Planning Learning Units

As we start to look at the next year, there are a couple of important changes that will affect many of us...probably Language Arts and Math teachers more so but to some degree all of us.  That is the switch to the Common Core Standards.  As we progress through this switch, we will be looking to re-write curriculum in all areas.  This post will focus on Learning Units and is researched from the Learning Focused "What Moves You" series.

Learning Units are the backbone of our teaching.  It's the complete plan of what you will teach including content, skills, assessments, lessons, etc.  Learning Units should engage learners, activate prior learning, stimulate thinking, have clear goals, organize learning, be posted in the classroom, drive teaching and learning and be standards driven.  These plans connect all 3 LFS levels of learning:  Acquisition (acquiring important concepts and skills), Extending Thinking (using higher order thinking skills) and Authentic, Meaningful Use and Mastery (demonstrate mastery through assessment).

Planning out Learning Units entails focusing on 9 decisions.

1. Know Understand Do (KUD) Organizer
• This is number one for a reason.  It's the concepts and skills you want your students to be able to know and show.
• Things to remember--are the knowledge, skills and understandings clear; is there a clear alignment to standards, will the knowledge and skills support student understanding of the topic.
• Click here for an example of a KUD Organizer.
2. Assessments
• How will you make sure students fully understand the Know's and Do's.  If your unit has a number of standards attached to it, what kind of "culminating activity" will be done to show student mastery.
• Things to remember--are the types of assessments being used appropriate to what what needs to be assessed, how will you use the results, the assessments allow all students equal opportunity for success, what kind of rubrics will be needed, will assessments be frequent enough to allow students to "catch up", how will you differentiate your assessments.
3. Student Learning Map
• This is an "Advance Organizer" that gives students a visual of what they will be learning.  It is driven by standards.
• Things to remember--are all of the unit elements present on the map, does everything on the map work together, is there a "clear" connection to the standards, LEQs are listed for all knowledge and skills from the KUD Organizer.
4. Launch Activity
• Get the party started.  Here you will review the Student Learning Map and Preview Key Vocabulary.
• Things to remember--will the activity engage all learners, can the activity be adapted to appeal to all students, can connections be made to prior knowledge.
5. The Acquisition Lesson Plan
• The Acquisition is based on the EATS (Essential Question, Activating Strategy, Teaching Strategies, and Summarizing Strategies) Framework.
• Things to remember--are there enough lessons to assure mastery of each concepts, are the questions focused on key knowledge and skills but yet open ended to promote thinking, is the vocabulary specific to the lesson, what strategies will enhance learning information, how will you use distributed guided practice, how can you help those who are not learning.
6. The Extending Thinking Lesson
• These lessons are designed to extend student learning through HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Strategies).  Extending Thinking Strategies most commonly used are:  Abstracting, Deductive Reasoning, Classifying/Categorizing, Constructing Support, Analyzing Perspectives, Inductive Reasoning, Error Analysis, Compare/Contrast.
• Things to remember--does the question frame use HOTS, what models/samples/anchor papers will you use, will you have a rubric for students, what graphic organizers will be used, how will it be differentiated, how will you assure student learning, what summarizing strategies will you use.
7. Differentiation Plans
• You must plan for accommodations needed in order to meet the different learning styles and abilities of your students.  You can differentiate through Tiered Assignments and Menu Assignments.
• Things to remember--what adjustments will you make in order to meet the varied interests, learning styles and abilities of your students, how do you prevent making the assignment either too easy or too difficult, what parts will you differentiate, must remember that you're not just making the learning task "easier."
8. Unit Calendar
• Think about what makes sense when it comes to sequencing the activities.  What will the timeline be?
• Things to remember--will the sequence change due to the needs of some students or will it be the same for all, is the sequence chosen to enhance learning.
9. Resources
• What materials do you need to carry out your unit?
• Things to remember--what resources do you have/need, how will you integrate resources, how will you integrate technology.

Finally, here are some tips for developing Learning Units:

1. Start with the standards
2. Make units manageable in length
3. Maintain clear focus
4. Focus on learning before teaching
5. Use the language of the standards
6. Make sure unit components are sequential and flow
7. Collaborate
8. Make connections
9. Don't overload vocabulary
10. Make sure vocabulary is relevant to learning
11. Connect assessment to learning
12. Keep it Simple