SCED 376 / EMAT 531 Unit Outline

Purpose: Writing a unit outline is the first step in creating a long range plan for your class based on a particular topic or theme. It provides the opportunity to think about materials and activities that will help students successfully achieve the goals and objectives which you have selected. It permits you to see the big picture and how daily lesson plans can bring that picture into focus.

Everything in the unit outline must be typed.

Attach xeroxed pages from the text(s) you are using for this unit outline (and eventually your unit in the following semester).

See instructions below.

Format:

I. Unit outline

A. Include information regarding

1. Text title

2. Author

3. Publisher

4. Copyright

5. Number of pages being used

B. List MAIN PURPOSES / OBJECTIVES

This is a descriptive statement telling what the unit will be about. It can be several sentences or a paragraph or two. It answers the question WHAT.

C. Describe the RATIONALE for doing this unit.

This one to two page explanation of WHY you are doing this unit provides the justification for presenting this material in your classroom Discuss how this unit is linked to the national standards. This is the most crucial part of the planning stage because it is here that you articulate the philosophic, aesthetic, social and ethical assumptions that you are using to guide your planning.

To that end, consider the following:

A. National Standards

Which national standards will have a place in this

unit?

B. Knowledge

Why is this knowledge worth knowing?

Will this knowledge be accessible to students? If not,

what can / will you do?

How is this knowledge organized?

Will you have to supplement or eliminate information

provided in the text?

C. Values

Can you identify what values influenced the choice of

this unit?

What values are embedded in the methodologies you

will use to teach this unit?

D. Students

What are the necessary background knowledge, exper-

iences, skills and competencies that students should

have to be successful in this unit?

How will you plan to meet the needs of students with

differing abilities and special needs?

D. Describe the KNOWLEDGE BASE

The knowledge base lists the major concepts, skills and dispositions that will be formally taught in this unit.

A. Concepts

What are the major ideas that are important for the

development of understanding about this topic?

B. Skills

What are the major skills that are important for the

understanding of this topic?

Are there skills not essential for the unit but are im-

portant for the long-range development of students?

C. Dispositions

What attitudes and appreciations would be helpful to

the development of understanding about this topic?

E. List broad areas of CONTENT

The broad areas of content here incorporate information from the knowledge section of the rationale and the list of concepts and / or skills in the knowledge base to provide a workable list of information that students will acquire in this unit. These broad areas can be further delineated via categories such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and culture.

F. List LEARNING OUTCOMES by skills (listening, speaking, reading,

writing, culture)

Learning outcomes / objectives are listed by skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, culture) and contain functions that can later be incorporated into your daily objectives to indicate what is to be learned and how students will demonstrate that they have learned it. There may be outcomes that you wish to add that may not be related to materials included in the text. Be sure to include AFFECTIVE outcomes as well.

G. List GENERAL TEACHING STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

by skills and include vocabulary and grammar as well

Teaching strategies and activities are also listed by skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, culture) and usually include grammar and vocabulary as well. Here you will include a broad sampling of strategies and activities which will enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions you identified earlier. You might also want to label activities here as those which will be sued to introduce concepts (I), develop them (D) or provide closure (C).

H. List what tools you will use for ASSESSMENT

What will you choose to evaluate?

What assessment tools will you use?

How will you and the students use the information received from the assessments?

You should be evaluating both the students and your effectiveness as a teacher. As you think about assessment, remember to have a strong link to the objectives you have developed. Remember to test as you have taught.

Your evaluation of this unit should include formative (F) and summative (S) evaluations. It may also include pre-test or diagnostic tests (D).

N.B. - Summative evaluations use answer keys or rubrics. You will develop these next semester with the complete unit.

I. List MATERIALS to be used throughout the unit

The materials necessary for this unit should be listed by the following categories:

STUDENT – text / workbook / etc.

TEACHER – reference books / teacher’s manual of text / etc.

AUDIO-VISUAL – machines / tapes / videos / CDs / transparencies / handouts / flashcards / software / etc.

ANNOTATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY – see other handout for requirements / format / rubric

In the selection of materials, consider the following:

Are the materials related to the life experiences of your students?

Are the materials unbiased, authentic and interesting?

Do the materials invite student participation?

Do the materials prompt students to go beyond what is presented in class?