Curriculum Coordinator Meeting
Understanding by Design
Goals Gain an understanding of the UbD
framework Essential Questions Knowledge Skills
Make connections to Curriculum Connector work
Consider implications for curriculum revision
Understanding by Design
Why teach/design curriculum for understanding? Why should we do this work?
Why is this work important?
Understanding by Design
Understanding means:
to make sense of what you know, to be able to know why it’s so, and to use it in various situations and
contexts. Grant Wiggins
Understanding by Design
Assessment of Understanding
You really understand it when you can: explain, connect, systematize, predict it show its meaning, importance apply or adapt it to novel situations see it as one plausible perspective among others,
question its assumptions see it as its author/speaker saw it avoid and point out common misconceptions,
biases, or simplistic views
Understanding by Design
Is This a Good Plan?
Analyze the Pioneer Plan on page 1.As a pair, discuss the following:
What are the strengths of the unit? What are the problems?
Understanding by Design
3 Stages of “Backward” Design
1.Identify desired results. 2. Determine
acceptableevidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
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Understanding by Design
Why “backward”? Stages are logical but go against habits
We’re used to jumping to lesson & activity ideas - before clarifying our performance goals for students
Thinking through the assessments upfront, ensures greater alignment of goals & means, and that teaching is focused on desired results
The “big ideas” of each stage:
* Unpack the content standards and ‘content’, focus on big ideas
* Derive the implied learning from Stages 1 & 2
Assessment Evidence
Learning Activities
Understandings Essential Questions
stage
2
stage
3
Standard(s):
stage
1
Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:
What are the big ideas?
What’s the evidence?
How will we get there?
* Analyze multiple sources of evidence, aligned with Stage 1
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Understanding by Design
Template as a Tool Stage 1- Desired Results
Established Goals Understandings Essential Questions Knowledge and Skills
Stage 2- Assessment Evidence Performance Tasks and Other
Evidence Stage 3- Learning Plan
Learning Activities
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Understanding by Design
Not necessary to fill in the template “in order”
Many ‘doorways’ into successful design – you can start with...Content standardsPerformance goalsA key resource A required assessmentA big idea, often misunderstoodAn important skill or processAn existing unit or lesson to edit
!
Understanding by Design
Misconception Alert:the work is non-linearIt doesn’t matter where you
start as long as the final design is coherent (all elements aligned) Clarifying one element or
Stage often forces changes to another element or Stage
!
Understanding by Design
Prairie Plan-What’s Missing? Turn to page 4. Knowing what you know about backwards
mapping, what do you notice about the unit as it was planned? What components were not addressed?
Compare with the revised UbD plan (pgs.5&7). What stands out? How does this plan support student learning/
understanding?
Understanding by Design
Examining the ShiftCheck out a completed unit plan (left side
of folder). What do you notice? What stands out about the design? The
content? The alignment?
Understanding by Design
Consider Design Questions Page 8 . Read through the design questions in
each stage of the template. How does this approach compare with
the way your units are currently designed?
Understanding by Design
3 Stages of “Backward” Design
1.Identify desired results. 2. Determine
acceptableevidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
Understanding by Design
Stage 1 – Identify desired results.Key: Focus on Big ideas Established Goals Enduring Understandings: What specific insights
about big ideas do we want students to leave with? What essential questions will frame the teaching and
learning, pointing toward key issues and ideas, and suggest meaningful and provocative inquiry into content?
Knowledge- What should students know? Skills- what should students be able to do?
U
K
Q
S
G
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Understanding by Design
The “big idea” of Stage 1:
There is a clear focus in the unit on the big ideas
Implications: Organize content around key concepts Show how the big ideas offer a purpose and rationale
for the student You will need to “unpack” Content standards in many
cases to make the implied, big ideas clear
Understanding by Design
Big Ideas in Literacy: Examples
Rational persuasion (vs. manipulation) audience and purpose in writing A story, as opposed to merely a list of events linked by
“and then…” reading between the lines writing as revision a non-rhyming poem vs. prose fiction as a window into truth A critical yet empathetic reader A writer’s voice
Understanding by Design
Some questions for identifying truly “big ideas” Does it have many layers and nuances, not
obvious to the naïve or inexperienced person? Can it yield great depth and breadth of insight into
the subject? Can it be used throughout K-12? Do you have to dig deep to really understand its
subtle meanings and implications even if anyone can have a surface grasp of it?
Is it (therefore) prone to misunderstanding as well as disagreement?
Are you likely to change your mind about its meaning and importance over a lifetime?
Does it reflect the core ideas as judged by experts?
Understanding by Design
Big Ideas in Curriculum Work Teachers must understand and identify
the big ideas. Big ideas pervade all aspects of unit
design. Correct identification of big ideas leads
to proper alignment of unit plan.
