Module 3: The Teacher as a Curriculum Designer

Lesson 3: Curriculum Mapping

Intended Learning Outcomes:

 Define curriculum mapping as part of curriculum designing
 Identify the purposes of curriculum maps
 Familiarize oneself of some examples of curriculum maps

Take Off
A curriculum design is reflected in a written curriculum either as a lesson plan,
syllabus, unit plan or a bigger curriculum like K to 12. Before a teacher shall put this
plan or design into action, he/she must need to do a curriculum map.
Have you ever wondered how to pace you lesson, so that it will cover a period
of time like hours, weeks, quarters, semester of the whole year?
This lesson will teach us, curricularists, an important process and tool in
curriculum development which is Curriculum Mapping and Curriculum Maps.

Content Focus

Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is a process or procedure that follows curriculum designing.
It is done before curriculum implementation or the organization of the written
curriculum. This process was introduced by Heidi Hayes Jacobs in 2004 in her book
Getting Results with Curriculum Mapping (ASCD, 2004). This approach is an
ongoing process or “work-in-progress”. It is not one time initiative but a continuing
action, which involves the teacher and other stakeholders, who have common
concerns. Curriculum mapping can be done by teachers alone, a group of teacher
teaching the same subject department, the whole school or district or the whole
educational system.

Some curricularist would describe curriculum mapping as making a map to

success. There are common questions that are asked by different stakeholders, like
teachers, colleagues, parents, school officials and the community as well. These
questions may include:
1. What do my students learn?
2. What do they study in the first quarter?
3. What are they studying in the school throughout the year?
4. Do my co-teachers who handle the same subject, cover the same content?
Achieve the same outcomes? Use similar strategies?
5. How do I help my students understand the connections between my
subjects and other subjects within the year? Next year?

Curriculum mapping may be able to answer these questions above.

Furthermore, mapping will produce a curriculum map, which is a very functional tool
in curriculum development.
Curriculum Mapping Process
There are many ways doing things, according to what outcome no needs to
produce. This is also true with curriculum mapping. However, whatever outcome
(map) will be made, there are suggested steps to follow.

Example A.
1. Make a matrix or a spread sheet.
2. Place a timeline that you need to cover. (one quarter, one semester, one
year) This should be dependent on time frame of a particular curriculum
that was written.
3. Enter the intended learning outcomes, skills needed to be taught or
achieved at the end of the teaching.
4. Enter in the same matrix the content areas/subject areas to be covered.
5. Align and name each resources available such as textbooks, workbooks,
module next to subject areas.
6. Enter the teaching-learning methods to be used to achieve the outcomes.
7. Align and enter the assessment procedure and tools to the intended
learning outcomes, content areas and resources.
8. Circulate the map among all involved personnel for their inputs.
9. Revise and refine map based on suggestions and distribute to all
concerned.

You will find Example A as a component of an OBE-Inspired syllabus for the

higher education. However, this can be modified for basic education to serve the
specific purpose as you will see in some maps.

Example B (For a degree program in college)

1. Make a matrix or spreadsheet.
2. Identify the degree or program outcomes (BEEd, BSED).
3. Identify the subjects or courses under the degree (GenEd, ProfEd, and
Major for BSEd).
4. List the subjects along the vertical cells of the matrix in a logical or
chronological order.
5. List the degree program outcomes along the horizontal cell (use code as
PO1, PO2… if outcomes are too long to fit in the cell) PO means Program
Outcomes.
6. Cross the Subject and the Outcome, and determine if such subject
accomplishes the outcomes as either Learned (L), Performed (P) or given
Opportunity (O). Place the code in the corresponding cell.
7. Fill up all cells.
8. After accomplishing the map, set it as a guide for all teachers teaching the
course for student to complete the degree in four years.

