Designing Standards-Based Lessons With UDL: Connecting Know, Do, and Understand for Every Learner

Most K–10 teachers already work with standards every day. You post learning targets, align tasks to state or national standards, and track progress toward mastery. Yet many students still sit on the edges of learning, confused, bored, or shut down.

This is where combining Standards-Based Lessons, UDL, Know, Do, Understand can change classroom practice in a practical and sustainable way.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based framework for planning from the start for learner differences. The Know, Do, Understand (KDU) framework, grounded in Understanding by Design (UbD), helps unpack standards into clear learning goals. When you connect standards, UDL, and KDU, you design lessons that build knowledge, skills, and deep understanding for every student, not just the students who already “fit” school.

This article draws on ideas from backward design, from work like Backward Design: The Basics and Using Backward Design to Plan Your Course, as well as UDL research, including the UDL Guidelines from CAST. It also builds on comparative work that connects UbD and UDL, such as From Understanding by Design (UbD) to Universal Design of Learning. The post ends with 7 concrete UDL strategies, adapted from resources such as 7 UDL strategies and examples for every classroom and the IRIS Center’s overview of UDL principles, that you can use in any classroom.

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Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

What Are Standards-Based Lessons and Why Pair Them With UDL?

Standards-based instruction starts with clear goals. Standards describe what students should learn by the end of a grade or course. In a standards-based classroom, teachers:

• Align lessons to grade-level standards
• Use assessments that give evidence of progress toward those standards
• Plan instruction that targets the same expectations for all students

The problem is that standards-based lessons, when used on their own, often push teachers toward coverage and uniformity. Every student reads the same text, completes the same worksheet, and submits the same product, even though their strengths and barriers differ.

UDL helps shift the focus. The standard stays fixed, but the path becomes flexible. Students work toward the same learning goals, but they access content and show learning in different ways.

Clarifying Standards-Based Lessons for K–10 Classrooms

Standards are short statements that describe what students should know and be able to do. For example:

• A 4th grade math standard might say: Compare two fractions with different numerators and denominators.
• A 6th grade ELA standard might say: Determine a theme of a text and explain how it is developed.

Teachers turn these broad standards into daily learning targets, tasks, and assessments.

Take the fraction standard. A teacher might break it into lesson-sized goals such as:

• Today, I can explain what a numerator and denominator mean.
• Today, I can show fractions on number lines and compare them to benchmarks like 0, 1/2, and 1.
• Today, I can compare two fractions and explain which is greater and why.

Each lesson target connects to an assessment, like exit tickets, quick writes, or short partner tasks. This is the core of standards-based instruction.

Why Standards Alone Do Not Guarantee Access for All Learners

Many teachers feel the daily pressure of pacing guides and large sets of standards. This can lead to a one-size-fits-all approach. The class moves forward together, even if some students are lost and others are ready for more.

Common barriers include:

• Reading level that is far below the text used for the standard
• Language demands that are too high for English learners
• Limited background knowledge, especially for abstract or decontextualized content
• Attention and working memory differences that affect how long students can process new ideas

These barriers are not about effort or ability. They are about the match between the learner and the way we present the learning.

Standards alone do not remove these barriers. They only state the destination. Without a flexible design, many students have to rely on after-the-fact accommodations, or they never reach the intended goals at all.

UDL does not lower expectations. It reduces barriers so more students can meet the same expectations.

How UDL Strengthens Standards-Based Lessons

Universal Design for Learning is a framework that helps teachers plan for learner differences from the start. The UDL Guidelines describe three main principles:

• Engagement: Offer different ways for students to connect, stay motivated, and see value in the work.
• Representation: Offer different ways to present information and content.
• Action & Expression: Offer different ways for students to act, respond, and show what they know.

In a standards-based classroom, UDL works like this:

• The standard stays the same for everyone.
• The knowledge, skills, and understandings stay the same.
• The methods, materials, and assessments become flexible.

For example, in a reading lesson, a rigid standards-based plan might require all students to read the same printed story silently, complete one worksheet, and write one paragraph response. A UDL-informed plan might keep the same standard and success criteria, but allow:

• Audio versions of the text
• Partner reading or teacher read-aloud
• Visual story maps and sentence frames
• Choice of response format, such as a written paragraph or a recorded audio explanation

The expectation is constant. The barriers are reduced.

Understanding the Know, Do, Understand Framework in Simple Terms

The Know, Do, Understand framework comes from Understanding by Design (UbD), developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. UbD uses backward design, which starts with the end in mind and then plans backward from desired results. Resources like Backward Design: The Basics and Backward Design at UIC explain this process in more depth.

