Curriculum Mapping Project

Mandy Vasa

University of Nebraska Kearney

Standards, Strategies, Special Needs Considerations

Standards taught within the area of the curriculum map that I will be using for this project

are in the area of both English Language Arts and Technology, I am focusing on an ELA

Intervention scope and sequence for both 4th and 5th grade. Arthur County Schools still has dual

classrooms, something that we have been trying to work to further develop is intervention pieces,

so this assignment fit perfectly into the needs of our school. There are both 4th and 5th grade

standards addressed, as to make this pertinent to our school and classroom needs. Standards

addressed throughout the course of this ELA Intervention will include Phonological Awareness,

Word Analysis, Vocabulary, Writing Process, Digital Citizenship, and Comprehension within the

Nebraska ELA Standards for 4th and 5th grade. These standards will be taught through units

focusing on phonemic awareness, recognizing unconventional spellings, and sematic

relationships. The following unit will be based upon successful sentences, followed by effective

elements which will focus on the contents of a story. Last will be constantly comprehending, this

will allow the students to gain insight on context clues, inferences, generalizations, and

summaries of printed material. Technology standards to be addressed will be multiple formats of

print and digital text, safe and ethical behaviors, and appropriate digital tools to communicate. In

order to assure that students will have success, standards must be taught through varying,

multiple formats.

Teaching strategies will include hands-on activities, allowing the students to engage in

what they are learning. Small group and whole class instruction will take place as well. Small

group will allow for focus on direct needs of students within the group and whole class

collaboration will ensure all students are receiving the instruction needed for classroom success.

This curriculum map most definitely addresses the needs of ESL and students with disabilities.
This was created for students who needed additional support within the classroom. Gifted

students are not so much addressed through this curriculum map, you could adapt to meet the

needs but this was created for interventions. Something that we have held long conversations

over for MTSS to ensure we are meeting the needs of all learners, this was an area that needed

addressed for our demographics as shown through our data. The hands-on learning and project

based will be good for ESL students and students with disabilities. Not only will they be able to

actively learn, but they will have the opportunity for repetition and small group learning. When

working with ESL and students with disabilities, it is important to provide multiple opportunities

for learning and practice at what is being taught. What is expected needs to be clearly stated and

the more frequent the better. Students with disabilities may have an IEP or receive

accommodations and modifications throughout their assignments. This curriculum map wasn’t

only created for that though, it was designed to help students who may be struggling with a

concept and need some extra assistance through mastering the topic. You can take those needs

and assist those with disabilities as well, relationships and rapport are important. Through

building relationships, you can really reach the students for the betterment of their learning.

Needs/Resource Weakness Report

When researching current availability to assist with the curriculum map, the biggest thing

that becomes a factor is the number of books that are available with a higher interest, but lower

reading level. This curriculum map is slightly different than others when researching books to

assist with the standards, typically when reviewing curriculum, such as social studies or science

you are looking for specific books. For example, books over a certain time in history or books

dealing with volcanoes. Where this curriculum map was built for a need within our school, by

the teachers and directly correlates to interventions for 4th and 5th grades, you have more freedom
of what books can be utilized. Our current curriculum for K-6 grades is Reading Street, Reading

Street comes with textbooks and reading materials for each grade. Within the textbook is short

stories and pieces that are grade appropriate. There are daily readers as well, these readers are

leveled off and short reads. This allows the teachers to assign books to students as needed for

what their specific needs may be. Most of these are non-fiction or realistic fiction stories.

