How to Unit Plan

When I started teaching, one of the toughest things to figure out was how long to spend on each unit. 

As a teacher, you need to spend enough time to ensure students grasp the content, but you also need to cover your entire curriculum - especially if you have a state test at the end of the year.

A great way to begin your planning is to use this calculator tool. First, enter in your total instructional days. For most schools, this will be 180 but you can change that on the calculator if you need to. Next, click on which school schedule you are on (block or daily classes). Then, look at your curriculum and count up how many units you need to cover.  Drag the slider on the calculator to the number of units in your curriculum.

Next, you'll also see "throwaway" days. These are those days you lose throughout the year to other responsibilities. It might be scheduling with counsellors, school pictures, snow days, a lockdown drill, etc. This will vary by school, but I estimate it at about 10 instructional days a year that are lost. You can check with colleagues to see if that's about right for your school.

Lastly, you'll see how many days you should spend on average per unit. This doesn't mean you have to spend exactly that many days on each. Some units might be longer than others. However, it's a great starting point for backwards-planning your school year!