3. Advantages of Alternative
Assessments
• They provide a means of assessing valued
skills that cannot be directly assessed with
traditional tests.
• They provide a more realistic setting for
student performance than traditional tests.
• They focus on student performance and the
quality of work performed by students.
• They can be easily aligned with established
learning outcomes.
4.
5.
6.
7. Understanding By Design
Backward Planning:
the practice of looking at the outcomes in order
to design curriculum units,
performance assessments, and classroom
instruction.
8. Stage 1: Identify the
Desired Results
Learning Outcomes
What relevant goals will this unit address?
History of Yoga Unit:
• Students will acquire basic knowledge about
the history of Yoga and its influences and
representation in the Arts.
9. Stage 1: Identify the
Desired Results
Enduring Understandings
• What understandings about the big ideas are
desired? (what you want students to understand &
be able to use several years from now)
Students will understand that...
• Yoga is not a religion
• Yoga is not a competitive sport
• The practice of yoga has its roots in South Asian
Indian thought
• Many common themes can be seen throughout the
centuries in both writing and the arts
10. Stage 1: Identify the
Desired Results
Essential Questions
• What provocative questions will foster inquiry into
the content? (open-ended questions that stimulate
thought and inquiry linked to the content of the
enduring understanding)
Content specific….
• In what ways have the philosophies associated with
yoga influenced the art and practices throughout
history?
• How do these philosophies influence daily life?
11. Stage 1: Identify the
Desired Results
Knowledge:
• What knowledge will students acquire as a result of
this unit? This content knowledge may come from
the objectives, or might also address pre-requisite
knowledge that students will need for this unit.
Students will know...
• Yoga focuses on balance between mind, body, and
spirit
• Yoga’s roots are in South Asian Indian thought
• Philosophies can be seen in much of the art
12. Stage 1: Identify the
Desired Results
Skills
• What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? List
the skills and/or behaviors that students will be able to exhibit
as a result of their work in this unit.
Students will be able to…
• Recognize themes represented in South Asian Indian art
• Discuss the influence of the philosophy in the exhibit
• Share observations regarding the representation of the
philosophies
• Match South Asian Indian exhibits with their underlying
philosophies
• Design a visual representation of their visit to the museum
13. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will
students demonstrate the desired understandings,
knowledge, and skills? (describes the learning
activity in “story” form. Typically, the P.T.
describes a scenario or situation that requires
students to apply knowledge and skills to
demonstrate their understanding in a real life
situation.
By what criteria will performances of
understanding be judged?
14. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
G – Goal
What should students accomplish by completing this
task?
R – Role
What role (perspective) will your students be taking?
A – Audience
Who is the relevant audience?
S – Situation
The context or challenge provided to the student.
P – Product, Performance
15. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
You are a reporter for the local newspaper who is in
charge of writing a review of the current South Asian
Indian exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
This review will be featured in the Lifestyle section of
both the printed and online versions of a local
newspaper in the Saturday edition that is often
purchase by individuals seeking plans for their
weekends. You will have the entire front page of the
section. Your article needs to include the following:
16. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
PART ONE: The first section of the article is a
description of the museum, the artwork and your
reactions. In this section, make sure you have
answered the following questions:
What did you see that surprised you?
Was there anything in the museum that you
particularly liked or disliked? Why?
What was your overall reaction to the museum visit.
This section should only be about half a page or so.
17. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
PART TWO: The second section of the essay should relate what
you saw in the museum to what you are studying in this course.
In this section, make sure you have answered the following
questions:
What did you see in the museum that relates to something we
have studied in this course? Be sure to
include the name of the artist, the approximate date, a brief
description of the work, the work’s title, and
if possible, a picture of the work.
How did this work relate to course content?
How did this piece add to or change your understanding of
course content?
You may use more than one piece of art for this section.
This section should be at least half a page
18. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
S – Standards & Criteria for Success
Create the rubric for the Performance Task
19. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Other Evidence
• Through what other evidence (work
samples, observations, quizzes, tests,
journals or other means) will students
demonstrate achievement of the desired
results? Formative and summative
assessments used throughout the unit to
arrive at the outcomes.
20. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence (work samples,
observations, quizzes, tests, journals or other means) will
students demonstrate achievement of the desired
results? Formative and summative assessments used
throughout the unit to arrive at the outcomes.
• Discussion Board: Students will participate in a game
using the discussion board. Each student will read and
watch the material available and come up with unique
and challenging questions surrounding the material
and will post those questions. Students will also reply
to their peers’ questions. During class time, students
will play a game answering those questions for extra
credit.
21. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Student Self-Assessment
• How will students reflect upon or
self-assess their learning?
22. Stage 3 – Learning Plan
What teaching and learning experiences
will you use to:
• achieve the desired results identified in
Stage 1?
• equip students to complete the
assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?
23. Stage 3 – Learning Plan
• Where are your students headed?
• Where have they been?
• How will you make sure the students know where
they are going?
• What experiences do the learners bring to the unit?
• How have the interests of the learners been
ascertained?
• Have the learners been part of the pre-planning in any
way?
• What individual needs do you anticipate will need to
be addressed?
• Learning environment: Where can this learning best
occur? How can the physical environment be
arranged to enhance learning?
24. Stage 3 – Learning Plan
• How will you engage students at the beginning of the
unit? (motivational set)
Because this is a hybrid course, students’ first experience
will be in the online environment. Course design will be
key to engaging them in the learning. Images and videos
will be used to “hook” the student.
25. Stage 3 – Learning Plan
• What events will help students experience and
explore the enduring understandings and essential
questions in the unit? How will you equip them with
needed skills and knowledge?
