Curriculum Framer Help

About the Simple Template

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The simple template is an excellent tool for the novice Understanding by Design designer or an experienced designer who wants to craft a draft unit quickly. You enter new text in a text box for each of the 3 Stages, then you label that entry by the appropriate unit template element (e.g. Essential Question). The simple template hides the advanced features of the Framer and keeps the user focused on the basics of UbD unit design.



Some Disadvantages of Using the Simple Template:
The simple template addresses each template element in its most basic form. There are no overarching elements in the simple template. There is no alignment tool or document uploading tool. You cannot categorize your assessments or learning events in the simple template. There is also no Completeness Check in the simple template, which also means that the Unit Status icons in the unit portfolio will not accurately reflect the completeness level of the unit.

This also means that reports based upon the features included in the simple template version will not be able to properly analyze the unit. This includes overarching element reports and assessment / event category reports.


Overcoming the Disadvantages of the Simple Template: Units that are designed using the simple template can be converted to the advanced template at any time. In the left hand margin of the simple template is a link to the advanced template. Everything you design using the simple template will be incorporated into the advanced template; you won't have to "rebuild" your unit or waste time duplicating your work.