FRIT 7430: Instructional Design

Stage 3,
Understanding by
Design
Fall 2009

Sarah Wiggins
11/30/2009
 Title of Unit Understandin Grade Level 5th
g
Informational
text

Standard:
Grade: 5
ELA5R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a
warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and
informational texts.

ELA5W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.

ELA5W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.

ELA5LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media in
order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and
understand ideas.

Understandings:
• Facts are the foundation of informational text. (Explanation)

• Information is knowledge that is either communicated or received.

(Interpretation)

• Readers can apply the ideas found in informational text, using the
research process, to create their own connections and form their own
opinions. (Application)

• People can form differing opinions from the same information.

(Perspective)

• Understanding the different opinions, can help make our own

knowledge stronger. (Empathy)

• The connections I make through informational reading can be used to

shape and/ or persuade others. (Self-knowledge)

Essential Questions: How can we identify, understand, and use

different kinds of information?
Overarching Questions:
• Where can we find information?
• How can we use information?
• What helps us shape our
opinions?
Topical Questions:
• How can you identify facts
within an informational text?
• What sources or reference
materials can be used to find
facts about a specific topic?

• What writing structure can be

used to create a news report
about a specific topic?

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences

Week 1

Day 1:
• Provide the students with a pretest to determine prior knowledge and
understandings regarding facts, opinions, different genres (fiction,
nonfiction) and terminology. (T, W)

• Begin by introducing the unit in which students will be participating.

Introduce the overarching essential questions. Provide a handout to go
in the notebook so that students can revisit this as they move through
the unit.(H, W, T, O)

• Have students begin a notebook that will hold all the important
information and any notes or definitions they will need for the unit.
Provide assignment checklist to be used as a Table of Contents within
the notebook. (O, E)

• Using the ACTIV board and handouts introduce the Performance Task in
which the students will participate. Rubrics will also be given out during
this time to be placed in notebooks and reviewed at a later time.(W, H,
E, O)

• Allow students to choose their groups. Since the students have already
taken the Multiple Intelligence Assessment on line, they can use this
information to help guide them in creating their groups. The teacher
will instruct them to find only one type of intelligence when making
their groups. The teacher will also provide guidance to make sure that
the ELL students and the Special Education students are spread
 throughout the groups and not combined in one group. (H, T)

• Allow them to decide if they will be persuading the neutral states to join
the north or the south.(Understanding: interpretation, Perspective &
Self – knowledge) (H,W, R)

• Introduce/Review ELA vocabulary that will be used for the unit:

information, persuasion, facts, opinions, main idea, supporting details,
logical order, compare & contrast. Use a graphic organizer that can be
placed in the back of the notebook and used as a glossary. Students will
have the ability to add more terms as the unit continues.
(Understanding: explanation) (W, E, T, O)

Day 2:
• Use the social studies text book to discuss locating information.
Students will create a KWL chart about their prior knowledge of the Civil
War. Then using the parts of the text book, they will locate the answers
to their “L” section. ** Note that the Social Studies book will not be able
to answer all of the things they Want to Learn. This will open a
conversation as to what other sources could be used to find
information. Hand out a graphic organizer that explains the types of
books and how each can be used. Additionally, discuss with students
the use of the internet to help identify facts that answer questions.
ELA5R1 Where can we find information? (Understanding: Explanation,
Interpretation & Application) (W, H, E, T, O)

• Using the prior conversation… teach a mini lesson that refreshes their
memory of research skills and using the Internet to access information
remind students about Internet Usage Policies) ELA5W3 Where can we
find information? What sources or reference materials can be used to
find facts about a specific topic? (W)

Day 3:

• Fact vs Opinion: Use For Home and Country: A Civil War Scrapbook as a
response to literature. Have the students identify opinions and facts
that are seen within the pages of the book. ELA5R1 How can you
identify facts within an informational text? (Understanding: Explanation
& Interpretation) (H, E)

• Work with the students to identify the qualities of fact vs. the qualities
of an opinion. For instance, notice that facts are dependent upon
specific nouns and verbs where opinions are often accompanied by
descriptive words and phrases. ELA5R1 How can you identify facts
within an informational text? (Understanding: Interpretation) (E)

• Then, use the ACTIV votes to assess students knowledge of facts and
 opinions with general statements about the Civil War. ELA5R1
(Understanding: Application) (W, H, E, E)

• Students will determine their topic by forming an opinion that they

want to write their article about. They will need to work with their group
so that they have different topics within the group. What helps us
shape our opinions?(Understanding: Perspective & Self-knowledge) (W,
H, R)

Day 4 - 6: (In Media Center)

• Students will create 3 strong questions that will need to be researched
in order to create their news article. Groups should work cooperatively
to help each other create quality questions that can be answered with
more than a yes or no answer. (For lower learners, provide a list of
questions they can choose from) ELA5R1 (Understanding:
Interpretation, Application, & perspective) (E, R, T)

• Using the computer lab, reference sections, and non-fiction section of

the Media Center, have students work to gather resources that will
provide answers to their questions. Differentiate by providing lower
level students with a specific list of resources that can help guide their
questions and answers. ELA5R1 ELA5W3 What sources or reference
materials can be used to find facts about a specific topic?
(Understanding: Interpretation & Application)(E, R, T)

Week 2

Day 6: Continue work listed in above week for days 4 – 6. (Assess

pacing of students, if need more time, allow for such)

Day 7: (If more time is not needed, proceed with day 7)

• Review the term Bibliography (add to glossary of terms) Have students
work in their cooperative groups to site their sources. Provide a graphic
organizer that will be a “fill in the blank” bibliography to aid students in
this difficult task. ELA5W3 (Understanding: Interpretation) (E, R, O)

• Using the sources, students will create an annotated bibliography.

Students will state the main idea of the source and the supporting
details to create a quality paragraph. Accompanying the paragraph
should be an opinion statement expressing how the student can use
this article to help persuade the listener during the news show. (** for
lower learners, provide a graphic organizer for them to complete, it is
not needed for them to create the entire article, they need to identify
their source and provide 3 facts they gained from reading it.) ELA5R1
 ELA5W2 What writing structure can be used to create a news report
about a specific topic? What helps us shape our opinions?
(Understanding: Interpretation, Application, Perspective) (E, T)

Day 8:
• Review the different genres of writing and the purpose for each.
Remind the students of the elements of a persuasive piece of writing.
ELA5W2 What writing structure can be used to create a news report
about a specific topic? (Understanding: Application) (E,R)

• Use the annotated bibliography and the sources to create quality

articles that will inform and persuade the listener to want to join the
“side” in the Civil War. (** Assist the lower learners so that they can
provide an opinion and support it with 3 facts from their reading, have
them dictate the paragraph to help with staying on pace and allow
them to be successful contributors) ELA5W2 What writing structure can
be used to create a news report about a specific topic? (Understanding:
Application) (E, R, T)

• After writing the article, work in the cooperative groups to revise and
edit so that they can begin their news show. ELA5W2 (E, R, T)

Day 9:
• Work in groups to plan how they will film their news show. (O)

• Provide students with a Job Chart so that all students will have equal
parts when creating the show. During the production, the students will
utilize their Multiple Intelligences to make sure they are helping in their
best way. Students who are logical can guide the plan, the
interpersonal students can be the anchor positions, and the musical can
help provide the effects. The Visual Spatial students can create the
backdrops, and the Bodily Kinesthetic can be the videographers. (T, O)

• Turn in the plan along with the Student Self Assessment and Inventory.
The teacher will use this as a formative assessment along with the
written articles. (W, E, O)

Day 10 - 11: In Media Center

• Upon approval from teacher, students can begin creating news show.
Media Specialist will provide initial instruction for using the video
resources. Students may utilize news room, go in the courtyard, or use
the computer lab for recording (The school has at least 5 video cameras
that can be checked out for use) . ELA5W2 (E, R)
Week 3

Day 11 – 12: Continue to film news show (IT will assist students in editing
during these days)
• If students finish, they should review the film and edit according to the
instructions of the IT. (R, E)

Day 13:
• All students should be editing and self assessing their work. (R, E)

• If finished, students will read a variety of texts about the Civil War
(fictional as well as non-fiction) independently to identify the facts,
opinions, and information within the text. Students will demonstrate
their understandings be completing a graphic organizer in which they
show what type of literature the text is and what facts and opinions
they identify. (Understanding: Interpretation & Application) ELA5R1
How can we use information? What helps us shape our opinions? (E, R)

Day 14:
• Students will present their news shows. ELA5LSV2 (E, E)

• The other students will use a rubric to assess the students’

performance. The teacher will use the same rubric to evaluate the final
product. (Understanding: Perspective, Empathy & Self-knowledge) (E, E)

Day 15:
• Finish presentations if time is needed.

• Post Test to assess students understanding of facts, opinions, different

genres (fiction, nonfiction) and terminology. ELA5R1 (Understanding:
Application) (E)

Notes to the Instructor

It is my hope that the elements are self explanatory. I have included

the standard, the understanding, along with the WHERETO element.

I chose not to apply the additional standards, but there are many
more 5th grade standards that are applied through this lesson.

On a final note. I thought through this lesson with realistic

expectations and I provided time to teach and students to work.
When I looked back at my Stage 2 daily plan, I realized I had not
given enough time to complete the actually assignments and
therefore the days are different. I think this is the wonderful thing
about creating units in this fashion, the time for the educator to look
back and reflect on each stage.

Stage 3 Scoring Rubric

(0 Points) (2-3 Points) (4-5 Points) Your

Scor
e
1 Does not clearly Codes some learning Clearly codes each
. communicate activities with activity with WHERETO
WHERETO for WHERETO
learning activities Includes a pretest to check
for prerequisite skills and
Fails to provide a knowledge.
pretest for learners.

2 Alignment is not There is evidence of Alignment is clearly

. demonstrated alignment between demonstrated between
between some of the instructional strategies,
instructional instructional standards, and
strategies, strategies, standards, understandings of the
standards, and and understandings unit.
understandings of of the unit.
the unit.
Matches all essential
questions,
understandings, skills,
and knowledge with a
corresponding
instructional strategy.

3 Instruction has one Utilizes Gardner’s Utilizes Gardner’s

. global starting point strategy to provide strategy to provide
for all learners. different “Entry different “Entry Points” to
Points.” meet the needs of all
No evidence of an types of intelligences.
attempt at Evidence of an
differentiation attempt at Clear plan for
differentiation exists differentiation
4 Fails to provide Provides Provides numerous
. opportunities for opportunities for opportunities for students
students to RETHINK students to RETHINK to RETHINK big ideas,
ideas, REFLECT, and big ideas, REFLECT REFLECT on progress,
to REVISE work. on progress, and and to REVISE work.
REVISE their work.
5 (0 Points) (1 Points) (3 Points)
. Does not indicate Includes the use of Includes the use of
the use of technology technology in a
technology in a meaningful way.
meaningful way
“Off the shelf” resources
are properly referenced
7 (0 Points) (1 Points) (2 Points)
. Assignment is not Assignment Assignment is organized
organized somewhat organized
Assignment Instructions
Assignment Most assignment followed
Instructions not instructions followed
followed No errors in grammar or
A few errors in form that distracted the
Several errors in grammar and form reader.
grammar and form, which distracted the
which distracted the reader
reader
Your Total Score /25