PLANNING for INQUIRY Backward Design Information to Knowledge Journey Wiggins and McTighe, Kuhlthau, Todd

The SIMPLE BIG PICTURE  Start with COMPELLING CONTENT, rich, complex  Create a PRODUCT concept that will demonstrate new knowledge, original conclusions  Design an ASSESSMENT to measure new knowledge and skills  Decide on instructional strategies

Backward Design – Wiggins and McTighe  Goal is UNDERSTANDING  THREE steps: What is worthy and requiring of understanding? What is evidence of understanding? What learning experience and teaching promote understanding, interest, and excellence?

Enduring understandings  Generate essential or guiding questions  Represent BIG IDEAS with value beyond the classroom  Reside at the heart of the discipline  Require uncoverage  Engage students

Demonstrating UNDERSTANDING  Kids understand when they: Can EXPLAIN in their own words Can INTERPRET, tell meaningful stories, provide personal dimensions Can APPLY, use and adapt in diverse contexts Have PERSPECTIVE, see the big picture and points of view through critical eyes Can EMPATHIZE, find value, sensitivity Have SELF-KNOWLEDGE, awareness of style, prejudices, habits of mind

Assessing evidence of understanding  Performance Tasks- real world challenges in the thoughtful and effective use of knowledge and skill, test of understanding in context  Criteria Referenced Assessment- prompts, short writings, rubrics revealing how well concepts are being understood  Unprompted Assessment-Observations, dialogs, sharing,logs

Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau PLANNING CHECKLIST for Inquiry  Compelling questions from the curriculum  Content engages and challenges students to want to know more  Students have some choice over specific questions they want to answer and ways to present new knowledge  Instructional interventions help learners develop target skills

Planning Checklist for Inquiry  Students have opportunities to practice their new skills  Students have opportunities throughout to dialogue, get feedback about their learning  Students have opportunities to communicate and share their understandings