This easy-to-use guide to curriculum mapping and instructional planning for K–8 student-centered classrooms blends standards, rubrics, interdisciplinary units, and a "Teacher's Tool Chest" for successful learning.

"Helps with planning content, methodology, and assessment and gives an overview of current trends that directly impact the classroom. The illustrations are great, the charts make it easier to understand, the style is easy to read, and the research discussed leads directly into practical ideas that all teachers can use." —William Fitzhugh, Second Grade Teacher, Reisterstown Elementary School, MD Reframe instructional practice in your differentiated classroom through successful curriculum mapping! Curriculum mapping has evolved as an invaluable communication, planning, and teaching tool. Using this dynamic method, educators can document what is being taught, what students are learning, how well they are learning, and how closely the curriculum reflects local and national standards. This lively, easy-to-use resource is a cohesive and accessible guide to curriculum mapping and instructional planning for classrooms that support diverse learning styles and needs. With a "Teacher′s Tool Chest" that offers an abundance of reproducibles, templates, and task cards to accompany sample lessons and units, this rich reference shows educators how to: Use standards and rubrics for developing interdisciplinary units and lessons Analyze and assess students′ learning styles and needs Develop differentiated content, process, and products, including homework Create a student-centered classroom Successfully integrate curriculum mapping, differentiated instruction, and interdisciplinary units within a manageable framework This remarkable handbook provides everything teachers need to revitalize the relationship between standards-based curriculum and instruction, using real-life strategies that work!

"With imagination and serious reflection, the author has generated a detailed resource with exercises, worksheets, staff development activities, and sample maps to assist any staff developer or curriculum designer. This book particularly connects to those who are at the beginning levels of their mapping journey." —From the Foreword by Heidi Hayes Jacobs A step-by-step guide to successful curriculum mapping initiatives! While curriculum mapping is recognized as a highly effective method for serving students′ ongoing instructional needs and creating systemic change, the means for putting this data-based decision-making process into practice may not always be clearly understood. This in-depth resource speaks to teachers and administrators with varying levels of curriculum-mapping experience and describes how teacher groups drive the process by engaging in collaborative inquiry as they review one another′s curriculums for gaps, redundancies, and new learning. The collected data assist in designing month-to-month instructional plans for all grade levels and subjects, resulting in a curriculum that is coherent, consistent, and aligned with standards. Drawing on her experience in working with thousands of educators across the country, Janet A. Hale offers specific steps for coordinating and sustaining strong mapping efforts that become embedded in school culture. The author explores the stages of contemplating, planning, and implementing a curriculum mapping initiative and helps the reader examine critical components that affect a learning organization′s progress through each phase. The book presents powerful tools and features that significantly enhance curriculum mapping efforts: Samples of four types of curriculum maps—Diary, Projected, Consensus, and Essential Guidelines for deciding what type of map to use to begin the process Assistance for selecting a Web-based mapping system Reflective questions at the end of each chapter A complete glossary of terms A Guide to Curriculum Mapping includes extended coverage of the challenges of curriculum mapping, offers encouragement and advice from educators who have successfully implemented a mapping initiative, and provides the necessary clarity to put curriculum mapping into action.

Eliminate “idea block” with this practical resource that includes more than 100 planning tools, matrixes, rubrics, templates, and choice boards for differentiating instruction during extended learning blocks.

A GPS for connecting standards to lessons Translating the Common Core State Standards into an effective curriculum is at the top of many educators’ to-do list, and this book shows you how. This text familiarizes teachers and curriculum designers with the key points of the ELA core standards and demonstrates how to design effective curriculum units to align with them. The author provides practical and accessible tools for developing a map and for making the important connections among all unit map components, including differentiated instruction. Also included are: A rationale for each of the ELA common core standards An overview of the key benefits Reproducible templates and examples of unit curriculum maps

Offers a definition of differentiated instruction, and provides principles and strategies designed to help teachers create learning environments that address the different learning styles, interests, and readiness levels found in a typical mixed-ability classroom.

The first books to present specific guidance for teaching the Common Core State Standards Forty-three states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have signed on to adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The need for curriculum guides to assist teachers in helping students meet these standards has become imperative. Created by teachers, for teachers, the research-based curriculum maps in this book present a comprehensive, coherent sequence of thematic units for teaching the skills outlined in the CCSS for English language arts in Grades K-5. The maps address every standard in the CCSS, yet are flexible and adaptable to accommodate diverse teaching styles. Each grade is broken down into six units that include focus standards, suggested works, sample activities and assessments, lesson plans, and more Teachers can use the maps to plan their year and craft their own more detailed lesson plans Any teacher, school, or district that chooses to follow the Common Core maps can be confident that they are adhering to the standards.