KDU is a clear way to unpack a standard:

• Know: Facts, vocabulary, dates, formulas, key ideas
• Do: Skills, processes, procedures, strategies
• Understand: Big ideas, generalizations, principles that transfer to new contexts

Using KDU helps you set priorities and align assessments. It keeps everyone clear on what matters most in a unit.

Breaking a Standard Into Know, Do, and Understand

Consider a 4th grade reading standard: Determine a theme of a story and explain how it is developed through details.

For this standard:

• Students should Know terms like theme, character, setting, problem, solution, and important story events.
• Students should Do skills such as retell, identify key details, and explain how details connect to a theme.
• Students should Understand that authors use characters, events, and details to communicate messages about life or people.

Now take a 7th grade science standard: Develop a model to describe how matter is cycled through ecosystems.

For this standard:

• Students should Know terms like producer, consumer, decomposer, nutrient, carbon, and nitrogen cycle.
• Students should Do skills such as draw and revise models, label components, and explain relationships.
• Students should Understand that matter is conserved and moves through ecosystems in repeated patterns.

This kind of unpacking gives focus. It also sets the stage for targeted UDL planning.

How Backward Design Uses KDU to Plan With the End in Mind

Backward design follows three main stages:

1. Identify desired results, especially the deep understandings and transfer goals.
2. Decide acceptable evidence, such as performance tasks and assessments, to show those results.
3. Plan learning experiences and instruction that help students achieve the goals.

KDU sits at the center of this. The “Understand” guides the big goals. The “Know” and “Do” clarify what students need along the way.

In comparative work like From Understanding by Design (UbD) to Universal Design of Learning and Using Backward Design to Plan Your Course, authors point out that backward design and UDL are complementary. Backward design sharpens goals and evidence. UDL anticipates learner differences and plans flexible paths.

Why KDU Makes Learning Goals Clear for Students

When teachers share KDU with students in friendly language, learning goals become concrete.

A teacher might say:

• “Today we will Know these three terms.”
• “We will Do this skill by practicing it in two ways.”
• “By the end, we will Understand this big idea and explain it in our own words.”

This clarity supports:

• Student metacognition, because students can track what they know and can do
• Engagement, because students see the purpose behind tasks
• Stronger formative assessment, because feedback connects to clear parts of KDU

For K–10 students, this structure also makes learning feel more manageable and less mysterious.

Connecting UDL With Know, Do, Understand in Standards-Based Lessons

When you merge UDL and KDU in standards-based planning, you design for both clarity and access. KDU clarifies what matters. UDL clarifies how students can get there.

Think of it this way:

• KDU keeps the learning target sharp.
• UDL opens multiple doors to reach that target.

Designing the KNOW: Multiple Means of Representation for Content

The “Know” part of KDU is about facts, vocabulary, and core concepts. UDL’s principle of Representation supports this by offering content in different forms.

Examples of representation include:

• Visuals such as diagrams, charts, and labeled images
• Audio such as read-alouds or podcasts
• Text at varied reading levels or with supports like glossaries
• Concrete demonstrations or simple experiments
• Graphic organizers that highlight key ideas

Picture a 5th grade science lesson on ecosystem vocabulary. Instead of only reading from the textbook, a teacher might:

• Show a short video that names and shows producers, consumers, and decomposers
• Display a labeled diagram of a food web
• Provide a simple text with bolded terms and picture clues
• Use a concept map to link each term to a definition and example

The standard about understanding ecosystems does not change. The way students access the “Know” changes so more students can reach it.

Designing the DO: Multiple Ways to Practice and Apply Skills

The “Do” part of KDU focuses on skills. UDL’s principle of Action & Expression supports this by allowing different ways to practice and show those skills.

Students can practice the same skill through:

• Hands-on tasks
• Digital practice or interactive tools
• Peer teaching or partner work
• Teacher-led small groups or stations

For example, in a character analysis lesson where all students must analyze how a character changes, a teacher might offer:

• Digital annotation tools for one student who prefers typing and highlighting
• Sticky notes and highlighters for another student who prefers paper
• A graphic organizer with guiding questions for a student who needs structure
• An audio reflection option for a student who thinks better aloud

The success criteria stay tied to the standard: all students must give evidence from the text and explain the character’s change.

