Unit Plan Template1

Instructions
Schools do unit and lesson planning differently. Below is the template for how I want you to complete a unit plan for
this class, as some introductory practice. In your career you may use a different template or approach, depending on
the school and/or discipline. The Unit Plan contains several elements, the Overview, Lesson Plans, and the
Assessment. You will develop a sample Unit Plan that is grade-level and subject appropriate for the students you
intend to teach. The Unit Plan will include all relevant components necessary to effectively teach a unit of
instruction. When you do unit planning in your career, your unit plans will contain several days of full lesson plans
(with introductions, reflections, projects, and assessments). Well keep it simple, here, and just include three lesson
plans of varied types. Youll get the gist. This unit plan will be included as a subpage on your Teacher Website for this
class.
Criteria

Exemplary

Proficient

Developing

Missing

Unit Overview

(10 points)

(8 points)

(7 points)

(0 points)

(10 points)

All unit overview requirements

are included/answered clearly
and thoroughly

All unit overview requirements

are included/answered
satisfactorily

All unit overview requirements

are included/answered, but
some are unclear or
disconnected

2 or more unit overview

requirements are missing

Lessons Plans

(60 points)

(54 points)

(42 points)

(0 points)

Intro 20 points
Reflections 20
points
Project 20 points

All 3 lesson plans (Intro,

reflections, project) are written
clearly, demonstrate CCSS
teaching/learning, and are welldeveloped. A blended learning
approach is evident.

Lesson plans are written

satisfactorily and demonstrate
some connections to CCSS. A
blended learning approach is
satisfactorily represented.

Lesson plans are written

vaguely and are
underdeveloped; CCSS
connections are limited

1 or more lesson plans are

missing

Assessments

(10 points)

(8 points)

(7 points)

(0 points)

Formative 5 points
Summative 5
points

A formative and summative

assessment is included; clear
and connected to the overall
unit plan

A formative and summative

assessment is included;
connections to the overall unit
plan are satisfactory

A formative and summative

assessment is included;
confusing and lack connections
to overall unit plan

1 or more assessments are

missing

(60 points)

(10 points)

Overview
Teacher: Ceasar Gallardo
Grade/Course: 12th grade English
Title of the Unit of Study: Farenheit 451- Censorship

Big Idea
The Big Idea is the central concept, provides a real-world context (Addresses 21 st Century Themes)
Continues through to final authentic performance task (assessment)

Determine what should and shouldnt be censored

Essential/ Messy Question

Focuses big idea to what is relevant to the student. Provides provocative questions that foster inquiry,
understanding, and transfer of learning. (Connects Content Standards & Concepts to 21st Century Themes,
& Skills)

Who should decide what is and isnt censored? Why?

What 21st Century

Themes will
students learn with
the Big Idea and
Essential
Question?
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic,
Business, &
Entrepreneurial
Literacy
Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
Environmental
Literacy

Common Core Standards Addressed

CCSS Clusters | CA Content Standards to be integrated
How do the clusters of standards illuminate the concepts in
the Big Idea?

Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text

and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how
they interact and build
on one another to produce a complex account; provide
an objective summary of
the text.
Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding
how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story
is set, how the action is
ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including words with
multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or
beautiful. (Include Shakespeare
as well as other authors.)

Concepts and Skills

What concepts and skills must a student know/have in order
to master these standards and gain enduring understanding of the
Big Idea?
Consider order in which to scaffold concepts and skills within
the Unit.

Critical Thinking
Organization
Imagination
Using Evidence
Research Skills
Knowledge of Current Events

Learning Outcomes of the Unit:

Students will

Understand the impact of censorship and

conjure arguments on why certain media
should or should not be censored.

End of Unit Assessment:

How will students demonstrate what they
know?

Units Instruction
Includes
Create assignments for real

audiences and with real

purpose

Quick writes about what they would

choose to censor and what not to censor

Focus on the learning

process, not just content

Lead high-level, text-based

discussions
Teach argument writing

Through what authentic performance

tasks (project) might student demonstrate what
they have learned or can do, as a result of this
Unit?

