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Optimal Learning Model

Session 2: Unit Unpacking Protocol

Stage One

Intellectual Preparation

Intellectual Preparation is key when it comes to unpacking a unit.  Before beginning, read and annotate the unit.  Often it is helpful to read the unit more than once, to really internalize the information.  While reading, keep the Optimal Learning Model in your mind.  It will help you when annotating to note the Bends in the unit, possible Big Skills and highlighted Structures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identify the Purpose

When considering the purpose, think big.  Do not think of it in terms of the skills that students will need to achieve.  Consider how this learning experience will change the scholar as a reader (forever and always) and as a person.  This is all about long-term purposeful outcomes.  Consider Habits of Mind, Core Values, Standards of Mathematical Practice, and other areas where this learning experience could have long-lasting effects on the scholars.

 

A sample purpose could be, "The purpose is to become an independent and interdependent member of the reading community."

 

Define the Big Skill

What will scholars know and be able to do skillfully by the end of this unit?  Again, resist the urge to think small.  These are the big skills that we want scholars to master by the end of the unit, and later in the unit unpacking we will identify all of the small steps that we will need to take with the scholars in order to achieve that goal.

 

At this time, it can also be helpful to determine any Big Skills that the teachers might need to master.  If there are new procedures or areas where the teachers will need some support to reach mastery in order to help their students reach the Big Skill, acknowledge that here and give it a platform!  Don't allow yourself to forget or become overwhelmed!

 

It is helpful to write the Big Skill(s) in this format: Student will be able to (SWBAT)

 

A sample Big Skill from a kindergarten unit might look like:

"Student will be able to

  • become a more conventional reader

  • read what the author wrote

  • read with understanding

  • read more complex texts

  • build stamina and take responsibility for strategies and for partner/community.

Teacher will be able to

  • research, decide, remind, reinforce and reteach."

 

Common Core Standard Alignment

Once the Big Skills are determined, go through the common core standards and identify any standards that students will need in order to master the Big Skills.  Keeping the Purpose, the Big Skills and the Common Core Standards in mind while designing the learning experiences in the unit will help to ensure that you are staying true to backwards design, that your teaching stays focused on these learning goals instead of becoming distracted by "activities" that are not aligned with overarching goals.

 

Stage One can be the most challenging part of unit unpacking, but it informs every single decision moving forward in the process and it is worth getting right!  There may be some debate amongst team members on what is the Purpose or what constitutes the "truest" Big Skill or how to best word all of these essential components.  Trust, positive attitudes and strong relationships/facilitation are all key at this time - don't be afraid to have these debates, when done with respect and understanding they can really increase the quality of the unit.

Stage Two

For more examples, see this Ongoing Assessment document.

In Stage One, we were looking at the entire unit through a broad lens.  In Stage Two, our focus becomes zooming in a little more and identifying some of the work the scholars will be doing as well as creating plans for how the teacher plans to collect data on where students are in the optimal learning arc.

 

Performance Task

The Performance Task is a goal-directed academic task, often project-based.  In the Performance Task, students will need to utilize what they have learned throughout the unit and perform the Big Skills without prompting.  It should require scholars to perform the big skill in the context of real reading, writing, speaking and listening.  Sometimes one big project and some times several tasks, the Performance Task should be a source of excitement and engagement for students from day one of the unit as they work towards mastery of the Big Skills.

 

Some considerations to make when designing the Performance Task:

  • What does it look like when scholars can perform the big skill without prompting?

  • How will the performance task be differentiated for scholars?

    • Why?

    • How?

  • Is the task aligned with PARCC structure and language?

  • What is the pre and post performance task?

  • Performance Task

  • Dates of execution (pre and post)

  • Tools and Resources

  • Include standards assessed, the  rubric, and student work exemplars

  • Data review and planning dates


Identify data sources

Throughout the unit, it is essential to constantly seek out evidence of student learning.  In doing this, the teacher can ensure that all students attain the Big Skills.  Determine what ongoing formative data sources will reveal scholar progress toward the big skill.  Make plans for how often you will research and feeback will be given to the scholar.

 

Menu of data sources:

  • Reading Log

  • Sticky notes (in text)

  • Other note taking tools

  • Reader’s Response journal

  • Morning work/Exit Ticket

  • Writer’s Notebook

  • Process Piece

  • Share

  • Over-listening to accountable talk

  • Conference Records

  • Running Records

  • Reflection tools (SEL)

  • Other?

 

Technology

What technology will support the learning in this unit?

  • Study Island

    • Good for test preparation and assessing if scholars can generalize skills into the testing environment

  • RAZ-kids

  • Other technology determined by the needs of the unit

 

Differentiation

After collecting this data, it doesn't just sit in a binder or on a laptop - it is only useful if the data is used to inform and adjust instruction throughout the unit.  Consider how you will use data to differentiate instruction in whole group, small groups, partners and individuals?  What can you do to close the gap and ensure that ALL student achieve mastery?  Work with your team, be intentional and create a play for researching and responding to scholar data across the unit. The following protocol should be utilized to create the data driven plan:

 

Structure can look like:

  • Mini-lesson

  • Conference

  • Shared Reading

  • IRA

  • Close Read

  • Word Work

 

Planning Process:

  • Weekly data review

  • Weekly conference plans

  • Daily reflection and planning using the Effective Feedback Cycle

 

Content:

Anything that is impacting scholar success can be the focus.

  • Unit big skill/strategic actions

  • Gap Closing Skills

  • Social Emotional Skills

 

Sample Data Driven Differentiated Plans

Scholar Name/s:  Student A, Student B, Student C

Why?  Skill:           Sticky notes reveal confusion with constructing main idea in NF text

How?:                    Small Group (close read)

Structure:              Shared text

Strategic actions: track details, sift and sort into main idea at the paragraph level/section level

When?                   1/12-1/14

Staff?                      classroom teacher

Follow Up:            follow up in conferences daily

 

Scholar Name/s:  80% of class

Why?  Skill:           Flash conferences reveal confusion with using the picture to figure out a trick word

How?:                    Whole Group

Structure:              Mini-Lesson

Strategic actions: Re-teach mini lesson #6 with active engagement that provides practice with feedback

When?                   1/14/16

Staff?                      classroom teacher

Follow Up:            follow up in conferences daily

Stage Three

For more information on Tiered Vocabulary, follow this link.

For more information on Differentiation, follow this link.

For more information on Word Walls, follow this link.

Now it is time to get into the details.  In Stage Three, we figure out the structures, language, social emotional learning, sheltered English immersion, as well as the specifics of the Bends and the Mini-lesson Trajectory.  With every decision, we reach back into Stages One and Two and ensure that every decision is aligned and thoroughly thought out.

 

Structures

At this time, determine what structures will be leaned on most heavily during this unit.  Of course, all structures will continue to be utilized, but some units might rely more heavily on shared reading while others rely on Interactive Read Aloud, some might units might necessitate a focus on partner or group work.  Allow the unit overview and your annotations to guide these decisions.

 

Once you have determined the structures, consider what new rituals and routines will need to be established in order for these structures to be successful.  These rituals and routines will need to be embedded in the launch of the unit.  Also connect the structure to the SEL instruction needed.  For example, if the unit relies heavily on partner work, you will likely need to do some lessons on cooperative learning, turn taking, what to do if you disagree, listening skills, etc.

 

Decisions to be made:

  • Structures

    • ​Mini-Lessons

    • Interactive Read Aloud

    • Shared Reading

    • Interactive Writing

    • Shared Writing

    • Independent Reading

    • Independent Writing

    • Conference

    • Small Group Work

    • Word Work

  • Rituals and Routines

  • Classroom Arrangement

  • Groups

    • Partners

    • Small Group

    • Whole Class

  • Tools

  • Accountable Talk

    • What are the speaking and listening skills?

