BASED ON THE WORK OF HEIDI HAYES JACOBS, PH.D

AND SUSAN UDELHOFEN, PH.D

CURRICULUM MAPPING OVERVIEW

Revised by Lisa Cohen June 2014

RESEARCH-BASED PRINCIPLES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• Collaboration• Reflection• Shared Vision for Professional Growth• Student Learning

The process of curriculum mapping incorporates all these principles and brings educators together to learn from their practice as they share their insights to create a positive, effective learning environment for students.

WHAT IS CURRICULUM?

How do you define curriculum?

cur·ric·u·lum [kuh-rik-yuh-luhm] noun, plural cur·ric·u·la [kuh-rik-yuh-luh], cur·ric·u·lums.

1.the aggregate of courses of study given in a school, college, university, etc.: The school is adding more science courses to its curriculum.

2. the regular or a particular course of study in a school, college, etc.

WHAT IS MAPPING?

• Calendar based• Process for collecting data representative of the

operational (real) curriculum in a school and/or district

Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

TYPES OF CURRICULUM MAPS

• Journal Map (diary)-mapping as you go• Projection Map - map what you did last year–

use it to plan or project for this year• Consensus Map - district decision to map when

and what things are taught in the classroom. The “how” is the individuality.

CURRICULUM MAPPING IS A PROCESS WHICH BEGINS…

• With the instructor listing content • When it is being taught • What skills are used to teach content• Schools/teachers becoming more aware of

the flow of the curriculum horizontally (all classrooms in grades 6-12) and vertically (grade to grade) to help instructors keep the needs of the students in mind.

THE MAPPING PROCESS CAN IMPROVE SCHOOL CULTURE

• Shared sense of purpose• Opportunity to SHARE what you do in the

classroom (collaboration)• Time to reflect• Builds learning communities• Increased Test Scores• Make what students learn in one grade

connect with what they will learn in the next grade

• Accountability to self, students, and parents

CURRICULUM MAP IS A TOOL FOR…

• Communication (between all stake holders)• Planning (curriculum, assessments, reforms)• Pacing instruction over time• Differentiating instruction to meet specific

needs - (by content, by process, by product, by learning environment)• Staying focused

- (what’s good for the student)• Resource allocation - (space, time, materials, staff development)

WHY CREATE CURRICULUM MAPS?

• Communication and Reflection We rarely have these conversations!

• identify what occurs throughout the entire school year

• a picture of students’ experience from grade to grade

• teacher expectations to parents and students

• Locates gaps, repetitions, areas for integration, assessments

• Authentic alignment to standards• Accountability • New teachers • Defines expectations

Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS

• What do I want all my students to know or do as a result of my teaching?

• How will I judge the quality of my student’s work?• How will I know my students have learned?• How does my practice impact student

achievement?• Based on data, what do I know about my

students’?• How do my schools’ goals and improvement plan

impact my teaching?• How can I improve or strengthen my practice?

GIVE ME THE D AND LET’S GET ON WITH IT...

• Students very often• see education as something that happens TO THEM• fail to see the relevance in their lives• don’t understand HOW they learn• learn to “play the game” or learning stops being fun

WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED ON THE MAP?

• Content (What is taught)• Skills (What students will do)• Assessments (This is how

you find out if they really know)

• Standards (Meet by teaching skills)

• Essential Questions*-(overarching question)

Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

Sample Curriculum Map Template

Month Essential Question

Content Skills Assessment Standards

CONTENT CAN BE:

• discipline - focus on specific knowledge, or content area

• interdisciplinary – combination of one or two disciplines to examine a common focus

Example: Measurement

Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

SKILLS

• Precise skills can be assessed, observed and described in specific terms – unlike general processes – and connected to assessments and standards

• This is often the most challenging aspect of mapping.

• The skills are what the kids do to learn the content!

• Look at lists of action verbs to help you as you prepare your maps.

Example: Balance a chemical equation

Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

ASSESSMENT DATA:INCLUDE ALL ASSESSMENTS

• Crucial component of the maps• Often the least developed, inclusive or balanced

• Formative Assessment (daily/on-going)• Summative Assessments that are on-

going throughout the year

Example: Unit test, teacher observation

• Susan Udelhofen/SU-Consulting

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• Answers are more than “just” facts• Brings content “to life” and makes it relevant• Helps students and teachers “go deep” into the

content• Avoids activity with little meaning-a way of

organizing content• Answers the “why” for learning

“What was the effect of the Civil War?” can be revised to, “Is the Civil War still going

on?”

EQs ARE NOT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

REVIEW AND REVISE

• Take some time now to review your maps• Are they current?• Are the correct?• Are the Essential Questions really Essential Questions?• Did you include different types of assessments?

• REVISE your MAPS