Block scheduling has become increasingly popular in the United States at the middle and high school levels. This scheduling model allows for longer periods, typically 75-120 minutes, enabling teachers to dive deeper into lessons and employ varied instructional strategies such as group work, hands-on activities, project-based learning, and labs.
Unlike a traditional schedule that moves students through 6-7 classes each day, each lasting 40-55 minutes, block schedules are often structured in formats like the 4×4 or A/B schedules. The 4×4 model typically involves students taking four classes per semester, while A/B schedules alternate between days with different sets of courses, as pictured below.
Research has identified several potential benefits of the block schedule, which include:
- Providing teachers with more time to build stronger relationships with students (Pate et al., 2022).
- Giving teachers more preparation time (Voglar &Schramm-Pate, 2022).
- Making it possible for students to take more classes during the school year (Holley & Park, 2017).
- Minimizing unstructured passing time can reduce discipline issues (Morris, 2022).
Despite these benefits, the research on the academic impact of block scheduling is mixed. Part of the issue may be the lack of professional learning support for teachers moving to a block schedule. Teachers need guidance on how to design for longer class periods effectively. When I work with teachers transitioning from a traditional schedule to a block schedule, I encourage them to think about the parts of their lesson as “content blocks.”
Why Content Blocks?
Transitioning from a traditional six or seven-period day to a block schedule can feel overwhelming. Many teachers initially consider extending what they already do, stretching a 40 to 50-minute lesson into a longer version or combining two shorter lessons into one. However, this approach can lead to disengaged students and a classroom that feels less dynamic rather than more.
That’s where content blocks come in. Think of content blocks as flexible building blocks that can be arranged to create engaging, student-centered learning experiences. Instead of asking, “How do I stretch my lesson to fill the time?” you can ask, “How do I break this time into purposeful segments that keep students engaged and learning in various ways?”
A content block is a chunk of time dedicated to a specific learning activity—independent practice, group work, direct instruction, or peer collaboration. In a block period, the goal is to mix and match these different activities to maintain student focus, leverage diverse learning modalities, ensure all students are actively engaged and participating, and give the teacher time to be responsive to student needs.
Types of Content Blocks
The key to success when designing a block period is intentionality. How you organize content blocks should be purposeful, guiding students toward the lesson’s learning objectives. A well-structured block period helps students achieve the desired outcomes and keeps them engaged through varying activities and learning modalities.
To maintain student interest and focus, it’s important to strike a balance between individual and collaborative tasks, direct instruction and student-led learning, as well as teacher talk and student discussion. Thoughtfully mixing these elements creates a dynamic learning experience where students can process information in a variety of ways, make meaning through collaboration, and engage with the material more deeply.
Content Block | Purpose | Value | Use When |
---|---|---|---|
Access Prior Knowledge | This block helps students activate what they already know about a topic, creating connections between prior knowledge and new learning. | Engaging students with what they already know primes them for new content and builds confidence. | Beginning a new unit or a lesson to quickly gauge students’ familiarity with the topic and set the stage for deeper learning. |
Direct Instruction | This block allows teachers to provide explicit instruction, introduce new concepts, or model strategies. | It’s a vehicle for delivering foundational information, particularly when students need to acquire new content. | Teachers want to check for understanding during lessons and adjust instruction based on student needs. |
Flipped Instruction | This block shifts control over the pace of direct instruction to students, allowing them to pause, rewind, rewatch, and use accessibility features (e.g., closed captions). | It frees the teacher to work with individuals or small groups (e.g., second language learners), providing a more scaffolded instructional experience. | When teachers plan to present the same information or model the same way for all students, they often need to repeat the information. |
Teacher-Led Small Group Instruction | This block allows the teacher to work closely with a small group of students, providing targeted and differentiated instruction or Tier 2 or 3 intervention. | It allows for differentiation, addressing specific student needs while other students engage in independent or group work. | Teachers want to focus on reteaching, intervention, enrichment, or providing personalized feedback to a small group. |
Online Learning | This block engages students with multimedia, digital tools, and online resources to support or extend their learning. | Provides a personalized, self-paced experience and can introduce multimedia or interactive elements. | Teachers want to leverage technology to differentiate instruction, offer personalized learning pathways, or give students time to work through content independently. |
Collaborative Learning | This block encourages students to work together to process information, problem-solve, or apply new concepts. | Collaboration fosters deeper understanding, communication skills, and critical thinking while building community. | Teachers want students to engage in peer learning, share diverse perspectives, or work on group projects. |
