What is Peace?

Novel Based Unit Plan

Learning Situation
Students will explore what peace means to them and what it means to others. Through
the reading of the class novel Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, students will
learn about the importance of peace, and what peace means to people around the
world.

Cycle: 3 (Grade 5)

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, students will be able to express and expand their understanding
of peace through the reading of the class novel and comparisons to their community.
Students will also be able to relate the ideas of peace they learn about to their own
lives.

Materials:
Students novels
Students writing copybooks
Writing materials
Laptop and slides for each lesson

Subject-Specific Competencies (English Language Arts):

To read and listen to literary, popular and information-based texts
To write self-expressive, narrative, and information based texts
To represent his/her literacy in different media
To use language to communicate and learn

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
To use information
To exercise critical judgment
To use creativity
To adopt effective work methods
To use information and communications technologies (ICT)
To construct his/her identity
To cooperate with others
To communicate appropriately
Broad Areas of Learning
Citizenship and Community Life
Health and Well-Being

Procedure

Introduction What is peace?

o Prior to starting the novel, ask students What is peace?
o Allow students to brainstorm and share ideas
o Create a mind map on the smart board to provide students with a visual
representation of all their ideas
o Use pictures of peaceful places and moments
o Provide students with a brainstorming template to jot down what peace means
to them, and when they feel at peace

Students will use the

following Mind Map
throughout this lesson:
 Development How do we celebrate Peace?
o After reading chapter 3 of the novel, have students discuss Peace Day. How
do they celebrate?
o Discuss different ways we celebrate Peace in our communities. Mention
Remembrance Day. Ask students if they celebrate in different ways in their
cultures.
o Use Venn diagram to represent the similarities and differences between how
Peace is celebrated in Japan and how it is celebrated here.
o Have students relate their new knowledge to the mind map created in the last
lesson

Example of Venn Diagram given to students:

Peace Day Remembrance day

Development Is Peace important? Why or why not?

o Discuss the events in the news, and the events we read about in the novel.
Discuss cause and effect.
o Have students write a short journal regarding their opinion on the importance of
peace.
o Have students add new knowledge to the mind map created in the last lesson

Development What does peace mean to you?

o Have students demonstrate what peace means to them. Have them refer back
to their brainstorming mind maps from previous lessons to help develop ideas.
Give students the following choices for their assignment:
Create your own peace symbol. Students will have to be able to explain
either verbally or in writing why this symbol or image represents peace.
 Have students write about what peace means to them, and find images
online (or students can take their own pictures) to represent their
understanding of peace.
o Using Technology: Students will be able to create their own PhotoVoice
presentations.

Conclusion Celebration of students work.

o Once all the PhotoVoice assignments have been completed, we will watch
them together as a class.
o While students are watching their peers representations of peace, they will
evaluate each other. This will ensure that everyone is paying attention.

Differentiation strategies:

Provide choices for students final assignments.

o Students can either use their creativity to design their own peace symbol,
o OR students will write about what peace means to them.
If necessary, decrease the length of students written work for students with special
needs. Focus on their ideas rather than spelling/grammar.

Evaluation:

Students will use

the following
Checklist at the
end of every class
Peer Evaluation:

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Evaluation from the teacher:

Students will be evaluated on their final PhotoVoice project.

Students will be evaluated using the following rubric:

Students will be evaluated on a three-point scale:

3 = Excellent surpasses expectations
2 = Satisfactory meets expectations
1 = Poor Below expectations

Comments/Reflection after lesson: