The document discusses two essential design principles for curriculum development: thinking big and planning backward. It provides practices for implementing each principle, such as formulating a curriculum philosophy, mapping the curriculum scope and sequence, organizing content into big ideas and questions, and developing multi-year phased plans when thinking big. When planning backward, practices include setting SMART goals, identifying learning outcomes, developing aligned assessments, and creating learning activities. The overall message is that incorporating these principles into the design process can help educators work smarter on curriculum development projects.

1. Think Big, Plan
Backward: Two Design
Principles for Sound
Curriculum
Development
Dr. Suad Alazzam
© 2012 All Rights Reserved
suad[at]portlandstate.org
*Inspired by the work of Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe

2. Work Smarter, Not Harder
As you start on your curriculum
development project, make sure you
work on it smarter not harder by
incorporating two essential design
principles.

3. Two essential design principles
that should guide your curriculum
development project:
1- Thinking Big
2- Planning Backward

4. From Principles to Practices
How can these two principles be
translated into actual curriculum
design practices?

5. Think
BIG

6. “As long as you are
going to be thinking
anyway, think big!”
Donald Trump

7. Think Big:
Principles to Practices

8. Practice # 1:
Curricular Philosophy
Drawing from your school’s mission,
formulate a curriculum philosophy
statement articulating underlying
assumptions about learning, teaching,
and assessment.

9. Practice # 2:
Mapping the Curriculum
Create course maps that reflect the
scope and sequence for each taught
course across grades and subject
areas in terms of units of instruction
(not yet detailed lesson plans) taught
throughout the academic year.

10. Practice # 3:
Big Ideas & Big Questions
Organize the content addressed in
the units of instruction under two
umbrellas:
 Big ideas and concepts (not
informational content)
 Big essential questions (not topical
questions)

11. Practice # 4:
Multi-Year Phased Plan
Curriculum development is acyclic
process. Make sure that you develop
a multi-year phased plan for
planning, piloting, revising, and
adopting the curriculum.

13. “Start with the end in
mind. ”
Stephen R. Covey
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

14. Plan Backward:
Principles to Practices

15. Practice # 1:
SMART & Prioritized Goals
 Master-plan your curriculum project
by setting SMART goals
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely)
 Prioritize your goals (long-term goals &
short-term goals).

16. Practice # 2:
Learning Outcomes
Start the planning of the
units of instruction by
identifying learning
outcomes:
what the students will know and
be able to do as a result of
Levels of Learning Outcomes
engaging in the units learning According to Bloom’s
Taxonomies
activities.

17. Practice # 3:
Aligned Assessments
 Develop formative authentic
assessment tasks that follow varied
strategies (assessment “for” learning)
 Develop common summative
assessments that employ common
scoring rubrics (assessment “of”
learning)

18. Practice # 4:
Aligned Learning Activities
 Develop engaging learning
experiences that are differentiated in
terms of academic readiness,
interests, and learning styles.
 Utilize available resources and tools
& create new ones and employ
effective instructional strategies.

19. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Any questions? Do not hesitate to ask.

20. Thank You!
Dr. Suad Alazzam
© 2012 All Rights Reserved
suad [at] portlandstate.org