What are the steps involved in backward design for curriculum planning?
Backward Design: Planning with the End in Mind
Too often, curriculum planning starts with textbooks, activities, or favorite projects. But what if we flipped the process?
What if we started by asking: What do I want students to understand and be able to do, and how will I know if they’ve learned it?
That’s the heart of backward design - a planning method that helps teachers build purposeful, effective, and aligned instruction by starting at the end: the learning goals.
If you're unfamiliar with backward design or unsure how to implement it, you’re not alone. This blog post will walk you through the three clear stages of backward design and offer practical examples across grade levels.
What Is Backward Design?
Backward design is a curriculum planning approach developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, introduced in their book Understanding by Design. It flips the traditional planning model by beginning with the desired learning outcomes and working backward to plan instruction.
Instead of starting with: “What will I teach this week?”
You ask: “What should students learn, and how will they demonstrate that learning?”
This ensures every lesson, activity, and assessment is aligned, intentional, and meaningful.
The 3 Stages of Backward Design
Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
Ask:
What should students know, understand, and be able to do by the end of the unit?
What standards, skills, or big ideas am I targeting?
Tools to use:
State or national standards
Learning progressions
End-of-year benchmarks
Essential questions and enduring understandings
Examples:
Elementary: Understand that plants need sunlight and water to grow.
Middle: Analyze the causes and effects of the American Revolution.
High School: Evaluate the impact of digital media on public opinion.
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Ask:
How will I know students have achieved the desired results?
What will count as evidence of understanding?
This includes:
Performance tasks
Projects or presentations
Rubrics
Formative assessments
Quizzes, tests, or portfolios
Examples:
Elementary: Create a poster showing the parts of a plant and their functions.
Middle: Write an evidence-based argument about the turning point of the Revolution.
High School: Design and present a media campaign with persuasive techniques.
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Only after you’ve defined your goals and assessments do you plan the daily lessons, activities, and scaffolding that will support student success.
Ask:
What lessons and materials will help students build toward the final task?
What skills do students need to practice along the way?
How can I differentiate for different learning needs?
Examples:
Read-alouds, small group discussions, graphic organizers, skill mini-lessons, labs, writing workshops, peer feedback routines, etc.
Teachers raising their hands during a professional development session on backward design curriculum planning
Why Backward Design Works
Aligns instruction and assessment
Clarifies learning priorities
Ensures every lesson builds toward a purpose
Supports standards-based instruction
Encourages deeper understanding, not just coverage
Common Misconceptions
“Backward design is only for big projects.” | Truth: It can be used for any unit, big or small - even a single lesson.
“It takes too much time.” | Truth: It saves time in the long run by preventing wasted effort on activities that don’t lead to meaningful learning.
“It’s just test prep.” | Truth: Backward design emphasizes authentic assessment, not just bubble tests. Think portfolios, presentations, design challenges, and more.
Sample Backward Design Unit Snapshot (Grade 5 ELA + Science)
Stage 1 – Desired Result: Students will understand how climate affects living organisms.
Stage 2 – Evidence: Students write an informative article explaining how different animals adapt to changing climates.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan:
Research animals in different biomes
Annotate nonfiction texts
Create informational text features
Peer revise and publish articles
Tips for Getting Started
Start small with one unit
Collaborate with colleagues or use a shared planning template
Focus on big ideas and essential skills, not just facts
Keep students involved - share the learning goals and criteria for success
Final Thoughts: Purposeful Planning, Powerful Learning
Backward design shifts the focus from what to teach to why we’re teaching it, and how students will demonstrate deep understanding. When we plan with the end in mind, we don’t just cover content - we uncover meaning, growth, and mastery.
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