Planning an Integrated Thematic Curriculum Unit

Using Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design of Early Education: Moving All Children Forward (Conn-Powers, Cross, Traub, & Hutter-Pishgahi)

Who am I in the Lives of Children?

(Feeney, Christensen, & Moravcik)Prepared by Dr. Carla Piper

Thematic Planning

• Organize curriculum around a theme• Umbrella overarching interest area

• Integrates different developmental and subject areas

• Contributes to child’s growing awareness and understanding

• Provides opportunities for child to learn by doing and have direct experiences with the world

• Helps children understand that learning is connected to life.

Children’s Experiences

Reflect on and recreate experiences through:

• Dramatic play

• Block building

• Discussions

• Art

• Music

• Movement

• Measuring

• Graphing and Mapping

Children develop skills through:

• Sensing

• Moving

• Thinking

• Problem solving

• Communicating

• Creating

• Working

• Playing with others

Select a Topic

Look at a child’s life for the theme:

• Environment

• Family

• Culture

• Community

• Geographical locale

Appropriate Themes

• Primary Question: Can I give children direct experience of this topic?

• Should reflect children’s interests, abilities and issues of concern

• Should involve concepts and skills at the right level of challenge for the age group

• Topic should be complex and interesting enough to be explored at some depth

• Plan to focus on topic for several weeks to several months

Criteria for Theme Selection

• The topic can be taught through direct experience.

• Children can explore it with their senses.

• Concept is developmentally appropriate for young children.

• Concept can be organized to move from:• Simple to complex

• Concrete to abstract

• Interesting, meaningful, and worth knowing about.

• Helps children acquire understanding and appreciation of themselves, others, and the world in which they live.

More Criteria for Theme Selection

• Many things can be experienced and learned • Generates a variety of activities and learning in all

areas of development and in a broad range of subject areas.

• Harmonizes with program philosophy and goals and is interesting to the staff.

• Realistic in terms of resources (funds, materials, people, places that are available)

• Allows for and encourages family input and participation.

• Consistent with family and community values.

“Major Understanding” of the Theme

• The important ideas you wish children to acquire

• Brainstorm the purpose and goals• Gather the resources and materials• Create a mind map or curriculum web• Ask the children:

• What do you want to know?• What would you like to learn?

Mind Map

Creative Movement

Field Trips Dramatic Play

Blocks

Family Activities

GamesSongs and Rhymes

Books and Poems

Art Activities

Cooking

THEME

K-W-L Chart

K

What do you

KNOW?

W

What do you

WANT to

know?

L

What did you

LEARN?

Outline for an Integrated Thematic Plan• Theme: the topic or focus• Children: age and characteristics• Rationale: Why?• Goals: 3-6 broad statements of desired

ends• Attitudes• Skills• Abilities• Experiences

• Major Understandings: 4-6 important ideas you want children to construct

• Resources: Books, articles, etc.

Sunburst Graphic Curriculum PlanLanguage

GamesChild-

Authored Books

Workjobs and Games

Science Mapping and

Graphing

Discussions Language Charts

Blocks Dramatic Play

Sensory Exploration

Fingerplays and Poems

Story Books Literature Extensions

Learning Trips

Family Involvement

Activities

Ideas for Enriching the Environment

Art Area

Library

Reading Corner

Blocks ManipulativeToys

DramaticPlay

WritingCenter

Puzzles

HollowBox

DiscoveryTable

LightTable

SensoryTable

OpenArea

Curriculum Focus on Food

Big Idea #1Everyone needs food to live, grow, and stay healthy. Animals need food too.

Big Idea #2Food comes from different places and we eat in different places.

Big Idea #3People like some foods and dislike some foods.

Big Idea #4Food can be prepared in many different ways.

Reference Books and Cookbooks

Art Songs, Creative

Movement, and Drama

Cooking

Environmental Additions and Trips

• List of materials to add to each learning center • Support awareness of theme

• Help develop the ‘big ideas’

• Include ideas for:• Blocks, manipulative toys, puzzles, games

• Dramatic play, art, writing center, library, science area

• Outdoor areas

• Learning trips

How Will You Include ALL Children in your Thematic Unit?

• How will you make special needs children feel welcomed as a full and equal member as you teach this thematic unit?

• How will access and engage special needs children in all learning opportunities in this unit?

• How will you help special needs children learn and participate according to their individual strengths and interests?

• How will ALL students demonstrate his or her learning in ways that reflect their individual strengths?

Adapt your Thematic Unit by Applying Principles of Universal Design for Learning

Use principles of universal design for learning to teach children with disabilities:

• Mobility• Communication• Information Acquisition and

Information Processing

Use principles of universal design for learning to teach diverse learners:

• Learning disabilities such as dyslexia

• English language barriers • Emotional or behavioral

problems • Lack of interest or

engagement • Sensory and physical

disabilities

Adapt the Physical Environment

Ask yourself:• How can the space be arranged to

accommodate everyone?• How will children be seated to

accommodate different motor abilities and activity levels so that everyone can move about or attend as needed?

