1 of 45

Unit Organizer

April 17, 2026

Collinswood Language Academy

2 of 45

Header

Subheading - Montserrat Normal 20 pt.

3 of 45

University of Kansas

Center for Research on Learning

4 of 45

Putting the Pieces Together

Unit

Unit

Unit

Unit

With the Unit Organizer

5 of 45

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

Last Experience

Next Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

Activities / Tasks

The Unit Organizer

UNIT MAP

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

SIM Overview and the Frame

Using Routines

Level 1 CLC Interventions – CE Routines

Today’s Topic:

Is about

Graphically depicting

and organizing content

Unit Organizer

Teaching Device

(Graphic Organizer)

Linking Steps

(CRAFT)

CUE-DO-REVIEW

Instructional Sequence

By constructing a

By following specific

And presenting it through the

Analyzing

Prioritizing

Sequencing

  1. How do I emphasize the critical content that all students need to master?

  • How can students organize and think about the information in order to build clear understanding of the content?

  • Which connections and relationships in the content information should be stressed?

  • What methods will best provide a structure to the lessons that I present?

Describe routine

Review samples

Construct Drafts

Peer Review

Examine the manual

Use it with students

6 of 45

The Content Literacy Continuum®

  • Level 1: Enhanced content instruction (mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels)

  • Level 2: Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave strategies

within and across classes using large group instructional methods)

  • Level 3: Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies

using 8-stage instructional sequence; individual Strategic Tutoring)

  • Level 4: Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level

literacy skills at the 4th grade level)

  • Level 5: Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings

of curriculum content and learning strategies)

7 of 45

All

Most

Some

  • Highly teacher directed
  • Focus on accommodations
  • Instruction around critical questions

  • Group work
  • Independent work
  • Information students get on their own

8 of 45

Content Enhancement

Routines

Planning & Leading

Learning

Course Organizer

Unit Organizer

Lesson Organizer

Exploring Text, Topics, & Details

Framing Routine

Survey Routine

Clarifying Routine

Teaching Concepts

Concept Mastery Routine

Concept Anchoring Routine

Concept Comparison Routine

Increasing Performance

Quality Assignment Routine

Question Exploration Routine

Recall Enhancement Routine

Vocabulary LINCing Routine

ORDER Routine

KU-CRL

9 of 45

The Challenge

Many students have difficulty:

    • Relating new information to known information.

    • Seeing the "big ideas" among the details.

    • Translating the "big ideas" into words, phrases, and concepts that make sense to them.

    • Identifying the structure of information.

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

9

10 of 45

The Challenge

Many students have difficulty:

    • Seeing the relationships between different sets of information.

    • Generating questions to help them focus their learning.

    • Projecting and managing time in order to complete tasks.

    • Keeping the "big ideas" and structure of a unit in mind as they progress through the unit.

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

10

11 of 45

The Unit Organizer�Routine

Allows teachers to present the critical content in a visual way which helps students with:

      • ...organizing information
      • ...understanding big ideas
      • ...identifying important relationships
      • ...responding to higher level questions
      • ...believing in the value of the content

12 of 45

Supporting Research

  • Field tests took place in 7th-12th grade classes.

  • Teachers learned the routine easily.

  • Students gained an average of at least 10 to 20 percentage points on unit tests.

  • Teachers continued using the routine after the studies were completed.

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

12

13 of 45

Supporting Research

  • Positive results were achieved when teachers:

    • received 2-3 hours of instruction in the routine

    • discussed the routine with colleagues

    • spent the necessary time to plan use of the routine

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

13

14 of 45

Supporting Research

  • Positive results were achieved when teachers:

    • taught students how to participate in and use the routine

    • used the routine regularly over time

    • held the highest expectations for student learning

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

14

15 of 45

Unit Maps can help if…

  • The map is clear

and easy to

understand.

  • The map is used

often.

  • The map fits

clearly into the

bigger picture.

“Take the next right.”

16 of 45

17 of 45

Check out the manual...

Introduction

Pages 1-3

The Graphic Device

Pages 6-9

The Linking Steps

Pages 10-11

Cue-Do-Review

Pages 12-15

Guidelines for Using Unit Organizer

Pages 17-45

Examples of Unit Relationships

Page 53

18 of 45

UO Teaching Device

(Graphic Organizer)

CUE-DO-REVIEW

Instructional

Sequence

CRAFT

Linking Steps

The

UNIT ORGANIZER

Is presented on a

Is constructed by

using specific

Is used through the process of

19 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

1/22

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

is about...

Sectionalism

which

pp. 201-236

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

compare/contrast

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

Shows how the info. is organized

Provides guiding questions

Provides the big

picture

Shows the schedule

of activities

Shows how the info. is connected

20 of 45

UO Teaching Device

(Graphic Organizer)

CUE-DO-REVIEW

Instructional

Sequence

CRAFT

Linking Steps

The

UNIT ORGANIZER

Is presented on a

Is constructed by

using specific

Is used through the process of

21 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

22 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

23 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

is about...

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

Sectionalism

pp. 201-236

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

compare/contrast

1/22

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

Information is listed to help students see how the current unit is related to other units

and to big ideas in the course.

1. CURRENT UNIT

2. LAST UNIT

3. NEXT UNIT

4. BIGGER PICTURE

24 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

25 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

is about...

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

Sectionalism

which

pp. 201-236

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

compare/contrast

1/22

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

5. UNIT MAP

The map includes a unit paraphrase of the big idea of the unit, and a bubble map is used to show students how the information in the unit is tied together and connected..

26 of 45

Line Labels

  • Link the bubbles, so they can be read as a series of sentences.

  • Help to show the connections between the information in the bubbles.

is about

Health

eating right

27 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

28 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

is about...

