Language Planner

Nov 18 Dec 20, 2013 Length of unit: 5 weeks Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goals: Students will write original historical fiction. In Unit of Inquiry, each student will research a specific time period/event in history and use their findings to shape their narrative. Conceptual Understandings: Essential Questions: Student will show their How do authors incorporate historical understanding of how: details to help make the story realistic / believable? (PYP concept: effective stories have a purpose and structure that helps to make connection) the authors intention clear What makes characters in historical fiction believable? (concept: stories that people want to read are built around themes to which they connection, perspective) can make connections What can a reader learn from reading historical fiction? (concept: reflection) What strategies could you use to see historical events through the eyes of others? (concept: perspective) Students will know . . . (Knowledge) Students will be able to . . . (Skills) Plan an original narrative showing an How to organize a story (p 305 NSW understanding of the Knowledge Models Stage 3): components Orientation: (introduction) in which Use appropriate paragraphing to the characters, setting and time of the support the readers understanding story are established. Usually answers Integrate historical details into their who? when? where? narrative Complication or problem: The Use figurative language (similes, complication usually involves the main metaphors) and other descriptive character(s). vocabulary (verbs, adjectives, nouns; ex. Resolution: There needs to be a hobbled down the dim, gas-lit street) resolution of the complication. The Plan, draft, edit and revise, showing complication may be resolved for better improvement in their writing or worse/happily or unhappily. Sometimes there are a number of complications that have to be resolved. Plot: What is going to happen? (beginning, middle and end) Structure: How will the story begin? What will be the problem? How is the problem going to be resolved? Setting: Where and when will the story take place? Characterization: Who are the main

characters? What do they look like? How do they behave? Theme: What is the theme / message the writer is exploring? Coda: How has the character/s changed by the end of the story? Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Pre-Assessment: 1. Children to think about the 2 Conceptual Understandings and write their thoughts/ examples on sticky notes. (see Conceptual Understandings box above) 2. Teachers will read part a historical fiction picture book to the children. The children will write the final part of the story. Performance Task: Students will write an original historical narrative inspired by their research into a particular time and place in history. The story must blend / balance the fiction elements with the historical elements. Other Evidence: o Content discussions and reflections about stories being read aloud (see Knowledge box) o Essential questions reflections (written, audio, video) at the beginning, middle and end of unit o independent writing-in-progress

Moderation of assessment: Teachers will assess the childs understanding of: Skills (see above) + Application (students create a quality continuum of written narrative sample texts Thorough, Sound, Basic, Limited) to the childs original narrative. Students in each of the 3 classes will use the same co-constructed criteria list for self-, peerand teacher-assessment. Stage 3 Learning Plan Learning Activities: (include differentiation) - a variety of historical narratives to be read aloud, discussed and deconstructed using the 8 comprehension strategies (prior knowledge, asking questions, monitoring for meaning, making inferences, determining importance, synthesizing) - students to create a quality continuum: read, discuss and analyze stories written by previous grade 5 children; evaluate the story against co-constructed criteria; create OJs (Overall Judgments) supported by evidence (claim + evidence routine) - writing short narratives: shared writing and individual writing Beginner EAL Support: The Language of Description (from Communication Across Cultures) - Students will map out their story in pictures first (comic life or hand-drawn), then create speech bubbles; make an audio recording of themselves telling the story; extend into formal writing

Reflection: