MODULE 4
Case Study: Unit Plan
Instruction & Accommodations
(200 pts)
What is the Assignment?

Describe the instructional strategies and accommodation sections for your unit/lesson plan
that are based on fundamental learning theories.
1. Identify and describe the instructional strategies and accommodations for
unit/lesson plan. (see expanded instructions below for resources)
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SECTION 3: Instruction
SECTION 4: Accommodations
Plan ahead: You have 3 weeks to complete this assignment
Submission: Submit to Laulima Assignments by the due date handout found in Modules.
How is the Assignment Graded?

An “A” assignment will have the following criteria: Click here for the overall scoring rubric.
o Section #3: Learning Theories (160 pts)
 You include appropriate teaching strategies for the following 4 theories
 Learning Theory #1 - Behaviorism
 Learning Theory #2- Information Processing Theory
 Learning Theory #3 - Constructivism
Learning Theory #4 - Social Cognitive Theory
o Section #4: Accommodations (40 pts)
 You include appropriate and in-depth descriptions of accommodation for the
following types:
 Special Needs
 Gifted and Talented
 English Language Learners (ELL)
 Culture, SES, Gender
What Does an “A” Assignment Look Like?
PLEASE USE EXAMPLES ONLY AS A GUIDE AND DO NOT COPY DIRECTLY INTO YOUR OWN WORK!
 Example #1
MODULE 4
Why Are We Doing This Assignment?

The “bread and butter” of teaching is developing a unit/lesson plan that will help guide you
to accomplish your learning objectives. Now that you have clearly established your
unit/lesson plan objectives and how you plan to assess those objectives, it is time to find
strategies to help ALL your students reach those objectives. However, it is very important to
know which learning strategies are fundamentally sound and have a track record of being
effective. Knowing the 4 learning theories provides you with the confidence that you are
basing your unit/lesson plan instruction on solid foundations.
Extended Assignment Instructions & Comments
Step #1: Download the Unit Plan - Instruction and Accommodations Template
Step #2: Use the following resources below to help you identify instructional
strategies for each learning theory and to help you explain why they work.
SECTION 3: INSTRUCTION
Unit Title:
Prepared By:
School:
Grade(s)/Course:
Period/Time: 2nd period
Date Range:
Unit Summary:
Learning Theory #1:
Behaviorism
Classical Conditioning
 What strategies will
you use to get your
students to pay
attention?
(attention-getters)
Instructional Strategies/Explanation
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Read Text (p. 252– 256)
Website
o Introduction to Classical Conditioning

Possible Teaching Strategies
o Attention Getters
Videos
o Pavolv’s dog
o Watson’s little Albert
o College student’s roommate

 Concepts/Vocabulary to help explain theory
Classical conditioning; contiguity; stimulus; response; Neutral stimulus
(NS); Unconditioned stimulus (US); Unconditioned response (UR);
Conditioned stimulus (CS); Conditioned Response (CR)
MODULE 4
Operant Conditioning
 What strategies will
you use to motivate
your students
extrinsically?
(reward/consequenc
e system)
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Possible Teaching Strategies
o Rewards; Punishments; Reinforcement Schedules; Using
Praise Appropriately; The Premack Principle; Shaping;
Positive Practice; Task Analysis; Social Isolation; Response
Cost; Punishment; Group Consequences; Time out;
Contingency Contracts; Token Reinforcement; Selfreinforcement

Concepts/Vocabulary to help explain theory
o Operant conditioning; operants, antecedents; consequences;
reinforcement; reinforce; positive reinforcement; negative
reinforcement; punishment; positive (presentation)
punishment; negative (removal) punishment; reinforcement
schedules; extinction.
Learning Theory #2:
Information
Processing Theory
Contextualization
 What strategies will
you use to motivate
your students
intrinsically by
connecting their
prior knowledge to
the lesson? (student
interest)
Real World
 What strategies will
you use to connect
the lesson to a real
world application?
(real life)
Learning Styles
 What strategies will
you use to engage
all of students’
senses/aptitudes?
(multiple
intelligences)
Read Text (p. 256-282)
Website
o Introduction to Operant Conditioning
Videos
o Positive Reinforcement – Big Bang Theory
Instructional Strategies/Explanation
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Read Text (p. 290 – 320)
Website
o Introduction to Information Processing
Videos
o Information Processing Overview

