Standards

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Provocative Questions
Outcomes
Standards
How do we get from here
to here?
BIG IDEAS
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What is a Big Idea?

• What makes it a Big Idea?

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A big idea(From Grant Wiggins, Understanding by
Design)

• Is a focusing lens
• Provides great breadth, connections
• Lies at the heart of expert understanding of the
  subject
• Requires uncoverage because its meaning/value
  not obvious, is counter-intuitive, prone to
  misunderstanding

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Big Ideas Typically appear as(From Grant
Wiggins, Understanding by Design)

• Concept (migration, function, quantum)
• Theme (Coming of Age, Go West
• Debate (nature vs. nurture, conservatives vs.
  liberals)
• Point of view (deconstruction, vegetarianism)
• Paradox (Freedom must have limits, imaginary
  numbers)
• Theory (evolution, Manifest Destiny)
• Principle (All men are created equal, Fma)
• Underlying assumption (fair play, texts have
  meaning)
• Question (Why leave home? Can we prove it?)

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Some questions for identifying big ideas (From
Grant Wiggins, Understanding by Design)

• Does it have many layers and nuances, not obvious
  to the naïve or inexperienced person?
• Do you have to dig deep to really understand its
  meanings and implications beyond a surface
  grasp?
• Is it prone to misunderstanding and/or
  disagreement?
• Are you likely to change your mind about its
  meaning and importance over a lifetime?
• Does it yield optimal depth and breadth of
  insight into the subject?
• Does it reflect the core ideas as judged by
  experts?

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Big Ideas. . .
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Sample Big Ideas

• From National Boards
• Teacher Units

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Our Local Native People

• Big Ideas
• People will adapt to their environment in order
  to survive.
• People have historically formulated myths and
  legends to explain occurrences in their
  environments.
• Communities create ceremonies to solidify the
  major events of their culture.

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Master Artist Tribute SeriesLori Emmington

• Big Ideas
• Art is a reflection of the culture and time it
  was made.
• Throughout history, artists have been influenced
  by artists and artistic movements that have
  preceded them.
• A Master Artist is one whose creative ideas,
  discoveries and techniques influenced the
  historical course of art styles and movements.
• One way that we grow as an artist is to look at
  other artists' work, try to understand it
  aesthetically and then use this knowledge to
  continue to improve as an artist.
• A clear understanding of the sensory components
  (elements of art) and the organization of these
  components (principles of design) is necessary
  for the creation and the evaluation of artworks

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Human Systems(Digestive, Respiratory,
Circulatory, and Excretory)
By Amber Fontaine

• THE BIG IDEAS!
• the human body needs systems in order to function
• without one of these systems the human body would
  not function on its own
• scientists use graphs to show data they collected
  in an experiment
• the medical profession was developed out of a
  need to understand how the body works

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Unlocking the Key to the Solar System

• What are the Big Ideas for this unit?
• Systems operate and move in an orderly pattern.
• Gravity influences the paths, orbits and
  processes of celestial bodies.
• The Sun directly affects the possibility of life
  and/or weather patterns on the planets.
• Astronomers have developed and implemented
  formulas and techniques to learn about the solar
  system.

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Soaring throughThe Solar System

• Planet Earth is just a small part of our solar
  system.
• Looking outside of ones self and surroundings
  awakens curiosity and the formulation of new
  ideas.
• Knowing the process of how to solve a
  mathematical problem will give one the ability to
  solve similar problems in different contexts.
• Accumulating knowledge is a never ending process,
  especially with the advancement in technology.

Mrs. Kat Bahry
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BIG IDEAS

• Authors often provide insights about human
  experiences through fiction.
• Everybody is entitled to an opinion about what
  text means, but the text supports some
  interpretations more than others.
• Might does not make right.

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QUADRATIC FUNCTIONS

• BIG IDEAS
• Content Any quadratic equation can be solved
  using the quadratic formula
• Inquiry Projectile motion can be modeled with a
  quadratic equation
• Nature of Math The Fundamental Theorem of
  Algebra determines the possible number of
  solutions to an equation

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Big Ideas

• Political conflict can lead to revolution
• Historical interpretation is influenced by ones
  perspective (Loyalists vs. Patriots or North vs.
  South)
• Compromise is an essential element in the
  creation of historical documents and the shaping
  of new governments
• The role revolution plays in shaping new
  governments and influencing other nations to
  change their governments. (battles, success and
  failure/resources)
• Geography played an important role in the
  American Revolution

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Writing Big Ideas

• Writing is a persuasive, political and powerful
  actauthors write to offer their commentary on
  social, political, religious, and governmental
  norms of the age. Critical thinking skills are
  necessary to interpret and analyze an authors
  views.
• Authors use rhetorical strategies to create
  characters, plot, and setting in order to get
  ideas across. By analyzing how characters
  interact with each other and their environment,
  we can infer what the author thinks of a
  particular topic. These topics and how they are
  developed in a piece act as the theme(s) of a
  piece. Readers can interact with and analyze an
  authors themes.
• Students can incorporate their awareness of an
  authors writing techniques into their own
  writing, and recognize the power in writing and
  communication through this process.

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THE BIG IDEAS

• Writers use specific tools (elements) to
  communicate to the reader.
• Writers write from and are impacted by what they
  know or what has happened in their life.
• There is structure to good writing.
• Our own perspective impacts our understanding.

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Big Ideas ? Weathering, erosion, and
deposition act together in a cycle to wear down
and build up the earths surface, consequently
these forces shape our landscape. ?
Understanding science is often a hands-on
process. ? Scientist use their knowledge of math
and statistics to represent their findings.
Unit Plan Sarah Kirby
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Fishing for Big Ideas . . .

• Since a big idea has many layers and nuances,
  how can you peel your way through the layers of
  misunderstandings, disagreements, and/or
  confusion?
• You may not necessarily know what the big idea
  is yet, but how can you keep probing to break
  through the surface, to peel away through the
  layers of inconsistency until patterns and
  answers begin to emerge?
• What are some possible big ideas that emerge from
  your standards?
• What are some big ideas that emerge from the pile
  of resources related to your unit topic?
  student resource materials, internet, textbooks,
  conversations with your colleagues, etc.
• Narrow in on the big ideas that you feel most
  aptly characterize the nature of your unit.
  Write these as succinct but meaty statements
  one liners that convey the essence of your topic.

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Strategies to arrive at Big Ideas

• Concept Mapping
• Look for Themes or Patterns
• Identify different points of view (nature vs.
  nurture, conservatives vs. liberals)
• Look for Paradoxes (Freedom must have limits,
  imaginary numbers)
• Look for the subtext in underlying assumptions,
  principles, or theories
• Misunderstandings

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Look for Themes or Patterns
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Identify different points of view
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Look for Paradoxes
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Look for the subtext in underlying assumptions,
principles, or theories
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Misunderstandings