Field Study 4: Exploring the Curriculum Episode 4: What’s the BAS2IC of the Curriculum?

1. Resource Teacher: Mr. Joey A. Garcia
Cooperating School: Candating High School
Curriculum Examined: Lesson Plan in English
Balance is the equitable assignment of content, time, experiences, and other
Balance elements.
As you will see in the example, all lessons are fit in a week and must not exceed 3-5
lessons tackled per day. 3-5 lessons are tackled in all the period‟s activities.
QUARTER I: GETTING IN TOUCH WITH SELF AND OTHERS
Week I: How Do I See Myself?
1. Listening to and reporting information shared
2. Asking yes-no, alternative, and Wh questions to find out how others view me
3. Using intonation patterns in questions (Final rising, Final-rising falling & Combination of the first to
patterns)
4. Using expressions to signal opinions
5. Filling out and making a write-up of a self-rating form
6. Using the Subject + linking verb + Adjective/Noun to give an appraisal of oneself
7. Mapping out the plot of a story using an episodal semantic web
8. Singling out the conflict and conflicting factors in a story
9. Determining and reacting to the author‟s choice of symbols in a story
10. Pointing out that conflict situations may surface a person‟s inner strengths resulting in a metamorphosis
or transformation of the individual
11. Noting opposites or antonyms in a polarized self-rating form
12. Arriving at a meaning through word analysis
13. Grouping words associated with each other and words with similar meaning
14. Matching words with similar meaning
Week 2: How Does My Family See Me?
1. Translating the information contained in a listening text into information maps
2. Outlining the information obtained from a listening text
3. Entering findings in a chart
4. Citing proofs and giving reasons for one's answers and viewpoints
5. Interviewing family members to find out how they view you
6. Determining the story map of the main plot and the subplot of a narrative
7. Determining the subject of the story
8. Determining how the characters view each other
9. Picking out the features and the structure of a letter of certification
10. Making a write-up of a chart
11. Making a written report of the findings in an interview and one's response to them
12. Analyzing and expanding a text by citing examples
13. Using the [S-TV-DO-OC] sentence pattern to show how persons view each other.
14. Using expressions and transition markers to signal contrast and reason
15. Picking out the clues that help one guess the meaning of unfamiliar terms
16. Determining what the main character learned from two of the “significant others” in his life.

2. Week 3: Through the Eyes of My Friends
1. Listening to appreciate a narrative intended to drive home a point
2. Formulating and modifying hypothesis based on information given in the text
3. Taking down notes using columnar grids, flow charts, bridge maps
4. Developing a paragraph, expressing thoughts and feelings about a friend
5. Writing a letter to a friend who has moved away
6. Making a histogram and a write up of it.
7. Editing one‟s composition through peer-checking, following guidelines concerning content, format, and
mechanics
8. Using the following patterns in forming definition: (Full Form, Reduced Form, Nominal Definition and
Expanded Definition
9. Inferring motives, attitudes, and values of a true friend from what he does based on the character‟s
portrayal in the story
10. Using word analysis to arrive at the meaning of unfamiliar terms
11. Expressing in an effective manner thoughts and feelings about being a friend
Week 4: I, As a Member of the Community
1. Supplying deleted items in a listening test
2. Transcoding information from a listening text to a tree diagram
3. Pronouncing words with the /ch/ and a /j/ sound
4. Sharing what one likes, dislikes and enjoys in one‟s community
5. Arriving at a consensus when composing, editing and revising a text
6. Making sense of a text as it unfolds
7. Supplying the missing items in a skeleton outline
8. Reacting to the poet‟s choice of examples, metaphor and color words in a lyric poem
9. Determining the writer‟s attitude towards the topic of a selection
10. Completing a phrase outline of a reading text
11. Using the “writing as a process” approach to produce a text, edit and revise it.
12. Using the [S-TV-DO] pattern to express what one likes, dislikes, loves and enjoys in his/her community
13. Arriving at the meaning of words through word analysis.
14. Stating whether paired words have similar or opposite meanings
Week 5: How Informed Am I about National and Global Issues?
1. Listening to note differences and similarities in varied types of news reports
2. Listening to key information and details in new broadcasts
3. Sharing findings about information search: the resource materials to use, how to use them and features of
the materials that facilitate securing the needed information (dictionary, newspaper, textbooks, etc.)
4. Interpreting headlines and editorial cartoons
5. Determining the objective of the cartoonist, the issue in focus and the cartoonist‟s stand on the issue
6. Determining the information found in the different sections of a book
7. Choosing the general reference to use as resource material to obtain information on specific items
8. Using varied aids to facilitate locating information in references
9. Mapping out the information in a news story
10. Comparing and contrasting events in special interest news stories
11. Writing a summary of a news story
12. Writing a caption to an editorial cartoon

