Thursday, March 19, 2009

What Do The Curriculum Documents For Your Subject/Grade Level Look Like? Are They Easy to Use?

The curriculum documents for my subject area are incredibly user-friendly. Each page is laid out in five sections:

1) Purpose - this details the purpose of this particular unit in this particular course. For example, for a 10th grade level, College Prep American Literature course: By reading, analyzing, evaluating and discussing several short narratives, students will develop an understanding of how these works laid the groundwork for later American literature. Students will identify various literary themes throughout the works. They will use background information to identify and evaluate the themes of a play while paying close attention to character development.

2) Student Outcome - this details the learning objectives for that unit. For example:
Distinguish fact from opinion.
Understand simile and imagery as seen in various American Indian poetry.
Focus on historical narrative and understand that the narratives lay groundwork for later American literature.
Understand the purpose of a work.
Understand allusion.


This is just a sampling of the outcomes for this unit.

3) Content Outline - here the actual works to be studied are outlined, with the purpose behind each selection:
“A Spectacle of Great Beauty” by Christopher Columbus with focus upon fact and opinion.
The War God’s Horse Song, A Dancing Song, Firefly Song and other Native American poems with an emphasis on simile, imagery, and repetition.
“The Iroquois Constitution” with emphasis on metaphor.
“The Narrative of His Journal” by deVaca with focus on historical narratives.
“The New Land” by John Smith with focus on the purpose of a work.
“The History of Plymouth Plantation” by Bradford with emphasis on allusion.
“The Trial of Martha Carrier” by Mather with emphasis on tone.


4) Procedures/Frameworks - here is where an almost day-by-day lesson objectives/activities are laid out:
Using background for The New Land, students will identify the three geographical groups.
Each day students will be presented with a journal entry that will be relevant to the topic for that day. (Ability to connect topic to present lifestyles.)
Write a letter to Columbus as the King of Spain indicating three areas about which you want more information. Explain the reasons for the interest.
Stories are all read in class with discussion, evaluation, and analysis for each one.
Reading checks are given randomly in order to keep students on task with work.
Vocabulary words are distributed each Monday, defined for Wednesday when they will be discussed, and students will expect a quiz on these words each Friday.
Poetry discussion in groups – look for imagery, simile, metaphor. Present findings/analysis to classmates.

Again, this is just a sampling.

5) References and Resources - here is simply a list of materials needed for this unit:
Teacher-prepared handouts, quizzes, study guides.
Prentice Hall Literature – Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
The Crucible and “The Crucible” video


As you can see, these are incredibly easy to use while also going into a great amount of detail.

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