Rigorous Curriculum Design Secondary Education “Toolkit” for Creating Rigorous Unit of Study What is a rigorous curriculum? According to Larry Ainsworth: o
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an inclusive set of intentionally aligned components -­‐ clear learning outcomes with matching assessments, engaging learning experiences and instructional strategies organized into sequenced units of study that serve as both the detailed road map and the high-­‐quality delivery system ensures that all students achieve the desired end: the attainment of their designated grade-­‐ or course-­‐specific standards within a particular content area is flexible, adaptable to the diverse and continuously changing learning needs of all the students it serves through deliberate planning and creating engaging classroom learning experiences offers precise learning targets, meaningful and relevant lessons and activities, and multiple opportunities to succeed Pottsgrove School District Curriculum Wiki: http://www.k12curriculum.pottsgrove.wikispaces.net Section Introduction Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study ü Specify Subject/Grade Level ü Name Unit of Study ü Identify Dominant Focus • Definition o
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Topical – focus on specific portion of a larger subject of discipline Skills-­‐based – emphasizes application Thematic – broader in nature and emphasize connections to other topics within the same or different disciplines ü Select Unit Type • Definition ü Determine Pacing and Duration ü Build in Remediation and/or Enrichment Time Examples Subject: Mathematics – Algebra 2 Grade Level: 9th – 12th grade (Academic/Honors) Dominant Focus: Equations and Functions Unit Type: Skills-­‐based Duration: 10 days Pacing: August 29th – September 12th Remediation/Enrichment: September 11th and 12th 1 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study ü Identify 3 – 4 Priority Standards • Definition o
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Current Priority State and Common Core Standards Provide sharp focus and consistent emphasis for educators Identify which standards will serve the students most; need to know for… -­‐ Life (concepts/skills that endure) -­‐ School (next level of content) -­‐ Tests (external, high-­‐stakes) Examples SCIENCE – 4.6.12.A ANALYZE the interdependence of an ecosystem. ENGLISH – RL.9-­‐10. 2. DETERMINE a theme or central idea of a text and ANALYZE in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; PROVIDE an objective summary of the text. •
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Used bold font Capitalized SKILLS (verbs) Underlined important concepts (nouns) SOCIAL STUDIES – 8.3.11.C. EVALUATE how continuity and change has influenced United States history from 1890 to present. -­‐ Commerce & Industry -­‐ Politics -­‐ Social Organization MATH -­‐ A-­‐CED.1. CREATE equations and inequalities in one variable and USE them to SOLVE problems. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and exponential functions. Current Supporting State and Common Core Standards ü Identify Supporting Standards • Definition o
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Support, connect and enhance the priority standards Other important standards that are taught within the context of and in relation to those designated as priority •
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Remembered -­‐ No bold Remembered – No CAPS Remembered – No underline 2 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study SOCIAL STUDIES (from Priority Standards above) Definition o Analyze and deconstruct grade-­‐level and course-­‐specific standards to SKILLS determine what students need to know and do ü Unwrap Priority Standards and/or Common Core •
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Have I…? “Unwrap” o Correctly labeled using numbers/letters only Concepts and o Identified the skills (verbs) o Connected the skills to corresponding concepts with parenthetical Skills notation with Level of o Identified the concepts (nouns) Bloom’s o Added detailed concepts relevant to specified units (if standards are Taxonomy more generalized) ü Associate a Level of Bloom’s II Taxonomy with Each Priority Standard • Definition •
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Classification of educational learning objectives Have I…? o
EXAMPLES Used the “–ing” form of Bloom’s Taxonomy o Remembering, Understanding, Applying o Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating 1. Evaluate (continuity of commerce & industry, politics, social organization) § 5 -­‐ Evaluating 2. Evaluate (change of commerce & industry, politics, social organization) § 5 -­‐ Evaluating CONCEPTS 1. Continuity of commerce/industry § Railroads § Plantations Continuity of politics § Black Codes, voting laws Continuity of Social Organization § Sharecropping § Tenant farming 2. Change in commerce/industry § Movement for industrial work Change in politics § Radical Republicans Change in Social Organization § Emancipation § KKK and other groups 3 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study ü Develop 3 to 4 Essential Questions • Definition o
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Essential Questions •
Concepts framed in the form of a question that sets the focus for units Forecasts learning goals for unit Higher level questions show connections or relevancy of content Initiators of creative and critical thinking Have I…? o Used engaging questions o Incorporated the “one, two” punch § 1st part – lower-­‐level question reflecting knowledge (What) § 2nd part – higher-­‐level question reflecting application (How/Why) o Written the essential question in student-­‐friendly language o Written the essential question in a form that leads to student discovery of the answer Examples SCIENCE What are the characteristics of the major biomes of the world? How does that contribute to habitat and species diversity? ENGLISH What are literary elements? How do authors use them? ü Include Corresponding Big Ideas • Definition o
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Represents the content students should remember long after the instruction Conveys the value or benefit of learning the standards/content Have I…? o
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Provided the “Answer” to the essential questions Written the big idea in student-­‐friendly language SCIENCE (with Essential Question from above) The major biomes of the world include deserts (dry), polar (cold), tundra (only surface oil ever melts), grasslands (more rain than desert but not enough for trees), and forests (more rain than grassland). Water levels, average temperatures and other conditions that support and/or challenge plant life determine the species diversity because producers, such as plants, are the key to the food chain. ENGLISH (with Essential Question from above) Examples of literary elements include plot, characterization, point of view, irony, symbolism, conflict, and setting. Literary elements enhance and deepen the effect of the written word on the reader. 4 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study ü
Common Assessments ü
Examples Creating a 4-­‐Point Rubric for Open-­‐Ended Response Question Clearly define the criteria to be met by students in order to achieve Proficient score for open-­‐ended response. Pre-­‐ & Post Common Formative Assessments 1. Start with defining Proficient (3) criteria • Definition o Demonstrates clear understanding of o Assessments for learning specified instructional material o Indicators of student achievement of intended instructional purposes 2. Move to Exemplary (4) criteria within a unit of study o Demonstrates All Proficient requirements PLUS added more 3.
