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:Laura

EDESL 771 PreK-12 ESL Curriculum and Materials through the Content Areas

“"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."-- Carl Bard

Backwards Design-Knowing Where to Take Your Learners

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Curriculum as a Road

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INPUTLinguistic Demands of Texts across the Content Areas

OUTPUTLinguistic Demands of Tasks across the Content Areas

Instruction chooses the destination and maps

the course

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Knowledge vs. Understanding

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Understanding

The meaning of the factsFallible, in-process theoriesA matter of degree or sophisticationI understand why it is, what makes it knowledgeI judge when to and when not to use what I knowAbstracting, relating, interpreting

plan

Knowledge

The factsA body of related factsVerifiable claimsRight or wrongI know something to be true I respond on cue with what I knowQuantifiable, memorized, reproducible

Knowledge which is mainly second-hand…tends to become merely verbal. [To] the degree in which what is communicated cannot be organized into the existing experience of the learner, it becomes mere words: that is, lacking in meaning. Then it operates to call out mechanical reactions. (John Dewey, 1916)

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Making Hard Choices

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Worth being familiar with

Important to know and do

Big Ideas and Core

Tasks

Clarifyi

ng Conte

nt

Prioriti

es

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What is “Understanding by Design”?

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• “Backward Design” focus: Clarify results and evidence of these results before designing lessons.

• Teaching for understanding is the goal of teaching and compatible with standards-based curricula.

• UbD is a way of thinking more carefully about design, not a program.

• Thinking like an assessor, not only an activity designer, is key to effective design.

• Overcoming the “twin sins” of “aimless activity” and “superficial coverage”.

• The work is only “coverage” or “nice activity” unless focused on questions and big ideas, related to the Standards.

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The Three Stages of Backwards Design

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UbD Part 1: Identify the Desired Results-The Big Ideas

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• What is it that you want your learners to understand at the end of your unit?

• What are the “Big” ideas/ enduring understandings that you want your students to arrive at, and essential questions to guide student learning through the unit?

ConceptsConcepts Economics- Its not the money you have, but how Economics- Its not the money you have, but how you allocate it.you allocate it.

ThemesThemes Good triumphs over evil.Good triumphs over evil.

DebatesDebates Winning is dependent upon offense vs defense.Winning is dependent upon offense vs defense.

PerspectivePerspective Life is shaped by your attitude; my cup half full or Life is shaped by your attitude; my cup half full or half empty.half empty.

ParadoxParadox Freedom involves responsibility.Freedom involves responsibility.

TheoryTheory Form follows function; you are what you eat.Form follows function; you are what you eat.

PrinciplePrinciple Less is more.Less is more.

AssumptionAssumption Non-fiction text always depicts truth.Non-fiction text always depicts truth.

Some Big Ideas by Type

Some Big Ideas by ContentConceptConcept Big IdeaBig Idea

nutritionnutrition You are what you eatYou are what you eat

westward expansionwestward expansion Hardship forged a nationHardship forged a nation

persuasive writingpersuasive writing Powerful media can influence beliefs and Powerful media can influence beliefs and behaviorsbehaviors

fairnessfairness

(mathematical)(mathematical)

Statistics can be manipulated to obscure the Statistics can be manipulated to obscure the truthtruth

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Questions to Check if it’s a Big Idea

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Ask Yourself…

oDoes it have many layers not obvious to the inexperienced learner?oDoes one have to dig deep to truly understand its meaning or implications?oIs it prone to disagreement?oMight you change your mind about it over time?oDoes it reflect the core ideas as judged by experts?

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Using Essential Questions to Guide Students towards Big Ideas

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Essential Essential

• What traits and What traits and characteristics determine a characteristics determine a classification?classification?

• Where do artists get their Where do artists get their ideas?ideas?

• What determines value?What determines value?

• What distinguishes a fluent What distinguishes a fluent foreigner from a native foreigner from a native speaker?speaker?

• How does where we live How does where we live influence how we live?influence how we live?

Not Essential Not Essential

• How many legs does a spider How many legs does a spider have?have?

• Did nature influence Monet?Did nature influence Monet?

• How many dimes in a dollar?How many dimes in a dollar?

• What is the meaning of the What is the meaning of the Greek term technology from its Greek term technology from its Greek root “techne”?Greek root “techne”?

• Why were settlements Why were settlements developed around lakes and developed around lakes and rivers?rivers?

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The UbD Template as Planning Support

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UbD Template for Content-Based ESL Unit

Stage 1–Desired Results

Content: Big Idea/Understandings: Essential Questions: Knowledge:Language: L/S/R/W Skills/Function: Grammar: Target vocabulary:

Stage 2--Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:

Stage 3—Learning Plan

Materials:Activities in Class:Extension activities:

Stage 4—Learning Forward—Reflection on Student Learning and on the Unit