As with GTs (and other components of the TfU Framework), making the UGs public by discussing them with students, helps them to know in what direction we are headed and what expectations exist. At first, the presentation of UGs may be puzzling to students. However, I have found that by inviting them into a discussion about UGs leads to further development and refinement of them, in turn providing ownership to the students, helping them (and me) to discover what they already know and understand, as well as identifying questions or misperceptions that exist around a given topic. Posting the UGs in my classroom aides students in on-going reflection regarding their own understanding, allowing for self-assessment and refinement of skills as they progress throughout the unit of study.

According to individual preference, UGs can be stated in sentence or question form, or both. While reflecting on the process I’ve used in developing TfU units, I noticed that when I originally began using the TfU Framework, I would state UGs in both sentence and question form to ensure that I knew exactly what my focus was around a topic. I now find myself putting the unit-sized UGs in sentence form, and my year-long goals or Throughlines (TLs) in question form, noting that this change has primarily come about through my work with and observation of many students over a long period of time. At various points throughout the year I have my students reflect on the TLs (year-long goals) and have found that it is easier for them to do so if they are in question form. It has also been helpful for my elementary school students to see the UGs (unit-sized) in a sentence form that is more straightforward in helping them to remain focused on the concepts or ideas they are working towards understanding in a particular unit. Having the students reflect periodically on the year-long goals allows them to assess what they already know and understand about each one and enables them, as well as me, to chart their progress throughout the unit of study. Their reflections also assist me in future planning and provide insight about which goals seem to be working and those that need refinement.

Snapshot: In the Jazz Unit, the UGs I have developed grew out of the brainstorming sessions and discussions my students and I had while identifying GTs. One of the foremost questions they asked was “Does jazz have specific notes?” This question became my focal point for entering into the exploration of the sound of jazz (one of our GTs) and the perfect opportunity for setting up a series of performances that would enable my students to actively practice and develop their understanding of improvisation, ultimately culminating in individual UPs where students discuss and demonstrate improvisation on an Orff instrument (xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels).

Supporting Materials

Mentioned in this journal entry:

• The Teaching for Understanding Framework
• Understanding Goals
• Generative Topics
• Understanding Performances
• Throughlines

• The Jazz Unit