Unit Curriculum Map

Map a single unit at the curriculum level, connecting standards, lessons, assessments, and resources in one visual overview that supports coherent instruction and easy curriculum review.

All SubjectsElementary (K–5)Middle School (6–8)High School (9–12)

Get the Complete Toolkit

  • Structured PDF with guiding questions per section
  • Print-friendly layout, works on screen or paper
  • Includes Flip's pedagogical notes and tips
4.9|277+ downloads

When to use this template

  • Creating a unit overview document for curriculum review or department sharing
  • When you need to verify that all standards within a unit are covered and assessed
  • Coordinating with colleagues who teach the same unit
  • When a guest teacher or coverage teacher needs a complete picture of what is being taught
  • Documentation for curriculum audits or accreditation reviews

Template sections

Identify the unit and its place in the course sequence.

Unit title and number (e.g., Unit 3 of 8):

Grade, subject, and course:

Weeks in the year (e.g., weeks 10–14):

How this unit connects to the preceding unit:

How this unit connects to the following unit:

Map each standard to specific lessons and assessments within the unit.

Standard 1: Introduced in lesson ___, developed in lessons ___, assessed in ___

Standard 2: ...

Standards with primary treatment:

Standards with supporting treatment:

Standards carried over to next unit:

List all lessons with their focus standards and activity types.

Lesson 1: Focus standard(s), activity type (introduction, practice, investigation, review):

Lesson 2:

...

Key transitions in the unit (from exploration to application, from individual to group work):

Bulk of instructional time: ___

Document all formative and summative assessments and their standard alignments.

Formative 1 (lesson ___, standard(s), type):

Formative 2:

...

Summative assessment (lesson ___, standard(s), type, description):

Are all primary standards assessed?

Revision opportunities:

Document differentiation strategies used across the unit.

Scaffolds provided across the unit:

Extensions planned:

Language supports (ELL/EAL):

Accommodations for students with IEPs or 504s:

Flexible grouping plan:

List all materials, texts, and tools used in this unit.

Primary texts:

Supplementary resources:

Digital tools:

Physical materials:

Collaborative resources (shared with colleagues):

The Flip Perspective

A unit curriculum map is the most useful document for communicating what you teach to anyone who is not in your classroom. When it shows the connection between standards, lessons, and assessments clearly, it makes curriculum review straightforward and supports continuity when teachers change or coverage is needed.

See what our AI builds

Adapting this Template

For All Subjects

Apply Unit Map by adapting the phase timings and prompts to fit All Subjects's unique content demands.

About the Unit Map framework

A unit curriculum map sits between the year-long map (which shows the full course arc) and the individual lesson plan (which shows a single day). It gives a complete picture of one unit: which standards are addressed, how lessons build toward them, what assessments are used, and how resources are organized.

Who uses unit curriculum maps: Unit maps are particularly useful for curriculum coordinators and department chairs who need to review what is being taught without reading individual lesson plans. They are also useful for substitute teachers, coverage teachers, and for communicating with parents and administrators about what a unit covers.

Unit-level coherence: A unit map reveals whether a unit is truly coherent: whether the lessons build toward common goals, whether assessments align to those goals, and whether the unit tells a learning story rather than just covering a list of topics.

Vertical alignment: Unit maps are powerful tools for vertical alignment conversations. When all teachers of the same course or subject create unit maps, they can compare them to check that expectations are consistent across classrooms and that prior learning is being built on appropriately.

Differentiation documentation: A unit map can document differentiation strategies at the unit level: which scaffolds are provided across the unit, where extension activities are planned, and how access for students with IEPs or ELL status is maintained throughout.

Pacing within the unit: While a unit planner documents the instructional approach, a unit map documents the relationship between lessons, standards, and assessments, showing whether the pacing within the unit is realistic and whether instruction is distributed appropriately across different standards.

Year-Long Map

Map your entire course across 36 weeks, organizing units, standards coverage, and major assessments so you can see the full year at a glance and spot gaps before the school year begins.

Scope & Sequence

Document the breadth and order of your curriculum: what you will teach (scope) and in what sequence, to ensure coherent vertical alignment and consistent coverage across classrooms or grade levels.

Backward Design Unit

Plan your unit from the end backward: identify the desired results first, then design assessments, and finally plan learning experiences that build toward them. Clear goals, coherent instruction.

Experience the magic of Active Learning

Want a ready-to-teach lesson, not just a template?

Our AI takes your subject, grade, and topic and builds a ready-to-teach lesson with step-by-step instructions, discussion questions, an exit ticket, and printable student materials.

Try it free

Frequently asked questions

A unit planner focuses on the instructional approach: how you will teach the unit. A unit curriculum map focuses on curriculum connections: which standards are addressed where, how lessons connect to assessments, and how the unit fits in the larger course sequence. Many teachers use both.
A unit map should be complete enough for a colleague to understand what the unit covers without reading individual lesson plans. Lesson titles and focus standards are appropriate; detailed procedures and scripts belong in lesson plans.
Department colleagues (for coordination), curriculum coaches (for support and review), administrators (for program review), and substitute teachers or coverage teachers who need to maintain continuity. Student-facing versions can also be useful for student planning.
Revise them after each time you teach the unit, noting what you changed, what worked, and what needs revision. A unit map that is revised after teaching is far more useful than one that is created perfectly before teaching and never touched again.
They serve different purposes and work best together. The unit planner is for the teacher to think through instruction. The unit map is for communicating curriculum to others and for verifying standards coverage. Neither replaces the other.
A unit map is a great place to mark which lessons will center on student-driven activity rather than direct instruction. When you note "debate," "lab investigation," or "gallery walk" alongside the lesson titles, you make active learning a structural commitment, not an afterthought. Use the unit map for the overall sequence and Flip to generate the detailed lesson plans that make each active session work.
← All lesson plan templatesExplore active learning methodologies →