It is no accident that so many educational giants, from Benjamin Bloom to Madeline Hunter to Robert Marzano, have recognized the importance of the “learning unit” as the most effective vehicle for designing curriculum. By combining the best in research with our thirty years of working with and learning from thousands of teachers, we have developed a simple but deep model for designing thoughtful units. A thoughtful unit is more than a manageable framework for integrating our work in The Hidden Skills of Academic Literacy, research-based strategies, and learning styles. It is also a place where students come to learn about themselves while they interact with others and engage with powerful ideas. By focusing on the knowledge, understanding, skills, and habits of mind we want to develop in our students and then designing a five-room “blueprint,” we ensure that every unit is truly a “home for the mind.”

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