Exploring the Historical Worldviewlaurenisabelsmith.weebly.com/.../5/0/...unit_plan.docx · Web viewthere will be wolves. Exploring the Historical Worldview. Literature circle novel

Lauren Smith | Grade 8 ELA Unit Plan | January 1, 2017

Exploring the Historical Worldview

CONTENTS

UNIT

OVERVIEW…………………………………………………………………………………………………

……. Pg. 2-3

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR

UNIT………………………………………………………… Pg. 3

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES……….

……………………………………………………………………Pg. 3-6

FOCUSING

QUESTIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pg. 7

KEY

CONCEPTS…………………………………………………………………………………………………

………. Pg. 7-8

MATERIALS………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………Pg. 8

LESSON

OUTLINES…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…. Pg. 9- 17

FORMATIVE

ASSESSMENT…………………………………………………………………………………………

Pg. 18-19

PAGE 1

Exploring the Historical Worldview

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: FINAL

PROJECT……………………………………………………………. Pg.20

ATTACHEMETS…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………. Pg. 21-22

UNIT OVERVIEW

This Grade 8 ELA unit is organized to be the final ELA unit before the Christmas break. With being the final ELA unit before break, this unit works in correlation with the Grade 8 social studies Renaissance unit as it integrates novels that reveal the life experiences of youth that live within the Renaissance era. The use of integrating cross curricular resources will not only allow the students to practice and strengthen reading and reading comprehension skills but will also allow them to further explore the notion of worldview.

This novel study unit is organized within a literature circle learning environment for students. Before reading, the teacher will conduct a series of booktalks that will allow students to explore three different novels that each illustrate the life of youth that live within the Renaissance era. The books that will be available include Karen Kushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice and Matilda Bone, as well as Karleen Bradford’s There Will Be Wolves. After the teacher has given brief introduction to each novel, students will be given the

PAGE 2

opportunity to vote on and choose the novel that they would prefer to read. The results of the votes will then be used to create reading club groups for the literature circles. Before the class begins their reading process within their literature circle groups, the teacher will conduct a mini-lesson as to how to participate in a literature circle.

During the literature circle and reading process of the novels, students will be placed into reading club groups according to the book that each student wants to read. There will be groups of 3-4 that are reading the Midwifes Apprentice, Matilda Bone, and There Will be Wolves. Within these literature circle reading clubs, students will be reading during each ELA class, and completing given tasks throughout their reading. At the beginning of their reading, students will create a reading schedule where students outline how many chapters they need to read and the days that they want to accomplish those chapters as well as days that they want to complete tasks. Students will also be assigned a number from 1-4 which the teacher will use in assigning tasks to reading clubs. Throughout the reading process students will then read their chapters and complete given tasks that are assigned through the number system. These tasks may include recording the sequence of plot, reflecting on questions that relate to signposts, as well as filling out the matchbox chapter summery (see formative assessment strategies Pg. 18-19).

After students have completed their novel and tasks, students will then participate in a group project that asks students to create a movie trailer or movie poster that advertises the novel that they had read (see summative assessment Pg.20). This final project will allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the novel and in turn allow the teacher to observe how students understood the novel and its relation to worldview.

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR UNIT

English Language Arts (ELA) 8

General Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences

General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

PAGE 3

General Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.

General Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication

General Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate with others

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR UNIT:

ELA : Students will…

1.1 (Discover and Explore):

- revise understanding and expression of ideas by connecting new and prior knowledge and experiences

- review, reread, discuss and reflect on oral, print and other media texts to explore, confirm or revise understanding

- seek out and consider diverse ideas, opinions and experiences to develop and extend own ideas, opinions and experience

- discuss and respond to ways that forms of oral, print and other media texts enhance or constrain the development and communication of ideas, information and experience

- pursue personal interest in specific genres by particular writers, artists, storytellers and filmmakers

1.2 (Clarify and Extend):

- acknowledge the value of the ideas and opinions of others in exploring and extending personal interpretations and perspectives

