2. Understanding by Design
UbD is a way of thinking more carefully about
design, it is not a program.
Teach for understanding
“Backward Design”
Clarify results and evidence of them before
designing lessons.
3. Understanding by Design
Remove “covering the material”
Remove activities for the sake of activities.
The work is focused on questions and big
ideas, related to the Standards.
4. 3 Stages of “Backward” Design
1. Desired results
2. Assessment evidence
l y t he n
Then and on
3. Plan learning experiences &
instruction.
5. Stage 1
Desired results
Four components
1. Content standards (TEKS)
2. Understandings
What are the big ideas?
What specific understandings about them are
desired?
What misunderstandings are predictable?
Key: Focus on Big Ideas!
6. Stage 1
Desired results
Four components
3. Essential questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry,
understanding, and transfer of learning?
4. Knowledge and skills / transfer goal
What key knowledge and skills will students
acquire?
What should students be able to do as a
result of this unit?
7. Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence
What are key complex performance
tasks indicative of understanding?
What other evidence will be collected to
build the case for understanding,
knowledge, and skill.
How will students self-assess?
8. Stage 2 is the essence of
backward design & alignment
“Measure what we value; value and act
on what we measure.”
Link assessment types to curricular
priorities
9. Stage 3-Plan learning
experience and instruction
A focus on engaging and effective
learning, “designed in”
What learning experiences and instruction
will promote the desired understanding,
knowledge and skill?
How will you best promote the deepening
of insight and interest?
How will you prepare students for the
performance(s)?
10. Organize by W.H.E.R.E.
W = Where are we headed? and why? (from
the student’s perspective)
H = How will the student be ‘hooked’?
E = What opportunities will there be to be
equipped and explore key ideas.
R = How will we provide opportunities to
rethink, rehearse, refine and revise?
E = How will students evaluate (so as to
improve) their own performance?
Editor's Notes
Talk about the difference between knowing and understanding. Talk about Madelyn and what she says and what the conversation was at a vertical team meeting. Talk about covering the content and activity based themes. Talk about building around big ideas and understandings instead of disconnected facts. The big ideas are based on the TEKS (standards)
Refer to page 1 of UbD in a Nutshell – right side Number teachers 1-8. Have teachers read silently the right column of the first page. Then discuss and choose just three words that explain what the statement meant. Have teachers write the 3 words on separate pieces of paper and then show the words. Discuss what each means.
Just talk about this for a short time. Explain why what we have been doing is not working. Refer to the left side of page 1.
Have the teachers refer to the handout of the template. Point out the components on Stage 1
Break teachers into three groups: Group 1 will read a question is essential if it… Group 2 will read an understanding Group 3 will read transfer and knowledge & skill All groups will read Stage 1. Together they will summarize
