Curriculum is the what of education. It is the set of subjects, skills, and content taught in a program. It can be as broad as a national framework or as specific as a lesson plan. Curriculum answers the question: What should students learn? The how and why come next.

Curricula are designed by committees, school boards, and government agencies. They reflect values and politics. A history curriculum decides whose stories get told. A science curriculum decides how evolution is handled. These debates are not abstract. They shape what a generation knows.

A hidden curriculum runs alongside the official one. It includes the norms, values, and expectations students absorb without being taught directly. Punctuality, respect for authority, and competition are often part of the hidden curriculum. Teachers may not intend it, but students learn it anyway.

Components

• Learning objectives
• Content and topics
• Sequencing and pacing
• Instructional methods
• Assessment strategies