Department of Mathematics and Science
Dr. Millard E. Lightburn, Science Supervisor K-5
Mary Tweedy and Keisha Kidd
Curriculum Support Specialists
Office of Academics and Transformation
OUTCOME• Provide procedures to unwrap science
benchmarks• Provide a sample unwrapped benchmark• Participant will unwrap benchmarks from quarter
two pacing guides
2Department of Mathematics and Science
Essential Question
• How does unwrapping the benchmark provide students a better understanding of the content to be addressed?
• Or
• Why is unwrapping the benchmark an important component of the planning process?
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UNWRAPPING BENCHMARKS• Unwrapping the benchmark is an integral part
of the planning process.• It dissects the benchmark to identify what
students should know and be able to do.• For each benchmark we will focus on nouns
and verbs.• Nouns: (a person, place, or thing). They
represent concepts students should learn.• Verbs (action words) They represent the skills,
that students need to do.Department of Mathematics and Science
“Unwrapping the Benchmark”
• Select the benchmark• Underline the important NOUNS (a person,
place, or thing ). They represent the concepts students need to know.
• Circle the VERBS (action words) They represent the skills, what students need to do.
• Create a graphic organizer (bulleted list, outline, concept map, T-chart, etc.) to
organize the concepts and skills.
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Why Un-Wrap It?
• Unwrapping the benchmark reveals significant component that are often overlooked at first glance.
• Unwrapping the benchmark focuses your instruction and paves the way for rigor in instruction through planning.
• Unwrapping the benchmark will enable you to work “smarter and not harder”.
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Vocabulary• Unwrapping- uncovering, opening up• Concepts- reflect what students need to know• Skills- reflect what students need to do• Topics or Context- lessons and activities used to teach each
concept and skill• Essential Questions- Posed at the beginning of instruction to
guide instruction, learning and assessment. It should contain concepts and skills from the unwrapped benchmark.
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The Process Continues
• Create a graphic organizer …. List concepts (important nouns) individually or group
related ones under headings.List skills (verbs, the action words) in the same order as
the appear within the benchmark or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK).
(This step will assist you in monitoring rigor.)Develop activities to address the benchmark (activities
are the skills needed to understand the concept)
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Lessons and ActivitiesMaking the Connection
• Decide which lessons and activities best address your newly unwrapped benchmark.
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What does it look like?
Unwrapping the BenchmarkBig Idea 10: Forms of Energy
SC.5.P.10.4 Investigate and explain that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, and sound energy, as well as the energy of motion.
electrical energy heat light sound motion
Cognitive Complexity: High
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Nouns and Verbs
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• Nouns (concepts)– electrical– energy– heat– light– sound– motion
• Verbs (skills)– investigate – explain– transformed
The Unfolded Benchmark and Related Lesson/Activity
• SC.5.P.10.4 Investigate and explain that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, and sound energy, as well as the energy of motion.
What the student needs to know and be able to do.1. Investigate and explain (able to do ) that electrical energy can be transformed into
heat (need to know). Activity- What activity can students do to help them understand this concept?
2. Investigate and explain (able to do ) that electrical energy can be transformed into light (need to know).
Activity- What activity can students do to help them understand this concept?3. Investigate and explain (able to do ) that electrical energy can be transformed into sound (need to know).
Activity- What activity can students do to help them understand this concept?2. Investigate and explain (able to do) that electrical energy can be transformed into motion (need to know). Activity- What activity can students do to help them understand this concept?
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Is the activity aligned?
• Make sure that the activity is aligned with a concept (noun) and skill (verb) component within the benchmark.
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Essential Questions
• Essential Questions- Your EQ should represent concepts (nouns) and skills (verbs) from your unwrapped benchmark.
Example: How can electric energy be transformed into other forms of energy?
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Collaborative Planning Activity
Using the item specs, year at a glance and the template provided, unwrap your assigned benchmark to develop a lesson identifying what students need to know, be able to do, and the aligned activities to get them there. •Benchmarks to unwrap: Group 1: SC.5.E.5.1 Group 2: SC.4.E.5.4 Group 3: SC.4.E.6.3 Group 4: SC.5.E.5.3 Group 5: SC.4.E.6.2 Group 6: SC.4.E.6.4
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References
• Unwrapping the Standards: An Anchor for Powerful Practices for Implementing the Common Core Standards
The Leadership and Learning Center (www.leadandlearn.com)
Department of Mathematics and Science