1. Finding You in UbD ( Understanding by Design)

3. Workshop Goals  Defining UbD  Identifying Big Ideas, Essential Questions, and Focusing Questions  Developing these Stage 1 elements for a unit

4. Workshop Goals  Defining UbD  Identifying Big Ideas, Essential Questions, and Focusing Questions  Developing these Stage 1 elements for a unit

5. What is UbD?  Backwards Planning A system that forces you to be proactive and look at the entire picture before deciding on the day by day lessons. A system that forces you to be proactive and look at the entire picture before deciding on the day by day lessons. It is a mindful process that helps students construct their own meaning, and makes understanding of Big Ideas more likely. It is a mindful process that helps students construct their own meaning, and makes understanding of Big Ideas more likely. Big Ideas-Essential Questions embed civic and character education. Big Ideas-Essential Questions embed civic and character education.

6. What is Understanding by Design? (UbD) 3 stages Stage 1- What do you want the students to know? Goals, Standards, Content, Skills, Essential Questions, Big Ideas Stage 2- How do you know if they got it? Assessments/Culminating Projects Stage 3 – How will you get them there? Day to day lesson plans

7. Why are we doing this?  District 28 is now a Middle School Choice district.  We must stand out to attract and retain the best level 4 parents.  We must differentiate ourselves from all the other middle schools. UbD will help us create a unique curriculum that will set us apart.  Being the Green Magnet School gives us an edge. We have something different, timely, and real-world to offer students.  Attract Funders. We have to be special.

8. Goals of Workshop  Defining UbD  Identifying Big Ideas, Essential Questions, and Focusing Questions  Developing these Stage 1 elements for a unit

9. The Overarching Concept that encompasses Essential Questions, Content, and Skills  The Big Idea will be in the form of a word or phrase.  The Big Idea will be transferable.  The Big Idea will be a vital part of all 3 stages of your unit. The Big Idea will relate to a Green Magnet Standard

12. Other Suggestions

13. Goals of Workshop  Introducing the 3 stages of UBD  Identifying Big Ideas, Essential Questions, Focusing Questions  Developing Big Ideas, Essential Questions, Focusing Questions for a Unit

15. Example: Social Studies

17. Goals of Workshop  Introducing the 3 stages of UBD  Discussing Big Ideas, Essential Questions, Focusing Questions  Developing Big Ideas, Essential Questions, Focusing Questions for a Unit

18. Focusing Questions Can be googled Can be googled Sometimes can be answered yes or no Sometimes can be answered yes or no Can be proven or disproven Can be proven or disproven Relate to specific content and/or skills Relate to specific content and/or skills Are discipline-specific Are discipline-specific Can be answered with facts Can be answered with facts

19. Essential vs Focusing Essential Questions  EXAMPLES  Why do we tell stories?  What is our place in the world?  Why do humans use language?  What’s so good about the wild? Focusing Questions  EXAMPLES  What is the beginning, middle and end of your memoir?  How do we use sensory details to create setting for a story?  Why should verbs agree with nouns?  What is personification?

20. Your Task. Work in Pairs  You will work on Response to Literature.  Think of what literature you will be using.  Populate the unit template with: Big Idea(s) Big Idea(s) Essential Questions Essential Questions Focusing Questions Focusing Questions  SHARE OUT  Distribution of Graphic Organizer Planning Tool

21.  District 28 is now a Middle School Choice district.  We must stand out to attract and retain the best level 4 parents.  We must differentiate ourselves from all the other middle schools. UbD will help us create a unique curriculum that will set us apart.  Being the Green Magnet School gives us an edge. We have something different, timely, and real-world to offer students.  Attract Funders. We have to be special. Why are we doing Magnet & UbD?

22. 6 th Grade ELA Curriculum

23. 7 th Grade ELA

24. 8 th Grade ELA

26. Graphic Organizer for Planing  Big Idea  Essential Question  Focusing Question – Standards-based Learning Objective  Mini-Lesson: Content or Skill  Student Work Time – Differentiated (Flexible Groups, Conferring, Small Group Instruction, Varied Assignments)  Assessment  Connections and Summaries

27. Evaluation On the back of your agenda, please do a quick write on the following : EXIT TICKET  Which Big Ideas and Essential Questions stimulated your imagination?  What did you find useful about today?  Suggestions for making this training worthwhile and usable  Would you be interested in the February UbD Workshop? Friday February 4 (all day), Saturday February, 5 th (6 hrs Per Session) Friday, February 11 (all day), Saturday, February 12 (6 hrs Per Session)(Four days attendance and a completed unit and, submitted by November 18 th, will qualify you for the 12 hours of per session, otherwise people will get training rate)