Understanding by Design Units in relation to Program: the big picture of UbD

UbD and the design of the Exchange Units are Building Blocks The entire K - 12 curriculum is ultimately built out of all the units To build and map a curriculum, then, group units into larger entities To share effectively, we need to be able to mix and match units

The unit is the “unit of analysis” in the Exchange What is a “unit”? Unit = a coherent set of lessons, organized around a theme, a performance, an idea, or a text A Unit is big enough to help us avoid - micro-managing our lessons overlooking complex performance goals A Unit is small enough to help us avoid - vague and unhelpful planning, typically ending in “coverage”

Units are the building blocks of a complete curriculum... The Program The Subject Area The Course Unit 1 Unit 2Unit 3...

Program: History & Social Studies Here’s an example from History & Social Studies Subject: US History Course: US History present Unit on the 60’s

So, when you create a unit... You are first asked to place the new unit in its larger context Program Title Subject Title Course Title Unit Title

“But I teach 5th grade! We don’t have courses!” There is still an implied hierarchy at work: Think of a “course” as the year-long content-area strand found in almost every day of work Poetry The 4 basic operations Local geography Civics

“Program”: Language Arts “Subject”: 5th - grade language arts “Course”: 5th - grade writing Here’s an example from a 5th grade unit on writing: “Unit”: The essay

With such a structure, powerful functions are possible 1. A Curriculum map for a whole school or district is automatically built as units are designed by individuals 2. Overarching design elements can be assigned at the program, subject, and course level by local teams - then visible in each relevant unit, for possible attachment to that unit by each individual unit designer

1. What is a map? A map offers a calendar of designs in a school or district, unit by unit, over the course of the year Maps can be as simple or complex as you like: simply select the template fields you wish to see “mapped” over time Maps can be viewed or downloaded as a spreadsheet Maps can be works in progress - e.g. local work only on essential questions done so far: see map of all essential questions, by date, grade level, etc.

Why map? Maps help local educators - Ensure that key state standards are not falling through the cracks Know what the big ideas are in units and courses across the system Find natural ways to link their work with that of other teachers, to make the student’s experience more rich and coherent Identify unhelpful redundancies or gaps in program that happen from isolated design

2. What are Overarching Elements? The design elements that cut across units, courses, subjects, and/or Programs: Overarching - Essential Questions Enduring Understandings Performance Tasks Rubrics

Whose “story” is it? Who is an American? Who says? Here’s an example for Essential Questions in History Is “all fair” in war (internment)? WW II Who should get Green cards? 80’s 60’s How much does race matter?

Subject: How does an author use irony to make us understand? Here’s an example for English/ Language Arts Course: Who sees? Who doesn’t? Why? Why not? Why doesn’t Oedipus “see”? Why can’t they see they aren’t tracking Woozles but seeing their own steps? Oedipus Winnie the Pooh Plato How does someone ever leave the Cave?

Here is an example in Mathematics School-wide: What does it mean? Program: What’s the Pattern? Subject: What is the “best fit”? Course: What’s the graph? Is this a linear or non-linear relationship? Unit: