PLANNING for INQUIRYBackward Design

Information to Knowledge Journey

Wiggins and McTighe, Kuhlthau, Todd

The SIMPLE BIG PICTURE Start with COMPELLING CONTENT, rich, complex Create a PRODUCT concept that will demonstrate new knowledge,

original conclusions Design an ASSESSMENT to measure new knowledge and skills Decide on instructional strategies

Backward Design – Wiggins and McTighe

Goal is UNDERSTANDING THREE steps:

What is worthy and requiring of understanding?

What is evidence of understanding? What learning experience and

teaching promote understanding, interest, and excellence?

Enduring understandings

Generate essential or guiding questions

Represent BIG IDEAS with value beyond the classroom

Reside at the heart of the discipline Require uncoverage Engage students

Demonstrating UNDERSTANDING Kids understand when they:

Can EXPLAIN in their own words Can INTERPRET, tell meaningful stories,

provide personal dimensions Can APPLY, use and adapt in diverse

contexts Have PERSPECTIVE, see the big picture

and points of view through critical eyes Can EMPATHIZE, find value, sensitivity Have SELF-KNOWLEDGE, awareness of

style, prejudices, habits of mind

Assessing evidence of understanding

Performance Tasks- real world challenges in the thoughtful and effective use of knowledge and skill, test of understanding in context

Criteria Referenced Assessment-prompts, short writings, rubrics revealing how well concepts are being understood

Unprompted Assessment-Observations, dialogs, sharing,logs

Ross Todd and Carol KuhlthauPLANNING CHECKLIST for Inquiry

Compelling questions from the curriculum

Content engages and challenges students to want to know more

Students have some choice over specific questions they want to answer and ways to present new knowledge

Instructional interventions help learners develop target skills

Planning Checklist for Inquiry

Students have opportunities to practice their new skills

Students have opportunities throughout to dialogue, get feedback about their learning

Students have opportunities to communicate and share

their understandings