When creating a lesson plan, you should have the end in mind. Would you pack your suitcase before you know where you are going? Time to think about what the destination is. What do you want your students to know at the end of the lesson? This educational model is helpful in the classroom, can be used with all ages, and is based on constructivist learning theory.
The first step is to determine and write all course standards and outcomes. These are not the objectives for the students. You can use Bloom's Taxonomy to make this step much more manageable.
The second step is now to write out the objectives for your students.
The backward design is a method of writing lesson plans. The backward design's fundamental difference from other planning is that you start with the end in mind. Wiggins and McTighe developed this unique framework. It involves three steps:
1.) Identify learning outcomes; what should learners know (content knowledge), do (apply), and be (value) by the end? Identify the curriculum goals student should know.
"This student-centered learning objective must be specific, measurable, and clearly stated. A well-written objective consists of 3 parts:
Behavior – WHAT the learner will be able to do. This part of the objective will always include a verb.
Condition – HOW the learner will perform the behavior. This condition might be a tool, reference, aid, or context that students will or will not be able to use.
Criterion – How WELL the learner must perform to demonstrate content mastery. This refers to a degree of accuracy, the number of correct responses, or perhaps a teacher-imposed time limit".(ModelTeaching, 2021)
2.) Develop aligned assessments: once you have determined the learning outcome, the teacher must decide if the student has learned the content. The teacher can choose from many different assessment methods, which include informal and formal assessments to verify learning.
3.) Develop a learning plan to help the students in the classroom develop understanding. Now it’s time to create your lesson plans! Your backward lesson planning should incorporate both instructional strategies and instructional activities. The strategies are the teaching methods, and activities are how the students interact with the material.
The educator who follows traditional lesson design will typically take these steps:
Identify a topic or content that needs to be covered in class based on academic standards.
Create a sequence of lessons that teach that topic.
Develop an assessment to measure students’ learning during the lesson phase.
Backward lesson design takes the opposite approach. In this case, the teacher will:
Determine what students should know by the end of a particular lesson or unit.
Create an assessment that will measure students’ learning.
Build a lesson or course to prepare students for maximum success on that assessment.
Example of Backward Design
"The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) state that, by grades 6–8, students should be able to “develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.” To achieve this, a unit on moon cycles might be designed to look like this:
Assessment: For their final assessment, students will design, construct and present a working model of the sun, moon, and Earth. The model can be two- or three-dimensional but must contain moving parts. Students must be able to demonstrate and interpret their model to the rest of the class.
Learning: Initial lesson content may feature videos, direct instruction from the teacher, flashcards, and the opportunity to interact with an existing version of the final assessment (a working model of the orbiting bodies).
Progress: Progress assessments can take the form of matching quizzes (“Match the moon phase to the correct image!”), worksheets or backward question-and-answer sessions.
Outcome: By the time students are ready to begin developing their model, each should be able to explain the lunar cycle in their own words. This will also serve as preparation for their final presentation." (Administrator, 2023)
References
Administrator. (2023, June 9). Three basic steps of backward design lesson plans [+faqs]. University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education. https://pce.sandiego.edu/backward-design-in-education/
Deller, J. (2022, September 2). The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy. Kodo survey. https://kodosurvey.com/blog/ultimate-guide-understanding-blooms-taxonomy
MIT Teaching + Learning Lab. (2022). Where to start: Backward design. Where to Start: Backward Design | Teaching + Learning Lab. https://tll.mit.edu/teaching-resources/course-design/backward-design/
Mcleod, S. (2023, June 15). Constructivism learning theory & philosophy of education. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html
ModelTeaching. (2021, November 9). Backward design in lesson planning. Model Teaching. https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/backwards-design-in-lesson-planning
Teachings in Education. (2018, January 17). Writing lesson objectives for classroom teachers. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5wMv_ILXE
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). What is backward design? In Understanding by Design. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/backward-design.pdf
YouTube. (2021a). About Backward Design. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwlUhS_hxBY&t=1s&ab_channel=JerodQuinn.
YouTube. (2013b). Grant Wiggins - Understanding by Design (2 of 2). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNODvvsgxM&t=747s&ab_channel=AvenuesTheWorldSchool.
YouTube. (2013). Grant Wiggins - Understanding by Design (1 of 2). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4isSHf3SBuQ&ab_channel=AvenuesTheWorldSchool.
YouTube. (2018). Writing Lesson Objectives for Classroom Teachers. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5wMv_ILXE&ab_channel=TeachingsinEducation.
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