3. 13. Writing a reaction to an editorial cartoon
14. Determining who is addressed in a lyric poem, what is called attention to and the response of the writer
15. Responding to the reactions expressed in a lyric poem
16. Using the transitive verb (TV) patterns when giving information
Week 6: Reaching Out To Others
1. Listening to get particulars from appeals for help and announcements
2. Transcoding notes from a listening text to a grid
3. Asking and suggesting ways of how one may reach out to those in need
4. Explaining and reacting to slogans and quotations
5. Interpreting non-verbal hand signals
6. Noting the objective of news reports and editorials
7. Determining and transcode the macro discourse structure of a text
8. Noting the maturing effect and changes brought about by personal loss of loved ones
9. Determining the focus of the author in the story
10. Comparing and contrasting the main characters‟ relationship with each other before and after the death of
Gela‟s mother
11. Writing slogans for community drives
12. Writing explanations of and reactions to quotations
13. Noting the conventions observed in letters of thanks and condolence
14. Using strategies that signal inquiries and suggestions concerning extending aid
15. Giving the meaning of hyphenated adjectival compounds
16. Pointing out differences in shades of meaning
17. Using the modals „might‟, „can‟ and „may‟ when making inquiries and suggestions on how one may extend aid
Week 7: Being Open to Contrary Opinions
1. Listening to conflicting opinions on a given issue to determine what the issue is, the stand taken as shown in
the remarks made, and the reason cited for such a stand
2. Listening to a panel of speakers to determine the speech event, the speaker and the listener, and the
objective of the talk
3. Expressing opinions and reactions to remarks made on given issues
4. Expressing and respond to viewpoints
5. Explaining possible interpretations of optical illusions
6. Making sense of visuals (optical illusions)
7. Interpreting signs
8. Noting reasons
9. Noting the varied ways of resolving contrary views
10. Determining the devices employed by an essayist for humorous effects in a satire
11. Determining the Problem-Solution (P-Sn) macro discourse structure of a narrative
12. Determining the essayist‟s objective and what he does to attain that objective
13. Using gambits to signal one‟s viewpoints
14. Using expressions indicating agreement or disagreement with opinions aired
15. Determining the relationship in meaning of given sets of words (synonyms, antonyms, superordinate and
subordinate terms)
16. Using “this is . . .” and “these are . . “ when explaining interpretation
17. Writing one‟s reaction to a selection
18. Editing and revising one‟s written work following a set of guidelines

4. Week 8: Do I Step on the Rights of Others?
1. Determine the issue talked about, the speaker and the person addressed in remarks concerning people‟s
rights
2. Use the correct final intonation when raising different types of questions
3. (yes-no, wh, alternative) to secure information about human rights and the rights of people.
4. Pronounce words with the /s/ and /sh/ sounds distinctly from each other
5. Observe correct pausing when reading a text orally in chorus
6. Distinguish between a news item and opinion sent to the editor regarding an event reported in the newspaper
7. Determine the concept map that a selection would lend itself to and use the said maps to transcode
information obtained from the text
8. Determine the macro discourse pattern of a text and the order of presentation of facts
9. State the objective of the writer and the devices used to attain that objective
10. Single out the series of problem-solution events that make up a narrative
11. Determine the feelings and reactions expressed in given lines
12. Write a reaction to the transgression of rights and response to an event and opinion about it reported in the
newspaper
13. Write one‟s opinion regarding rights and the responsibilities these would entail
14. Show respect for the rights of others
15. Show awareness of rights and the responsibilities that go with them
16. Use the transitive verb sentence patterns when asking and giving information and opinions
17. Determine if words and expressions are neutral or if they have positive or negative connotations
18. Use context clues to arrive at the meaning of unfamiliar terms
19. State if pairs of words have similar or opposite meanings
20. Determine the use of a given word in idiomatic phrases: do it with caution, throw caution to the winds, caution
got the better of him
Week 9: My Relationship with God
1. Identify the speaker, the person addressed, and the significant details mentioned in listening texts
2. Transcode information from listening texts to concept maps (grids, clusters and information sheets)
3. Single out clues that will enable one to identify the speaker in a listening text
4. Interview persons to gather information
5. Consolidate and report information gathered from an interview
6. Determine the concepts and propositions developed in the different sections of a text
7. Note the effect of parallelisms and contrasts in a text
8. Interpret quotations
9. Point out the difference in the format of correspondence published in periodicals
10. Write informal notes of thanks, praise, requests and apology
11. Take down notes from a listening text
12. Expand [S – IV] sentence patterns by adding phrases and clauses
13. Use the prepositions at, in, before, after and the relative pronoun when to signal time
14. Use the prepositions at, in and the relative pronoun wherever to signal place
15. Arrive at the meaning of words through the use of context clues
16. Match words with opposite meanings
17. Determine if words have similar or opposite meanings or if they collocate
18. Give the modern-day equivalent of archaic words
19. Verbalize the observation that we deepen our relationship with God and with our fellow men

5. Articulation
The curriculum is arranged vertically or horizontally.
Vertical Articulation:
Example #1
1st year
Grammar: Use indirect discourse to report requests, commands and advice. (Imperatives)
Activities:
• Divide the class into small groups and have them give the advice, commands or requests they would give or
make in these situations (direct discourse). The other groups are to give in reported speech what was said.
• Transformation drill on direct and indirect discourse (imperatives: requests, commands, advice) in problem
situations
2nd year
Grammar: Direct and Reported Speech Giving Instructions, Commands, Request.
Activities: Transform the following direct statements to reported statements. (Review)
3rd year
Grammar: Give and follow instructions using direct and reported speech
Activities: Round table discussions about agreeing and disagreeing in a given topic.
4th year
Grammar:
• Make requests, commands using indirect speech
• Give an advice and get things done using reported speech
Activities:
• Changing Imperatives From Direct to Indirect Discourse
• Giving advice and instructions to get things done
Example #2
4th year:
Point out the interdependence of plot, setting,
and characterization in narratives to achieve the author‟s purpose
Deduce the theme of the short story
Discriminate between positive and negative values
3rd year:
Discuss the characteristics of a good short story
Use vivid verbs in writing an interesting short story
2nd year:
Short story compared to an essay (literary appreciation)
1st year:
Identify the elements of a short story in a listening selection

6. Horizontal Articulation:
Example #1:
 Grammar lessons can use content tackled in Social Studies like socio-economic issues.
“The Global Rich and the Global Poor: Seeking the Middle Path” by Chandra Muzaffar.
Adapted from “The Theosophical Digest”, 4th Quarter 2001.
Sample activities:
Task 1: Listen to the text. Take note of examples of intolerance, discrimination and prejudice.
Task 2: Recall the bases of evaluating the relevance and validity of ideas.
• Your personal observation or experience
• Personal interviews with knowledgeable persons or authoritative sources
• Current publications and other reference materials.
Task 3: Do you agree that . . . [Ask the student to explain his/her answer.
a. “One reason fights are started is that one person cannot let another be different.”
b. “we do not carry much of the prejudice and discrimination of yesteryears.”
c. “today we have become tolerant of others.”
Example #2
 Using a selection from a HEKASI subject to relate the theme of a listening text to present-day life.
 Reference Material: Landas sa Kalayaan Vol. 1, published by Sta. Teresa Publishing
 Selection Title: To the Filipino Youth
Tasks:
Pre-Listening
Tell the class what you know about Dr. Jose. Rizal
Listening
Listen carefully as your teacher reads the selection. Take down notes as you listen.
Post Listening
Vocabulary: Refer to your notes and be able to match the underlined words listed in Column A with their
meanings in Column B.
A B
1. distinct honor a. many problems
2. tremendous responsibility b. great
3. multiple challenges c. different
4. renowed heroes d. famous
5. glorious past e. expensive
f. common
g. several changes
The content, topics, learning experiences in one subject area.
Scope
Please see next page for examples.

7. Example #1:
1st Year
QUARTER I: GETTING IN TOUCH WITH SELF AND OTHERS
Week 1: How Do I See Myself?
Week 2: How Does My Family See Me?
Week 3: Through the Eyes of My Friends
Week 4: I, As a Member of the Community
Week 5: How Informed Am I about National and Global Issues?
Week 6: Reaching Out To Others
Week 7: Being Open to Contrary Opinions
Week 8: Do I Step on the Rights of Others?
Week 9: My Relationship with God
Example#2:
2nd Year
QUARTER 2: LEARNING TO BE
Week 1: Being True to Ourselves
Week 2: Tracing our Roots
Week 3: Being a Nationalist
Week 4: Being An Asian Citizen
Week 5: Discerning Global Citizens
Week 6: Being a Team Player
Week 7: Being Concerned About People
Week 8: Being Concerned About Nature
Week 9: Being Responsible for One‟s Decision
Content and experiences are arranged in a hierarchical order.
Sequence
Example #1:
5 Basic Sentence Patterns
Subject + Verb = I swim. Joe swims. They swam.
Subject + Verb + Object = I drive a car. She played checkers.
Subject + Verb + Complement = They look sick. Joe became a doctor.
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object = I gave her a ring. She teaches us English
Subject + Verb + Object + Complement = We elected him President. They named her Jane.
Example #2:
Using adjectives as a modifier – The doll is expensive.
Using adjectives as determiners – A month‟s pay is not enough to buy it.
Using degrees of adjectives (Regular & Irregular) – Her doll is more expensive than the other doll.
Using the right order of adjectives in a series – The doll has long, black, shiny hair.
Capitalizing Proper Adjectives – A Renaissance man, Victorian poet, Nixon era
Collective Adjectives – The rich of Alabang are responsible.
Adjectival Opposites - fortunate is unfortunate, the opposite of prudent is imprudent

