M5:U3:A2: High Impact Teaching Strategies

Module 5: Unit 3: Activity 1: Forms of Assessment

Module 5: Unit 1: Activity 4:

Although I have never had to work with the Common Core or specific governmental standards, I have definitely work for schools that had developed their own system and their own lesson plans that went along with the specific themes. I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with the terms 'backwards mapping' and 'unpacking'. While I guess I did mentally do some of these tasks in regards to lesson plans I have never formally went through the process discussed in this unit. 

While it would be time consuming to do this (although it would get easier with time) I can definitely see the benefit to going through these processes and planning out specific steps to each lessons. In the end it will lead to a better experience for the students, who will get more out of the lesson, and also for the teacher who will experience less stress the better planned and smoother the lesson goes.

Lesson objectives are something that every teacher should think about when creating or following a lesson plan. There really is very little point in having a class in which the students can't take something with them to use in their time outside the classroom. It is useful to try and focus on what has been termed as '21st Century Skill's', collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, etc., and try and incorporate them into lessons of any subject.


The backward mapping, unpacking, and lesson objectives referred to in this post can be found here:

Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3

The standards came from The International Baccalaureate.