- exchange ideas and opinions to clarify understanding and to broaden personal perspectives

2.1 (Use Strategies and Cues):

- use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experiences when interpreting new ideas and information

- enhance understanding by paraphrasing main ideas and supporting details, and by rereading and discussing relevant passage

PAGE 4

- take notes, make outlines and use such strategies as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information

- identify and use visual and textual cues in reference materials, such as catalogues, databases, web sites, thesauri and writers’ handbooks, to access information effectively and efficiently

- enhance understanding by paraphrasing main ideas and supporting details, and by rereading and discussing relevant passages

- monitor understanding; skim, scan or read slowly and carefully, as appropriate, to enhance comprehension

- take notes, make outlines and use strategies such as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information

2.2 (Respond to Texts):

- experience oral, print and other media texts from a variety of cultural traditions and genres, such as magazine articles, diaries, drama, poetry, Internet passages, fantasy, nonfiction, advertisements and photographs

- explain connections between own interpretation and information in texts, and infer how texts will influence others

- make connections between biographical information about authors, illustrators, storytellers and filmmakers and their texts.

- write and represent narratives from other points of view- expect that there is more than one interpretation for oral, print

and other media texts, and discuss other points of view- interpret the choices and motives of characters portrayed in

oral, print and other media texts, and examine how they relate to self and others

- identify and describe characters’ attributes and motivations, using evidence from the text and personal experiences

- identify ways that characters can be developed, and discuss how character, plot and setting are interconnected and mutually supportive

2.3 (Understand Forms, Elements, and Techniques)

PAGE 5

- discuss how the choice of form or genre of oral, print and other media texts is appropriate to purpose and audience

- compare the usefulness of different types of media texts- distinguish theme from topic or main idea in oral, print and

other media texts

3.1 (Plan and Focus)

- choose a plan to access, gather and record information, according to self-selected parameters

- identify and trace the development of arguments, opinions or points of view in oral, print and other media text

3.2 (Select and Process):

- obtain information from a variety of sources, such as artifacts, debates, forums, biographies, autobiographies, surveys, documentaries, films, CDROMs, charts and tables, when conducting research

3.3 (organize, Record, Evaluate):

- organize ideas and information to establish an overall impression or point of view in oral, print and other media texts

- incorporate new information with prior knowledge and experiences to develop new understanding

- make notes in point form, summarizing major ideas and supporting details; reference sources

3.4 (Share and Review):

- communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and other media texts, such as interviews, minilessons and documentaries

- integrate appropriate visual, print and/or other media to inform and engage the audience

4.1 (enhance and Improve):

- ask or respond to questions or comments related to the content of own or others’ pictures, stories or talk

- share draft oral, print and other media texts in a way that will elicit useful feedback

PAGE 6

4.3: (Present and Share):

- plan and facilitate small group and short, whole class presentations to share information

- present information to achieve a particular purpose and to appeal to interest and background knowledge of reader or audience

- plan and shape presentations to achieve particular purposes or effects, and use feedback from rehearsals to make modifications

- use appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback to respond respectfully

5.1 (Respect others and Strengthen community):- compare own with others’ understanding of people, cultural

traditions and values portrayed in oral, print and other media texts

- clarify and broaden perspectives and opinions, by examining the ideas of others

- participate in organizing and celebrating special events, recognizing the appropriateness and significance of language arts

5.2 (work within a group)- contribute ideas, knowledge and strategies to identify group

information needs and sources

FOCUSING QUESTIONS

PAGE 7

Overarching Inquiry Question: To What Extent does the Historical Worldview have in Common with my Own? What Experiences Were

Youth in the Renaissance Going Through?

Supporting Questions:

- What is worldview?- What is my worldview?- What was a day in the life like for youth during the

Renaissance?- What is a literature circle and how does it work?- How can I contribute to a literature circle?- How can I use the 6 signposts while reading a novel?

KEY CONCEPTS:

- Signposts: allows students to read, pause, and reflect on 6 elements involved with reading comprehension.

