Section II. Classroom Instruction In The Academic Disciplines: Unit Organizer

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Section II. Classroom Instruction In The Academic
Disciplines Unit Organizer

• Note Unlike the slides for the other sections of
  the DVD Users Guide, the slides for this section
  are organized by the three instructional methods
  presented Unit Organizer, Concept Mastery, and
  Paraphrasing. Please edit these to meet your
  needs.

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Unit Organizer Critical QuestionsWhat are the
purpose and benefits of The Unit Organizer in
content area classes?What makes the Unit
Organizer effective for diverse groups of
learners?How does the Unit Organizer support
the development of literacy?
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Essential Background Points

• The Unit Organizer Routine is used to plan units
  introduce and maintain the big ideas in units
  and show how units, critical information, and
  concepts are related.

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Content Enhancement Routines

• Content Enhancement Routines are designed to
  help teachers think about, adapt, and present
  their critical content in a learner-friendly
  fashion and include inclusive teaching practices
  that help teachers organize and present critical
  information in such a way that students identify,
  organize, comprehend, and recall it.

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Critical Characteristics of Content Enhancement

• Both group and individual needs are valued and
  met
• The integrity of the content is maintained
• Critical features of the content are selected and
  transformed in a manner that promotes student
  learning
• Instruction is carried out in a partnership with
  students

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The Unit Organizer

• Is a visual device that
• is used under teacher guidance
• focuses attention on critical outcomes
• identifies critical unit content
• prompts elaboration on critical points
• helps make relationships concrete
• is designed to enhance student
• ...organization
• ...understanding
• ...remembering
• ...responses
• ...belief in the value of the content

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NAME
The Unit Organizer
BIGGER PICTURE
4
DATE
LAST UNIT
/Experience
NEXT UNIT
/Experience
CURRENT UNIT
3
1
2
CURRENT UNIT
UNIT SCHEDULE
UNIT MAP
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8
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UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
UNIT RELATIONSHIPS
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The roots and consequences of civil unrest.
The Civil War
The Causes of the Civil War
Growth of the Nation
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Activity Consider the following while viewing
the video(s)

• How did the Unit Organizer help the teacher
  provide the type of instruction required to reach
  each student?
• What instructional principles did the teacher
  employ when using the Unit Organizer with her
  students?
• How did the teachers use of the Unit Organizer
  increase the likelihood that she was promoting
  the development of literacy for each student in
  her class?
• What suggestions would you make to improve both
  the learning of critical content and the literacy
  development of each student?

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Discussion

• In what ways can the instructional methods
  illustrated help students to become active and
  independent learners?
• How might the instructional methods illustrated
  help students manage the information in your
  content area?
• How could you use the instructional methods
  illustrated to give students practice on note
  taking in an organized and logical way?
• How can the instructional methods illustrated
  give vulnerable students greater access to the
  curriculum?