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Learning Sequence or Unit Planning Document Outline

Questioning is the foundation of all learning.
The first step in rejecting not knowing is to ask, why?
Sweetland

Introduction

This article presents an outline of information to consider to include in a unit plan, which can be created by considering the following questions. I numbered them to make them easier to communicate. However, there is no specific importance one has over another or should an order for answering them be required, other than in some cases one must be done before you can do another. When we plan we move among many considerations for a task as we sequence them for a unit.

  1. What is the information being considered?
  2. What is the big idea, theme, topic, or focus question that can be used to organize the information?
  3. What do the learners already understand about the information?
  4. How do we understand the information?
  5. How should the information be sequenced for learning?
  6. What different ways might learners consider the information?
  7. What misconceptions might be considered?
  8. What developmental ideas might we consider?
  9. How do we want the learners to understand the information?
  10. What will learners be able to do now and when they understand the information?
  11. What value will greater understanding provide?
  12. What tasks can be used to provide learning experiences for the information?
  13. How will each task help learners understand?
  14. How should those tasks be sequenced to facilitate learning?
  15. What about the tasks will motivate learning?
  16. Are there additional materials or activities we might want available to help them understand?
  17. How will we know learners are achieving the goals and outcomes?
  18. How will we consider modifying or changing tasks to promote greater understanding?

 

Title, Theme, Topic, Subject(s), Integrated contents, or Focus Question

Grade

Date

Time frame

Overview for organization of the plan. Information to orient the users to the beliefs, philosophies, rationale, mission statements, action plans, principled procedures, selected big ideas, goals, concepts, outcomes, developmental information, pedagogical designs, methodologies, strategies, assessments, major resources and rational that explains why the selections were made to benefit the learners.

  • Philosophy statements.
  • Big ideas, goals, aims, focus questions, over all objectives.
  • Rationale for learning the topic ...
  • Unpacked information of what students will learn: focus questions, concepts, facts, skills, relationships, and generalizations. Planning maps or charts with: intuitive ideas or misconceptions, goals, objectives, concepts, outcomes, facts, skills, and generalizations.
  • Prior knowledge required for student success. Understandings and skills necessary for students to participate in the study.
  • Developmental ideas related to the topic: starting with any perceptual understandings, misconceptions, naive understandings that learners might have as they progress to achieving success of the planned outcomes.
  • Background information for teaching.
  • Materials needed for the activities.
  • Sequenced list of activities and brief description to link or thread each to expected outcomes starting with a motivational diagnostic activity and ending with a culminating summative/ generative activity. With all activities linked/threaded to what students will learn (facts, concepts, skills, and generalizations) and how it will be assessed...
  • Assessment outcomes and scoring levels for what the students will know and do to infer their understanding and skill of the facts, concepts, skills, generalizations, and answers to the focus questions.
  • References choices.

Sequence of Learning Activities / Lesson Plans and related information for each activity selected by possibility for them to involve students in a hands-on and minds-on activity with opportunities for students to learn the power of the practices of the subject(s) and the knowledge created by them and other related contextual areas. Each lesson should have the following information:

  • Materials
  • Facts, concepts, skills, relationships, generalizations
  • Focus questions
  • Instructional Procedures
  • Assessment: diagnostic, formative, summative, and generalization
  • Any other information desired

Appendix for supporting information

  • Student Learning Log
  • Worksheets - practice, enrichment...
  • Additional references for teachers, special learners, related topics...

 

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