Teacher(s) Melissa Noriega

Subject group and discipline Language and literature: Language and literature

Unit title

MYP Year

Unit 3: The Power of Family and Friends

Year 4

Unit duration 6 weeks (22 hours)

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Key concept

Related concept(s)
Language and literature
Genres

Global context
Intertextuality

Connections

Identities and relationships

Exploration to Develop: Human nature and human

dignity; moral reasoning and ethical judgment;
consciousness and mind

Statement of inquiry
Universal truths about human nature and relationships transcend genre.
Inquiry questions
What are the elements of prose fiction
and drama?
Literary elements
Factual What are the techniques used to develop
character and conflict?
Characterization

Why do explorations of human

relationships and love and hate transcend time,
space, and genre in text?
Universal truths

Objectives

Summative assessment

A: Analysing
justify opinions and ideas, using examples,
explanations and terminology
B: Organizing
employ organizational structures that serve the
context and intention
C: Producing text
select relevant details and examples to develop
ideas.
D: Using language

Outline of summative assessment task(s) including assessment

criteria:

Factual

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Conceptual

To what extent do our family

backgrounds define us?
Family connections
Debatable

Relationship between summative assessment task(s) and

statement of inquiry:

Students will read and respond to one core text while

drawing support from texts of different genres with
similar characters, conflict, and theme in order to
explain the extent to which family background defines
one's character.

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 write and speak in a register and style that serve

the context and intention

Essay
December

5
Friday

9:00 PM

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Literary Analysis Paper (A, B, C,

D)
Goal: To analyze how family
dynamics shape a major character
in Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Role: Private investigator
Audience: General public of
modern time
Situation: You must inform the
public of what lead to the
character's downfall
Product: A 500-1,000 word essay
Standards:A.iii. justify opinions and
ideas, using examples,
explanations and terminology; B.i.
employ organizational structures
that serve the context and
intention; C. iii. select relevant
details and examples to develop
ideas; D.

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Essay
December

5
Friday

9:00 PM

Middle Years Programme Unit planner

Literary Analysis Paper (A, B, C,

D)
Goal: To analyze how family
dynamics shape a major character
in Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Role: Private investigator
Audience: General public of
modern time
Situation: You must inform the
public of what lead to the
character's downfall
Product: A 500-1,000 word essay
Standards:A.iii. justify opinions and
ideas, using examples,
explanations and terminology; B.i.
employ organizational structures
that serve the context and
intention; C. iii. select relevant
details and examples to develop
ideas; D.

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Essay
December

5
Friday

9:00 PM

Middle Years Programme Unit planner

Literary Analysis Paper (A, B, C,

D)
Goal: To analyze how family
dynamics shape a major character
in Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Role: Private investigator
Audience: General public of
modern time
Situation: You must inform the
public of what lead to the
character's downfall
Product: A 500-1,000 word essay
Standards:A.iii. justify opinions and
ideas, using examples,
explanations and terminology; B.i.
employ organizational structures
that serve the context and
intention; C. iii. select relevant
details and examples to develop
ideas; D.

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Essay
December

5
Friday

9:00 PM

Literary Analysis Paper (A, B, C,

D)
Goal: To analyze how family
dynamics shape a major character
in Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Role: Private investigator
Audience: General public of
modern time
Situation: You must inform the
public of what lead to the
character's downfall
Product: A 500-1,000 word essay
Standards:A.iii. justify opinions and
ideas, using examples,
explanations and terminology; B.i.
employ organizational structures
that serve the context and
intention; C. iii. select relevant
details and examples to develop
ideas; D.

Approaches to learning (ATL)

Language and literature
A: Analysing
justify opinions and ideas, using examples, explanations and terminology

Communication

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I. Communication skills
Reading, writing and using language to gather and
communicate information
Read critically and for comprehension
Use and interpret a range of discipline-specific
terms and symbols
Organize and depict information logically
Structure information in summaries, essays and
reports

Learning Experiences
In order to write a critical analysis essay over the
development of a character from literature, students
will read critically, interpret discipline-specific terms,
organize information logically, and structure the essay.

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Self-management

V. Reflection skills
(Re-)considering the process of learning; choosing and
using ATL skills
Identify strengths and weaknesses of personal
learning strategies (self-assessment)
Demonstrate flexibility in the selection and use of
learning strategies
Keep a journal to record reflections

Learning Experiences
In order to make the best choices for how to
demonstrate learning in layered curriculum units,
students will need to demonstrate flexibility in the
selection and use of learning strategies and identify
strengths and weaknesses of personal learning
strategies in a reflective journal.

Action: Teaching and learning through inquiry

Content

Learning process

Knowledge & Skills:

Knowledge & Skills TBD
Standards:

Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g.,
those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact
with other characters, and advance the plot
or develop the theme.
Writing
Text types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts, using
valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish
the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims, and create an organization that
establishes clear relationships among
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.

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Describe how you will differentiate teaching & learning for this unit?
Size: Adapt the number of items that the learner is expected to learn/complete
(reduce the length of an assignment, etc.)

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b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims

fairly, supplying evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of
both in a manner that anticipates the
audiences knowledge level and concerns.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 13
above.)
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question)
or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple
sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under
investigation.
Speaking & Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Initiate and participate effectively in a
range of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 910 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.

Time: Increase the amount of time the learner has to complete a task (provide students with extra time, etc.)
Level of Support: Increase the amount of personal assistance to an individual learner (one-on-one
conferencing, collaborative team teaching, peer-tutoring, etc.)
Difficulty: Adapt the skill level, problem type, or rules on how the learner may approach the work (allow the
use of a calculator, simplify content, decrease task directions, etc.)
Input: Adapt the way instruction is delivered (visual aids, media presentations, demonstrations, flexible
grouping, etc.)
Output: Adapt how the student can respond to instruction
Participation: Adapt the extent to which a learner is actively involved in the task
Alternate Goals: Adapt the goals or outcome expectations while using the same materials
Substitute Curriculum: Provide different instruction and materials to meet a learners individual goals

Learner Profile
Reflective: In order to make the best choices for how to learn and demonstrate learning, students will write reflections on choices made in layered curriculum units.

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Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry

Prior to teaching the unit

During teaching

After teaching the unit

What do students already know, and what can they do?

What does experience tell us about what to expect in
this unit?
Some students already know techniques authors use
for characterization and which learning strategies are
their strengths and weaknesses. From past
experience I know that many students are familiar
with Romeo and Juliet, but have misconceptions
about the theme and the characters. I will need to be
strategic in highlighting motifs, actions, and dialogue
that can clarify those misconceptions. Namely they
believe it is a story about the power of love, while
overlooking the fact that Romeo and Juliet do not
really even know each other. They often miss the
message about the danger of acting impulsively.

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