“These Standards do not dictate curriculum or teaching methods.”
—Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010)
Standards are not curriculum.
Standards are not curriculum.
“Consider an analogy with home building and renovation: The standards are like the building code. Architects and builders must attend to them but they are not the purpose of their design …
“…The house to be built or renovated is designed to meet the needs of the client in a functional and pleasing manner —while also meeting the building code along the way.”
—Wiggins & McTighe
An Understanding-based Curriculum
Plan Curriculum “backward”3 Stages of Design
Teach & Assess forUnderstanding & Transfer
3 Stages of Backward Design
1. Identify desired results.
2. Determine acceptable evidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
Design Curriculum “Backward”
1. What do you want students to learn?
2. How will you know they have learned it?
3. How will you teach to help them learn it? -- Dr. Ralph Tyler, 1949
• Effectively write in various genres for various audiences and purposes (inform, explain, entertain, persuade, guide, or challenge/change things).
Transfer Goal – History/SS
• Use knowledge of patterns of history to better understand the present and prepare for the future. • Critically appraise historical claims and analyze contemporary issues. • Participate as an active and civil citizen in a democratic society.
Transfer Goal – Life Long Learning
• Locate needed information from various sources.
• Critically appraise the validity and reliability of sources. • Use the acquired information in meaningful ways.
3 Stages of Backward Design
1. Identify desired results.
2. Determine acceptable evidence.
3. Plan learning experiences & instruction.
Tips for Using Essential Questions:
✔ use E.Q.s to organize programs, courses, and units of study
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Argumentation
Design Tips – Stage 1
✔ State understandings as full-sentence generalizations. (Students will understand that…)
✔ Do not state a skill-based understanding as “how to...”
Persuasive Writing
Students will understand that: how to: § write persuasively
Students will understand that: § Effective persuaders match their strategies to their audience and purpose. § Effective persuaders anticipate and counter objections.
Design Tips – Stage 1
✔ Look for connections between the understandings and essential questions.
✔ Avoid truisms. Ask “why?” and “so what?”
Things are always changing.
Things are always changing, often in predictable patterns.
Recognizing patterns of change allow us to predict and prepare.
Design assessments before you design lessons and activities. Be clear about what evidence of learning you seek.
Think “Photo Album” versus “Snapshot”
Sound assessment requires multiple sources of evidence, collected over time.
Gather evidence from a Range of Assessments
✔ authentic tasks and projects ✔ academic exam questions, prompts, and problems ✔ quizzes and test items ✔ informal checks for understanding ✔ student self-assessments
Match the Assessment Evidence with the Learning Goals
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You Are What You Eat: Create a picture book to teach 1st graders about “healthful” ea<ng and health problems that may result from poor nutri<on. Camp Menu: Design a “balanced” 3-‐day menu for meals and snacks for a weekend camping trip. Explain why your menu plan is both healthy and tasty.
• Quiz on the food groups and their nutri<onal benefits. • Skill check on interpre<ng nutri<on informa<on on food labels. • Test on health problems caused by poor ea<ng. • Daily ea<ng journal with reflec<ons on choices made.
-‐ accurate illustra<on of balanced
diet -‐ accurate depic<on of
health problems -‐ clear and complete explana<on
-‐ neat and well craOed
-‐ accurate
-‐ reflec<ons reveal healthy choices
Students will use a know-‐ledge of nutri<on to plan appropriate diets for themselves and others.
Standard 6-‐c
• A balanced diet contributes to mental and physical health. • Healthy ea<ng requires people to make conscious choices that may challenge comfortable habits.
• What should we eat? • Why are there so many nutri<onally-‐related health problems despite all we know?
• nutri<on vocabulary • food groups • nutri<on-‐related health problems
• interpret nutri<on info. on food labels • analyze & evaluate diets • plan a balanced diet
consistently make healthful and appropriate dietary choices.
After reading ________ (literature or informational texts), write ________ (essay or substitute) that compares ________ (content) and argues ________ (content). Be sure to support your position with evidence from the texts.
