Lesson

Introduction to Unit Date Day One

Title/Focus
Subject/Grade Time
English 10-1 60 minutes
Level Duration
How do our personal experiences shape our
Unit Teacher Erin Yaremcio
views of others?

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General 1. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas,
Learning feelings and experiences.
Outcomes:
4. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to create oral, print, visual
and multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
Specific 1.2.1.b - Consider new perspectives: identify own ideas, perspectives and interpretations
Learning and evaluate them for depth of explanation, evidence or support; and consider the ideas,
Outcomes: perspectives and interpretations of others to broaden own understandings when exploring
and responding to texts

4.1.3 – Develop content

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Understand the purpose of poetry journals
2. Understand the purpose of exit slips
3. Examine artefacts from the Unit Overview Box and determine categories that may/may not fit into
our unit inquiry question
ASSESSMENTS
Observations:  Students are comfortable interacting with each other and with myself.
Key Questions:  How do our personal experiences shape our views of others?
 What can I do to make you feel more comfortable/successful?
 What do you think this unit is going to be about?
 What could our main inquiry question be?
Products/  Students will complete a Self-Survey online for me to read and to get to
Performances: know my students better.
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
 Alberta Program of Studies  SMART board
 ED 3602 Classroom Games  Laptop
 ED 3603 Unit Box  Whiteboard markers and white board
 Student’s technological devices
 Self-Presentation
 Poetry Journals
 Sticky notes
 Unit Syllabuses
 Unit Overview Box
 Exit Slip Collection Bin
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Have one of the “To Kill A Mockingbird” memes on the SMART board. Have
the link to the Survey Monkey Quiz written on the whiteboard.

1
 Introduction Time
Getting the Class As the class comes in, introduce yourself to each student as they
Settled enter and greet them with a high-five/handshake if appropriate 2 min
(feel the energy of the students first and ask for permission).
Body Time
Get to Know Me/ Gather attention to myself at the front of the classroom. Introduce
Get To Know You myself and show my life via the little presentation I have prepared
beforehand. Ensure that students understand that I am here to help
and to cultivate joy for learning. Answer any questions that
students may have.

Transition to student surveys. Talk about how these surveys will

help me get to know the students, and that any and all information 15 min
will be confidential. Have students take out their technology and
enter in the survey URL to complete. Once they are done the
survey, they can sit and chat quietly amongst themselves.

Call attention back to myself. Thank students for completing

surveys. (If time permits, start a small group bonding activity such
as the line game from ED 3602).
Classroom Rules and Go over the classroom rules and expectations that I would like
Expectations students to keep in mind. Tell students that I will be available
before school and at lunch if they ever need someone to talk to –
and that if I’m not available I will let them know ahead of time. 5 min
Go over personal technology expectations. Ask students for their
feedback and suggestions for more rules and expectations of each
other and of me! Write down everything on the board.
Unit Discovery Box Bring out the Unit Discovery Box. Have students pull out the
different objects in the box and write them down on the board (use
student helpers). In small student-chosen groups, have students
group the different objects into categories. Allow for time to
discuss in the small groups before each group answers with what
kinds of categories they created – while they are working on this,
walk around the classroom and notify those that you will call on, 20 min
that they will be called on. Have students in a large group
discussion try to determine what the unit will be about – not just
the texts and types of assessments we will be doing. At the end,
ask open ended questions to further student inquiry and transition
without much explanation to the unit overview/syllabus (see Unit
Overview/Syllabus)
Unit Overview/ Go over unit syllabus and overview and tie concepts, texts and
Syllabus assessments back to the objects in the Unit Discovery Box.
Answer any questions that students may have about the unit
syllabus. Elaborate on any concepts that they are having issues 5 min
with. Ensure that students know what is coming, and that more
information about the projects will be coming soon. Answer any
questions that students may have.
Intro to Poetry Introduce poetry journals. Calm any fears that students may have 5 min
Journals about writing poetry. Explain that these journals and the prompts

2
 are not for me, but for them. Students do not have to explicitly
write poetry everyday – they can write anything they need/want to
– as long as they are writing. Ensure that students know that they
will be writing in these, and they will be kept with me, and I will
not read them without permission. Tell students that tomorrow I
will be handing these journals out. Answer any questions that
students may have.
Intro to Exit Slips Introduce exit slips and explain how they will help me understand
where the students are in their comprehension of that day’s lesson.
Demonstrate, by drawing an enlarged sticky note on the board, and
5 min
writing the areas of where the different concepts should be.
Highlight that these are all anonymous so they can be as truthful as
they want! Answer any questions that students may have.
Closure Time
Exit Slips Hand out the sticky notes, write out the concepts on the enlarged
sticky note on the board. As students are leaving have them place
the sticky note in the collection bin by the door. 3 min
Today’s concept: What is your biggest concern about me/this
course?

Reflections from the

lesson