FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

Jacob Johnston

FRIT 7430: Instructional Design

Stage 1, Understanding by Design

Fall 2009
FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

UbD Stage 2 Template

Stage 2 – Determine Acceptable Evidence
Title of Theme in Literature Grade 10
Unit Level
Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results
List the understandings of your unit: Students will understand that…
Facet 1, Explanation: Theme is what the story says about life in general and is not
specific to the story.

Facet 2, Interpretation: There is no one “right” theme for a story, but a theme has to be
connected to the story.

Facet 3, Application: Authors use other elements of fiction (conflict, character,

symbolism, etc.) to help communicate the theme without stating it directly.

Facet 4, Perspective: Different readers may understand different themes from the same
work of literature.

Facet 5, Empathy: Many themes are universal, meaning they apply to people living in
many different cultures and time periods.

Facet 6, Self Knowledge: The theme must be connected to the elements of the story and
we need to check our idea of the theme against what was in the story.

Related Misconceptions: There is a “right” answer to the question, “What is the theme.”
Life is so different now or so different in other countries that we cannot relate to stories
from other times or cultures.

Essential Questions
(copy and paste from Stage 1)

Overarching Questions: How can a theme Topical Questions: What is theme?

be universal when people and cultures are How can we use the elements of the
so different? Why is identifying the theme story to identify the theme? How do
of a story or poem important? authors communicate the theme if they
don’t come out and say it directly?
FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

Stage 2 - Evidence

Performance Task(s)
Be sure to indicate:

Goal: To identify the theme of one of the stories we have read, connect it to your own life
and create a short play based on your life that conveys that same theme.
Role: You (along with your group) are a playwright and actor like William Shakespeare.
Audience: Your fellow classmates.
Situation: You have to write and perform a short play that makes sense and tries to
entertain your fellow classmates.
Product Performance and Purpose: With your group mates you need to develop a
written script for a play that conveys the same theme as one of our reading selections
without telling the same story. You must use elements of literature to suggest the same
or similar theme the same way professional authors do.
Standards and Criteria for Success: The plot of your play is different from that of the
story you chose. You identify a theme of the original work. You use that theme as the
basis for a new story. The new story must be written as a play. The play must be
performed in class.
FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

Performance Task(s) Rubric(s)

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Focus on the Consistently stays Focuses on the task Focuses on the task Rarely focuses on
task focused on the task and what needs to be and what needs to be the task and what
and what needs to be done most of the done sometimes. needs to be done.
done. Very self- time. Other group Other members must Lets others do the
directed. members can count sometimes remind work.
on this person. this person to be on-
task.
Working with Almost always listens Usually listens to, Often listens to, Rarely listens to,
Others to, shares with, and shares, with, and shares with, and shares with, and
supports the efforts of supports the efforts of supports the efforts of supports the efforts
others. Tries to keep others. Does not others, but of others. Often is
people working well cause "waves" in the sometimes is not a not a good team
together. group. good team member. player.

Identification of The students clearly Students identified a Students identified a Students failed to
the original identified a theme theme and supported theme from the identify a theme
from the original story their claim with original story but did from the original
theme (x2) and supported their evidence from the not support their story. If the theme
claim with evidence story, but the claim with evidence turned in is not
Facet 1: of character, plot, evidence may be from the story or the generalized or has
Explanation setting, conflict and vague or the theme evidence was not no apparent
other elements from may not be well relevant. connection to the
Facet 2: the story. connected to the story, it scores as a
Interpretation story. 1.
Connection of Students clearly and Students made an Students made an The play has no
Theme (x2) convincingly used the obvious attempt to attempt to connect apparent connection
theme they identified connect the theme to the theme to their to the original
in the original story their own lives in an own lives in an theme.
Facet 3: and applied it to their autobiographical play, autobiographical play,
Application own lives in an and the elements of and the elements of
Facet 4: autobiographical play. the play usually the play only
support the original sometimes support
Perspective theme. the original theme.
Facet 5:
Empathy
Quality of Script The play is written The play is clearly The play is a little The play is not
clearly, the story is written and it is difficult to follow, but written clearly and is
easy to follow, and it usually easy to follow, the overall idea can difficult to follow or
is entertaining. but little effort has be identified. enjoy for the
been used to make audience.
the story entertaining.

This assessment addresses Facet 1 in that the students explain why came up with the
theme. It addresses Facet 2 in that it requires interpretation to even identify the theme
using the strategies we discussed in class. Facet 3 is covered in that the students use
what they know about theme and how it’s communicated to write their own story
conveying the stated theme. Facet 5 is used in the way they use a theme that was based
on a character unlike them and then apply that theme to their own life. The rubric
addresses Facet 6: Self-Knowledge.
FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

Other Evidence
(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)

 Quiz: Unit vocabulary to make sure students are familiar enough with the terms
used to discuss theme.
 Discussion: Class discussions about the assigned readings will be used as
informal evidence of student understanding.
 Informal writing: Students will answer questions about theme in the assigned
readings with written answers.
 Traditional Test: The traditional test will ask some multiple choice questions
dealing with theme along with essay questions in which students have to discuss
their process for identifying theme in a previously unread short story.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

 Rubric: The students will be able to use the rubric to self-assess their group
project. The rubric will be discussed in class and using it to self assess will be
modeled.
 Journals: Students will regularly journal on topics that ask theme to explain what
they think is difficult and easy or what they need to improve on and will always
be asked to explain why.
 FRIT 7430: UbD Stage 2 Assignment

UbD Stage 2 Scoring Rubric

(0 Point) (1-2 Points) (3 Points)

Your
Score
1. Assessments are not Assessments appear to Utilizes the six facets to
representative of utilize some facets to build build assessments for
different facets of assessments for understanding.
understanding. understanding. Assessments clearly /3
identify the correlating
facet.

Assessments demonstrate
congruency among goals
2. Performance task(s) Designs performance task, Designs authentic
are not authentic which requires learners to performance task(s)
exhibit understanding
through authentic Task(s) in alignment with
performance tasks. goals and standards
/3
3. Does not provide Designs appropriate Designs a scoring rubric that
scoring rubric for criterion-based scoring includes distinct traits of
the performance rubric to evaluate learner understanding and
task(s) performance task(s) successful performance /3
4. Selection of Includes at least two Includes a variety (at least 3
assessment formats different formats of types) of appropriate
is limited. assessment. assessment formats within
the unit to provide /3
additional evidence of
learning
5. Fails to provide Provides opportunities for Self-assessments clearly
opportunities for learners to self-assess. used as feedback and /3
learners to self- reflection for students and
assess. teachers, as well as for
evaluation.
Your Total Score /15