Understanding by Design designed by

Grant Wiggens and Jay McTighe

Understanding by Design {UbD} : A framework used for designing the teaching process.

Emphasis is on Backwards Design. The practice of looking at the outcomes in

order to design units, assessments, and instruction in the classroom. In other words Backwards Planning.

Teaching for Understanding

Using the UbD Framework ensures that:1. Curriculum Design will be Coherent (logical

and orderly) and Congruent.2. Teachers make a clear distinction between

Big Ideas and Essential Questions.3. Students can describe goals and performance

requirements of the unit4. There are High Expectations for all students

3 Stages of Backwards Design

1. Identify Desired Results2. Determine Acceptable Results3. Plan Day to Day Lessons

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

1.Deconstruction of Standards.

Materials Needed:• Copy of Standards• Deconstruction Templates• Copy of Content Standards

Key Words

3. Optional: Create a Study Guide based on Learning Targets.

2. Design Learning Targets.

Materials Needed:• Deconstructed Standards

for Unit• Learning Target Template• Student Check List

{Divided into Knowledge and Reasoning Targets.

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Results

Design Assessment1) Pre-Assessment: Assess student knowledge

about content to be taught in new unit2) Formative Assessment: Use to help “drive” instruction.3) Summative Assessment: Learning Check for

the Unit

• 1. Pre- Asse

ssment

• Example: Use a 10 -20 question test to assess students knowledge about the new content to be taught in the new unit. Focus on Big Ideas and Critical Vocabulary. A good format to use is the Agree- Disagree Statements.

Note: This will help in differentiating instruction.

Determinewhat students Already know

2.Formative Assessment

• Involves qualitative feedback rather than scores.

• Focuses on details of content and performance.

• Assessment used by teachers and students to enhance learning, during learning.

• Feedback for modification for the teacher and the student

A wide range offormal and informal assessment procedures that teachers employ during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment.

3. Summative Assessment

• Summative Assessment occurs after learning while Formative Assessment occurs during learning.

• It is cumulative.• Types include: - Standardized Tests - District Benchmark Tests - Unit or Chapter Tests - Final Exams• Are Formal and at

predetermined dates

Is meant to measure what a student does or does not know compared to the academic standards of the state or local district at any given time.

Stage 3: Plan Day to Day Lessons

All the activities and assessments that will be used during the unit.

Stage 3: Day to Day Lessons• Use the Deconstruction of Standards and the Learning

Targets to plan each days lesson and assessment.• As the unit progresses use formative assessment

strategies to help drive instruction. OUR DELIMMA AS TEACHERS! How do we track student mastery of content?

Plan for Teaching a New Unit using UbD

• Overall Plan 1.Design Daily lessons using Deconstruction

and Learning Targets. [ Be sure to address Misconceptions]

2 Begin Unit with Pre-test. 3.Address Big Ideas and Essential Questions. 4.Handouts for students:• Study Guide for Unit• Critical Vocabulary • Self Assessment Learning Targets (With

Formative Assessment Strategy) . 5.Teach each lesson as planned using the

formative assessment strategies to help drive instruction. {Modify as needed}

6. Assessment: Exit Slips – Quizzes- Formative Assessment – and Summative Assessment : Unit Learning Check

The following is an example of how to use the understanding by design format from beginning to end. It is just an example. Each teacher will have to modify the plan to fit the content and grade level they teach.

1. Use Deconstruction and Learning Targets to plan Day to Day Lessons.

What to do:• Targets will guide in choosing

activities that will help students master content

• Types of TargetsKnowledge, Reasoning, Skills, and

Products

Misconceptions need to be addressed. There are resources for content areas that identify misconceptions.

Example: • Reasoning Target: I can explain

how traits are passed from parents to offspring.

• Teach Lesson• Formative Assessment Strategy:

Use a concept map to explain the process of fertilization or draw a model of the process.

• Example of a misconception: Boys get most of their traits from their fathers and girls get most of their traits from their mothers

2. Pre-Test

Check for prior knowledge:• Agree Disagree format is one way

to design this assessment.• Advantages include:1. Easy to Design.2. Easy to grade.3. Covers Big Ideas and Critical

Vocabulary4. Gives insight on how students

are thinking5. Can be used several times

throughout the unit.6. Can help with differentiation.

Example of Agree Disagree ?Statement: How can I find out?

Boys get most of their traits from their fathers and girls get most of their traits from their mothers.__ I Agree __ I Disagree__ It Depends__ I Don’t KnowMy Thoughts:

3. Address Big Ideas & Essential Questions

Essential Questions;• 7sC-7 HEREDITY

1.Describe the relationship between cells, tissues, and organs and explain their function in multi-cellular organisms. (DOK 1)2.Describe the role of genes/chromosomes in the passing of information from one generation to another (heredity). (DOK 2)3.Describe the differences between learned and inherited behaviors and characteristics, and classify examples of each using tables, graphs or diagrams. (DOK 3)4.Describe and compare sexual and asexual reproduction, including advantages and disadvantages of each. (DOK 3)

Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. In middle school, students begin to compare, contrast, and classify the microscopic features of organisms—the cells, as well as investigate reproduction as the essential process to the continuation of all species. Expected patterns of genetic traits are predicted. Distinctions are made between learned behaviors and inherited traits. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life.

4. Handouts for Students:

Self Assessment Learning Targets

• Student friendly learning targets. They need to be broken down into knowledge, reasoning, skill, and product targets.

• Make 2 copies for each student. One for the student and one for the teacher. This can be used in determining if students are mastering targets.

Study Guide and Critical Vocabulary• Study Guide should

contain critical information for mastery of the targets.

{ See example of Study Guide}

• Critical Vocabulary : 12 -15 words .

{ See example of Critical Vocabulary }

5.Example of Lesson using Formative AssessmentWritten On Board

• 1] What we are learning today. Guiding Question: What is Heredity? I can statement: I can explain the process of mitosis.• 2] What we are doing today. Review Previous Lesson ( Use hand signals for phases) Video Segment( brainpop.com / Mitosis] Cellsalive.com visual of process of mitosis Model Mitosis using the chromosome number for a skunk(50) FA=

Pictionary Exit Slip ? :Formative Assessment Strategy / Frayer Model Explain the process of mitosis using the human chromosome number (46) Remediation: Home work / Options Mitosis and Frayer Model

6. Assessments

• Formative Assessments { Formal & Informal} Exit Slips - Graphic Organizers - Oral

Questions { See FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES on Lesson Plan Template.}

Periodic Quizzes District Learning ChecksNote : Use Target Method Match to help design questions.