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Understanding by Design (UbD) Template

Plan backward with the three stages of Understanding by Design: desired results, evidence, then the learning plan. Free, editable and printable.

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Stage 1: Desired results

Standards and goals the unit or lesson targets.

What students should be able to do on their own in new situations.

Students will understand that… (big ideas worth remembering).

Open questions that drive inquiry and recur through the unit.

Facts, vocabulary and concepts.

Skills and processes.

Stage 2: Evidence

Authentic tasks that show understanding and transfer.

Quizzes, observations, work samples, self-assessments.

What a strong performance looks like (rubric headings).

Stage 3: Learning plan

Learning plan

Learning events in order, with timings. Check them against WHERETO.

Everything you need to prepare: texts, slides, manipulatives, handouts, tech.

Support, extension, English learners, IEP/504 accommodations. Describe groups and needs, not named students.

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    What is Understanding by Design?

    Understanding by Design (UbD) is a backward design framework: you decide what students should understand first, then how you'll know they understand it, and only then plan the activities. It has three stages: Stage 1, Desired Results; Stage 2, Evidence; Stage 3, Learning Plan.

    UbD was created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe and first published by ASCD in 1998. It's mostly used for units, but the same three stages work for a single important lesson.

    The three stages

    Stage 1: Desired results

    • Established goals: the standards targeted.
    • Transfer goals: what students should be able to do on their own in new situations.
    • Understandings: big ideas, written as "Students will understand that…".
    • Essential questions: open questions that drive inquiry and come back again and again.
    • Knowledge and skills: what students will know and be able to do.

    Stage 2: Evidence

    • Performance tasks that show understanding in a realistic context, other evidence such as quizzes and observations, and the evaluative criteria you'll use.

    Stage 3: Learning plan

    The learning events, in order. Wiggins and McTighe suggest checking them against WHERETO: Where are we going and why; Hook and hold; Equip students to explore; Rethink, reflect and revise; Evaluate their work; Tailor to different needs; Organize for engagement.

    For a full unit across several weeks, use the unit plan template for the overview and this template for key lessons.

    Worked example: Understanding by Design (UbD) plan

    Here is a complete example made with the maker above. Use it as a model, or load it into the form and change it to suit your class.

    Understanding by Design (UbD) plan

    Why do people move?

    SubjectSocial studiesGrade4
    DateLength50 minutes

    Stage 1: Desired results

    Established goals

    State social studies standard on human movement and migration.

    Transfer goals

    Students will be able to explain the push and pull factors behind a real person's decision to move.

    Understandings

    People move for many reasons, some by choice and some not. Movement changes both the people who move and the places they go.

    Essential questions

    Why do people leave one place for another? How does moving change a community?

    Students will know…

    Push factor, pull factor, immigrant, migration; two migration stories from our state's history.

    Students will be skilled at…

    Sorting causes; reading a simple migration map; asking interview questions.

    Stage 2: Evidence

    Performance tasks

    Students interview a family member or staff member (with permission) about a move, then present the push and pull factors on a poster.

    Other evidence

    Push/pull sorting quiz; journal entries; map reading check.

    Evaluative criteria

    Identifies at least two push and two pull factors; explains effects on the person and the place; uses unit vocabulary.

    Stage 3: Learning plan

    Learning plan

    TimeActivity
    10 minHook: a suitcase with five objects. What would you pack if you had to move tomorrow?
    15 minRead two short migration stories; sort push and pull factors.
    15 minPractice interview questions in pairs.
    10 minReflect on the essential question in journals.

    Materials and resources

    Suitcase and objects, two migration stories, sorting cards, interview planning sheet

    Differentiation and accommodations

    Picture-supported sorting cards; interview question bank; option to present orally instead of a poster.

    Planned time: 50 minutes of 50

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the three stages of backward design?

    Stage 1: identify desired results. Stage 2: determine acceptable evidence. Stage 3: plan learning experiences and instruction.

    Who created Understanding by Design?

    Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The framework was first published by ASCD in 1998 and expanded in later editions.

    What is an essential question?

    An open question with no single quick answer that points to the big ideas of a unit, such as "Why do people move?" Students return to it throughout the unit.

    Can I use UbD for a single lesson?

    Yes, although it was designed for units. For a single lesson keep Stage 1 short and focus on one understanding and one piece of evidence.

    Other lesson plan models

    5E modelEngage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. The inquiry model for science.Madeline HunterThe classic seven-step plan for direct instruction.UDLUniversal Design for Learning: plan for every learner from the start.SIOPContent and language objectives for teaching English learners.edTPACentral focus, academic language and planned supports for student teachers.DanielsonMapped to Domain 1 of the Framework for Teaching for observations.ASCA (school counselor)Mindsets & Behaviors standards with a plan for participation and outcome data.Unit planningUnit plan, scope and sequence, and pacing guide.