Do Now: Please complete the Do Now and turn it in to William. Ignore the bottom half of the sheet for the time being.

Today’s Purpose: Translate Theory to Practice From Purposes Paper Rubric: Demonstrates and explains concrete implications for one’s own thinking and/or actions with regard to spring practicum course design (or mutually agreed-upon alternative): 1-3 semester-long EQs or throughlines; 3-6 overall learning goals; curriculum calendar containing unit titles and timings; etc. 1.What should we teach? (Week 1) 2.Why should we teach it? (Week 2) 3.How should we design curriculum to realize our judgments in 1 + 2? 4.In general, what are the principles of good curriculum design at the lesson, unit, and course levels?

Agenda 1.Ask the Author! with Justin Reich: World History curriculum redesign case study 2.Activating prior knowledge, mini-lesson + guided small group practice: Essential Questions 3.Lecture: Ways to Organize a History Course OR 3.Carousel: Unit and Course plans 4.Exit Ticket: Closure + Self-Assessment

What are Essential Questions (EQs) good for? Why use them? Making content relevant: good EQ will be one that you grapple with throughout your life, so in class must be relevant, too Making content relevant: good EQ will be one that you grapple with throughout your life, so in class must be relevant, too Hooks students in. Hooks students in. Keep unit and learning goals in forefront of students’ minds Keep unit and learning goals in forefront of students’ minds Provides coherence to curriculum; gives means of limiting and focusing course design Provides coherence to curriculum; gives means of limiting and focusing course design Cross disciplinary boundaries (e.g. combined science and English project) Cross disciplinary boundaries (e.g. combined science and English project) Provides yardstick to measure progress over time. Provisional answers and additional questions may become deeper, more sophisticated over time. Provides yardstick to measure progress over time. Provisional answers and additional questions may become deeper, more sophisticated over time. Can help students develop sense of morality, ethics. Because answers are inherently contested, students can learn to engage w/these kinds of questions and to identify their own values and beliefs Can help students develop sense of morality, ethics. Because answers are inherently contested, students can learn to engage w/these kinds of questions and to identify their own values and beliefs Stresses their own role in learning: inquiry based, active rather than passive Stresses their own role in learning: inquiry based, active rather than passive Promote critical thinking as students grapple w/multiple ideas, multiple perspectives, develop and defend own stance Promote critical thinking as students grapple w/multiple ideas, multiple perspectives, develop and defend own stance Encourage and allow students to transfer knowledge across content areas, across time periods, locations, etc. Encourage and allow students to transfer knowledge across content areas, across time periods, locations, etc.

What are the characteristics of good EQs? Cannot be answered in only one way Cannot be answered in only one way Answers may change over time – during unit, across units Answers may change over time – during unit, across units Is applicable or transferable across time periods, locations, content areas, and/or units of study Is applicable or transferable across time periods, locations, content areas, and/or units of study May address basic forces rather than specifics of a situation (impact of technology on war vs. impacy of longbow on battle of Hastings) May address basic forces rather than specifics of a situation (impact of technology on war vs. impacy of longbow on battle of Hastings) Clearly stated: big, but not vague Clearly stated: big, but not vague Clear to students across variety of skill levels (possibly w/scaffolding to clarify vocabulary and concepts), teachers, families Clear to students across variety of skill levels (possibly w/scaffolding to clarify vocabulary and concepts), teachers, families A question that would be of interest outside of school: might recur throughout one’s life A question that would be of interest outside of school: might recur throughout one’s life Conversation-generating Conversation-generating Require reasoning/grappling to respond to Require reasoning/grappling to respond to Compelling enough that students and teachers want to learn more over a sustained period of time Compelling enough that students and teachers want to learn more over a sustained period of time Is taught in such a way that the teacher doesn’t have a predetermined answer that all students end up embracing Is taught in such a way that the teacher doesn’t have a predetermined answer that all students end up embracing

How can we effectively generate good EQs ? Identify purpose or intent in teaching specific unit, content, etc. Identify purpose or intent in teaching specific unit, content, etc. Identify theme throughout content and build question off of that theme Identify theme throughout content and build question off of that theme Take students’ perspectives: what would they find interesting? Take students’ perspectives: what would they find interesting? Draw upon the text in looking for compelling questions and then finding common themes Draw upon the text in looking for compelling questions and then finding common themes Once a question is generated, figure out if and how you might evaluate answers to that question. Iterative process. Once a question is generated, figure out if and how you might evaluate answers to that question. Iterative process. Look at artifacts to see what issues, themes, kept popping up. Look at artifacts to see what issues, themes, kept popping up. If purpose in teaching is to enable students to understand the world they’re living in, ask how your content relates If purpose in teaching is to enable students to understand the world they’re living in, ask how your content relates Be realistic about constraints as well as opportunities Be realistic about constraints as well as opportunities Ask students what they’re interested in, what questions they have Ask students what they’re interested in, what questions they have COLLABORATE and BORROW and STEAL: colleagues, internet, our Ning!, other sources COLLABORATE and BORROW and STEAL: colleagues, internet, our Ning!, other sources Look for questions being asked in the field: in the scholarly field, in the news, in the community, in the lunchroom Look for questions being asked in the field: in the scholarly field, in the news, in the community, in the lunchroom

Essential Questions: Guided Practice 1.US History II: US II.8-13 (pp of Mass Frameworks) – OVERARCHING EQ 2.USII – TOPICAL EQ

Generating EQs: Guided Practice – EQ Analysis and Evaluation Topical EQOverarching EQ Did the New Deal work in the best interest of the people or of the government? Should government determine or respond to the will of the people? How bad do economic times have to get before the government should step in? What should the government do for you? What is the relationship between economic conditions and the role of government? What drives social change and resistance to it? Does the example of the New Deal provide an argument for or against government intervention during an economic crisis? Does progress for one group necessarily disadvantage another group? Did the government’s economic interventions during the Depression satisfy the national interests? How are national interests determined? Was the Depression necessary?Is American history a story of progress?

Carousel Circulate among the sample curriculum and unit plans, syllabi, curriculum calendars, and similar materials. What do you see that you like? Why? What do you see that you like? Why? What models might you want to emulate? What models might you want to emulate? What don’t you like? Why? What don’t you like? Why? What principles and practices are you learning and want to remember based on these examples? What principles and practices are you learning and want to remember based on these examples?

Ways to organize a history course Chronologically Chronologically –“forwards” –“backwards” Thematically Thematically Via essential questions Via essential questions –historical –contemporary As a series of puzzles As a series of puzzles As a set of case studies As a set of case studies To impart content To impart content To teach skills To teach skills To develop disciplinary experts To develop disciplinary experts To promote attitudes To promote attitudes To teach ways of thinking To teach ways of thinking Ourselves vs. others  Ourselves vs. others  Narrative vs. snapshot time, place, ways of life, beliefs, events, power

Ways to organize a history course social political economic diplomatic military cultural feminist intellectual critical environmental regionalregionalregionalregional

“Backwards Planning” (UbD) Select learning goals What do you want students to learn by the end of the lesson, unit or course? Design assessment tasks How will students demonstrate their developing mastery of those goals? Develop lesson activities How will you prepare students to master the goals and succeed on the assessment task?