Transcript UbD 101: The Basics of Understanding by Design

UbD 101:
The Basics of
Understanding by Design
“People today are aware of more and
know less than any previous
generation. We are awash in
information but suffering a drought
of experience. Almost every kid
knows where milk comes from, but
almost none of them have milked a
cow. Knowing something is very
different from knowing about
something.”
- Noah benShea
Essential Questions for Learners
about the Learning Process:
• What are you doing?
• Why are you being asked to do
it?
• What will it help you do?
• How does it fit with what you
have previously done?
• How will you show that you
have learned it?
Goals for Today
• To create common
understandings of key terms
and ideas of the UbD model
• To identify the basic
components of UbD and how
they can be implemented in the
classroom
Traditional Approach
• Activity-focused teaching
• Coverage
–
–
–
–
–
Standards
Pacing Guides
Textbooks
High Stakes Tests
“Teach, test, and hope for the
best”
Traditional Approach to Planning Curriculum
State
Curriculum
Framework
Standards
Cohesive plan for
mastering each
competency (what
knowledge, understanding, and skills
are important?)
Variety of skills &
thought processes
(using different levels
of Bloom’s and/or
Webb’s Depth of
Knowledge - DOK)
Variety of interesting
teaching strategies
and products that
bring in different
MI’s, personalities,
and learning styles
Planning a Focused Curriculum Means Being Clear
About What Students Should …
KNOW
– Facts
– Vocabulary
– Definitions
UNDERSTAND
– Principles/
generalizations
– Big ideas of the
discipline
BE ABLE TO DO
-Processes
-Skills
KNOW
Facts, names, dates, places, pieces
of key information
– There are 50 states in the US
– Thomas Jefferson
– 1492
– The Continental Divide
– The multiplication tables
UNDERSTAND
Essential truths that give meaning to
the topic - “I want students to
understand THAT…”
– Multiplication is another way to do
addition.
– People migrate to meet basic needs.
– All cultures contain the same elements.
– Entropy and enthalpy are competing
forces in the natural world.
– Voice reflects the author.
BE ABLE TO DO
Skills (basic skills, skills of the discipline, skills of
independence, social skills, skills of production)
– defined by verbs or phrases
–
–
–
–
–
–
Analyze
Solve a problem to find perimeter
Write a well supported argument
Evaluate work according to specific criteria
Contribute to the success of a group or team
Use graphics to represent data appropriately
What is UbD?
• A framework for “mapping” the
course of instruction
• Using a final destination (specific
skills, knowledge, and
understandings you want students
to arrive at) to guide your route
(lessons, units, activities) while
mapping the course as you go
(assessment).
• Begin with the end in mind (Covey)
Why use this approach?
• Intentional
• Standards/performance driven
• Create transferable
understanding and knowledge
• Develop critical thinkers who
can apply learning to new
situations
• Build a foundation for lifelong
learning
The UbD Approach
Stage 1:
Identify desired
results
Stage 2:
Determine
acceptable
evidence
Stage 3:
Plan learning
experiences and
instruction
Stage 2:
Stage 1:
Identify desired
results
Cohesive plan for
mastering each
competency (what
knowledge, understanding, and skills
are important?)
Determine
acceptable
evidence
State
Curriculum
Framework
Standards
Variety of skills &
thought processes
(using different levels
of Bloom’s or DOK)
The missing
piece
Stage 3:
Plan learning
experiences and
instruction
Variety of interesting
teaching strategies
and products that
bring in different
MI’s, personalities,
and learning styles
Key Terms
• Curriculum: the specific blueprint for learning
that is derived from desired results (content and
performance standards)
• Understanding: the combination of big ideas
and the ability to transfer knowledge and skills
• Big Ideas: a concept, theme, or issue that gives
meaning and connection to discrete facts and
skills
• Assessment: determining the extent to which
desired results are on the way to being attained
or have already been attained (using many
methods)
Acceptable Evidence
• Rubrics
• Guidelines
• Samples of Work
– A Work
– B Work
– C Work
– Failing Work
Stage 1
G
Establishing Goals
– Establishing learning goals (G)
is the first step in Stage 1.
