Chapter 7 7.1 The Planning Process Successful educational planning requires an understanding of how to move from the larger instructional context to annual plans, short-term units, and daily lessons. In some schools, teams of specialists and teachers interpret the standards and frameworks into a detailed curriculum for each grade level or subject area. Many districts regularly revise these documents and require teachers to use them when planning a timeline for the school year. Understanding the planning process helps to bring a sense of coherence to what is taught. Figure 7.1: Planning relationships: Curriculum map, syllabus, unit plan, and lesson plan Teachers begin their long-term planning by looking at the macro, or broad, level first, and they then use this information to make decisions about the intermediate and micro levels. Planning Levels Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Long-term planning can be considered along a continuum that can be divided in macro, intermediate, and micro levels. Teachers begin at the macro level by consulting a broad-based view of the year from the school district’s curriculum documents; then they determine the content for the whole semester (or year) in the form of a syllabus (secondary grades) or class calendar (primary grades). Planning then moves on to the intermediate level, planning for topics that are arranged into smaller chunks of time, and, finally, to the micro level, planning for each day. In this chapter, the discussion will start at the macro level, to examine how to develop yearly plans, and proceed to the intermediate level. Micro-level planning, in the form of daily lesson planning, will be addressed in Chapter 8. Planning Elements Long-term planning consists of developing an overall syllabus or course calendar, a series of units, and sequenced daily lesson plans for each unit. Educators develop a course syllabus at the beginning of the school year. A syllabus is an overall plan, based on the district’s curriculum map (Chapter 3), that ensures that the content of the curriculum for the grade/subject is met and all of the appropriate standards are covered. The syllabus serves as a reference for students and parents during the year. A course syllabus also lays out classroom management policies, what school supplies might be required, textbooks, integrity statements, and special-learning needs accommodations. Once teachers establish this long-term plan, they must plan each content area, or topic, in detail. This task is accomplished by developing unit plans. Unit plans are based on skills, standards, themes, or special topics. Unit planning gives teachers a big picture of how the major topics and specific concepts fit together. Once the unit is planned, daily lesson plans outline each lesson and activities in the unit. Figure 7.1 shows the relationship between these planning documents. Consider This Why do we need a separate plan for the curriculum map, syllabus, unit, and daily lessons? Wouldn’t one level of planning be sufficient? Why or why not? 7.2 Macro-Level Planning The goal of macro-level planning is to develop an overall schedule for school year or semester for a particular classroom context. A curriculum map identifies the core skills and content, processes employed, assessments, and time frame for each subject area and grade level. Curriculum mapping was first introduced in Chapter 3 as a planning tool for organizing when to teach standards, instructional goals, and content. Curriculum maps help teachers to eliminate redundancies and facilitate the development of interdisciplinary units that link one class to another. They are usually designed in collaboration between teachers and the district or school’s curriculum team. A sample portion of a curriculum map is shown in Figure 7.2. The numbers across the top of the graphic represent the months of the school year (for instance, 1 designates the first month, either Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 August or September). The highlighted boxes marked with an X represent the months in which to teach the skill or concept. For example, a first-grade teacher would focus on “writing letters associated with each sound in one-syllable, phonetically regular words” in the first three months of school. This plan means that the teacher would design spelling units around phonetically regular words and how to work out the sounds of each letter. Figure 7.2: Sample curriculum map for the skill of spelling in the first grade Curriculum maps can help teachers eliminate redundancies and develop interdisciplinary units that link one class to another. Source: Retrieved from https://dibels.uoregon.edu/market/assessment/resources/cmaps.php Curriculum maps are organized in a manner that allows members of an educational community to look across the grades and subject areas to see the big picture of the educational goals. They can be read horizontally (within each grade) or vertically (across grade levels). For example, an extension of Figure 7.2 could be aligned with spelling skills taught in the second grade so that teachers could plan for the skills students need to advance to the next grade level. Try It! Numerous curriculum maps developed by states and districts are available online. EngageNY (http://www.engageny.org) is a website developed by the New York Department of Education to assist districts with implementation of New York standards, which are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Curriculum maps for each grade level in English/Language Arts and Math can be retrieved from https://www .engageny.org/common-core-curriculum. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Choose one grade-level curriculum map (such as grade 3, English/Language Arts). Review this map and describe how the following concepts are communicated to teachers: the core skills and content, the processes employed, potential assessments, and time frames. Provide a short example of each concept. Organizing Macro-Level Instruction The curriculum map organizes instruction in a broad sense, just as a flowchart might line up phases for getting a project done (refer to the analogy in Chapter 3). Teachers use the curriculum map as the starting point for organizing instruction for an academic year, semester, or trimester. We suggest using the following seven-step frame to organize your planning (Schilder, 1997; Kellough & Carjuzaa, 2006). 1. Examine the goals in relationship to the school’s mission. Each course is an integral part of the total school curriculum and an important part of grade-level instruction. Begin by asking how the course goals support the school’s mission. Mission statements are the “how to” statements or action plans that help schools achieve their vision (Buczynski & Hansen, 2014). A school’s mission statement provides a clear picture of what the school values. Study the curriculum map, and ask yourself how it fits into the district’s or school’s educational goals and nurtures stewardship in the school and learning community. 2. Design a course schedule. A course syllabus (upper grades) or calendar plan (lower grades) summarizes the topics to be covered (or uncovered) during the year. Developing a syllabus or calendar plan requires organizing topics into units, or large chunks of time that meet defined goals. Two documents make this task easier for teachers. The curriculum map typically organizes the districts’ standards and goals into suggested units and time frames. The school calendar lists starting and ending dates for each semester, grading period, and assessment period. It will also list holidays, early dismissal days, and special events when class schedules may be altered. Working from both documents, define the scope of each unit and determine how much time you should devote to each. Often, a district will also offer a pacing guide, a document that matches topics or units to the school calendar; this guide can make designing a schedule much easier and more uniform. At the macro level of instructional planning, you take the time to think through how to pace topics as you design a class schedule. This schedule then serves as a reference guide for instruction throughout the year. This document should remain flexible, however, to allow for the unexpected. 