Curriculum components define the types of information that must be included on units and lessons in a course plan, for example, Objectives, Essential Questions, Evidence of Learning, Background Knowledge, etc. District curriculum and learning specialists set up unit and lesson components. If given permissions, teachers may be able to select which unit and lesson components are included in their course plans, or curriculum components may be set and locked by the district. The district can also set up component templates to require certain components for different subject areas.
The example below is of the Foreign Language component template. The unit and lesson components for the template are selected.
Curriculum guides are created by district curriculum and learning specialists, and are assigned to specific courses. For example, the district may create curriculum guides for English 1, Geometry, Biology 1, and Spanish 1. Curriculum guides may contain unit and lesson plans, unit and lesson components (e.g. Objectives, Essential Questions, Evidence of Learning), starting and ending dates for pacing, and resources such as files, videos, assignments, and standards. Teachers import content from curriculum guides (located in the Course Plan Catalog) into their own course plans. Depending on permissions set by the district, teachers may be able to modify, add, or remove content once imported into their course plans.
In the example below, Spanish 1 is a curriculum guide created by the district.
Teachers create course plans for each course they teach, for example, Chemistry 1. Course plans may include content imported from curriculum guides, or teachers can create content from scratch, depending on permissions set by the district. Course plans contain the units and lessons that will be taught during that course, and the course web page. Parents and students can access the course plans for their assigned courses through the Parent/Student Portal.
In the example below, Chem 1, Chem 1 Honors, and Phy Sci are course plans created by the teacher.
Units contain a number of lesson plans that revolve around a certain topic or theme. Units may span several days or weeks, while lesson plans may span one or a few days. The district defines the components (e.g. essential questions, evidence of learning, ELL strategies) that must be included in the unit. District staff and teachers can include resources, such as standards, links, or files, in the unit plan.
In the example below, the Chem 1 Honors course plan contains units on Matter and Change, Scientific Measurement, Atomic Structure, and Electrons in Atoms.
District staff and teachers create lesson plans that define the content that is taught daily in their courses. The district defines the components (e.g. essential questions, evidence of learning, ELL strategies) that must be included in the lesson. District staff and teachers can include resources, such as assignments, discussion forums, and tests, in the lesson plan.
In the example below, the unit Matter and Change contains lessons on Physical Properties of Matter, Element Names, and Chemical and Physical Changes.
Teachers create course web pages to serve as a central location where students and parents can access course information, for example, course introduction, classroom rules, syllabus, and announcements. Teachers can customize the web page to fit their needs.
Parents and students access the course web page from the Parent/Student Portal.
Districts or schools may allow teachers to create web pages that are visible to the public. Only one public web page can be set up per teacher; the public web page is not linked to a specific course. The web pages are displayed in a three-column format; the district or school defines the type of content that teachers can include in the first two columns of the web page. The third column can include files and links.
Focus provides several resources that can be added to units and lessons. District staff and teachers use these resources to build the content of their unit and lesson plans.
Resources include:
- files- attach files to the unit/lesson, e.g. handouts, presentations, helpful documents
- links - add links to the unit/lesson, e.g. links to websites or videos
- labels - add labels to the unit/lesson, e.g. instructions or introduction to the unit/lesson
- discussion forums - teacher and students post on topics related to the unit/lesson
- assignments- link Gradebook assignments to the unit/lesson
- standards - link standards to the unit/lesson
Students and parents can access assigned course plans through the Student/Parent Portal.
1. The Featured Programs box on the Student/Parent Portal contains links to the student’s assigned course plans. The user will click the link to open the course plan.
2. The left side of the screen displays the course plan name in dark blue. The course web page and units within the course plan are listed in white.
3. The course web page will automatically display on the screen.
4. Clicking a unit displays the unit content on the screen. The selected unit will turn purple in the Courses list. The unit’s lessons will be listed beneath the unit title.
5. The unit name will display at the top of the screen, followed by unit components and resources.
6. Click a lesson to view the lesson content on the screen. The selected lesson will turn purple in the Courses list.
7. The unit and lesson name will display at the top of the screen, followed by lesson components and resources.
8. The student/parent can click a component to view the component information. Click the component again to collapse it.
9. Unit and lesson resources can be accessed directly from this screen. For example, students and parents can view embedded videos, download attached files, and open discussion forums.
