

SYNTHESIS (_____ minutes)

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

How will I know if students are developing understanding?

What will I look/listen for?

What adjustments might I make if understanding is/isn't developing?

DIFFERENTIATION NOTES

Template 5: Inquiry Lesson Planner

Inquiry Focus: ___________________________________________

Target Concept: __________________________________________

PHASE 1: ENGAGE

PHASE 2: EXPLORE

Key questions during exploration:

PHASE 3: EXPLAIN

PHASE 4: ELABORATE

PHASE 5: EVALUATE

Template 6: Discussion Protocol Planner

Discussion Focus: _________________________________________

Target Understanding: _____________________________________

PREPARATION

DISCUSSION STRUCTURE

FACILITATION MOVES

Questions to push deeper thinking:

Questions to connect to concept:

Moves if discussion stalls:

Moves if discussion goes off track:

STUDENT PARTICIPATION SUPPORTS

Assessment Templates

Template 7: Transfer Task Design

Task Title: ______________________________________________

Target Generalization: ____________________________________

CONTEXT FOR TRANSFER

TASK DESCRIPTION (as students will see it)

SUCCESS CRITERIA

WHAT CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING LOOKS LIKE

Template 8: Conceptual Understanding Rubric

Assessment: _____________________________________________

Generalization: __________________________________________

SCORING GUIDE

Template 9: Formative Assessment Record

Unit: __________________ Date Range: __________________

Generalization: __________________________________________

TRACKING UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT

Key:

• 4 = Sophisticated understanding, ready for extension
• 3 = Solid understanding, on track
• 2 = Developing understanding, needs support
• 1 = Significant misconceptions, needs intervention

PATTERNS OBSERVED

Common strengths:

Common struggles:

Instructional adjustments made:

Student Tools

Template 10: Student Inquiry Log

My Name: _______________________________________________

Topic/Question: __________________________________________

MY THINKING AT THE START

What I already know about this:

What I wonder:

MY INVESTIGATION

MY DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING

The concept(s) I'm learning about:

What I'm starting to understand:

How my thinking has changed:

MY GENERALIZATION

Based on my learning, I think:

I think this is true because:

I think this would also be true in:

Template 11: Concept Map Template

Central Concept: _________________________________________

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │                 │
           ┌────────│  MAIN CONCEPT   │────────┐
           │        │                 │        │
           │        └─────────────────┘        │
           │                 │                 │
           ▼                 ▼                 ▼
    ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐
    │             │   │             │   │             │
    │ Related     │   │ Related     │   │ Related     │
    │ Concept 1   │   │ Concept 2   │   │ Concept 3   │
    │             │   │             │   │             │
    └─────────────┘   └─────────────┘   └─────────────┘
           │                 │                 │
           ▼                 ▼                 ▼
    ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐
    │             │   │             │   │             │
    │  Example    │   │  Example    │   │  Example    │
    │             │   │             │   │             │
    └─────────────┘   └─────────────┘   └─────────────┘

Connection Statements:

The main concept connects to related concept 1 because:

The main concept connects to related concept 2 because:

The main concept connects to related concept 3 because:

My Generalization:

Template 12: Think-Puzzle-Explore

Topic: _________________________________________________

THINK: What do I think I know about this topic?

PUZZLE: What questions or puzzles do I have?

EXPLORE: How can I explore my puzzles?

Template 13: Evidence-Based Argument Organizer

My Claim/Position: _______________________________________

EVIDENCE SUPPORTING MY CLAIM

CONSIDERING OTHER PERSPECTIVES

MY CONCLUSION

Based on my analysis:

This connects to the bigger idea that:

Template 14: Learning Reflection

Date: ___________________ Topic: ____________________

WHAT I LEARNED

Facts I learned:

Concepts I developed understanding of:

How my thinking changed:

HOW I LEARNED

What helped me learn:

What was challenging:

What I would do differently:

TRANSFER

Where else might this understanding apply?

A question I still have:

Professional Growth Templates

Template 15: CBI Self-Assessment

Date: _________________ Overall Rating: ______________

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATION

Notes:

INQUIRY PRACTICES

Notes:

TRANSFER FOCUS

Notes:

GROWTH PRIORITIES

Based on this self-assessment, I want to focus on:

Template 16: CBI Lesson Reflection

Lesson: _________________ Date: ____________________

Conceptual Focus: ________________________________________

WHAT I PLANNED

Generalization students would develop:

How I planned for inquiry:

WHAT HAPPENED

What worked well:

Challenges I encountered:

Surprises:

EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING

What did students say/write/do that showed conceptual understanding?

What misconceptions emerged?

WHAT I'LL DO DIFFERENTLY

Next time I teach this:

For the next lesson in this unit:

For my CBI practice in general:

Template 17: CBI Implementation Plan

Teacher: _________________________________________________

Planning Period: __________________________________________

CURRENT STATE

My current instructional approach:

My experience with CBI:

My biggest questions about CBI:

GOALS

STARTING POINTS

POTENTIAL OBSTACLES AND RESPONSES

SUPPORT SYSTEM

PROGRESS CHECK SCHEDULE

Template 18: Peer Observation Protocol (CBI Focus)

Observer: _______________ Teacher: __________________

Date: __________________ Lesson Focus: ______________

BEFORE OBSERVATION

Generalization being developed:

Key questions teacher plans to ask:

What teacher wants feedback on:

DURING OBSERVATION

Conceptual Focus

Inquiry Practices

Transfer Support

AFTER OBSERVATION

Strengths observed:

Growth opportunities:

Questions for reflection:

Specific suggestions:

Template 19: Professional Learning Community Planning

PLC Focus: CBI Implementation

Members: ________________________________________________

Meeting Schedule: ________________________________________

SHARED LEARNING GOALS

MEETING STRUCTURE

LEARNING SEQUENCE

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES

NORMS

Our agreements for productive collaboration:

Template 20: Year-End CBI Reflection

School Year: ____________________________________________

LOOKING BACK

My CBI journey this year:

Most significant growth:

Remaining challenges:

EVIDENCE OF IMPACT

On student learning:

On my practice:

On my professional satisfaction:

LESSONS LEARNED

What I now understand about CBI:

What I've learned about my students:

What I've learned about myself as a teacher:

LOOKING AHEAD

Focus areas for next year:

Resources I want to explore:

Support I want to seek:

A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE

A student moment that showed the power of CBI:

Quick-Print Templates

Template 21: Quick Planning Card

Date: _______ Class: _______ Topic: _______________

Key Activity:

Assessment Check:

Template 22: Exit Ticket - Conceptual Check

Name: ___________________ Date: ____________________

Concept we explored: _____________________________________

1. In your own words, what is this concept?

2. Give an example from today and an example from outside class:

• Today: _________________________________________________
• Outside: ________________________________________________

3. Complete this sentence about what you learned: "[Concept] is important because..."

Template 23: Discussion Notes Capture

Topic: _________________ Date: _____________________

The Big Idea I'm Taking Away:

A Question I Still Have:

Permission granted to photocopy these templates for classroom and professional use. Digital versions available at [author website].