ELA UNIT PLANNING
UNIT: Challenges and Perseverance TIME FRAME: 6-8 weeks GRADE:6th
Unit Summary and Rationale:(Outlines the components of the unit and the reasoning for their inclusion)Students will be able to understand, analyze, and apply their knowledge of story elements through:
· Reading and summarizing various types of text.
· Produce various types of writing.
· Participate in collaboration discussions.
UnitConnectionCollege and Career Ready Descriptions: Teachers will select at least one of the following lenses to act as the overlay for the unit. These are the descriptors that must be included to ensure the unit is fully aligned to the CCSS and relevant to the college and career ready student.
Students will demonstrate independence.
Students will value evidence.
Students will build strong content knowledge.
Students will respond to the varying demands of audience, task, and discipline.
Students will critique as well as comprehend.
Students will use technology and digital media strategically and capably.
Students will develop an understanding of other perspectives and cultures.
Unit Standards: Teachers should list the standards to be addressed within the unit.
Reading
RL.6.1.Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.6.2.Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RL.6.3.Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL.6.4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RL.6.5.Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
RL.6.9.Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
RL.6.10.By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. / Writing
W.6.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.6.4.Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.6.6.Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
W.6.9.Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. / Speaking and Listening
SL.6.1.Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.6.3.Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
SL.6.4.Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL.6.6.Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. / Language
L.6.1.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.6.2.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.6.3.Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.6.4.Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.6.5.Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.6.6.Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Essential Questions: Essential questions center around major issues, problems, concerns, interests, or themes relevant to the classroom. Essential questions should lead students to discover the big ideas. They need to go beyond who, what and where. They need to lead to the how and why. / Big Ideas: These are what students will discover as a result of instruction and learning activities. They are the main ideas of the learning, the conclusions, or the generalizations. Big Ideas should be open-ended and apply to more than one area of study.
Unit EQ: What effects, challenges, and character changes come from an author’s choice of literary elements? / Big Ideas:Understanding that challenges are a natural part of plot and learning to analyze how to overcome the challenge.
Learning Targets: What should students be able to do by the end of the lesson?
· I will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of story elements to various texts. (Characterizations, setting, conflict, plot, tone/mood, theme, inferences, point of view)
· I will write summaries of various types of texts.
· I will write arguments using claims, reasons, and evidence.
· I will participate in collaborative discussions.
Learning Tasks: Teachers list the various tasks students will engage in throughout the unit, include use of media/other forms of information.
Reading Tasks
· Create a character map during and after reading a text to analyze how the character has changed over time. (6.3)
· Create a “Fakebook” page for a protagonist or antagonist character based on direct and indirect characteristics. (6.1, 3)
· Label and define the plot diagram.
· Identify setting (time, place, environment) using adjectives and illustrations. (6.3)
· Define the plot of the text using a plot diagram. (6.3)
· Categorize the conflicts within the text, providing support and explanation for each. (6.1, 3, 5)
· Identify an important theme in the story or novel, referring to the text for support. (6.1, 2)
· Evaluate authors’ word choice in order to determine tone and mood of the text. (6.1, 4)
· Compare and Contrast 2 texts (stories, articles, real-world events). (6.9)
· Using the text describe how the story would have changed if told from Kuo Ming or White Wave (1st person) / Writing Tasks
· Quick write characteristics of Kuo Ming or White Wave that leads into simile activity
· Create a simile with illustration that depicts a deeper level of understanding of a character’s character traits. (6.9)
· Given a conflict from the text, identify how you would solve the problem if you were the distressed character. (RAFT) (6.4)
· Response: Choose one of the good or poor choices that a character makes in the text and explain what effect it had on the text. (Technology) (6.1, 4, 6, 9)
· Write a written response for a philosophical chairs discussion supporting a position using evidence from the text. (6.1, 4, 6, 9)
· Write a reflection about the PC discussion, if mind changed, and how the question ties in to the challenges that the character had to overcome. (6.4)
· 2-voice poem comparing and contrasting 2 texts. (6.9)
· Write an essay response to the essential question. / Discussion Tasks
· Participate in a Philosophical Chairs activity based on an agree/ disagree statement using the text. (6.1A, 1B, 3, 4)
· Create “HOT” questions with a partner using text. (6.1C)
· Participate in a Socratic seminar based on a text. (6.1A, 1B, 1C, 3, 4, 6)
· Engage in a class discussion from a close read based on comparing and contrasting texts. (6.1A, 1B, 1C, 3, 4, 6) / Language/Vocabulary Tasks
· Mini-lessons on (actual student work, ACS elementary wikispaces, and other examples) using conventions and Standard English.
· Throughout the unit the word Challenges will be revisited the definition will be expanded and synonyms and antonyms will be added.
Assessments: List types of assessments that will be used throughout the course of the unit.
*If you do not have assessments for this unit, they should be created before moving on to the lesson design*
DIAGNOSTIC / FORMATIVE / SUMMATIVE
* Pre-assessment of story elements / * Character map
* Fakebook Page
* Plot diagram
* Conflict Categorizing
* Pixar prezi (theme)
* Setting adjectives and illustration
*Tone/Mood supported with textual evidence
* Simile Characterizations
* RAFT
* Good/Poor Response
* Philosophical Chairs discussion (written and speaking response)
* 2 Voice Poem
* Summaries of various texts / * Story Elements Assessment
* Essential Question Essay
Text(s) Selections/Resources(generated by both teacher and student)
Teachers will list the genres/titles/resources for study and indicate text complexity:
· White Wave (JGB)
· Mei-Ling (and other folktales or fables)
· Greyling (6th grade text)
· What Can a Small Bird Be? http://www.ignitingwriting.com/quilt_bird.html
· The Fastest Man with No Legs – (video/text)http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-3qs-fastest-legs.html
· Bethany Hamilton – (video/text)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfdRWp6kKng&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
*Biographies and autobiographies about people who have demonstrated overcoming challenges
*texts for close reads
*Informational
Notes (include accommodations/grouping/modifications):
2012-2013 6th Grade