Scope and 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.

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

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When to use this template

  • Establishing curriculum coherence for a course, grade level, or department
  • When vertical or horizontal alignment is inconsistent across classrooms
  • New curriculum adoption or standards revision
  • Accreditation or program review processes
  • When a department or grade-level team wants to collaborate on curriculum planning

Template sections

Identify the course, grade(s), and the curriculum framework or standards this document serves.

Subject area:

Grade level(s) this document covers:

Standards framework:

Is this for a single classroom, a grade-level team, or a department?

Date and revision history:

List all content topics and skills this course will address.

Essential content (must cover):

Important content (should cover):

Enriching content (could cover if time permits):

Key skills (in order of expected mastery):

Content NOT covered at this level (by design):

Document the unit sequence and the rationale for each sequencing decision.

Unit 1 (name): Why first? What does it establish or build?

Unit 2 (name): Why here? What does it require from Unit 1?

Unit 3 (name): ...

...

Alternative sequences that were considered and rejected:

Flexible units that could move without consequences:

Document what students bring from prior grades and what they will need for subsequent grades.

Prior grade content this course builds on (with expected mastery level):

Gaps or inconsistencies identified in prior grade coverage:

Content this course must prepare students for in subsequent grades:

Vertical alignment conversations needed:

Document alignment across classrooms or sections at the same grade level.

Are all teachers at this grade level using this scope and sequence?

Where is local flexibility permitted?

Where is consistency required?

Pacing windows (by unit) that all sections should approximately follow:

Alignment review schedule:

Plan when and how this scope and sequence will be reviewed and updated.

Review schedule (annual, by semester, after each assessment cycle):

Data that will inform revisions (assessment results, teacher feedback, student outcomes):

Process for proposing revisions:

Approval process (if applicable):

Version control approach:

The Flip Perspective

A scope and sequence is most useful when it makes sequencing rationale explicit, not just listing what comes before what, but explaining why. When teachers understand the logic of the sequence, they are better positioned to make local adjustments without breaking the coherence of the whole curriculum.

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Adapting this Template

For All Subjects

Apply Scope & Sequence by adapting the phase timings and prompts to fit All Subjects's unique content demands.

About the Scope & Sequence framework

A scope and sequence is a foundational curriculum document that answers two questions: what will be taught (scope) and in what order (sequence). Unlike a pacing guide that focuses on timing, or a curriculum map that focuses on standards coverage, a scope and sequence focuses on coherence, the intentional ordering of content and skills so that learning builds logically over time.

Scope: What you teach: The scope of a curriculum answers: what content, concepts, and skills will students encounter? Scope decisions involve priorities: you cannot teach everything, so scope documents should reflect deliberate choices about what is essential versus enriching.

Sequence: The order that matters: Sequencing is not arbitrary. Some concepts are prerequisites for others (students need to understand fractions before they can understand ratios). Some sequences build momentum (starting with accessible content before moving to challenging abstractions). Some sequences are conventional and changing them has consequences. A good scope and sequence makes the logic of ordering explicit.

Vertical alignment: Scope and sequence documents are most powerful when created collaboratively across grade levels. When the fourth-grade teachers know what the third-grade teachers taught, and the fifth-grade teachers know what is coming next, instruction can build intentionally. Without this, curriculum accumulates vertically, with each grade restarting from scratch rather than building on what came before.

Horizontal alignment: Scope and sequence documents also support horizontal alignment, ensuring that all teachers at the same grade level are covering the same content in approximately the same order, so students who change teachers or classes do not experience dramatic gaps or repetition.

Living documents: Scope and sequence documents should be reviewed and revised when standards change, when assessment data reveals persistent gaps, or when teachers identify coherence problems. They are not historical records but working planning tools.

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.

Pacing Guide

Create a realistic week-by-week pacing guide that maps instruction to the school calendar, accounting for testing, holidays, and built-in review time so you know in advance where pacing will be tight.

Unit 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.

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Frequently asked questions

A scope and sequence focuses on what is taught and in what order, emphasizing the logic of the sequence. A curriculum map focuses on when things are taught and how instruction connects to standards and assessments. In practice, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but the scope and sequence is typically more about sequencing rationale and the curriculum map is more about timing and coverage.
Ideally, a scope and sequence is created collaboratively by teachers at the same grade level and across grade levels, with input from curriculum coaches and administrators. Teacher involvement ensures that the document reflects classroom reality and builds teacher ownership.
Document both the mandated content and the recommended sequence, noting where you have local flexibility and where the mandate constrains choices. The scope and sequence should be honest about what is required versus what is recommended so teachers understand where they can exercise professional judgment.
Make explicit priority decisions. Categorize standards as essential (must assess), important (should cover and practice), and enriching (address if time permits). These priority decisions should be made collaboratively and transparently, not by each individual teacher independently.
A student-facing version, simplified with student-friendly language, can be a powerful planning tool. Students who understand the arc of their curriculum are better able to connect new learning to prior knowledge and to anticipate what is coming.
A scope and sequence defines what students learn and in what order, so it is the ideal document for deciding where active learning strategies best serve the content. You can annotate each unit with the type of student experience that fits: simulations, Socratic seminars, project-based investigations, or collaborative problem-solving. Use this document for the big picture and Flip to generate the individual lessons that bring each unit to life.
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