Recently the state of Utah adopted the Common Core State Standards which establish a shared set of clear educational standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics. These have been informed by the best available evidence and the highest state standards across the country and globe.
Although there are many ways to approach the teaching of core standards, the Jordan School District adheres to a process-model which seeks to actively engage students in reading and writing and allows for a broader definition of literacies and texts (Grierson, Nokes, Draper. Re-Imagining Content-Area Literacy Instruction p. 116).
The process model encourages a variety of rich language arts experiences within the context of a universal theme with accompanying essential questions that stimulate reflection and may cause students to re-evaluate and adjust their thinking over time.
As we reviewed the Common Core Curriculum Mapping Project (also known as the Gates Mapping Project), we recognized that much time, effort, and money had been spent to provide a thematic context within which to teach the standards. Rather than reinvent what has been created, our JSD Common Core Task Force utilized these maps but included the following additions: enduring understanding statements; broad essential questions that can be used across the curriculum; and “I can” target statements that help students understand what they should know and be able to do by the end of each unit. In addition to the suggested works in the Gates Maps, our task force also submitted on-hand or on-line resources that support the unit themes.
We realize the materials found on this webpage are a work in progress and encourage our teachers and administrators to offer feedback and contribute additional resources at the bottom of this page. Please bookmark this page for future reference as the maps and resources will continue to be updated. 4-5-2011
Jordan School District Curriculum Maps/Units for the Common Core State Standards
