Designing Lessons with the End in Mind: Understanding the Chai Curriculum

SEED ConferenceSunday, August 14, 2011

Presenter: Rebecca E. Starr, M.S.W., B.A.Ed

rivkastarr@yahoo.com

Getting to Know Each Other

Activity: Find a partner and make a list

of 15 things you have in common….you have 2

minutes!

GO!

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions

Enduring Understandings: Understanding is gained by questions that arise from

reflection, discussion, and shared ideas Backwards design enables educators to create meaningful

curricula that targets specific understandings Units should be created based on essential and topical

questions that focus on targeted enduring understandings

Essential Questions: What is the backwards design process? What are essential questions and enduing understandings? How is backwards design helpful to me as a classroom

teacher using the Chai curriculum? How can I use backwards design process in my teaching in

general?

What is Backward Design?

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”

– Stephen R. Covey

“The world stands on three things: Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Chasadim” - (Avot 1:2)

A Video Example

You Tube: http://youtu.be/-6NwMeCpm9w

Brainstorm:

What is you understanding of backwards design? What about within the Chai curriculum?

--- When planning your Chai lessons, where do

you start?---

What is an Enduring Understanding?

Enduring Understandings: What do you want your students to

remember 10 years from now?-Big ideas

-Value beyond classroom

-Heat of a discipline-Engaging, Lifelong

What is important to know about or to know how to do?

What is interesting and something worth being familiar with?

Essential Questions…

Essential Questions Should: Go to the heart of a discipline Recur naturally throughout one’s

learning and in the history of a field Raise other important questions

5 Steps in Backward Design1. Indentify Learner Outcomes: What will the

students know and do?2. Determine Acceptable Evidence: What will

you accept as evidence that the student learned?

3. Plan Learning Experiences: What learning experiences will enable students to achieve outcomes?

4. Plan Assessment and Evaluation Strategies: How will students demonstrate what they understand, know, do, and feel?

5. Reflection: What will you do to decide what the next step in teaching should be?

Let’s Practice

Avodah Lesson #2: Level 4 Curriculum Core

Keva: Why We Pray?

Read the lesson. Determine what you think the

enduring undersandings are of this lesson.

Determine what the essential questions are for the lesson.

Summary: Why is Backwards Design Good for us as Teachers?

Ticket Out the Door

How will you use the Chai curriculum differently now?

How will you adjust

your lesson planning?