Author’s Craft and Author’s Bias
In Informational Text
Lessons
A - D
Lesson A: Examining author’s craft and author’s bias.
Lesson B: Read and explore author’s craft and bias within informational text.
Lesson C: Research service learning topics.
Lesson D: Write informational texts to support service learning
What is author’s craft and bias?
Teacher Preparation
Teacher researches and studies informational (expository, persuasive, argumentative) text to increase her own knowledge base in author’s craft and bias.
Bookmark the following website on computer/s in the classroom for student exploration of informational writing.
Bookmark this website for teacher demonstrations of informational writing.
Collect a variety of informational texts (expository, persuasive, argumentative) that will be used by students throughout the unit, including editorials, articles, essays, posters, flyers, brochures, commercials, public service announcements, advertisements, reviews, internet articles, signs, and guides. Set up stations to put different types of texts for student exploration.
Materials Needed
Expository text, Persuasive text and/or Argumentative text (editorials, articles, essays, posters, flyers, brochures, commercials, public service announcements, advertisements, reviews, internet articles, signs, guides),
Suggested Resources
Make sure commercials used from websites above are appropriate to the age and audience of students. Preview these and others at your discretion.
A variety of available informational (expository, persuasive, and argumentative) texts gathered from television, the library, other teachers, and home.
Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson
The teacher gathers students together to find out what they know about author’s craft and bias. She records their insights on a chart and uses it to lead a discussion and generate a definition of author’s craft and bias. The author’s craft is the specific techniques an author chooses to relay an intended message.The author’s bias is what the author thinks or feels about something. It is a personal opinion.
She then gives examples of opinions. For example, thinking it is a good idea for your parents to buy you a pet, seeing the value of a later bedtime, feeling it is a good idea to wear uniforms, telling a friend why it is a bad idea to get into a fight, etc. She then sends them off in pairs having them to express their opinion about a subject (assigned or student generated) to a partner. Partners will switch roles giving each person a chance to express his or her opinion. The teacher will gather students back together to share insights from their conversations and talk about how they crafted their talk to convey their opinion.
Assessing the LessonFormative AssessmentandSummative Assessment
Formative assessment is achieved through checklists the teacher creates with a list of student names and columns labeled participation, accurate listing of features such as: using facts to support opinions, giving accurate information, sticking to the topic. Classroom observations during whole group and partner talk activity may lead to additional instruction.
No summative Assessment is recommended at this time.
Read and explore author’s craft and bias within informational text.
Teacher Preparation
The teacher will set up various learning stations. Each station will include a different type of informational text (expository, persuasive, argumentative). Students in each station will be asked to read, explore, and discuss the author’s craft and bias in these particular forms of informational text and to take notes.
In one station, students will read informational text in the form of flyers, posters, and brochures on various topics. In another station, text will in the form of informational articles, essays, and editorials. In a third station, text will be in the form of print advertisements, commercials, and public service announcements. In a fourth station, movie and book reviews. In a fifth station: signs, guides, letters, and any other additional informational text. The teacher will use her discretion to set up these stations, deciding which stations are appropriate and necessary based on students’ needs.
Students will rotate to each station after a teacher-selected period of time. This can occur over multiple days giving all students access to all forms of informational text material.
Materials Needed
Examples of informational text (editorials, articles, essays, posters, flyers, brochures, commercials, public service announcements, advertisements, reviews, internet articles, signs, guides).
Suggested Resources
Technology Connections
Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson
The teacher will gather students together to review previously learned information about author’s craft and author’s bias.
The teacher will then introduce learning stations to students and explain tasks involved in each. Students in groups of 3 to 4 visit each learning station and rotate while the teacher facilitates conversations and learning in groups. If there are extra students left out of the groups or if groups need to be smaller, other students should be reading informational text and recording new learning independently.
At the end of each learning day, students will share new knowledge gained and discuss whether or not they agree with the author on the selected topic.The teacher will chart this information. This should help to develop their critical literacy skills.
Assessing the LessonFormative AssessmentandSummative Assessment
Formative assessments can be done through informal observations, checklists noting elements of author’s craft and bias. Checklists can also be used noting whether students participate, take sufficient and accurate notes with an emphasis on the author’s craft and bias.
Summative assessments are anchor charts of new knowledge.
Research service learning topics
Teacher Preparation
The teacher will need to research and consider possible topics (i.e. homeless shelters, animal protection, children’s causes, environmental issues, elderly needs, etc.) for service learning projects related to student interest and community need. The teacher also needs to think about possible avenues for researching the chosen topic and gather information from various sources (i.e. books, articles, internet sites, flyers, brochures, etc.). The teacher will gather materials for students to begin the research.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
Service learning:
Teaching the Lesson
The teacher will take students through the process of using their knowledge of author’s craft and bias to assist them in taking notes (determining relevant and non-relevant information), paraphrasing, determining opinions and facts that support those opinions.