Understanding by Design
Still More on Big Ideas… Manifest themselves in different forms.
Concept- Genre Theme- Saving for a rainy day Issue or Debate- Nature vs. nurture Problems or Challenges- Maximize shipping volume Processes- Problem solving Theories- The Atkins Diet Paradoxes- Fighting for Peace Assumptions or Perspectives- Terrorist vs. freedom
fighter
Understanding by Design
“Big Ideas”- typically revealed via
Core conceptsFocusing themesOn-going debates/issues Insightful perspectives Illuminating paradox/problemOrganizing theoryOverarching principleUnderlying assumption(Key questions)(Insightful inferences from facts)
Q
Understanding by Design
Essential Questions Concept Attainment Define the characteristics on an
essential question.
Understanding by DesignSample Essential
Questions: Who are my true friends - and how do I know
for sure? How “rational” is the market? Does a good read differ from a ‘great book’?
Why are some books fads, and others classics? To what extent is geography destiny? Should an axiom be obvious? How different is a scientific theory from a
plausible belief? What is the government’s proper role?
Q
Understanding by Design
Essential Questions Have no simple “right” answer; they are
meant to be argued.- Does art reflect culture or help shape it?
Are designed to provoke and sustaining student inquiry- Is the Internet dangerous for kids?
Often address the most historically important issues, problems and debates.- Nature or nurture?
Raise other important questions.- Do only the strong survive-what do we mean by strong?
Recur.-What makes a great book? Stimulate rethinking- What IS a friend?
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Understanding by Design
Essential Questions More examples to further your understanding (page 13). Two types:
overarching/broad topical-specific to a particular unit of study
Understanding by Design
Knowledge and Skills Knowledge-what we want students to
know.
Skills-what we want students to be able to do.
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Understanding by Design
3 Stages of “Backward” Design
1. Identify desired results. 2. Determine
acceptableevidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
Understanding by Design
Stage Two- Evidence Consider the assessment evidence needed
to determine the extent to which students have achieved the desired results
Goal- obtain valid, reliable, credible, and useful evidence Performance Tasks and Rubrics Other Evidence Self-Assessment
Understanding by Design
The big idea for Stage 2
The evidence should be credible & helpful. Implications: the assessments should –
Be grounded in real-world applications, supplemented as needed by more traditional school evidence
Provide useful feedback to the learner, be transparent, and minimize secrecy
Be valid, reliable - aligned with the desired results
of Stage 1 (and fair)
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Understanding by Design
Just because the student “knows it” …
Evidence of understanding is a greater challenge than evidence that the student knows
a correct or valid answer
Understanding is inferred, not seen It can only be inferred if we see evidence that the
student knows why (it works), so what? (why it matters), how (to apply it) – not just knowing that specific inference
Understanding by Design
Key understandings about assessment
The only way to assess for understanding is via contextualized performance - “applying” in the broadest sense our knowledge and skill, wisely and effectively Performance is more than the sum of the drills:
using only conventional quizzes and tests is insufficient and as misleading as relying only on sideline drills to judge athletic performance ability
Thinking like an …Assessor vs. What would be sufficient &
revealing evidence of understanding?
What performance tasks must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work?
How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand and those who don’t (though they may seem to)?
Against what criteria will I distinguish work?
What misunderstandings are likely? How will I check for those?
Activity Designer What would be interesting &
engaging activities on this topic?
What resources and materials are available on this topic?
What will students be doing in and out of class? What assignments will be given?
How will I give students a grade (and justify it to their parents) ?
Did the activities work? Why or why not?
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Curricular Priorities and Assessment Methods
worth being familiar with
important to know and do
Big Ideas and Enduring Understandings
Assessment MethodsTraditionalquizzes and tests
• Paper and pencil• Selected-response• Constructed response
Performance task and projects
• Complex• Open-ended• Authentic
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A Balanced Assessment Model
Normal c
hecks f
or
understa
nding
Observa
tion an
d
dialog
ue
Test/quiz
Academ
ic pro
mpt
Perfor
mance
task/pro
ject
Continuum of Assessment Methods
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Understanding by Design
3 Stages of “Backward” Design
1.Identify desired results. 2. Determine
acceptableevidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
Understanding by Design
Think of your obligations via W. H. E. R. E. T. O.
“Where are we headed?” (the student’s Q!) How will the student be ‘hooked’? What opportunities will there be to be equipped, and to
experience and explore key ideas? What will provide opportunities to rethink, rehearse,
refine, and revise? How will students evaluate their work? How will the work be tailored to individual needs,
interests, styles? How will the work be organized for maximal
engagement and effectiveness?
WHE
ER
L
TO
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Understanding by Design
Resources http://
jaymctighe.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/UbD-Websites-3.3.12.pdf
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