Planning your curriculum

New to Unity?

Teaching software that you don't know how to use yourself can seem daunting. We've worked with Unity developers and education experts to develop a range of resources that provide an easy and fun onramp to Unity and help you teach Unity with confidence.

To get started, explore the scope and sequence documents provided below and select a guided learning path that suits your context. Build your confidence by completing the same tutorials you'll provide your students. Staying two steps ahead of your learners will help you identify more challenging areas and questions your students may have before you start teaching.

Take the time to explore the EdLab Portal, hear from Unity professionals, learn about how Unity is used across industries and join webinars to deepen your knowledge and skills. Take on the role of "guide" and "co-learner" alongside your students. Together, work through the development process, work through challenges, and learn along the way. Many Unity educators find that the co-learning approach reduces pressure to be the "expert" when learning the technology and workflow.

More experienced with Unity?

Maybe you’ve taught Unity before, feel confident creating in Unity, have an idea of the outcomes you want for your students and know what you want to teach. If this is the case, it will still be worthwhile to explore the recommended scope and sequences provided. The associated tutorials, projects and assessments provide excellent scaffolding for Unity learners. These resources are also maintained and updated with new Unity versions by our expert instructional design team.

If you already have a curriculum of your own, view this tutorial to learn how to add any resources and assets to the Class Drive in the EdLab Editor, so your students have everything they need to get started.

Short introductory course

This four-week introduction course includes instruction for approximately 15 hours. It covers the fundamentals of the Unity Editor and introduces some basic coding concepts with an engaging project that can be completed independently or in a group.

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Google Doc

10-week course

This course includes approximately 50 instructional hours of content. It covers the fundamentals of the Unity Editor, including Cameras, Materials, Audio, and Lighting, and explores coding concepts with five unique projects. Suggested extension ideas are available for educators with extra time or learners who want to go further.

PDF Download

Google Doc

Semester-long course

This course includes instruction for 15 weeks (approximately 75 instructional hours). Like the shorter programs, it introduces students to the essentials of the Unity Editor but takes a deeper dive into object-oriented programming in Unity. It also introduces students to critical soft skills for the industry and includes suggested extensions.

The Next Steps section of this scope and sequence provides several suggested pathways to pursue once learners have the fundamentals. Depending on desired student outcomes or learner preference, educators can use the provided resources to map out a full-year curriculum.

PDF Download

Google Doc

AP Computer Science Principles course (AP CSP)

This full-year course introduces students to the principles that underlie the science of computing through engaging real-time 3D projects in Unity. It aligns with the College Board's AP CSP requirements and ISTE standards and fully prepares students for the AP CSP exam.

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Your approach to facilitating Unity will depend on your learning environment setup and your comfort with the software, content and resources. We've highlighted some of these considerations so that you can identify the approach you might take and feel confident going into the classroom from day one!

Teacher-Led Learning

What it looks like:

• All students are simultaneously guided step-by-step through projects
• Students first watch what the teacher does, then have an opportunity to do it themselves
• The teacher controls the pace of learning
• The teacher supports students as a guide and facilitator while they work
• The teacher might stop the class to model how to solve a common issue students are having

Challenges to plan for:

• Requires confidence with Unity, and enough training to be comfortable with the material
• Requires a way of projecting or displaying your screen so the entire class can see it easily
• Note: There are a lot of small menus within the Unity editor, so make your projected screen as large as possible, and get your students as close as possible
• Issues that you experience when delivering the lesson will delay student progress

Video-Led Learning

What it looks like:

• Demonstration videos are shown to the whole class at the same time to guide them through projects
• The students first watch the video, then have an opportunity to do it themselves
• The pace of video tutorials is controlled by the teacher
• The teacher requires less confidence with Unity and the learning content
• The teacher supports students as a guide and facilitator while they work

Challenges to plan for:

• Requires a way of projecting or displaying your own screen and computer audio so the entire class can see and hear the video
• Note: There are a lot of small menus within the Unity editor so make your projected screen as large as possible, and get your students as close as possible
• Supporting students who need extra guidance will hold back those who are ahead
• Issues that you experience when delivering the lesson will delay student progress

Supported Independent Learning

What it looks like:

• The teacher sets expectations and parameters for the learning
• Students move through independent learning resources at their own pace
• The teacher supports students as a guide and facilitator while they work

Challenges to plan for:

• Students will need self-learning strategies and support to implement them
• The teacher will need to anticipate high-ability students moving quickly and plan ways to extend their learning

Supported Remote Independent Learning

What it looks like:

• The teacher sets expectations and parameters for the learning, either through video conferencing or prepared videos/instructions
• Students move through learning resources at their own pace
• The teacher supports students as a guide and facilitator through online channels

Challenges to plan for:

• Supporting large groups of students at distance will require careful planning
• Students will need self-learning strategies and support to implement them

• Set up system for students to submit their work
  • Learning about the EdLab Editor file management system and how students can easily save and share their work.
  • Using your school’s LMS, Google Classroom, or other system, make sure your virtual classroom is set up so that students can submit their work. Students can submit screenshots/screencasts of their projects (recommended) or submit zip files of their Unity assets
  • It is possible to use version-control software like Github to track and evaluate students’ projects
• Schedule time for training
  • Regardless of the course configuration you have chosen, it is recommended that you complete at least the first Unit of the online course independently prior to the course start date
  • If you intend to do any teacher-led activities, it is also strongly recommended that you complete that content in the online course independently prior to leading the students
• Connect with the Unity teacher community
  • Click on this link to register and join the Unity Teach support community, where you can get help from experts and connect with other new teachers