These units were written during the Summer Curriculum Writing Institute* (SCWI) at Trinity University beginning in 2005 and are added to at the close of the Institute each year. They use the Understanding by Design framework developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Note that earlier units use the UbD original template, while many newer units utilize the 2.0 version. We hope units are useful to teachers developing curriculum globally. If you have any questions about this site, contact Dr. Laura Allen, SCWI Coordinator, at lallen@trinity.edu.
For more information, please see Connecting the Continuum: A University-based Induction Program to Improve Teacher Quality.*SCWI is an induction support program that invites graduates of Trinity University’s MAT program back to campus for one week each summer to write curriculum for their own classrooms. Participants are paid a stipend for attending and travel and receive 30 CPE hours.
These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Submissions from 2016
Deconstructing Reconstruction: American Reconstruction from 1865-1877 (8th-11th grade), Alex Decker and Blake R. Keeling
Finding Our Strengths: Creating a Strong Classroom Community (3rd-6th grade), Emily B. Delgado
AP Chemistry: Bonding and Intermolecular Forces (11th-12th grade), Carrie Duesing
La Bienvenida (Grades 7-9), Merida Elizondo
Middle Survival Guide -- ELA [6th Grade], Elizabeth E. Grenadier and Christie M. Manners
La cultura de deseos y necesidades (7th-12th grade), Haley Hansen
Colonization: Evaluating the right of groups to settle other lands [8th grade], Elizabeth A. Hunt
Who's Got the Steady Beat? (6th-8th grade), Valerie Jeannin
¿Quieres Ir Conmigo? (6th-7th grade - Spanish), Jaclyn K. Metcalf
Cellular Metabolism: AP Biology, Tiffany Montoya
Imagination Station: Teaching 2nd Graders to Publish Fictional Stories Using Story Elements, Elle V. Norman
Improvisation: Skills for Theatre and Life, William A. Parker
Mi heroe, Carol Passant
Weather or Not We Should Go Outside [3rd grade], Stephen R. Sackett
Greek Tragedies: Oedipus the King and Antigone (Grade 10), Amy R. Thomson and Heather M. Patillo
Varied Approaches to Shape, Marie-Claire A. Valdez
“Capturing a Character”: A unit for teaching 2nd-grade students how to understand literary characters, Samantha S. Voris and Stephanie M. Wilson
Linear Relationships (Algebra) (8th-9th grade), Melanie R. Webb and Nicole D. LeGrone
Chemistry of Uniqueness and Value: An Introductory First-Year Chemistry Investigation for High School Sophomores, Katelin A. Whittaker
Place Value: Representing And Comparing Numbers (1st grade), Marian R. Zelaya and Leah Sanchez
Submissions from 2015
STAAR EOC Expository Essay [9th-12th grade], J. Kat Aylesworth
Addition and Subtraction with Decimals Review [6th grade], Samantha Bos
Artist as Chemist [10th grade], Bonnie Brawner
Los impactos de los seres vivos en el medioambiente (The Impact of Human Beings in the Environment) [2nd grade], Graceanne S. Brim
Heart of Darkness: A Critical Approach to Marlow's Character, Sherry Brown
Microbe Hunters: Pioneers of the Microscopic World [7th grade], Joy Brush and Jaime Jaen
A World on Fire: The Age of Revolutions [10th grade], Marisa C. Cavin
Personal Narrative Genre Study [4th grade], Emily B. Delgado
Mind[set]fulness: How Can I Control My Brain?, Abbey M. Drake
Why does Matter Matter?, Carrie Duesing and Carolyn Martin
Casas del Mundo [8th-9th grade], Merida Elizondo
Story Elements for Kindergarten, Renee D. Faulk
Torque and Rotational Motion (11th grade), Connor Gorman and Leslie Salazar
Sky Patterns [2nd grade], Analeasa Holmes and Rachel Capetillo
Sectionalism Before the Civil War: Justified or Not?, Elizabeth A. Hunt
The Basics: Geometric Structure, Danielle Kendrick
Why Do I Need Math? [7th grade], Dory Lopez
It’s All Greek to Me [6th grade], Grace R. Marengo Sanchez and Alex Karamol
The American Empire: Age of Imperialism (America Journey) [7th grade], Mark A. McCullough
¡Mantente en forma! [10th grade], Leah A. Morton-Gittens
Why Can't I Have Everything I Want? [2nd grade], Elle V. Norman
Playbuilding: Devised Theatre in the Classroom, William A. Parker
