Instructional Units

Currently you can e-mail mark.rasmussen@alvord.k12.ca.us or erik.ramirez for the common core username and password.

Alvord Unified School District's Common Core implementation is based on the instructional units created and built by Alvord teachers found on this website.

Upon first glance the units may be overwhelming in their extent and detail. Here is a starting point of items to look for in the planner. Look for these five items to get a feel for the unit before reading the unit from page 1 to the end.

Unit Synopsis - A short paragraph in the beginning to help get an overview of the unit.

Standards - Priority standards are the focus of the unit and the only standards included in common formative assessments. Supporting standards fit within the context of the unit and are addressed and taught but are not the focus.

Unwrapped Standards - To get a better idea of what is being assessed and taught look for the skills and concepts that the standards address. To get an idea of how it will be addressed look at Bloom's Taxonomy, Depth of Knowledge, and Language Demand for ELD.

Essential Question/Big Idea - Students should be able to answer the Essential Question in their own wording by the end of the unit to identify the Big Idea. There is an Essential Question/Big Idea for each standard.

Engaging Scenarios - This will normally be one engaging scenario and four performance tasks. These are high interest, engaging experiences for your students to go through.