Unit Issues

I finally got my syllabi completed and sent off for approval, so now I am working on my lesson plans. I'm really struggling on how to organize "units."

Traditionally, I would just consider the reading itself a unit, but I've come to realize the reading or literature, while part of the unit, is also only a means to an end. It's used to teach about theme or figurative language or so on and so forth.

But, I just don't know how to approach it. What to consider a unit, how to order it, and so on and so forth. I'm going to meet with some other teachers in the next few days who are also teaching the classes I am, so I know I'll get at least some guidance, but I am curious.

If you've taught a general lit class (World, American, British, so on), did you just go chronologically through the reading and teach whatever the reading reflected, or did you take a more specific skills driven approach?