Designing the UNDERSTAND: Deeper Engagement and Flexible Assessment

“Understand” is about big ideas that transfer. UDL supports this through both Engagement and Action & Expression.

To invite students into deep understanding, teachers can:

• Offer some choice in topics, texts, or examples
• Connect big ideas to real-world issues or student interests
• Build in reflection, discussion, and explanation to others

Assessment of understanding can also be flexible. For a science understanding about matter cycling in ecosystems, for instance, students could:

• Present a debate about how human actions affect nutrient cycles
• Build a 3D model of a food web and explain the flows
• Create a slide deck or short video that teaches younger students
• Write a reflection explaining how matter moves and why it matters

Rubrics focus on the same understanding for all students. The standard stays constant. The product can vary.

Planning With Both Frameworks: A Simple Step-by-Step Flow

A simple planning routine that connects Standards-Based Lessons, UDL, Know, Do, Understand might look like this:

1. Choose a standard for your next lesson or unit.
2. Unpack it into Know, Do, and Understand.
3. Define success criteria and evidence for each part.
4. For each K, D, and U, list likely barriers for your students.
5. Add UDL options in engagement, representation, and expression that address those barriers before teaching starts.

This routine is short enough to remember and flexible enough to use across grades and subjects.

Comparing Backward Design and UDL: Working Together, Not Competing

Backward design and UDL work on different but related questions:

• Backward design asks, “What should students learn, and how will we know?”
• UDL asks, “How will every learner access and show that learning?”

Resources that compare these frameworks, such as Using Backward Design to Plan Your Course and A purpose-driven approach to apply the universal design for learning framework, stress that they are complementary.

Backward design gives you:

• Clear learning goals (KDU)
• Aligned assessments and evidence

UDL gives you:

• Anticipated supports and options
• Flexible methods without lowering standards

Together, they create strong, inclusive, standards-based lessons that connect Know, Do, and Understand for all learners.

7 UDL Strategies With Examples That Connect Know, Do, and Understand

This section adapts ideas from resources like 7 UDL strategies and examples for every classroom, 7 Universal Design for Learning Examples and Strategies, and the IRIS Center’s UDL overview, and connects them directly to KDU and standards-based planning.

Strategy 1: Present Key Content in Multiple Formats to Strengthen the KNOW

UDL Principle: Representation
KDU Focus: Know

Present key facts and concepts in more than one format so students can access them.

In math, for a standard about understanding equivalent fractions, a teacher might:

• Use fraction strips and number lines
• Show a short video that models equivalence
• Provide a simple text explanation with visuals

In social studies, for a standard about causes of a historical event, a teacher might:

• Share a short documentary clip
• Provide primary source images with captions
• Offer a concise article at two reading levels

This helps English learners, students with reading difficulties, and advanced students who may move more quickly but still benefit from visual and conceptual variety.

Strategy 2: Offer Engagement Choices That Deepen UNDERSTAND

UDL Principle: Engagement
KDU Focus: Understand

Choice can help students care about the big ideas behind a standard. For a research writing standard, for example, a teacher can keep the same expectations for citing sources, organizing ideas, and using formal language, but let students select topics that matter to them.

One student may research a local environmental issue. Another might choose a social issue, and another a sports-related topic. All must meet the same writing standard and show the same understanding of research and argument.

The big idea about evidence-based reasoning stays constant. Student interest drives deeper engagement.

Strategy 3: Give Flexible Options for How Students Show the DO and UNDERSTAND

UDL Principle: Action & Expression
KDU Focus: Do, Understand

Students do not all need to produce the same format of work to show the same skill and understanding.

In a history unit with a standard about explaining causes and effects of a major event, students might:

• Write an essay
• Create a podcast episode
• Present a slide show
• Design a poster with oral explanation

A common rubric, tied to the Know, Do, and Understand goals, keeps expectations consistent. It might assess accurate facts (Know), clear explanation of cause and effect (Do), and insight into why the event still matters (Understand).

Strategy 4: Use Goal Setting and Self-Monitoring to Support All Three: Know, Do, Understand

UDL Principle: Engagement and Self-Regulation
KDU Focus: Know, Do, Understand

When students set goals and monitor progress, they become more active learners.

A simple routine could be:

1. At the start of a lesson, students write one goal for each part of KDU, such as:
   • “I will learn these three vocabulary words.”
   • “I will practice using this reading strategy.”
   • “I will explain the main idea in my own words.”
2. During work time, students check in with their goals.
3. At the end, students reflect in writing or aloud on which goals they met and why.