Cuerpo sano, mente sana: Healthy Living ¡en español! [8th-10th grade], Shannon Probe
Where I Live (2nd grade), Lauren E. Pum Ms and Leslie D. Montoya Mrs
Bullydozing with Kevin Henkes [2nd grade], Kendra E S Salas
Exploring Quadratic Functions through Angry Birds [8th grade], Amber M. Sanchez
Understanding U.S. Coins to Spend and Save (1st grade), Jordan E. Taylor, Eloisa Perez, and Rebecca Zelaya
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, Amy R. Thomson and Heather M. Patillo
Top Secret: Understanding Characters! [3rd grade], Renee E. Ulrich
Effective Arguments: Julius Caesar and Current Opinion Pieces [10th Grade], Valerie E. Vied
Show Me Your Expertise: 4th Grade Expository Writing Unit, Anne Waidelich
Reconstruction: Could you do it better?, Waynne Warren
Politics, Power, and Influence: How to Create Your Own State., Waynne Warren and Tyler R. Woolsey
Data Displays [6th grade], Melanie R. Webb
AP Chemistry: Bonding + Periodic Table Review + Extension [11th-12th grade], Katelin A. Whittaker
Atoms and Elements [6th grade], Jennifer J. Wray
Submissions from 2014
Geometric Reasoning, Claire B. Baxter
Personal Cultural Identity and Literature, Sherry Brown
Animal Needs and Habitats, Erin E. Clay
Forensic Chemistry, Carrie Duesing and Bonnie Brawner
Physical Geography [9th grade], Meghan Harrington and Kyle Anderson
English II Persuasive Essay [10th grade], Brianna Johnson
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines, Danielle R. Kendrick
Practical Writing: The Expository Essay [9th grade], Morgan K. Kern
Cultural Evolution of Ceramics, Shelby Lenderman
Changing Times: The Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Reformation [6th grade], Bethany Lorge
Insert Novel Here: a Metacognitive Study of the Reading Process, Dan Mallette
The Shakespearean Sonnet, Ryan Markmann
Pueblos y ciudades [10th grade], Leah A. Morton-Gittens
Outside Reading [9th-12th grade], Elizabeth IC Muire Ms.
Playapalooza: Ten-Minute Play Festival [10th-12th grade], William A. Parker
Pride and Prejudice UbD [9th grade], Heather M. Patillo and Amy R. Thomson
Physical Properties of Matter, Eloisa Perez
¡Saludos!: Greetings & Introductions for Spanish 1 [7th-9th grade], Shannon Probe
Art History Remix [6th-8th grade], Andrea Puentes
Visual Art 6 Ecosystem Landscape Drawing, Claire F. Ramirez Ms.
Positive Consequences of Catastrophic Events? [10th grade], Hillary Rodriguez
An Introduction to Inquiry Labs in Physics, Stephanie D. Sanders and Noe Perez
HoneybeeZZZ [1st grade], Jordan E. Taylor
Among The Hidden- Studying The Concept of Self and Connecting To What You Read [6th grade], Renee E. Ulrich
Convince Me! A Persuasive Writing Unit for 2nd Grade [2nd grade], Samantha S. Voris and Stephanie Wilson
The Civil War - A Deadly Dinner Party, Waynne S. Warren
Your Story and My Story: GenreStudy on Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice [6th grade], Stephany Weaver
Personal Financial Literacy [6th grade], Melanie R. Webb
Powerful Poetry [1st grade], Jennifer K. Wight and Letty R. Sanchez
Submissions from 2013
Matter, Density, and Buoyancy [6th-8th grade], Reid Agan
Explain Yourself: An Expository Writing Unit for High School, Adele Barnett
Subject and Direct Object [8th-9th grade], Amy Barnett
Who am I? Using Personal Narrative to Reflect on Identity [6th grade], Mollie Cason
Cultural Forum: Classical Societies and Western Dominance [10th grade], Ellie Chernosky
Scientia Potentia est: The Power of Informational Text [8th grade], Anna Clark
Where I Live [2nd grade], Melissa Cole
Art Critiques and Online Portfolios, Hannah Cone
Can you persuade me? Learning persuasive writing through research [3rd grade], Christy Custer
Physical Properties [3rd grade], Leslie Davenport and Heather McOmber
Economic Policies in 20th Century Latin America: A Case Study on Brazil and the 2014 World Cup [10th grade], Carly Dodd
Humanities Approach to an Analyze of Short Stories in the Romantic Period [8th grade], Mary Mac Elliot and Melissa Exley
Longitudinal Study of an Aquatic Ecosystem [11th-12th grade], Maxwell Fazio
The Grammar Comic Book PBL [9th grade], Kristina Ford
Picking the college for you [7th-8th grade], Salena Gonzales