    • Structures

      • ​Partners

      • Small Group

      • Whole Group

    • Phases of Implementation

      • Learning to share

      • Learning to build

      • Learning to synthesize

 

Skill (what)                                        Disagree with the idea, not the person

Structure (when)                              Partner conversation and whole class conversation

Sentence Frames/Anchor (how)   I disagree with the idea that the character is feeling ashamed because in the

                                                                          picture her eyes are wide and she is hiding in the bleachers, so I think she is

                                                                          feeling frightened.

                                                                          I disagree that the solution to that problem is 2/4 because the whole is

                                                                          broken into five parts.

 


Text Selection

Text Selection is an essential element of unit planning.  The right text can inspire, drive conversations and make scholars feel deeply connected with the learning goals.  There are many text selection determinations to make through the unit, such as:

  • IRA/Mentor Text

  • Book Club/Partner Reading

  • Independent Reading

  • Small Group

 

As you are making these text selections, consider:

  • Text complexity

  • ELL/Sped

  • Cultural Relevance

  • Interest

  • Multimedia


Social Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning is essential for being a good student, citizen and worker. Considering the social and emotional needs of your students and planning supports throughout the unit is going to greatly increase the success and happiness of your classroom.

 

Pillars of Social Emotional Learning  

  • Self Awareness

  • Self Management

  • Social Awareness

  • Social Management (decision making/problem solving)

 

Open Circle Alignment with Content Unit Planning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bend 3 (rest of the year planning process)

  • Determine skills students need to be successful in this unit within the structures.

  • Determine data driven needs and needs based on observations as well as conferencing.

  • What open circle lessons will be taught or retaught?

  • Unpack the what (skill) into the how (strategic actions)and create an anchor.

  • Plan for ongoing reflection/goal setting and effective feedback cycle.

 

How will the learning be integrated throughout the learning day, in all content areas and transitions, lunch etc.

 

Skill

Arrival/

morning work/other content areas

Morning Meeting

 

Open Circle Lessons

Anchor:  What and How

Reflection tools: embed in content all day, effective feedback cycle

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheltered English Instruction

  • What is the academic vocabulary of the unit?  (theme, lesson etc..)

  • What additional supports will be put in place for ESL learners so they can access the language of the unit?

 

Tier 1 Words

Examples: big, small, house, table, family

Tier I words are basic, everyday words that are a part of most children’s vocabulary. These are words used every day in conversation, and most of them are learned by hearing family, peers, and teachers use them when speaking. These words are especially important for English language learners who may not be familiar with them.

 

Tier 2 Words

Examples: justify, explain, expand, predict, summarize, maintain

Tier 2 words include frequently occurring words that appear in various contexts and topics and play an important role in verbal functioning across a variety of content areas. These are general academic words and have high utility across a wide range of topics and contexts.

Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary is as cross-curricular terms. For example, the term “justify” and “predict” frequently appear in Science, Social Studies, and English texts.

 

Tier 3 Words

Low-Frequency, Domain-Specific words

Examples: isotope, tectonic plates, carcinogens, mitosis, lithosphere

Tier 3 words are domain specific vocabulary. Words in this category are low frequency, specialized words that appear in specific fields or content areas. We anticipate that students will be unfamiliar with Tier 3 words. Beck suggests teaching these words as the need arises for comprehension in specific content areas.

 

Plan for Supports

Who? What structure?

Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening


Unpacking Each Bend of the Unit

Define the work of each bend and how they come together to get students to attainment of the big skill.  

 

Whole to part to whole!!!

 

Bend 1

Structures

 

Bend 2

Structures

 

Bend 3

Structures

 

Unit Kick Off

How will you kick off the unit to build excitement, engagement and a shared vision for the new work of the unit?

  • Use visioning language

  • Use multimedia

  • Create a unit hook, theme song

  • Use inquiry and investigation

  • Give a preview of the celebration.

 

Unit Celebration

How will you celebrate when scholars are skillful at the end of the unit?

  • It should shine a light on the learning journey (reflection)providing a forum for scholars to share how they have grown and changed.

  • Balance process with product and connect to the purpose.

  • Audience:  Peers, parents, community

 

Mini Lesson Trajectory

  • Name the “what” (skill) and the “how” (strategic actions usually represented on an anchor.

  • What whole group lessons will ALL scholars receive?

  • Use the trajectory to fully plan mini-lessons using the mini-lesson template.

  • Use data to inform needs for deleting or adding additional mini-lessons throughout the unit.

  • Scholars learn by doing and through the effective feedback cycle the mini-lesson only names the new work.

 

  • Teaching Point

  • What

  • How

    • Include the plan for the anchor?

    • Is it a new anchor or a part of one that is being built over time?

  • Active Engagement

    • Text

    • Tools

    • Structure


Infuse Consistent Thinking Vocabulary

  • Predicting

  • Picturing/Visualizing

  • Noticing

    • Read Closely

    • What does the text say explicitly?

  • Wondering /Questioning

  • Connecting

    • Analyze two or more texts

    • Cite specific text evidence

  • Figuring it out

    • Interpret words and phrases

    • Analyze text structure part to whole

    • Assess point of view and purpose

    • Integrate and evaluate content

    • Delineate and evaluate the argument and claims of the text

    • Analyze meaning of text using knowledge of literary concepts and genres

  • Make logical inferences from the text

 

Differentiation

 

Use what you know about scholars to differentiate:  process, product and content before you begin the unit.

 

Scholar/Group

Process:  

Learning experiences which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content.

Product:

Culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit.

Content:

What the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information.

Environment:

The way the classroom works and feels.


Interactive Read Aloud

 

What does the big skill look like and sound like when it is modeled in text?  

 

How will the big skill be represented in notes across the wall?  

Student note taking etc…

Intellectual Preparation

 

Interactive Read Aloud Title

Tier 1 Vocabulary

Tier 2 Vocabulary

Tier 3 Vocabulary

Planning to layer in or explicitly teach vocab.  (video/morning work etc)

 

 

IRA Title:

 

Big Thinking Job: (lesson, theme, author's purpose etc.)

 

Predicted Response:  (write this out)

 

Thinking Journey:  Reread to determine stopping points and structures so scholars can construct deep meaning from the text.  What does the reader need to notice and wonder to figure out the big thinking job?

Page

Structures

  • Think Aloud (lift)

  • Text dependent Question

  • Partner Conversation

  • Whole Class Conversation

What you will say and do?

What you are over-listening for?

What are the accountable talk goals?


 

Notes Across the Wall:  A Concrete representation of a repeated meta-cognitive thinking process(big skill)

  • Accumulation of textual evidence (in the text work)

    • Sticky notes across wall to show chronology/order of thinking

    • Story grammar

  • Create theories/revise theories(beyond the text work)

    • Lift out evidence to support (boxes and bullets, compare and contrast, etc…

  • Gradual release to students across the unit (think aloud, partner conversation, whole class conversation, stop and jot, write long etc.)  The goal is for scholars to own the journey but also see the big skill modeled by an expert reader.

 

Vocabulary: Word Wall (explicit teaching, construction, ongoing accumulation)

As you construct vocabulary with scholars you will continue to add words, definitions and pictures to a Word wall.  These come from conversations with students, from student work and from a real world context.  Once named the words are used often orally and in writing with students to reinforce the meaning and provide models of context for the words. 

 

Shared Reading/Interactive Writing (K-3)

Foundational skills in the context of connected text.

 

Text/Topic:

 

Foundation Skill Focus:

Page

Structure/Tools

What you will say?

