Chapter 6 Crafting Understanding Cat Foster and Lacey Ford

Activate Prior Knowledge Overarching Understandings Topical Understandings …are broader offering a bridge of understanding to other units or courses of study …are unit specific

“She’s just an intern..uh..?!?!” “I’m not a crook!” Overarching Topical

Things to remember! O …to use both Overarching and Topical in framing your learning goals O …that when choosing between them: content, subject matter priorities, age of students, time allotted to the unit, and other factors will influence the breadth and depth of the targeted understanding.

The Goal O …is that the overarching understandings represent the transferable insights eventually sought!

The BIG ideas on Crafting Understanding

Understanding vs. Factual Knowledge O To “get” a fact requires only that we grasp the meaning of the words or see the data. O To “get” an understanding requires more: after all the words and data are clear, students may not get their significance. We have to ask questions of the facts, connect them to other facts, and try to apply them in various situations.

For example : FACT - a triangle has three sides and three angles (true on inspection, by definition) O Six Trait Writing terms O Math Facts O Parts of Speech O Grammar rules

Understanding: O - a triangle with three equal sides has three equal angles (made through valid proof) O Using the six traits, parts of speech and grammar rules appropriately. O Applying the math facts to word problems.

However, there are some misconceptions when framing the understanding… BE CAREFUL!!!

Lesson framing must be clear. Understandings are best stated in propositional form. …describes relationship between and among concepts… Skill Understanding VS.

“Students will understand that…(all mammals give live birth.)” “Students will learn how to… (write in cursive.)” Understanding Specific Skill

Tips for identifying and framing understanding

Civil War

Typical teacher mistake: “I want my students to understand the Civil War.” This does not specify what the learner should came away understanding about the topic. Steps to crafting the understanding: 1. Restate the topic. Example: “I want students to understand the causes of the Civil War.” Just restating the content goal in a more detailed manner doesn’t frame a full and clear understanding.

Be explicit Example: “ I want students to understand that there were several significant and interrelated causes of the Civil War- the morality of slavery, fundamentally different views about the role of the government, dissimilarities of regional economies, and a clash of cultures.”

Wow! That understanding is right on target! Understanding

Filter What essential questions are raised by this idea or topic? What, specifically, about the idea or topic do you want students to come to understand?

Examples of filtering…. Please turn to page 81 in your workbook. Identifying Essential Questions and Understandings. “Let’s look together at the Scientific Method.”

“I want my students to understand friendships.”

Think time… O What would you want your students to know about friendships?

Pair Share…. O Now with a partner use the design tool and craft your understanding on friendship…

Share time!

Final Thoughts O Think of Understanding as written by the designer to the contractor. It is a blueprint for the building of learning plan, developing the desired understandings is the aim of the design.

4 rules of O A desired understanding is a priority. O Desired understandings are best stated in propositional form: Students will understand that…” O Even when abstract, desired understandings must be stated in clear, specific, insightful generalizations. O Two kinds of understandings are: Overarching and Topical.