When we are working through internal alignment of a unit, alpha-numeric coding helps us to organize and recognize the relationship between content (what) and skills (student actions). Here we have a loose alignment between content and skills - there's not a 1-to-1 match between each bullet on the content list, and every item on the skills list.

The unit plan will focus exclusively on the why, the what, the actions and the evidence. The lesson plan however, is where we focus on instructional techniques - exactly how the curriculum will be delivered.

When considering the internal alignment of units, color-coding can help identify the relationship between elements like the enduring understandings, essential questions, content and skills. Color coding can also be useful when looking at standards by color matching to confirm that each element in a unit is tied to a unit that we intend to teach and assess for. This formatting style acts as a visual cue. It can save time while developing a unit and help identify potential gaps.