What makes a curriculum ‘knowledge rich’? I use the Curriculum Design Coherence Model (CDC Model) to show that a claim for ‘richness’ requires design methods which integrate  concepts, content and competencies in a logically cohering way.

The presentation includes an overview of the CDC Model with a description of each of its four Elements.  The Elements’ connections are the mechanism for achieving coherence within a school topic and for students to progress in their understanding from one school year to the next. I use examples from several school subjects, including Science, History, English, and Physical Education at various year levels.

Finally I discuss how the Model’s design protects against the limitations of both content-list and competency-based approaches.