Understanding By Design

Understanding By Design Introduction to Unit Planning using the “UbD Model”

Objectives for the PD • Learn to utilize the UbD Template and Components • Analyze and Evaluate, using UbDRubric, Sample MA State Curriculum Units • Construct one Unit of Instruction using UbD

Outcome As a result of participation, you will be able to read, understand, create and critique units using the Understanding by Design Curriculum Planning Model

Agenda PART I ❏ 5 Curriculum Principles ❏ A Vision of a Model Curriculum ❏ Macro and Micro PART II ❏ Cornerstone Assessments (Content-Embedded Performance Assessments) ❏ Troubleshooting Guides

Three-Minute Pause Meet in groups of 3 to... • summarize key points. • add your own thoughts. • pose clarifying questions.

#1 A definition of “Curriculum” • “the course to be run” • Curriculum = a plan to achieve designated goals X Curriculum ≠ not a list of topics and related activities

“A list of content, even if preceded by verbs, is not a curriculum but an inventory of stuff.” For many years now, curricula have been constructed around bulleted and hierarchical lists of the major topics of each subject area, such as the Civil War, the parts of a cell, long division, and the elements of fiction. We then put some verbs in front of such “content” and call it a curriculum: • Know the causes and effects of the Civil War. • Identify the parts of a cell. • Calculate using division. • Describe and apply the elements of fiction. Schooling by Design, McTighe, p. 37

This all-too-familiar way of conceiving and writing curriculum is fundamentally flawed. And this typical approach to writing curriculum is a major reason why coverage predominates, why habits of mind get ignored, and why understanding-focused goals fall through the cracks of schooling.

We typically derive lessons from discrete content (or favorite activities, textbooks, and other available resources). Content mastery, instead of being shaped into tools and processes for meeting worthy challenges related to mission, becomes an end in itself. By writing curriculum around content instead of desired performances requiring understanding, we ensure that uncritical thinking, inert knowledge, and lack of transfer will be the rule, not the exception.

#2 Standards are not curriculum “These Standards do not dictate curriculum or teaching methods.” The Common Core Standards

“Consider an analogy with home building and renovation: The standards are like the building code. Architects and builders must attend to them but they are not the purpose of their design…

…The house to be built or renovated is designed to meet the needs of the client in a functional and pleasing manner – while also meeting the building code along the way.” Wiggins and McTighe

#3 A research finding A guaranteed and viable curriculum is the #1 school levelfactor impacting student achievement. Robert Marzano, What Works in Schools

“Un-packing” • “New” standards are grade-level or course end-points, rather than check-points along the way to understanding. • This requires educators to ‘unpack’ the standards and identify which understandings, knowledge, and skills are necessary to successfully meet the end-point standard.

Mathematics Example Students will… Determine the line of best fit for data to interpret patterns and make predictions

predictive statistics • ‘Big Idea’ Understanding: Statistical analysis and display often reveal patterns in data, enabling us to make predictions with degrees of confidence. • Essential Question: Can you predict the future? What will happen next? How sure are you?

ELA Example Standard • Students will… read world literature and examine the cultural context in which it was written to determine the similarities of the human condition.

world literature ‘Big Idea’ Understanding: Great literature from various cultures explores enduring themes and reveals recurrent aspects of the human condition. Essential Question: How can stories from other places and times be about us?

Organization of Knowledge A Research Finding “We turn now to the questions of how experts’ knowledge is organized…Their knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas that are relevant to the domain; instead, their knowledge is organized around core concepts or ‘big ideas’ that guide their thinking about the domain.” - Bransford, et. al., How People Learn, p 24

Learning and Cognition “Learning with understanding is more likely to promote transfer than simply memorizing information from a text or a lecture.” - Bransford, et. al., How People Learn, p 224

#4 Curriculum Comes First “There is no such thing as effective differentiation devoid of a high quality curriculum…The teacher’s first job is always to ensure that the curriculum is coherent, important, inviting, and thoughtful. Then and only then does it make sense to differentiate that curriculum.” -- Carol Ann Tomlinson

#5 Design Backward… 1. What do you want students to learn? 2. How will you know they have learned it? 3. How will you teach to help them learn it? -- Dr. Ralph Tyler, 1949

3 Stages of Backward Design • Identify Desired Results (assessment) • Determine Acceptable Evidence (products, rubrics and exemplars) • Plan the learning experiences and instructional sequence (lesson plans)

The UbD Template • embodies the three stages of backward design • provides a common format for creating and sharing curricular designs

Looking at the Template…

Alignment of all discussed points (1-5) • Content standards • ‘Big ideas’ • Essential questions • Assessments • Learning activities

HOMEWORK Using your current curriculum frameworks for Science and Technology/Engineering, Mathematics, ELA, and your current unit and lesson plans, identify standards for which you wish to create a new unit or for which you wish revise a current unit. 1) Enter the information into the UbD Template. 2) Challenge: Identify, or Locate, Essential Questions appropriate to the unit you plan to design. 4) Make 4 copies of the document for peers to review.

