Understanding By Design – Backwards Design Process

Kellie Ouzts
(Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002)

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standard(s):
SS4H4 The student will explain the causes, events, and
results of the American Revolution.
D. Describe key individuals in the American Revolution
with emphasis on King George III, George Washington,
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold,
Patrick Henry, and John Adams.

Understanding (s)/goals Essential Question(s):

Students will understand that:
• Individuals can make a
difference
• What impact did key
individuals have on the
American Revolution?
• What information should you
include in your speech?
• How do I conduct a keyword
search?
• How do I create an awesome
voicethread?
• How do I offer peer evaluation
tactfully?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:
• Search, locate, and synthesis information pertaining to their chosen
individual to create a speech for our wax museum and wax museum
voicethread.
• Memorize speech
• Create voicethread of speech and create an introduction thread.
• Comment on classmates’ voicethreads (at least 10)
• Listen and comment back on your own voicethread comments.
• Write a self-reflection of your speech before and after listening to
voicethread comments.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:
• Goal and Role: Your task is to Pre-test Test
work either alone, with a Cumulative group assignment
 group, or with a peer. Follow
podcast directions in order to
conduct a keyword search.
Then, you will conduct a search
on your chosen Revolutionary
war individual and answer
questions provided on your
worksheet.
• Audience: Student(s)
• Situation: You will listen to the
podcast and follow directions
to complete the assignment
• Product: worksheets (2)
• Standards and Criteria for
Success: To be considered
successful, you will correctly
answer 95% of all questions
accurately. (explain)
• pre-assessment thumbs-
up/thumbs-down keyword
search questions
• Written reflection of your
speech before viewing
comments. Written reflection
after viewing voicethread
comments. Teacher
conference. Project. (self-
knowledge)
Homework: write a paper(at least one
page) on how you can make a
difference.
(self-knowledge)

• Goal and Role: Your task is to

write a speech from the point
of view of your chosen
Revolutionary War individual.
• Audience: Your audience is the
entire school, teachers,
administrators, parents, and
anyone who visits our
voicethread.
• Situation: In this challenge you
will find yourself writing a
speech, memorizing it,
delivering it at our school-wide
wax museum, and recording it
online at voicethread (explain,
application, perspective,
empathy)
• Product: You will deliver the
speech, dressed as your
individual, at our wax museum
and online at voicethread. You
will also comment on the
voicethreads of your
classmates.
• Standards and Criteria for
Success: You be considered
successful if you meet all
rubric requirements and
successfully record your
voicethread and comment on
 classmates voicethreads.
You will meet with Mrs. Ouzts
after reviewing all comments
on your voice thread for a self-
assessment conference of your
project. (self-knowledge,
empathy)

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
1. Begin with an entry question, “How did individual people change
the past?” H
2. Introduce essential questions. W

3. Introduce Wax Museum and Voice thread assignment. Go over

rubrics and guidelines with the students. Tell them that they will be
given copies of the rubric(s). Students are expected to use their
rubrics and guidelines as resources when planning their speeches,
voicethreads, and when commenting on peer voicethreads. They are
to grade themselves on the rubrics and guidelines and also to bring
these items with them to their teacher/student post conferences.
Rubrics will be given for the presentation and voicethread. W, R, O,H,
E,E2 (journal)

4. Explain that students will first complete a lesson on choosing a

search site. Explain that students will listen to podcast for further
instructions. Students will work alone, with one peer, or with a
small group (no more than four students per group). Before
beginning, students should brainstorm what they know about
internet search sites. W, E, H, T

4. Write on board: Write the following on the board: Yahoo! Kids!,

Kids click!, Ask for Kids, Quintura for Kids, Fact Monster, and
Awesome Library. Tell students that these are the sites they will be
using to complete the choosing a Search Site activity. Explain to
students that they will be working with a partner or in a small group
(more than four). Each person in the group will choose a different
site to work on. First, students will listen to the podcast for
directions. Students should pause podcasts to answer questions on
the back of page one. After completion of the assignment, students
should debate which site would work best for their Wax Museum
individual. E, R, T

5. The group should meet with the teacher to discuss their findings.
The teacher will conduct an oral assessment for understanding. W

6. While groups begin working, the teacher will call small groups
back for clarification based on pre-assessment results. Some
students many only be assigned the wax museum speech with tri-
fold board. Entry level, T, R

7. Students start their Wax museum research using the search site
of their choice. They will write their speech following the rubric
guidelines and meet with the teacher periodically for a progress
check. Students will peer edit their speeches. After the final peer
edit, students will meet with the teacher and be given directions to
put their speech on note-cards for memorization. Students will work
with their group to memorize and practice speeches. Students will
also work on presentations and costumes. E, R,

8. Take the class to the white board in the library and show them a
student created voicethread. Explain that students will be creating
a voicethread on their on. They will listen to a podcast and follow
directions to complete the assignment. W

