A Story of Units–A Curriculum Overview

Sequence of Sessions

Overarching Objectives of this July 2013 Network Team Institute

  • Participants will be able to identify the major work of each grade using the Curriculum Overview document as a resource in preparation for teaching these modules.
  • P-5. Participants will draw connections between the progression documents and the careful sequence of mathematical concepts that develop within each module, thereby enabling participants to enact cross- grade coherence in their classrooms and support their colleagues to do the same .(Specific progression document to be determined as appropriate for each grade level and module being presented.)
  • Participants will be able to articulate how the topics and lessons promote mastery of the focus standards and how the module addresses the major work of the grade in order to fully implement the curriculum.
  • Participants will be prepared to implement the modules and to make appropriate instructional choices to meet the needs of their students while maintaining the balance of rigor that is built into the curriculum.
  • Participants will be prepared to utilize models appropriately in promoting conceptual understanding throughout A Story of Units.

High-Level Purpose of this Session

  • Participants will be able to identify the major work of each grade using the Curriculum Overview document as a resource.

Related Learning Experiences

  • In grade-level module examinations (Sessions 2 and 5), participants will draw connections between the progressions documents and specific modules and articulate how the topics and lessons promote mastery of the major work of the grade.
  • Session 3, Exploration of Models, will prepare participants to utilize models appropriately in promoting conceptual understanding throughout A Story of Units.
  • Session 4, Algorithms, will prepare participants to utilize algorithms appropriately in promoting conceptual understanding throughout
    A Story of Units.
  • Session 6, Leadership to Support A Story of Units, will help participants articulate examples of how to support implementation of the curriculum and draw connections to the Evidence Guide for Planning and Practice in a Single Lesson.

Key Points

  • The CCLS Checklist for A Story of Units provides an at-a-glance view of when the standards are addressed.
  • All standards are accounted for and aligned with state testing.
  • The Curriculum Overview of A Story of Units provides more detailed information about each module at each grade level.
  • A Story of Units is in alignment with the major emphases, required fluencies, and instructional shifts.
  • The How to Implement A Story of Units document provides information on alignment and explanation of models.

Session Outcomes

What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this session? / How will we know that they are able to do this?
  • Identify the major work of each grade using the Curriculum Overview document as a resource.
/
  • Participants will be able to identify the major work of each grade using the Curriculum Overview document as a resource.

Session Overview

Section / Time / Overview / Prepared Resources / Facilitator Preparation
  • Fluency Activity
  • Session Introduction
/ 9:30-9:42
9:42-9:43 /
  • Complete a fluency activity as a whole-group
  • Frame session, referencing workshop agenda.
  • Introduce objectives and sequence for this session.
/
  • Session PowerPoint

Curriculum Overview and Updates / 9:43-10:20 /
  • Examine standards alignment in P-5
  • Review alignment to the Major Emphases and Required Fluencies as evidenced by the Curriculum Overview and Map
  • Highlight changes to the Curriculum Overview and Map
  • Examine alignment to each of Instructional Shifts
  • Highlight changes to the How to Implement A Story of Units document
/
  • Session PowerPoint
  • Curriculum Overview and Map
  • CCLS Checklist
  • How to Implement A Story of Units
  • Suggested Materials List
/
  • Review the Curriculum Overview and Map and CCLS Checklist
  • Review How to Implement A Story of Unitsand Suggested Materials List

Closing / 10:20-10:30 /
  • Familiarize the participants with the materials provided in the binders
  • Provide necessary logistical information to facilitate the sessions that will follow

Session Roadmap

Section: Fluency Opener andIntroduction / 9:30-9:43[13 minutes]
In this section, you will…
•Open the session
•Conduct a sequence of fluency activities that demonstrate coherence across the grades / Materials used include:
•Session PowerPoint
Time / Slide # / Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity Directions / GROUP
9:30 / 1. / / Welcome! We’re going to take a few minutes to get our minds in math mode by doing some quick fluency work. / Whole group
9:30-9:39 / 2. / / As you know, counting exercises are one of the types of fluency frequently utilized in A Story of Units. This morning, we’re going to lead you through a quick progression of fluency exercises that span K-5.
Conduct a series of 90 second fluency activities, one from each grade K-5. /
9:39-9:42 / 3. / / Now take a moment to discuss at your table.
  • How are fluency counting exercises important at each grade level?
  • What did you notice about the progression of these exercises from K-5?
Allow one or two participants to share their observations as time permits. /
9:42-9:43 / 4. / / Our objectives for this brief session are to:
  • Examine the Curriculum Overview of A Story of Units in order to identify how the major work and required fluencies of each grade are addressed.
  • Examine the How to Implement A Story of Unitsdocument in order to identify alignment with the Instructional Shifts.
  • Establish the focus of these July NTI sessions.

