1. Which one comes first a common language or collaboration?1
Foldable 1
Which one comes first a common language or collaboration?

2. Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
B.F. Skinner

3. Rethinking what we thought we knew...

4. Thinking Like An Assessor!
How do I know they really know?
Teachers like architects, engineers are designers….mindful of our audience… effectiveness of their designs corresponds to whether they have accomplished their goals for the end users. Students are our primary client. effectiveness of curriculum, assessment, and instructional designs is ultimately determined by their achievement of desired learning's.

5. Essential Questions
How will I know my students understand what I taught?
Will either type of planning, backwards or traditional, get you the same results?
Which one comes first a common language or collaboration?

6. Backward Design “Why do we describe the most effective
curricular designs as "backward"? We do so
because many teachers begin with textbooks,
favored lessons, and time-honored activities
rather than deriving those tools from targeted
goals or standards. We are advocating the
reverse: One starts with the end—the desired
results (goals or standards)—and then derives
the curriculum from the evidence of learning
(performances) called for by the standard and
the teaching needed to equip students to perform.”
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

7. Plan learning experiences
STAGE 1
Identify desired
results
STAGE 2
Determine acceptable
evidence
STAGE 3
Plan learning experiences
and instruction
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

8. Stage 1: Learning Targets (Desired Results)
Standards (unpack to derive the big ideas, key knowledge & skills)
Essential Questions
Used to “uncover” important ideas and issues in a unit
Have no simple right answer
Are thought provoking
Understandings
Different than knowledge
Fluid, transferable to new contexts and transformable to new theory
Knowledge
What knowledge do I want students to learn?
Students will know…
Skills
What skills do I want students to learn?
Students will be able to do…

9. Begin with NOUNS and VERBS
Decide What Students
Must Know and How They Are to Demonstrate Knowledge

10. Standards Picasso is your answer!
State standards are embedded in Cobb standards.

11. Unpacking Social Studies Standard
PS3: POLITICAL SYSTEMS
The learner will be able to describe and
compare government systems and their
development.
*SS Various Types of Government
The learner will be able to describe ways in which citizens participate in various types of government.
***SS Political Developments
The learner will be able to outline important political developments and how conflict and cooperation contribute to these developments.
*SS Political Systems
The learner will be able to compare and contrast political systems.
Social Studies Standards 6th grade, Picasso

12. Unpacking Social Studies Standard
PS3: POLITICAL SYSTEMS
The learner will be able to describe and
compare government systems and their
development.
*SS Various Types of Government
The learner will be able to describe ways in which citizens participate in various types of government.
***SS Political Developments
The learner will be able to outline important political developments and how conflict and cooperation contribute to these developments.
*SS Political Systems
The learner will be able to compare and contrast political systems.
Social Studies Standards 6th grade, Picasso

13. Standard on Political Systems
PS3:
POLITICAL SYSTEMS
Verbs (How students will show what is required)
Nouns (What students are required to know)
The learner will be able to describe and compare government systems and their
development.
Describe
Compare
Contrast
Outline
Citizens participation
Types of government
Political developments
Conflict
Cooperation
Political systems

14. Create a Graphic Organizer
If done by teacher, can be used by student as preview
If done by students can be used as a word wall

15. Development of Political Systems Political Developments
Concept Map
Citizens
Participation
Development of Political Systems
(Europe)
describe
outline
compare & contrast
Political Developments
Government &
Political Systems
Fascism
Authoritarian
Fall of
Berlin Wall
WWI &
WWII
Parliamentary
Russian
Revolution
Collapse of
Soviet Union
Democracy

16. Unpacking your standard…
Circle verbs
Underline nouns
Create a concept map

17. Be able to KNOW and DO Knowledge (Declarative) What we want
students to know:
Vocabulary
Definitions
Concepts
Laws, Formulas
Key facts
Critical details
Sequence & timelines
Skills (Procedural)
What we want
student s to be able to
do:
Decoding, computation
Communication skills-listening, speaking, writing
Thinking skills – compare, infer, analyze
Research – inquiry, investigate
Study Skills – notetaking
Group skills
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

18. Foldable #2 2
Describe the process you will use with teachers in your area with unpacking standards.

19. Unpacking with Students!
Students will see the migrations and settlements of various ethnic groups and understand their impact on the development of the region.
Rhonda Lokey, Smitha MS

20. Standard
Students will learn about important political developments and how conflict and cooperation contribute to these developments.
Rhonda Lokey, Smitha MS