8. Everything is integrated and interconnected.
Integration
Example #1:
Listening & Writing: Have students watch a video of a frog‟s life cycle if unavailable, just read to them the process of
the frog‟s life cycle and let them take down the important details afterwards let the students retell the process they‟ve
heard or seen. In formulating sentences using a process, students learn to write a coherent and properly sequenced
paragraph.
Example #2:
Reading & Writing: Have the students read a paragraph about the life of the first inhabitants of the Philippines. Ask
questions that will lead them to formulate sentences that are depicting the past. After the activity, let the students
write a paragraph about their past vacation or holiday.
Vertical repetition & recurring approaches of the content provide
continuity.
Continuity
Example #1:
Spiral Curriculum in Reading Comprehension
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea
1b. Summary 1b. Summary
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea 1.b Main Idea
1b. Summary 1b. Summary 1b. Summary 1b. Summary 1b. Summary
I.g. Inferences I.g Inferences I.g Inferences I.g Inferences
1.g Word
Recognition
Example #2:
We tackle lessons that start from dependent and independent clauses to sentences, from sentences to
paragraphs from paragraphs to essays.
We study the different types of sentences. The simple, compound, complex and the compound-complex
sentences are learned from the elementary to tertiary level.
All these are recurring lessons that get broader and more complex as the level goes higher.

9. Analysis:
1. Why is there a need to articulate the lessons from grade school to high school?
It is very important to articulate the lessons from grade school to high school because, with the
interconnection of the subjects and the connection of lessons from year after year is made the mastery of these
lessons to become a success has a higher rate. It is like Pavlov‟s classical conditioning wherein the students are being
given a conditioned stimulus in order to get a conditioned response. The higher the repetition or Thorndike‟s law of
exercise the better the results of the learning by the students.
These repetitions or recurring lessons help the teachers etch the important details to students so they will
become lifelong learners. In short, so they will not forget them. Some students might get the wrong the idea and say
this is the same boring stuff from when I was in Elementary. They get the feeling that they are only reviewing things
that is why it is a matter of technique and creativity on how teachers will implement the activities. Articulation is only
one of the many aspects for learning to be more effective.
Even if the students think they are already happy with what they know of these lessons since they‟ve
encountered them before, there is always every reason in the world to do them again because diligently doing the
practices and activities these lessons contain, has the potential to enlighten the students‟ minds with deep and
meaningful learning. As they say, it‟s better for learning to be an inch wide but a mile deep than with one who learns a
mile wide but only an inch deep.
Reflections and insights
1. As a teacher do you need to understand fully well the dimensions of curriculum design? State your reasons
and explain.
Yes, of course it is very important to master the BAS2IC dimensions of the curriculum because these are the
standards for the teacher to know if they are correctly teaching the sequence of the lessons, are they integrating
other subjects to have more effective transferability of the lessons to actual situations and if they are teaching the
correct lessons for the appropriate year level. There must also be a part of the teacher who estimates the number
school days to find out if they can cover all the lessons in the scope and sequence chart at a given target date.
In this episode I learned the dimensions of curriculum first hand not just by reading the definition but I was
able to analyze raw material. As a future teacher, I have to gain knowledge on how to have a PLAN B at all times. There
might be a typhoon that will cause the classes to be suspended but all the lessons must still be tackled at all cost. A
teacher must know how to integrate to hit two or even three birds with one stone. A teacher must be able to determine
the correct distribution of lessons for each grading period. When a teacher is knowledgeable about the curriculum‟s
dimension, all objectives must be SMART, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. From objectives to
evaluation revolve around the dimensions of the curriculum and must be followed for a smooth sailing school year
ahead.
I‟ve learned that it is hard to analyze lesson plans that I myself did not write. I had to read and understand
every word in the lesson and they were really many. I had difficulty, especially the part where I had to look for topics
that were tackled in every year level. It took me long hours to analyze and compare different lesson plans. It required a
lot of work so if someone accidentally deleted this file I typed I would certainly cry. This is only the start of more
hardships to come as I pull my way through this school year. Then why the heck should I want to be a teacher if it‟s so
hard?
The look on a students‟ face when they find out that they‟ve learned something, is priceless. To be the one to
help in harnessing their potential is worth more than gold. The fact that I knew I made a difference in our educational
system is more than enough to want to be a teacher. It‟s a good thing I still work well under pressure. I just love
teaching. No matter what other people say, though Mass Communication was my first love, Teaching would always be
my soul mate because after so many years, I still found my way back to this course.