Writing a Unit

As a student, I had three classes that required me to write a complete unit: two art-specific methods classes and one general curriculum class. Each professor had a different approach that required different outcomes. One professor shared readings on several approaches to teaching art such as Disciple-Based Art Education (DBAE), Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), Visual Culture, etc. He then asked us to select one and write our unit based on our choice. Another professor was a devotee of Sydney Walker's big ideas so we were asked to select a big idea (e.g., identity or change) and write two units based on the same idea: one for elementary school and one for high school. Davis Art created text books (Explorations in Art) that support this approach and we were allowed to draw from those lessons. My curriculum class unit was less focused on approaches to teaching and instead focused on planning -- outlining the unit, writing the parents a an overview letter, breaking the unit down into lessons, writing a calendar, scheduling work/readings/assessment, etc. It was very practical. . . and then you get in the classroom to student teach.

The units I wrote in college were nothing like the units I wrote while student teaching. Instead of a binder, the units were one page documenting desired outcomes, lesson overview, assessment, and sometimes a section on how-to. The content was mostly the same, except it was heavily edited to fit into one sheet. I was grateful for the break in writing and even more grateful that I had so much experience writing these much larger units because I knew what I needed to include and automatically thought about state standards, procedures, assessment, visual aides, and all of the other nuances that go into planning a complete lesson.


As a first year art educator, I ask you -- how do you plan out your first year? how do you write your units? I can see a combination of a calendar, a list of state standards, research material, visual aides, etc. Another idea is one I learned in my corporate life where you put everything on index cards or post-it notes and lay it out that way. Things are always changing in the classroom, so my future plans need to be well thought out (including trying to think preemptively about could happen), comprehensive, and flexible. Since I don't currently have a job, I'm currently just trying to build on the materials I built up during my student teaching so that I can walk into any job with some options while fleshing out a better plan.


If you have any tips, tricks, web sites, organizational ideas, or anything else that might help, please send them my way! My mind is open and I'm ready to go!