“To begin with the end in mind means to
start with a clear understanding of your
destination. It means to know where
you’re going so that you better
understand where you are now so that
the steps you take are always in the right
direction.”
Stephen Covey
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
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Understanding by Design
An approach to develop curricula
and assessments with a focus on
developing and deepening
students’ understanding of
important ideas.
„ It is a backward design approach.
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Six Facets of Understanding
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Explanation– How does this function or operate?
Interpretation– What does it mean? Why does it matter? What makes
sense?
Application– Use knowledge in new situations
Perspective– Critical / Insightful points of view
Empathy– Ability to get inside another person’s feelings and world
view
Self-Knowledge– The wisdom to know one’s ignorance and how one’s
pattern of thought and action inform as well as prejudice
understanding
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Backward Design
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WHY?
– To eliminate instruction that is activity
oriented or coverage oriented
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WHAT?
– Start with the end in mind and work
backwards.
Identify desired results
„ Determine acceptable evidence
„ Plan learning experiences/instruction
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Stage 1
Identify Desired Results
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What should students know,
understand, and be able to do?
What is the big picture/enduring
understandings?
What are thought-provoking questions
to get students thinking?
What knowledge and skills should
students master?
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Stage 2
Determine Acceptable Evidence
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How will we know students really
understand what is being taught?
What are the different methods of
assessments?
Performance benchmark assessments
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Stage 3
Plan Learning Experiences and
Instruction
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What needs to be taught?
How should it be taught?
How do we make learning both
engaging and effective considering the
goals?
WHERE TO
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WHERE TO
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W- What
H- Hook/hold
E- Experiences
R- Rethink/revise
E- Evaluate
T- Tailor
O- Organize
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Reading Comprehension……………………..Stage 1 - Desired Results:
Enduring Understanding: Good readers develop, select, and apply
strategies to help them understand text. Readers employ strategies before,
during, and after reading text to enhance their comprehension.
Essential Question: What is a story? What can we learn from print? What
do good readers do when they don’t understand text? How should I read
different types of texts?
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards:
Standard 3.1 (Reading)- All students will understand and apply the
knowledge of sounds, letters, and words in written English to become
independent and fluent readers and will read a variety of materials and texts
with fluency and comprehension.
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Stage 1- Desired Results
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Knowledge and Skills:
Students will:
Use prior knowledge to make sense of text
Preview materials to make initial predictions about a text
Change initial predictions while reading when appropriate
Utilize self-questioning throughout the reading process
Establish a purpose for reading
Identify story elements: characters, setting, problem, action,
and solution
Use pictures and dialogue in text to make predictions
Draw simple conclusions using pictures and print
Read regularly in on-level independent materials
Reread text when it doesn’t make sense
Make simple inferences
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Stage 1- Desired Results
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Make text to self connections
Make text to text connections
Visualize mental images while reading
Practice retelling using key points and big ideas
Sequence important events from a story in order
Listen and respond to read alouds
Use graphic organizers to extend
Identify favorite books and authors
Read for different purposes (to learn and to enjoy)
Recognize the purpose of a paragraph
Understand common antonyms and synonyms
Identify figurative language (idiom, metaphor, simile, and
onomatopoeia)
Evaluate their progress as a reader
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Stage 2 Evidence of Understanding
Millstone Township Benchmark:
Quizzes, Tests, and Prompts:
-on-going assessments
-beginning/end of year Informal Reading Inventory
-one-on-one quarterly assessments
-selected-response format quizzes
-observations
Other Evidence and Student Self-Assessment:
-verbal responses
-pictorial responses in reading logs
-written responses in reading logs
-reflective journals
-portfolios
-rubrics based on self assessment of reading behaviors and performance
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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W: Students will know expectations of this unit
through:
-Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions will be
posted, used as anticipatory sets, and discussed
-Objectives will be posted in the room and verbally
communicated
-Teachers will model strategies during Read Alouds, Think
Alouds, and Shared Reading
-Multiple discussions of why reading different types of texts is
important in students’ lives
-Teachers will explain how learning to read connects to
environmental print and other texts
-Review reading behavior rubric with students prior to utilizing
strategies
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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H: This unit will hook and hold students’ attention by:
-Students will respond both verbally and in writing to stories
read aloud
-Teachers will provide a variety of interesting literature to be
read in whole class, small groups, and independently
-Students will be given time for self-selected reading each day
-Teachers will provide opportunities for students to make
personal connections to texts
-Students will explore new vocabulary related to texts
-Students will be given the opportunity to role-play
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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E: The following learning experiences will help students
explore the big ideas and essential questions:
-Participating in daily mini-lessons to focus student attention on goals
indicated under knowledge and skills
-Revisiting and reflection of the posted essential questions through
class discussion
-Responding to Shared Reading through journal writing
-Making text to self-connections
-Modeling comprehension strategies through Read Alouds, Shared
Reading, and small group instruction
-Introducing Super Six Monitoring strategy through Think Alouds
-Listening to stories on tape during the Listening Post center
-Utilizing the Four Blocks Guess the Covered Word game to introduce
context clues
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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-Dialoguing with student partner using Turn and Talk or Think/Pair/Share
-Listening to teacher read aloud daily
-Participating in Three Ring Circus (Read with teacher, partner, or
independently)
-Cooperating with peers to create skits
-Acting in Readers’ Theater
-Verbally retelling a story to partner or teacher
-Responding to focus questions
-Relating characters to each other with class Venn diagram
-Illustrating a specific story element of a text (character, setting, problem,
solution) in reading response journal or log
-Creating class made books with pictures and simple text to retell stories from
Shared Reading time
-Participating in Self-Selected Reading with appropriate independent level
materials on a daily basis to apply reading strategies
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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-Complete quick sketches of specific elements in a story as teacher reads
-Engaging in literacy centers such as Read the Room or Browsing Boxes as
independent work
- Using computers to listen and respond to fiction and non-fiction texts
-Sequencing stories or poems in pocket charts after reading them in whole
group
-Reading the morning message as a class during routine
-Partaking in picture walks as a group and then, independently
-Completing a KWL chart as a class
-Creating QAR charts for questioning
-Developing a timeline as a class to map events in both fiction and non-fiction
-Completing homework
-Creating various art projects that connect to the text
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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R: Students will reflect, rethink, revise, and refine by:
-Students will regularly revisit and discuss/answer essential questions
-Students will pair-share thoughts after listening to or reading a text
-Students will revisit and reassess their predictions during and after reading
-Students will reread when necessary if something does not make sense (self-correcting
miscues)
-Students will share/show work completed during literacy centers
-Students will present skits or Readers’ Theater to audience
-Students will discuss/evaluate self-selected reading materials with partner or class
-Students will decipher strengths and weaknesses through self-assessment rubric
-Students will conference with teacher to discuss reading strategy strengths and
weaknesses
- Students will assist in updating KWL chart
- Students will read aloud to partner, small group, or whole class and talk about the
story elements and their favorite parts
-Students will use the Just Right rule when choosing appropriate books for self-selected
reading time
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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E: Students will exhibit understanding through:
-Pair/share discussions
-Teacher observation
-Written responses before, during, and after reading
-Homework
-Give me 5!
