4.1 UbD Stage 1: Desired Goals- A Reflection

1. The Big Ideas
In creating lessons using UbD, Stage 1 has us consider the Big Ideas. We move from topics, such as the Scientific Process, or Nutrition to big ideas which include themes, concepts, theories, challenges, issues, debates assumptions and paradoxes. In this series of lessons around developing multiple solutions to a scientific problem, the big ideas are:

• What does it mean to go back to the drawing board? 
• How do scientists arrive at their most possible solutions? 
• What steps do they take along the way? 
• How do they handle their failures and ultimate successes? 
• What do scientists and engineers use to determine whether a solution to a problem will actually work? 
• What is one way that testing helps scientists determine which solution for a problem works best?

2. Key Skills and Knowledge
These are tied to CCSS, become the enduring understandings for the students. Here are a few examples:

• (K) “I can integrate arguments to support claims made in an article with clear reasons and relevant evidence which can be found in an article.” 
• (S) “I can clearly introduce the topic of my text using vocabulary learned and formative language.” 

3. Desired Results

The next step is to consider the desired results, develop established goals, essential questions, knowledge and understandings. Below are examples from my lesson. See my presentation for more information.

• G1: Students will be able to write the arguments that support the claims made in this article using clear reasoning and evidence from the article. 
• U1: Students will understand that scientists develop many possible solutions, and have successes and failures, before arriving at a solution. 
• K1: That there are multiple ways to develop solutions to any [scientific] problem they wish to solve. 
• S1: Determine the process of finding the most suitable solution to a problem. 
• T1: Students will independently use their learning to research and develop alternative solutions to any problem in order to find the most plausible solution. 

4. Readiness 

Readiness for College and Career are increasingly important as students advance in grade level. The skills and knowledge that we teach should be able to be transferred to other subjects and life in general to help students become ready for whatever they encounter. Science is a great place to do this.
We will see in the next step how we move from this to Stage 2, which has us determining acceptable evidence for assessing student's understandings.

Please click here to view my presentation on UbD Stage 1 for this series of lessons.