Integrated, Performance-Based Instructional Units
The Instructional Plan
Note:
You must have a completed Curriculum Frame in order to develop the rest
of the unit. If you do not, complete the frame and fill out the “Unpacking
the State Standards to Build the Curriculum Framework” template and
then return to this step.
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The Challenge – Building the Instructional Unit
Note: Please complete the curriculum frame before proceeding. It is going to
make this process much easier! Also, before you begin, print out a copy of the
unit template and familiarize yourself with the elements on the template. You will
notice that quite a bit has all ready been accomplished.
Completed items from the Curriculum Frame:
 Unit Map
 Unit Topic with Conceptual Focus
 State Standards Identified
 Concepts with related Key Understandings
 Critical Content
 Key Skills
 Performance Indicators
Items to be completed in this step to develop the Instructional Unit
 Guiding Questions correlated to Key Understandings
 Sequence of Instructional Activities
 Key Vocabulary
 Teacher Resources & Materials
 URL’S: Related Web Sites
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 Attachments
Guiding Questions:
There has been a lot of research conducted on the various
questioning techniques that teachers may use with their students. The
preponderance of evidence concludes that effective teachers are in
fact, effective questioners.
Primary Purposes for using Guiding Questions
 To find out what students know or don’t know about a
topic
 To engage the student intellectually about the topic
you are teaching
 To move learning from the abstract to the concrete
 To guide the students through a process
 To guide the students thinking
 To evoke critical thinking, and engage the intellect
and emotions of students
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Types of Guiding Questions
Factual
Consisting of the truth, or including only those things that are real or
actual regarding the discipline
Conceptual
Coming from or belonging to the concepts, ideas, or principles the
discipline is based on
Philosophical –
Concerned with or given to thinking about the larger issues and
deeper meanings in life and events as related to the discipline under
study
Key Points for Guiding Questions
 The Guiding Questions are derived from the Key
Understandings
 Each Guiding Question will be correlated to a related
Key Understanding(s).
 There is NOT a one-to-one relationship between the
question and understanding. They may in fact
transcend the understandings.
 There may be (and should be) more than one guiding
question per understanding. Although, there is no
magic number.
 Guiding questions are written for the student, not the
teacher.
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Let’s begin the process: (Working in your teams)
 Review the Concepts and Key Understandings on the
Frame.
 Discuss amongst your group the key aspects of each
understanding that highlight the essence of the
understanding. It may be a concept, a fact, a process,
or a skill. (Keep in mind the primary purposes for the
questions.)
 Draft questions (at least two) about each
understanding. You may right them on a piece of
paper or on the back of the Curriculum Frame.
 Identify whether the question is factual, conceptual, or
theoretical. Place an “F”, “C”, or “T” at the end of the
question.
 Enter questions into the Curriculum Developer in the
appropriate unit frame.
Note: You are drafting these questions for the student. Do not
complicate this by writing lofty questions. They must be grade-level
appropriate.
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© National Education Resources, Inc., 2005
Sequence of Instructional Activities:
A supportive activity is a broad designation of learning. It usually involves interaction
between the teacher and student(s) within a learning environment. For instance, students
participating in a class lab experiment and going through the processes of the lab with the
teacher, are participating in an activity. It is important to note, that an activity does not become
a lesson plan until the teacher actually uses it in his/her classroom. At that point it is part of
the lesson plan.
Primary Purposes of the Supportive Activities
 It lays out the logical teaching sequence of the unit
from start to finish.
 Ensures that the critical elements on the Curriculum
Frame are taught and mastered. (Content, Skills,
Performance Indicators)
 Sets up the basis for daily lesson planning in the
classroom.
 Is a conduit to all the resources a teacher will need to
teach the unit. (tests, quizzes, worksheets, websites,
etc.)
Three Types of Activities: Motivating, Supportive, Culminating
Motivating Activity:
 Designed to build excitement and interest with the
students in the topic you are about teach
 Allows the teacher the opportunity to review key
concepts and understandings in the unit with students
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 May or may not have a performance dimension
Supportive Activities
 Usually number 5-10 (maybe more at the HS)
 Provides the logical teaching sequence from start to
finish
 Employs the elements of good teaching (excite,
explore, explain, expand, extend)
 May span all facets of teaching modes to include:
Direct Instruction
Integrated Instruction
Interdisciplinary Instruction
Shared Learning Experiences
Cooperative Learning
Learning Centers
Etc.
 May or may not have a performance dimension
Note: Although the supportive activity may not have a performance
dimension, all of the performances must be utilized somewhere in the unit.
The performance is the evidence the student has learned!
Culminating Activity
 Designed to bring closure to the unit
 Must contain a performance dimension
 Designed to assess the students overall
understanding of the unit
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© National Education Resources, Inc., 2005
Let’s begin the process: (Working in your teams)
 Start by looking at the activities created in the model
unit(s) to get and idea of the format and process used.
You may also want to review the “Sequencing
Instructional Activities that Lead to Performance”
example.
 Review all of the elements developed on the frame for
the unit you are going to create. You must now put on
your teacher hat and decide how you would teach this
unit.
 Look at the time frame of the unit and determine how
many activities you could realistically teach over the
time period. Keep in mind that at the lower grade
levels an activity may take two-three days to teach and
at the High School it may take only a day.
 Review the Performance Indicators for the unit. Other
than the traditional tests and quizzes that you run, it is
the most important element in terms of measuring the
student’s mastery of the unit.
 List the titles of your activities on a piece of paper
starting with the motivating activity and ending with
the culminating. In essence, you are creating an
outline for the unit activities.
 Identify which activities will culminate with
performances. Make sure all of the performances are
addressed.
 Once you feel comfortable with the outline, begin
drafting the activities, starting with the motivating and
ending with culminating. If you are working in
teams, you may split this task up.
 Enter the activities into the Curriculum Developer.
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Other Key Elements of the Unit:
The rest of the elements in the unit should be developed after the
unit activities are completed. The majority of the information will
evolve as the activities emerge and are pretty self explanatory..
 Key Vocabulary
 Teacher Resources & Materials
 Identify any unique resources the teacher will
need to teach this unit.
 It may be a book, newspaper article, film, etc.
 Enter them into the Curriculum Developer
 URL’S: Related Web Sites
 Enter any valid Web Site that supports the
teaching of this unit.
 Be sure to include the entire address. If
possible, just copy the whole address line and
paste it into the Developer.
 Attachments
 Attach any information you feel the teacher will
need to successfully teach this unit. This may
include tests, quizzes, worksheets, etc.
 Common formats include: .doc, .pdf, .xls, .jpeg,
.gif.
 Shy away from scanned files. They are very
large in size and take forever to upload and
download.
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© National Education Resources, Inc., 2005