-3-2-1 discussions
-Student self-assessments (rubrics, checklist
reflections)
-One-on-one quarterly assessments
-Authentic performance assessments
-Apply strategy to a new text
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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T: Differentiation opportunities include:
-Tiered graphic organizers
-Various grouping for any/all activities (heterogeneous, homogeneous/skills based)
-Offer option of books on tape
-Use of computer software
-Jigsaw activities
-Center activities
-Guided Reading groups
-Varying picture walk and vocabulary given prior to reading
-Tiered sequencing of events in stories
-Leveling texts for small group work, browsing boxes, or self-selected reading
-Contracts- teacher or student generated and then discussed
-Varying amount of teacher support to read and discuss a text during Shared Reading
-Implementation of Three Ring Circus during Shared Reading
-Vary the amount/length of text to be read and discussed
-Offer choice of text response after reading (written, verbal, drawing)
-Cubing activities
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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O: Organization and sequencing considerations include:
Teachers should use a scaffolding model of approach to teaching,
such as Don Holdaway’s Learning Model. Students should be taken
through modeled, interactive, guided, and independent stages of
reading.
The sequence below states the steps for learning.
-The teacher models the activities and skills for students.
-The teacher partially participates with the students.
-Students practice skill/activity with teacher support as needed.
-Students can complete or perform the task independently.
-There should be an ongoing cycle of model, practice,
feedback, and adjustment while teaching any
comprehension strategy.
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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Time Allotment:
Comprehension strategies will be taught during
Language Arts and across content areas throughout
the year. The length of time spent on specific
strategies and skills will vary depending upon the
class. Generally, teachers will spend two full periods
each day implementing Shared Reading (whole
class instruction), then Guided Practice (small
group), and then independent study (one to one
conferencing and assessing when necessary).
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Stage 3……The Learning Plan
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Resources:
Student Materials:
-Children’s literature books and poetry
-Rigby Guided Reading leveled books
-Various Graphic Organizers
-Reading journals/Response logs
-Big books
Technology:
-computer lab
Teaching Materials:
-Rigby Guided Reading teaching manual
-Teacher-created materials and models for reading and response
-Resource books that contain ideas for teaching reading (Super Six,
Four Blocks).
-Literature pieces by accomplished authors
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“Life can only be understood
backwards; but it must be lived
forwards.”
Soren Kierdegarrd, 1843
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Special Thanks To the Following Staff Members:
Language Arts Literacy
Nina Banerjee
Trish Bogusz
Rachael Bolen
Stephanie Dunk
Jen Gabler
Bernadette Heine
Jen McPartland
Kelsey Plunkett
Donna Romano
Karen Shaffer
Jill Tobey
Michelle Uffer
Michele Vigliotti
Science
Jessica Acinapura
Alecia Binns
Rachel Mueller
Mary O’Rourke
Ted Ostaszewski
Irene Pearson
Alison Pressey
Stephanie Prudente
Sara Stofik
Gloria Tomasella
Beth Topinka
Dana Vogel
Math
Lisa Camposano
Laura Czvornyek
Cheryl Hoffmann
Val Gunsalus
Rhonda Joyce
Lisa McManus
Lisa Murin
Peggy Musillo
Marian Peck
Lisa Schneider
Karen Vitro
Fern Zinkoski
Karen Barry, Matt Howell, Brandy Krueger, Michelle Vella
Technology
Jeanne Biroc
Linda Guzinski
Phyllis Matseur
Primary UbD
Sue Cerulo
Colleen Henkin
Doreen Laskiewicz
Karen Lucy
Faith Miller
Christine Smith
Traci Soriano
Susanne Malmos
Linda Nuzzi
Heather Philhower
Christie Robinson
Taline Toutounchi
Nicole Vitiello
Katie White
John White
Bob Williams
Elementary UbD
Nicole Ascione
Jen Boms
Laura Bryan
Pat Prevosti
Michelle Williams
MS UbD
Jaime Golizio
Kerri Kapulsky
63 teachers and 4 administrators
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