9. When the teacher feels that a student has his/her speech

memorized, they will individually listen to the podcast and follow
directions to record their voicethread. All students should have
their voicethreads recorded BEFORE the wax museum presentation.
Students should write a reflection of their voicethread presentation
in their social studies journals before comments are posted. R, E2, E

10. After the wax museum school-wide presentations, the students

will listen to and comment on the voicethreads of all their group
mates. The teacher will pair up groups for comments so that all
students have an equal number of comments on there voicethread.
R

11. Students will address comments on their voicethread page. R,

E2, E

12. Students will write a reflection of the suggestions and comments

in their social studies journal and bring the journal with them to
their final teacher conference. R, E2, O, E

Homework: Write a paper (at least one page) on how you can make
a difference. Volunteers will share their papers with the class. R, E2

Resources:

CyberSmart: Lesson plan and worksheets

http://cybersmartcurriculum.org/researchinfo/lessons/4-
5/choosing_a_search_site/

Wax museum rubric retrieved from:

www.ccboe.net/.../4B008BE84B9E47A789031E5A89906BE3.pdf
VoiceThread Rubric adapted from:
http://caslworkshops.pbworks.com/VoiceThread

Links:
Podcast of CyberSmart Lesson:
CyberSmart Podcast

Podcast/Screencast of Voicethread Tutorial:

Voicethread Lesson

Wax Museum Rubric

Category 4 3 2 1 Points
Earned
Historical All historical Almost all Most of the Very little of
Accuracy Information historical historical the historical
appears to be information information information
accurate and appears to be appears to be appears to be
in accurate and accurate and accurate and
chronological in in in
order. chronological chronological chronological
order. order order
Oral Oral Oral Oral Oral
Presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation
lasted at least lasted less lasted at least lasted less
3 minutes. than 3 2 minutes. than 1
Presenter minutes. Presentation minute.
spoke clearly Presenter was choppy Presentation
and portrayed spoke clearly and was choppy
an accurate and portrayed portrayed and
representation an accurate some portrayed
of the representation accurate inaccurate
individual. of the information. information.
individual.
Props/Costume Student uses Student uses Student uses Student uses
several props 1-2 props that 1-2 props NO props, or
(could accurately fit which make the chosen
include the the time the props do not
costume) that period, and presentation make the
accurately fits make the better. presentation
the time presentation better.
period, show better.
considerable
work and
 creativity.
Comments:

VoiceThread Rubric
Student Name:
Exemplary Accomplished Developing Beginning Scor
4 3 2 1 e
Accuracy Responses Most of the The Responses
are accurate. responses are responses are are typically
There are no accurate, but generally confusing or
factual there is one accurate, but contain more
Errors. piece of one piece of that one
information information is factual error.
that might be clearly flawed
inaccurate. or inaccurate.
Understan Students Student Student Student did
d-ing of clearly clearly seemed to not show an
Topic understood understood understand adequate
the topic in- the topic in- the main understandin
depth and depth and points of the g of the topic.
presented his presented his topic and
or her or her topic presented
information with ease. those with
convincingly. ease.
Spelling Written Written Written Written
and responses responses responses responses
Grammar have no have 1-2 have 1-2 have more
misspellings misspellings, grammatical than 2
or but no errors but no grammatical
grammatical grammatical misspellings. and/or
errors. errors. spelling
errors.
 Voice Recorded Recorded Recorded Recorded
voice was voice was voice was voice was
always clear mostly clear sometimes neither clear
and and clear and or
Understandab understandab understandab understandab
le. le. le. le.

Comments Student made Student made Student made Student did

all required all but one comments on not comment
comments on comment on all but two on three or
peer peer peer more peer
voicethreads. voicethreads. voicethereads voicethreads.
Comments Comments Comments Comments
were were were tactful, were not
analytical and analytical and but offered no tactful and
tactful, and tactful, but productive offered no
offered offered no Feedback. productive
productive productive feedback.
feedback. feedback.
Comments:

People to Choose from for the Wax Museum

Abigail Adams Thomas
Jefferson
John Adams Samuel Adams
King George III George
Washington Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson Benedict Arnold
Patrick Henry
Crispus Attucks Ethan Allen
Paul Revere Alexander
Hamilton James Madison
Sybil Ludington
Deborah Sampson Phyllis
Wheatley
Betsy Ross Abigail
Adams Benjamin Franklin
Nathan Hale
Benjamin Banneker Benedict
Arnold
John Hancock Molly
Pitcher
Aaron Burr Patrick
Henry Horatio Gates
Nancy Morgan Hart
Joseph Brant John Paul Jones
Thomas Paine Francis
Marion
Lord Cornwallis Margaret
Cochran Corbin Marquis de Lafayette
Nathanael Greene

Your speech must have an awesome opening and a great hook!

You must include:

where you were born

where and how your person died

if you were married

what jobs you had

what are you known for (MOST IMPORTANT INCLUDE ALL

YOU CAN FIND)

little known or cool facts

conclusion that wraps up your speech and invites the

listener to learn more about you!