See what focused and thorough planning looks like in a standards-based classroom. As an alternative to writing a series of daily lesson plans that are often isolated events, this process leads to the design of units that are based on essential understandings, key concepts, and big ideas, ask students to apply their learning in rigorous and relevant ways.

Check back often as more units will be available in the near future.

Standards-Based Templates

The following templates are available as Word documents. They can be edited and expanded upon to accommodate your own content while designing units.

A Guide to Unit Design in the Standards-Based Classroom
Download this template and use the guiding questions in the design of your own units. Also, see the exemplar units below that use this template.

One-page SBE Unit Plan
Two-page SBE Unit Plan
Explore alternative formats for designing and recording unit and lesson plans. Download these templates and see if they have potential for use in your practice.

Concept-Based Unit Design
Concept-Based Integrated Unit Design
These two templates are adaptations from Greece Central School District, New York that use the idea of concept-based instruction; framing lessons and units around concepts, key ideas, and generalizations. They have designed meaningful integrated units that preserve the integrity of each course.

Standards-Based Planning Process: A Guided Approach
This template is an adaptation from Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), Virginia which they use as a guide in the planning of standards-based units. To view this template put into practice, see the exemplar unit by Beth McKinney below.

Top Ten Questions to Ask Myself as I Design Lessons
Use this worksheet to add detail to the standards-based planning process ovals and help identify the variables you need to consider when designing lessons or units.

Points to Note in the Review of a Standards-Based Lesson or Unit
Use this worksheet as a checklist when evaluating your standards-based lesson or unit.

Standards-Based Unit Exemplars

First Grade Unit: Persuasive Writing
This unit, developed by Cheryl Ebertz, Carolyn Hammerschmidt, and Ann Lenzi, Greece Central School District, New York, asks first graders the essential question: How can I persuade others?

Second Grade Unit: Ghana
This unit, developed by Laura Cork, Newton Public Schools, Massachusetts, asks students to explore the construct that events are shaped by the ideas and actions of both individuals and groups in response to meeting fundamental needs. Big ideas they investigate are the similarities and differences between and among cultures of people and that people express their culture in many ways: writing, literature, architecture, celebrations, everyday tools, and objects etc. High school teachers will be amazed by the work these second graders are doing and the level of planning by the teacher.

Middle School Science Unit: Force and Motion – The Science Behind Sports
In this unit, developed by Karen Finter, West Irondequoit Central School District, New York, students are asked to analyze the underlying physics concepts behind a sport or leisure activity. First, students gather technical information on a sport of their choice, using both printed and electronic resources. After they complete their initial research, students develop, conduct, and analyze an original experiment based on a scientifically sound problem. Finally, students present their research and experiment results throughout the grade level in a student-led symposium.

High School Science Unit: Comparing and Contrasting Plant and Animal Cells
This unit, developed by Beth McKinney of Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia, asks students to investigate and understand relationships between cell structure and cell function while answering the question: What are the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells?

High School Science Unit: Interdependence of Organisms
In this ecology unit, developed by Janice Creneti, instructional coach at Pinellas County Public Schools, Florida and former teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, students are asked to explore how their individual actions and those of society impact the ecosystem and how we can be responsible stewards of the earth. Through extensive, well-planned, creative lessons and projects, students explore possible answers to these essential questions.

Standards-Based Classroom Self-Inventory
You can’t get to where you want to go unless you know where you’ve been and where you are right now. A mutual understanding of the content standards and standards-based teaching and learning is a critical foundation for increasing student learning. This self-inventory helps you analyze where you are in terms of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning using points on a continuum that describe classrooms in transition to ideal classrooms based on standards. Complete the self-inventory to find out where your practice and your students are on the continuum.

Essential Roles and Responsibilities
Standards-Based Education (SBE) only works well when everyone in the system is focused on doing everything necessary to ensure that all students are learning at high levels. This tool describes how all members of the SBE system might do their work. As an individual, use this tool for self-assessment and goal setting. Groups may use it to start conversations, discussions, and dialogues about how different roles support SBE.