Plan Backward, Teach Forward: Incorporating Tiered Assignments into UBD

By Montize Aaron &Elizabeth BrischPattonville School District

In effective classrooms, teachers consider the following:

•Whom they teach (students)•Where they teach (learning environment)•What they teach (content)•How they teach (instruction)

UbD focuses on the “What” and “How”.

“Its primary goal is delineating and guiding application of sound principles of curriculum design.”

Differentiated Instruction focuses on the “Whom”, “Where” and “How”.

“Its primary goal is ensuring that teachers focus on processes and procedures that ensure effective learning for varied individuals.”

UbD and DI together reflect the best of content and learner-centered planning, teaching and assessing

“Think like an assessor, not an activity designer!”

Tiered assignments are designed to facilitate learning for all students in a classroom regardless of experience, skill, or ability in the specific lesson content, process, and product.

They are intended to provide a better instructional match between students and their individual needs.

Six Ways to Structure Tiered Assignments• Tiered by challenge level

▫ Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy▫ Depth of Knowledge (DOK)▫ 6 Facets of Learning

• Tiered by complexity▫ Address needs of students who are at introductory levels, as well as those who

are ready for more abstract, analytical, or advanced work▫ More advanced, not just more work

• Tiered by resources▫ Choosing materials at various reading levels and complexity of content according

to instructional need and/or readiness• Tiered by outcome

▫ Use the same materials, but outcomes are determined by student readiness• Tiered by process

▫ Students work on similar outcomes, but go through different processes• Tiered by product

▫ Gardner’s multiple intelligences

When are Tiered Assignments Helpful?• Are there points when some students need more time and others are ready for more

advanced work (the exit points on your curriculum map)?▫ Tier by challenge▫ Tier by complexity

• Is there an activity in which varied resources could be matched with student readiness?▫ Tier by resources

• Is there an activity in which the same resources could be used to work on basic and advanced outcomes?▫ Tier by outcomes

• Is there an activity in which students could benefit from working toward the same outcome, but by doing different kinds of work?▫ Tier by process

• Is there an activity that students could show that they’ve learned in more than one way?▫ Tier by product

Deciding When & How to Tier an Assignment

• Five questions to ask yourself during planning– Are there points when some students need more time to work on

content or a skill and other students are ready for more advanced work?

– Is there an activity in which varied resources could be matched with student needs and readiness?

– Is there an activity in which the same materials could be used to work on both basic & more advanced outcomes?

– Is there an activity in which students could benefit from working on the same outcome but doing different kinds of work?

– Is there an activity that could result in more than one way for students to show what they’ve learned?

Types of choice activities

• Tic-tac-toe menu– Total of 8 predetermined choices and one free choice – Choices can be written to meet the different learning

styles needs, or to meet the different thinking levels• Benefits

– Flexibility – can cover one topic in depth, or three different objectives

– Easy for students to understand– Weighting – all projects are equally weighted, so grading

and paperwork are easily accomplished• Limitations

– Few topics – covers one or three topics– Short time period – intended for 1-3 week study

Visual

Or

Remember

Kinesthetic

Or

Apply

Auditory

Or

Create

Kinesthetic

Or

Evaluate/create

Visual

Or

Understands

Auditory

Or

Analyze

Visual

Or

Evaluate

Kinesthetic

Or

Apply

Free choice

Types of choice activities• List Menu

– More complex than a tic-tac-toe menu– Total of at least 10 predetermined choices

• Each has its own point value• At least one free choice for students• Points are assigned based on Bloom’s (or DOK, or 6 Facets)

– Choices carry different weights and have different expectations for completion time and effort

– Point criterion is set for 100%, and students choose how to attain that point goal

• Benefits– Students have complete control over their grades– Concept reinforcement

» Allows for in-depth study of material for those who are ready, and gives time for those still learning to choose projects to reinforce the basics

• Limitations– Best when used for just one topic in depth– Teachers must have all materials for all possible projects ready at the

start of the unit

Plan to do

Activity Point value

Date completed

Points earned

Remember/understand

Remember/understand

Apply

Apply

Apply

Analyze

Analyze

Analyze

Evaluate

Evaluate

Create

TOTAL

Types of choice activities• 2-5-8 Menu

– Variation of the list menu, with a total of at least 8 predetermined choices• At least 2 choices from the two lowest levels of Bloom’s• At least 4 choices from the next two levels of Bloom’s• At least 2 choices from the highest levels of Bloom’s

– All levels of choices carry different weights and have different expectations for completion time and effort

– Students are expected to earn 10 points for a 100%• Benefits

– Students have complete control over their grades– Students must complete at least one activity at a higher level of Bloom’s in order

to reach their goal• Limitations

– Works best with one topic– No free choice (unless student is familiar with creating projects according to

Bloom’s• Most students will only complete one activity from the highest levels of

Bloom’s

Directions: Choose two activities from the menu below. The activities must total 10 points. Place a checkmark next to each box to show which activities you will complete. All activities must be completed by _____________.

