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Feature Story

Backward Planning and Big Ideas in Health Education

Emily M. Schell, Ed.D., Provost at Health Sciences High & Middle College and Visiting Professor at San Diego State University, San Diego, California

How can we help students to understand major concepts and important ideas in health education? Content standards state what students should know and be able to do, and we have a wealth of effective instructional strategies to bring those standards to life. Still, how do we align curriculum, instruction, and assessment in meaningful ways that tap into student interests, knowledge, and experiences?

Through backward planning, teachers help students focus on big ideas and essential questions to personalize and understand concepts in health education.

Many educators have found appealing answers to these questions through the use of backward planning, which is a system of instructional planning that focuses on student understandings.

For example, here are some questions that guide the health and integrated standards units at Health Sciences High & Middle College:

• What is health?
• How does health relate to quality of life?
• Who is responsible for the health of a community?

Here are the steps used for course, unit, and lesson plan development according to backward planning:

1. Start with the End in Mind

   Mapping the curriculum from the end to the beginning is backward mapping. It is important to first establish where you want to end up when you conclude your course, unit, and lesson. This way, you know what your targets look like in terms of knowledge and skills. In most cases, the content standards have already determined these goals and objectives for you. However, there is much more for you to do with these standards. First, identify exactly what students must know and do in each unit. Analyze content standards and other resources that support curricular goals and objectives for this unit. Ask yourself:

   • What do I want my students to know as a result of this unit?
   • What health and life skills will students develop during the course of this unit?
   • How do I describe these goals clearly and concisely to my students so they understand where we should be at the end of this unit?
   • What essential knowledge will students need to access to make sense of this information?
   • Have I developed and introduced any big ideas or essential questions that are pertinent to the content of this unit?
2. Organize Your Content

   Most health teachers agree that health is best taught in a skills-based, hands-on environment relevant to students' lives. The new health education standards focus on building skills that help students use information to achieve and maintain good health. The sequence and pacing of these standards, however, are left to teachers to determine.

3. Identify and Develop Assessments

   Consider the various types of formal and informal assessments that will help you determine if each student has achieved the stated goals and objectives. Some assessments are embedded throughout the unit, while others come at the end. Some assessments are performance-based, some are authentic applications of information and skills, and some require formal recall of information. Ask yourself:

   • What do I want to know about and see from each student?
   • What are the best methods for students to demonstrate what they know and are capable of, based on the goals and objectives?
   • How will I balance formal and informal assessments?
   • How will I assess students with diverse learning styles, skills, and abilities?
   • At what time(s) during the unit will I administer these assessments?
4. Develop Meaningful Instruction

   After the assessments for each unit have been determined, consider the teaching strategies that will support student learning and achievement on these assessments. While developing lesson plans, ask yourself:

   • How will students learn what they are expected to know?
   • What research-based strategies will be most effective with my students?
   • How will I differentiate my instruction to meet the diverse needs of my students?
   • How will I scaffold or provide access to the curriculum for my English learners?
   • Which vocabulary terms require attention?
   • What lessons will I develop?
   • How will these lessons support the assessments previously determined?
5. Locate and Manage Resources

   Effective teaching and learning requires the use of multiple forms of text and varied resources. Consider what you have available in your classroom, including your textbook, and identify resources you will add in order to teach this unit successfully. Ask yourself:

   • What parts of the textbook are required for the lessons?
   • What ancillary materials are needed for the lessons in this unit?
   • What Web sites will I recommend to students to support these lessons?
   • Do I need to contact guest speakers or obtain outside resources?