21. From Previewing to Word Wall

27. Rhonda Lokey, 6th grade, Smitha MS, Word Wall

28. Rhonda Lokey, 6th grade, Smitha MS, Word Wall

29. What Is Understanding? Understanding is different than knowledge
Understanding is fluid, transferable to new contexts and transformable into new theory
Mere knowledge can be rote, not insight
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

30. Stage One Content Standards to Understandings
When writing understandings, ask yourself these questions:
What are the enduring understanding I want my students to take away from this unit?
Does my understanding have lasting value beyond the classroom?
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

31. It starts with a conversation among colleagues…
Smitha MS 8th grade Social Studies teachers unpacking standards during collaborative planning session

32. Stage One Content Standards to Understandings
When writing understandings, ask yourself these questions:
Does the understanding help dispel misconceptions – is the understanding not obvious?
Does the content standard require the student to uncover knowledge that is more general and can be applied to other situations?
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

33. Modified Concept Attainment for Enduring Understandings
The student will understand that…
In a free market economy, price is a function of supply and demand
Statistical analysis and data display often reveal patterns that may not be obvious.
The student will understand that…
That the price of a long distance call has declined during the past decade.
How to calculate mean, median & mode.
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

34. Examples of Understandings
Science claims must be verified by independent investigations.
The topography, climate, and natural resources of a region influence the culture, economy, and lifestyle of its inhabitants.
Meaning is conveyed through phrasing, intonation, and syntax.
The silence is as important as the notes.
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

35. Begin Writing Understandings
Remember understanding should be:
Knowledge that is enduring
Has value beyond the classroom
Understanding is not obvious to students
Most be “uncovered” – inferred, revealed, come to be seen, constructed
Can be applied to other situations
Should be written as a full sentence statement
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

36. Notes on Framing Understanding
State understandings as sentences: understand that…
But not as topics covered “students will understand the Civil War” not specific enough -be more specific
Don’t just do the focus of study, but what should be specifically understood – “The Civil War was fought initially over states rights issues and regional economic politics, not the morality of slavery”
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

37. Enduring Understandings: Format
No: “Students will understand principles of persuasive speaking”
No: “Students will know how to speak persuasively”
No: “Speak persuasively in public”
YES: “Students will understand that persuasion often involves an emotional appeal to the particular wishes, needs, hopes, and fears of an audience, irrespective of how logical and rational the argument”
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

38. Practice Time!
Write understanding/s for the science standard.

39. Foldable #3 3
Read pages in Integrating Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design.
Record any additional information that you learned from this reading that will help you in working with teachers in developing understanding.
Sharing!

40. Essential Questions…
Questions of different scope and purpose are used to “uncover” important ideas and issues in a unit
Are arguable and lead to understandings
Have no simple right answer
Raise other important questions, often across subject boundaries
Are thought provoking
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

41. Modified Concept Attainment
How many legs does a spider have? How does an elephant use its trunk?
What is “foreshadowing”? Can you find an example of “foreshadowing” in the story?
What is the original meaning of the term, technology (from its Greek root, “techne”)?
By what axioms are we able to prove the Pythagorean?
How many hours are in day? When was the Magna Carta signed and by whom?
To what extent does “form” derive from “function” in biology?
How do effective writers hook and hold their readers?
Who “wins” and who “loses” when technologies change?
Should it be an axiom if it is not obvious?
How would life be different if we couldn’t measure time?
What is the relationship between popularity and greatness in literature?
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

42. Essential Questions Geography
How does where you live affect how you live?
History
How does the past shape the present?
Government
How does citizen satisfaction influence a country’s government?
Economics
What factors influence a country’s standard of living?
Culture
How does cultural diffusion shape a region?
Smitha MS 6th grade teachers

43. Essential and Guiding How does where you live affect how you live?
What landforms and bodies of water are located in _______________?
What are the natural resources in _________________?
What are the vegetation and climate zones in ___________?
Smitha MS 6th grade teachers

44. Rhonda Lokey, 6th grade, Smitha MS, Word Wall

45. Write essential questions…
Write 2 or 3 essential questions for the science standard.

46. Foldable #4 4
Read pages in Integrating Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design.
Record any additional information that you learned from this reading that will help you in working with teachers in developing essential questions.
Inside – Outside Circles!

