WGU D631: Curriculum Design Proposal
Using Universal Design for Learning
with Complete Solutions
MSCIN Program, Western Governors University
D631: Designing Curriculum and Instruction II (GHN1)
January 3, 2026
Educational Setting
The proposal for designing new curriculum with the purpose to address a curricular goal
would be for social studies in a second-grade general education classroom using the Universal
Design for Learning model. Currently our school uses an older version of Social Studies Weekly.
Curricular Goal
When implementing a new curriculum, the goal would be for students to have
differentiated opportunities to identify and describe how people work together within the topics
of history, geography, government, and economics. Using the Universal Design for Learning
model would help students achieve this goal.
Curriculum Rationale
The reason for proposing the use of the Universal Design for Learning is to provide a
social studies learning experience that is accessible to all students. This curriculum model would
help students meet the curricular goal because its focus is to provide an equitable learning
experience for each student in the classroom, which would lead to differentiated content,
processes, and products about how people work together within the topics of history, geography,
, government, and economics. For example, each learning activity is the same - read paragraphs.
In second grade, not all students are able to read independently, especially about topics they have
never learned about. The reading level in which the paragraphs are written are too complex for
students at grade level. Week after week of reading paragraphs, the content becomes less
engaging for students. It becomes entirely teacher led since the teacher must do all the reading
and then explain the social studies content in age-appropriate ways.
Key Components of the Model
Using Universal Design for Learning
with Complete Solutions
MSCIN Program, Western Governors University
D631: Designing Curriculum and Instruction II (GHN1)
January 3, 2026
Educational Setting
The proposal for designing new curriculum with the purpose to address a curricular goal
would be for social studies in a second-grade general education classroom using the Universal
Design for Learning model. Currently our school uses an older version of Social Studies Weekly.
Curricular Goal
When implementing a new curriculum, the goal would be for students to have
differentiated opportunities to identify and describe how people work together within the topics
of history, geography, government, and economics. Using the Universal Design for Learning
model would help students achieve this goal.
Curriculum Rationale
The reason for proposing the use of the Universal Design for Learning is to provide a
social studies learning experience that is accessible to all students. This curriculum model would
help students meet the curricular goal because its focus is to provide an equitable learning
experience for each student in the classroom, which would lead to differentiated content,
processes, and products about how people work together within the topics of history, geography,
, government, and economics. For example, each learning activity is the same - read paragraphs.
In second grade, not all students are able to read independently, especially about topics they have
never learned about. The reading level in which the paragraphs are written are too complex for
students at grade level. Week after week of reading paragraphs, the content becomes less
engaging for students. It becomes entirely teacher led since the teacher must do all the reading
and then explain the social studies content in age-appropriate ways.
Key Components of the Model