2 points *Remember *Understand

5 points *Apply *Apply *Analyze *Analyze

8 points *Evaluate *Create

Types of choice activities• Game Show Menu

– Most complex– Covers multiple topics or objectives– At least 3 predetermined choices and a free choice for each objective– Choices are assigned points based on Bloom’s levels (DOK or 6 Facets)– Choices have different weights and different expectations for

completion time and effort– Point criterion set forth that equals 100%– Students must complete one activity from each objective to reach their

goal• Benefits

– Free choice for students– Students have control over final grade– Allows for different learning levels, as students can contract for a certain

number of points for a grade– Students complete an activity for each objective

• Limitations– Students and teachers must meet to assure expectations are understood– Intended for a 4-6 week study

Guidelines: • You must choose at least one activity from each topic area. • You may not do more than two activities in any one topic area for credit.• Grading will be ongoing, so turn in products as you complete them.• All free-choice proposals must be turned in and approved prior to working on that free choice.• You must earn 120 points for a 100%. You may earn extra credit up to ___ points.You must show your plan for completion by ______________.

Subtopic Subtopic Subtopic Subtopic Points for each level

Remember/understand

Remember/understand

Remember/understand

Remember/understand

10-15 points

Apply/analyze

Apply/analyze

Apply/analyze Apply/analyze

20-25 points

Evaluate/create

Evaluate/create

Evaluate/create

Evaluate/create

30 points

Free choice(prior approval)

Free choice(prior approval)

Free choice(prior approval)

Free choice(prior approval)

25-30 points

Total: Total: Total: Total: Total grade:

How do I begin?

• Determine objective(s)• Decide whether to write tasks geared

toward different learning styles or levels of thinking?

• Design enough tasks to fill your menu choice

• Gather materials needed for products• To start, create an all-purpose rubric for

menu products– As this process becomes more comfortable,

specialized rubrics can be created and shared

All-purpose Product Rubric

Advanced Proficient Nearing Proficiency

Content: Content chosen represents the best choice for the product Graphics are well chosen and related to content.

Information or graphics are related to content, but are not the best choice for the product.

Information or graphics presented does not appear to be related to topic or task.

Completeness: All information needed is included. Product meets the product criteria and the criteria of the task as stated.

Some important information is missing Product meets the product criteria and the criteria of the task as stated.

Most important information is missing. The product does not meet the task, or does not meet the product criteria.

Creativity: Presentation of information is from a new perspective. Graphics are original. Product includes an element of fun and interest.

Presentation of information is from a new perspective. Graphics are not original. Product has elements of fun and interest.

There is no evidence of new thoughts or perspectives in the product.

Correctness: All information presented in the product is correct and accurate.

N/A Any portion of the information presented in the product is incorrect.

Communication:

All information is neat and easy to read. Product is in appropriate format and shows significant effort. Oral presentations are easy to understand and presented with fluency.

Most of the product is neat and easy to read. Product is in appropriate format and shows significant effort. Oral presentations are easy to understand, with some fluency.

The product is not neat and easy to read or the product is not in the appropriate format. It does not show significant effort. Oral presentation was not fluent or easy to understand.

Visual

Or

Remember

Kinesthetic

Or

Apply

Auditory

Or

Create

Kinesthetic

Or

Evaluate/create

Visual

Or

Understands

Auditory

Or

Analyze

Visual

Or

Evaluate

Kinesthetic

Or

Apply

Free choice

Plan to do

Activity Point value

Date completed

Points earned

Remember/understand

Remember/understand

Apply

Apply

Apply

Analyze

Analyze

Analyze

Evaluate

Evaluate

Create

TOTAL

Unit Title: James and The Giant Peach

Course: Communication Arts

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Time Frame: One Week

Unit/Course Designer: Jane Teacher

Stage 1—Desired ResultsEstablished Goals: G

Reading Comprehension

Enduring Understandings: UThe students will listen while the story is being read to them, and ask questions for an understanding and gain comprehension with what is happening in the story.

Essential Questions: QHow can asking questions, help me with understanding the story?Why does one need to comprehend to understand the story?

Students will know KThe students will gain the importance of writing and asking questions while listening to the story. The students will understand that while listening one can become one with the book and gain a deeper understanding of the story and what is happening.

Students will be able to… SThe students will be able to create a list of questions from reading or listening to a story.

Stage 2—Assessment EvidencePerformance Tasks: THands on work-tiered assignment

Other Evidence: OEStudent Self-Assessment-ProductTeacher assessments-Tiered assignments (lesson 1-3) 2 assignments*kid watching

Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence (cont.)

Tiered Lessons-Level 1(Critical Thinking)

1.List all the characters from the story and tell me their importance.2.Draw a picture of all the characters, and tell me their importance.3.Make a mobile of all the characters and on the back, write me their importance.

Tiered Lessons-Level 2(Application)

1.Students will make a three-fold brochure, telling me all the important items to the story of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.2.Students will have the choice to make a menu using all the characters from the story-and having fun with it and using an imagination. Examples-Grasshopper Guts selling for 50 cents, or fried lady bug wings for $4.99 as a main dish. The students can bring their creativity out. He/she may split it up into different categories-Main dishes, drinks, or desserts.3.Students will have the choice to make/design an advertisement to go into a newspaper. The student’s will be recommending the book and telling everyone why it should be read.

Tiered Lessons-Level 3(Basic Learning and Skills)

1.The students will make a 10-slide power point explaining the story in complete details.2.The students can form a group of three to four students and design a bulletin board together-to gain a better understanding of the story JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.3.The students can make a collage of the story- JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, or conduct a survey and make a graph to see how many students/adults have read the story of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. When the survey has been conducted, the students will make a graph to show how many have read or have not read the story of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.

References•Differentiating Instruction in the Regular

Classroom by Diane Heacox, Ed.D.•Differentiating Instruction with Menus by

Laurie E. Westphal•Integrating Differentiated Instruction and

Understanding by Design by Jay McTighe & Carol Ann Tomlinson

•Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe