Needs,Importance and Steps of  Unit Plan

When developing a course for the semester the process of unit planning is important. The steps below will help guide that process. Without unit plans, instructors tend to focus on class activities that may not address language standards. Unit planning focuses the learning on the language standards that are integrated thematically. Lesson plans aligned with the unit are connected and spiral instruction, so that learners have multiple opportunities to develop and apply what they have learned. Without unit plans, students and instructors can become frustrated because they may see the intended progress. The objectives and outcomes in a unit plan help the instructor articulate to the students what they will know and be able to do in a specific period of time.

 

STEPS FOR PLANNING THE UNIT

 

STEP 1: Conduct a needs assessment or interest survey of your students by identifying the learners’ language needs for successful participation as a member of a family, workplace, and community. This needs assessment will determine why the learner needs to learn English, pinpointing the immediate reason for learning English.

 

STEP 2: Using at least one of the state and federally approved assessments: CASAS, BEST, or BEST Plus, complete a class profile. Compare the assessment results to the learners’ needs assessment or interests in learning English.

 

STEP 3: Determine the unit topic from your results of step 1 and 2. Compare your topic for the unit to the CASAS competencies or the Performance-Based Outcomes with local curriculum. Review other sections of the content standards document to gather more skills to include in the unit plan that would be appropriate for the learners.

 

STEP 4: Select the purpose or goal of the unit. The goals, written as an overview or rationale, explain what the unit is about and what the learners will know and be able to do.

 

In planning the goal, consider these points:

•        Compare your topic for the unit to the CASAS competencies or the MELT.

•        Decide what the students should learn and be able to do both in class as practice and how they will use the skills when leaving the classroom.

•        Summarize what you intend the learners to know about the topic and be able to do in a few sentences or a short paragraph.

•        Check that your goals are consistent with those of the course and are level appropriate.

 

STEP 5: Write appropriate objectives for the unit using behavioral terms to describe what the learners will do, consistent with the unit goal. It is helpful to review the Content Standards by Skill Section and to identify cultural, workplace, technology, and/or metacognitive skills when planning objectives.

 

STEP 6: Brainstorm learning activities that are appropriate for the proficiency level of the learners that reflect the goals and objectives. Think about materials, including texts, audio and video; manipulatives, authentic materials, field trips, guest speakers, and equipment needed for the activities.

STEP 7: Plan how you will evaluate the learners’ progress towards meeting the goal and objectives at the completion of the unit. Evaluation may include demonstrations, projects, portfolio assignments, or unit tests.

 

Curriculum will always reflect the context of the local area and program schedule, sites, materials, and equipment. It is a broad outline that integrates components and prioritizes the tasks and skills learners will demonstrate. It must be flexible. It should outline the desired outcomes and lead toward that end.

 

The purpose of unit planning is to connect the competencies, language standards, and skills together so that it creates a unified picture for the students. Instructors are able to group language standards across skills to integrate with the competencies at the students’ level. The competencies are the subject matter/topic or theme for the unit and are the same competencies used in the CASAS assessments. In the end, unit planning saves the instructor time and energy when planning lessons. Unit plans can be saved, reviewed, and revised each year because they are broad and generalized. A sample unit plan on the next page provides an example of a unit plan.

 

 Myers and Myers (1995, p. 462) list six components that each unit plan should contain.

1. Set Goals and Objectives for StudentsUsing content standards, teachers can begin to create a unit plan by identifying what they want students to accomplish. This plan should include identifying goals in the form of what students should know or be able to accomplish upon completion of the unit. An example of a science goal might be that students will be able to identify and state the purpose of all the major organelles of a cell.
2. Choose ContentWorking within a unit, teachers must identify all of the content that needs to be taught. For example, a unit on decimals might include adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers that contain decimals.
3. Choose Instruction MethodsHere the teacher will address the teaching methods that he or she will be use. This is an opportune moment to consider the special needs of students in the classroom. Will instruction include direct instruction, cooperative learning experiences, or the re-teaching of content to a peer? Some students with writing difficulties might require the additional assistance of peer help or partially completed notes. By planning ahead, teachers can include strategies to help ensure the success of all students.
4. Connect Learning Activities to ExperiencesStudents need to learn the required content by the end of the unit. Learning activities should be designed to utilize the strengths of the students. Determine in what circumstances concrete models and examples could be included to help facilitate understanding.
5. Choose and List ResourcesBe sure to list all of the materials necessary to complete the unit. By planning ahead, teachers will help themselves avoid a last-minute rush to find the materials they’ll need to complete specific activities.
6. Choose Assessment MethodsUse assessments that determine whether students have met unit objectives. Select a variety of assessments, such as multiple-choice tests, individual or group projects, or research papers. Questions that should be considered when deciding how students will be evaluated include:

• Do the assessments measure memorization of content or do they require students to apply what has been learned?
• Does the evaluation device actually measure what has been taught?
• What levels of learning are addressed?