Creating Quality Unit Maps Aligned to Common Core

1. Creating Quality Unit MapsAligned to Common Core Essential Questions How do we create units maps aligned to the Common Core Standards? How do we assure maps are quality?

2. What information do we collect initially on a map? Big Idea/Concept Essential Questions Content Vocabulary Skills Assessments Activities Resources/Supporting Materials

4. Steps to Create Unit Maps • Common Core Standards – unpacked • Determine possible units • Select and name a unit • Identify content • Identify precise skills • Big Idea/Concept • Essential Question(s) • Assessments

5. 8th Grade – Math - CC Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations. 5. Graphproportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships represented in different ways. Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data. 1. Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association. 4. Understand that patternsof association can also be seen in bivariate categorical data by displayingfrequencies and relative frequencies in a two-way table. Construct and interpret a two-way table summarizing data on two categorical variables collected from the same subjects. Use relative frequencies calculated for rows or columns to describe possible association between the two variables.

6. Unit Title – Math – 8th Grade • There are several possible units that include content and skills from this standard. • Discussion with team to determine possible units and to narrow the options. • Problem-Solving and Data Analysis • Share your unit title with a partner

7. Content THE “WHAT” THAT IS TO BE TAUGHT • Targeted facts and key information • Content Topics • Discipline, interdisciplinary, or student-centered • Written in noun form

8. Skills WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW OR BE ABLE TO DO IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTENT • Arespecific, observableand measurable • Include benchmark skills, critical skills, and 21st century skills • Begin with action verbs….

9. Knowledge – memorizing Comprehension – understanding Application – using Analysis – taking apart Synthesis – putting together Evaluation - judging Levels of Thinking - Bloom LOW MIDDLE HIGH

12. Using Big Ideasto sharpen the Focus Big Idea: -Arelational phrase or statement -sharpens focus and helps to determine what needs to be taught - enduring understanding Example(s): Teamwork promotes cooperation History repeats itself Problems can be solved in different ways. Biologists can relate human activities and technology to changes in ecosystems.

13. The Big Idea is sometimes difficult to state in the early phases of mapping. • If you have difficulty stating the Big Idea . . . Identify three words that describe the focus of the unit; force these into a statement.

14. Example Big Ideas • Mathematicians name and write a decimal to represent tenths and hundredths given a set of objects. • Scientists recognize that results for similar scientific investigations may turn out differently because of inconsistencies. • Biologists can relate human activities and technology to changes in ecosystems.

15. Essential Questions • Essential questions are over-arching questions that focus on a key concept, an enduring understanding, and/or a big idea; they are the concept(s) turned into questions. Their purpose is to prompt student inquiry.

16. Essential Questions Over-arching interrogatives that provide focus and engage students • Encourage higher-level thinking • Help students make connections beyond content being studied • Focus on “So why am I teaching this”? • Written in student friendly form

17. Essential Questions • Is there a clear concept driving the question? • Is it written for the targeted students as the audience? • Can it organize and frame a set of classroom experiences? • Is it essential for the students given their experiences K-12? • Does it align with standards? • If there is more than one question, are all of them necessary? • Does it link and bind content, skills, and assessments on the maps?

19. Assessments Demonstrations of learning Are tangible products, projects, or observable performances Include multiple types of assessment to give a more complete picture of learning Written in noun form

20. Three Tiers of assessments Drill and practice Rehearsal Authentic performance

21. A Well Balanced Assessment System Performance & Authentic Tasks Balanced Assessment Academic Prompt Portfolio Project Quiz/Test Observation/ Dialogue Informal Checks for Understanding

22. Updating Assessments to reflect 21st Century Learning • Documentaries • Podcast • Web sites • E-mail exchanges • Webcasts from live sites • Online journals • Screenplays • Video Conference Heidi Hayes Jacobs • Blogs Curriculum 21

23. Thinking about . . .Assessments • Are we using a variety of assessments? • Are assessments aligned to precise skills? • What about the level of thinking – is it aligned? • Is the assessment at the correct level? • Does the assessment reflect 21st Century skills?

26. Assessment Activity • Describe one assessment for your unit. Share with a partner. • Determine the precise skills that directly align to the assessment.