Program Planning, Curriculum, and Instruction
Program Planning, Curriculum, and Instruction
This domain tests standards-based planning, instructional models, lesson design, and management. Expect questions on alignment among outcomes, activities, and assessment.
Core rules
- Backward design: identify desired results, determine acceptable evidence, then plan learning experiences. Activities are not the starting point.
- A scope and sequence orders skills and concepts across grades; a unit plan develops a coherent sequence; a lesson plan states observable objectives, equipment, safety, and assessment.
- Instructional models: direct instruction for explicit skill cues; tactical games for game understanding; sport education for roles and seasons; cooperative learning for interdependence; personalized systems for self-paced mastery.
- Progression: simple to complex, stable to dynamic, slow to fast, closed to open, and high success to greater challenge.
- Class management uses routines, active supervision, clear expectations, and equipment allocation before instruction.
Worked example
A middle school volleyball unit goal is “students use forearm passing to send a ball to a partner during cooperative play.” Backward design first sets a criterion-referenced checklist: ready position, flat platform, contact, and target. The assessment is a partner rally task. Lessons progress from self-toss to partner toss to small-sided games. The teacher teaches cues briefly, maximizes practice trials, and uses peer feedback. This aligns objective, assessment, and instruction; a unit of only drills would not show game transfer.
Traps
Do not write “students will understand volleyball” as a measurable objective. Do not confuse a busy activity with aligned learning. Do not use tactical games without teaching needed skill fundamentals. Do not plan instruction before defining outcomes.