Metacognitive Skill Building | This block asks students to reflect on their thinking and learning processes, setting goals, or assessing their progress. | Encourages self-awareness and helps students develop effective learning strategies. | After a learning activity or at the end of a lesson to help students reflect on what they’ve learned and how they can improve. |
Independent Practice | This block gives students time to work individually to practice skills or apply what they’ve learned. | Reinforces understanding through practice and helps students build autonomy. | Teachers want students to apply new skills or concepts independently to check for understanding or mastery. |
Formative Assessment | This block allows teachers to gather data on student learning to adjust instruction and provide feedback. | Offers insight into student progress and informs future teaching decisions. | Teachers want to check for understanding during a lesson and adjust instruction based on student needs. |
Application Block | This block engages students in real-world applications of their learning, often through problem-solving, projects, or experiments. | Helps students see the relevance of their learning and develop higher-order thinking skills. | Teachers want students to transfer their knowledge to a new context or solve a complex problem. |
Stacking and Arranging Content Blocks
Once you understand the variety of content blocks available, the real power lies in how you arrange and stack them to meet the specific needs of your lesson or unit. By mixing different types of activities—independent, collaborative, teacher-led, and student-led—you can create more dynamic and engaging learning experiences. The arrangement of these blocks should be intentional, aligning with your learning objectives, the pace of the unit, and where students are in their learning journey.
Content blocks can be stacked to achieve different purposes. For example, at the start of a unit, you may focus more on direct instruction, activating prior knowledge, and collaborative meaning-making. Later in the unit, as students begin applying their learning, you might include formative assessment and independent practice blocks to gauge progress and reinforce key concepts.
Example 1: Start of a Unit on Scientific Inquiry
Purpose: Introduce a new unit, activate prior knowledge, and build a foundational scientific inquiry understanding.
Block Arrangement:
- Access Prior Knowledge Block: Kick off the unit with a class discussion or quick activity where students share what they already know about the scientific inquiry process. This primes them for the new information they’ll receive.
- Direct Instruction Block: The teacher presents an overview of scientific inquiry, introducing key steps in the process and providing concrete examples.
- Collaborative Learning Block: Students work in small groups to discuss a scientific problem or scenario and identify how they would approach solving it using the steps of inquiry.
- Metacognition Block: To close the lesson, ask students to reflect on their learning. What do they feel confident about? Where do they feel less sure? This can be done through a quick journal entry or exit ticket.
Example 2: Mid-Unit Lesson Focused on Literary Analysis (Formative Checkpoint)
Purpose: Assess students’ progress, reinforce key skills, and provide feedback to guide further learning.
Block Arrangement:
- Formative Assessment Block: Begin the lesson with a short, low-stakes quiz or a writing prompt asking students to analyze a passage from a novel. This provides the teacher with valuable data on student progress.
- Online Learning Block + Teacher-Led Small Group Instruction Block: While the class engages in self-paced work online, the teacher works with a small group of students who need extra support and provides targeted instruction based on the formative assessment data.
- Independent Practice Block: Students independently apply their literary analysis skills by working on an essay or answering discussion questions about the text, reinforcing their understanding.
- Application Block: In pairs or small groups, students collaborate to compare their analyses and debate the significance of key themes or characters, helping them to apply their understanding in a real-world context.
These examples demonstrate how teachers can mix and match content blocks at different stages in the learning process—either building foundational knowledge or assessing and reinforcing student progress. This flexible approach allows for intentional pacing, targeted instruction, and meaningful student engagement at every stage.
Wrap Up
Transitioning to a block schedule can feel like a big adjustment for teachers used to a traditional schedule. Using the concept of content blocks can help teachers design lessons that keep students engaged and learning at a deeper level. Rather than simply stretching a 40-50 minute lesson over a longer class period or jamming two short lessons together to create a longer lesson, content blocks allow teachers to break lessons into intentional, purposeful segments incorporating various activities and learning modalities.
Teachers can arrange the content blocks strategically to create a balanced experience that engages students in different learning activities. This ensures that lessons are dynamic and that teachers can be responsive to their students’ needs.
At the start of a unit, teachers may focus more on acquiring information and collaborative meaning-making. Later in the unit, incorporating formative assessments and application blocks helps gauge student progress and ensure they master key concepts. With content blocks, teachers can adjust the pacing and structure of their lessons to keep students motivated and progressing toward firm standards-aligned goals.
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