- Elements of signposts (6):1. Contrast and Contradiction: A sharp contrast between

what we would expect and what we observe the character doing; behavior that contradicts previous behavior or well-established patterns.

2. Aha Moment: A character’s realization of something that shifts his actions or understanding of himself, others, or the world around him.

3. Tough Questions: Questions a character raises that reveal his or her inner struggles.

4. Words of the Wiser: the advice or insight a wiser character, who is usually older, offers about life to the main character,

5. Again and Again: Events, images, or particular words that recur over a portion of the novel/short story.

6. Memory Moment: A recollection by a character that interrupts the forward progress of the story.

- Plot: the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence

- Theme: A central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art- Setting: the place where the story/novel takes place. - Tone/mood: the general character or attitude of a place, piece

of writing

PAGE 8

- Character: the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing

- point of view: the position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator's outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters

- Literature circle: an organized reading approach where students have the freedom to choose a book, join a group, and work through the novel within a small and interactive collective.

- Worldview: a collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or group; the lens through which the world is viewed by and an individual or group; the overall perspective from which the world is interpreted.

- Historical Fiction: novels in which a story is made up but is set in the past and sometimes borrows true characteristics of the time period in which it is set.

- The Crusades: a medieval military expedition, one of a series made by Europeans to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR BOOK TALKS

- Novels:1. Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice2. Karen Cushman’s Matilda Bone3. Karleen Bradford’s There Will Be Wolves

- Title folders: A separate folder for each novel1. Cue cards: key concepts, authors, events that relate to the

novel (each folder will have 1 different cue card)2. Map: a map of the location where the novel takes place3. An image: an image that relates to the novel

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR LITERATURE CIRCLES:

- File folders for reading clubs- Task cards for each session (1 per chapter)- Reader numbers (1-4)- Novel matchboxes- Plot/character template- Reader schedules - Signpost reading logs

PAGE 9

LESSON/ACTIVITY OUTLINE FOR THE UNIT:

BEFORE READING-INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE CIRCLES/NOVEL STUDY: BOOKTALK(S)

Outcomes and Objectives

Through this lesson, students will be introduced to, and explore three different novels, their authors, and their themes in order to make a reader’s decision in which book they will choose to read.

ELA: 1.1: revise understanding and expression of ideas by connecting new and prior knowledge and experiences

review, reread, discuss and reflect on oral, print and other media texts to explore, confirm or revise understanding

seek out and consider diverse ideas, opinions and experiences to develop and extend own ideas, opinions and experience

Length of Lesson 45 minutes (30 min for teaching/ 15 to organize and debrief with students)

Lesson Procedure

This lesson can be separated into 2 or 3 classes depending on the schedule. These book-talk lessons are teacher led as well as interactive for students. Through these book-talk lesson(s) the teacher will lead students in explore 3 different novel titles that each reveal life experiences of youth that take place in the renaissance era. For each book talk, the teacher will separate students into groups of 3-4. Each group will be given a title folder that holds interactive activities that will help students explore the content and information that relates to the novel. Each folder has a cue card with a term that relates to the novel. This term could be the author, an

PAGE 10

event, an occupation, etc that the group will have to look up and share their findings to the class. The folder will also include a map that reveals where the novel takes place. The class will collectively discuss the significance of the location through a think, pair, and share. And finally the folder will also include a single image that relates to the novel. In there groups, students will create a list of words that they feel realte to the image, and later share it with the class.

After working through their folders, the teacher will bring it all together, reveal the novel, and share a summary of what the novel is about.

The lesson/book-talks will then conclude with the book-talk rating ballet (discussed in assessment).

Materials/Resources

Novels:- Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s

Apprentice- Karen Cushman’s Matilda Bone- Karleen Bradford’s There Will Be Wolves

Title folders:- Cue cards: key concepts, authors, events

that relate to the novel- Map: a map of the location where the

novel takes place- An image: an image that relates to the

novel

AssessmentBook-talk rating ballet: after each book-talk, students will be given a ballet where they will rate the novel (red: I don’t want to read it, yellow: ill think about it, Green: I want to read it). Students will give a reason for their vote.

