What is Understanding by Design (UbD)

The purpose of this chapter is to describe various types of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs and explain the process to develop a comprehensive agriscience course in a career pathway of a SBAE program. Current issues and challenges associated with curricular decision making are posed and curriculum is clearly defined. Strategies to develop a school instructional program plan, facility use calendar, and a curriculum map are presented as steps to build the scope and sequence and align content with the course objectives. The principles of the understanding by design curricular model are demonstrated in three stages (identify the desired results, determine acceptable evidence, plan learning experiences and instruction). The chapter concludes by identifying the components of a quality course syllabus to arrange relevant information to design a document that can be utilized to describe the course, communicate expectations, and outline guidelines for learner success.