TASK FRAME What’s Your Position?
After researching school policies and student & staff opinions on Internet filters in schools, write a (blog, letter to the School Board, editorial for the school paper) that argues for your position. Support your position with evidence from your research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views.
TASK FRAME: What’s Your Position?
What makes something funny? After reading selections from Mark Twain and Dave Barry, write a review that compares their humor and argues which type of humor works for a contemporary audience and why. Be sure to support your position with evidence from the texts.
TASK FRAME:
What’s Your Position?
You have an idea that you believe will make your school better, and you want to convince school leaders that they should act on your idea. Identify your audience (e.g., principal, PTSA Board, students) and:
1. Describe your idea. 2. Explain why & how it will improve the school. 3. Develop a plan for acting on your idea.
Your idea and plan can be communicated to your target audience in a letter, e-mail, or presentation.
example: Involved Citizen
example: State Tour
The State Department of Tourism has asked your help in planning a four-day tour of (your state) for a group of foreign visitors. Plan the tour to help the visitors understand the state’s history, geography and its key economic assets. You should prepare a written itinerary, including an explanation of why each site was included on the tour.
You have been asked to help a third grader understand the economic concept of “supply and demand”. Design a plan for a 5 minute lesson. You may wish to use examples (e.g., Beanie Babies or Pokemon cards), visuals, or manipulatives to help them understand.
Imagine that you are an elderly tribal member who has witnessed the settlement of the plains by the “pioneers”. Tell a story to your granddaughters to show the impact of the settlers on your life.
example: Tell a Story
After investigating a current political issue, prepare a position paper/presentation for a public policy maker (e.g., Congress person) or group (e.g., school board, legislative committee). Assume that the policy maker or group is opposed to your position. Your position statement should provide an analysis of the issue, consider options, present your position, rebut opposing positions, and attempt to persuade the public policy maker or group to vote accordingly. Your position can be communicated in a written report, via a web blog, or delivered as a presentation.
example: Involved Citizen
Designing Task Scenarios
◆ What is the goal in the scenario?
◆ What is your role?
◆ Who is the audience?
◆ What is your situation (context)?
◆ What products/performances will you prepare?
◆ By what standards (criteria) will your work be judged?
GRA SPS
Museum Display
You are opening a new museum on World War II designed to inform and engage visitors. Your task is to select a decisive battle, research the battle, and construct a diorama of the battle. Attach an index card to your diorama containing the date of the battle, the names of the opposing commanders, the number of casualties on each side, and the victor. Finally, create a topographical map to show an aerial view of the battlefield. Remember: Your map must be drawn to scale. Neatness and spelling count!
You are opening a new museum on World War II designed to inform and engage visitors. Your task is to select a decisive battle, research the battle, and construct a diorama of the battle. Attach an index card to your diorama containing the date of the battle, the names of the opposing commanders, the number of casualties on each side, and the victor. Finally, create a topographical map to show an aerial view of the battlefield. Remember: Your map must be drawn to scale. Neatness and spelling count!
You are part of a team opening a new museum on the World War designed to inform and engage visitors. Your task is to select 3-4 decisive trends and/or events that caused the war and 3-4 significant effects of the war. Provide a sketch of each exhibit including a visual flowchart/timeline of cause and effect. Develop a virtual or real model of one of the exhibits. (An individual exhibit might be devoted to more than one cause, effect, or combination). You must convince the Museum Directors to include your display, using whatever media will best make your case.
You are part of a team opening a new museum on the War designed to inform and engage visitors. Your task is to select 3-4 decisive trends and/or events that caused the war and 3-4 significant effects of the war. Provide a sketch of each exhibit including a visual flowchart/timeline of cause and effect. Develop a virtual or real model of one of the exhibits. (An individual exhibit might be devoted to more than one cause, effect, or combination). You must convince the Museum Directors to include your display, using what- ever media will best make your case.
