What You See
The Unit Overview page is the planning hub for each unit. This page displays the unit type, estimated duration in weeks, suggested pacing information, unit context, knowledge-building topic, essential questions, and the unit’s texts.
Unit Overview Elements
Element | What It Shows | How to Use It |
Unit Type Badge | Shows “Core” or “Research” or “Designated ELD” estimated duration (e.g., “Est. Time: 9 Weeks”) | Know your unit type to plan accordingly; Research Units include Investigation 2 as student-led research |
Unit Navigation Tabs | Four tabs: Overview, Lessons, Assessments, Additional Resources | Use to move across unit sections; Overview is the default starting point |
Pacing Table | Shows each unit arc (Spark, Investigation 1, End of Arc 1, Investigation 2, Showcase) with instructional time and assessment/flex time | Plan your daily and weekly schedule; identify where Flex Days fall |
Unit Context | Describes the knowledge-building topic, what students are learning about, and the learning goals | Read before the unit starts to understand the big picture |
Knowledge-Building Topic | The overarching topic that connects all texts and tasks in the unit | Reference throughout the unit; all lessons connect back to this topic |
Essential Questions | The driving questions students investigate throughout the unit | Post in the classroom; return to these questions throughout the unit |
Focused Knowledge-Building Questions | More specific sub-questions that guide each investigation | Use to plan investigation-level instruction |
Unit Texts Section | Two tabs: Anchor Text and Independent Reading, including cover images, titles, and access links | Preview unit-level texts before the unit begins; plan read-aloud and independent reading; short-form texts used in individual lessons are found within those lessons |
Unit Texts: What Lives Where
Text Type | Where to Find It | How It Is Used |
Anchor Text | Unit Page > Overview > Unit Texts > Anchor Text tab | The core book or short texts for the unit are used across multiple lessons throughout the unit arc |
Independent Reading | Unit Page > Overview > Unit Texts > Independent Reading tab | Unit-level independent reading titles assigned alongside core instruction |
Note
The Unit Page shows you the anchor text and independent reading for the full unit at a glance. When you open a specific lesson, you will find the short-form texts used in that lesson alongside the lesson sequence. This keeps all texts connected to the instruction where they appear.
Note
The Suggested Pacing table is another planning tool for each unit. It shows how many lessons fall in each arc (Spark, Investigation 1, Investigation 2, Showcase) and where Flex Days and Assessment are built in. Use it to align your daily schedule with the unit structure.