47. Start with the standard
To meet the standard, students will need to understand that…
To understand, students will need to consider such questions as…
To understand, students will need to KNOW and DO what…
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

48. Foldable #5 (Back of Folder)
How is assessment like a photo album of a student’s learning?

49. Stage 2: Assessment
To what extent do the assessments provide valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?
What will students do to show me they understand?
What is the most appropriate assessment(s) method?
There are many forms of assessment. It does not just have to be paper and pencil. What kinds of assessment could you use?
Assessment vs. Evaluation
collection of evidence over time instead of an event
Ongoing and frequent to catch misunderstandings in the early stages
Think like an assessor…before designing an unit/lesson….wide range of assessments to collect evidence
Quiz, test
Open ended questions/problems
Performance task

51. Types of Assessment
Selected Response: multiple choice, true-false, and matching (KNOWLEDGE)
Constructed Response: short written responses (Knowledge, Skills, Reasoning)
Informal/Self-Assessment: observation, questioning, dialogue; students assessing their own work/process (Skills, Reasoning, Communication)
Performance Assessment: tasks and products from the “real world” (Knowledge, Skills, Reasoning, and Communication)

52. Purpose of Assessment
Documents students’ movement from knowledge and skills to critical reasoning and communication
Informs instruction and lesson design

53. Creating a Complete “Assessment Package”
Ongoing assessment
Performance Tasks

54. Performance Task Other Evidence Goal Role Audience Situation Product
Standards/Criteria
Other Evidence
Quizzes/Tests
Observation Checklists
Writing assignments
Reflections
Learning Logs
Journals

55. Some Examples of Ongoing Assessment
Boggle
Capsule Vocabulary
One-Pager
4 Squares
Tic-Tac-Know (3x3)
Framed Paragraphs
One Sentence Summaries
KWL +
Exit Tickets
Mrs. Potter’s Questions
3-2-1
Reflective Lesson Log
Wrap-Around Stems

56. Backwards design (assessor) vs. traditional design (activity designer)
Activity designer’s design:
Looks for interesting and engaging activities on topic.
Identifies available resources and materials.
Thinks about what students will be doing in and out of class and what assignments will be given
Wonders if the activities worked – why or why not?
Assessor’s design:
Requires sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding
Distinguishes between those who really understand and those who don’t.
Has distinguishing work criteria
Checks for predetermined misunderstandings

57. P G R A S Performance Tasks
What is the Goal in the scenario?
What is the Role?
Who is the Audience?
What is your Situation (context)?
What is the Performance challenge?
By what Standards will work be judged in the scenario?
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

58. Performance Assessment / Task
Tied directly to standards
Student choice
Knowledge, Skills, Reasoning, Communication
RUBRICS
Self-evaluation
Realistic, complex tasks
Longer period of time to complete
Opportunity for group work

59. Why Performance Assessments/Tasks?
“[They] help teachers focus their instruction on meaningful tasks and interactive methodology to help students prepare for life.” (Burke)
Selected-response tests require minimal critical thinking and don’t test procedural knowledge
Fit better with standards-based and skills-based forms of education

60. Performance Task Criteria
Authentic - specific purpose for an identified audience
Could be short-term or long-term
Complex
Have more than one right answer or solution path
Setting - real or simulated

61. Write a performance task for your science standard.
PRACTICE!
Write a performance task for your science standard.

62. “Think like an assessor, not an activity designer.”
Think-Share
Look at this quote. Take a minute to think about what this means to you.
“Think like an assessor, not an activity designer.”

63. Teaching and Learning Question to ask: WHERE TO???
What engaging and effective learning activities will take place?
WHERE TO???
What teaching and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings?
Relieve guilt I am not covering everything
Teacher addresses specifics of instructional planning-choices about teaching methods, sequence of lessons, and resource materials-after identifying the desired results and assessments.

64. Criteria
What criteria must be met to make a lesson, unit or task design the most engaging for your students?
What criteria must be met to make a lesson, unit or task design the most effective for your students?
What is an engaged student…how do we know what was taught

65. WHERE TO W: H: E: R: T: O: Where are we headed?
Content standards and understandings
How will the students be hooked?
Essential Questions
Stuff in lessons: (Equip and Explore)
Content strategies, resources, trips, and guest speakers
Rethink and revise work against criteria
Use a s a filter to plan
WHERE
Where is it going?
Hook the students
Explore and equip
Rethink and revise
Exhibit and evaluate
Evaluate or exhibit:
Show what they understand (Projects, presentation, performance task)
Tailor to individual needs
Organization
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004

66. Check for Congruency 1. Desired Results Assessment Evidence
3. Learning Plan
Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design, 2004