Detailed steps for Step 1 of backward Design

Thanks to all of you who gave me encouragement and support in the exit cards. I really appreciate it and it is nice to know when you are understanding the "hidden curriculum" of this class and how I want you to learn by doing.

Here are some answers to this week’s exit cards.

What are the step-by-step details of what I need to do for the curriculum assignment?   The good news here is that the next steps should be exactly what you did for Dr. Mike Savage (with an interdisciplinary twist).  You will be completing the same steps for 4 different subject areas AND adding a horizontal scan and cluster.  As well you will be embedding the literacies into the unit.

The only way I can really know if this is the same process as used in Dr. Savage's class is if one of you sends me the curriculum you developed for him and are willing for me to share some of this with this class to illustrate any differences/similarites.  Please email to me with an attachment if you are willing to do this. I really just need one good example. 

Please note that the example is grade 4. It is important that you be original in your work and not just regurgitates the example.

Step 1: What is most important for students to Know, Do and Be at the end of this unit?

What is the KDB according to the Front matter of the documents?  P. 125

	Subject	Subject	Subject	Subject
KNOW 5 – 10 Big Ideas
DO 3-5 Interdisciplinary Skills
BE 3
What literacies are identified in the Front Matter?

Step 2 – Optional but helpful

Create a web that connects the subjects.

Step 3

Vertical Scan and Cluster p. 128

You are looking for what is most important to Know, Do and Be. This answers the first question of backward design: What is most important for students to know, do and be?

Choose the target grade for which you will create an integrated curriculum unit.   Choose 4 subject areas and chose one strand for each subject area and follow it through each grade. However, if you chose Language Arts you can include all the areas since reading, writing are speaking/listening are integrated in themselves.  If you chose the Arts, you may chose 2 strands that will count for 2 subject areas.

The vertical scan and cluster is for two grades below the target grade (to know what has been expected of your students) and one grade above (what you need to prepare them for).  You are also looking for spiraling curriculum. What repeats in each grade?

Note: The scan is what you do for all the expectations that you have chosen.  You are doing the scan for one strand of a chosen subject area. The scan means the act of “scanning” or a quick read and is not written. This is what some of you did for Dr Savage that consumed 20 or more pages. You do not need  to show that work, but you will still need to scan (skim).

The cluster is what goes in these boxes. You need to find 4 or 5 Big Ideas for the KNOW (Science and Social Studies have lots of Big Ideas.) Then you need a few DOs. English and math are often considered the process skills for an integrated curriculum. That means the Do can come from English and/math. You still need to teach the skills but the Big Ideas are not necessarily that obvious. (For Math look at the Manitoba curriculum to see how they define the Big Ideas. Look form it in the Index of the text.)
 

For the BE you may need to use a Be from the Front Matter or read between the lines to see what values, attitudes or behaviours are being promoted. If you read between the lines the Be will be an interpretation and will be implicit.

Subject Area
	Grade 2   Expectations	Grade 3 Expectations	Grade 4 Expectations	Grade 5 Expectations
Know 2 to 4 Big Ideas	Big Idea 1 Expectation(s) Big Idea 2 Expectation(s) Big Idea 3 Expectation(s)
Do 2 to 4 Skills	Big Skill Expectation(s) Big Skill Expectation(s) Big Skill Expectation(s)
Be 2 -3	Value/Attitude/Behaviour Expectation
Literacies?	Note that these might not be explicit in the subject areas curriculum documents, but they are in other MOE documents.

Horizontal Scan and Cluster  (This will be the same as grade 4 in the chart above.)

Page 132.  

	GRADE 4
	Subject Area	Subject Area	Subject Area	Subject Area
KNOW
DO
BE
Literacies

Unpacking the KDB  - page 133

Choose relevant expectations from work above. Deconstruct expectation for Know, Do and Be. ONLY put down the actual words from the expectation. Don’t try and find Big Ideas as in the book example.

	Know	Do	Be	Is this a Literacy?
Expectation

KDB Umbrella  - page 134.

Choose these from the ones available to you from the scan and cluster. Be sure they make sense in terms of what you might be able to do in the classroom to insure an engaging curriculum.

BE – 2 or 3 values, attributes, behaviours

DO – 2 or 3 21^st Century Skills

KNOW – 2 or 3 Big Ideas

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS  - 2 or 3

Added to Sample on page 134.   Literacies – Note that these may not be in the Expectations. If they are in a curriculum document OR in the Front matter you able able to justify choosing the literacy. You need 3. These literacies will be embedded into the KDB Umbrella, the RPAT and the daily instructional activities and embedded assessments.

Choose a name for your unit. 

Exploratory Web – p. 135.   This is exploratory only. In the centre put the name of the unit you have decided upon. Create a bubble for 4 subjects and 3 literacies. What activities/assessments might be possible? Literacies? Ultimately you do not want to have a distinct division among subject areas.

How much time will we have in class? 

I have been thinking about this and wondering how to give you the best break for getting things done. If we get far enough in the next class I think we can give Feb 24th to devote to finishing Step 1.  

You should be able to do this in a self-directed manner by using this blog and referring to the example. What will be new for you is adding the embedded literacies. This is an iterative task so you can always go back to Step 1 to add the literacies or delete one if things do not fit when you do an alignment. We would not hold a class that night and you could meet on your own time.  You would also be responsible for Blog 2 For Feb 24 and responding online to the others in your designated group (Feb 26) .

You would send in your work to Dropbox by March 3rd. By March 3rd all that is required to be done is up to the Scan and Cluster. But it would be great if you could do all of Step 1 (includes KDB Unpacking Chart, KDB Umbrella, Exploratory Web). If you can't then the rest of Step 1 completed by March 3, this would be handed in the next week. These steps are really just to make sure you don't get too far behind.

You will also be given time in class as needed.

Passion-based learning.

IF you wish to explore this further just google "passion-based learning".  It is in the text on page 157. A terrific example of this is Genius Hour. You will see a bit about this in class lecture.

Hope this helps. See you next Tuesday.