Connecting Content to Students Long-Term Instructional Planning Based on Big Ideas and Essential Questions

What Do We Know about Learning? Students learn best when: –The goal is explained clearly –New content is connected to prior knowledge or familiar concepts –Content is organized around Big Ideas or Enduring Understandings instead of a string of facts or isolated skills –Content is presented in a variety of ways to address different learning needs 1 Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998) Understanding by design. ASCD: Alexandria, VA.

Where Do We Begin? Begin with the end in mind – What Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings 1 do you want students to gain from this unit? –You need to understand clearly the content and the reasons you are teaching it –Develop a content map or overview –Ask, “What concepts do I want kids to walk away with or ultimately remember when this unit is over.”

Big Ideas The Enduring Understanding It is what we want students to walk away with after studying the unit or topic and course. The SO WHAT- It is the forest, not the individual trees

Big Ideas Traditional Studies –Chinese Dynasties Names, time periods, leaders, form of rule/government –Magna Carta Time period, leaders, impact on the time period –Mayflower Compact Time period, leaders, facts, impact on Plymouth colony SO WHAT? What’s the Big Idea? Why is this important? Why study this? How does this connect with the student – today?

What’s the Big Idea Tie them together around a Big Idea Chinese Dynasties? Magna Carta? Mayflower Compact? Teacher Understanding: The use of written law and Reason helps describe the power and responsibilities of government and the rights of its citizens

What’s the Big Idea Teacher Understanding: The use of written law and reason helps describe the power and responsibilities of government and the rights of its citizens Translate to 6 th – 7 th grade understanding: What do you think? Talk it over -

What’s the Big Idea Amphibians and Reptiles 1 : Teacher Understanding: The physical and physiological structures of amphibians and reptiles support their survival Translate for 2 nd – 3 rd grade understanding: What do you think? Talk it over -

Big Ideas As you read through the curriculum documents and your textbook resource materials, ask: What’s the Big Idea? Once you understand the Big Idea, then you can begin to plan effectively for long-term instruction

Curriculum Management From Big Ideas you need to connect those ideas to the student and to the objectives in the curriculum – HOW? Big Ideas ? ? ? ? Curriculum Objectives Student

Essential Questions Tied to Big Ideas Act as the bridge from Big Ideas to objectives/content Open ended, thought-provoking questions used to lead students from the BI to the content and specific objectives

Essential Questions Examples –What is freedom? – 1 Who is a friend and can a friend be a villain? –When is a revolutionary a terrorist? –How might your life be different without linear equations? The world? –What makes a linear equation linear? –In what ways is a democracy “undemocratic”? – 1 Is a straight line always the shortest possible distance? –What special characteristics or traits help amphibians and reptiles to survive? –What makes a friend a friend ? Are Frog and Toad friends?

Essential Questions Open ended Based on Big Ideas while incorporating content/objectives Used to help organize your units and sub- units –Unit Essential Question: Must a story have a moral, hero, and villain? Sub-unit EQ (Lessons 1-3): Is Huck Finn a hero?

Curriculum Management Big Ideas Essential Questions Curriculum Objectives Student

Putting It All Together Big Idea for the Unit: Reptiles and Amphibians have special traits and characteristics that help them to live –EQ for the Unit: What special characteristics or traits help amphibians and reptiles to survive? –EQ for Sub-unit: What special characteristics help frog to survive during the summer and winter? Specific behavioral objectives from curriculum guide: –Define reptile and amphibian –Compare and contrast reptile and amphibian –List characteristics or each –Etc……

Curriculum Management Big Ideas Essential Questions Curriculum Objectives Student