The Curriculum Map

Curriculum maps are visual timeliness that outline desired learning outcomes
to be achieved, contents, skills and values taught, instructional time, assessment to
be used and the overall student movement towards the attainment of the intended
outcomes. Curricular maps may be simple or elaborate that can be used by
individual teacher a department, the whole school or educational system. A map is
geared to a school calendar.
Curriculum maps provide quality control of what are taught in schools to
maintain excellence, efficiency and effectiveness. It is intended to improve instruction
and maintain quality of education that all stakeholders need to be assured.
 Sometimes, parents and teachers would ask questions like: “Why is my
friend’s son studying decimals in Mr. Bernardo’s call and my own son is not studying
the same in Miss Julia’s class when they of the same grade level?” or “Why do some
of my students recognize the parts of speech while others are totally lost?”
Parents, teachers and whole educational community can look at the
curriculum map to see that intended outcomes and content are covered. A map can
reassure stakeholders specific information for pacing and alignment of the subject
horizontally or vertically. It will also avoid redundancy, inconsistencies and
misalignment. Courses that are not correctly aligned will allow teachers to quickly
assess that mastery of the skills in the previous grade, to avoid unnecessary
reteaching.
Horizontal alignment, called sometimes as “pacing guide” will make all
teachers, teaching the same subject in a grade level follow the same timeline and
accomplishing the same learning outcomes. This is necessary for state-mandated,
standard-based assessment that we have in schools. Vertical alignment, will see to it
that concept development which may be in hierarchy or in spiral form does not
overlap but building from a simple to more complicated concepts and skills.
Alignment, either vertical or horizontal, will also develop interdisciplinary connections
among teachers and students, between and among courses. Teachers can verify
that skills and content are addressed in other courses or to higher levels, thus
making learning more relevant.
A curriculum map is always a work in progress that enables the teacher or the
curriculum. It provides a good information for modification of curriculum, changing of
standards and competencies in order to find ways to build connections in the
elements of the curricula.

Example of a Curriculum Map

Example A: Excerpt from DepEd Curriculum Guide for Science 3 shows a

sample of a map for Quarter 1 and 2.

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE GRADE 3

Content Content Standards Performance Learning Learning

Standards Competency Materials
Grade 3-matter
FIRST QUARTER/FIRST GRADING PERIOD
1. Properties The learners The learners The learners Learning Guide in
1.1 demonstrate should be able should be able Science and
Characteristics of understanding of... to... to... Health: Mixtures
solids, liquids,
gases ways of sorting group describe the
materials and common different objects BEAM-Grade 3
describing them as objects found based on their Unit 4 Materials
solid, liquid or gas at home and in characteristics LG-Science 3
based on school (e.g. shape, Materials Module
observable according to weight, volume,) I
properties solids, liquids
and gas

classify objects
and materials as
solid, liquid and
gas based on
some observable
characteristics
describe ways
 on the proper use
and handling
solid, liquid and
gas found at
home and in
school
Changes that Effects of Investigate the Describe BEAM-Grade 3
materials temperature on different changes in Unit 3 Materials
undergo materials changes in materials based Distance
materials as on the effect of Learning Module
affected by temperature: BEAM-Grade 3
temperature 4.1 Solid to liquid Unit 3 Materials
4.2 Liquid to solid Distance
4.3 Liquid to gas Learning Module
4.4 solid to gas

Grade 3-matter
FIRST QUARTER/FIRST GRADING PERIOD
1. Living Things The learners The learners The learners
1.1 Humans demonstrate should be able should be able
1.2 Sense understanding of... to... to...
Organs
parts and functions practice 1. describe the
of the sense organs healthful parts and
of the human body habits in functions of the
taking care of sense organs of
the sense the human body;
organs

