Curriculum Mapping, Part 3

This post is designed as a three-part training series for middle and high school teachers working in school teams to write and revise their curriculum maps.

How do I add skills and assessments to my curriculum map?

Step 1

Begin by watching this 3-minute focusing on one school in Princeton, NJ and their work with designing 21st Century Learning and Teachin. (Link to SchoolTube)

As you watch, consider the following questions:

1. What are the most relevant skills for students to develop in 21st Century high school classrooms?
2. How do teachers and students feel about the design performance assessments and projects in the video?
3. Who is the 21st Century student? How will you open up new learning opportunities for these students?

Step 2

Consider what you want students to know or be able to do in order to demonstrate mastery or understanding of the content in your class. As we work to revise the Skills column in your curriculum map, consider these aspects of writing Skills into your curriculum map:

1. Are specific, observable, and measurable
   
2. Include benchmarks and critical skills from district consensus map (NYC)
   
3. Begin with action verbs and are precise (examples from Ann Johnson):
   • Find the main idea and supporting details.
   • Estimate sums and differences using rounding techniques to the nearest 1000.
   • Alphabetize to the second letter.
   • Interpret data represented in a bar graph.
   • Identify root words, suffixes, and prefixes.
   • Label the parts of an informative speech.
   • Explain the difference between fact and opinion.
   • Locate and identify parts of a book: title page, table of contents, index, and gloassary.
   • Compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of a hybrid car an SUV.
   • Define the hypothesis and conclusion of an “if-then” statement.
   • Analyze four primary documents written by John F. Kennedy.
   • Tell time to the minute.

Now, begin to revise or add to the Skills column of your curriculum map, either for your targeted unit or for the entire map, depending on time.

Step 3

Next, consider assessments. Assessments are:

1. Demonstrations of learning
2. Tangible products, projects, or observable performances; for example:
   • Grant proposals
   • Screenplays
   • Surveys
   • Diagrams
   • Essays (creative, persuasive, descriptive, expository)
   • CAD blueprints
   • Documentaries
   • Lab reports
   • Broadcasts
   • Digital portfolios
   • Tests (essay, objective, short answer)
   • Media criticism
   • Webcasts
   • Spreadsheets
   • Teleplays
   • Graphic organizers
   • Web page
   • Story Maps
3. Written in non form
4. Able to give a more complete picture of learning when multiple types are used

• Portfolios
• Projects
• Performance and Authentic Tasks
• Academic Prompts
• Quizzes/Tests
• Observations/Dialogues
• Informal Checks for Understanding

Step 4

a) Add to or revise the Assessments column on your Curriculum Map for each unit of study. If you are not able to draft questions for each unit, focus on the unit you have chosen to focus on for this workshop.

b) Continue adding Skills to your curriculum map. You can fill in this part of your curriculum map for all units of study or just the unit you have chosen to focus on for this workshop, depending on the time allotted.