Our approach

Built on the research, not on the hype.

Every plan this tool writes stands on frameworks with decades of classroom evidence behind them. No invented methodology, no buzzwords. Here is exactly what we use, and exactly where it shows up in your plan.

Backward design, literally

Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe) says decide what mastery looks like before you plan a single activity. So the exit ticket is written first, before Engage, and every phase that follows is built toward it. Assessment is not bolted on at the end; it is the blueprint.

The 5E model, in order

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate: the experiential learning cycle (Kolb) wearing a lab coat. Explore comes before Explain, because students need the productive struggle before the formal vocabulary. Crawl, walk, run, in every phase.

Questions that can defend themselves

Every item on your exit ticket and quiz carries a “Why this item” rationale: what it diagnoses and which facet of understanding it checks. Wrong answers are never random; each one maps to a known misconception, so the ticket tells you what to reteach, not just who missed it.

The cognitive science of learning

Retrieval practice over re-reading. One new idea at a time, because working memory is tiny (Sweller). Daily review, small steps, and a high success rate before independent work (Rosenshine). Students produce something in every phase; nobody just listens for fifteen minutes.

Mastery over coverage

One primary standard drives every plan, at the rigor of the standard’s exact verb (Bloom’s, Webb’s DOK). Supporting standards appear where they fit naturally. One standard learned to mastery beats three toured.

The teacher is the designer

Formative assessment research (Wiliam) puts the professional’s judgment at the center, and so do we. The tool offers versions, never verdicts. You pick what fits your room, rewrite anything with your own direction, and make every final call.

Where it shows up

Framework to feature, line by line.

  • Step 1, the destination. Standards and topic first, the objective written from the standard’s verb. That is UbD stage 1.
  • Step 2, the exit ticket. Written before any activity, because evidence comes before instruction. That is UbD stage 2 and begin with the end in mind.
  • Step 3, the 5E phases. Explore before Explain, a check for understanding in every phase, feedback loops that say what to do if students miss it.
  • “Why these items.” Every question explains what it diagnoses. Wrong answers map to misconceptions, so tomorrow’s reteach is already planned.
  • Version choices. One to three versions per section, and you keep the one that fits. Agency stays with the professional in the room.
  • Self-rating on the ticket. Students own their learning and tell you how confident they are. That is Wiliam’s fifth strategy, in one checkbox.
See it in a real plan

Free for Bentonville science teachers.