5. / / We will start by examining the updated overarching documents, mainly the Curriculum Overview of A Story of Units and How to Implement A Story of Units.
Section: Curriculum Overview and Updates / Time:9:43–10:20[37 minutes]
In this section, you will…
  • Examine standards alignment in P-5
  • Review alignment to the Major Emphases and Required Fluencies as evidenced by the Curriculum Overview and Map
  • Highlight changes to the Curriculum Overview and Map
  • Examine alignment to each of Instructional Shifts
  • Highlight changes to the How to Implement A Story of Units document
/ Materials used include:
  • Session PowerPoint
  • Curriculum Overview and Map
  • CCLS Checklist
  • How to Implement A Story of Units
  • Suggested Materials List

Time / Slide # / Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
9:43-9:51 / 6. / / But, first let’s take a quick look at a new document, the CCLS Checklist for A Story of Units.
Take three minutes to examine this document with others at your table. Then I’ll ask you to share your observations with the group.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Allow 3 minutes for participants to work with each other, and then facilitate a discussion.
9:51-10:03 / 7. / / The CCLS Checklist for A Story of Units is a supplementary document for the Curriculum Overview of A Story of Units. While the checklist provides an at-a-glance view of when the standards are addressed, the curriculum overview provides much more detailed information. Select a grade on which to focus, and take five minutes to examine this document . Then you’ll have the opportunity to talk with others at your table. Then I’ll ask you to share your observations with the group.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Allow 5 minutes for participants to work independently and then encourage them to share with each other. Then facilitate a discussion. /
10:03-10:07 / 8. / / As you know, the curriculum overview and map were originally developed at the beginning of the creation of this curriculum. At that point, they were intended to be a guide for development. There are times, as the finer details of the curriculum evolve, that some changes to this document become necessary. At first glance, this map looks very much the same as the one we released last November. However, there are small changes that become apparent with closer investigation.
•Many of the module titles have been revised, although the meaning has changed very little. For example, we changed the first module of Kindergarten from “Classify and Count Numbers to 10” to just “Numbers to 10.” Since we are now explicitly providing daily objectives, the module titles require less description of what the students will do.
•In Kindergarten, five instructional days were taken from Module 3 and given to Module 2. Even with this change, it is clear that the major work of the grade remains the instructional focus.
•We split Grade 2–Module 4 into two modules, seen here as modules 4 and 5, to allow for focused work with addition and subtraction of numbers within 200 with a clear extension of that work to addition and subtraction with bigger numbers. With this change, more instructional time is now devoted to addition/subtraction than multiplication/division, honoring the major work of the grade.
•There are also instances where it was beneficial to move a standard from one module to another. Usually, because it provided stronger, more logical mathematical connections. As is evidenced by the CCLS Checklist for A Story of Units, all standards are accounted for. Additionally, all standards are addressed in alignment with the NY Pre/Post Standards document.
10:07-10:15 / 9. / / Turn to page 6 of the How to Implement A Story of Units document and read the section titled, “How A Story of Units Aligns with the Instructional Shifts.” Then discuss your thoughts with others at your table. In particular, share examples of how you have seen these shifts brought to life through A Story of Units. Then I’ll ask volunteers to share with the group.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Allow 3 minutes for participants to work with each other, and then facilitate a discussion.
Just as the Curriculum Overview of A Story of Units has evolved during this process, so too has the How to Implement A Story of Units document.
•The Common Core Approach to Differentiating Instruction has been revised to reflect the system currently used for providing suggestions for differentiation throughout the lessons.
•References to the bar model have been changed to “tape diagram” to be more closely aligned with the progressions documents.
•The information on how the mathematical models are utilized in the curriculum is revised now that the first half of the curriculum is almost complete. /
10:15-10:18 / 10. / / Take 2 minutes to turn and talk with others at your table. During this session, what information was particularly helpful and/or insightful? What new questions do you have?
Allow 2 minutes for participants to turn and talk. Bring the group to order and advance to the next slide.
10:18-10:20 / 11. / / Review key points.
Section:Closing / Time: 10:20-10:30[10 minutes]
In this section, you will…
•Familiarize the participants with the materials provided in the binders
•Provide necessary logistical information to facilitate the sessions that will follow / Materials used include:
