UNIT PLANNING IN

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
STRENGTHENING CURRICULAR PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE
CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
AUGUST 26, 2022
DANIELLE EASTMAN
IMPORTANCE OF UNIT PLANNING
• Student success in academics and behaviors.
• Teacher Success.
• Aligns lessons with state standards and instructional
materials.
• Better teacher preparedness.
• Helps create appropriate assessments for unit.
• Helps teacher create modifications and follow
student accommodations ahead of time .
 UNIT PLANNING VS. LESSON
PLANNING
• Student behaviors may rise.
• Student academic achievement is not reaching school
goals.
• Teachers will struggle.
• Lessons may not fully align with state standards.
• Teachers are unprepared.
• Teachers may not reach all student accommodations
and modify lessons accordingly.
• Planning lessons daily may take longer than unit
planning as a whole.
 UNITS THAT EMBODY HIGH EXPECTATIONS
AND ALIGN WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDS

• Assessments are driven towards academic standards and student

understanding.
• Summative assessments in units are challenging and follow
student accommodations.
• Best effort over perfection.
• Student and teacher success.
Differentiating
Strategies

(Heick, 2021)
 DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGIES
• “Technology offers many tools to help teachers decrease the gaps in
reading, math, social studies and science” (SOURCE).
• Takes less time utilizing technology to differentiate rather than
creating material for every student based on their differentiated
needs.
• Classroom management supports positive behaviors while utilizing
technologies and promotes student success.
• Engages students in a various amounts of ways.
• Can support students with many different needs.
DIFFERENT USES OF TECHNOLOGY
• Tablets
• Computers
• Word resources
• Google Classroom
• Educational resources
• Digital textbooks
• Zoom
• Social media
• A variety of technology used with special education
CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM
• Activate student's prior knowledge, make learning contextual, encourage
students to leverage their cultural capital, reconsider your classroom setup,
and build relationships (Burnham, 2020).
• Educate students for their future.
• Create a comfortable classroom environment.
• Is inclusive towards different ethnicities, gender, and students will
disabilities.
• Promotes a cultural diverse and inclusive classroom.
INCORPORATING THE SCHOOL’S VISION AND GOALS

• Recognizes students cultural differences.

• Recognize student needs and differences while learning.
• Teaching curriculum should be safe and create comfort among
students.
• Preparing students for their future.
 REFERENCES
Burnham, K. (2021, March 9). Culturally Responsive Teaching: 5 Strategies for Educators. Northeastern
University Graduate Programs.
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/culturally-responsive-teaching-strategies/

Heick, T. (2021, December 28). The Ultimate List: 50 Strategies For Differentiated Instruction.
TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/strategies-differentiated/

Stanford, P., Crowe, W, M., & Flice, H. (2010). Differentiating with Technology. Differentiating with
Technology, 6(4), 1–9. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ907030.pdf

Victoria State Government. (n.d.-b). High impact teaching strategies in action: Differentiated teaching.
Https://Www.Education.Vic.Gov.Au/School/Teachers/Classrooms/Pages/Approacheshitsdifferentiation.Aspx.
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/classrooms/Pages/approacheshitsdifferentiation.aspx

William & Mary School of Education. (2022, January 28). The Importance of Lesson Planning for Student
Success. William & Mary Education. https://counseling.education.wm.edu/blog/the-importance-of-lesson-
planning-for-student-success