Lesson 4: Create a NYSSLS Unit Plan
Objective
Learners will...
- Create a NYSSLS Unit Plan.
- Engage in reflective practices to evaluate their teaching methods and instructional decisions.
- Plan for ongoing professional growth and development in implementing standards-aligned pedagogy.
Purpose
The creation of this unit plan is to reflect and apply your newly acquired knowledge of NYSSLS and inquiry. Thinking about the following, write a brief description of lesson ideas in the open spots on your unit plan template.
Before accessing the assignment reflect on:
- Activity Before Content (ABCs)
- Use of CCCs, DCIs, & SEPs
- Inquiry and student exploration
- The 5 E Model
- Higher Performance Level Questions
- Teaching with Phenomena & Models
- Test question structure (Item Clusters)
- Use of visuals and sources
Assignment
Access your copy of your Unit Plan Template
Your Anchoring Phenomenon Lesson & "Lesson 1" should be filled in with your links from Lessons 2 & 3 in this mini course unit
Complete your Unit Plan Template with the following:
Descriptions of lessons 2-6 (Topic, lesson structure, focus on how to promote NYSSLS & inquiry) Complete information filled in for the top half of the template
Place the completed unit plan in this Google Folder
Reflection Question
Add this to your reflective journal.
Do you feel this unit plan is complete? What would you add? Is there anything you are still unsure of?
After answering your last reflection question, place your Reflective Journal document into this Google Folder.
Lesson Summary
Creating a unit plan for a NYSSLS (New York State Science Learning Standards) Earth Science unit serves several important purposes including but not limited to; alignment with standards, identifying objectives, differentiation, resource planning, and sequential instruction. The purpose of creating this lesson plan was to allow you to reflect on your learning and notice that vision will be needed in the future when more resources are made available.
Reflection and Revision encourages teachers to reflect on their instructional practices, identify areas for improvement, and make revisions as needed. By reflecting on the effectiveness of instruction and assessment, teachers can continuously improve their practice and enhance student learning outcomes.
As we end this mini course, I encourage you to plan for future professional developments that allow you to continue to grow with the NYSSLS standards.