•Session PowerPoint
•July 2013 NTI Binder
Time / Slide # / Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
12. / / We are going to take a few minutes now to discuss the focus of this NTI and to prepare for the remaining sessions.
10:20-10:25 / 13. / / I’m sure you’ve already found the daily agendas for this NTI on the first page of the first tab of your binder.
•In this first session, we have provided an update on the progress of the P-5 curriculum as a whole.
•The next session will be the first of two Module Focus sessions: Session 2, today, and Session 5, tomorrow. This is a compromise of strong but opposing feedback that we received after the last NTI. If you participated in May, you will recall that we had one session of concurrent breakouts for each of the six grade-levels. Many people appreciated the opportunity to really focus deeply on the content and material of one module, however many people were concerned about missing the information for other grades. We certainly recognize the validity of both concerns. This agenda still allows time for deep investigation of the modules, but it also affords the opportunity to explore the material for a neighboring grade in addition to the one for which you registered. This way, you’ll experience some of the vertical coherence that is woven through the curriculum. During these sessions, we will breakout into three groups: participants for Kindergarten and Grade 1 will be in ______, participants for Grades 2 and 3 will be in ______, and participants for Grades 4 and 5 will be in ______. Writers from the Kindergarten, Grade 2, and Grade 4 teams will present today; during tomorrow’s breakout sessions you’ll explore the modules for the next grade in each band.
•Session 3, our final session today, will provide an opportunity for you to become more familiar with the models used to promote conceptual understanding throughout A Story of Units. You’ll see that this session provides six breakout stations with three rotations. Be thinking about which of these three stations will be most beneficial for you. If needed, refer to the information provided in the How to Implement A Story of Unitsdocument.
•Tomorrow morning, we will host a Q&A breakfast from 7:30-8:15. If you have any outstanding curriculum questions, please feel free to join us.
•Session 4, our first session tomorrow morning, will continue our examination of algorithms as they are used to promote conceptual understanding in A Story of Units. You had an introduction to this at the last NTI.
•After tomorrow’s Module Focus, we will wrap up with a session dedicated to exploring how school leadership can support successful implementation of A Story of Units and draw connections to the Evidence Guide for Planning and Practice in a Single Lesson.
10:25-10:30 / 14. / / At the last NTI, we focused on the “first” modules for each grade, K–5. The focus of this NTI is centered around the “next” module for each of these grades. Listed here are the six new modules that are now complete and posted on EngageNY.
As you know, the binder you received this morning was determined by the grade that you selected when you registered for this conference. Those of you who registered as either a Kindergarten or Grade 1 participant, will find GK–M2 (the entire module) in the second tab of your binder; this will be your focus of today’s Module Focus session. In the fourth tab of your binder, you will find G1–M2 (the entire module); this will be your focus during tomorrow’s Module Focus session.
Likewise, those of you who registered as either a Grade 2 or Grade 3 participant, will find G2–M4 (the entire module) in the second tab of your binder; this will be your focus of today’s Module Focus session. In the fourth tab of your binder, you will find G3–M2 (the entire module); this will be your focus during tomorrow’s Module Focus session.
And, of course, those of you who registered as either a Grade 4 or Grade 5 participant, will find G4–M2 (the entire module) in the second tab of your binder; this will be your focus of today’s Module Focus session. In the fourth tab of your binder, you will find G5–M2 (the entire module); this will be your focus during tomorrow’s Module Focus session.
In two cases, GK–M2 and G4–M2, the modules being presented this week happen to be short modules. Because of this, those grade-levels will also receive a preview of the next module which will be released on EngageNY later this month. You’ll find that this material includes a “DRAFT” watermark; this is because these modules are still in the final stages of development. Therefore, we do not recommend that you copy this material or redeliver this information immediately following this NTI. Rather, it would make more sense to focus on the complete and approved modules and then redeliver this information once the complete and approved module is released in its entirety. We do, of course, recognize that not everyone in this room is in the same situation and that you don’t always have flexibility in making these decisions.

Use the following icons in the script to indicate different learning modes.

Video / Reflect on a prompt / Active learning / Turn and talk

Turnkey Materials Provided

  • Session PowerPoint
  • Curriculum Overview and Map
  • CCLS Checklist
  • How to Implement A Story of Units
  • Suggested Materials List

Additional Suggested Resources