District staff can create new curriculum guides, assign them to courses, and set teacher restrictions.
1. At the bottom of the Course Plans list on the left side of the screen, click New Course Plan.
2. The Course Plan pop-up window is displayed.
3. Under the New Course Plan section of the window, enter a Title for the curriculum guide.
4. The Course Plan Components section of the screen is where the unit and lesson components will be selected. The district may have set up Component Templates for specific subjects or courses. These templates contain the unit and lesson components that should be included in the course plan. Select a component template if applicable.
5. When a template is selected, the unit and lesson components for the template are automatically selected.
6. If not using a template, select the check boxes for each unit and lesson component that should be included in the curriculum guide.
7. In the Course Numbers section of the window, you will assign this curriculum guide to certain course numbers. This allows teachers to locate and import curriculum guides for their courses. If you are working on a curriculum guide and do not want teachers to import the guide yet, do not enter a course number. The course number can be added once the guide is completed.
Begin typing the course number the guide is associated with in the Search Course Numbers to Add text box. As you type the course number, matching courses will appear. Click the plus sign next to the appropriate course. One or multiple courses can be selected.
8. The selected course(s) will display above the search field. To remove a course that was accidently selected, click the red X.
9. District can set restrictions on a curriculum guide so that teachers cannot modify the imported guide, or are limited to specific modifications. Click the Teacher Restrictions tab.
10. Set the desired teacher restrictions. These restrictions are at the course plan and unit level. Separate restrictions can also be set at the lesson level.
11. When finished, click Create Course Plan.
12. The new curriculum guide will be added to the Course Plans list on the left side of the screen.
Curriculum guides can be edited as needed. Updates can be pushed to teacher course plans that were created from the curriculum guide.
1. In the Course Planslist on the left side of the screen, click the curriculum guide you want to edit. Then, click Edit.
2. In the pop-up window, make modifications to the Course Plan and Teacher Restrictions tabs as needed. When finished, click Save Changes at the top of the window.
Changes can be made to existing curriculum guides throughout the year as needed, regardless if teachers have already imported the curriculum guide. If you want to update the teacher’s course plan following changes made to a curriculum guide, the changes can be pushed to teachers.
1. Once the changes have been made to the curriculum guide (e.g. adding new units or lessons, changing content), click Edit on the appropriate guide.
2. In the pop-up window, click the Push Updates to Teachers tab.
3. Select the check box for each item that should be updated, or select the Select All check box to select all the items in the list.
4. To update all teachers who have imported this curriculum guide, leave the Push to all teachers check box selected. To push to individual teachers, deselect the check box. Each teacher who has imported the guide will be listed. Select the check box for each teacher you want to update.
5. When finished selecting the items and teachers to update, click Push Changes.
Curriculum guides can be deleted as needed. All unit and lesson content will be deleted from the guide.
1. Click Edit on the appropriate curriculum guide.
2. In the pop-up window, click Delete Course Plan at the top of the window.
3. In the confirmation message, click OK. When a curriculum guide is deleted, all of its units and lessons are also deleted.
Curriculum guides can be exported to a file to be shared with other users or to be saved for future use. The file can be imported back into Focus to create a curriculum guide.
1. Click Edit on the appropriate curriculum guide.
2. The Course Plan pop-up window is displayed. Click Export.
3. The guide will download to the computer as .fpe file. This file can be shared with other users or can be saved for future use. The file can be imported back into Focus to create a new curriculum guide.
Users can import a Focus LMS file to create a curriculum guide. The .fpe file must be on the user’s computer in order to import it into Focus. Please see Exporting a Curriculum Guide for more information on how to export the file.
1. On the left side of the screen, click New Course Plan.
2. The Course Plan pop-up window is displayed.
3. Click the Import tab.
4. The Focus LMS sub-tab is displayed by default. Click Choose File and select the .fpe file from the computer.
5. Click Submit.
6. The curriculum guide information populates on the screen. All the units are selected by default. Deselect the units that should not be imported.
7. Click Finish Import.
8. The new curriculum guide is created containing the selected units, and is displayed in the Course Plans list.
Instead of creating a new curriculum guide from scratch, a curriculum guide can be created based on previous years’ guides. Once the desired content is imported in the new guide, it can be edited as needed and saved.
1. At the bottom of the Course plans list, click New Course Plan.
2. In the My Course Plans section of the pop-up window, select the school year you want to import from in the Search Course Plans by School Year pull-down.
3. The curriculum guides from that school year will display in purple.
Click the plus sign to the left of the guide to see the units contained within the guide.
Click the Preview link to view the unit’s contents in a separate window.
Click the double arrow next to the guide to import all of the guide’s units.
Click the single arrow next to a unit to only import that unit.
4. The selected unit(s) will display in the Units in This Plan section of the pop-up window. Click the red X to remove the unit or curriculum guide.
5. Modify the course plan Title and Unit/Lesson Components, if desired. Click Create Course Plan at the top of the pop-up window to create the curriculum guide.
Categories can be added to organize curriculum guides.
1. At the bottom of the Course Plans list, click New Category.
2. In the pop-up box, type in the category name, and click Save.
3. The new category is displayed in green in the Course Plans list.
Curriculum guides can be dragged into categories for organization.
1. In the Course Plans list, click and drag a course plan into the desired category.
2. The course plan is displayed within the category. Multiple course plans can be dragged into a category as needed.
Category names can be edited.
1. Next to the category name, click Edit.
2. Edit the category name and click Save.
Categories can be deleted as needed.
1. Next to the category name, click Edit.
2. Click Delete.
3. In the confirmation pop-up message, click OK.
4. The category is deleted. The curriculum guides housed within the category are NOT deleted, and are returned back into the Course Plans list.
Teachers will import curriculum guides for their assigned course numbers. Depending on restrictions set by the district, teachers may be able to modify the course plan title, unit and lesson components, unit and lesson dates, and unit and lesson content.
1. On the left side of the Lesson Planner screen, click New Course Plan.
2. In the pop-up window, locate the Course Plan Catalog section.
3. The My course numbers pull-down contains all of your assigned course numbers. Select the course number for the curriculum guide you want to import.
4. When a course number is selected, any curriculum guides assigned to that course number will display in purple.
5. Click the plus sign to the left of the guide to see the guide’s units.
6. Click the double arrow next to the curriculum guide to import the whole guide. Click the single arrow next to a unit to import only that unit.
7. The selected guide and/or units will display on the right side of the pop-up window under Units In This Plan.
8. Under New Course Plan, the Titlewill populate from the imported curriculum guide. Depending on the restrictions set, teachers may or may not be able to edit the title.
9. Under Course Plan Components, the guide’s Unit Components and Lesson Components will automatically be selected. Depending on restrictions set, teachers may or may not be able to add or remove components.
10. Under Sections Assigned to This Plan, select the sections that should be assigned the course plan. The section you are currently logged in to is automatically selected, along with the other sections of the same course. Modify the selections as needed.
11. Click Create Course Plan.
12. The course plan is saved and displays in the Course Plans list on the left side of the screen. Depending on restrictions set, teachers may or may not be able to add or remove units and lessons in the course plan.
Users can add new units to a curriculum guide.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide to add a unit to. Any existing units and lessons will display.
2. Click the green New Unit block.
3. Enter a Name.
4. Click the plus sign to add the unit.
5. The new unit is added to the curriculum guide and is displayed in the Layout.
6. The Unit Name will populate. Edit the name if needed.
7. Define the Starting Date and Ending Date if desired.
8. Enter the Unit length in days.
9. Select the Lock settings for teachers check box to prevent teachers from making changes to the unit.
10. Click the dotted line next to each unit component to enter the component information.
11. Resources such as standards, links, and files can be added to units. Please see Adding a New Resource for more information.
12. To hide the unit from parents and student, deselect the Visible check box in the header.
13. Click Save.
Unit names, dates, options, and content can be edited as needed.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide and the unit to edit.
2. The unit is displayed in the Layout. Make any edits as needed, and click Save.
Units can be deleted as needed.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide and the unit to delete.
2. The unit is displayed in the Layout. Click Delete in the unit header.
3. In the confirmation message, click OK.
4. The unit is deleted, along with any lessons contained within the unit.
A unit can be copied from one guide to another. You can copy from one of your previously created guides, or copy from another user’s guide in the Course Plan Catalog.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the guide that you want to import a unit into. Click Edit on the guide.
