StandardsBased Unit of Study: Blueprint for Success

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Standards-Based Unit of Study Blueprint for
Success
A Step-by-Step Guide for Using the
Standards-based Unit Planning Template

• Kentucky Department of Education

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Content at a click

• Rationale
• Unit/Lesson Template Overview
• Curriculum Map
• Selected Standards
• Unit Organizer
• Essential Questions
• Assessment / Culminating Performance or Product
• Instructional Planning

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Rationale for aStandards-based Unit of Study

• Makes sense to learners
• Links learning to living
• Promotes learners awareness of the why for
  learning and its relevance to their lives

• Reflects efforts to design instruction best
  suited to individual learners
• Encourages unit designers to think carefully and
  independently about their work
• Makes the textbook a tool rather than the major
  force behind instruction

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Where do I begin?
Begin by using the Unit Planning Template.
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First

• Complete identifying information for the unit
  (teacher, subject, grade level).
• Indicate unit topic or focus.
• Identify integration with other content areas, if
  applicable.
• Estimate time to implement the unit (e.g., 2
  weeks, 1 month, 1 grading period, embedded
  throughout the school year).
• Explain how the unit connects to previous/future
  learning.

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Next

• If your district uses curriculum maps, select a
  topic on the map for which you want to develop a
  unit of study.
• If your district has not completed curriculum
  maps, select a topic from your existing
  curriculum alignment/framework for which you want
  to develop a unit of study.

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Curriculum Maps

• Serve as a tool to help organize curriculum that
  should be taught within a given time frame.
• Offer a sequence for delivering content and
  provide a clear scope for what must be taught to
  all students, based on Kentuckys curriculum
  documents.

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Now, select a manageable number of standards that

• Address the topic.
• Can be taught within the allotted time.
• Will be assessed.
• Are grade level and developmentally appropriate.

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Also, identify other standards as appropriate

• National (e.g. NCTM, IRA, NCTE, NSTA, AAAS,
  NCEE, NASPE)
• World Language
• Technology
• Career Occupational Skills
• District

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Next Step, Develop a Unit Organizer

• The unit organizer is the single overarching
  concept that is designed to connect learning with
  prior knowledge and/or experiences.
• Engage students.
• Focus on one or more realistic issues or
  problems.
• Reflect the content standards.
• Examples Express Yourself!
• Gotta Have it!

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Next, develop 3-6 essential questions that

• Guide instruction and learning.
• Narrow the focus of the learning by breaking the
  content into logical, sequenced parts for
  instruction.
• Encourage higher order thinking and promote
  inquiry.
• Can not be answered with a simple yes or no.
• Are written in student friendly language.

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Each essential questionshould reflect

• Selected content standards.
• Connection of learning with living.
• Thinking, problem-solving, application of
  learning.
• Engaging, student-centered instruction.

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Integrate appropriate connections to literacy.

• Technology
• Social Studies
• Mathematics
• Science
• Practical Living Vocational Studies
• Arts Humanities
• Language Arts

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Include Connections to Career and Workplace
The Kentucky Occupational Skill Standards and
Assessments (KOSSA) were developed to measure the
technical skill attainment of secondary students
based on the entry level skills and standards
identified by Kentucky employers. The standards
address academic, employability and occupational
skills linked to the following career clusters
Agriculture, Business and Marketing,
Communications, Construction, Health, Human
Services, Science and Mathematics, Manufacturing
and Transportation.
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Next, determine the Culminating
Performance or Product

• The culminating performance or product is a
  complex task (or set of tasks) that allows
  students to demonstrate learning of the content
  and process skills of the unit.

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Elements of a Culminating Performance/Product

• Clearly defines expectations to evidence
  learning.
• Includes a scoring guide/rubric.
• Reflects cultural responsiveness and addresses
  multiculturalism.
• Requires higher-order thinking.
• Includes investigation and inquiry.
• Allows learners to demonstrate their knowledge of
  targeted content standards.
• Directs the development of instructional
  strategies and activities.
• Offers choice to meet learners differentiated
  needs.

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Examples of Culminating Product and/or Performance

• Community/ school service projects
• Debate
• Diorama
• Dramatic presentation
• Multimedia Presentations

• Narrated dance routine
• Photo/picture journal or essay
• Readers Theatre
• Real world writing piece
• Web page

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Next, identify resources for unit

• Technology (WebQuests, Marco Polo, Universal
  Design for Learning, Hardware, Software)
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Field trips
• Literature
• Materials/supplies

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You have just completed Part I Planning for a
Standards-Based Unit of Study.

• For additional resources for planning your
  unit see
• Part II Lesson Plan Template

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After implementation of your Standards based unit

• Reflect on the success
• What evidence/data demonstrates that students met
  goals and objectives?
• In what areas did students exceed goals and
  objectives?
• What might you do differently next time?
• See Part IIIUnit/Lesson Reflections and Questions