Standards & Backwards Mapping

What is backwards mapping?  Backwards mapping is a technique teachers use to build assessments and teaching activities to help students meet goals or standards.  The teacher starts by identifying the skill he or she wants students to master and then plans assessments and activities accordingly.  This process ensures that chosen activities and assessments are working toward that identified end goal.

I currently teach process writing to 4^th through the 8^th grade at a charter school in Alpine, CA.  I have chosen to focus on the 6^th grade for this project and have identified the following standard from the California Common Core State Standards to backwards map:

CCCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

I chose this standard because it is packed with a lot of proficiencies, and it is fairly complicated for students to attain mastery of this standard.  Writing to entertain seems like it would be easy for students to do, but it is often difficult because it lacks the structure of other types of writing such as argumentative and explanatory.

Proficiencies

There are many proficiencies to unpack in this standard, but here are three:

1. Students should be able to tell the difference between real and imaginary narratives (nonfiction and fiction).
2. Students should be able to write a narrative using techniques such as dialogue to develop the story.
3. Students should be able to use sensory and descriptive language to explain events and experiences in the story.

Assessments

Assessments for this standard could include (these correspond to the numbered proficiencies):

1. An informal formative assessment of an exit question asking for the definitions of fiction and non-fiction.
2. An informal formative assessment of a quiz to identify dialogue's three jobs: to move the story along, to build suspense, and to help the reader get to know characters' personalities.
3. A formal summative assessment of a multipage narrative where one item on the scoring rubric measures the writer's use of descriptive/sensory language.

Activities

Activities for this standard could include (these correspond to the above listed proficiencies):

1. Students would receive a lesson on the differences between fiction and non-fiction followed by a collaborative activity.  Groups of two or three students would be given sample texts and asked to identify them as fiction or non-fiction.  They would share their findings with the class along with their reasons for their categorization.
2. Students would receive instruction on the three jobs of dialogue in class.  They would then be given a homework assignment asking them to identify the jobs sample dialogue is fulfilling.  They would then be tasked with writing sample dialogue that fulfills each of the three jobs.
3. After receiving instruction on descriptive/sensory language.  Students would each receive a picture which they are not allowed to show anyone.  They would then be paired with another student.  Each student would take turns describing their pictures so the other student can draw it.

And that is how you backwards map a standard!