Being able to criticize what is currently

censored and argue for why it should
or should not be censored
How might we solicit student input and
engage students in co-designing their
performance task(s)-project?

Student will pick out media of their own

choice to or to not censor

which appeals to logic and

reason
Increase text complexity in

both literature and

informational text

Lesson Plans
Balance Teamwork and Individual Work Throughout the Unit of Study:
Leverage collaboration as much as skills and content. Make sure to balance both teams and Independent work so
that you are demanding a 21st century collaborative environment while allowing time to meet students on an
individual basis.

Intro Lesson:

CCSS Habits of Mind

Purpose: Engage students, spark curiosity, hook and

necessitate

What teacher actions might encourage students

to engage in these Habits of Mind?

Alices Adventures in Wonderland was

banned in China in 1931 because it was
deemed that animals should not use the
human language. Discuss whether this is a
proper reason to ban a book. What are other
appropriate or inappropriate reasons to ban a
book?

ELA Capacities
Demonstrate

independence
Build strong content
knowledge
Respond to the
varying demands of
audience, task,
purpose, and discipline
Comprehend as well
as critique
Value evidence
Use technology and
digital media
strategically and
capably
Come to understand
other perspectives and
cultures

Mathematical
Practices
Make sense of

problems and
persevere in solving
them.
Reason abstractly
and quantitatively.
Construct viable
arguments and critique
the reasoning of others
Model with
mathematics.
Use appropriate tools
strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make
use of structure.
Look for and express
regularity in repeated
reasoning.

DOK Level
What levels of Depth Of
Knowledge will the lesson
target to demonstrate student
understanding of the Big
Idea, concepts, and skills?
Level 1: Recall &

Reproduction
Level 2:
Basic Skills & Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking &
Reasoning
Level 4: Extended Thinking

Student Reflection & Goal Setting:

Student reflection is an essential component. Throughout the Unit, Students reflect on their work and progress. Students set goals for further
learning. Goal setting is a great opportunity for students to personalize learning goals and provides teacher specific targets for differentiated
instruction.

3-5 Reflection Activities:

CCSS Habits of Mind

Sequence of Tasks, Problems, or Activities

Purpose: To develop specific concepts, designed to

What teacher actions might encourage students

to engage in these Habits of Mind?

scaffold, outcome is a delicate (fragile) understanding.

Read first half of the book

Create argument for censorship
Read second half of the book
Criticize your first argument
Craft Key Questions for each of lessons or set of lessons
Key Question(s) requires students to address a
variety of smaller, more targeted Key Questions to
scaffold learning and finding answer to the Essential
Question.
Key Questions provides the vehicle for addressing
specific content standards and demonstration of
student performance.

Was your argument of censorship consistent

throughout the book?
What are your views compared to your
peers? Society?

Scaffold or differentiate student demonstration of

concepts. (Build depth, flexibility, & try same thing in
different ways.)

Pick a partner who shares a different view,

switch arguments and argue for their point
while they argue for yours.

ELA Capacities
Demonstrate

independence
Build strong content
knowledge
Respond to the
varying demands of
audience, task,
purpose, and discipline
Comprehend as well
as critique
Value evidence
Use technology and
digital media
strategically and
capably
Come to understand
other perspectives and
cultures

Mathematical
Practices
Make sense of

problems and
persevere in solving
them.
Reason abstractly
and quantitatively.
Construct viable
arguments and critique
the reasoning of others
Model with
mathematics.
Use appropriate tools
strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make
use of structure.
Look for and express
regularity in repeated
reasoning.

