Lesson 3

Curriculum Mapping
Desired Learning Outcomes
> Define curriculum mapping as part of curriculum designing

> Identify the purposes of curriculum maps

> Familiarize oneself of some examples of curriculum maps
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 your lesson, so that it will cover a period of time
like hours, weeks, quarters, semester or the whole year?
This lesson will teach us, curricularists, an important process and tool in curriculum
development which is Curriculum Mapping and Curriculum Maps.

Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is a process or procedure that follows curriculum designing. It is
done before curriculum implementation or the operationalization 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 a 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 teachers teaching the
same subject, the department, the whole school or district or the whole educational
system.
Some curricularists 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 of doing things, according to what outcome one 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. Enter in the same matrix the content areas/subject areas to be
covered.
5. Align and name each resource available such as textbooks, workbooks, module next
to subject areas. 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 a spreadsheet.
2. Identify the degree or program outcomes (ex. BEEd, or BSED)
3. Identify the subjects or courses under the degree (GenEd, Prof.Ed, 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)
 6. PO means Program Outcomes 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, use it as a guide for all teachers teaching the
course for students to complete the degree in four years.

The Curriculum Map

Curriculum maps are visual timelines 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 class and my own son is not studying the same in
Miss Julia's class when they are 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 the 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 the 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 pmong 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 review team to create and recreate 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

Here are two examples of a curriculum map. Sample A is for Basic Education and
Sample B is for a College Level.
Example A: Excerpt from DepEd Curriculum Guide for Science 3 shows a sample of a
map for Quarter l and 2. A column for Code was not included.

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE GRADE 3

Note: For Quarter 2, there are still two major content which are 3. Living
Things 3.1 Plants and 4. Heredity: Inheritance and Variation.
 Sample A1- Science Curriculum Map Showing the Sequence of
Domain for the Year per Quarter

Sample B- Curriculum Map for Bachelor of Elementary Education

(Professional Education Courses)
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 practice (opportunities to learn and practice
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 courses are:
PO1- Applied 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
PO5 - Facilitated learning of different types of learners in diverse learning environments
(observation, teaching, assistance, practice teaching)
PO6- Directed experiences in the field and classrooms
PO7- Demonstrated professional and ethical standards of the
PO8- Demonstrated creative and innovative thinking and practice of alternative teaching
approaches.