Understanding by Design

- Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Stage 1Key Design Elements

• “BIG IDEAS”• Learning Targets• Understandings (Key, enduring, essential,

overarching, topical)• Essential Questions• Knowledge• Skills

What are the “Big Ideas” of UbD?

What are “Big Ideas”?

• Broad and abstract• Represented by few words• Universal in application• Timeless• Transferable

Concept / Theme / Theory / Principle

What are the “Big Ideas” in PE?

What could Big Ideas be for Movement?

• Distribute Summary Chart• In pairs determine what

might constitute the “Big Ideas” in Physical Education

What are the Understandings?

Characteristics of Understandings:

1.They are framed as complete sentences and specify something to be understood.

2.They focus on “Big Ideas”.

3.They need to be uncovered.

There are two kinds!

Overarching Understandings:•They are general and point to big ideas.•They are recurring ideas that frame coursework.•They answer the “So What” question that students sometimes have.

Topical Understandings:•They are topic specific insights

Students should understand that…

Create an Overarching Understanding

What could an Overarching Understanding be based on the “Big Ideas” that you will be created?

Essential Questions from our Big Ideas

• Essential Questions are generated from Big Ideas and form the basis for our lessons and student learning by linking knowledge and skills to a greater purpose and creating deeper understanding.

What are Essential Questions?

• Questions based on Big Ideas that frame learning goals of a course. (May have several for a Big Idea).

• They are not answerable with finality in a brief sentence

• They stimulate on-going thought and debate as new experiences help clarify them for learners.

• They provide focus for the Big Ideas throughout a course using language that is understandable by students

Essentials of essential questions

• Answers cannot be found, they must be constructed • They cast old knowledge, ideas, texts, in a new light • They generate multiple answers and perspectives • They generate more questions • They lead to discovery and uncovering, rather than

simply covering, a topic • They are engagingly framed • They are higher-order; they always take us to

analysis, synthesis, and evaluation • Students must go beyond the information given to

develop their answers

Examples of overarching essential questions

What kind of practice “makes perfect”? What feedback will enhance or improve

performance most? What makes a movement “basic”? What motivates people to be active? How do rules affect sports? What makes play “fair”? What makes an athlete a “superstar”? How might sports look without officials? How can a person best show their skill? How can I gain the confidence to perform? How good is good enough?

Create Essential Questions

Based on the “Big Ideas” and “Overarching Understandings” what might be some essential questions?

• Divide into three groups: – Grade 3– Grade 6– Grade 9• Identify targets for a unit using a territory/ invasion game.– At least 5 learning outcomes

Learning Targets

Unpacking the Curriculum

• Select an outcome to unpack• Identify the verbs• Identify the nouns

What then will the students know and be able to do

Unpacking the Curriculum

Student Learning Outcome:Select and refine balance abilities (i.e., static, dynamic), applying biomechanical principles (i.e., force, motion, balance), using a variety of equipment (e.g., skates, skis, boards, stilts, pogo sticks...) related to activity-specific physical activity skills

Verbs (How students will show what is required)Select Refine Apply Use

Nouns (What students are required to know) Balance Abilities Biomechanical PrinciplesEquipment Activity-specific Physical Activity Skills

Create a Topical Understanding

What could some Topical Understandings be based on the unit that you created? Keep the overarching understandings and SLO’s in mind.

Create a Topical Essential Question

What could some Topical Essential Questions be based on the unit that you created? Keep the overarching essential questions understandings and SLO’s in mind.

Worth being familiar with

Clarifying Content Priorities

Trivial Knowledge or Skills:

•(Necessary for the Unit/Lesson)•Facts•Non-essential Terminology•Definitions, Dates, People, Dimensions

Important to know and do

Clarifying Content Priorities

Foundational Knowledge / Skills:

•Basic Movement Skills•FITT Principle•Fair Play

Guided by Curricular Outcomes:

•Important knowledge/skills/concepts•Significant connections and transfer power•Prerequisites needed to successfully accomplish complex performances of understanding

Big Ideas& Core Tasks

Clarifying Content Priorities

Non-negotiables The Discipline does not exist without it!

Important to know and do

Worth being familiar with

Big Ideas& Core Tasks

How does your plan fit with the priorities?

So…

Instead of thinking of content as “stuff” to be covered or “things to do”, consider knowledge and skill as the means of addressing questions central to understanding the key issues in our discipline.

Thank you for continuing our journey!