This supports motivation, ownership, and performance on standards-based assessments, since students track progress toward clear learning outcomes.

Strategy 5: Try Flexible Grouping to Strengthen Practice of the DO

UDL Principle: Engagement and Action & Expression
KDU Focus: Do

Flexible grouping lets students practice skills in varied social settings. The group changes based on task and need, not on fixed labels.

In a math lesson aligned to a standard on multi-step word problems, a teacher might:

• Start with individual think time, where each student tries one problem
• Move to partner work, where pairs compare strategies
• Finish with small groups sharing methods and justifying solutions

Groups can be formed by interest, readiness, or random selection. This supports skill practice, talk, and reasoning, while all students work toward the same performance expectation.

Strategy 6: Use Graphic Organizers to Make the KNOW and UNDERSTAND Visible

UDL Principle: Representation
KDU Focus: Know, Understand

Graphic organizers help students sort key facts and link them to big ideas. Examples include:

• Concept maps for science vocabulary and relationships
• Venn diagrams for comparing characters, texts, or ecosystems
• Story maps for tracking plot, character, and theme
• Lab report frames for organizing question, method, data, and conclusion

For a reading standard about comparing themes across stories, a teacher might use a Venn diagram. Students list details and themes on each side, then write in the middle what both stories show about a shared big idea, such as friendship or fairness.

Organizers support comprehension in the moment and also provide a bridge to later writing and discussion.

Strategy 7: Use Technology to Personalize Access Without Changing the Standard

UDL Principle: Representation and Action & Expression
KDU Focus: Know, Do

Technology tools can reduce barriers to information and expression while keeping the standard the same. The UDL Guidelines and UDL strategy examples such as What is Universal Design for Learning? & 7 UDL Examples highlight this approach.

In an upper elementary research project, students can:

• Use digital texts that allow them to adjust font size and spacing
• Turn on text-to-speech to listen while they read
• Use voice typing to draft notes or first drafts

The expectations for citing sources, summarizing information, and explaining findings do not change. Technology shifts the path to reaching the Know and Do goals so more students can participate fully.

Practical Planning Tips for Bringing UDL and KDU Into Your Next Unit

Translating Standards-Based Lessons, UDL, Know, Do, Understand into daily practice takes time, but it does not need to happen all at once. A few simple habits can help you start.

Start Small: Redesign One Standards-Based Lesson With KDU and UDL

Choose one high-impact lesson in an upcoming unit. Then:

1. Name the main standard.
2. Unpack it into Know, Do, and Understand.
3. Decide how you will see evidence of each part.
4. Add at least two UDL strategies from the list above.

For example, you might:

• Add a visual organizer and a short video to support the Know
• Offer two choices for how students show the Do and Understand

After the lesson, ask a few students how the options helped them. Notice shifts in engagement and access.

Use Simple Tools: Checklists, Rubrics, and Reflection Questions

You do not need complex tools to bring KDU and UDL together. Simple aids can keep planning manageable.

You might use:

• A short UDL checklist, such as:
  • Two ways to access content?
  • Two ways to practice skills?
  • Two ways to show learning?
• A rubric that has rows for Know, Do, and Understand, with shared criteria for all products.

After each lesson, ask yourself:

• Who met the standard, and who did not?
• What barriers showed up?
• Which UDL options seemed to help?

Adjust one or two elements next time rather than redesigning everything.

Collaborate With Colleagues to Refine Standards-Based Lessons With UDL

Collaboration makes this work lighter and more consistent. Grade-level or subject teams can:

• Unpack key standards together into shared Know, Do, Understand goals
• Design common rubrics that all teachers can use
• Brainstorm UDL options for tricky parts of a unit
• Swap lessons and give feedback focused on student access and outcomes

Teams can also use external resources such as the UDL Guidelines and 7 Universal Design for Learning Examples and Strategies to grow shared understanding of UDL practices.

Conclusion

When teachers connect Standards-Based Lessons, UDL, Know, Do, Understand, they hold high expectations and open the door wider for every learner. Standards tell us what students should achieve. KDU clarifies what students should know, what they should be able to do, and what they should understand. UDL helps all students reach those goals through flexible paths and meaningful choices.

You do not need to overhaul your entire curriculum. Start with one unit or even one lesson. Unpack the standard into KDU, add one or two UDL strategies, and watch how more students enter the learning and show what they can do.

This work is ongoing, but each small, intentional change brings more learners into deep understanding of important standards. Your next lesson can be a step toward that more inclusive and focused classroom.