1. Understanding By Design A Contemporary Approach to Curriculum Design

2. Understanding by Design (UbD) may be thought of as purposeful task analysis: Given a task to be accomplished, how do we get there? What lessons and practices are needed to master key concepts? - Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design

3. Think with the end in mind; start with assessment

4. Stage One: Identify Desired Results Elements of the Design: Goals, Knowledge and Skills, Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings

5. Key Elements Goals Knowledge and Skills Essential Questions Enduring Understandings Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

6. Goals The Goals for each unit are typically the national, state, and/or local standards. They often represent content that must be met for a particular grade level or subject. Goals are over-arching in nature. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

7. Knowledge and Skills These are objectives that students should be able to know and to do. Specific content knowledge and skills must be included. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

8. Essential Questions These are open-ended questions that are thought-provoking and interpretive. Essential Questions are at the core of your content. They often lead to or require further investigation. Essential Questions: Have no obvious right answer Raise more questions Address concepts that are important to the subject matter. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

9. Enduring Understandings Enduring Understandings: They are Big Ideas (knowledge) that will be transferred; they are made into statements. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

10. UbD’s FACETS Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe state that there are Six Facets of Understanding. When the facets are a part of the curriculum design, students are offered opportunities to obtain key understandings.

11. Six Facets of Understanding Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Explanations: Definitions, clarifications, reasons that provide foundation knowledge Interpretation: Narratives, translations, metaphors, etc. that provide meaning Application: Ability to effectively apply knowledge in a variety of contexts. Perspective: Critical and insightful points of view. Recognize the significance of ideas. Empathy: Ability to see things from other points of view. Self-Knowledge: Awareness of one’s limitations and strengths, as well as the ability to recognize the roles others play.

12. Examples of Performance Tasks: Explanation: Write letters home describing what the pioneer life was like. Interpretation: Compare English and Spanish versions of Cinderella to determine if language influences meaning. Application: Adapt events from history that contributed to societal reaction to the Civil Rights Movement by recreating a scene and presenting it to a group. Perspective: Participate in a roundtable discussion on the impact of the First Amendment on a specific group. Empathy: Create a diary that reflects the day in the life of a soldier. Self-Knowledge: Write a self-assessment reflecting on your progress in mastering a skill.

13. Three-ring Audit Process Worth Being Familiar With Important to Know and Do Enduring Understanding With what concepts should students be familiar ? What important knowledge and skills must students have for mastery? What anchors the unit? Why is this topic worth studying Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

14. Three-ring Audit Process Assessments Worth Being Familiar With Important to Know and Do Enduring Understanding Traditional quizzes or tests Constructed or selected responses Authentic performance tasks and projects Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

15. Stage Two: Determine Acceptable Evidence

16. Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence This stage identifies specific assessments that will be used. Identify the summative assessment. What is the culminating activity that will represent the understandings students have gained from the unit? Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

17. Acceptable Evidence Tests/Quizzes Academic Prompts Informal Checks for Understanding Performance Tasks Observations /Dialogues Examples of Assessment Types

18. Stage Three: Plan Learning Activities Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

19. Stage Three: Plan Learning Activities This is the stage where specific learning activities (lessons) are planned to accompany each unit. The lessons designed in this stage should be based on the desired results from stages 1 and 2. W.H.E.R.E.T.O. is an acronym for planning steps to help meet the requirements of the unit. The acronym does not represent the order to be followed Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

20. W.H.E.R.E.T.O. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development W - Where are you going with this unit? How does the unit fit in the curriculum and with state standards? What is expected? H - How will you hook the students? E - How will you equip students for expected performances? R - How will you rethink or revise? E - How will students self-evaluate and reflect their learning? T - How will you tailor learning to varied needs, interests, and learning styles of the students? O - How will you organize the sequence of learning?

21. IN SUMMARY Begin with what you want your students to understand at the end of the unit. Identify each of the elements required in each stage. Identify Desired Results Determine Acceptable Evidence Plan Learning Activities

22. Contact Information For access to the UbD Exchange to search or build units in the UbD format, contact: DeNelle Knowles at knowlesd@edcuationcentral.org