Stories Unit Plan: Understanding by Design

Stage 1:

Hayleigh Austin 2013

Established Goals: G01: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences. 1.1 Discover and Explore 1.1.1 Express ideas and develop understanding 1.1.2 Experiment with language and forms 1.2 Clarify and Extend 1.2.1 Consider the ideas of others 1.2.2 Combine ideas 1.2.3 Extend understanding G02: Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print, and other media text. All outcomes Students will understand that: Storytelling is a big part of how we communicate with and understand each other Stories can be communicated in a variety of ways and mediums Analyzing stories can help us to understand the world around us Reading/viewing/listening to other peoples stories can influence who we are and how we perceive the world Essential Questions: Why do we tell stories? What makes a story? Why do we read/view/listen to stories? Why should we be aware of other peoples stories? Students will know Symbolism Irony Short story elements o Plot o Character o Setting o Atmosphere/mood o Conflict Theme

Students will be able to Recognize stories around them Share stories about themselves Articulate the theme of a given story and create a theme statement Recognize literary elements that contribute to the theme of a story Write a personal response to a story Increase their understanding of a person by listening to their story/stories Discuss characters/relationships/choices/motives Write theme paragraphs Demonstrate understanding of short stories though reading comprehension questions Stage 2: Assessment Evidence Performance Tasks: Personal response journal Symbolism/Irony Webquest Transmediation Theme paragraphs Story composition and sharing Other Evidence Oral storytelling Discussions Reading comprehension exam

Hayleigh Austin 2013

Stage 3: Learning Plan (Each activity addresses all three goals, Acquisition, Making Meaning, and Transfer no activity is in isolation) LANGUAGE ARTS Teaching/Learning Activity Questions Assessment Primary Goal/Type Oral storytelling story What stories do Formative Transfer circle students want to share with each other? What does oral storytelling look like? Oral storytelling reflection What affect does Formative Meaning Making telling a story have on us? What affect does listening to our
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Hayleigh Austin 2013

Why do we tell stories class discussion Is that a story? looking at a variety of mediums The Joy of Books Geris Game To This Day (Bullying spoken word) SHORT STORY Cancer Dance Cat vs. Internet Rwandan Genocide photo Shel Silverstein poem Blown Away Carrie Underwood Elements of a short story Think pair share Class brainstorm Teacher fills in the gaps *use elements of plot notes, short story, and setting notes* Identify the stories we have already watched/listened to/read and which elements they had and how those elements contributed to the story Why should we analyze stories and why should we respond to them? Class discussion Responding to stories Personal response

peers stories have on us? Why do we tell Formative stories? In what ways can a Formative story be told, or communicated? How do we know a story is a story?

Acquisition Acquisition

What makes a story? What elements are needed to tell a story? What do various elements contribute to the themes and meanings of a story?

Why should we analyze stories and why should we respond to them? How does personally

Formative Acquisition (read/view/listen to Meaning Making more stories, have students individually and then in groups identify the various elements and how they contribute meaning to the story) Lose Yourself (Eminem) Partly Cloudy Reunited photo SHORT STORY Addictions dance Formative Meaning Making

Summative

Transfer
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Hayleigh Austin 2013

(choose one of the stories we have looked at). Show example

Symbolism, Foreshadowing and Irony Webquest

Analyzing short stories (in general) As a class, use the How to Read a Story Critically document and look critically at The Choice and The Paperman Analyzing short stories (for theme) As a class (*use theme document*) stories we have already worked with (The Joy of Books, The Choice, The Cancer Dance). Forming theme paragraphs As a class (The Cancer Dance) Individually choose 3 Showing understanding of a story through transmediation?

responding to a story change our understanding of the story? How does it change us, as a person? What are symbolism, foreshadowing and irony and how are they used in stories? How can we read/view/listen to stories critically? What do we gain when we do so?

Formative

Acquisition

Formative

Meaning Making

How can we Formative analyze short stories? How can we determine what the theme of a story is?

Acquisition

How can we form a theme paragraph?

Summative

Acquisition

Sharing our stories and

How does representing a story in another way help us to understand the story? How can

Summative

Transfer

Summative

Meaning Making
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Hayleigh Austin 2013

hearing our peers stories

listening/seeing/r eading about our peers stories help us to understand them? How do we select the best medium to tell our stories and how does that medium affect our intended meaning?

Transfer

Note: Activities are not written in stone! They will be adjusted according to student interest and ability, and teacher goals/purpose.