Understanding by Design: Teaching framework

Mariett L. Bergantin

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” (Covey, 1994)

Effective and engaging pedagogy coupled with meaningful assessment of student performance amounts to effective learning. This paradigm is espoused by Understanding By Design (UBD). Understanding by design is not a teaching method teaching framework, which is not a teaching method or pedagogy, rather it is a framework developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe which aims to improve student’s learning performance.

Traditionally, teaching starts from setting learning goals and ends in assessment which is according to the content of textbooks and Learning Competencies (PSSLC) specified by Department of Education following the Revised Basic Education Curriculum. With the new framework, Ubd focuses on the “backward design process” of presenting material and assessment. The idea of planning “backward” is emphasized by starting from results or outcomes and then proceeds to goals/objectives. The process focuses on how the student will have deeper understanding by identifying what the student know already and what the student need to know. The teacher’s role then is two-fold: as a designer and as a coach/facilitator. As a designer, the teacher design or plan student learning and teaching methods at the same time facilitates the learning process in classroom. The new framework forces the teacher to be creative thinkers and designers in what she wanted for her students to learn/know and what she expect her student to do/perform on the said lesson. This minimizes the problem of “textbook coverage” and rote memorization.

Wiggins and McTighe provide a useful process for establishing curricular priorities. They suggest you ask yourself three questions as you progressively focus in on the most valuable content:

1. What should participants hear, read, view, explore or otherwise encounter?   This knowledge is “worth being familiar with.”
2. What knowledge and skills should participants master?  Sharpen your choices by considering what is “important to know and do” for your students.  What facts, concepts and principles should they know?  What processes, strategies and methods should they learn to use?
3. What are big ideas and important understandings participants should retain?  These choices are the “enduring understandings” that you want students to remember after they’ve forgotten the details of the course.

The second part of the backward design process deals with the construction of suitable assessment methods. This will be covered in the second part of this article.

References

Wiggins, G. and McTighe J.. Understanding by Design. Expanded 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2005.p 242.

Note:
Mariett L. Bergantin obtained a Masters degree in Physics Education from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2010. Her research interests are geared towards curriculum and instruction. She is currently affiliated with the Basic Education Department, Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

Essay questions for dynamics: Laws of motion and gravitation

by Quirino Sugon Jr.

I.  Physical Laws.  State the following laws in one sentence.

1. Law of universal gravitation
2. Gauss’s law for gravitation
3. Newton’s first law of motion
4. Newton’s second law of motion
5. Newton’s third law of motion

II.  Application.  Answer the following questions in at most two sentences.

1. Why are there high tides and low tides?
2. If you drill a hole from the North Pole to the South Pole and you drop the stone on the hole, what will happen to the stone?  Describe its motion.
3. If you are in a supermarket and you wish to buy meat, how do you estimate the force constant of the spring in the weighing scale?
4. Are the geostationary satellites not moving?
5.  You are standing on  top of a weighing scale while in an elevator.  If the elevator’s cables snap and the elevator falls freely, what happens to your weight and mass?  Why?
6. How do you measure the mass of the earth?
7. How did Cavendish measure the gravitational constant?
8. What is dark matter and why do scientists believe such matter exist?

Identification questions for dynamics: Laws of motion, gravitation, rotations, and oscillations

by Quirino Sugon Jr.

Read Hewitt, 9th ed., Chapters 2, 3, 5 (Newton’s laws), 9 (Gravity), 10 (Projectile and Satellite Motion), 19 (Vibrations and Waves)

I.  Identification.  Identify the word or phrase described.  Write your answer on the space provided before each number.

1. A state when the net force acting on an object is zero
2. Push or pull
3. Property of things to resist changes in motion
4. Quantity of matter in an object
5. Force of gravity on an object
6. A law relating the intensity of an effect to the inverse square of the distance from the cause
7. a condition encountered in free fall wherein a support force is lacking
8. The influence that a massive body extends into space around itself, producing a force on another massive body.
9. A concentration of mass resulting from gravitational collapse, near which gravity is so intense that not even light can escape.
10. The primordial explosion that is thought to have resulted in the expanding universe
11. The speed that a projectile, space probe, or similar object must reach to escape the gravitational influence of the Earth or celestial body to which it is attracted.
12. Maximum displacement in a sinusoidal motion
13. Number of vibrations per unit time
14. Time for one complete oscillation

II.  Symbols.  Identify the symbol or group of symbols described.  Write your answer on the space provided before each number.

1. Force
2. Net force
3. Component of a force along the x-direction
4. Component of acceleration along the y-direction
5. Amplitude
6. Angular velocity
7. Frequency
8. Period
9. Phase angle
10. Unit for frequency
11. Unit for angular frequency
12. Gravitational constant
13. Unit for force equal to
14. Orbital radius
15. Volume
16. Volume of a sphere
17. Area of a circle
18. Surface area of a sphere
19. Product of the masses
20. Square of the distance
21. Force constant of a spring
22. Opposite

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: A current coil as an electromagnet

by Ereees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba
Department of Physics, Ateneo de Manila University

An electromagnet constructed out of a coiled wire and battery. An iron rod is inside the coil.

Objective

Demonstrate the principles behind electromagnets

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up is composed of a coil of wire, an iron rod, a push button switch, and a power supply

Demonstration

The coil of wire is directly connected to the power supply. When the switch is turned ON, what do you think will happen to the iron rod found within the coil? Why?

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Diffraction spectra of hydrogen, helium, and mercury

by Erees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba
Department of Physics, Ateneo de Manila University

Spectral tubes for hydrogen, helium and mercury. The diffraction grating has 600 lines per mm.

Objective

Show that different wavelengths of light diffract at different angles.

Description of the Set-Up

This demonstration requires diffraction gratings, spectral tubes containing different gases and power supply for the tubes.

The spectral tubes contain different gases: hydrogen, helium and mercury. The diffraction grating used has a specification of 600 lines per mm

Demonstration

Attach a spectral tube to the power supply and observe the spectral lines emitted by the gas using the diffraction grating. Is the light emitted monochromatic? Is the spectrum continuous or is it composed of discrete lines?

Do the same for the other spectral tubes. Compare the emission spectra of the different gases.

Precaution

The power supply for the spectral tubes has a high voltage output. Do not touch its electrodes.

Hydrogen gas in a spectral tube

Helium gas in a spectral tube

Mercury gas in a spectral tube

Diffraction spectra of hydrogen

Diffraction spectra of helium

Diffraction spectra of mercury

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Multiple slit diffraction

by Erees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba
Physics Department, Ateneo de Manila University

Laser pointer and diffraction grating mounted on an optical bench

Objective

Show diffraction of light through multiple slits.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up is composed of an optical bench, a laser Pointer, diffraction gratings and a white screen.

The laser pointer and the diffraction grating are mounted on the optical bench

Demonstration

Best results are attained when this activity is done in a dark room.

Point the LASER towards the screen. Switch it ON and place the diffraction with the least number of lines per mm on the path of the laser beam. A series of red bright spots are observed on the screen.

What will happen to the distance between the bright spots if the grating is moved closer to the screen?

Repeat the activity using a grating having greater number of lines per mm. How will the decrease in slit distance affect the distance between the bright spots found on the screen?

Precaution

Be extra careful in handling the laser. Never point the laser beam at anybody.

Fringe pattern produced using the 100 lines per mm diffraction grating

Fringe pattern produced using the 300 lines per mm diffraction grating

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Convection current in a liquid

by Erees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba
Physics Department, Ateneo de Manila University

Square-shaped glass tubing, blow torch, ink and matches

Objective

Demonstrate the convection of heat in a liquid.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up consists of a close square-shaped glass tubing with an opening at the top for adding ink or dye, a blow torch, water, ink or dye, dropper, matches, iron stand and clamp.

Demonstration

Mount the glass tubing on the support as shown in the illustration. Fill the tube with water. Using the dropper, put ink or dye in the water. Light the blow torch and heat the lower-left part of the vertical arm of the glass.

Describe the motion of the fluid. What is the direction of the current?

What happens to the fluid when the lower-right part of the vertical arm of the glass is heated?