– Learning goals are based upon:
• Content standards
• Course objectives
• Student learning outcomes
Sample Goal
Stage 1
G
• The student will compose texts of a variety
of modes based on inquiry and research.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Generate questions
Locate sources and gather relevant information
from multiple sources
Take notes on important information from
sources
Synthesize and evaluate important findings
and select sources to support central ideas,
concepts, and themes
Present the results using a variety of
communication techniques
Reflect on and evaluate the process
7th grade Language Arts
Stage 1
U
What is understanding?
• Understanding (U) is a set of
interrelated abilities that help students
transfer knowledge. The six facets of
understanding include:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Can explain
Can interpret
Can apply
Have perspective
Can empathize
Have self-knowledge
“For any subject taught in
primary school, we might ask
[is it] worth an adult’s
knowing, and whether having
known it as a child makes a
person a better adult. A
negative or ambiguous answer
means the material is cluttering
up the curriculum.”
- Jerome Bruner, 1960
Worth being
familiar with
Important to
know and do
Big Ideas and
Core Tasks
Stage 1
Big ideas tend to be…
U
• Concept
• Theme
• Ongoing debate and/or point of
view
• Paradox
• Theory
• Underlying assumption
• Recurring question
• Understanding (U) or principle
Identifying Big Ideas
• Look at state standards
• Circle recurring nouns in
standards documents to
identify big ideas and
recurring verbs to identify core
tasks
• Refer to existing list of
transferable concepts
Sample List of Concepts
Abundance/Scarcity
Democracy
Acceptance/Rejection
Evolution
Adaptation
Harmony
Balance
Interdependence
Change/Continuity
Justice
Character
Migration
Community
Patterns
Conflict
Perspective
Connections
Survival
Culture
System
Cycles
Tyranny
Concepts into Big Ideas
Concepts Future
Adaptation Invention
Balance
Knowledge
Change
Lines
Conflict
Migration
Cooperation Patterns
Culture
Poverty
Cycles
Structure
Energy
Work
Connects
Results in Depends
Upon
Leads to
Requires
Affects
Enhances
Causes
Follows
Supports
Allows for
Influences
Stage 1
Q
Essential Questions (Q)
1. Cause genuine and relevant inquiry
into the big ideas and core content
2. Provoke deep thought, lively
discussion, and sustained inquiry
3. Require students to consider
alternatives, weigh evidence,
support their ideas, and justify their
answers
4. Stimulate vital, ongoing rethinking
of big ideas, assumptions, and prior
lessons
Essential Questions
5. Spark meaningful connections
with prior learning and personal
experiences
6. Naturally recur, creating
opportunities to transfer to other
situations and subject
Stage 1
K/S
Students will know…
and be able to…
• What key knowledge (K) and skills
(S) will students acquire as a result
of this unit?
• What should they eventually be
able to do as a result of such
knowledge and skills?
Stage 2
T/OE
Assessment
• What is assessment?
• How much training do we
have in assessment?
• How do we use grades to
assess student learning?
• Are grades usually an
accurate measure of
student understanding?
Student X: Average of 58
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Daily
Work
88
91
80
83
82
75
Homework
50
0
70
80
0
0
Projects
70
50
40
0
0
0
Tests
90
88
94
89
86
92
Student Y: Average of 85
Daily
Work
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
88
82
78
72
68
70
Homework
100 100 100 100 100 100
Projects
100 95
98 100 95 100
83
62
Tests
56
58
71
64
Assessment Evidence
Stage 2
T/OE
• Performance Tasks (T)
– Through what authentic performance
tasks will students demonstrate the
desired understandings?
– By what criteria will performances of
understanding be judged?
• Other Evidence (OE)
–
–
Through what other evidence (quizzes,
tests, prompts, homework, observation,
journals, etc…) will students demonstrate
achievement of desired results?
How will students reflect on and selfassess their learning?
Learning Plan
Stage 3
L
• What learning experiences and
instruction will enable students to
achieve the desired results?
• How will the plan
–
–
–
–
–
help students know where the unit is
going and what learning is expected?
“hook” students and hold their interest?
equip students to experience and
explore big ideas?
allow students to evaluate their own
work?
be tailored/personalized to the different
needs, interests, and abilities of learners?
UbD Resources
• Question starters using the six
facets of understanding
• Using the six facets to build
assessments for understanding
• Techniques to check for
understanding
• Weekly feedback form
• The MS Curriculum Framer
• Rubric building websites