How I Classify Lessons Using the Modern Classroom Project (MCP) Model
You can interpret lesson classification through multiple lenses.
For skill units, I use the MCP lesson classification system. I don't always use that lesson classification system.
For individual projects, essays, and tests, I use the Mild/Medium/Spicy framework, which a math colleague introduced to me, to level assignments in a way that supports student choice and differentiated learning.
I find it helpful to begin with Math and Science, then explain how the model adapts for English Language Arts (ELA).
Math & Science
Each unit focuses on one main topic. Lessons are structured in layers:
Must-Do Lessons: Core content all students complete.
Should-Do Lessons: Reinforce and deepen understanding with additional practice and advanced concepts.
Aspire-to-Do Lessons: Labs or projects that extend knowledge creatively.
Assessments (e.g., tests) are often “spiced" (see above) with multiple levels of difficulty.
English Language Arts
Units typically cover multiple interconnected topics, so MCP structure works best for skill-building lessons.
Must-Do Lessons: Direct instruction on key skills (figurative language, rhetoric, grammar, narrative elements, writing structure).
Should-Do Lessons: Students apply previous skills to new texts or prompts.
Aspire-to-Do Lessons: Involve independent research, interdisciplinary connections, or writing beyond grade level.
📚 See an example of a complete ELA unit here:
👉 English II Unit 1 - Coersion and Counteraction
↔️I don't always use strict Modern Classroom Project units in ELA
After introducing skills, I stop using MCP completely in ELA. Students practice the skills they acquired in the first unit on new texts. I use literature circles after I build skills.
📚You should see how the official MCP blog describes this:
👉MCP Lesson Classification
I offer students a choice of three essays or project options:
🌶️Mild: Focuses on basic concepts covered during the unit. Appropriate for students building foundational understanding.
🌶️🌶️Medium: Allows students to demonstrate mastery of basic and intermediate concepts.
🌶️🌶️🌶️Spicy: Involves tasks that are typically one grade level above the student's current level. These are extension tasks for students seeking a challenge.
📝 Learn more about this framework in the context of writing here:
👉 Spicy Writing Guide