Unit Planning Guide

There is no `one best way' to plan units. The only thing that is essential in all planned units is that the curriculum guide be open and consulted at all stages of the planning process.

Two possible strategies are described here. The first is a teacher-structured unit. The second is based on teacher/student collaborative planning. Each has been adapted from the discussion of planning found in English Language Arts: A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary Level (Saskatchewan Education, 1992).

The model units that follow are teacher-structured units. By its very nature, a teacher/student collaboration must be done in the classroom with the students as the unit develops.

Lesson planning

Lesson planning follows from the unit planning process. During unit planning, activities are selected, analyzed, and modified. An initial sequence of lessons is outlined. In essence, lesson planning involves an enhancement of the unit plan to make the day-to-day activities of the class flow more smoothly and produce maximum success.

For science in Saskatchewan schools, we advocate a four-phase lesson. The stages can be labelled engaging, exploring, evaluating, and extending. Activities must form the core of each phase in this lesson planning scheme.

Engaging ties the science curriculum to students' prior experiences, and to students' interests and needs. During this lesson phase, students' concepts are explored, clarified, and stated. Students are encouraged to share their ideas, understandings, and reactions with each other. Such peer interaction fulfills one of the basic needs of adolescents. The direction the next phases of the lesson take is determined by what is discovered and discussed during this phase.

Exploring involves the investigation of questions raised during the engaging phase of the lesson. The investigations may involve student-designed investigations or activities suggested by teachers. Students should be encouraged to identify and use both community and multimedia resources to further their investigation. Community resources may be persons with expertise, sites to visit, or people who can suggest where information can be obtained. Multimedia resources may be oral histories, written materials, CD-ROM information bases, computer networks, or audio-visual productions.

The evaluation phase involves two levels of evaluation. Students must evaluate the results of their research and investigations. Is the information valid and useful? In addition, they must evaluate their understanding of the concepts in light of the results of their explorations. This is a critical phase. In cooperative learning groups, students can challenge each others' explanations and ideas. The evaluation phase involves student evaluation of concepts and their notions of those concepts. This is when it is valuable for students to read explanations and illustrations of the concepts they have been studying. Various formative assessment instruments can be used during this phase.

Extending gives students a chance to take the results of their evaluation and put those results to the test. Follow-up of unanticipated discoveries or hypotheses enhances the understanding of what surrounds us. This phase gives students a chance to experience what science involves. The search for information and understanding inevitably raises new questions for research.

Depending on your experience, confidence with science and time available, the detail in the lesson plans you produce may vary from those examples that follow.

Structured unit

• Read the Unit overview and the Concept development sections. Develop an idea about the nature and scope of the unit, and how it fits into the Elementary and Middle Level Science program. Consider what sorts of experiences and abilities students will bring to this unit and determine their entry level.
• Consider how the unit focus relates to other subjects and how joint learning opportunities may be used to enhance students' experiences. Discuss the unit with colleagues to help identify links that can be made, and cooperation that can occur.
• Read the Foundational Objectives for the unit. All students in the classroom are to be given opportunities to experienceor cultivate what is described by these statements. These statements form the basis for the common experience shared by all students in Saskatchewan schools. These are outcomes for students to achieve.
• Create an outline or a web that summarizes the unit. It should show the major concepts to be considered during the unit as well as associated subconcepts and links to other areas of study. Examples of webs are found on page 41 and page 56 of this Guide. (The production of such a web is an excellent introductory activity for a teacher/student collaboratively planned unit.)
• In light of what you understand about the unit and the nature of the students in the class, choose learning objectives that you feel are appropriate. Select objectives from the Curriculum Guide or other resources. Develop your own learning objectives in consultation with your students.

  Adapt curriculum objectives that you select so that they meet the needs of the students in your classroom. During the course of the unit, you may ask the students to contribute to the development of additional objectives or to the refining of the ones you select.

• Identify a variety of activities for use. Choose activities that introduce concepts and ideas, that require exploration of the concepts, and that encourage students to extend their understandings. Students may be involved in developing or selecting activities that they feel meet their needs for understanding the concepts.

  Ensure that there are activities that vary the instructional methods which will be used so that the different learning styles of individuals will be accommodated. Remember, too, that writing and reading, and science challenge activities are to be integrated into the activities of each unit, and that these can be incorporated into virtually any activity.

• Analyze the activities to determine how the factors of scientific literacy can be emphasized through the activities. You may choose to focus on one or two factors per activity, or on factors within one Dimension. Consider posting the names of factors identified for each activity on a poster or on the blackboard so that students can become accustomed with the terms. Also consider modifying the activity to include other Dimensions.

  Modify the activities to enhance their presentation of other initiatives of Core Curriculum - Common Essential Learnings, Indian and Métis Perspectives, Gender Equity, and agriculture in the classroom.

• Plan daily assessment strategies and record keeping procedures that are appropriate for the activities. Create a unit evaluation plan.
• Collect resources and supplies that will be needed to do the activities and achieve the Foundational Objectives. Consult Science: An Information Bulletin for the Middle Level Ä Key Resource Correlations and Science: A Bibliography for the Middle Level for suggestions. Consider developing classroom displays around the theme of the unit. Determine what resources are available in your community.
• Plan an initial sequence of lessons. Leave the plan flexible enough so that student interests and opinions can help direct the progress of the unit. Outline other lessons that will be required to deal with the Foundational Objectives.
• Create a tentative time schedule.

Collaborative unit

• Students have understandings and interest in many of the topics studied in science. With this expertise, they can help plan units that are at the appropriate developmental level, that deal with things that are relevant to them, and that engage them. The processes that are involved in planning can also be useful learning experiences, helping to make the students more confident, active, independent learners.
• The following is taken from English Language Arts: A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary Level (Saskatchewan Education, 1992, page 73).
  Strategies that facilitate teacher-student planning include:
  • brainstorming lists of topics, possible projects, and resources
  • categorizing lists made during brainstorming
  • mapping or webbing what is known about the topic, possible unit subtopics, or directions
  • discussions to determine individual interests and awareness levels
  • questioning about what students want to find out about the topic and how they could find answers and solutions
  • identifying and sequencing activities and projects...
• Resources available will often influence the direction and extent of a unit. Students can be involved in identifying and gaining access to resources.

Unit planning checklist

• Have the factors of scientific literacy, the Foundational Objectives for the unit, and the Common Essential Learnings been incorporated in the plan?
• Have the other initiatives of Core Curriculum been incorporated?
• Have I identified the major concepts students will deal with?
• Have I considered the students' entry level, needs, interests, and abilities?
• Have I sought student input into the planning process, and considered their lives outside of the school context?
• Have I discussed with colleagues ways that this unit can be integrated with or support units of study in other areas?
• Have I selected or created appropriate learning objectives?
• Have I included Indian and Métis content and perspectives?
• Are there sufficient interesting, useful, and varied resources to support this unit?
• Is there an adequate supply of appropriate print material for incorporating reading activities and serving as models for writing activities?
• Are there a variety of instructional strategies, reading and writing activities, and hand-on investigations?
• Have I determined appropriate assessment and evaluation strategies?
• Does the plan allow for flexibility and adaptation?
• Have I provided opportunities for student input and collaboration?
• Is the time allotted realistic?
• Have I considered possible unit extensions?