Unit Plan

Unit Plan

Cumulative Assessment: Journal Project

Journal Project Rubric

The two aspects of my unit plan that I am most proud of are the way I scaffolded my unit and lessons and my use of formative assessments.  The major take-away from my Curriculum and Literacy courses this semester is that instruction needs to be progressive and prepare students to work towards a final goal or product.  Students should not be constantly graded.  Formative assessments are ways in which students can practice and prepare to demonstrate what they have learned.  For example, my cumulative assessment for the unit was a journal project.  Each week students handed-in one journal entry, not for a grade, but to receive feedback.  Students will not receive a grade until all five journal entries have been handed-in.  Constant feedback will become a key part of my future pedagogy.  The journal entries are not the only examples of formative assessments in my unit.  I have various exit-slips, discussion activities, presentations, and reflections to check-in with students and to be used to guide my instruction.

I tried to make sure each lesson built upon each other and that within each lesson there was evidence of scaffolding.  For example, when looking at primary and secondary sources, I first explained what the difference was and asked students to categorize different examples. Then, I modeled how to read a primary source before I asked students to try on their own.  In my unit plan, I think I demonstrate my understanding of the importance of building on student skills, meeting criterion 4.2.  I think I organized the entire unit and each lesson in a non-overwhelming way.