Possible Teaching Strategies
o See Handout (Teaching Strategies at bottom of handout for
each stage of information processing theory)

Concepts/Vocabulary (use where appropriate in defense of
learning theory)
o Information processing; sensory memory, perception,
attention, working memory, central executive, phonological
loop, visuospatial sketchpad, cognitive load, maintenance
rehearsal, elaborative rehearsal, chunking, interference,
decay, long-term memory, explicit memory, implicit
memory, concept, schemas, priming, elaboration, context,
mnemonics, automated basic skills (habits).
MODULE 4
Learning Theory #3:
Constructivism
Inquiry/ProblemBased/Project-Based
 What strategies will you
use to allow students to
be active during the
lesson? (hands-on)
Questioning
 What strategies will you
use to allow students to
engage verbally during
the lesson? (discussion)
Instructional Strategies/Explanation

Read Text (p. 370 – 404)

Website
o Introduction to Constructivism
Videos
o Constructivism Overview
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Possible Teaching Strategies
o situated learning; complex learning environments;
social negotiation; multiple representations of content;
spiral curriculum; scaffolding; inquiry learning;
problem-based learning; anchored instruction;
cognitive apprenticeship; reciprocal teaching;
cooperative learning (collaboration); reciprocal
questioning; Jigsaw classroom; Structured
controversies; Service learning

Concepts/Vocabulary (use where appropriate in defense of
learning theory)
o constructivism; Piaget (first wave – see terms used in
development assignment); Vygotsky (second wave –see
terms used in development assignment); terms for
possible teaching strategies can be used in defense of
learning theory.
Critical Thinking
 What strategies will you
use to make your students
think? (challenging
issues)
Group Work
 What strategies will you
use get your students to
work together?
(collaboration)
Learning Theory #4: Social
Cognitive Theory
Instructional Strategies/Explanation
Modeling (Teacher)
 What strategies will you
use to model
information/lesson to
your students?
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Modeling (Students)
 What strategies will you
use to allow students to
model information/lesson
to other students?

Possible Teaching Strategies
o Modeling, feedback, ripple effect, developing selfefficacy (set clear learning goals, emphasizing students’
progress, specific suggestions for improvement,
connect past efforts with past
accomplishments);developing self-regulation (learning
how to learn)

Concepts/Vocabulary (use where appropriate in defense of
learning theory)

Read Text (p. 412 – 436)
Website
o Introduction to Social Cognitive Theory
Videos
o Bobo Doll Experiment
MODULE 4
o Social cognitive theory; triarchic reciprocal causality;
observation learning; factors that affect observational
learning; vicarious reinforcement; self-reinforcement;
self-efficacy; sources of self-efficacy (master,
vicarious, modeling, social persuasion); self-regulation,
co-regulation.
SECTION 4: ACCOMMODATIONS
ACCOMMODATIONS
Special Needs
 What strategies will
you use to
accommodate
students identified
with special needs?
(IEP)
Gifted & Talented
 What strategies will
you use to
accommodate
students identified as
gifted & talented?
English Language
Learners (ELL)
 What strategies will
you use to
accommodate
students identified as
ELL?
Culture, Socio-economic
status, gender
 What strategies will
you use to
accommodate
students with varying
cultures, SES, and
gender (okay just to
focus on one group to
simplify)?

Instructional Strategies/Explanation
Read Text: SPED ( p.139-163); ELL (p.172-202); Multi-Cultural
(p. 210-244)
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Instructor Comments on Accommodations

Diversity certainly makes the world a more interesting place to
live, including the classroom. In teaching, no matter how you
approach instruction, every student will react differently. Thus,
knowing teaching strategies that allow students to react in their
own way definitely promotes more student success.

However, one of the biggest concerns from teachers is how do
they adapt their lessons for every student. Isn’t that impossible?

The secret lies in the instruction itself. Does the instruction contain
the elements that will naturally make adaptations for all your
students regardless of their background?

Take a moment to examine your own instruction for your unit
plan. Does it focus more on the teacher doing the learning
(teacher-centered) or the students (student-centered)? Not to say
that teacher-directed learning is not effective at times, but when
used as the main approach to instruction, it provides little
opportunity for students of different learning challenges, cultural
or language backgrounds to maximize their learning potential. If
your instruction is still too teacher-centered, then this is a
wonderful opportunity to think about the changes needed to adapt
your instruction to ensure that it reaches all learners!