Three stages to backward design:
Stage 1. Identify desired results: standards and essential questions. GOALS
Stage 2. Determine acceptable evidence: performance tasks, assessments, and assignments. ASSESSMENTS
Stage 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction: the lessons, activities, and learning experiences. ACTIVITIES
Stage 2. Determine acceptable evidence: performance tasks, assessments, and assignments. ASSESSMENTS
Stage 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction: the lessons, activities, and learning experiences. ACTIVITIES
Stage 1- Identify desired results
Key Questions: What should students know, understand, and be able to do? What is the ultimate transfer we seek as a result of this unit? What enduring understandings are desired? What essential questions will be explored in-depth and provide focus to all learning?
In the first stage of backward design, we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, province, and district), and review curriculum expectations. Because there is typically more content than can reasonably be addressed within the available time,teachers are obliged to make choices.This first stage in the design process calls for clarity about priorities. Learning priorities are established by long-term performance goals—what it is we want students, in the end, to be able to do with what they have learned. The bottom-line goal of education is transfer. The point of school is not to simply excel in each class, but to be able to use one’s learning in other settings. Accordingly,Stage 1 focuses on “transfer of learning.” Essential companion questions are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making” to help them develop and deepen their understanding of important ideas and processes that support such transfer. Below are sample understandings and essential questions.
In the first stage of backward design, we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, province, and district), and review curriculum expectations. Because there is typically more content than can reasonably be addressed within the available time,teachers are obliged to make choices.This first stage in the design process calls for clarity about priorities. Learning priorities are established by long-term performance goals—what it is we want students, in the end, to be able to do with what they have learned. The bottom-line goal of education is transfer. The point of school is not to simply excel in each class, but to be able to use one’s learning in other settings. Accordingly,Stage 1 focuses on “transfer of learning.” Essential companion questions are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making” to help them develop and deepen their understanding of important ideas and processes that support such transfer. Below are sample understandings and essential questions.
Understandings
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Essential Questions
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Stage 2- Determine acceptable evidence
Key Questions: How will we know if students have achieved the desired results? What will we accept as evidence of student understanding and their ability to use (transfer) their learning in new situations? How will we evaluate student performance in fair and consistent ways?
In Stage 2, we distinguish between two broad types of assessment—performance tasks and other evidence. The performance tasks ask students to apply their learning to a new and authentic situation as means of assessing their understanding and ability to transfer their learning. In the UbD framework, we have identified six facets of understanding for assessment purposes. Check out the six facets page to learn more about each. In addition to performance tasks, Stage 2 includes other evidence, such as traditional quizzes, tests, observations, and work samples to round out the assessment picture to determine what students know and can do. A key idea in backward design has to do with alignment. In other words, are we assessing everything that we are trying to achieve (in Stage 1), or only those things that are easiest to test and grade? Is anything important slipping through the cracks because it is not being assessed? Checking the alignment between Stages 1 and 2 helps ensure that all important goals are appropriately assessed, resulting in a more coherent and focused unit plan.
In Stage 2, we distinguish between two broad types of assessment—performance tasks and other evidence. The performance tasks ask students to apply their learning to a new and authentic situation as means of assessing their understanding and ability to transfer their learning. In the UbD framework, we have identified six facets of understanding for assessment purposes. Check out the six facets page to learn more about each. In addition to performance tasks, Stage 2 includes other evidence, such as traditional quizzes, tests, observations, and work samples to round out the assessment picture to determine what students know and can do. A key idea in backward design has to do with alignment. In other words, are we assessing everything that we are trying to achieve (in Stage 1), or only those things that are easiest to test and grade? Is anything important slipping through the cracks because it is not being assessed? Checking the alignment between Stages 1 and 2 helps ensure that all important goals are appropriately assessed, resulting in a more coherent and focused unit plan.
Stage 3- Plan learning experiences and instruction
Key Questions: How will we support learners as they come to understand important ideas and processes? How will we prepare them to autonomously transfer their learning? What enabling knowledge and skills will students need to perform effectively and achieve desired results? What activities, sequence, and resources are best suited to accomplish our goals?
In Stage 3 of backward design, teacher plan the most appropriate lessons and learning activities to address the three different types of goals identified in Stage 1.
In Stage 3 of backward design, teacher plan the most appropriate lessons and learning activities to address the three different types of goals identified in Stage 1.