Curriculum Planning

In this case study you will be exploring Curriculum Planning. Part I of the study will help you identify and understand key curriculum planning concepts which will provide the framework upon which you will base educational and curricular decisions. The mechanics of writing an actual curriculum plan will be discussed in Part II. The format is based upon curricular unit requirements for Joan Markos Horjes' Secondary English Language Arts Methods course and general Admission II requirements for a curriculum unit. Lastly, Part III includes an example of a curriculum we developed to illustrate the concepts discussed in Parts I and II. This unit is used in Mrs. B's third grade classroom.

Planning a curriculum is most interesting when done for a real purpose and real students. You are encouraged to identify a specific content area, grade level, and classroom within which to place your thinking about curriculum.

The challenge we faced was third grade Social Studies, local history, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Mrs. B. is the teacher. She has taught third grade for six years so is familiar with third grade students and curriculum. However, she is new to this school, community, and district curriculum. The conundrum she grapples with is the classic curriculum planning question:

"What shall I/we teach, when, and how?"

If you have problems with this site, please contact Dr. Susan Cramer, College of Education and Human Services, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901.

cramer@uwosh.edu

(C) 2002