McWilliams, 2007

Unit Design

to Lesson

DesignFollowing through and

achieving expectations

Chuck McWilliams, MRH School District

June 6th and 7th, 2007

"There is nothing so terribleas activity without insight."

-Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832

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Our Shared Understandings and Attitudes

• The teacher’s job is to “uncover” the big ideas contained in content standards and to ensure they are understood, not to provide merely fun activities or cover a textbook or cover a textbook’s content.

• The job of the teacher requires “thinking like an assessor” - doing research into one’s practice, and adjusting practice and designs in light of sought-after results/feedback.

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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Structure of Knowledge

Facts and Skills

Key Concepts and Core Processes

Principles

andGeneralizations

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Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

Declarative Knowledge

Knowing WHAT

Procedural Knowledge

Knowing HOW

More specifically… What is knowledge?

Structural Knowledge

Knowing WHY

-Jonassen, Computers as Mindtools for Schools, 2000

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worth being

familiar with

important to

know and do

Establishing Curricular Priorities

“big ideas”

worth

understandingenduring

understandings

“nice to know”

foundational concepts &

skills

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Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

How It All Fits Together

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Barriers to Making UbD Work?

Lessons from Chapter 13:

• Misconception #1 - “Yes, but… we have to

teach to the test.”

• Misconception #2 - “Yes, but… we have to

much content to cover.”

• Misconception #3 - “Yes, but… this work is

too hard and I just don’t have the time.”Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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Some Lessons Learned About Stage 3

• Protecting your favorite activities?

• Including FUN activities?

• Be aware of TIME and pacing

• Scaffold toward the Performance

Task and other assessments

• Unit Planning vs. Lesson Planning

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Reviewing the W-H-E-R-E-T-O Template

W Where are we going? Why? What is expected?

H How will we hook and hold student interest?

E How will we equip students for expected performances?

R How will we help students rethink and revise?

E How will students self-evaluate/reflect on their learning?

T How will we tailor the learning plan?

O How will we organize and sequence the learning?

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

McWilliams, 2007

Reviewing the W-H-E-R-E-T-O Template

W Where are we going? Why? What is expected?

H How will we hook and hold student interest?

E How will we equip students for expected performances?

R How will we help students rethink and revise?

E How will students self-evaluate/reflect on their learning?

T How will we tailor the learning plan?

O How will we organize and sequence the learning?

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

McWilliams, 2007

W - Where We are Going? Why? What is Expected?

• Students are likely to focus and put

forth more effort if they know:

– Where they are going

– Why they are doing it

– What is expected of them

• This is a good time to assess students’

prior knowledge and experiences

• Also good to diagnose misconceptions

early on

• Emphasize EU, EQ, and Knowledge

and Skills

W

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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H - Hooking the Students

• Hook should connect to EU, EQ,

and Performance Task

• Should not just HOOK, but should

also HOLD

• Use of humor and/or emotional

connections can be powerful

• Student choice?

• Obvious winners: Challenges,

problems, mysteries, etc.

H

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

McWilliams, 2007

E - Equipping the Students

• This is where you get to “teach”

the students “new stuff”

• Use BEST PRACTICE

• Use VARIETY

• Try experiential, inquiry, and or

inductive learning strategies

• Identify what HOMEWORK

means in your class - How will

you use it to aid with instruction?

E

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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R - Rethinking, Revising, and Refining …

• Use regular self-assessments

• Use journals/learning logs

• Reconsider key points

• Practice sessions

• Look at new info from different

perspectives

• Have students defend, argue, and

debate newly learned information

R

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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E - Ongoing Reflection and Self-Evaluation

• Don’t forget to re-teach after

assessing

• This step is strongly connected to

the R

• Try asking students to grade

themselves and defend their

rationale

• Assessments should be used to

guide new instruction

E

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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T - Tailor and Personalize the Work

• Differentiating learning activities to

accommodate learning style, prior

knowledge, and interest

differences in students

• Small group/targeted instruction

• Use a variety of resources and

teaching strategies

• Offer variable products for students

to produce - student choice

T

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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O - Organize for Optimal Effectiveness

• Sequence is IMPORTANT!

• Non-linear vs. linear

• Hook ‘em early and OFTEN

• Movement between parts/whole

and learning-doing-reflecting

• Address “why” and “so what”

questions OFTEN

• Purposefulness and coherency -

use the Six Facets!

O

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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TIPS on using the WHERETO Template

• Download a copy today! It’s on the AbD website:– www.pkwy.k12.mo.us/achievementbydesign– Look under “Planning Templates”– Click on “Whereto Template”

• Confusing UNIT hooks with LESSON hooks and BELL RINGERS

• Do I have to fill in ALL the parts the template? Don’t FORCE IT!

• What’s with all those weird letters?

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The Six Facets of Understanding

Inte

rpre

tatio

n

Em

pathy

Self-Knowledge

Explanation

Per

spec

tive

Application

_______

Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by Design. ASCD.

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Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

• What does it mean to be a Reflective Practitioner?

• IMPORTANT: Reflective Evaluation of your Lessons– To what extent did your

students learn what you intended?

– In what ways did you provide feedback?

– Of the strategies you used which were most effective?

– What adjustments will you make in the future?

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A Few Lessons Learned…

• I finished writing this unit and/or lesson. Am I finished now?

• Is curriculum “living and breathing?”• Time! Reflective practitioners take

time to assess, rethink, and revise unit designs.

• ALWAYS ASK: What keeps students most engaged in meaningful work?

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Planning from Unit to Lessons

• Use our remaining time to work on

identifying ways to apply the ideas

presented in this session.

• Try using some of the tools provided.

• We will be sharing at the

end of this session.

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The Key to Success!

“We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”

-Galileo Galilei 16th century Italian scientist

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Have a Great Journey Next Year!

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