Designing a unit backwards
Backward design is an old idea that still catches teachers out. Start from what students should be able to do, and let everything else follow.
Ravi MenonJul 28, 20261 min readBackward design means planning in the opposite order to how we usually do it: outcomes first, assessment second, lessons last.
Step 1 — name the destination
What should a student be able to do at the end that they cannot do now? Be specific enough that you could recognise it in their work.
Step 2 — design the check
How will you know they got there? Write the assessment before the lessons. It keeps the teaching honest.
Step 3 — build the path
Now plan lessons — but only the ones that move students towards the destination. Anything that does not is a candidate for cutting.
#curriculum#planning#assessment
