Chapter 7: Planning Classroom Units

Designing and adapting units is probably the most significant component of your curriculum
planning. (page 169)

A unit is a portion of the curriculum that focuses on a theme. The theme could center on a topic
and its concepts, or on an issue or problem that requires investigation to find a desirable solution. (page
169)

Students can experience the advantages of both integrated and subject-focused curriculums if
teachers plan their units to be integral units. I use the term integral rather than the more common
integrated deliberately. Integral means that the unit forms a unity with a clearly focused theme (page169)

An integral unit is a portion of a course or program that has a clear thematic focus and that:

I. Has internal unity

2. Has external consistency

3. Includes pertinent and meaningful aspects of reality that are related to, and may even go
beyond, the main discipline focus (page 167)

Nine Steps in Planning Classroom Units include the following

Consider the Significance and Relevance of a Topic

Often a school will begin by determining what unit topics are to be taught at various grade levels.
It may base such decisions one recommendations in curriculum guides or the availability of
appropriate resources. (170)

Brainstorm Ideas, (Once you know your unit topic, you want to generate some idea
about its scope, focus, basic understandings, content, skills to be learned, structure, and
so on.) (170)
Formulate Your Unit Focus. (You can use a thematic statement, intended learning
outcomes, and guiding questions to provide a clear focus for your unit.
Design and Choose Learning Activities (a thematic statement and your intended learning
outcomes, you have identified your desired results for your unit. (page 183)
Incorporate Government Standards. (Many states and provinces require schools to participate in
testing programs that are based on specified standards, or to show that they cover the learning
outcomes specified in curriculum guides (192)

Plan a Schedule
You need to plan a schedule for your unit. Decide how much time you will spend
on the unit each day of the week. Then examine your yearly overview to decide
how many weeks you can spend on the unit. The length of units depends on
several factors. A first-grade teacher may teach a one-week unit on Christmas
around the world (page 192)
 Select Resources (It is worthwhile to discuss with your students from time to
time how they can use Internet based sources responsibly in their research. (192)
Plan Student Assessment.
you assess student learning by gathering information about your students' learning.
You then evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching-learning strategies, drawing
conclusions and making decisions about future approaches, perhaps for tomorrow, or
possibly for the next time you teach a unit. (page 192)

Emphasize formative assessment feedback That is, evaluate student products and behavior to
nurture and support them. The intent of evaluation is, first, to improve performance and encourage growth
in different developmental areas. (page 193)

As much as possible, align learning outcomes, learning activities, student products, and
assessment strategies. (page 193)

Use state standardized tests as only one of a broad array of assessment strategies. (page 194)

Do the activities encourage the learning of enduring understandings, worthwhile skills,

important values, and higher level thinking skills at a high but attainable. Are there motivational
introductory activities based on students' experiences that set the stage for the unit? (page 195)

Reflection

As I read this chapter I came to understand the difference between a unit plan and lesson plan.
Since we started making lesson plans and later the word unit was measured I was totally off. But now I
fully came to understand that a unit plan we are planning for the whole semester while a lesson plan one
is planning for a single lesson. The main reason I get for us having unit plans is for us to be organized and
to time yourself for the whole term knowing the length of the time it will take you to teach all that you
must teach in a term or semester. This made it clear to me that for one as an effective teacher we ought to
be creative and think outside the box to make the classroom unit plan catching for the students to learn yet
enjoying what they are learning. Therefore, being creative means getting to focus on what you want your
students to learn at the end of term this gives you a teacher a clear picture of where you are taking your
students and how they are going to benefit from the whole unit. To make an effective unit plan in case
they are two teachers in a classroom it becomes easier to make a unit plan because of combined effort and
you also variety of ideas. I find this chapter very paramount becoming an effective teacher and I would
like to apply it back home in my classroom.