Effective Feedback

 

Close Reading

In a Close Reading, readers transact with text through annotation, discussion, and written response.

The readers’ focuses on what the author had to say, the author’s purpose, what the words mean, and what the structure tells them.

TEXT IS BOSS – the text comes first!  Our ideas come to bear when we make meaning of the text.

Close reading is a careful and purposeful RE-reading of a text to make meaning.   Frey

 

Planning for Close Reading

     In order to effectively facilitate a close read you must be intellectually prepared.  What that means is that you must read and reread the text annotating as you go.  You should be clear on the gist of each paragraph and identify potentially challenging vocabulary.   You should also read the text with the target question in mind identifying the important details that will support your answer.  Finally, you should write a short answer to that TDQ including evidence from the text.  When you are intellectually prepared you can spend your energy on gathering data from your scholars throughout the experience and using that data to provide the appropriate amount of scaffolding for your scholars.

  • Select a text – a short piece of text (can be taken from a longer work) that is highly relevant to the unit of study (possibly a portion of an anchor/mentor text)

  • Read the whole text to get the gist and determine the purpose, with the CCSS and big skill of the unit of study in mind

  • Re-read to annotate for textual evidence that supports the purpose

  • Connect the evidence/details to the purpose/TDQ by writing a short essay response.

  • Re-read a third time – this time to identify possible scholar misunderstandings and barriers to understanding.

  • -Text Structure/Complexity

  • -Tiered Vocabulary

  • Article /Text

    Structures

    Annotation Goals

    Tiered Vocabulary

 

Literacy Centers (K-2)

Independent or scaffolded application of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills with conferencing/effective feedback.

 

Center

What?  Skill

How Strategic Actions?

Effective Feedback Cycle--Connect to the Big Skill of the unit

 

Independent Reading

All units focus on IR and scholars continued growth in foundational skills, fluency, volume, rate, breadth and depth and comprehension development.

 

How will you plan your conferences to include the big skill of the unit as well as the individual needs of scholars?


How will use your conference data to inform instruction?

 

Reference Reading Strategies:  Goal 2 Teaching Reading Engagement (handed out at the 6/12 pd.)

 

Scholar Name

IR goal/focus

Conference Plan

Who?  How often?

All

Using a reading log

  • purpose

  • Ritual and routine

Daily flash conferences to provide feedback and establish the logging habit.

All

Building Stamina--staying focused and engaged

daily flash conferences

set class goal

use timer

track daily progress on a graph
 

 

  • What type of conferences will be most effective in each bend of the unit?   

    • Flash Conferences

    • Table/small group conferences

    • Individual Research, Decide Conferences

 

Keep in mind that it is critical that all scholars are in just right books and reading the WHOLE time.  There is not any other more effective way to improve reading skills than by increasing time in just right text!  When you add in effective feedback it becomes even more impactful.  


Text Selection(Just Right Books):  Be mindful of the three elements of text complexity:  Quantitative (Lexile Level) Qualitative (considers other factors besides word and sentence length) Reader and Task (world knowledge, language etc )  Most readers can read within a BAND of proficiency not just at the level they benchmarked at.  It is critical that you provide effective feedback around text selection often to ensure that readers are fully engaged and successful during independent reading (refer to PLC binder for more information on text complexity considerations).

 

Professional Learning Needs

  • What skills do you need to develop in order to confidently execute this unit?

 

  • What PL structure would support your development of the skill?

 

Professional Learning Need

Structure

Timeline

 

Professional Learning Structure Menu

  • Weekly PLC

  • Coaching

  • Observation and Feedback

  • Peer Observation

  • Residency

    • Model a small or larger part of the work

    • Followed by debrief, goal setting and ongoing effective feedback around the new skill.

  • Professional Development

  • Book Club/Study Group

  • Vertical Team

  • Professional Resource library

    • Video

    • Books/articles

  • Other

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