2. A unit may be copied from one of your curriculum guides in the My Course Plans section of the pop-up window or from a curriculum guide in the Course Plan Catalog.
3. In the My Course Plans section of the pop-up window, select the school year you want to import from in the Search Course Plans by School Year pull-down.
4. The curriculum guides from that school year will display in purple.
Click the plus sign to the left of the guide to see the units contained within the guide.
Click the Preview link to view the unit’s contents in a separate window.
Click the double arrow next to the guide to import all of the guide’s units.
Click the single arrow next to a unit to only import that unit.
5. To copy a unit from the Course Plan Catalog, begin typing the course number in the Search Course Plans by Course Number field. As you type the course number, the associated curriculum guides will display.
6. Click the plus sign to the left of the guide to see the units contained within the guide.
Click the Preview link to view the unit’s contents in a separate window.
Click the double arrow next to the guide to import all of the guide’s units.
Click the single arrow next to a unit to only import that unit.
7. The selected unit(s) will display in the Units in This Plan section of the pop-up window. Click the red X to remove the unit or course plan.
8. Modify the course plan Title and Unit/Lesson Components, if desired. Click Create Course Plan at the top of the pop-up window to create the curriculum guide.
Users can add new lessons to units and set teacher restrictions to prevent modification to all or some lesson content.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide and unit to add a lesson to.
2. Click the green New Lesson block
3. A blank lesson will be displayed in the Layout.
4. Enter a Lesson Title, and a Starting Date and Ending Date if desired.
5. The Administrator Options allow you to lock all or some lesson content from teacher modifications. Select Hide for students when inactive to hide the lesson from students before the starting date and after the ending date.
6. Click the dotted line next to each lesson component to enter the component information.
7. Resources (files, links, labels, discussion forums, assignments, and standards) can be added to lessons. Please see Adding a New Resource for more information.
8. To hide the lesson from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box in the header.
9. Click Save.
Lesson names, dates, options, and content can be edited as needed.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide and unit that contain the lesson that needs to be edited. Then, click the lesson.
2. The lesson is displayed in the Layout. Make any edits as needed, and click Save.
Lessons can be deleted as needed.
1. In the Course Plans list, click the curriculum guide and the unit that contain the lesson that needs to be deleted. Then, click the lesson.
2. The lesson is displayed in the Layout. Click Delete in the lesson header.
3. In the confirmation message, click OK.
4. The lesson and all of its contents is deleted.
The file resource allows for files to be uploaded to the unit or lesson, such as worksheets, presentations, and assignment documents.
1. Click Select File to open the File Manager.
2. The user’s previously uploaded files are listed. To attach a previously uploaded file, click the file name in the list. Users can also search for a file using the search box.
3. There are three ways to upload a new file:
- Click and drag the file into the Files box
- Click the Select button and select a file from your computer, or
- Click the Scan icon to scan a file into Focus
4. Once a file is uploaded, it is displayed in the File Manager list. Click the file to attach it to the lesson.
5. The file name will display in the File resource. Enter a Title for the file.
6. If the selected file is a PDF or JPEG, the Embed check box is available for selection. When selected, the PDF is embedded into the lesson plan and can be viewed without having to download the file.
7. To hide the file from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box.
8. Click Save at the top of the screen.
The link resource allows users to input a link to websites or videos on units or lessons.
1. Enter the Web Address to the website or video.
2. Enter the Link Text. This is the text users will click to access the web site or video.
3. When linking to a video on a site such as YouTube, TeacherTube, or Vimeo, the Embed check box is available for selection. When selected, the video is embedded into the lesson plan and can be viewed without having to navigate to the web site.
4. To hide the link from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box.
5. Click Save at the top of the screen.
The label resource allows users to include information and explanations for the unit or lesson. There are a variety of font and formatting options available, including the ability to add images, tables, formulas, and copy and paste from Word.
To hide the label from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box.
Click Save at the top of the screen after adding the content.
The label resource provides many font and format options.
Spell Check As You Type - Enable or disable Spell Check As You Type, select spell check options, languages, and dictionaries, and run the spell checker
Undo/Redo - Undo or redo the previous action
Link - Create a link to a URL, email address, or file
Remove Link - Remove the link
Remove Format - Remove the format
Paste from Word - Paste content into the label from Word. Please see Pasting from Word for more information.