Materials Needed
Any available note taking media, books, articles, flyers, bookmarked websites, speakers and resource persons to interview, etc.
Suggested Resources
Service learning:
Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson
The teacher will conduct various mini-lessons on paraphrasing, delineating fact from opinion, using facts to support opinions, note taking and prioritizing information. At the end of mini-lessons, the teacher sends them to read independently from materials provided that relate to the class chosen service learning project. Students will gather and record relevant information learned pertaining to the class topic. The teacher will gather students together at the end of each session to share and record learning on a continuing anchor chart. These lessons will be conducted until enough information has been gathered to support their service learning project.
Assessing the LessonFormative AssessmentandSummative Assessment
Formative assessment:The checklist format can be used to monitor student progress with taking notes, paraphrasing information from a resource, using appropriate text features to draw relevant information about the topic.
Summative assessment: Continuing anchor chart.
Write informational texts to support service learning
Teacher Preparation
The teacher will review the definition of author’s craft and author’s bias. (The author’s craft is the specific techniques an author chooses to relay an intended message. The author’s bias is what the author thinks or feels about something. It is a personal opinion.) The teacher will continually review student learning and add her learning about the service topic to student knowledge. The teacher will need to be in touch with people who represent the service learning organization throughout this unit, inviting speakers and utilizing community resources. The teacher will have to anticipate possible needs for any other informational materials that will support the class project and provide materials accordingly.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
Service learning:
Materials Needed
Any available media sources such as construction paper, markers, computers, printers, paper, posterboard, etc.
Suggested Resources
Service learning:
Teaching the Lesson Introduction to the lesson
The teacher will review possible formats for informational writing (materials used in lesson B learning stations are examples that can be used here) with students. The class will decide which formats for informational writing to promote their service learning project. The audience for their informational writing will have to be determined along with the goal for their project (collecting money to help the homeless, a canned food drive, donations of animal supplies, etc.). The class will determine which students will complete which text products (posters, flyers, brochures, essays, letters, books, articles, etc.). Students will be given time to work on their informational pieces over multiple periods as the teacher facilitates the creation of student products. At the end of each learning session, the teacher will gather students together to discuss their bias and their use of craft to convey the intended message within their products. Student work will be sent to the appropriate audience as they carry out their service learning project.
Assessing the LessonFormative AssessmentandSummative Assessment
Formative assessment:The teacher will confer with the students individually or whole group about their writing. Peer and self assessment can also be used at the teacher’s discretion.
Summative assessment: Service Learning Informational Product (see appendix A and B). See this link to create a rubric based on teaching points that were addressed in the lessons or create one of your own.
Appendix AMaking A Brochure
Student Name: ______
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Graphics/
Pictures / Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems "text-heavy". / Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.
Writing - Organization / Each section in the brochure has a clear beginning, middle, and end. / Almost all sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end. / Most sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end. / Less than half of the sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Writing - Mechanics / Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure. / Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure after feedback from an adult. / There are 1-2 capitalization and/or punctuation errors in the brochure even after feedback from an adult. / There are several capitalization or punctuation errors in the brochure even after feedback from an adult.
Content - Accuracy / All facts in the brochure are accurate. / 99-90% of the facts in the brochure are accurate. / 89-80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate. / Fewer than 80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.
Spelling & Proofreading / No spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. / No more than 1 spelling error remains after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. / No more than 3 spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. / Several spelling errors in the brochure.
Date Created: Apr 26, 2009 01:24 pm (CDT)
Appendix BService Learning Product
Student Name:
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Campaign/Product / Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue. / Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue. / Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue. / The product is not accurate.
Brainstorming - Problems / Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. / Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. / Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. / Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.
Research/Statistical Data / Students include 4 or more high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign. / Students include at least 3 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign. / Students include at least 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign. / Students include fewer than 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.
Sources - Quality / Students include 4 or more high quality sources. / Students include 2-3 high quality sources . / Students include 2-3 sources but some of are questionable quality. / Students include fewer than 2 sources.
Audience / Demonstrates a clear understanding of the potential reader and uses appropriate vocabulary and arguments. Anticipates reader's questions and provides thorough answers appropriate for that audience. / Demonstrates a general understanding of the potential reader and uses vocabulary and arguments appropriate for that audience. / Demonstrates some understanding of the potential reader and uses arguments appropriate for that audience. / It is not clear who the author is writing for.
Grammar and Spelling / Author makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. / Author makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. / Author makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. / Author makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.