Notes from ESS 2, 3/8/2006 - Designing a Curriculum Mini-Unit, Part 2

1. Designing a Curriculum Mini-Unit
- Step-by-Step (continued)
- The “Backward” Approach: Understanding By Design
Reading: Hassard, Ch7, Wiggins and McTighe, Chs 9-11

2. Curriculum Design: Hassard Approach

3. Writing Up Outcomes
Synthesize statements of rationale and intended learning outcomes to write up a ‘final’ list of outcomes:
Science learning objectives – What science content should students understand and know?
Skills – What should students be able to do?
Affects – What should students understand and know about the process of science as inquiry?

4. Targeting Activities to Outcomes
Examine outcomes for “instructional foci” (i.e., specific activities that facilitate progress toward meeting intended outcomes)
Example:
outcome = understand the nature of wave motion
instructional foci = observe wave motion in a variety of media
Other examples of instructional foci:
- field trips/field experiences
- gathering info from textbooks, print media, CDROMs, web
- participating in a case study
- hands-on lab experiences
- listening to lecture or a guest speaker

5. Pair Brainstorming – “Instructional Foci” (aka Activities)
With your partner, list 10 activities that could contribute to a middle school student’s accomplishment of your intended learning outcomes
- Include a variety of activity types in your list (e.g., lab, field, class discussion, computer, lecture)
- Think “broadly” – don’t eliminate potential activities at this point due to logistical concerns (other than safety) or lack of knowledge of a specific resource

6. Developing Lesson Plans
Lesson plans can be written in a variety of formats; most lesson plan templates include:
- Overview or rationale
- Objectives (can include targeted benchmarks/indicators)
- Materials
- Procedures (a ‘play-by-play’ of the classroom sessions)
- includes lines of questioning, discussion topics,
instructions for individual and group activities
- Evaluation/assessment
- should include pre-assessment (assess adequacy of prior scaffolding, identify misconceptions), formative assessment, summative assessment

7. Summary: Hassard’s Approach
- Develop an initial list of ideas for topics
- Name the unit and identify focus questions
- Identify and categorize intended learning outcomes
- Map a hierarchy of concepts which will be developed within the unit
- Write a rationale for the unit
- Develop a detailed statement of objectives
- Identify potential activities – incorporate into step-by-step lesson plans
- Develop appropriate assessments
- Implement, reflect and evaluate feedback

8. Understanding By Design (Wiggins and McTighe’s Approach)
Given the desired results and targeted performances, what kinds of instructional approaches, resources and experiences are required to achieve these goals?
- Ch 9 W&McT
1. Curriculum design is driven by intended learning outcomes, framed as broad-scale “Understandings” and acquisition of specific skills
2. The focus is on “learning activities”
3. Challenge = think less about teaching, more about learning

9. Understanding by Design - Stages

10. The UbD Template- Stage 1 Identify Desired Results
G - What are the overarching goals of the unit?  (may include content standards, course objectives and learning outcomes)
U - What specific insights about big ideas do we want students to understand? (uncover non-obvious and important inferences)
Q - What essential questions will frame the teaching and learning?
K - What should students know?
S - What should students be able to do (skills)?

11. The UbD Template - Stage 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence
T  – What complex performance tasks indicate understanding?
     - these can involve complex challenges, grounded in real-world applications
OE – What other evidence can be collected to build the case for understanding, knowledge and skill?
    - traditional tests of factual information
    - open-ended elements requiring critical thinking
    - informal checks of understanding

12. The UbD Template- Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Engaging:
- hands on                                          - personalize challenges
- mysteries or problem-solving        - balance cooperation and competition
- provides variety                               - real-world or meaningful challenges
Effective:
- focused on clear goals                  - models are provided
- understand purpose of work        - can monitor progress
- incentive to try, to take risks        - experience linked beyond classroom
- opportunity to self-assess and
to self-adjust

13. WHERETO – A Tool for Testing Lessons and Units
W - Students understand WHERE unit is headed and WHY
H - HOOK students and HOLD attention
E - EQUIP students with experiences, tools, knowledge
R - Provide opportunities to RETHINK ideas, REFLECT on progress, REVISE work
E - Build in opportunities for students to EVALUATE progress
T - Be TAILORED to reflect individual talents, interests, needs…
O - Be ORGANIZED to optimize understanding rather than superficial coverage

14. Using the UbD Format
- Assessments and outcomes are considered “up front” rather than after instructional materials are developed
- Big ideas are “uncovered” through appropriate choices of learning activities
- The UbD template does not need to be filled out “in order”
    - There are many “doorways” to successful design
    - The process of design is non-linear