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o Progressing (2) criteria • Have I…? o
Meets at least "X” of the Proficient o Included either 10 to 15 multiple choice, true/false or matching requirements questions… or a well-­‐thought out open-­‐ended response question 4. Address Beginning (1) criteria o Written the questions in a clear, concise language o Meets “X-­‐1” of the Proficient requirements o Aligned each question to a priority standard o Represented priority standards evenly Sample Rubrics o Matched questions to “unwrapped” concepts Quantitative R
ubric o Addressed essential questions within the assessment Exemplary (4) o Matched each question’s level of rigor to the level of Bloom’s o Provides 4 or more supporting details. Taxonomy from the unwrapped standards Proficient (3) o Included a range of low-­‐level to high-­‐level thinking skills o Provides 3 supporting details. o Included multiple choice, matching and true/false questions Progressing (2) o Focused on question quality o Provides 2 supporting details. o Checked that questions were not “leading” Beginning (1) o Made sure the answer to question # 1 is not evident in question # 2 o Provides less than 2 supporting details. o Ensured that questions do not include a particular slant on a topic o Included an open-­‐ended response with a clearly defined 4-­‐point Qualitative Rubric rubric Exemplary (4) o Ensured that the post-­‐assessment mirrors or matches pre-­‐
o Relates main character to self or another assessment character in story, noting similarities and differences Proficient (3) o Relates main character to self or another character in story, noting similarities OR Include Opportunities between the Pre-­‐ and Post-­‐Assessments to differences Progressing (2) Check Student Progress towards Learning Objectives o Relates main character to self or another character in story Beginning (1) o Identifies main character 5 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study Examples ü Authentic Performance Tasks * • Definition o
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Plan for Instruction o
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A collection of several related, standards-­‐based performance tasks Mini, culminating tasks distributed throughout a unit Progressively develops and reveals student understanding of standards Enables students to construct their own understanding of the standards A genuine assessment as learning Have I…? o
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Distributed the tasks throughout the unit Progressively increased the level of Bloom’s from Task 1 through Task 4 Aligned to priority and supporting standards Ensured the tasks are engaging, authentic, and meaningful to students ü Research-­‐Based Teaching Strategies • Definition o
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Specialized instructional strategies that meet the learning needs of all students § Reading Apprenticeship § Differentiated Instruction § 21st Century Skills § Interventions § Strategies for Special Education Students § Strategies for English Language Learners Research-­‐Based Teaching Strategies, such as o
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summarizing and note taking grouping students by learning needs and level scaffolding of activities graphic organizers anchor activities concept mapping extension menus/ choice boards Have I…? o Considered the resources available at www.teachingstrategies.pottsgrove.wikispaces.net * INDICATES A NEW LEARNING 6 Section Criteria to be Met in Each Unit of Study ü Tiers of Vocabulary • Definition o
Unit Vocabulary Vocabulary essential for life and for understanding the content § Tier 1 – Words picked up in daily conversation § Tier 2 – General academic words that are not content specific but that occurs in text or conversation § Tier 3 – Content-­‐specific words applicable to specific areas of study •
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Instructional Resources & Materials Divided vocabulary into 3 tiers based on use Only identified tier 2 and Tier 3 words Provided common definitions for each term ü Relevant Research-­‐Based Strategies to Accomplish Goals of Unit ü Texts and Resources Utilized ü Other Websites Incorporated ü Technology Hardware Used ü Teacher-­‐Created Resources Examples Tier 1 o
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industrious (hardworking) saunter (stroll) o
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isotope remote interior angle inalienable rights personification Tier 2 Tier 3 7