BEORE READING- INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE CIRCLES/NOVEL STUDY: NOVEL SPEED DATING/VOTING ON A BOOK

Through this lesson, students will further explore their options for the novel study by

PAGE 11


taking time to skim through the novel with their fit-bookmarks and the 5 finger rule.




5.1: participate in organizing and celebrating special events, recognizing the appropriateness and significance of language arts

5.2: contribute ideas, knowledge and strategies to identify group information needs and sources


Lesson Procedure

After students have had the opportunity to listen to and participate in the 3 book-talks, students will be given the opportunity to take time and independently explore each of the 3 novels.

Students will be using their fir-book strategies that were used in a previous ELA unit, as students will be using their fit-bookmarks and the strategy of the 5-finger rule. Students will be timed for 3 10 minuet novel speed dating intervals where they will read the synopsis of the novel and the first 2 pages of the book. During each speed dating interval, students will read the synopsis and the first 2 pages of the novel and use the 5- finger rule while

PAGE 12

reading. There however will be terms that most students will be unfamiliar with, so students will have sticky notes and dictionaries which they will use when they find a word they have never read before. They will write down the word, look it up, and record it on the sticky note.

After students have had 3 10 minuet novel speed dating intervals, the teacher will write each novel title on the board. The students will each write their name under the novel title that they want to read.

Materials/Resources

- Fit-bookmarks- Reading club sign-up sheets- Sticky notes- Dictionary- Pencils- White board markers- timer

Assessment- Teacher/student observation and

conversation

BEFORE READING-INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE CIRCLES/NOVEL STUDY: WHAT IS A LIT CIRCLE MINI LESSON & ORGANIZATION


Through this lesson, students will explore the organization and procedure of literature circles. In this, students will display an understanding of what is needed for literature circle groups to succeed as well as what each person’s role is in the circle groups.



PAGE 13


2.1: use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experiences when interpreting new ideas and information

3.3: incorporate new information with prior knowledge and experiences to develop new understanding




Lesson Procedure

In this lesson, students will find out their reading club groups (that the teacher created in correlation to the novel sign up board).

Students will group into their reading clubs, will each be given a literature circle orientation handbook, and will begin learning about how circles work and what their roles are. By using the lit.circle handbook, the teacher will lead students through what it is, and what their roles and responsibilities are. First, the teacher will ask the students within each group to number themselves from 1-4 and write down who is which number in their handbooks. The teacher will inform them that those numbers will stay the same throughout the novel study and that their number will be used in assigning daily reading club tasks. Second, the teacher

PAGE 14

will go through reading club folders with the class. Each group will go through the folder which holds a plot diagram template, sign post reading logs, task cards, and the matchbox chapter summary (see formative assessment strategies for description of each). The teacher will tell the students that the numbers that each student has will be used in who does which task each day. Some days you will work on the plot/character sheet, the sign post log, the task card, or the matchbox. Finally, students will go through the number of chapters in their book and create a reading schedule. The teacher will assist students in creating this schedule. The schedule is created to help students keep organized in what they need to read and when. Concluding the lesson, students will fill out an exit slip that will allow the teacher to observe how students are feeling going into the novel study/lit circle.

Materials/Resources

- Literature circle orientation handbook- Literature circle group binders/folders- Novels for each group (dependent on the

number of students reading the novel)

Assessment- Teacher/student conversation and

observation- Exit slip: on a scale of red-green, how do

you feel about the literature circles?Red: I am worried, Yellow: I need to give it a try first, Green: I am excited

DURING READING LITERATURE CIRLCES: THE READING PROCESS


Through this lesson, students will demonstrate and display an understanding of the literature circle process as well as their role and responsibility during their reading process. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of the novel that they are reading as they participate in reading comprehension activities and strategies with their reading club groups.

