Deconstructing Backward Design:

Backward Design
Begin with the end in mind. (verb) To have purposes and intentions; to plan and
execute.
Develop a clear understanding --Oxford English Dictionary
of where you want to go.

Map out the steps to get you there.

Backward Design Stages Action steps

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

What enduring understandings are desired? __Set the vision. Focus on the big ideas.
What should students know, understand, and be able to __Enduring Understandings

do? __Standards (national, state, district)
What is worth understanding? __Essential Questions

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable __Determine how students demonstrate

Evidence of Learning their knowledge.
How will we know if students have achieved the __Focus on assessment before designing

desired results and met the standards? What will we the learning activities.
accept as evidence of student understanding and
proficiency?

__Plan instructional activities.

__Build in collaboration.

__Ensure success for all learners.
Stage 3: Design Learning Experiences
& Instruction
UNIT ELEMENTS BASED ON BACKWARD DESIGN
Enduring understanding:

Big Idea:
_Backward design begins a vision of what ALL students should achieve.
_Core concepts, principles, theories, and processes that anchor curriculum.
_This is what we want students to remember.
_Students will actually understand and be able to use this long after they leave school.

Essential questions:

_Organize and focus learning.

_Define the essence of what students will learn.
_Cannot be answered in one sentence.
_Have no easy answers and can be examined from multiple perspectives.
_Allow students to think deeply.
_Are kid friendly and easily accessible, publicly displayed.

Standards/What kids know & are able to do:

_Curriculum must be anchored in standards.

_Standards are not static. They need to be locally reviewed, aligned, & reaffirmed on an ongoing basis.
_Teachers need know what they are expected to teach.
_Students need to know what they will be held accountable for.
_What is it that we really want students to know and to be able to do?
_Standards are more than covering content, more than a laundry list.
_We want kids to know, but we also want them to be able to do.
_Standards need to be clearly articulated in kid friendly language so that all can understand and use them.

Assessments:

_Students demonstrate understanding throughout the unit, not just at the end.
_Allows students to be assessed in multiple ways.
_Criteria and performance standards are clearly stated and understood by all.
_Used to inform instruction.
_Assessment answers the following questions:
_How much did they learn? _How well did they learn it? _How well did we teach it?"
_Assessment helps teachers evaluate their own work, success of their curriculum design.

Activities leading to assessments:

_What prior knowledge do students need in order to be successful?

_What curriculum and instructional strategies are needed to lead the student to mastery?
_Learning is spiraled. Students revisit and reconsider ideas and skills.
_Curriculum is designed to explore the essential questions.
_Incorporate a variety of sources.