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Preparing Educators to Teach the Enduring Understandings of

their Disciplines
Anne Ren Elsbree & Pat Stall, California State University San Marcos aelsbree@csusm.edu

pstall@csusm.edu

This session explores content discipline truths and what disciplines aspire to reveal the big essential questions they ask/answer.

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Introductions
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF

NAME

POSITION & CONTENT AREA

REASON FOR SESSION ATTENDANCE

Wiggins & McTighes

Understanding By Design

Enduring Understanding

a. BIG IDEA:Un-obvious &important inference

b. MORAL OF STORY: Make senseof facts, skills & ideas
c. REQUIRES UNCOVERAGE: not obvious to a novice

Essential Question Guidelines

a. AN OPEN ENDED ANSWER(not true false, yes/no, or set answer)

b. ARGUABLE
c. AT HEART OF SUBJECT
d. RECUR
e. RAISE MORE QUESTIONS Makes you say Hmm!
f. PROVIDE ORGANIZING PURPOSE OF LEARNING
g. ARE QUESTIONS OVERARCHING OR TOPICAL?

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf

PURPOSE
OF
CONTENT:
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Think Big

TEACHER PREP ACTIVITY

1.

What is the purpose of learning content?

2.

How will content relate to students lives?

3.

How will content help students solve real world

problems?

4.

How will content help students pursue

goals/dreams?

5.

How do content concepts help students to

develop social and emotional skills?

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TEACHER PREP ACTIVITY
What is the purpose of
learning content?

What is the purpose of

learning content?

1.

How will content relate to

students lives?

1.

How will content relate to

students lives?

2.

How will content help

students solve real world
problems?

2.

How will content help

students solve real world
problems?

3.

How will content help

students pursue
goals/dreams?

4.

How do content concepts

help students to develop
social and emotional skills?

3.

4.

How will content help

students pursue
goals/dreams?
How do content concepts
help students to develop
social and emotional skills?

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Clock Meetings

World Languages

Social Science

English

Science

Physical Education

Math

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CONSENSUS
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING
What is the purpose of learning this content?
How will the content concepts relate to students lives?
How will the content concepts help students solve problems in
their lives?
How will the content concepts help them pursue their goals
and dreams?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What big question do you want students to answer with
content?

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SAMPLE MATH LESSON

Enduring Understanding: Math can help solve problems

Essential Questions: How can we use math in our lives to solve problems?

Student Activities

1.

Reading Articles

a.

Is Algebra Necessary? http://www.mathguide.com/issues/whymath.html

b.

Why Must I Learn Math?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinionsunday/is-alegebra-necessary.html?_r=0

2.

Vocabulary Word Drawing Learn Words in Articles

3.

Pro/Con T Chart Learning Math in School

4.

Article Quote Poster

5.

Gallery Walk of Article Quote Posters

6.

Summative Assessment - Paragraph Writing: Should we have math class in

school?

+Next Generation Science

Standards

Specifically, a core idea for K-12 science instruction should:

1. Have broad importance across multiple sciences or engineering
disciplines or be a key organizing principle of a single discipline.
2. Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more
complex ideas and solving problems.
3. Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be
connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or
technological knowledge.
4. Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing
levels of depth and sophistication. That is, the idea can be made
accessible to younger students but is broad enough to sustain
continued investigation over years.

What Does Liberty Look Like?

10
Compelling Questions through disciplinary lenses
National Council for the Social Sciences
Civics: What is the
line between liberty
and responsibility?
History:
How did
Americans
Gain their
Liberty?

Geography: How does

liberty change from
place to place?

Economics:
Does more
liberty mean
more prosperity?

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Session Application
How can you use
Enduring Understanding
& Essential Questions
to inform your own work?

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Thank you for coming!
Anne

12

Ren Elsbree, Ph.D. & Pat Stall,

Ph.D.
California

State University San Marcos

aelsbree@csusm.edu
PPT

& pstall@csusm.edu

is available at:

www.csusmsinglesubjectprogram/oela-grant.
html