Thursday, November 18, 2010

How To Organize A Unit

In Ontario, we have a specific Math curriculum that we follow.  At times, the expectations seem overwhelming, and knowing where to start can be tricky.  Backwards Mapping is one effective strategy that helps us keep track of not only where we want the students to end up, but also where we want to take our students.  Creating a unit plan is another strategy.

Maryna used the template below to plan out her unit on Patterning. 

She laid out a progression to her lessons, being sure to include tasks that were purposeful, used technology, and allowed her students to demonstrate understanding at all four levels (and categories) of the achievement chart.  The plan is not set in stone.  As she progressed through the unit, she made changes based on what her observations of the student were - Assessing for Learning, Assessing As Learning - and made sure that she helped close the "gaps" that her students may have had in their learning.

Having a plan not only allowed Maryna to focus more on the students, but it also allowed her the opportunity to make sure that she met the curriculum expectations for her grade, thus preparing them for the future.

No comments:

Post a Comment