Response lessons are open-ended experiences designed to encourage students to explore and manipulate ideas and materials. These lessons tap student potential in critical and creative thinking. The thinking processes, problem solving skills, and student products are observed. Teachers judge the students' responses with the following criteria:

°quality - refers to a unique caliber of performance and a high standard of excellence

°intensity - refers to the amount of intellectual, emotional and physical energy that the child invests in the behavior or activity

°frequency - refers to the number of times the behavior is demonstrated in proportion to the opportunities to do so

Each lesson is structured around a four-stage model which provides students with opportunities to:

S.....SENSE and develop an awareness of the content. This stage helps assure that all students have experiences in the area to be discussed. It should give each student a baseline of knowledge from which to explore.

E.....EXPLORE and think creatively about a content area. At this stage, students are encouraged to think of all the possibilities. Response activities involve students in creative, innovative, inventive and imaginative thinking.

L.....LINK and think critically about a content area. At this stage, students are encouraged to connect new concepts related to the content to those they have already developed. To develop and reinforce new concepts, students are involved in activities to observe, compare, classify, relate, organize and analyze.

F.....FOCUS and solve a problem to their satisfaction using analytical and decision-making skills. This stage offers activities which ask students to consider a situation, problem posed, question asked, or issue addressed and to come up with their best solutions.

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