Understanding By Design (Ubd)

Understanding by Design (UbD)A Curriculum Model

“Understanding by design is teaching for understanding.”

by: Rose Ann Manalang


Stage 1 has something to do with results / desire outcomes.

The 3 Elements/Stages of UbD

Results and desired outcomes are what students should be able to know and do at the end of the course or unit.

Stage 2 is on assessment

Assessment refers to the acceptable evidence that the desired goal has been attained .

Stage 3 Spells out the details of the instructional activities that students will go through to attain the standards.


Some Additional details on the 3 stages:

Stage 1 – Set targets A. Intended results /desired

outcomesA.1 Content Standards – these refer to what students should know and be able to do.

B. Essential Understandings

A.2 Performance Standards– these refer to the level of proficiency with which a student can demonstrate what he/she knows and what he/she can do.

– big and enduring ideas at the heart of the discipline which we want children to remember even long after they leave school.


C. Essential Question

D. Curriculum Objectives

– these are open-ended, provocative questions that spark thinking and inquiry into the essential meanings and understandings.

– these are expressed in terms of specific knowledge, skills and values which are expected to be taught and learned.

Stage 2 – Determine evidence of understanding

– there are 6 facts of understanding. The learner’s understanding of what was learned can be exhibited by his/her ability to 1) Explain 2) Interpret 3) Apply 4) See what he/she has learned from various perspectives 5) Is able to empathize with others and is able to 6) To reflect how the lesson learned relates to himself/herself.


6 Facts of Understanding as Instructional Tools Explain•Demonstrate, Model, Predict , Prove, Synthesize Teach•Describe, Predict, Prove, Synthesize Teach•Describe•Design•Exhibit•Instruct

Interpret•Create Analogies•Critique•Document•Evaluate•Illustrate•Judge•Create Metaphors


Apply• Adapt• Propose• Invent• Solve• Produce• Design

Perspective• Analyze• Argue• Criticize• Infer• Contrast

Empathy• Assume the role of• Be like• Consider• Imagine• Role-play

Self – Knowledge• Be aware of• Realize• Recognize• Reflect• Self- assess


Learning Activities Using 6 Facts The six (6) facets of understanding are concretely illustrated with a lesson on nutrition, shown below:

Topic- Nutrition1. Explanation -develop a brochure to help younger students understand what is meant

by a balanced diet

2. Interpretation-discuss: What does the popularity of fast foods say about modern life?

3. Application-Plan a menu for a class party consisting of healthy yet tasty snacks


5. Empathy -Imagine: How might it feel to live with dietary restriction due to a

medical condition .

6. Self- knowledge -Reflect: To what extent are you a healthy eater?

4. Perspective -Conduct research to find out if the Food Pyramid Guidelines apply in

other regions such as Antarctica, Asia, the Middle East and the impact of diverse diets on health and longevity.


Stage 3 – Plan Instruction

– this stage follows the following steps:

Explore Firm up Deepen Apply/ Transfer

In Explore stage, Find out what your students know and not know about the lesson.

In the Firm up stage, Affirm the correct concepts or skills that they know. Correct what is erroneous. Teach what they do not know.

In the Deepen up stage, the following strategies suggested by Wiggins and McTighe (2005) may be a great help:


What strategies can help deepen student thinking? Here are some

suggestion from McTighe and Wiggins:


• Remember Wait time I and II – at least 5 seconds of thinking time after a question and after a response.

• Call on students randomly.

• Use probes and follow ups – Can you explain? Why? How do you know?

•Ask to “unpack their thinking”. – describe how you arrived at your answer.

•Periodically ask for summaries. – Could you please summarize the key points of the lecture, text, the speaker, etc. ?


• Survey the class. – How many agree with _______? (this idea, author’s point of view, conclusion• Pose metacognitive/reflective question. – How did you come to understand this?

• Use Think-Pair-Share – Allow individual thinking time and discussion with a partner and then open up for class discussion

• Play the devil’s advocate.

The Apply/Transfer stage is the application of concepts, skills and attitudes learned in real life.

• Encourage student questioning


WHERETO Framework (J. Mc Tighe and G. Wiggins , 2005)This acronym is a proposed Framework for developing an instructional plan. This can help you in

the stage 3 of UbD.

- How will I help learners know WHAT they will be learning? WHY is this worth learning? WHAT evidence will show their learning? W

H - How will I HOOK the learners?

E - How will I EQUIP students to master identified standards? What learning EXPERIENCES will help deepen understanding?

R - How will I will I encourage learners to RETHINK pervious learning? How will I encourage ongoing REVISION and REFINEMENT?

E

- How will i promote self- EVALUATION and reflection?

T -How will I TAILOR my learning activities to address the different readiness levels, learning profiles of students?

O - How will the learning experiences be ORGANIZED to maximize engaging and effective learning?

Understanding By Design (Ubd)

Education