Understanding
Backwards
Design - Civics
Dr. Sarah Mathews
Florida International University
samathew@fiu.edu
PRESENTATION INFLUENCED BY
GRANT WIGGINS AND JAY MCTIGHE’S
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN (2006)
Key Ideas
• Start at the End
• Identify Big Ideas
• Generate Essential Questions
• Attach Objectives to Assessments
• Plan Learning Activities
Avoid “Twin Sins of Traditional
Design”
• 1st Form: Activity Focused = “Hands-on
activities that are not minds-on.”
• 2nd Form: Coverage Focused = “Marching
through textbook in a whirlwind attempt
to cover every piece of factual
information.”
Backward Design Approach –
Teaching for Understanding
• Step One: What questions can Motivate student
learning? (Essential Questions)
• Step Two: What are the Core Understandings from this
unit? (6 Facets of Understanding)
• Step Three: How can students Demonstrate these
Understandings? (Assessment)
• Step Four: Which Activities can Facilitate learning?
(Learning Plan)
• Step Five: How can we use Student Performance Data to
Adapt our teaching? (Evaluation and Reflection)
Step One: Essential Questions
• There are fundamental, recurring social
questions in history
• Focusing on these recurring questions helps
make social studies more relevant to today’s
world
• No “Finite” “Right/Wrong” answer
• Provocative or Thought-provoking
• Incorporate core ideas and inquiries within a
discipline
Examples of Overarching Essential
questions
1. What actions are justified in the interest of the welfare or security of
the community?
2. What standards must be met to give leadership legitimate authority?
3. When are citizens justified in resisting governmental authority?
4. What should society do to promote fairness and justice for people who
live within its jurisdiction?
5. What is the best way to distribute a society’s resources?
4. What should society do to promote fairness
and justice for people who live within its
jurisdiction?
•
What is Justice?
•
Who should determine what is just in society?
•
When do individual rights conflict with group rights?
•
When should citizens give up their rights for the good
of the nation?
•
When are citizens justified in withdrawing their
consent and seeking political separation from an
established state?
•
What rights should be guaranteed to all citizens?
NOW YOU TRY
SS.7.C.3.3: Illustrate the structure and
function (three branches of government
established in Articles I, II, and III with
corresponding powers) of government in the
United States as established in the
Constitution.
Step Two: Identifying Big Ideas
• Broad and abstract
• Represented by one or two words
• Universal in application
• Timeless
• Represented by different examples
• Provide a lens for study
• Requires “uncoverage”
• Can transfer to other areas
Examples of Big Ideas
• Separation of
Power
• Role of Media
• Limits on Power
• Now You Try…
Clarifying Content Priorities
Worth Being Familiar With
Important to Know
and Do
Big Ideas
and Core
Tasks
6 Facets of Understanding
• Explanation
• Interpretation
• Application
• Perspectives
• Empathy
• Self-Knowledge
NOW YOU TRY
SS.7.C.3.3: Illustrate the structure and
function (three branches of government
established in Articles I, II, and III with
corresponding powers) of government in the
United States as established in the
Constitution.
Step Three: Determining
Evidence of Understanding
• What types of Evidence do we need?
• What specific Characteristics in students’
products or performances should we
examine?
• Does this Evidence enable us to infer
students’ level of understanding, skill-set,
or disposition?
Range of Examples
• Informal checks for understanding
• Observations and dialogues
• Tests and quizzes
• Academic prompts
• Performance Tasks
Two Questions to Ask
• Could the proposed criteria be met but the
performer still not demonstrate deep
understanding?
• Could the proposed criteria not be met
but the performer still show
understanding?
Step Four: Plan Learning
Activities - WHERETO
• W – Ensure that students understand Where the unit is
headed and Why
• H – Hook students in the beginning and Hold their
attention
• E – Equip students with experiences, tools, knowledge,
etc. to accomplish performance goals.
• R – Provide opportunities to Rethink big ideas, Reflect on
progress and Revise their work
• E – Build in opportunities for students to Evaluate their
progress
• T – Be Tailored to reflect individuals talents, styles, skills
O – Be Organized for deep understanding
Step Five: How can we use Student
Performance Data to adapt our
teaching?
• Which students Understood what we wanted them
to understand?
• What Remediation can we provide for students that
might need more time or instruction?
• What Enrichment can we provide for students that
may have already grasped skills or concepts?
• How can we teach students to Self-Assess their own
learning?
Thank You!
Sarah Mathews
Florida International University
Department of Teaching and
Learning, Social Studies
samathew@fiu.edu