• What materials are needed to allow for the range of motor abilities?

The Universal Design of Early Education: Moving Forward for All Children

Adapt the Physical Environment

Possibilities:• Expand the group meeting area so that all children

can be present and focus their attention on the activities.

• Provide varied seating options so each child may lie on the floor, sit on a mat or chair, or use specialized seating.

• Use other materials of different sizes, textures, and shapes to help each child actively manipulate the objects for learning.

The Universal Design of Early Education: Moving Forward for All Children

Pretend AndLearn

ConstructionCenter

Writing Center

DiscoveryCenter

Co

mp

ute

rC

ente

r

MathAnd

Manipulatives

Library

Art Center

ABC Center

ListeningCenter

Entry

Traffic Flow

Room Layout

Ensure Health and Safety for ALL Children

Ask yourself:

• How should the physical space be arranged to ensure that all children can safely move around?

• Is the flooring safe for all children to move about and be seated?

• Do the planned activities accommodate all individual energy levels and health conditions?

The Universal Design of Early Education: Moving Forward for All Children

Ensure Health and Safety for ALL Children

Possibilities:• Provide clear, wide paths throughout the

classroom so each child may safely and easily reach the meeting area.

• Ensure safe floor covering for safe passage for any child, including for example a child who is in a hurry, has visual impairments, or uses a wheeled stander.

• Consider each child’s energy level and health conditions in planning activities.

The Universal Design of Early Education: Moving Forward for All Children

Establish Inclusive Social-Emotional Environment

Ask yourself:

• What strategies will ensure that all children are included, eliminating any barriers that might segregate or stigmatize a child?

• How will I communicate necessary rules and expectations for behavior so that all children can understand?

• How can I support children in interacting with, learning from, and helping one another?

Establish Inclusive Social-Emotional Environment

Possibilities:• Invite and encourage all children to join in, using multiple

means of communication (e.g., speaking English and/or children’s home language, signing, displaying symbols).

• Give simple directions using multiple means (e.g., verbally, signed, in print, modeled) so each child may see, hear, and understand any rules and expectations.

• Use books, songs, and communication that involve and represent all children, regardless of cultural predominance or linguistic and skill levels.

Activities

• Introduction• How will you introduce the study to children?• What activities will you do to build awareness of the topic?• What kinds of activities can ALL children participate in?

• Activities to build understanding• Activities that encourage exploration• Activities that build skill • Activities that develop understanding• Activities that engage ALL children

• Culmination Activities• Activities help children express and generalize what they have

learned• Activities to bring closure to the unit• Activities to celebrate inclusion

Adapt your Teaching Environment to Include ALL Children

Ask yourself:• What goals do I have for the activity so that all

children are engaged and learning?• What different ways do I need to present information

so that everyone understands and is engaged?• What kinds of support or encouragement will be

needed to engage and ensure learning among all children?

Adapt your Teaching Environment to Include ALL Children

Possibilities:• Vary your expectations for participation and performance• Example: If children are listening to a story and are asked to

recall events• some may attend to and repeat back key words • others may recall the names of characters by pointing to

pictures or using signs and gestures• even others may predict what will happen next using

complete sentences in English

Teaching Environment

• Present content in multiple formats• verbal, print, video, or concrete objects• repeating key words/phrases in children’s home

language• using simple sentences with gestures

• Use physical cues to focus children’s attention• pointing to the picture in the book• giving verbal prompts to help children begin a

response • offering language models for children to imitate• encouraging children to keep thinking and trying

Assessment

• How do you document children’s learning?

• How do you know if children understand the big ideas of your unit?

• Documentation

• Observation notes

• Photography or video

• Collection of student work samples

• A class book, newsletter, scrapbook

• Social event where student work is shared

Adapt Individual Assessments

Ask yourself:• What are some different ways to assess

what all children are learning from the activity?

• What are some different ways children can demonstrate their engagement and learning?

Adapt Individual Assessments

Possibilities• Request information or

action in various ways• complex questions

• simple phrases

• emphasis and repetition of key words or phrases

Individual Assessment and Program Evaluation

Identify the multiple ways children can show what they learn during activities

• Examples: • the child waits for another child to respond to a teacher’s

request• to handle a show-and-tell object being passed around• to choose the song demonstrates turn taking

• Some children may respond to the request using complete and accurate sentences spoken in English, while others may need to point, sign, or use words in their home language.

• Others may point to the object or event in the book in response to simple questions.

How Can you Involve Families?

Ask yourself:• What information will I share with

families about this activity, and what forms of communication will I use?

• What reading levels and languages should I keep in mind?

• What opportunities for involvement can I provide that accommodate varied work demands and time constraints?

How Can you Involve Families?Possibilities:• Share information with families through a

newsletter written at an appropriate level• Have key phrases translated into families’

home languages, and include photographs of children engaged in an activity.

• Provide multiple opportunities for families to be involved

• Bilingual parents might be willing to translate the information for monolingual families

• Families could support their child’s involvement by asking specific questions about the activity and/or the book read to the group.