College of Education and the Liberal Arts

Understand by Design Lesson Plan

Date: 4-3-23 Name: Kendall Moser

Lesson Title: Current Event Debate Practice/Set-Up
Grade: 11th
Time Frame: This lesson would take 1-2 class times; the final debate will
be the unit assessment
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals: By the end of this lesson, students will know how to craft an argument using their own
research to support their opinions and be able to have a respectful debate that makes room for all voices to be
heard.

Common Core State Standards
ELA & SS
Math
Sci
Michigan Content Standards:
MDE - Michigan K-12 Computer
Science (CS) Standards
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including determining where the text
leaves matters uncertain.
7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a
question or solve a problem.
3B-AP-08 Describe how artificial intelligence drives
many software and physical systems.
Subconcept: Algorithms; Practice 7.2

3B-IC-28 Debate laws and regulations that impact the

development and use of software.
Subconcept: Safety Law & Ethics; Practice 3.3, 7.3
Social and Emotional Learning 3A. Demonstrate awareness of other people’s
(SEL) Competencies emotions and perspectives
3C. Demonstrate an awareness of different
SEL in All 50 States cultures and a respect for human dignity
https://www.positiveaction.net/blo
g/sel-standards

Social Emotional Learning |

Michigan Learning Channel
Understandings: Essential Questions:
Students will understand that…many current event Who should decide what social medias the
debates have do not have a clear, single correct public can use?
answer
Should social media be regulated and if so,
how and by who?
Why should we be informed and think
critically about current events?
Students will know….strategies for analyzing current Students will be able to….use research to support their
events using multiple sources opinions on current event topics

Differentiation: Each student will be able to choose a specific job role

Tailoring instruction to meet within their debate team that best suits their
individual needs. interests/favored skill set.
 Enrichment: All the students will also be provided with texts to analyze
 Intervention: for the debate, with each text at a different grade level to
20 Differentiated Instruction help accommodate for readers who struggle with at-level
Strategies and Examples. reading as well as to provide options for readers at an
above proficient reading level.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
The PERFORMANCE TASK describes the learning activity in “story”
form. Typically, the P.T. describes a scenario or situation that
requires students to apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate their Helpful tips for writing a
understanding in a real-life situation. Describe your performance task performance task.
scenario below:

By completing this task, students should have an Goal:

understanding of how to contribute to a respectful debate of What should students
current events as well as have an understanding of how to accomplish by completing
analyze different texts to form and support an informed this task?
opinion.
Students will be taking on the roles of debaters and Role:
researchers. They will also have to practice working as team What role (perspective) will
members your students be taking?

The relevant audience for the debate are high school students Audience:
and faculty. Who is the relevant
audience?

Students will first be introduced to the topic (the current Situation:

debate about banning the popular app TikTok); they will then The context or challenge
be tasked with preparing a debate with their teammates for provided to the student.
their side of the debate. To provide some context to students
in terms of formality and conduct, I would present the
fictional scenario that the students would be debating this
topic at a school board meeting to determine if the school
should ban the use of tiktok for all school members as the
premise of their debate.

Adapted from: Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD KAN Jan 2022 2
The final product of this lesson will be the performance of Product/Performance:
their debate. For this introductory lesson, students will create What product/
an graphic organizer that shows their development of opinion performance will the
supported by specific lines of evidence from the readings student create?
Standards
(Create the rubric for the
Performance Task)

Key Criteria: to reflect Performance Tasks Examples: Rubric, Checklist, etc.

Diagnostic Assessment: See attached sheets and / or file named: Diagnostic Assessment

Summative Assessment 1 : See attached sheets and / or file named: Assessment 1

Paste rubric/checklist here:

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

W = Where the lesson is going and what is expected from the lesson?
This lesson is providing practice with forming opinions based on credible information and then supporting that
opinion using textual evidence. This lesson is at the start of a unit that will focus on debate and is leading up to
a current event debate project.

H = Hook all students and Hold their interest? By posing the following questions:
Should social media be regulated? Who should decide how social media is regulated and in what ways it is
regulated? How can you use your opinion to make a difference with policy changes?

E = Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues?
I will be equipping students with texts that use evidence to support both sides of the debate (and offer texts at
different reading levels to accommodate all students). To explore issues, I will be selecting a current event topic
that students have expressed interest in (for the sake of this lesson plan, it will focus on the debate about
banning tiktok)

R = Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work?

E = Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?

T = be Tailored to the different needs, interests, and abilities of learners?

O = Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning?

Adapted from: Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD KAN Jan 2022 3
Learning Activities

Day 1 :

Technology:
What kind of tech tool will be
used and how?

Integration:
What subjects will be integrated
into this lesson.

Social and Emotional Learning

(SEL)
What SEL activities will be used
into this lesson.

Materials

Resources
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded Second ed.). Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Follow-Up:

Adapted from: Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD KAN Jan 2022 4