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Thematic Unit Planning

By developing a thematic unit, teachers provide students with more extensive information about a particular issue. If students do not know much about a topic, it is difficult for them to think critically about it. The following are suggested steps in developing a thematic unit as well as a thematic model for critical thinking. Include students in the thematic planning process.

To develop a thematic unit, it is important for the teacher to complete the following steps.

Step One
With students, identify a theme that is limited in scope and conceptual in nature. Some ideas include a unit of social studies or science text, author study, holiday, current event, season, specific genre of literature, teacher interest, or student interest.

Step Two
With students, gather the needed resources. Some resources could include trade books, multiple copies of text, poems, filmstrips, experiments, videos, magazines, commercial materials, Internet sites, songs, art projects, math activities, plays, food preparation, or records.

Step Three
With students, brainstorm all the activities that could be used with the topic and materials available. Teachers may want to include colleagues in the planning process, too.

Step Four
Decide on the specific learning outcomes:

  • Knowledge: Arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, state.
  • Comprehension: Classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate.
  • Application: Apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
  • Analysis: Analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
  • Synthesis: Arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.
  • Evaluation: Appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, defend, estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate.

Step Five
Determine the method of evaluation. For example, will you use teacher observation, prepared tests, workbook pages, contract system, portfolio, journals, etc.? This decision can be based in part on student input.

Step Six
Develop the lessons. When developing the lessons for a thematic unit, it is important to consider the different learning styles of the student and incorporate strategies and tools into the lesson that promote critical thinking and address different multiple intelligences. If the teacher is planning for group activities or a lesson which will spread over several classes, it is very important to have alternative activities which can be used from the lesson in class period or on an individual level. See thematic planning sheet.



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