Understanding by Design: UbD

Backward Design:
Backward
Begin with the end in mind
Develop a clear understanding of where you want to go
Map out the steps to get you there
Design
To have purposes and intentions; to plan and execute
Stage 1-Identify Desired Results:
What are the desired results for learners to do?
During this stage ask
What big ideas are worthy of understanding and implied in the established
goals (ex: content standards, curriculum objectives)? What permanent
understandings are desired?
What essential questions are worth pursuing to guide student inquiry into
these big ideas?
What should students know and be able to do? What specific knowledge and
skills are targeted in the goals and needed for effective performance?
Established Goals
Topic: Architecture: styles, principles, materials, building challenges
Big Idea: Architecture meets the physical and emotional needs of a community.
Standards:
Content Standard A: Science As Inquiry
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions.
Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Content Standard B: Physical Science
Motions and Forces
Content Standard E: Science and Technology
Abilities of technological design
Identify appropriate problems for technological design.
Design a solution or product.
Implement a proposed design.
Evaluate completed technological designs or products.
Communicate the process of technological design.
Understandings about technological design
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

 Natural Hazards
Risks and Benefits
Science and Technology in Society
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science
Science As a Human Endeavor
History of Science

Understandings:
Students will understand that
Architecture is a combination of
science and art.
There are 3 basic principles of
architecture, a building must be:
structurally sound, aesthetically
pleasing, and designed to meet
serve its intended function
Styles of architecture emerged
based on the aesthetic ideals of
the time period
The shape of a structure
determines how strong it is.
Triangles are the strongest
shapes.
The materials used to build a
structure are just as important as
how you build it. Different
materials have different
properties.
Natural forces, like gravity, act on
structures

Students will know (building

blocks)
Architectural styles and their
time periods
The forces that act on buildings
The 3 principles of architecture
Triangles are the strongest
shapes because of how they
react to forces
Pros and Cons of building
materials

Essential Questions:
How does the build environment
impact a community?
Week One:
What is architecture?
-Styles
-History
-Building Challenge
Week Two:
What keeps a building standing?
-Forces & loads
-Shapes
-Building Challenge
Week Three:
What keeps a building standing?
-Materials
-Begin PGH Bridge project
Week Four:
How is symbolism used in the built
environment?
Project work & symbols, icons, landmarks

Student will be able to (building

blocks)
Identify styles of architecture
Apply understanding of materials
and shapes to building challenges
Collaborate with peers to build a
successful bridge
Identify the use of symbols in
architecture
Research a bridge in pgh and
answer the following: the name,

Different types of bridges

The role of symbolism in the built
environment
Vocabulary:
Architecture
Aesthetics
Faade
Landmark
Symbolism
Compression
Tension
Sustainable
Parallel
Perpendicular
Proportion
Arch
Commercial
Residential

date built, who designed it, its

purpose, the type of bridge,
symbolism
Outdoor Connections:
Built environment hikes
Childrens museum outdoor connection
Downtown walking tour
Landmark hikes

Visible Thinking:
-Reasoning and Drawing
Conclusions
-Comparing and Contrasting

Thinking Routines:
-See Think Wonder
-Claim Support Question

Stage 2-Determine Assessment Evidence

What evidence will be needed to showcase students abilities around topic
or concept?
During this stage consider evidence of learning, ask
How will we know that students really understand the identified big
idea(s)?
How will we know if students have achieved the desired results and met the
content standards?
What will we accept as evidence of proficiency?
What evidence/documentation is needed to validate the desired results of
Stage 1?
Performance Tasks:
Through what authentic
performance tasks will students
demonstrate the desired
understandings?
By what criteria will performances

Other Evidence:
Through what other evidence will
students demonstrate
achievement of the desired
results?
How will students reflect upon and

of understanding by judged?
Building challenges & reflections
Bridge building project

self-assess their learning?

Journal entries
Paper and pencil assessments

Stage 3- Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

What are the learning activities?
During this stage ask
What will need to be taught and coached? How should it best be taught, in
light of the performance goals?
What sequence of activity best suits the desired results?
How will we make learning both engaging and effective, given the goals and
needed evidence?
Learning Activities:
Architectural styles research
Applying understanding of architectural styles to local buildings
Landmark hunt
Building challenges (domes, bridges, skyscrapers, arches)
Physical representations of concepts using bodies