PAGE 15




2.1: use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experiences when interpreting new ideas and information

2.2:- experience oral, print and other

media texts from a variety of cultural traditions and genres, such as magazine articles, diaries, drama, poetry, Internet passages, fantasy, nonfiction, advertisements and photographs

- explain connections between own interpretation and information in texts, and infer how texts will influence others

- make connections between biographical information about authors, illustrators, storytellers and filmmakers and their texts.

- write and represent narratives from other points of view

- expect that there is more than one interpretation for oral, print and other media texts, and discuss other points of view

- interpret the choices and motives of characters portrayed in oral, print and other media texts, and examine how they relate to self and others

PAGE 16

- identify and describe characters’ attributes and motivations, using evidence from the text and personal experiences

- identify ways that characters can be developed, and discuss how character, plot and setting are interconnected and mutually supportive

3.1: choose a plan to access, gather and record information, according to self-selected parameters

3.2: obtain information from a variety of sources, such as artifacts, debates, forums, biographies, autobiographies, surveys, documentaries, films, CDROMs, charts and tables, when conducting research

3.3: incorporate new information with prior knowledge and experiences to develop new understanding

4.1: ask or respond to questions or comments related to the content of own or others’ pictures, stories or talk




Lesson During the literature circle and reading process of the novels, students will be placed into

PAGE 17

Procedure reading club groups according to the book that each student wants to read. There will be groups of 3-4 that are reading the Midwifes Apprentice, Matilda Bone, and There Will be Wolves. Within these literature circle reading clubs, students will be reading during each ELA class, and completing given tasks throughout their reading. Throughout the reading process students will then read their chapters and complete given tasks that are assigned through the number system. These tasks may include recording the sequence of plot and character mapping, reflecting on questions that relate to signposts, tasks/questions that allow them to reflect on the novel, as well as filling out the matchbox chapter summery (see formative assessment strategies Pg. 18-19).

During their reading process, student groups will maintain their reading and activity goals by keeping up the reading schedule that they created at the beginning of the unit. The teacher will be a helpful guide during each student’s and each groups reading process.

To conclude each class, the teacher will ask students to either fill out a tweet the text exit slip, or write down a short journal log of their reading process.

Materials/Resources

- novels- File folders for reading clubs- Task cards for each session (1 per

chapter)- Reader numbers (1-4)- Novel matchboxes- Plot/character template- Reader schedules

AssessmentExit slips/tweet the text: the teacher will ask students exit slip questions/tweets on a daily basis that will allow the teacher and the students to keep track of their reading experience. The tweet question will be determined through the teacher’s observations and conferences with students. Examples of

PAGE 18

twitter questions:- If you were the main character…

1. What would you tweet at this point in the novel? What event or experience are you going through

2. What other character would you tweet? What would you tag them in?

3. What obstacle are you faced with?- What image do you feel keeps showing

up in the novel?- If you were a different/supporting

character, what would you tweet at this point in the novel?

- If you were a different/antagonist character, what would you tweet at this point in the novel?

- Tweet an AHA moment that the main character is having.

- Tweet a memory

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES:

Book-talk rating ballet:

After each book-talk, students will be given a ballet where they will rate the novel (red: I don’t want to read it, yellow: ill think about it, Green: I want to read it). Students will give a reason for their vote.

Reader/Writers Log:

At the beginning of the unit, students will be given a reader/writers log journal booklet for ELA. With this log, students will have opportunities to write and reflect an topics throughout the unit. The teacher will provide students with questions. These log entries are for

PAGE 19

formative assessment rather than summative. It is an opportunity for students to reflect on topics throughout the unit and for the teacher to keep track with student progress. Even though no journal log questions have been added to the lesson outlines, the teacher may choose to use a portion of the class to allow students to respond to their experience during their novel study and literature circles. Journal entry questions will correlate with the major themes of the novel(s) they are reading:

What does the main character dream to be? What do you dream to be?

What major obstacle is preventing the main character to reach their dream?