3. Determine goals. Starting with the end in mind (see Chapter 4) defines the intended outcomes of instruction. Identify the standards and their subsequent goals and objectives from the district curriculum (answering the question “Where do we want to be?”). Note how the Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 goals are grouped into suggested topical areas, or units of study. Unpack the standards and the goals to determine what they really mean for instruction (see Chapter 3). By unpacking the standards, you are providing students with a focus for learning and providing yourself with a focus for selecting appropriate materials, strategies, and evaluation techniques. At this stage, the focus is more on setting general goals than specific objective outcomes (which are developed in unit and daily lesson plans). Goals are intentions toward the attainment of something and may be set for a longer term. Make the goal meaningful and worthwhile or from the student’s perspective, answering the question “Why do I need to know this?” Focus on only a handful of goals to concentrate attention on achieving the few goals successfully rather than scattered across too many goals, which may or may not be reached. At this point, it is also useful to identify the current level of student understanding (answering the question “Where are we?”). This means looking critically at existing student performance data—test results, math and reading levels, notes from consultation with students’ former teachers, and IEP goals and accommodations for students with special needs. Analyzing students’ current levels helps teachers to understand students who may need a more differentiated approach in terms of enrichment, accommodations, or language understanding. Consider This If you set an instructional goal and then realized that your students would not reach the goal in the time provided, what would you do? Change the goal? Provide more time? Change the instructional approach? Something else? Explain your answer. 4. Plan for assessment. Plan for monitoring and evaluating the learning for each unit (answering the question “How will we know if learning occurred?”). Consider what you will use for diagnostic or pre-assessment evaluations, formative assessment (ongoing), and summative assessment (at the conclusion of the unit). Defining the assessment process early in planning helps to clarify implementation procedures, methods, and materials, and assures that they are all aligned. Assessment should be responsive to student differences (as analyzed in step 2), maintaining the integrity of the standard but not posing unnecessary barriers to students’ expression of what they know (CAST, 2011). For example, students could explain a science concept through a written report, a visual representation, or an oral report, but the content or criteria assessed would be the same for each medium. Planning for assessment also considers grading procedures; it asks teachers to define how they will judge or grade student performance. Finally, planning for assessment considers the standards, goals, and objectives that are assessed formally through benchmark exams Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 given toward the end of each grading period and standardized measures of achievement at the end of the year. 5. Plan the unit details. The unit structure brings a sense of coherence to the goals and objectives that are being addressed (Kellough & Carjuzaa, 2006). Working from the course schedule developed in step 3, and the assessment plans (aligned to the identified goals) from step 4, you are now ready to move toward the intermediate level of planning, by identifying ideas for implementation (answering the question “How do we get there?”). Think through how you will sequence the content—from simple to complex, chronologically, known to unknown, whole to part, or part to whole. There is generally no real consensus about how a unit could or should be organized; most of the time, this detail is left to the judgment of the teacher and an understanding of the learning context (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2013). Consider the processes involved in teaching each unit. Plan to use teaching strategies that are interactive and can be used to facilitate student-centered learning. Remember that an individual must be engaged to learn and that learning is enhanced when the student can see how potential implications, applications, and benefits of the learning apply to their own context. For example, don’t rely solely on lecture or students’ reading of the text. Instead, present new concepts in such a way that students can construct new representations that may vary from their intuitive theories (or misconceptions). Help students “self-repair” any misconceptions and become aware of their metacognition (thinking about their thinking). This goal can be accomplished through modeling, demonstrations, reflective entries in journals, and through differentiating instruction. Considering teaching strategies that provide multiple ways for students to engage with the content and goals will accommodate the widest variety of student interests and needs. Preplanning to include strategies, such as choice, variety of activities and sources of information, and the manner in which information may be accessed from the beginning saves planning time and eliminates the need to retrofit accommodations when considering individual needs (CAST, 2011). 6. Gather materials and resources. Identify resources available for teaching (answering the question “What do we have to work with?”). This task includes selecting instructional material and media that is readily obtainable. Consult campus resources to ensure availability of instructional materials, learning technologies, and lab equipment. Consider the availability of textbooks or ebooks, reference materials, access to libraries, audiovisuals, websites, simulations, flipcharts, props, media such as smart boards, document cameras, Apple TV, software, apps, lab equipment, etc. In determining resources available for teaching, you usually must consider the cost of supplies to the department, the alignment of technology with program outcomes, the presumed interactive student experience, the ability of resources to enhance differentiated instruction, and, of course, copyright issues with using electronic materials. Gathering material and resources that present content in multiple Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 ways and formats throughout the unit is a planning strategy that can reduce the need to develop adaptations for students with special learning or language needs during lesson implementation (CAST, 2011). 7. Provide adaptations for students with special needs. For many students with special needs, the key to success is having appropriate adaptations for instruction and other classroom activities. Differentiation (Chapter 2) and principles of Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2011) are processes that aim to plan ahead for the variability seen among most students and offer choices for accessing the content, engaging with the learning activities, and expressing what was learned. While these processes can reduce learning barriers for most, some students who are Englishlanguage learners or who have adaptations specified in an IEP may need further consideration. Jetta Productions/Thinkstock Gathering materials and resources is one step in organizing instruction. Consider the availability of textbooks, reference material, computers, and audiovisual equipment, among others. Adaptations are classified into two categories, accommodations and modifications (Nolet & McLaughlin, 2005). Accommodations change how students express what they learned or how they accessed material without changing the content or expectations. These accommodations can be a support (equipment, software, or teaching assistant) or a Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 service (interpreters, or training on using equipment and software). They include alternate acquisition modes, content enhancement, and alternative response modes. o o o Alternate acquisition modes show content in a different format, such as magnification, text-to-speech, or Braille. Teachers and students with identified disabilities initially rely on an assistive-technology team to provide or set up these methods for accessing content. Alternate acquisition may also refer to