The focus of this fourth workshop was to provide additional and sustained assistance to the teachers as they continued to design original LEGACY cycles. We began day one of the workshop with research assistant Barb Austin leading the group through some activities from Understanding By Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 1999). The goal of these activities was to help the teachers build on their specific content ideas generated during previous workshops in an effort to prepare those ideas for inclusion in a LEGACY Cycle framework. Austin began with a presentation (download Powerpoint) designed to help the teachers identify the underlying and enduring understandings related to their content ideas. Austin continued with an activity focused on helping the teachers frame some essential questions that address the enduring understandings previously identified.

The day continued with a presentation (download PowerPoint) by research assistant Cherie McCollough on evidence for understanding. At this time, the teachers began to formulate what would become their challenge questions. McCollough also encouraged the teachers to make decisions about how to assess the essential questions developed in the earlier sessions. Through these activities, the teachers were given opportunities to think deeply about their learning goals and objectives for what would become their LEGACY Cycles. By the day’s end, teachers were given time to present their challenge questions and assessment ideas to the group for constructive feedback.