M6 U1 A 1: Unpack a Standard
Project Description
Overview Teachers in the United States and most international schools are expected to help students meet standards that have been created by a school, state, or national entity. Schools in other countries may have identified standards, goals, or a curriculum framework to outline the content to be taught to students at different grade levels. A process used by educators to translate standards into lessons is called unpacking standards. It is a fairly sophisticated concept, but it assists teachers in planning lessons and teaching strategies that address all parts of a standard. It requires you to identify (1) what students need to know and (2) what they need to do to demonstrate they are meeting the standard. To unpack a standard, you should attend to the verbs in the standard such as explain, compare, or construct. These verbs help you identify what students need to do to meet the standard. The nouns in the standard help you identify the content that students should be learning. Performance outcomes
Candidates unpack standards to identify the knowledge and skills that students must demonstrate to meet standards
What will you do?
Obtain a copy of the school, state, country, or any other standards or a curriculum framework for the content area and grade level in which you are seeking certification. In absence of any, you can use the Common Core State Standards.
Select a standard that will require up to 5 lessons (i.e., a unit) to help students meet the standards. If you are currently teaching, consider selecting standards or goals for the unit that you are teaching, or one you will be teaching during your clinical practice.
Discuss the big ideas identified by nouns in the standard along with possible in-person and online projects or activities with your cohort in the Discussion Forum.
Create a 5-7 minute Vlog to unpack the standard. Include in the video:
The standard for the grade level and subject area you teach or plan to teach, its source (e.g., Common Core State Standards, State Standards, or School Goals), and an explanation of why you chose the standard
The big ideas of the standard as discussed with your Cohort
Discussion of the skills that students should develop in meeting the standards. The verbs in the standards should help you identify the skills and inform the learning objectives.
1-2 projects or activities (in-person and online) that engage students who can show that they are learning the knowledge and developing the skills identified in the standard
Description of how you will assess students’ mastery of the standard and how you will monitor the progress towards mastery, including students with varying literacy skills
Report requirements
Discussion of big ideas in the selected standard with the Cohort in the Discussion Forum
A 5-7 minute video
(The above information are cited from TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program)
My Work
Activity Resources
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