3. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
What are the most important elements of effective
lesson design?
Setting clear objectives
What do you want students to be able to do and understand?
Aligned objectives to the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS)
Assessments
Assignments
Activities
4. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
Why are good learning objectives critical to
planning effective instruction?
Objectives are important because they are what a
student must achieve to accomplish what the teacher
states is to be learned, comprehended, or mastered.
(Wong, 1998)
Objectives are actions that are going to take place.
A teacher must use these to continually make sure that the
class is aligned and is on course.
5. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
Sample learning
objective
Specify and partition a
whole into equal parts,
identifying and counting
unit fractions by drawing
pictorial area models.
This objective is “good”
because:
Clear
Concise
Assessable
Is aligned with the CCSS
– 3.NF.1
Understand a fraction 1/b
as the quantity formed by
1 part when a whole is
partitioned into b equal
parts; understand a
fraction a/b as the quantity
formed by a parts of size
1/b
6. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
What are common pitfalls in planning effective
planning?
Designing a lesson plan starting with assignments or
activities first.
Not aligning objectives with CCSS
Activities are not measurable
Rushing through content
7. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
How to avoid common pitfalls in lesson planning?
“Learning should be considered a comprehensive, holist
ic, transformative, and wide-ranging
process that integrates academic learning, goal setting,
student experiences, and assessment, processes
that are often considered independent of each other.”
(Newman, 2013)
Begin with the end goal in mind
What is it that you want students to be able to do or
understand at the end of this lesson?
Think ahead
How will this objective and activities connect with future
learning concepts?
8. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
What is backwards design?
Backwards design is a way to design lessons beginning
with the focus standard and determining the final
outcome.
Determine what is it you want students to be know or be able
to do at the end of the lesson.
Next, design an assessment to measure students.
Then, determine which activities or assignments will best help
students reach that outcome.
Finally, you teach the content based on what you have outlined
and prepared for this content.
9. EFFECTIVE LESSON DESIGN AND BACKWARDS
DESIGN
How does the CCSS Initiative play a role in designing
effective instruction?
While the Common Core State Standards significantly reduced
the number of standards that must be covered, there are still
choices to be made. These include deciding which topic to
start teaching, which outcomes to start with, how to scaffold
skills and knowledge appropriately, and which standards to
break into smaller units, which to teach continuously, and
which to teach as a whole (Wiggins & McTighe, 2012).
11. BACKWARDS DESIGN VS. TRADITIONAL MODEL
Begin with the learning
outcome
Develop assessments before
assignments
Focuses on the desired goals
of the lesson
Begins with choosing
activities and assignments
Focuses on inputs
Develop assessments after
assignments
Starts
with the
learning
standards
13. MODELING THE PROCESS
Identifying desired outcome
Select standard
3.MD.A.1- Draw a picture graph and a scaled bar graph to
represent a data set with several catgories. Solve one- and
two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems
using information presented on scaled bar graphs. (CCSS,
2013)
Determine outcome
At the end of this lesson students will be able to draw a scaled
bar graph that represents a given data set.
14. MODELING THE PROCESS
Assessment Evidence
Exit Slip – Favorite Color
Draw a scaled bar graph using the given set of data
Red- 7
Yellow- 3
Blue- 6
Green- 3
Orange- 4
15. MODELING THE PROCESS
Learning Activities
Concept Development (I do – We do – You do)
Teacher models constructing a scaled bar graph
Teacher models every step it takes to create a scaled bar
graph, explicitly explaining the parts of a bar graph and how
to use the data set to create a scale and how to label each
part of the graph
Teacher and student construct a scaled bar graph
Students work constructing a scaled bar graph with
assistance from teacher
Students work independently to construct a scaled bar graph
Students should use the previous examples to guide their
work. Using the steps to help them complete the bar graph.
16. MODELING THE PROCESS
Assessment
Teacher will use an “exit slip” to assess students’
understanding of the concept.
The assessment was created in step 2 of the design process
Exit Slip – Favorite Color
Draw a scaled bar graph using the given set of data
• Red- 7
• Yellow- 3
• Blue- 6
• Green- 3
• Orange- 4
17. MODELING THE PROCESS
Feedback
Teacher will use this
assessment to provide
feedback to students
New Topic
After completing the
lesson and assessing
students’ understanding
the teacher will then
begin preparing for the
new topic
18. REFERENCES
Lemov, Doug (2010). Teach Like a Champion. Jossey-
Bass
Wong, Harry (1998). The First Days of School. Harry K.
Wong Publications
NYS Common Core Mathematics Curriculum (2013).
http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/atta
chments/math-g3-m6-full-module.pdf
Newman, Richard (2013). Teaching and Learning in the
21st Century: Connecting the Dots. Bridgepoint
Education, Inc.