UBD Teaching

Fig. 1
Photo Credit: educationaltechnology.net

According to Grant Wiggins, Understanding by Design (UBD) or backwards design is a planning framework. When using this framework, the teacher should consider the end goal(s) of a unit. (see fig. 1). This makes sense and if planned correctly can cut out a lot of miscellaneous content and it allows you to get to the core of the unit.

So being that we read and discussed UBD in our Tech course, I have become more mindful of what is the end goal? Most of our curriculum is suppose to be planned out this way. Each content area department has developed pacing guides and post tests for our students. Oridnarily, with Science, I would give an overview of the unit. Then we would read the book and do some of the labs in our book. Finally, I would give the end of unit test. Most of my students would fail the test and then we all would feel horrible. I say we, because I would feel that I failed them as a teacher. So I experimented with UBD in our last Science unit. I gave a pre-test, in which they all failed. So before the start of every lesson, I had goals posted for the end of the lesson that correlated to the end of unit goal. I must say, I was very excited to see that at least 80% of the class managed to score a 70% or higher on the end of unit test. 

By simply stating goals and narrowing in the core concepts my students were able to learn more and feel successful. 

Two Science Pre-test questions.

The same two questions on our post-test.