Step-by-step Process for Planning a Unit

Modified from Creating the Dynamic Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers, 2nd Edition, Feb. 2012, Pearson Publishing.

Teacher(s): __________________________________________________Grade(s) _____

1. BEGINNING THE PROCESS

Curriculum area(s):
Title of topic, theme, issue, or unit of study:
Equity, diversity, and social justice:
Timelines:
Teacher resources/Student materials (collect/skim/organize):

2. DESIGNING THE UNIT

LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
a) Examine the curriculum document you will need for this theme, topic, issue or unit, and select the
student learning expectations to be addressed. Think about what you want your students to know,
be able to do, and feel or value at the end of this unit.

b) Examine the other curriculum documents for integration possibilities, and select the relevant
student learning expectations to be addressed.

c) Consider how you can incorporate the elements of equity, diversity, and social justice.

d) Cluster these expectations by looking for commonalities among or between expectations and
ones that can be combined to represent a big idea.

e) Prioritize these clusters of expectations to determine the most important. These represent the “big
ideas” or enduring understandings.

Assessment:
a) Decide on the assessment for learning or diagnostic assessment strategies and tools you will use.

b) Decide on the assessment of learning or summative assessment strategies and tools you will use.

c) Decide your culminating task(s) for this unit that allows your students to demonstrate their
understanding of the most important aspects or concepts.

d) Identify the success criteria to be used to determine your students` learning achievements. List as a
checklist and/or rubric.

e) Decide on the assessment for and as learning or formative assessment strategies and tools you will
use throughout the unit.

f) Decide how you will track your students` work.

Materials and Resources: Review and decide on the specific student materials and teacher resources
you will use. Consider the media resources, technology equipment and software, etc. as well as the
human resources available.

Space: Decide how you will organize your learning environment/space. Consider furniture, meeting
spaces, display areas, storage areas, learning stations, audio-visual and technological requirements.
3. PLANNING THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Learning Experiences: Decide on the learning experiences, tasks, or lessons.

Instructional Strategies: Plan to use a range of instructional strategies.

Differentiation: Think about how you will differentiate your program:

• build on past knowledge and experiences

• provide alternative tasks and/or activities for some students
• vary your instructional strategies
• give students clues to what they need to do and depending on their multiple intelligences, these
clues might be visual or auditory in order to use the strengths that they have and build on ones
they need to develop
• build in opportunities for those kinesthetic learners to experience some movement
• provide a variety of resources, texts, and materials that might appeal to different students
• use further manipulatives and visuals
• use technology (see Chapter 9: Technology and Learning)
• provide a variety of graphic organizers for students to use (see more information about and
examples of graphic organizers later in this chapter)
• allow for choice in the selection and completion of tasks
• provide sufficient and/or extra time for some students to complete the tasks assigned, taking into
account the different learning styles of students
• adjust the timing or pace of your direct instruction
• provide opportunities for some students to engage in more independent study
• provide opportunities for peer and group support
• vary groupings
• implement learning stations
• vary types of products
• plan out-of-classroom excursions

Accommodations: Plan the necessary accommodations for students with differing needs. Think about:

• Instructional Accommodations: What will you provide for individual students? How will you
adjust the teaching strategy? E.g., increase time, amount, decrease time, amount, extend, scribe,
use manipulatives, include visuals, cueing, organizers, oral explanation, peer tutor/partner, group
support, other?

• Environmental Accommodations: What changes will you make to the learning environment/
setting for individual students? E.g., change grouping, change space, seating, quiet area,
wheelchair access, other?

• Assessment Accommodations: What alternative ways will you offer individual students to
demonstrate their knowledge and understandings? ( E.g., write with spell check, use a tape
recorder to report, use the computer, draw a picture, act it out, other.)

Modifications: Decide how you will modify the learning experiences for specific students who have an
I.E.P. and are working on modified expectations for that grade level?
Plan: Prepare a flexible and sequenced plan:

1. Diagnostic Assessment:

2. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

3. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

4. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

5. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

6. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

7. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

8. Learning Expectations:
Assessment:
Learning Experience:

Culminating Lesson:

Learning Stations: Decide if and how you will use learning stations.

Out-of-classroom Excursions: Make decisions and plans to include an out-of-classroom excursion for
this unit.

4. COMPLETING THE PROCESS

Homework: Decide on homework tasks, keeping in mind the different kinds of homework possible.
Consider home reading, preparation homework, practice and review homework, extension or application
homework, projects, etc.

Communication with Parents: Decide how you will communicate with parents. Consider using a class
newsletter, after-school meeting, invitation to the classroom, certificates of achievement, formal reports,
etc.

Celebrating the Learning: Decide how you will celebrate the learning. Consider including an open
house, conducting a scavenger hunt, an authors’ festival, an arts celebration, a photo display or slide
show, a science fair, a concert, etc.

Reflection: Engage in ongoing reflection and self-assessment of the lessons and unit - by both teachers
and students. Think about your: successes, challenges, changes, next steps.