2. enumerate
healthful habits to
protect the sense
organs;
2. Living Things parts and functions Enumerate 3. describe the
2.1 Animals of animals and ways of animals in their
importance to grouping immediate
humans animals based surrounding; BEAM-Grade 3
on their Unit 3 Materials
structure and Distance
importance Learning Module
4. identify the BEAM-Grade 3
parts and Unit 3 Materials
function of Distance
animal; Learning Module
5. classify animal
according arts
and use; body
6. state the
importance of
animals to
humans;
7. describe ways
of proper
handling of
animals
Sample A-1 Science Curriculum map showing the Science of Domain for the
Year per Quarter

Q G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10
1
1 Living
Force, things Earth
Motion, and Their and
Matter Matter Matter Matter Matter
Energy Environment Space

2 Living
Living Living Living Living Earth Force,
things
things things things things and Motion,
and Their Matter
and Their and Their and Their and Their Environment Space Energy
Environment Environment Environment Environment

3 Force, Force, Force, Force, Force, Earth Living

Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, and things
Matter and Their
Energy Energy Energy Energy Energy Space Environment
4 Living
Earth Earth Earth Earth Earth things Force,
and and and and and and Their Motion,
Matter
Space Space Space Space Space Environment Energy

Sample B- Curriculum Map for Bachelor of Elementary Education (Professional

Education Courses)

Outcomes PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7 PO8

Sample Subjects
Child Dev
P L L O L O O O
Facilitating Human
P P L O L O L O
Learning
Social Dimension
P L L O L O L O
Teaching Profession
P P P P P O P P
Principles of Teaching
P P P P L O P O
Assessment of
P P P P L O P O
Learning
Educational
P P P P L O P O
Technology
Curriculum
P P P P O O P P
Development
Developmental
P P P P O O P O
Reading
Field Study
P P O P O P P P
Practice Teaching
P P P P P P P P

Legend:
L-Learned outcomes (knowledge, skills, values)/ outcomes achieved in the
subject
P- Practised the learned outcomes (knowledge, skills, values)
O-Opportunity to learn and practise (opportunities to learn and practise
knowledge, skills and values but not taught formally)
Note:
1. Not all professional subjects are entered in the matrix
2. Desired outcomes for the professional course are:

PO1 – Applies basic and higher 21st century skills.

PO2 – Acquired deep understanding of the learning process.
PO3 – Comprehended knowledge of the content they will teach
PO4 – Applied teaching process skills (curriculum designing materials
development, educational assessment, teaching approaches).
PO5 – Facilitated learning of difference types of learners in diverse learning
environments
PO6 – Directed experiences in the field and classrooms (observation,
teaching, assistance, practice teaching)
PO7 – Demonstrated professional and ethical standards of the profession.
PO8 – Demonstrated creative and innovative thinking and practice of
alternative teaching approaches.
Name: _________________________________________ Date: ________
Course & Year: __________________________ Score: _______
Name of Instructor: _______________________________

Take Action
Activity 1: Let’s apply what you learned.
1. Using the Sample A1 for Science Curriculum Map, what knowledge and
understanding have you learned? Analyze the matrix and answer the
questions that follow:
.
A. What are the main clusters of science content that students should learn from G3
to G10?

B. How does science content progress from Grade 3 to Grade 10?

C. When you look at and analyze the map, what summary ideas can you give?

D. Science Curriculum is spiral. How do you explain that in terms of what you see in
the map?

2. Using Sample B, What is your interpretation of the colored cell with Learned that
crossed between subject Social Dimensions and PO5, Facilitate learning of different
types of learners in diverse learning environment?

Self Check
Make a wise decision. Show me that you understood the lesson .Know the
difference between Yes or No answer to each of the question. Justify your answer.
1. Does curriculum mapping help a teacher understand what to accomplish within
the period of time?
2. Is a curriculum map a permanent document?
3. Can a curriculum map help explain to parents what their children are learning in
school?
4. Is curriculum mapping a task of only one teacher?
5. Can a curriculum map as a tool be used in instructional supervision?

Self Reflect
Reflect on the process of curriculum mapping and the sample curriculum map
in this lesson. As a future teacher, how will the process of mapping and the map as a
tool help you in your profession?