Evaluating lessons for rigor can be a time consuming process. Each unit and lesson should be examined for opportunities to present students with complex and challenging concepts. Overall, checking curriculum units for rigor provides a valuable opportunity to reevaluate and update lessons. Though not every lesson or activity must have rigor, students need to be exposed to it throughout the curriculum and throughout each school year.
There are several key components to rigor that should be kept in mind while examining lessons. Rigor is student centered and requires students to explore and expand their current knowledge. It also encourages students to examine their emotional response or take a controversial stand on a topic. Though it can include difficult subjects and content rigor is not limited to advanced students and can be included at any grade level.
How to Identify Rigor
It can become confusing to keep many different examples of rigorous lessons in mind when examining existing curriculum for rigor. The following list of rigorous components is to assist in the process. They need not be done in any particular order, and all of them do not need to be present in every unit. The goal for including rigor should be to expose students to a variety of rigorous activities throughout the school year.
Check the unit for evidence of student centered learning. This could take the form of individual or group research projects or activities where students are presented with a question and must defend their answer.
Look for ways that students can make a difference in the world around them. If students research the effects of local farming they could create a school garden. After learning about poetry from a specific time period students could hold a poetry reading.
Examine the units for ways that students can make connections to other subjects. For example, while learning about the ecological impact of local farming students could be exposed to the history of victory gardens, financial concerns and community involvement.
Investigate lessons for situations where students are encouraged to analyze their own feelings for a topic. This can be through taking a position on controversial issues or even opportunities to show acceptance or understanding when others do not agree with their opinions.
Rigor is created when students are engaged with difficult or challenging concepts. Through their interaction with researching and applying knowledge students learn how to learn and have a deeper understanding of how they are part of their community. By updating lessons to include more rigor teachers empower their students as learners.
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