The weakness that comes from this report and research is at the upper elementary level,

the need for books that are at the interest level of the student but within a reading level that fits

them as well. Often by the time a 5th grade student needs an intervention or is struggling with

reading, finding books that they desire to read but yet are at a reading level feasible to them can

become challenging. What I found when trying to discover books to assist and were available for

this curriculum map were that books of a higher interest level and lower reading level were

needed. In order to properly use this curriculum map, projects are going to need to be completed

and the students will need to develop a love for reading. This will be done by allowing them to

explore and find books they love. Of course, are library has that availability, but I truly wanted to

dive into books that would support this curriculum map. There will be a variation of books,

allowing projects to be completed and students to become motivated. After looking into book

availability, I thought that breaking the curriculum map down into the categories and finding

books to assist within each unit would be highly useful for the teachers. It could also be

beneficial to the students as well. Some books will be lower level books, to focus on the specific

unit. Allowing the students to break down and do projects within the goal of the unit, even

potentially making their own work and/or presenting to others as well. The goal is to create a

book list that is friendly with the unit and allows for creativity for the students and projects while

learning. From there, I will research books of high interest and lower reading level to add to our
library to support the teachers and students within this curriculum map. Arthur County Schools is

1:1 Chromebooks and we do have a technology library in the middle school of 10 iPads that are

available for checkout at any time by the teachers for the use of students.

Phone in on Phonics
Author Title Publisher Date Price Vendor
Shel Runny HaperCollins 2015 $14.85 Amazon
Silverstein Babbit: A
Silly Book
Judy Cox Don’t Be Two Lions 2013 $6.99 Amazon
Silly Mrs.
Millie
Timothy Daily Scholastic 2005 $12.74 Amazon
Rasinski Word
Ladders
Phonics 5th Grade Phonics Bloom: 2017- $99 per Phonics
https://www.phonicsbloom.com/uk/game/list/phonics
Bloom Online 2021 year for Bloom
-games-phase-5
Phonics 35 users
Games
Vocabulary Phonics https://www.spellingcity.com/phonics.html 2021 $69.95 Vocabulary
Spelling Activities per year Spelling
City for 25 City
users

Effective Elements
Author Title Publisher Date Price Vendor
Jason The PowerKids 2012 $24.60 Follet
Nemeth Atmosphere Press
Joeming Anne Frank Magic 2008 $52.79 Follet
Dunn Wagon
Kristen Cheat Orca Book 2010 $13.99 Follet
Butcher Publishers
Martha Hero Orca Book 2003 $9.99 Follet
Attema Publishers
Betsy Looking For Houghton 2012 $5.99 Follet
Rosenthal Me Mifflin

Constantly Comprehending
Author Title Publisher Date Price Vendor
Wendy Mass 13 Gifts Scholastic 2013 $7.07 Follet
Inc.
Patricia Scraps of Puffin Books 2005 $12.76 Follet
McKissack Time: Abby
Takes a
Stand
Cynthia Angus and Harper 2005 $6.21 Follet
Voigt Sadie Trophy
Andy The 65 Story Feiwel & 2017 $12.23 Follet
Griffiths Treehouse Friends
Ilene Cooper Absolutely Random 2000 $11.96 Follet
Lucy House
Lindsay 4X4 Trucks Bellwether 2019 $19.51 Follet
Shaffer Media
Virginia Loh- Abby 45th Parallel 2019 $10.05 Follet
Hagan Sunderland: Press
Lost At Sea
Virginia Loh- Ada 45th Parallel 2018 $10.05 Follet
Hagan Blackjack: Press
Castaway
Shannon All About Saddleback 2015 $9.62 Follet
Freeman My Selfie Educational
 Publishing
Evan Jacobs Ashley’s Test Saddleback 2017 $14.56 Follet
Educational
Publishing
Aisha Saeed Amal Puffin Books 2020 $7.93 Follet
Unbound
Padma A Bridge Puffin Books 2020 $7.93 Follet
Venkatraman Home
Tom Rogers Eleven Alto Nido 2014 $10.95 Follet
Press
Elly Swartz Finding Square Fish, 2019 $7.07 Follet
Perfect Farrar Straus
Giroux
Celia Perez The First Puffin Books 2018 $7.93 Follet
Rule of Punk
Color Code
Blue: 4th Grade Reading Level
Red: 3rd Grade Reading Level
Green: 2nd Grade Reading Level