Eastern Michigan Department of Teacher Education
CURR 304: CURRICULUM AND METHODS (Elementary)
UNIT COMPONENTS (10 days of instruction)
___ 1) Title Page: Title of unit, your name, ID #, course number, date
___ 2) Table of Contents: Include all unit components, including each lesson labeled by type of lesson (e.g., cooperative, direct)
___ 3) Unit Overview: 1 paragraph explaining: Grade level, Unit topic, Purpose, and Integration of Disciplines (e.g., language arts and social studies)
___ 4) Rationale: 1-2 pages that address the following questions:
a) Identify important concepts taught and explain why they are important to students’ lives today
b) Describe central affective goals and explain why these goals are important to students’ lives today
c) Describe selected thinking or process skills (modes of inquiry specific to the discipline) and explain their importance and relevance to students’ lives today
d) Explain how the unit content will help dispel racism, classism, sexism, and oppression of particular cultural groups
___ 5) Classroom Composition/Portrait: Describe the students for whom you are designing the unit. (Use students in FETE placement OR attached “Classroom Portrait”.) Describe clusters of students according to your observations, discussions with the teacher, and pre-assessment information. Be sure to include intellectual ability (advanced and struggling students), attention issues, poverty/affluence, limited English skills, race/culture, and learning styles/multiple intelligences as they apply to your students. USE FICTITIOUS -- NOT REAL-- NAMES.
___ 6) Content Analysis (Concept Map or Learning Hierarchy): Include important generalizations, concepts and facts in a list or concept map.
___ 7) Unit Goals & Objectives/Outcomes: List the number of each related MDE Curriculum Strand and Standard with each Benchmark written out. Then list in a logical teaching order the cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives for the unit. (Many of these will be used in the CAP for EDPS 340)
___ 8) Pre-assessment: Describe how you will pre-assess students’ pre-requisite skills, prior knowledge of content, and interests or questions.
(You may use the pre-assessment from CAP, EDPS 340.)
___ 9) Lessons: At the top of each include: MDE Benchmark and Objectives addressed by the lesson. Include 5 detailed lessons:
a) 1 Direct lesson that includes all parts
c) 1 Cooperative lesson that includes all four elements
d) 2 or more lessons of your choice (your own idea or a model discussed in class) (Elementary only: Literature Circle lesson)
***Show on a grid (or list) how each lesson fits into the 10 days of the unit.
***Each lesson should include multiple intelligences/learning styles, differentiation for struggling and advanced students, and consideration of multicultural education. (Use information from #5 above—Classroom Composition/Portrait-- to differentiate for specific students)
***Lessons should include all important reading materials, guide sheets, graphic organizers, visual aids, etc.
***Lessons should integrate language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
***One lesson must include technology (appropriate software or Internet)
___ 10) Culminating Authentic Activity: Describe the activity/assessment that will require students to summarize, synthesize, and display (for a real audience) key learning from the entire unit. Include logistical and procedural information.
(You may use the Authentic Assessment from CAP, EDPS 340.)
___ 11) Other Assessment Methods: Describe the multiple modes of assessment you will use. (Include assessments designed for CAP, EDPS 340.)
___ 12) Family and Community Involvement: In the lessons or culminating project, involve (connect with, communicate with, or bring in):
a) the students’ families (e.g., letter about unit and their role, family volunteer opportunities, interactive homework with guidelines for parents)
b) the community in which students live (e.g., service-learning project with human service agencies; or consulting with media, government, businesses)
___ 13) Bibliography and Resources: Must include a minimum of 10-15 resources, including 2-3 websites. Possible resources include museums, videos and films, magazines, local sites, community experts, books (fiction or non-fiction). For videos, films, museum visits, and other resources, clarify how they are used in a lesson and include content-specific viewing guide or discussion questions.