ATSW Curriculum Design 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which curriculum design approach organizes instruction around broad concepts or themes that connect multiple disciplines?
- Subject-centered design
- Learner-centered design
- Concept-based curriculum design (Correct answer)
- Standards-based design
Correct answer: Concept-based curriculum design
Concept-based curriculum design uses transferable ideas and themes to connect content across disciplines and deepen conceptual understanding.
Question 2: A school reviews its curriculum and finds that some standards are taught in multiple grades without increased rigor. This problem is best described as:
- Curriculum overload
- Repetition without vertical articulation (Correct answer)
- Scope creep
- Benchmark misalignment
Correct answer: Repetition without vertical articulation
Repetition without vertical articulation means content is revisited across grades without intentional deepening or increased complexity.
Question 3: When selecting instructional materials, which criterion is most critical from a curriculum alignment perspective?
- Colorful graphics and visual appeal
- Alignment with grade-level standards and learning objectives (Correct answer)
- Low cost and ease of reproduction
- Publisher reputation and market popularity
Correct answer: Alignment with grade-level standards and learning objectives
Materials must be aligned with the specific standards and learning objectives to ensure instruction targets the intended outcomes.
Question 4: A curriculum team uses student performance data to revise a unit that produced poor results. This process reflects which phase of curriculum development?
- Needs assessment
- Implementation
- Evaluation and revision (Correct answer)
- Goal setting
Correct answer: Evaluation and revision
Using student outcome data to improve a unit is part of the evaluation and revision phase of the curriculum development cycle.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a summative assessment embedded within a curriculum unit?
- A teacher asking comprehension questions during a read-aloud
- Exit tickets completed at the end of each lesson
- A chapter test administered after completing a unit (Correct answer)
- Peer feedback during a drafting workshop
Correct answer: A chapter test administered after completing a unit
Summative assessments evaluate student mastery at the end of an instructional period, such as a unit test administered after instruction is complete.
Question 6: A school wants its curriculum to reflect culturally responsive practices. Which design action best achieves this?
- Selecting one multicultural text per year
- Embedding diverse perspectives and culturally relevant content throughout all units (Correct answer)
- Adding a separate diversity unit to each course
- Translating all materials into multiple languages
Correct answer: Embedding diverse perspectives and culturally relevant content throughout all units
Culturally responsive curriculum integrates diverse perspectives throughout all units rather than isolating them into separate activities.
Question 7: Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between standards and curriculum?
- Standards are the curriculum; teachers simply follow them as daily lesson plans
- Standards define what students should learn; curriculum is the plan for how to teach it (Correct answer)
- Curriculum replaces standards when local needs differ from state expectations
- Standards and curriculum are interchangeable terms for the same document
Correct answer: Standards define what students should learn; curriculum is the plan for how to teach it
Standards set the learning goals (what), while curriculum provides the instructional framework (how) to help students achieve those goals.
ATSW Curriculum Design 5
Which curriculum design approach organizes instruction around broad concepts or themes that connect multiple disciplines?