Edse 4244 Social Studies Methods

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Edse 4244 Social Studies Methods

• Crafting Understandings in UbD

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Understanding

• Understanding involves grasping big ideas, as
  reflected in thoughtful and effective transfer.
  Transfer is typically manifested in performances
  involving one or more of the six facets of
  understanding.

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Understanding

• Refers to transferable, big ideas having enduring
  value beyond a specific topic. Understanding is
  best acquired by uncovering, developed
  inductively, or constructed by the learner, and
  doing the subject.

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Overarching Understandings

• A president is not above the law
• Democracy requires a courageous, not just a free
  press.
• In a free market economy, price is a function of
  demand versus supply.

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Topical Understandings

• Watergate was a major constitutional crisis, not
  a third rate burglary.
• Sales figures from Ebay indicate that one
  persons junk is another persons treasure.

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Understanding and Knowledge

• An understanding is inference drawn from facts
  (knowledge).

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Understanding and Skills

• Units and courses that focus on skill development
  need to include desired understandings, so as to
  understand the skills underlying concepts, why
  the skill is important, what strategies and
  techniques maximize its effectiveness, and when
  to use them.

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Stating understandings

• Dont use students should understand THE(this
  will tend to focus you on knowledge or a concept)
• Instead, students should understand THAT (this
  will focus you on an enduring, transferable
  understanding)