Precaution

Put any combustible material away from the lighted blowtorch.

The mounted glass tubing is heated at its lower-right portion. To which direction will the current flow? Why?

The mounted glass tubing is heated at its lower-right portion by a blow torch

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Convection current in air

by Erees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba
Department of Physics, Ateneo de Manila University

Candle, mosquito coil, matches, and a transparent box with two chimneys

Objective

Demonstrate convection of heat in air.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up consists of a transparent box with two chimneys, a candle and a mosquito coil. The match is used to light the candle.

Demonstration

Light the candle and place it inside the box near the opening of one of the chimneys. Light the mosquito coil until it glows red then put off the flame. With the box closed, place the mosquito coil near the top of the second chimney.

Observe what happens to the smoke coming from the coil.

The lighted mosquito coil is placed near the opening of the second chimney.  Where did the smoke from the mosquito coil go? Why?

A lighted mosquito coil about to be placed on top of the chimney that has no candle

A lighted mosquito coil placed on top of the chimney that has no candle

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Bulbs in series and parallel circuits

by Erees Queen Macabebe and Ivan Culaba

Fig. 1. Two 100 Watt bulbs connected in a series

Fig. 2. A 25 Watt bulb and and a 100 W bulb connected in a series.

A. SERIES CIRCUIT

Objective

Demonstrate the effect of a difference in power rating of two bulbs in a series circuit in relation to voltage, current and resistance of the filaments.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up consists of two 100 W bulbs in series and a spare 25 W bulb.

The two 100 W bulbs are connected in series in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2, the second bulb was replaced with the 25W bulb. Why
does it glow while the 100 W bulb doesn’t?

Demonstration

With the two 100 W bulb connected in series, switch the circuit ON and observe the intensity of light emitted by the two bulbs. How is the light intensity of the two bulbs related to the voltage across the bulbs and the current through them?

Turn the circuit OFF and replace one of the bulbs with the 25 W bulb. Switch ON the circuit. What do you observe? Explain your observation in terms of voltage, current and the difference in power rating.

Precaution

The bulbs are warm once you’ve turned it ON. Wait for it to cool down or use a towel when replacing the bulbs.

Fig. 3. Two 100 W bulbs connected in parallel

Fig. 4. A 100 W bulb and a 25 Watt bulb connected in parallel

B. BULBS IN PARALLEL

Objective

Demonstrate the effect of a difference in power rating of two bulbs in a parallel circuit in relation to voltage, current and resistance of the filaments.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up consists of two 100 W bulbs in parallel and a spare 25 W bulb.

The two 100 W bulbs are connected in parallel

The second bulb was replaced with the 25W bulb. Which of the
two bulbs glow brighter? Why?

Demonstration

With the two 100 W bulb connected in parallel, switch the circuit ON and observe the intensity of light emitted by the two bulbs. How is the light intensity of the two bulbs related to the voltage across the bulbs and the current through them?

Turn the circuit OFF and replace one of the bulbs with the 25 W bulb. Switch ON the circuit. What do you observe? Explain your observation in terms of voltage, current and the difference in power rating.

Precaution

The bulbs are warm once you’ve turned it ON. Wait for it to cool down or use a towel when replacing the bulbs.

Interactive Lecture Demonstration: Bouyancy of a medicine dropper

by Reese Macabebe and Ivan Culaba

Medicine dropper floating in the water inside a plastic bottle

Objective

Demonstrate that changes in the density of an object due to fluid pressure causes an object immersed in a fluid to float or sink.

Description of the Set-Up

The set-up consists of a 2-liter plastic bottle with screw cap, a medicine dropper and tap water.

Demonstration
Fill the 2-liter plastic bottle with tap water almost to the top. Draw water into the medicine dropper until it is approximately 3/4 full then drop the medicine dropper into the plastic bottle. The medicine dropper floats in the bottle just below the surface of the water. Tightly screw the cap into the bottle and squeeze the sides of the bottle.

What will happen to the dropper if you squeeze the bottle? If you release your grip on the bottle, what will happen to the dropper? movie

Note

For this demonstration, food coloring was added to the water inside the medicine dropper for distinction.