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Understanding Backwards Design – U. S. History

Understanding Backwards Design – U. S. History. Dr. Sarah Mathews Florida International University samathew@fiu.edu. Presentation Influenced by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’s Understanding by Design (2006). Key Ideas of UbD. Start at the End Identify Big Ideas

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Understanding Backwards Design – U. S. History

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  1. Understanding Backwards Design – U. S. History Dr. Sarah Mathews Florida International University samathew@fiu.edu

  2. Presentation Influenced byGrant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’sUnderstanding by Design(2006)

  3. Key Ideas of UbD • Start at the End • Identify Big Ideas • Generate Essential Questions • Attach Objectives to Assessments • Plan Learning Activities

  4. Avoid “Twin Sins of Traditional Design” • 1st Form: Activity Focused = “Hands-on activities that are not minds-on.” • 2nd Form: Coverage Focused = “Marching through textbook in a whirlwind attempt to cover every piece of factual information.”

  5. Backward Design Approach – Teaching for Understanding • Step One: What questions can Motivate student learning? (Essential Questions) • Step Two: What are the Core Understandings from this unit? (6 Facets of Understanding) • Step Three: How can students Demonstrate these Understandings? (Assessment) • Step Four: Which Activities can Facilitate learning? (Learning Plan) • Step Five: How can we use Student Performance Data to Adapt our teaching? (Evaluation and Reflection)

  6. Essential Questions • There are fundamental, recurring social questions in history • Focusing on these recurring questions helps make social studies more relevant to today’s world. • No “Finite” “Right/Wrong” answer • Provocative or Thought-provoking • Incorporate core ideas and inquiries within a discipline

  7. Examples of Overarching Essential questions

  8. 3. When are citizens justified in resisting governmental authority? • What are justifiable means for seeking social change? • When is an individual justified in placing personal moral beliefs above societal norms? • What forms of dissent from governmental authority are justified? • When are citizens justified in forcible opposition to existing authority? • When are citizens justified in withdrawing their consent and seeking political separation from an established state?

  9. Now You Try

  10. Identifying Big Ideas • Broad and abstract • Represented by one or two words • Universal in application • Timeless • Represented by different examples • Provide a lens for study • Requires “uncoverage” • Can transfer to other areas

  11. Clarifying Content Priorities Worth Being Familiar With Important to Know and Do Big Ideas and Core Tasks

  12. Examples • Perspective • Large versus Narrow Government • Movements for Social Change • Now You Try…

  13. 6 Facets of Understanding • Explanation • Interpretation • Application • Perspectives • Empathy • Self-Knowledge

  14. Now You Try

  15. Step Three: Determining Evidence of Understanding • What types of Evidence do we need? • What specific Characteristics in students’ products or performances should we examine? • Does this Evidence enable us to infer students’ level of understanding, skill-set, or disposition?

  16. Range of Examples • Informal checks for understanding • Observations and dialogues • Tests and quizzes • Academic prompts • Performance tasks

  17. Two Questions to Ask • Could the proposed criteria be met but the performer still not demonstrate deep understanding? • Could the proposed criteria not be met but the performer still show understanding?

  18. Step Four: Plan Learning Activities - WHERETO • W – Ensure that students understand Where the unit is headed and Why • H – Hook students in the beginning and Hold their attention • E – Equip students with experiences, tools, knowledge, etc. to accomplish performance goals. • R – Provide opportunities to Rethink big ideas, Reflect on progress and Revise their work • E – Build in opportunities for students to Evaluate their progress • T – Be Tailored to reflect individuals talents, styles, skills O – Be Organized for deep understanding

  19. Step Five: How can we use Student Performance Data to adapt our teaching? • Which students Understood what we wanted them to understand? • What Remediation can we provide for students that might need more time or instruction? • What Enrichment can we provide for students that may have already grasped skills or concepts? • How can we teach students to Self-Assess their own learning?

  20. Thank You! Sarah Mathews Florida International University Department of Teaching and Learning, Social Studies samathew@fiu.edu

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