Bold, Italic, Underline, Strike Through - Select a font option
Subscript, Superscript - Select to add subscript or superscript
Add Math - Add formulas using math symbols
Insert/Remove Numbered List, Insert/Remove Bulleted List - Add or remove a numbered or bulleted list
Decrease Indent, Increase Indent - Decrease or increase the indent
Align Left, Center, Align Right - Select an alignment option
Paragraph Format - Select a format for the paragraph
Image - Add an image. Please see Adding an Image for more information.
Table - Add a table. Please see Adding a Table for more information.
Insert Horizontal Line - Insert a horizontal line to divide the label
Insert Special Character- Insert a special character
Create Quick Link - Create a quick link to an assignment, test, forum, file, unit, or lesson
Font Name - Select a font type
Font Size- Select a font size
Source - View and edit the HTML source code
Text Color, Background Color - Change the text color or background color of the label
Users can paste content into a label from Word.
1. Click the Paste from Word button.
2. The Paste from Word pop-up window is displayed.
3. Copy the content from the Word document that should be copied.
4. Paste the content using Ctrl/Cmd + V into the designated box.
5. Click OK.
6. The content is added to the label. Much of the document’s formatting will be preserved.
Users can include images in the label. Images can be uploaded from the computer or linked from a web site. Images can also be linked to a URL so that when the image is clicked, the student is directed to the URL. This document includes help on:
- Uploading a File from the Computer
- Adding an Image from a Web Site
- Linking an Image to a URL
- Modifying an Image
1. Click the Image button.
2. The Image Properties pop-up window is displayed. Click the Upload tab.
3. Click Choose File and select the image from the computer. The selected file name will display next to the Choose File button.
4. Click Send it to the Server. This will upload the file to the Focus server.
5. The Image Info tab will open. The image URL from the server will automatically populate the URL field, and the image will display in the Preview. Enter Alternative Text for the image if desired. Adjust the image Width and Height by modifying the values.
6. Click the Reset Size icon to reset the image to its orginal size. Click the Lock Ratio icon to lock or unlock the image ratio. When the ratio is locked, the width and height will automatically adjust when the other dimension is modified, maintaining the image ratio.
7. To add a border to the image, enter a number in the Border field. To add horizontal or vertical space to the image, enter a number in the HSpace or VSpace fields. The image Alignment within the label can also be set.
8. Click OK to add the image to the label.
1. Click the Image button.
2. In the Image Info tab, enter the image URL from the web site.
3. The image will display in the Preview. Enter Alternative Text for the image if desired. Adjust the image Width and Height by modifying the values.
4. Click the Reset Size icon to reset the image to its orginal size. Click the Lock Ratio icon to lock or unlock the image ratio. When the ratio is locked, the image, the width and height will automatically adjust when the other dimension is modified, maintaining the image ratio.
5. To add a border to the image, enter a number in the Border field. To add horizontal or vertical space to the image, enter a number in the HSpace or VSpace fields. The image Alignment within the label can also be set.
6. Click OK to add the image to the label.
1. Click the Image button.
2. After uploading the image from the computer or entering the image URL from a web site, click the Link tab
3. Enter the URL for the link.
4. Select the Target. The link can open in a new window, topmost window, same window, or parent window.
5. Click OK.
6. When the student clicks the image, he or she will be directed to the linked URL.
1. Right-click the image in the label, and select Image Properties.
2. The Image Properties pop-up window will display. Make the modifications, and click OK.
Users can include tables in the label to organize content. This document provides help on:
- Adding a Table
- Modifying a Table
1.Click the Table icon.
2. The Table Properties pop-up window will display. Enter the table properties, including number of Rows and Columns and table Width and Height (in pixels).
3. Use the Header pull-down to select a header option.
4. Add cell spacing, border, and cell padding by modifying the values in the provided fields.
5. Adjust the table Alignment within the label by selecting an option.
6. Enter a table Caption and Summary, if desired. The caption will display above the table.
7. Click OK to add the table to the label.
1. Right-click the table in the label. In the context menu, several options are provided.
2. Hover the mouse over Cell to access options to insert, delete, merge, or split cells in the table.
3. Click Cell Properties to access options to adjust the cell width, height, cell type, alignment, and background and border colors.