What is one event that the main character is going through that is making their youth experience difficult? How would you feel if you were going through that?

Student/Reading Club Portfolios: task cards, plot diagrams, character list, and matchbox chapter summery placemat

Student Reading Club Portfolios are folder/duotang/binders that help students collect their work throughout the unit. With this portfolio, students insert worksheets, reader/writers log, and other works used within the unit. This is a formative form of a assessment as it allows both the teacher and the student to keep track of their work through the unit. This portfolio is different than others as each portfolio is for the entire reading group. While each reading group is organized to have 3-4 students, each student will be assigned a number for the entirety of the novel study (#’s 1-4). the teacher will insert daily tasks that students will have to do and insert within the portfolio.

- Task Cards: questions that students have to answer according to their comprehension of the novel. Each task card will relate to a situation, symbol, or character within the novel.

- Signpost reading log: like the reading log that students practiced and used in the previous unit, students will rotate in inserting examples into the signpost reading log.

- Plot Diagram/character map: a Plot diagram template of the novel will be inserted in each reading club’s portfolio. Students will insert events that correlate with the plot while they read the novel. The teacher will assign this as a task to a different student daily through the number system. With that, a character map template of the novel will be inserted in each reading club’s

PAGE 20

portfolio. Students will insert characters and descriptions that arise within the novel. The teacher will assign this as a task to a different student daily through the number system.

- Matchbox Chapter Summery Placemat: the matchbox chapter summery placemat is organized within a flipbook format. As each novel(s) has 10-14 chapters, there are 14 flaps within the matchbox. The cover of each flap is the chapter number and an image that illustrates the chapter. Inside the flap is a written summer of key events that occurred within the chapter (should have at least 3 points). The teacher will assign this as a task to a different student daily through the number system.

Exit Slips/ Text Tweets

Text Tweets are created to give students a fun opportunity to share their experience in the exploration of texts through a task that is relatable to them. Because social media is very evident in our student’s lives, it is important not to ignore it but to attempt to bring it into the classroom in a safe manner that helps aid in their learning/ reading experience. By creating a class twitter bulletin/poster board, the teacher hands sticky notes to students. Students will write a tweet (hashtag answer to question) that is given by the teacher. This will allow the students to reflection their experience as well as provide the teacher with formative assessment.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:

FINAL PROJECT: NOVEL MOVIE TRAILER/MOVIE POSTER ADVERTISMENT

PAGE 21

This final project will be a group based project. By working with their reading club group members, students must create wither a movie trailer or movie poster to advertise their novel that they have just finished reading. Within this trailer or movie poster, students must include the director (author), main stars (characters of the novel), an image that identifies the main theme/mood of the novel, the setting, and their own original synopsis of the novel.

After their project is complete, students will share their trailers/posters with the class. The posters will be added to our Renaissance Wall of Fame bulletin board that was created during the Renaissance social studies unit.

I will be discussing an appropriate rubric with my teacher mentor

ATTACHEMENTS:

PAGE 22

Rate the title ballet:

RATE THE TITLEo I DON’T THINK I WOULD LIKE TO READ

IT

o I THINK ID LIKE TO GIVE IT A CHANCE

o I WANT TO READ IT

Literature circle orientation booklet: to be made, but will include:

- Novel chosen:- Author of novel:

PAGE 23

- Reading club group members: insert your group member and write down the numbers (1-4) that they have chosen

- A description of the jobs/tasks: plot/character mapping, task card, sign post reading log, matchbox chapter summary

- Reading club schedule/calendar template

Story mapping templates (will be used for plot and character mapping):file:///E:/Laurens%20Files%201/PSII/PSIIPRAC/Practicum/ENGL%2010-1/TKAM%20handouts%20and%20groups/25%20Graphic%20Organizers.pdf

PAGE 24

Documents

Exploring the Historical Worldviewlaurenisabelsmith.weebly.com/.../5/0/...unit_plan.docx · Web viewthere will be wolves. Exploring the Historical Worldview. Literature circle novel