Understanding by Design (UbD) is a powerful framework for creating effective and engaging unit plans. It focuses on starting with the desired learning outcomes (what students should know and be able to do) and then working backward to design assessments and learning activities. This approach ensures alignment and maximizes student learning. This post will explore several UbD unit plan examples, highlighting key elements and offering adaptable templates.
What Makes a Strong UbD Unit Plan?
Before diving into examples, let's review the essential components of a successful UbD unit plan:
- Stage 1: Desired Results: This stage focuses on identifying the overarching goals and essential questions. What are the big ideas students should grasp? What enduring understandings will remain with them long after the unit concludes?
- Stage 2: Assessment Evidence: Here, you design assessments that directly measure student understanding of the desired results. This includes formative assessments (ongoing checks for understanding) and summative assessments (final evaluations). Consider a variety of assessment types, including projects, presentations, essays, and tests.
- Stage 3: Learning Activities: This is where you plan the learning experiences that will help students achieve the desired results. Activities should be engaging, relevant, and aligned with the assessments. Think critically about how students will actively construct their understanding.
UbD Unit Plan Examples: Across Different Subjects
Here are some UbD unit plan examples adapted for different subjects, illustrating the framework's versatility:
Example 1: High School English – To Kill a Mockingbird
Stage 1: Desired Results
- Enduring Understandings: Injustice exists, and fighting for what's right can be challenging; empathy and perspective-taking are crucial for understanding others; societal prejudices can have profound and lasting impacts.
- Essential Questions: What is justice? How does prejudice shape our perceptions and actions? What does it mean to be courageous?
- Knowledge & Skills: Students will analyze literary devices, interpret themes, develop critical thinking skills, and express their understanding through written and oral communication.
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
- Formative: Class discussions, in-class writing prompts, quizzes on vocabulary and plot points.
- Summative: Analytical essay on a chosen theme in the novel; presentation analyzing a character's development; Socratic seminar debating key issues in the novel.
Stage 3: Learning Activities
- Reading the novel: Chunked readings with regular comprehension checks.
- Character analysis: Students create character maps, analyzing motivations and relationships.
- Theme exploration: Students participate in debates and discussions about key themes.
- Creative writing: Students write from the perspective of a character or create a scene depicting a key moment.
Example 2: Middle School Science – The Water Cycle
Stage 1: Desired Results
- Enduring Understandings: Water is a finite resource constantly cycling through the Earth's systems; human activity impacts the water cycle.
- Essential Questions: Where does water go? How does water change state? How do humans affect the water cycle?
- Knowledge & Skills: Students will be able to describe the stages of the water cycle, explain the processes involved, and identify human impacts on water resources.
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
- Formative: Observation of student participation in lab activities, short quizzes on key vocabulary.
- Summative: Model building of the water cycle; presentation explaining a specific part of the water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation); research project on water conservation.
Stage 3: Learning Activities
- Interactive simulations: Using online or physical models to explore the water cycle.
- Experiments: Observing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
- Field trip: Visiting a local water treatment plant or natural water source.
- Research: Investigating the impact of human activities on the water cycle.
Example 3: Elementary School Math – Addition and Subtraction
Stage 1: Desired Results
- Enduring Understandings: Numbers can be combined and separated in different ways; addition and subtraction are inverse operations.
- Essential Questions: What does it mean to add? What does it mean to subtract? How are addition and subtraction related?
- Knowledge & Skills: Students will be able to add and subtract numbers within 20, solve word problems involving addition and subtraction, and use manipulatives to represent mathematical operations.
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
- Formative: Observation of student work with manipulatives, informal quizzes, exit tickets.
- Summative: Worksheet with addition and subtraction problems; creating and solving their own word problems.
Stage 3: Learning Activities
- Manipulatives: Using counters, blocks, or other objects to represent addition and subtraction.
- Games: Playing games that reinforce addition and subtraction skills.
- Story problems: Solving word problems that involve real-world scenarios.
- Visual aids: Using number lines and other visual tools to help with calculations.
These examples demonstrate the adaptability of the UbD framework across different subject areas and grade levels. Remember to adapt these examples to your specific context and student needs, focusing on creating meaningful learning experiences that promote deep understanding. The key to successful UbD planning is a clear focus on the desired learning outcomes and the careful selection of assessments and activities that directly support those outcomes.
