In writing a statement describing the rationale for your unit you should conside

In writing a statement describing the rationale for your unit you should consider these questions:

1. How does the unit affect the future of the students, as well as their individual needs and interests?
2. How does the unit contribute to societal issues and help students deal responsibly with them?
3. How is the unit developmentally appropriate for the students?
4. How does the unit reflect the spirit and character of inquiry and the nature of the learning enterprise?
5. How does the unit validly incorporate technology?

A rationale is determined by your perceptions of how students learn the content embedded within the perceived social context. Unit rationales can also be influenced by current trends and directions in education.
For example, since the 1970s there has been a shift toward a more student-centered (hands-on) approach to the learner. You might cite this shift in your rationale.

The unit rationale should include a statement of goals (broad statements of purpose) that connect the concepts in a more unified manner. For example, a rationale for a unit on “Adaptations” might contain a goal statement such as “This unit is designed to give fourth-graders an appreciation of how …”
As you think about the rationale, think about the students you will teach, and how the content will relate to them, use the State Course of Study and National Standards as a guide. State and national standards are a driving force for the curriculum. Recognize that some topics may not be developmentally appropriate for your students. However, if the topic is given in state or national standards, and those are standards for the minimum curriculum: you will be expected to teach that topic so you will have to try to find a way to make it as meaningful as is possible for your students. When you develop your rationale, it is NOT enough to say a topic is taught “because it is in the state course of study.” You must find meaning in the topic. To do so, you may state that the topic is part of the state course of study and/or national standards, but then you must continue on to explain how it can be appropriate for your students. Next, formulate the relationship between the content in your unit and potentially social issues it may evoke, and finally, describe how you will approach the nature of the subject matter in this unit.
You may use the unit background paper and unit goals documents below to get an idea of the unit lesson being taught.