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Introduction to
Curriculum Mapping
EDPC605

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Heidi Hayes Jacobs
 Professor on the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at
Teachers College, Columbia University, NYC, since 1981
 Consultations: the College Board, ASCD, IBM EduQuest, The
Discovery Channel, Tapestry Productions, The Kennedy
Center, Carnegie Hall, New York City Ballet Education
Department at Lincoln Center, the Peace Corps., the National
School Conference Institute, the Disney Company, Prentice-
Hall Publishing, the Near East School Association based in
Athens, Greece, International Baccalaureate, the European
Council of International Schools, as well as state and local
school districts.

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What year are you
preparing your students
for?
1972? 1992? 2002?
-Heidi Hayes Jacobs

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What is Curriculum Mapping?
 It is…
 Curriculum mapping is a system that thematically aligns
assessment, curriculum, and instruction.
 http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/tpd/currmap.htm
 a process for collecting data that identifies the core content,
processes, and assessment used in curriculum in order to
improve communication and instruction among all teachers
 http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/professional_resources/howto/curriculum_map.html

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Curriculum Maps are useful in…
 helping teachers understand what is taught at all levels
 assisting teachers in creating interdisciplinary units that foster
students‘ understanding of concepts, ideas, and activities
 coordinating areas of study into larger interdisciplinary units,
even though they may be assessed by other content area
teachers
 Fostering conversation about curriculum and instruction
 reflecting upon and adjusting lesson and units
 http://artsedge.kennedy-
center.org/professional_resources/howto/curriculum_map.html

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A Curriculum Map will…
 help identify seams and gaps in curriculum
 identify repetition within scope and sequence
 allow vertical alignment of assessments, content and methods
across years or grade levels
 support horizontal alignment of assessments, content and
methods between subjects
 improve both curriculum delivery and assessment over time.

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What are the 21st Century Tools
our students need?

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Helpful tools to get started are…
 Curriculum manuals or guides
 Cluster-based syllabus planning
 Individual student and IEP goals
 Evaluation checklists
 Weekly planning meetings
 Activity archives
 Learning objectives

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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.

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Target Student Needs
 What is in the best interest of our specific students in our school:
 Age
 Stage of development
 Learning characteristics
 Communities
 Aspirations
 Needs
 Allows you to determine what learning is most important for
your students

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What is Curriculum?
 Content is what students have to know (the nouns in the
standards)
 Skills are what students have to do (the verbs in the
standards). Skills must be written so that you can measure
the learning in the assessments. Be sure to begin each skill
statement with a measureable verb. How do you measure
“Know”?
 Assessments are the measuring of learning
 Resources are the supplies, tools or other materials that aid
in instruction

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Curriculum Mapping
 The Word “mapping” is a verb and should foster active
engagament.
 Calendar based
 Process for collecting data representative of the operational
(real) curriculum in a school and/or district

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Paradigm Shift on Two Fronts
• Curriculum is no longer an individual
choice or action – individual curriculum
maps are
• Made public
• Shared
• Changed
• Modified
• Curriculum is never “finished” – rather it is
the beginning of a dynamic process

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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.

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Curriculum Mapping is a process
which begins…
 With the instructor listing content
(who knows better)
 When it is being taught
(how much time is spent)
 What skills are use to teach content
 We then add state standards
(makes it obvious what standards are not being addressed)
 Schools/teachers become more aware of the flow of the
curriculum horizontally (all classrooms in grades 1-12) and
vertically (grade to grade) instructors need to keep the needs of
the students in mind.

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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

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Curriculum Map Is a Tool for…
 Communication (between all stake holders)
 Planning (curriculum, assessments, reforms)
 Pacing instruction over time
 Differentiating instruction to meet “Michael’s” specific needs
- (by content, by process, by product, by
learning environment)
 Staying focused
- (what’s good for “Michael or Susie”?)
 Resource allocation
- (space, time, materials, staff development)

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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

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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?

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“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
 increase the rigor and relevance!!

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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)

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Sample Curriculum Map Template
Month Essential Content Skills Assessment Standards
Question

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Content can be…
 discipline - focus on specific knowledge, or content area
 interdisciplinary – combination of one or two disciplines to
examine a common focus

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Skills can be…
 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.

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Assessment data can be…
 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

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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?”
ARE NOT LEARNING OBJECTIVES