4. Hover the mouse over Row to access options to insert or delete rows.
5. Hover the mouse over Column to acces options to insert or delete columns.
6. Click Delete Table to remove the table from the label.
7. Click Table Properties to open the Table Properties pop-up window.
8. Make any modifications to the table properties, and click OK.
The discussion forum resource allows students to interact and discuss topics assigned by the teacher. Restrictions can be set on student posts, such as requiring approval before becoming visible. Discussion forums can be set up as graded assignments.
1. Enter a Forum Title.
2. The Introduction section contains a label that can be used to enter an introduction to the forum, instructions, or any other information.
3. Select Display the forum introduction at the top of each topic to display the introduction at the top of the page when viewing a thread.
4. Type in a Starting Date and Ending Date, or select the dates using the calendar icons. Enter a starting and ending time.
5. Select any Additional Options. For example, you can require teacher approval before posts are visible and limit students to a certain number of posts.
6. When the Discussion in this forum is graded option is selected, additional assignment options display. Enter the number of Points and Questions, and select an assignment category. The discussion forum will appear as an assignment in the Gradebook when the teacher imports the curriculum guide.
7. Click Save at the top of the screen when finished.
8. Teachers can click the View Forum button on the discussion forum resource to open the forum in a new tab or window.
Spell Check As You Type - Enable or disable Spell Check As You Type, select spell check options, languages, and dictionaries, and run the spell checker
Undo/Redo - Undo or redo the previous action
Link - Create a link to a URL, email address, or file
Remove Link - Remove the link
Remove Format - Remove the format
Paste from Word - Paste content into the label from Word. Please see Pasting from Word for more information.
Bold, Italic, Underline, Strike Through - Select a font option
Subscript, Superscript - Select to add subscript or superscript
Add Math - Add formulas using math symbols
Insert/Remove Numbered List, Insert/Remove Bulleted List - Add or remove a numbered or bulleted list
Decrease Indent, Increase Indent - Decrease or increase the indent
Align Left, Center, Align Right - Select an alignment option
Paragraph Format - Select a format for the paragraph
Image - Add an image. Please see Adding an Image for more information.
Table - Add a table. Please see Adding a Table for more information.
Insert Horizontal Line - Insert a horizontal line to divide the label
Insert Special Character- Insert a special character
Create Quick Link - Create a quick link to an assignment, test, forum, file, unit, or lesson
Font Name - Select a font type
Font Size- Select a font size
Source - View and edit the HTML source code
Text Color, Background Color - Change the text color or background color of the label
Students access discussion forums from their Portal. Teachers can approve and grade student posts.
1. Students access discussion forums through the Student Portal. The student will click the course link under Featured Programs on the Portal screen.
2. The course plan will display. The student will click the unit.
3. The discussion forum will be provided as a link under the appropriate lesson. The student will click the link and the discussion forum will display in a pop-up window.
4. The student will enter their reply into the New Reply box and will click Submit New Reply.
5. The reply will be posted to the forum. If instructor approval is required before the post becomes viewable, the post will appear grayed-out to the student, and will not display to other students until the post is approved.
6. Teachers will view the forum by opening the lesson in the Lesson Planner and clicking the View Forum button.
7. The discussion forum will open in a new tab or window.
8. At the top of the screen, the teacher will select the sections to interact with. Teachers can select to view posts from all sections or only one particular section.
9. Posts requiring approvel appear grayed-out. Click the Approve link on the post to make the post viewable to students.
10. If the forum will be graded, teachers can enter grades directly on the students’ posts. Select whether to grade using points or percent, and then enter the grade.
11. Teachers and students can reply to a particular post by clicking the Reply link on the post, entering the reply, and clicking Submit Reply.
The assignment resource allows assignments to be linked to unit or lesson plans.
1. Fill in the assignment details. This is similar to the Add an Assignment screen when a teacher adds an assignment to the Gradebook.
2. To hide the assignment from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box.
3. Click Save at the top of the screen when finished. When the teacher imports the curriculum guide, the assignments will be added to their Gradebook.
The standards resource allows standards to be linked to units and lesson plans.
1. Enter the title, course number, or keyword in the search box to search for standards.
2. As you type, the relevant standards will display. Click a standard to link it to the unit or lesson.
3. To hide a standard from parents and students, deselect the Visible check box.
4. Click Save at the top of the screen when finished.
Files, links, labels, discussion forums, assignments, and standards are added to a unit or lesson by dragging the resource into the layout.
