Unit Plan Template Guide

Understanding By Design Framework

Subject English/Science/Art Grade Level One

Time Frame - Developed by Alex Hoover

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standard (s) (Front Matter)

Specific Learner Expectations

English
o 1.1
o 1.2
o 2.3
o 2.4 Create Original Text

- generate ideas
o generate and contribute ideas for individual or group oral, print and other media texts
- Elaborate on the expression of ideas
o change, extend or complete rhymes, rhythms and sounds in pattern stories, poems, nursery rhymes and other oral,
print and other media texts
- Structure texts
o write, represent and tell brief narratives about own ideas and experiences

3.1, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,

Art - tbd

Science - tbd

Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas: Essential Questions:

Students will understand...
 How to construct a sentence
 What a poem is
 What a theme is
Skills/Attitudes objectives (General outcomes):
Students will be able to...
 Use fine motor skills to create various crafts
 Write sentences using proper grammar and
sentence structure
 Gain a sense of global citizenship in accordance to
the animal life that shares our land.
 What is a poem
 Can you write a poem about anything?
 What is a theme?
 What is a habitat
 Why are habitats special?
 Can you live in any habitat?
 What happens if we turn all of the land into cities?
Related misconceptions . . .
 Poems have to rhyme
 Capital letters can go on any letter in any part of a sentence
 You don’t need to use punctuation
 Animals can live in any habitat

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
No final summative performance task

Standards & Criteria for Attach rubric

Success
Student Self-Assessments Other Evidence (assessments)
Students will share their poems with other students to
gain feedback for juicy words and grammar/spelling.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Lesson Materials
# Lesson Activity Key Outcomes Evidence
Title Resources
Engagement: Ask what is poetry. Gather some ideas
and build on the class’ thoughts. Show examples of
poetry, specifically cinquain, haiku, then list. Explain we
will all become poets and make our very own list poem.
Go on to tell the students an ouch story, after have
discussion of what would have caused me to say ouch.
Create a class list of the words on the board.

Hands on: Students make their own ouch list of ~7 English literacy
Words express and
things that would make them say ouch. Students who
relate to the topic.
finish early can draw a scene of one example. Expressing a
conceptual topic
Lower & upper case
Assessment as/for learning: Students will read their with words.
letters are used
1 Ouch! finished rough copy to another student who will
properly.
provide feedback to add juicy words. It will be Hand eye
encouraged for students to try and find at least one coordination
The product is
juicy word that could be added, because we can always
complete, with all
improve our work. Fine Motor skill
steps followed.
---------------------------------------------------------- development
Students work as a class following my example at the
front to create a band aid from construction paper.
They then transfer their ouch list onto the band aid.

Show and share: We can then take pictures with

students holding their poems (and covered in band
aids?)

Engagement: Play I’m tired (Do as I do with sleeping

actions between rambunctious activities). English literacy

Review: Ask what is a poem? Using Proper

grammar (upper
Question: Ask students if they have ever been tired. Go case, lowercase, Words express and
on to ask what made them tired. Gather some answers and periods. relate to the topic.
and then ask the students “can we make something out
of this?” “What?” We are going to make our very own Expressing a Lower & upper case
2 I’m tired poems out of this (show exemplar). conceptual topic letters are used
with words. properly.
Hands on: Students create sentences of things that
make them tired (these cannot be one word like the list Hand eye The product is
poem). It follows the template coordination complete, with all
I ___________ steps followed.
I am tired Fine Motor skill
I ___________ development
I am tired
I ___________
 …
…
I go to bed.

Assessment as/for learning: Students will read their

rough copy to another student who will provide
feedback to add juicy words. It will be encouraged for
students to try and find at least one juicy word that
could be added, because we can always improve our
work.

---------------------------------------------------------
Students work as a class following instruction to make
the bed crafts for their good copy poems. They then
transfer their poems onto the craft.

Engagement: Ask the students what a habitat is. Ask

what different habitats can they think of that are in
alberta? Talk about one of the habitats and think about
what it looks like, what different animals and plants live
Understands
there,
various animals
Discuss juicy words and how to apply them to our
have specific
thoughts.
needs that are
met in particular
Hands on: Inform the students that they can pick any of
habitats.
the habitats of alberta. Add any of these that are
missing from what students discussed.
All habitats have
Mountains
properties that
Forest
make them Words express and
Plains
unique relate to the topic.
Lake
City
Which habitats Lower & upper case
Have students make their rough copy of the poem. This
can be found in letters are used
is a descriptive poem made up of full sentences
alberta properly.
Habitat
3 The air is fresh and cold
Poem English literacy The product is
Tall trees are all around
complete, with all
Deers eat the grass
Using Proper steps followed.
Grey jays fly up high
grammar (upper
Alberta forests
case, lowercase, The sentences are
and periods. appropriate to the
Assessment as/for learning: Students will read their
chosen habitat.
finished rough copy to another student who will
Expressing a
provide feedback to add juicy words. It will be
conceptual topic
encouraged for students to try and find at least one
with words.
juicy word that could be added, because we can always
improve our work.
Hand eye
coordination
Students then make a final copy…
Fine Motor skill
(For this one should we have them just draw a picture
development
and put this one the front/side of it? The options make
it hard to construct a single craft)

5 senses English literacy

Engagement: Review the five senses with the class. Talk Words express and
Poem
4 about how we use our senses to help us every day. relate to the topic.
(maybe Using Proper
What are some different things you can sense?
liked to grammar (upper
 habitats Remind students that poems go towards a theme, we case, lowercase, Lower & upper case
too?) are looking to create a poem based on a place that you and periods. letters are used
would use all 5 senses. See what the class can come up properly.
with for places. Expressing a
conceptual topic The product is
Model this poem on the board, or ask for students to with words. complete, with all
make one as a class. steps followed.
Hand eye
I see… a large tent coordination The words make sense
The sight is… bright and colourful according to the
I smell… Hot dogs Fine Motor skill appropriate sense.
The scent is… delicious development
I Taste… Cotton candy
The flavour is… sweet
I feel… a stuffy prize
The texture is… fuzzy and soft
I hear… clowns laughing
The sound is… loud and happy
Title The Carnival

Hands on: Have students go and work on creating their

very own unique poems the template above.

Assessment as/for learning: Students will read their

finished rough copy to another student who will
provide feedback to add juicy words. It will be
encouraged for students to try and find at least one
juicy word that could be added, because we can always
improve our work.

Have them Draw a picture of their scene and then

attach a good copy of their poem to it.

(Maybe a little tough, not sure. )

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Considerations
Is there alignment between
the first 3 stages?
How has learner
differentiation been
addressed?
How does the unit design
include a variety of teaching
experiences that includes:
Indigenous, multicultural, and
interdisciplinary activities?
Sources consulted (APA
format)

Adapted by Jeff Turner (2016) from:

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexander, Virginia: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.

Llewellyn, D. (2013). Teaching high school science through inquiry and argumentation. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.