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

Sectionalism

pp. 201-236

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

compare/contrast

1/22

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

6. UNIT RELATIONSHIPS

The unit relationships section is used to list words

that describe how the information is structured and

connected. The list also describes how the

students need to think about the information in the

unit.

29 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

30 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

is about...

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

Sectionalism

pp. 201-236

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

compare/contrast

1/22

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

7. UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS

These are questions that students can use

to check their understanding of

the big ideas and concepts in the unit.

31 of 45

The CRAFT Linking Steps

STEPS

1

Create a context

2

Recognize content structures

3

Acknowledge unit relationships

4

Frame unit questions

5

Tie content to tasks

32 of 45

Elida Cordora

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

LAST UNIT

/Experience

CURRENT UNIT

NEXT UNIT

/Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

is about...

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

UNIT SCHEDULE

UNIT MAP

CURRENT UNIT

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

The roots and consequences of civil unrest.

The Causes of the Civil War

Growth of the Nation

The Civil War

Sectionalism

which

pp. 201-236

1/22 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 201-210

1/28 Quiz

1/29 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 210-225

"Influential Personalities"

projectdue

1/30 Quiz

2/2 Cooperative groups -

over pp. 228-234

2/6 Review for test

2/7 Review for test

2/6 Test

Areas of

the U.S.

Differences

between

the areas

Events in

the U.S.

Leaders

across the

U.S.

was based on

emerged because of

became greater with

was influenced by

descriptive

cause/effect

What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860?

How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War?

compare/contrast

1/22

What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today?

Unit Schedule

The schedule lists the major activities

and tasks that the students will be

expected to do.

33 of 45

Expand your map

34 of 45

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

NEW

UNIT

SELF-TEST

QUESTIONS

Expanded Unit Map

is about...

9

10

How did national events and leaders pull the different sections of the U.S. apart?

The Causes of the Civil War

Elida Cordora

1/22

Sectionalism

which

pp. 201-236

was based on the

developed because of

North

South

West

Social

Differences

Political

Differences

Economic

Differences

Areas of the

U.S.

Differences

between the

areas

-Henry Clay

-Stephen Douglas

-Zachary Taylor

-Harriet Beecher Stowe

-Douglas Filmore

-John Brown

-Jefferson Davis

-Abraham Lincoln

such as

was influenced by

Leaders of

change

became greater with

Events in the

U.S.

such as

-1820 Missouri Compromise

-1846 Mexican War

-1850 Compromise of 1850

-1850 Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

-1852

Uncle Tom's Cabin

-1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act

-1854 Republican Party formed

-1854 Bleeding Kansas

-1857 Dred Scott Case

-1858 Lincoln Douglas Debates

-1859 John Brown's Raid

-1860 Lincoln Elected

-1860 South Carolina Secedes

-1861 Confederacy formed

which included the

which included the

which included the

and included

and included

and included

35 of 45

Additional Questions

  • Address more specific information added in expanded unit map.
  • Deepen students’ understanding of original unit self-test questions.
  • Ask students to extend their thinking. For example, the students can relate unit concepts to world events or personal experiences.

36 of 45

UO Teaching Device

(Graphic Organizer)

CUE-DO-REVIEW

Instructional

Sequence

CRAFT

Linking Steps

The

UNIT ORGANIZER

Is presented on a

Is constructed by

using specific

Is used through the process of

37 of 45

The Cue-Do-Review Sequence

  • Cue
    • The teacher announces the Unit Organizer and explains its use.

38 of 45

The Cue-Do-Review Sequence

  • Do
    • The teacher and class collaboratively construct the Unit Organizer device using the CRAFT Linking Steps.

    • The content is connected or "linked" to the needs and goals of students.

39 of 45

The Cue-Do-Review Sequence

  • Review
    • Information presented in the Unit Organizer is reviewed and confirmed.

40 of 45

Get Ready

  • Decide when to use the routine.
  • Collect needed materials.
  • Construct a draft.
  • Prepare presentation notes

Pages 18 - 26

41 of 45

General Use Guidelines:�

    • Use the routine explicitly.
    • Be creative
    • Beware of pitfalls (Page 43)
    • Evaluate your use of the routine. (Page 42)

42 of 45

Now you try it…

Help each other plan a unit with the

Unit Organizer.

45 minutes

43 of 45

Peer Feedback�

Partner with someone and take turns presenting your Unit Organizers.

Give positives

Provide suggestions for Improvement:

  • Is the wording easy to understand?
  • Are the connections clear?
  • Do the questions relate to the bubbles in your map?
  • Are the relationships indicated in the questions?
  • Do the major activities relate to the critical content?

44 of 45

The difference between good and poor learners

Is not the sheer quantity of what

the good learner

learns,

But rather the good learner’s ability to

organize and use information.

45 of 45

NAME

DATE

The Unit Organizer

BIGGER PICTURE

Last Experience

Next Experience

UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS

UNIT

RELATIONSHIPS

Activities / Tasks

The Unit Organizer

UNIT MAP

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

SIM Overview and the Frame

Using Routines

Level 1 CLC Interventions – CE Routines

Today’s Topic:

Is about

Graphically depicting

and organizing content

Unit Organizer

Teaching Device

(Graphic Organizer)

Linking Steps

(CRAFT)

CUE-DO-REVIEW

Instructional Sequence

By constructing a

By following specific

And presenting it through the

Analyzing

Prioritizing

Sequencing

  • How do I emphasize the critical content that all students need to master?

  • How can students organize and think about the information in order to build clear understanding of the content?

  • Which connections and relationships in the content information should be stressed?

  • What methods will best provide a structure to the lessons that I present?

Describe routine

Review samples

Construct Drafts

Peer Review

Examine the manual

Use it with students