1. Click and drag the resource from the right side of the screen into the designated area in the unit or lesson.
2. Define the resource content.
Once a resource is no longer needed, it can be deleted from the layout.
1. Click the red delete icon on the top-right of the resource block.
2. The resource is removed from the unit or lesson layout.
Resources can be rearranged within the unit or lesson layout as needed.
Click the up or down arrows on the resource block to move it up or down in the layout.
It may be useful to collapse or expand resources as you are working on the unit or lesson layout.
Click the plus or minus sign on the resource block to expand or collapse the content within the resource.
Users can hide resources from parents and students.
Deselect the Visible check box to hide the resource from parents and students.
It is important to save the units and lessons you are working on frequently.
To save your work, click the Save button.
It may be useful to collapse or expand all the content within a unit or lesson as you are working.
1. Click Collapse to collapse all of the content within a unit or lesson.
2. Click Expand to re-open all of the content within a unit or lesson.
The preview feature allows you to view the curriculum guide in its entirety regardless of visibility settings. If a resource is set to be invisible, it will still display in the preview.
1. Click Preview.
2. A new tab or window will open, displaying the preview of the curriculum guide. Any resources set to be invisible will be included.
The Student Preview feature allows you to view the curriculum guide as it will appear to students. If a resource is set to be invisible, it will not display to students.
1. Click Student Preview.
2. A new tab or window will open, displaying the preview of the curriculum guide.
The File Manager contains a library of all the files you have previously uploaded. You can download files, upload additional files, and remove files you no longer need.
1. Click File Manager at the top-left of the Curriculum Guides screen.
2. The File Manager pop-up window is displayed. Previously uploaded files are listed in the top section of the window.
3. Use the search bar to search for a file. As you type, files matching the search criteria are displayed.
4. Click the red X next to a file to delete it. In the confirmation message, click OK.
5. Click the green arrow next to a file to download it to your computer.
6. There are three ways to upload a new file:
- Click and drag the file into the Files box
- Click the Select button and select a file from your computer, or
- Click the Scan icon to scan a file into Focus
7. The uploaded file will be added to the File Manager, and will be available to attach to units or lessons.
8. Click Close when finished.
The Component Editor displays the lesson components in a table for easier viewing and editing.
1. Select the unit you want to view in the Course Plans list, then click the Component Editor tab.
2. The lesson components will display along the left side of the table. The lessons in the unit will display along the top of the table.
3. The lesson component content can be edited directly on this screen.
The Year at a Glance tab displays a visual of when each unit in the curriculum guide is taught during the course of the year. Units can be rearranged, and unit and lesson dates can be edited as needed.
1. Select the curriculum guide you want to view in the Course Plans list, and then click the Year at a Glance tab.
2. Each marking period is displayed along the top of the screen, along with the marking period dates.
3. Each unit in the guide is represented as a block within the marking period column when it is taught. The unit title, unit start and end dates, unit duration, lesson titles, and lesson dates are displayed within each block.
4. Click and drag a unit within a marking period or to a different marking period to change when the unit is taught during the year. The unit and lesson dates will adjust automatically.
5. Date fields that can be edited are marked with a dotted underline. Click the field to enable it for editing. Click Save to save the changes.
6. Click a lesson link to view the lesson within the curriculum guide. A new tab or window will open with the guide displayed.
The Rearrange Plan tab allows you to reorder the units and lessons in a curriculum guide. Lesson resources can also be rearranged within the lesson, or can be moved to a different lesson. Lesson resources cannot be moved to the unit level.
1. Select the curriculum guide you want to view in the Course Plans list, and then click the Rearrange Plan tab.
2. The units, lessons, and lesson resources are displayed arranged as they currently laid out for the guide.
3. Click and drag units to rearrange the order of the units in the guide. Click and drag lessons to rearrange the order of lessons within a unit or to move a lesson to another unit. Click and drag lesson resources to rearrange the order of resources within a lesson or to move a lesson resource to another lesson. For example, the link in Lesson 1 can be clicked and dragged into Lesson 2. This will move the link from lesson 1 to lesson 2.
Note: Lesson resources cannot be moved to the unit level.
4. When finished, click Save.
