Middle School Task Force7-12 ELA Presentation

Overview of Understanding by DesignUnderstanding by Design ● Seven Key Tenants● Three Stages

o Identify Desired Resultso Determine Assessment Evidenceo Plan Learning Experience and Instruction

UbD Video: Part 1 and Part 2Granted, and (Blog)

UBD“A curriculum is NOT a list of places to visit, but an engaging and effective itinerary. It is not a list of the input to be taught, but a plan for causing students’ output that would reflect successful understanding and habits of mind. For it to be curriculum, in sum, it would have to be a plan for achieving performance, purposes, for specifying how learners are to accomplish important understanding, related tasks with content, NOT just a plan for teaching content.”

Grant Wiggins

Habits of MindELA Philosophy

We are a department that strives for excellence by designing real and engaging learning experiences for our students that are rigorous, purposeful, and authentic. We aim to obtain Habits of Mind that

lead to success for ourselves and our students.

Helpful ResourcesThe Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance by Grant Wiggins How do you plan? On templates and instructional planning by Grant Wiggins 4Rs of Richness, Recursion, Relations, and RigorCommon Core for ELA -- Introduction pages 2-8

The wise are those who realize they are not wise -- Socrates

Program and Unit Documents

● Scope and Sequence● Year-at-a-Glance (Grade 7, Grade 8)● Unit of Study: Grade 8 (A Christmas Carol)● District Writing Assessments (aligned to

EUs, EQs, and Focus Standards)● Semester finals (Focus Standards)