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Name the Units of Study
"Through these units of study, implemented during the year or course, students will learn and be assessed upon their understanding and application of the particular standards or learning outcomes in focus."
~ Larry Ainsworth
Definition
- Series of specific lessons, learning experiences, and related assessments based on designated Priority Standards and related supporting standards for a topical, skills-based, or thematic focus
- Usually two to six weeks in length
How to
- Identify the specific units of study for the entire year or course according to their purpose and dominant focus throughout the unit and then name them accordingly
- Classify the different units by type: topical, skills-based, and/or thematic
- A rigorous curriculum does not have to be limited to only one of these three basic types of organizational structures; it often includes a combination of all three.
- When categorizing, answer the question - What is the purpose and dominant focus of the unit?
- Topical - Focuses on a specific portion of a larger subject or discipline
Topical Units in Science
Topical Units in Math
Topical Units in English-Language Arts
- Solids and Liquids
- Kinetic Energy
- The Cell
- Photosynthesis
- Enzymes
- Metabolic Functions
- Place Value
- Equivalency
- Estimation
- Two- and Three-Dimensional Shapes
- Linear Equations and Inequalities
- Literary Devices
- Character Traits
- Narrative Writing
- Skills-Based - Emphasize application
Skills-Based Units in Math
Skills-Based Units in English-Language Arts
Skills-Based Units in Physical Education
- Regrouping
- Converting Fractions to Decimals
- Estimating
- Telling Time to the Nearest Quarter Hour
- Developing an Interpretation
- Applying Before-During-After Reading Strategies
- Capitalizing and Punctuating a Piece of Writing
- Interpreting Author's Intent
- Dribbling
- Passing
- Shooting
- Tumbling
- Thematic - Broader in nature and emphasize connections to other topics within the same discipline or to completely different disciplines
Thematic Units in Science
Thematic Units in Social Studies
Thematic Units in Visual & Performing Arts
- Life Cycles
- Transformations
- Ecology
- Global Warming
- Human Movement
- Cultures
- Family Ancestry
- Early Civilization
- Colonization
- Territorial Expansion and Its Consequences
- History of Dance
- Musical Theatre
- Composition and Creativity
- Virtuosity
- Art and Multimedia
Resources
All information in the Curriculum Design Process is based on the The Leadership and Learning Center Training Manual: Planning for Rigorous Curriculum Design (2010) and from the text from Larry Ainsworth - Ainsworth, L. (2010). Rigorous curriculum design. Englewood, Colo.: Lead Learn Press.
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