Understanding By Design Unit Template

(Revised & adapted)

Title of Unit / Thematic Unit: Literature Review of a Theme / Grade Level / Grade 4
Subject / Reading / Time Frame / Jan 13, 2014 – Feb 28, 2014
Developed By / The 4th Grade teachers
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
Big Idea: How does the author’s use of craft help readers interpret the meaning of a text?
The first step in solving the problem is to identify the problem correctly and then share with others. Communication, coping, collaboration, the need to brainstorm about your problem will guide you to multiple solutions. Thought and discussion will lead to the ideal answer. Action without proper analysis of the benefit and consequences will bring greater problems/challenges. The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how one uses them. Adversity is a fact of life. It can’t be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it.Your attitude determines whether the opportunity you face is a stepping stone or a stumbling block.
Students will compare and contrast how authors address the theme – overcoming adversity, analyzing how the authors’ similarities and differences on handling problems will broaden the students’ ability to resolve problems in their own lives.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
CCLS Reading Standards:
RL 4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 4.2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
RL 4.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
RL 4.9. Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
RL.4.10 By the end of the year read and comprehends literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired? / Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
·  Readers can relate to character’s problems.
·  Character’s change after working through their personal problems, and the reader can too.
·  Problems can be resolved. It is only as big as you make it. / What did the author want me to get out of this piece?
What techniques did the author use to get his/her point across?
How were those techniques used to develop theme? character? etc...
How were those techniques used to manipulate the reader?
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? / Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
·  Stories have problem(s) and a solution (there are internal and external problems).
·  Characters change/grow throughout the story.
·  Different authors provide different solutions to the similar problems.
·  It takes time to solve the problem across a story / Students will be able to…
·  Ask why and how questions help to develop hunches, theories and eventually draw conclusion about how the characters are acting and responding the way they are and how that may change over time
·  Use talk to grow and develop ideas (using Talk Moves)
·  Examine the character’s action to help the character overcome their problems; analyze how the character’s change helped him or her grow
·  Compare and contrast across texts
·  Comparing and contrasting author’s treatment of adversity using a variety of graphic organizers
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Pre Assessment
Task: Have the students write a Response to Literature by asking the following: “In each passage the author communicates a clear message to the reader. Write a response comparing and contrasting what the theme of each passage is. Explain what decisions the authors made in order to make this message clear. Use details from both passages to support your answer.”
In your response, be sure to:
·  Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
·  Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
·  Use details from both passages to support your answer
Texts: My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
·  My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
·  Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
·  Extended Response Writing Sheet
Post Assessment
Task: Have the students write a Response to Literature by asking the following: “In each passage the author communicates a clear message to the reader. Write a response comparing and contrasting what the theme of each passage is. Explain what decisions the authors made in order to make this message clear. Use details from both passages to support your answer.”
In your response, be sure to:
·  Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
·  Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
·  Use details from both passages to support your answer
Text: “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
·  “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Rylant
·  The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
·  Extended Response Writing Sheet
Additional Assessment Option: ELA Response to LIterature Grade 4 on PARCC Public Assessment for Exclusion
Reading Rubric – See Attachment
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
On-going Assessment
  • One on one student conference using Student-Friendly Checklist during Independent Reading (See Appendix)
  • Students’ contribution to Thematic Attribute Chart during Shared Reading and Interactive Read Aloud (See Appendix)
  • Student responses from the Thematic Unit Response Journals
  • Guided Reading with the F&P Conferring Menu (Teacher focus on comprehension skills)

Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both? / Listed Aim or Learning Intention of Each Lesson. / Assessment / Resources
Session 1 (Passage 1)
·  Read the book
·  Get details and make inferences / ·  Who are the characters in the story? What do we know about these characters?
·  How do Andrew and his father feel about characters they encountered in the book? Use evidence in the text to support your thinking.
·  Why do Andrew and his father live at the airport?
·  Refer to page 6 – 8. Why did they try not to get noticed? What do you think the dad means when he said, “Delta, TWA … we love them all.”
·  How do you think the dad must feel in this situation? Give evidence from the text to support your inference.
·  How do you think Andrew must feel in this situation? Give evidence from the text to support your inference.
·  Refer to the first line on page 25. Ask students what this information tells us. Why do you think they ended up in the airport? / Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Chart students’ responses
Session 2
·  Summarizing / ·  Chart the main events in the story
·  Encourage students (in pair) to condense the content of the story into 2/3 sentences
(Framing question: If you had to tell someone what this book was about in only 2/3 sentences, what would you tell them?)
·  Share their summaries
(Summary: Andrew and his father live in the airport because they are homeless.)
·  Discuss/justify which statement best summarize the text. Why?
Session 3
·  Determine Theme / ·  Have different themes written on different cards. Discuss what each one means. Examples: hope, believe in yourself, teamwork/cooperation, compassion, forgiveness, accept the situation, differences, courage, kindness, never give up, loyalty, honesty. acceptance, tolerance (Refer to grade 3 and 4 server)
·  Discuss what some of these mean
·  Give real life examples / Server files:
·  Common themes in books
·  Theme anchor chart
·  Theme example definitions
Anchor chart: different themes
Session 4
·  Continue determining theme / ·  Review the theme cards and their meanings from session 3
·  Pair students and ask them: “If you have to choose one or more of these cards to describe the theme of the book, which one would you choose? Justify your thinking.”
·  If you have to select only one theme, which one would you choose? Justify your thinking.
·  Share their themes.
·  Discuss with the students which of the themes would best support the story’s content. / Suggested Strategy:
Think-Pair-Share
Session 5
·  Determine symbolism / ·  Discuss with students: “What is symbolism?”
·  Explain the symbolism is when the symbol/object is used to represent an idea.
Examples of symbolism:
Statue of Liberty – Freedom
American Flag – Unity, stars and stripes represent states and original 13 colonies
Red for blood; blue for courage; white for purity.
Hearts – Love
Smiley face – Happiness
Dove – Peace
Dragon – Chinese
·  Pair students brainstorm symbols that they know. Share their symbols they came up. / Chart their responses
Session 6
·  Continue determining symbolism / ·  Revisit the concept of symbolism
Questions:
·  The author has included a symbol in this book, what do you think it might be? Explain your thinking. (If the students cannot identify the brown bird, then focus on page 16.)
·  What do you think the significant of the bird might be?
·  Why did the author choose the bird, but not a cat or a dog?
·  Make the connection with the Eagle being the symbol of freedom.
·  The author has used significant words/phrases in this page. Identify them.
·  Why do you think the author made the choice to name the book and mention it in the story “Fly Away Home”?
·  Alert them to the back cover to confirm the significant of the bird.
·  Discuss the concept of metaphor.
Session 7
·  Connection between theme, symbolism, and metaphor / ·  Read the book again. Stop at pivotal points and ask the students: How they are feeling? Make self to text connection.
·  Describe what the author is doing to make you feel this way.
·  Why is the author doing this?
·  How does this help communicate or convey the theme (message) to you?
·  Use T-chart of what and why to chart students’ responses in order to look for patterns occurring throughout the text.
·  Encourage students to identify author’s craft in their independent book. (Students may use the thematic attribute chart) / T-chart
Thematic Attribute Chart (school server)
Session 8 (Passage 2)
·  Read the book
·  Get details and make inferences / ·  Who are the characters in this story?
·  Where does this story take place?
·  Refer to page 6. Why do you think some of the students give her a cruel smile?
·  How does she feel at the beginning of the story?
·  How do you know this? What words/phrases or sentences does the author use to tell us about her feelings?
·  How is she feeling at the end of the story? What events led to this change?
·  What words/phrases or sentences does the author use to tell about this change? / One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
Chart students’ responses
Session 9
·  Summary / ·  Chart the main events from the story.
·  Encourage the students to condense the content of the story into 2- 3sentences. (In pairs)
·  Framing Question” If you had to tell someone what this book was about in only 2 to 3 sentences, what would you tell them?”
·  Get them to share their summaries.
·  Discuss with the students which are the best summaries and why.
Session 10
·  Determine theme / ·  Have different themes written on different cards. Discuss what each one means. Examples: hope, believe in yourself, teamwork/cooperation, compassion, forgiveness, accept the situation, differences, courage, kindness, never give up, loyalty, honesty. acceptance, tolerance (Refer to grade 3 and 4 server)
·  Discuss what some of these mean
·  Give real life examples
Session 11
·  Continue determining theme / ·  Review the theme cards and their meanings from session three.
·  Pair the students. Ask them “If you had to choose one or more of these cards to describe the book’s theme, which ones would you choose? Justify your thinking.