material translated into another language for English-language learners, if allowed by state or district policies. Content enhancements are strategies that help students identify, organize, comprehend, and remember information. They include supports such as providing advance organizers, templates, tutoring, and learning-strategy instruction. While these supports are good for all students, these strategies especially support those who have organizational difficulties, such as attention disorders or some forms of learning disabilities. Alternative response modes reduce barriers that students may have when expressing what they have learned, especially if they experience language difficulties or physical disabilities that limit their ability to respond conventionally (such as with writing). For example, students with cognitive delays may need more time to complete an assignment or may draw an illustration to demonstrate what they have learned. Teaching assistants may provide an alternate response mode by serving as a “scribe,” writing the students’ verbatim responses. A modification reflects changes in the subject matter or in the student’s expected performance level (Nolet & McLaughlin, 2005). The IEP team develops modifications for students who have identified disabilities (see Chapter 2). Common modifications include reducing the amount of work required, reducing the difficulty level of the content, teaching different content, or teaching to individualized curriculum goals. Modifications are usually developed for students having significant cognitive disabilities, those who may be expected to achieve alternative content standards that are assessed using alternative assessments. Other students with disabilities may still be expected to achieve the same standards as defined for all students in the district. For this reason, use modifications with caution; try accommodations first. Considering adaptations should not be an afterthought. Adaptations are an integral part of the planning a unit and the daily lessons that follow. This step provides an opportunity to consider adaptations over and above what is available to all students, based on preidentified needs. Consider This What are the benefits and challenges of having teachers plan instruction for the entire course at the beginning of the school year? Assisting Macro Level Planning Through Teams Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 The process of outlining instruction for the entire year can seem overwhelming, especially for new teachers. The good news is, you are not alone. While you may have the ultimate say in what is taught in your classroom, many schools are organized into teams of teachers who work to support each other with a shared vision for curriculum, instruction, and assessment, with the aim of ultimately guiding student success. Elementary schools are usually organized according to grade level or “family teams”; in middle schools, teams are in “houses”; and, in high schools, there are departmental teams or schools-within-a-school teams. Some teams are comprised of individuals across grade levels and disciplines. For example, a language arts teacher, a reading specialist, and a special education teacher may team to design remedial reading units for emerging readers. Teams are often interdisciplinary and organized around a master schedule that provides common times to meet and plan. Teachers in team arrangements consider the success of all students, not just the students in their own classroom. For example, the success of all seventh graders is the responsibility of the seventh-grade “house.” As a member of a teaching team, an individual can develop strengths as team members inspire and challenge each other. Team planning requires attention to detail so that every member of the team knows what they are responsible for, when it needs to be done, and where to report the results. Often, these collaborative teams are referred to as a professional learning community (PLC). While the term PLC is fairly ubiquitous and sports various definitions, these collaborativelearning teams work toward a shared vision of instructional goals and practices, remain focused on collaborative action and reflection by all team members, and use assessment data to guide continuous improvement of student learning and teacher instruction (Dufour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006). No matter what the composition of the team is, certain characteristics make a good collaborative team (Aguilar, 2012). 1. A good team is aware of its purpose. The mission of the team needs to be relevant to its members, clearly articulated, and meaningful. If team members do not know why the team exists, then team-planning sessions become just another obligatory meeting. However, if planning is the team’s mission, then the team accomplishes coordination across disciplines and eliminates replication of efforts. Students reap the benefits of seeing the connectedness of various disciplines, using the skills they learn in one class in another class and understanding that their teachers are all working together toward facilitating their learning. 2. A good team creates a space for planning. The push in schools today is to eliminate the fragmented nature of students’ school experiences and develop shared norms for behavior, academic performance, grading rubrics, and interdisciplinary curricula. Achieving these goals requires time for teachers to meet together to address the diverse needs of a particular group of students. Research in schools that use teacher teams finds that high levels of common planning are associated with higher student achievement gains, as measured by state math and reading test scores, as compared with schools having less frequent or no common planning (Flowers, Mertens, & Mulhall, 2000). Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 3. A good team has healthy conflict. Even when your idea gets knocked out of the running (and this is inevitable), a team encourages constructive dialogue, pushes thinking, and allows everyone to learn together and embark on a great unit together in deciding upon the outcome. 4. A good team has shared leadership. Strong teams have equitable participation among members and shared decision making. This environment ensures that planning is fair and intentional. 7.3 Designing a Syllabus As we discussed in the previous section, one of the first steps in planning for instruction involves using a curriculum map to set goals for the year. The next step, which is the focus of this section, involves creating a syllabus or class calendar. In creating a syllabus, it is helpful to address the following questions (Posner & Rudnitsky, 2000): 1. What major topics will be included? Can you justify your selections in line with the school’s mission? 2. How should the topics be grouped to form units of study? How does that make learning more relevant for students? 3. In what sequence should the planned units be taught? Why? 4. How much emphasis should each unit receive? In a 35-week class, how much time should you spend on each topic? 5. Should the class textbook content be supplemented? If so, what curriculum will be used? Your answers to these questions will guide your syllabus (secondary level) or class calendar (elementary level) construction. Many teachers use an adopted course textbook as the core for yearly planning, but be sure to check its alignment with state and school district’s curriculum guidelines and assessment systems (Moore, 2015). It is always a good idea to leave some time open at the end of the year in case you need more time than originally planned for any one unit. If you don’t need this time, then you can use the remaining time on the calendar for enrichment or supplemental topics. One of the main benefits of syllabus construction is that it gets you organized and provides you with a timetable for gathering desired media, lab supplies, technology, etc. This timetable is particularly important if special equipment or supplies must be ordered or procured. For secondary courses (grades 6–12), the syllabus should be no longer than necessary; ideally, two to three pages. This document is a summary and serves as an outline of topics, reminder of classroom-management requirements, and listing of any school supplies the class will need. Because the syllabus is your introduction to students, the tone should be positive, friendly, inviting, and encouraging. Nilson (2010) suggests that sharing your teaching philosophy or a bit of information about yourself, such as your educational or professional background, will help set the tone for your class. You want to get your students excited in anticipation of what they will be learning in the class. Reflect on the overall tone of your writing in the syllabus: Is it encouraging, or punitive? The style of the syllabus should be easy to follow and visually appealing. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Divide your syllabus into three elements: “nuts and bolts,” academic information, and parent/guardian signature sheet. Begin with the “nuts and bolts” section, or demographic data such as name of course (website, of course), room number, year taught, and your name and contact information. Include some background information about yourself. Next, list all materials students will need for class, including supplemental texts and any school supplies that are the students’ responsibility. The next section, academic information, lists a brief overview of the class. Identify the most important educational outcomes you want from the course. State these aims as goals or enduring understandings. Then prepare more formal measurable objectives from these goals (see Chapter 3). Determine how much instructional time you will have in a typical school year (semester), and divide the topics you want to cover (uncover) into manageable units. You don’t necessarily need to have exact dates for each unit, just a general overview of the content. In this section of the syllabus, also include classroom procedures to avoid confusion about expectations. Establish the ground rules for classroom interactions in the syllabus, and then, once class begins, ask for student input and make more detailed policies. Make clear any class guidelines on attendance, tardiness, missed or late exams or assignments, personal use of technology, and safety procedures in laboratories. Articulate what constitutes violations of your policies, and provide specific information on the consequences. This section is also a good place to provide a statement on academic integrity and accommodations for students with disabilities and diversity. In the last section of the syllabus, provide a place for parent or guardian signature indicating that they have seen the syllabus. You can also collect contact information in this manner and provide an opportunity for the parent or guardian to tell you a little bit about their student—likes, dislikes, characteristics, needs, etc. The “Key Features of a Course Syllabus” feature summarizes the sections of a syllabus. Figure 7.3 shows a sample syllabus. Key Features of a Course Syllabus A course syllabus should contain the following: “Nuts and Bolts” Information • • • • Name of course, year taught, room number Teacher’s name and contact information (personal and school phone numbers, e-mail address, hyperlink to course website/learning management system) Materials required for class, text (including ISBN) If syllabus is electronic, hyperlink to standards Academic Information • • • • General goals and course objectives Outline of topics to be covered Grading policy Classroom procedures o Tardies o Late work o Absences Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 o • Exam make-up Statements of academic integrity and accommodation Parent or Guardian Signature Sheet • • • • Student name Parent or guardian’s name and contact information (phone numbers and e-mail address) Any information parents would like you to know about their student (medical, special needs, characteristics) Signature line to acknowledge reading of syllabus Figure 7.3: Sample syllabus for sixth-grade science A syllabus is typically formatted to include three elements: general information, academic information, and parent/guardian signature. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Consider This Why is a signature/acknowledgment from a parent/guardian an important aspect of syllabus construction? 7.4 Organizing Intermediate Levels of Planning Units are the intermediate level of planning—not as long term as a syllabus, but longer term than a lesson plan. Unit plans are a means of organizing a discrete packet of the topic of study and are guided by the curriculum map and academic standards. According to Draud and Spugnardi (2007, p. 5), a “standards based unit of study is a coherent body of subject matter aligned with standards that focuses on a main topic or process that can last from a few days to several weeks.” How many standards-based units will fit into a school year? When considering your long-range unit plans, think about the major topics suggested by the district’s curriculum guides and maps. Decide how many units are practical for your students—ten? Four? It is up to you, however, to make each unit long enough to allow time for students to think about and delve deeply into the topic. If your grading period is nine weeks, then consider how many units might fit within that structure. Thirty-six units in one school year would be too many! Designing a unit is much like planning a budget: because you are working within the constraints of time, you must spend your time carefully. Looking at the time frame of the unit will help you decide on the rhythm and pace of the unit and how much depth or many mini-lessons to include in the unit. No matter what type of unit you design, each will have the same basic straightforward components: list of standards addressed, a rationale, major generalizations (big ideas) and concepts, objectives, diagnostic tests/prior knowledge, instructional methods and strategies, evaluation procedures, and learning resources (Wilen, Bosse, Hutchinson, & Kindsvatter, 2004). These components should be familiar, as they involve the same or similar processes used when organizing instruction for the year. Basic Components of a Unit of Instruction • • Standards—Consult curriculum mapping documents and state frameworks. Examine Common Core Standards, the academic content standards for your state, or national organization standards in your discipline (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS]). Select only the standard(s) that will be the main focus of the unit. Consider these as the power standards that will be driving instruction. Remember, less is more. Rationale—A rationale is the articulation of the reasons for using a particular topic, skill, or teaching method in a lesson. Minimally, a rationale should include: o The purpose of including this topic/instruction/skill and how it will be used o Potential problems with the work and how these can be handled Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 o The educational significance of using this particular teaching method/content/skill. The value of developing a rationale is that it provides a framework for planning what will be taught and how it will be taught to address students’ needs. Make sure that your rationale is in line with those of the course or grade-level program. • • • • • • Goals, big ideas, and concepts—In Wiggins and McTigge’s book Understanding by Design (2005), goals are the “big ideas” you want your students to experience. An idea is “big” if it helps us make sense of isolated facts or diverse experiences. Consider the big idea the image that emerges after you connect all of the dots. For example, Newton’s third law, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” is a unifying concept about change that students can use to organize and make sense of phenomena. Students could also use this “big idea” to make predictions about changes in motion. A big idea is more than a “theme” or an “abstraction”; it has the power to provide meaning and inference. Objectives—List the learning intentions in measurable terms. Be sure objectives are specific and address the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the learning outcomes. (See Chapter 3.) Diagnostic tests—Plan for the pre-assessment of student learning and for the gathering of students’ prior knowledge. Specifically, your diagnostic provides information about students’ readiness, prior knowledge, and interest levels regarding the content of the unit. Reliable data at the start of the unit will greatly influence instruction toward your unit goals. This starting