Part II ❏ Cornerstone Assessments (Content-Embedded Performance Assessments) ❏ Troubleshooting Guides

Agenda Part II • Review of Homework • Peer Group Sharing • Macro/Micro • Determining Acceptable Evidence

What is a “discipline”? “Many people erroneously think of academic disciplines as the ‘content,’ but that is not what a “discipline” is. Science is a ‘discipline’ because the habit of jumping to conclusions based on prior beliefs runs deep in human beings (and novice scientists), and is overcome only through the “discipline” of trying to isolate key variables, and methodically testing for them. You have to learn the “discipline” of carefully observing, gathering apt evidence, and weighing its limited implications while remaining skeptical…” -- Wiggins and McTighe, Schooling by Design

The so-called scientific method is not a ‘skill’ but a set of dispositions, skills, and transfer abilities in the use of content, learnable only by doing. Similarly, the goal in learning to ‘do’ history is to avoid present-centeredness and simplistic causal reasoning. One must learn to think and act like a journalist/curator/ historian to learn the ‘discipline’ of history. Learning only the factual ‘content’ or highly-scripted ‘skills’ is as little likely to make you ‘disciplined’ as merely practicing discrete moves in basketball will equip you to be a successful game player.” -- Wiggins and McTighe, Schooling by Design

Project-Based Learning Rigorous Project Based Learning Video (click here)

Cornerstone Assessments cor·ner·stone (n): 1. the first stone laid at a corner where two walls begin and form the first part of a new building 2. something that is fundamentallyimportant to something

Cornerstone Assessment • Anchor the curriculum around important, recurring tasks. • Require understanding and transfer of learning. • Provide evidence of authentic accomplishments. • Involve “doing the subject” and “playing the game”

Authenticity Matters… Therefore: • Understanding is revealed through contextualized performance. • Students apply knowledge in meaningful, “real-world” contexts to show that they really understand

Important Distinction Side-line Drills Practicing and testing discrete skills de-contextualized Playing the game Requires “putting it all together” • Authentic • contextualized

Inauthentic vs. authentic X fill in the blank X select an answer from a set of given choices X answer the ?s at end of chapter X solve contrived, decontextualized problems • Purposeful writing • Scientificinvestigation • Issues debate • Primary research • Interpret literature • Solve “real-world” problems

GRASPS: Acronym for Task Construction GOALProvide a statement of the task. Establish the goal, problem, challenge, or obstacle in the task. ROLE Define the role of the students in the task. State the job of the students for the task. AUDIENCEIdentify the target audience within the context of the scenario. Example audiences might include a client or committee. SITUATIONSet the context of the scenario. Explain the situation. PRODUCTClarify what the students will create and why they will create it. STANDARDS and CRITERIA [INDICATORS] Provide students with a clear picture of success. Identify specific standards for success. Issue rubrics to the students or develop them with the students.

Example: What’s the Trend? Interpret the data on ______ for the past ______ (time period). Prepare a report (oral, written) for ______ (audience) to help them understand: •what the data shows •what patterns or trends are evident •what might happen in the future

Grade 2 Example using the Task Frame Interpret the data on our changing heights in 2nd grade for the past school year. Prepare a chart for the 1st graders to help them understand: •how our class grew this year •how they are likely to grow next year

Grade 10 Example Interpret the data on H1N1 infection spread on each continent for the past 12 months. Prepare a website, Podcast, or newspaper article to help them understand: •spread rates and seasonal variation •spread rates and intl. travel patterns •spread rates and govt. policies

Involved Citizen Task Frame Identify a situation (e.g., issue or problem) that needs a solution. Analyze the issue. – OR - Define the problem. Consider and evaluate options/possiblesolutions. • Present your position/solution. • Address (rebut) alternative positions/solutions. • Attempt to convince a target audience to adopt your position or solution though a _____________ .

Involved Citizen Example After investigating a current political issue, prepare a position paper/presentation for a public policy maker (e.g., Congress person) or group (e.g., school board, legislative committee). Assume that the policy maker or group is opposed to your position. Your position statement should provide an analysis of the issue, consider options, present your position, rebut opposing positions, and attempt to persuade the public policy maker or group to vote accordingly. Your position can be communicated in a written report, via a web blog, or delivered as a presentation.

Example #2 Involved Citizen You have an idea that you believe will make your school better, and you want to convince school leaders that they should act on your idea. Identify your audience (e.g., principal, PTSA Board, students) and: 1. Describe your idea. 2. Explain why & how it will improve the school. 3. Develop a plan for acting on your idea. Your idea and plan can be communicated to your target audience in a letter, e-mail, or presentation.

Task Frame: Communication Prepare a _______ (MEDIA and GENRE) for __________ (A TARGET AUDIENCE) in order to _____________ (PURPOSE…) ◆ entertain ◆ inform ◆ persuade ◆ help them perform a task

Communication Example Many movies and plays originated from published novels or short stories. Identify a novel or short story that you think would make an entertaining or thought-provoking film or play. Then, write a letter or e-mail to a movie or theater producer to persuade them to hire you to develop the screenplay. Explain why you think this would be a successful film/play, suggest the actors to play the key roles, and include a sample scene to display your writing talent.

Understanding By Design