In my article "Six Recommendations for Implemeting State- or District-Created CCSS Curriculum Units" in the October/November 2013 issue of Reading Today, I discussed that many state departments of education have devoted resources to providing curriculum units for educators to use. Here are some examples:

• New York State, on its comprehensive EngageNY.org website (www.engageny.org/common-core-curriculum), offers curriculum that local districts may adopt or adapt.  These curriculum modules are designed PreK-12 and offer curriculum maps, unit plans, lesson plans, materials, and professional development guidance.

• Massachusetts (http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/model/) provides model curriculum units that include an overview, standards, curriculum-embedded performance assessment, and lesson plans, written in an Understanding By Design (UBD) template (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).

• Colorado has created a template and curriculum process for translating standards into curriculum, (http://www.cde.state.co.us/standardsandinstruction/SampleCurriculum-Resources.asp) based on the work of Dr. Lynn Erickson and her book, “Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom” (2007).

These selections are just illustrative of the work that has been done across the country. Many other states have also produced model curriculum and curriculum maps and curriculum guides.

References

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Erickson, H. L. (2007). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Lori DiGisi is Director of Curriculum and professional Development for the Farmingham Public Schools, Farmingham, MA. She was formerly on staff at the Massachusetts Department of Education, ldigisi@gmail.com.

This article is an addendum to an article from the October/November 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!