D185 – Designing Curriculum and Instruction II TASK 1 Applying Curriculum Models Western Governors University
Educational Setting
The educational setting for this curriculum is 9
th grade English Language Arts at a Title I
school in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has 90% minority students and 100% free/reduced
lunch. The student population also includes about 25% English Language Learners.
Curricular Goal
Per the Nevada Department of Education standards for English Language Arts, writing
arguments is a primary focus for 9
th grade. The writing standard states:
W.9-10.1: . Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. a. Introduce precise
claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an
organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,
and evidence. b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level and concerns. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s)
and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. d.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. e. Provide a concluding statement
or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. (Nevada Department of
Education, 2010)
As per the standard, the goal is to have students write an argumentative piece providing claims,
addressing counterclaims, and using grade-level formal writing. The curriculum model proposed
to achieve this goal is Understanding by Design.