point also provides a benchmark against which you can measure growth. Evaluation procedures—Consider how you will determine that students have learned. Outline formative and summative assessments such as homework, exams, special projects, lab practice, major writing assignments, or presentations that will require preparation prior to instruction. Instructional content, methods, and strategies—Outline the material to be studied, considering sequence and organization. Think of the unit in terms of a “splash day” or opening activity that will set the tone of the unit, developmental activities, and culminating activities, that, when arranged into a series of daily lessons, will lead to the desired learning outcomes. Learning resources—List materials that will be required during instruction of the unit so that they can be selected and prepared. Also, gather or reserve in the library any supplemental reading materials students might need for the unit. Try It! Many states and districts provide units of study that have been developed by curriculum specialists. The website EngageNY (http://www.engageny.org), introduced in the first Try It! exercise in this chapter, also provides examples of unit plans in English/Language Arts and Math. Using the particular curriculum map selected in the first Try It!, locate one unit plan. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Describe its basic components. How do the components listed in the plan align with the features of unit development described in this text? Types of Units You may choose from many models when designing your units of study. For example, a conventional unit (or standard unit) is designed to fall mostly within the same department or subject matter. This type of unit is a group of sequenced lessons that focus on a particular topic or skill. For example, a conventional unit in science might focus on genetics or the skill of problem solving using the scientific method, whereas an integrated unit, such as a thematic unit, would focus on a central idea or interdisciplinary concepts that would involve different disciplines. There are many other types of unit models: • • • • • • Self-instructional units—also known as a module unit. Examples of this type of unit would be a reading self-pace kit, or online module, or a skills-level kit for a learning center. Contract units are designed to allow students to carry out certain activities that they have agreed to within an individualized unit. Nested units are those that target specific skills (social skills, thinking skills, or performance skills) within a single subject area. Sequenced units provide limited articulation across disciplines so that teachers in different subject areas arrange instruction and the order of their topics to coincide with each other. Threaded units take a meta-curricular approach to tie thinking skills, social skills, multiple intelligences, technology, and study skills through the various disciplines. An immersion unit involves the learner filtering all content through a particular lens and becoming immersed in his or her own experience. We will focus on the two most common unit constructions used in schools today: thematic and project-based. Thematic Units A unit structure now being emphasized in many schools is the thematic unit (Roberts & Kellough, 2006). A thematic unit is organized around a central topic, for example, teaching biology around the theme of AIDS/HIV. This theme provides a context for learning about cell structure and function, viruses, human body, genetics, evolution, etc. A thematic unit is a welldefined body of instruction taught in a specific time frame. The theme of a unit may be literary, skill based, or product oriented, and the theme might be confined to a particular discipline or span across various disciplines. Developing a thematic unit has many advantages. Thematic units increase students’ interest, keep them engaged, and help them to understand connections. By constructing learning around a central theme, the topic becomes a touchstone on which students can scaffold their learning. The theme is a refrain that students revisit many times, from many different angles. It helps learners see the commonalities of different disciplines instead of experiencing each as a separate subject. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 This model of unit construction also expands the options for assessment strategies. For example, the assessment could involve writing across the disciplines, model building using information from multiple subjects, or giving presentations. The use of thematic units also has some disadvantages. For example, extended time with the same topic may cause some students to become bored or lose interest. Finding enough resources/information to uncover every aspect of the topic is often difficult, or they may be unavailable. And, finally, intertwining the standards within that one topic may be challenging. However, in the end, designing a thematic unit is worth the effort. Thematic units offer teaching teams a useful, logical, and flexible way to organize for interdisciplinary/cross-curricular teaching over a block of time. It makes learning less fragmented. The first task of designing a thematic unit is to define a theme that will form the basis of a unit of study. The theme may focus on specific content or may be more global in nature. The team plans so that learning in one discipline, such as science, can relate to other disciplines, such as literature and social studies. The following feature includes tips for designing a theme. Tips for Designing an Engaging Theme • • • Choose a topic/theme/skill set. Examine the curriculum map for your grade level and content area to determine the skill sets you need to address in the thematic unit. Also examine the relevant standards for your grade level and subject to find a topic you can adapt to course without detracting from the educational plan already in place. Consult with team members if an interdisciplinary approach is being taken for the thematic unit. Discuss subject-specific frameworks, curriculum guidelines, textbooks and supplemental materials, and units already in place for the school year. Consider the time frame for the scope and sequence of the selected theme. Develop a rationale for the selected theme. Give students major responsibility for deciding the final theme title, topics, and corresponding learning activities. Select the theme of the unit based on standards, student interest or experience, grade-level team plans, books, benchmarks, skills students need to develop, or big ideas from the discipline. Units are typically longer than a week, so it is important to find a theme that will keep students engaged for a prolonged period. Consider a “theme park” when selecting a topic—Epcot Center has a global-travel theme, SeaWorld has a marinebiology theme, Disneyland has a movie-character theme. Translate the notion of “theme” to your grade level and content area. A science-themed unit could focus on national parks, a math-themed unit could focus on ancient Greek mathematicians, a monthly unit could focus on special holidays, or Black History Month could be enhanced with an Underground Railroad thematic unit. Make sure to narrow a large topic down to a manageable size. A theme can also provide an emotional dimension to the unit that goes beyond the information related to the study of a topic. This is called “disposition.” For instance, the theme might be prejudice that includes topics of integrity, justice, or ethics. Make the theme relevant. Students need to feel that what they are being taught has a purpose in their lives. Teachers can connect curriculum to students’ lives through themes Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 • based on big questions. This connection makes learning more interesting and provides opportunities for all students can be involved, no matter what their ability level. Consider adding field trips, guest speakers (even electronically), primary sources, or real-life examples or simulations to the planning of the unit. Consider concept or macro “themes.” If a grade-level team selects a macro theme that can be carried across the curriculum, then students will be exposed to this concept in each content area. For example, if the theme is “patterns,” then students can explore mathematical number patterns (odd, even, prime), patterns in nature (zebra stripes, seashell shapes), and patterns in story telling (setting, characters, plot). Try It! Generate a theme for a proposed unit of study in your grade level and discipline. Begin by looking at the involved standards and skills for a particular topic. Use these guiding questions to determine the feasibility of your selected theme (adapted from Kellough & Carjuzaa, 2006). • • • • • • • Is the theme within the realm of my expertise? Will the theme interest all students—not just boys, not just tech enthusiasts? Are there sufficient materials and information available to accurately pursue the theme? Does the theme lend itself to active, student-centered learning experiences? Can this theme be sufficiently covered in the allotted time? Is the theme helpful, worthwhile, and applicable to the course goals and standards? Is the theme novel enough to hold my interest? Once the theme has been selected, then develop focus questions or essential questions (see Chapter 4). These questions will guide student inquiry and serve as a touchstone for the unit. (For example, “What was it like for early Pilgrims as they completed their journey to freedom?”) Next, select learning experiences for the unit by identifying activities that will support the unit’s goal. If your unit theme is “conflict,” then you might plan a variety of activities around the court system, hold a mock court, have an attorney as a guest speaker, and read current events involving international conflicts. As you develop your theme, remember to: • • • • • • Make decisions about scope and sequence: length of study, individual work, and group work. Use the community, which is a rich resource. Establish contact with experienced teachers in the building who are willing to share resources. Decide how to introduce the unit so that the topic will arouse student interest. Plan to gather information about the level of students’ prior knowledge about the selected theme by conducting informal observations or administering surveys, checklists of student performances, and whole-class discussions. Plan developmental activities that will sustain student interest (by providing students with choices), allow for individual student differences, and advance learners toward the learning outcomes. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 • And, finally, plan culminating activities that will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned, apply learning to new situations, and provide transfer to the unit that follows. Project- and Problem-based Units For more than 40 years, researchers have demonstrated that project-based learning (PBL) can be an effective way to engage and motivate learners (Yetkiner, Anderoglu, & Capraro, 2008). Units designed around PBL typically group students into teams to respond to real-world questions, problems, or challenges through an extended inquiry process and then to construct a presentation to share their product or findings. This process often involves an interdisciplinary approach that encourages peer collaboration and a strong emphasis on developing communication skills. The teacher’s role is one of coach, facilitator, guide, advisor, or mentor. The teacher’s role is not one of directing and managing all student work. PBL learning is a bit unscripted, and no two projects are ever the same. While you can plan with rubrics (defining the project skills outcomes) and plan for the materials that learners will need to construct their projects, PBL is truly an exploration. Be aware, though, according to Lattimer and Riordan (2011), that PBL often fails when the “project” element receives too much emphasis to the neglect of the “learning” element. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) term this the “activity-oriented sin of design” (p. 16). The unit’s project is so scripted that it is characterized as “hands-on without being minds-on” (p. 16). When a PBL unit is well designed, students are active (not passive) and a real-world relevance is established for learning. Additionally, research shows that students remember what they learn and retain it longer with PBL than is the case with traditional instruction (Prince, 2004). Because of this increased retention, students are better able to apply their learning in novel situations. And, finally, the Common Core and other 21st century standards emphasize the development of skills such as critical thinking, communication in a variety of media, and collaboration. PBL provides an effective way to address such standards. Adria Steinberg (1997) identified six common characteristics recognized in a project-based learning unit. These As help ensure that the focus of PBL remains on engaging students in meaningful learning. 1. Authenticity—Projects use a real-world context (e.g., community and workplace problems) and address issues that matter to the students. 2. Academic rigor—Projects address key learning standards and help students develop habits of mind and work associated with academic and professional disciplines. 3. Applied learning—Projects engage students in solving semi-structured problems calling for competencies expected in high-performance work organizations (e.g., teamwork, problem-solving, communication). 4. Academic exploration—Projects extend beyond the classroom and connect to work internships, field-based investigations, and community explorations. 5. Adult connection—Projects connect students with adult mentors and coaches from the wider community. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 6. Assessment practices—Projects involve students in regular exhibitions and assessments of their work in light of personal, school, and real-world standards of performance. Table 7.1 provides a sample format for a PBL unit plan. Table 7.1: Formatting for a PBL unit plan Name of Project: Subject/Course/Grade Level: Unit Duration & Timeline: Teacher Team Members: Goals & Objectives Necessary to Accomplish the Goals: Standards/CCSS/21st Century Competencies (Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity) Project Summary: Include goal, purpose, and benefit of project. What will the role of the student be? Any challenges or issues anticipated? Driving Question: Write a scenario that will engage students in an active, inquiry-based pursuit of solutions to a relevant problem. How will the problem question motivate students to a deeper understanding of the key concepts in the unit and drive instruction? Entry Event: Use inquiry questions that focus on the problem and extend beyond fact-finding to engage students. Products that demonstrate Individual: Specific content and Team: Specific content and outcome learning competencies to be assessed competencies to be assessed Public Audience: Experts, product users, or clients that students will engage with during and at the end of project. On-site Collaborators: Library media center, Internet resources, faculty experts Equipment: Technology, laboratory equipment Resources Needed Supplies: Art materials, building supplies Community Resources: Identify the tools or resources that will be the most valuable to address and resolve the unit problem. Journal/Learning Log Reflection Methods (individual, team, and/or whole class) Survey Focus Group Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Fishbowl Discussion Etc. Final Product (presentation, performance, model, product, service, book, etc.) Assessment Strategies: Are students’ creative solutions to real-world problems realistic in terms of the financial capacities and cultural norms of the school? How will the audience be involved in the assessment process? How will the identified standards be assessed? How will students be involved in the assessment process? What assessment tools will be created or revised (portfolio template, conference questions, rubrics, checklists)? Source: http://bie.org/object/document/project_design_overview_and_student_learning_guide# PBL looks different from traditional instruction. Likewise, the assessment for this type of unit is also different. Typically, students make public presentations of their solutions to the problem to audience members who include business leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, community members, parents, other teachers, and students. The audience is invited to ask questions, offer feedback, and score student performances. The PBL teachers spend time examining student writing, video productions, and other project artifacts that result from the unit of study, usually scoring with a rubric that considers originality, value, style, and the elegance of the solution to the problem. The biggest challenge in designing a PBL unit is creating strong problems that lead students to think creatively in researching solutions to the problem. Teachers also relinquish the control of answers and instead serve as a group-process facilitator. Therefore, when planning for a PBL unit, you cannot use an exact script; rather, the plan simply provides context and resources. Time-Saving Tips for Unit Planning Proper unit planning for each class you teach can become a very time-consuming process. However, organization is the key! With the aid of technology and peers, planning need not be overwhelming. Here are some planning tips to help streamline the planning process (adapted from Moore, 2015): • • Reserve desk time—Carve out time each week as your “preparation time.” Sit at your desk and study your schedule to plan for upcoming lessons. Use this time to get organized. Take a moment to review students’ performances to determine if you need to reteach certain topics need or if students are prepared to move forward in the unit. Review the unit goals and objectives to ensure you are on target to meet them. Use a daily planner—This planner can be electronic (iPad, smart phone, laptop) or a paper-and-pencil calendar where you can keep a synopsis or overview of what you have taught previously and what you will teach next. This planner is not where you keep the full unit plan, but rather is a few key words are placed in the daily space to remind you of upcoming lessons and help you keep track of where you are in the unit. This is also a great place to keep your “to-do list” and a record of what worked and did not work during the lesson. Using a daily planner not only helps now, but it also makes a great reference if you are teaching the same course next year. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 • • • Organize teaching materials—It is important that you identify and locate the physical materials you will need for next week’s lesson and have them on hand at the beginning of the week. Create a place to store reference materials, audiovisuals, and supplies. Also, find a space to keep instructional supplies that students will be using, such as scissors, glue, rulers, colored pencils, as well as technology such as iPods, iPads, calculators, etc. Use free unit-plan websites—Why recreate the wheel? Many teachers post their unit plans on the Internet (e.g., www.sharemylesson.com). Use these teaching resources as a starting point when planning your own unit plans. Automate—You may also construct unit plans using the format provided in this chapter. Make this a blackline master or electronic Microsoft® Word document that you can fill in for each new unit you design. Reflecting on Your Unit of Study After spending a significant amount of time designing a unit and writing lesson plans for implementing the unit, you may find that the final product is very different from what you planned. Long-term planning is essential to lay the groundwork of a successful unit, but it certainly is not set in cement. The best, most comprehensive and well-prepared units of study are still subject to the problems that come with classroom management, issues with technology, and other unforeseen issues. Flexibility is key, so it is important to consider contingency plans when putting together a unit plan. What will you do if the unit runs long? What could be omitted and still allow the standards to be met? What if you did not plan enough content to fit the time allotment for a particular unit? Considering some contingency strategies ahead of time, during unit planning, is a good idea. Once you have taught a particular unit, it is also a good idea to reflect on the implementation of that unit. Self-evaluation is a powerful tool that will go a long way toward improving your teaching. In the rush of planning and teaching, there is a temptation to skip reflection; however, you will be surprised how much you forget if you don’t take a few minutes for reflective writing. You may end up making the same mistakes next time you teach the unit. Reflection requires you to think back on the overall unit and consider the answer to general questions such as these: • • • • • How did the students interact with the unit? Were they engaged? Were the activities “student centered”? What went well? What problems arose during implementation of the unit? How could you avoid these issues next time you teach the unit? What needs to be changed? Pacing? Technology? Materials? Readings? What did you learn from teaching this unit that will help you to be more successful teaching the next unit? Did my unit’s summative assessment measure the goals/objectives? Am I convinced that learning occurred? Add a “reflection” section to your unit plan to help train yourself to become self-reflective, critical not only of your teaching experience but also of your planning skills. The insights gained from reflection are grounded in the unique context of your teaching situation and are therefore very valuable for professional development. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 7.5 Cases From the Classroom From the Desk of: Marianne February 21 Hello Dr. Z.! Goodness, the school year is now flying by! I just got my bearings from the holiday break, and now spring is in the air! How am I doing? Much better! As you know, I’m teaching visual arts at the high school level. Looking over my posts from last fall, I see that I started out with great enthusiasm, but quickly became overwhelmed. The break was good for me, as it gave me time to reorganize my classroom (yes, I came in to work a few days before Christmas), and reassess my plans for the year. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out—the district has well-organized content standards and curriculum maps for the visual arts, and I used these to develop my calendar and a class syllabus way back in August. Over the break, I re-evaluated what we had accomplished and developed a semester 2 syllabus to share with the students. I kept hearing your words in my head as I wrote this: “Plan your work, and work your plan!” So, thank you. Longterm planning has never been my strongest area. I think that in the back of my mind, there was a disconnect between the creative and artistic nature of what I wanted to convey and the need to work from the major concepts of the visual arts. I like to keep open the possibilities of creative opportunities. But, I am able to see how a plan for the year, with goals and essential questions organized into units and topics, actually allows for more, not less, creative expression. I think I was trying to do too much with my classes—and ended up confusing the students. Although I was committed to providing a studentdriven process, with choices in content and materials, I made the mistake of not developing a thorough understanding of the larger goal, and it felt chaotic and undirected. For example, postmodern art has a theory associated with it, and often expresses ideas and emotions that depict an ironic message that is difficult to state with words. I may not have taken enough time to develop this essential understanding, and some of the projects missed this mark—the students could not explain their message. If I don’t take the time to explain what the larger goal is—especially in art—the students will become overwhelmed and not trust their own emerging skills. I then looked at what I had for unit plans and realized that they were not detailed enough. Materials were easy—I have a well-stocked studio. But, the evaluation procedures were not very well stated—what criteria would I be looking for in a student’s piece to show understanding of the concept? Methods were also not specified, and this left me scrambling for plans at the last minute. So, I revised the remaining units to include more detail and to think through how the standards and goals could be shown through evaluation of the student produced pieces—and the potential activities that would get them there. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 I took the revised syllabus to my PLC—the interdisciplinary planning team that meets regularly. For each unit, we reviewed the time frame and the Big Ideas and Concepts that relate to visual arts. Then, we cross-referenced these concepts with those from units in math, biology, English, and the social studies classes. While this was initially a bit of a stretch for me, the other teachers were able to give examples of how the content of art units could apply to their subject areas. For example, ratio relationships relate to composition in paintings and in photography; certain pieces of art, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, could be used to connect to elements of space. And, of course, I was able to suggest areas in their syllabi where developing an artist’s eye could be useful, such as in developing a visual sketch of a scientific principle. After all, the artist’s basic strategies—see, think, and wonder—are related to the scientific method, a historian’s basis for research, a novelist’s use of symbols, as well as mathematical modeling. After understanding their sequence of units, I tweaked my unit plans a bit more—and I came away with a firmer understanding of the meaning and implications of the visual arts big ideas and goals for the rest of the year as well as subject area goals. As far as daily lesson plans—some will still work, but I have to revise others. I have a sequence of how each unit will roll out, but I can only think about lesson plans one unit at a time, and weekly at that. Next year will be so much better organized because they will all be written and ready to go! I really like working with this PLC. This is the first year for us to have a STEAM focus—how science, technology, engineering, art, and math can be integrated. We are beginning this STEAM approach slowly, but I think this is important work because it interests more students and highlights my own teaching passion—how the arts teach students to think through and with material. Arts also bring beauty and meaning to life, often in ways that cannot be quantified (OK—end of commercial!). I really feel so much better organized, and now, six weeks into the new semester, classes are going much more smoothly. What a relief! Another good thing about this PLC—we really get along. We are planning a spring break trip to the Smoky Mountains—hiking Mt. LeConte in the National Park. What an opportunity to discuss the elements of STEAM—the beauty of nature in the spring, environmental issues, flora and fauna, history, mountain music, and fun! Training for the hike and planning the trip has helped to bring us all together in a positive way. I found some work of artists from the area—and Tyson, the biology teacher, identified many of the plants in the photos and old artwork. We have planned other visits to sites in the park—the environmental education center, Cades Cove, and to Greenbriar School, a one-room building still standing in the park. My great grandfather was the last teacher there, ending about 1930. This will be my first visit to the area as my family moved away long ago—I am bringing a camera and my sketch pad. I am really looking forward to this trip. —Marianne Observation Notes From Dr. Zwijacz February 28 Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 I highlighted the post from Marianne, the art teacher, because it demonstrates several features of how curriculum development is changing. Instead of being a bird’s-eye view looking down, this post is more of a ground’s-eye view, looking up and across the curriculum. While most districts have moved toward an articulation of standards into curriculum maps (a vertical view), there is still a surprising amount of leeway given to most teachers in how they express the content into the most important act of all, actual instruction. Adding a PLC as an element for collaboration and professional development allows teachers to recognize and embrace the flexibility in curriculum delivery that they have always had. Marianne’s post intrigued me in several ways, so I contacted her to probe deeper into how the organization of units was working in the PLC, and what that meant for her long-term planning. What she described was a PLC team that was attempting to connect across subject areas as much as possible. During this month, subject area themes were (1) biology: ecological principles and human impact, (2) algebra: quadratic equations and building quadratic functions that model realworld situations, (3) social studies: urbanization, and (4) English: honor; the ethical concerns and issues found in science. With some minor rearrangements, the PLC team was able to develop a common focus, Ethical Care of the Environment. Marianne’s theme became Patterns of Change: Using 3D Art to Express Environmental Issues. This theme has two essential questions. How can art tell the human story of environmental issues? How can art express what cannot be said when using only words and numbers? Students were to identify a topic related to patterns of change in the environment and use recycled materials to express their ideas through a piece of artwork. Before moving to the activity, however, the students had to research their topic, using information from the Internet, their other classes, and new research, as appropriate. Marianne also set other parameters for evaluation; the final art product should move beyond facts toward conceptual representations of the topic, and incorporate a principle or a learning element from at least two other classes that were using this theme. Finally, students were to express their ideas through the artwork as well through an oral and written presentation to a jury of content-area aficionados (teachers and interested students). What I noted is how this collaboration and the resulting project support a 21st century skill set, usually defined as the 4 Cs—creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. The art project appeared to foster these concepts naturally as an organic process. I am wondering if she realizes how close this collaboration over curriculum and the projects come to many of the models for unit development that we have. I also note how she is using a naturally occurring support system (e.g., the PLC) to foster her initiation as a confident teacher. These support systems, and the mentoring and social connections that they provide, are essential to a beginning teacher’s development. I am happy to see that, for her, they are not just perfunctory; she seeks out her colleagues’ opinions and has much to offer in return. I am also seeing a renewed energy in her posts. She followed a classic pattern of beginning teachers’ attitudes and confidence levels, starting the year with high enthusiasm that led to a low of doubt and almost despair a few months later, but followed by a renewal after the holidays. Marianne is reflecting on what is going well and how to make it better. I am pleased to see how well she is developing professionally. Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education. Chapter 7 Marianne’s story encouraged me to learn more about various methods of unit development, and how arts integration can support Common Core Standards and 21st century skills. I have listed a few of these sites for discussion here. 21st century skills map the arts: http://www.arteducators.org/research/21st_Century_Skills _Arts_Map.pdf Education closet: The arts are the heart of Common Core: http://educationcloset.com/common core-and-the-arts/ Patterns across cultures: The Fibonacci Sequence in visual art: http://artsedge.kennedy center.org/educators/lessons/grade-9-12/Fibonacci_Visual_Art#Instruction Using art to express social issues: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/art-and-express social-issues#video-sidebar_tab_video-guide-tab —Celina Zwijacz, Ph.D. Discussion Questions 1. To what extent can arts integration serve as a either a catalyst or an inspiration for thematic units or project-based learning units? 2. How might PBL add the intentionality needed to teach and assess 21st century skills? 3. What elements of thematic unit development are present in Marianne’s retelling of the PLC planning meetings? What suggestions do you have for developing a thematic unit using the themes provided by the PLC members? • • Knowledge Check Notebook Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015). Curriculum and Instruction for the 21st Century. Bridgepoint Education.