DOK Level
What levels of Depth Of
Knowledge will the lesson
target to demonstrate student
understanding of the Big
Idea, concepts, and skills?
Level 1: Recall &

Reproduction
Level 2:
Basic Skills & Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking &
Reasoning
Level 4: Extended Thinking

Co-Design Authentic Performance Task(s ):

Teacher embraces real-world connections and possibilities for differentiated student summative products by providing opportunity for student
voice and choice in their end product. Students write their Essential Question to guide learning outcomes for their end of Unit performance
task (Project).
Craft a project that will support your intended outcome.

Students will create an online poster that will outline their points for their arguments and present this poster in an
online meeting

Assessment

Formative Assessment Lesson:

CCSS Habits of Mind

Through what authentic performance task(s) will

students demonstrate their skills and understandings?
How will this inform their future learning?

What teacher actions might encourage students

to engage in these Habits of Mind?

ELA Capacities
Demonstrate

Students will be assigned weekly writing

assignments that will have students
criticizing their personal views on censorship.
Students will post these writing assignments
to a blog then reply to 5 other blog posts.
Every other day a student will create a thread
that every student will reply to. This thread
should be a question about the reading that
will provoke critical thinking.
Students will be put into groups and assigned
specific blog posts and questions from the
semester and will be tasked to write a team
essay that focus on the question and blog
post.

independence
Build strong content
knowledge
Respond to the
varying demands of
audience, task,
purpose, and discipline
Comprehend as well
as critique
Value evidence
Use technology and
digital media
strategically and
capably
Come to understand
other perspectives and
cultures

Mathematical
Practices
Make sense of

problems and
persevere in solving
them.
Reason abstractly
and quantitatively.
Construct viable
arguments and critique
the reasoning of others
Model with
mathematics.
Use appropriate tools
strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make
use of structure.
Look for and express
regularity in repeated
reasoning.

DOK Level
What levels of Depth Of
Knowledge will the lesson
target to demonstrate student
understanding of the Big
Idea, concepts, and skills?
Level 1: Recall &

Reproduction
Level 2:
Basic Skills & Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking &
Reasoning
Level 4: Extended Thinking

Summative Assessment:

CCSS Habits of Mind

How will students demonstrate what they know as a

result of this Unit?

What teacher actions might encourage students

to engage in these Habits of Mind?

Through what authentic performance tasks (project)

will student demonstrate what they have learned
(concepts, skills, understandings, Big Idea) and can
do?

There will be a rubric that contains all the

necessary requirements within the lesson.
Students will be put into pairs or groups of 3
and assess each other
There will be a test taken online to figure out
what the students have learned

A packet of the students work for the lesson

plan and will be graded in terms of what the
student does or does not have

ELA Capacities
Demonstrate

independence
Build strong content
knowledge
Respond to the
varying demands of
audience, task,
purpose, and discipline
Comprehend as well
as critique
Value evidence
Use technology and
digital media
strategically and
capably
Come to understand
other perspectives and
cultures

Mathematical
Practices
Make sense of

problems and
persevere in solving
them.
Reason abstractly
and quantitatively.
Construct viable
arguments and critique
the reasoning of others
Model with
mathematics.
Use appropriate tools
strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make
use of structure.
Look for and express
regularity in repeated
reasoning.

DOK Level
What levels of Depth Of
Knowledge will the lesson
target to demonstrate student
understanding of the Big
Idea, concepts, and skills?
Level 1: Recall &

Reproduction
Level 2:
Basic Skills & Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking &
Reasoning
Level 4: Extended Thinking

Individual Student Reflection & Peer Reflection:

Students reflect on their end product: authentic performance tasks (project)
I like
I wonder
I now understand
In the future

How will you and your students

reflect on and evaluate the
performance task (project)?
Class discussion Fishbowl
Student-facilitated formal debrief
Teacher-led formal debrief
Student-facilitated informal debrief
Individual evaluations
Group evaluations
Other:

Is my view right?
How can I make my view better?
I will criticize what is and isnt banned

1. Adapted from OCDE Integrated Planning Template at http://www.ocde.us/CommonCoreCA/Documents/Unit%20of%20study

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