Katherine Hathcock FRIT 8530 Dr.

Clark UbD Unit with Podcast

Understanding By Design Backwards Design Process (Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002) *Six Facets are labeled in red and featured in Stage Three Stage 1 Desired Results Content Standard(s): ELA6R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts. e. Identifies and analyzes the elements of setting, characterization, plot, and the resolution of the conflict of a story or play: i. internal/external conflicts ii. character conflicts, characters vs. nature, characters vs. society iii. antagonist/protagonist. Understanding (s)/goals Students will understand that: Characters in stories have complex traits. Many traits held by characters are shared by the reader. Characters are often used by authors to teach or contribute to concepts. Setting contributes to development of character, plot, and conflicts. Conflicts in stories many times reflect conflict in everyday life. Plot and the characters contributions to the plot, reflect everyday life. Essential Question(s): How do our actions and what we say help tell us who we are as a person? How do characters actions and what they say help show readers who they are? How does what the author writes affect our opinion of characters? How does what other people say/think about us affect how we see ourselves? What importance does setting contribute to the actions of the character? Think about how where you live/have lived have shaped you as a person. How do both major and minor characters contribute to the development of the plot? How do the people in your life affect your goals/actions?

Student objectives (outcomes): Students will be able to: Explain what characterization is and how the author uses characterization to develop characters in his/her story. Explain what aspects contribute to the development of a

character. Explain how characters and their conflicts both contribute to the plot of the story as a whole. Explain the significance of setting and how it contributes to the plot of the story as a whole. Explain what the plot of a story is by completing a plot diagram of the story.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Performance Task(s): Other Evidence: Copy Powerpoint notes Class value chart (described in Day One) that Journal prompts that elicit serves as a pre-assessment students personal for student knowledge. thoughts related to the works read. Post-it note reflection activity (also described in RAFT paper Day One) in order to show Informal class discussions how lesson is going Computer program activity through the perspective of for conflict, setting, the students. characterization, etc. Student group activity for development of character interview questions Student partner mock interview. Students write their own short story. Stage 3 Learning Plan This unit is meant to be performed within a weeks time in order to provide an introduction to certain literary elements. The flexibility of time for this unit must always be kept in consideration. Learning Activities: Day One On a chart with a graph labeled 1-10, students are asked to put a sticker to measure their level of comfort (1 being the lowest with 10 being the highest) with the literary elements characterization, plot, conflict, and setting. This serves as a pre-assessment (very informal in order to make it less intimidating for the students). Self-Knowledge Students view/listen to podcast to introduce them to literary elements. Students will also copy down the notes provided by the ppt. Teacher will remind students that not all elements shown in the podcast will be covered in the unit this week, but WILL be covered in following units.

Journal entry: If you had three wishes, what would they be and why? (Of course, teacher will have to remind students that they cannot wish for more wishes) Students are then provided a quick opportunity to share with the class (teacher also shares as well). Explanation/Empathy Students are only told the title and the authors name. Then they are asked what they believe the story will be about and their responses are recorded on the board. Interpretation Teacher reads aloud the story The Monkeys Paw by Jacobs in order to emphasize the intended effect of the language. Throughout the story, the teacher stops for discussion all the while serving as a guide. Pre-reading responses are compared to post-reading thoughts. Before leaving, and in order to serve as a quick review, students are asked to write on a post-it note what they understood well and what they still need clarification on. This serves as a reflection piece for the teacher in order to make any revisions to future lessons/activities if needed. Self-Knowledge

Day Two Teacher discusses any issues brought up by the Post-it notes and clarifies anything that needs to be clarified. Finish up anything from yesterday that wasnt covered. Quick review/summary is given of the Jacobs story from yesterday and as a class, a plot mountain is completed with the students copying it down in their notes. Explanation/ Interpretation/Application Students are asked to write responses in their journals to the following prompts (written on the board): Explanation/Interpretation/Application/Perspective/Empathy

Who are the main characters of the story? What are they experiencing during the story? How does this experience make them feel and think? What images did this story convey? What words or descriptions does Jacobs use to tell the audience how the main character is feeling and thinking?
Students are asked to put themselves in the shoes of the character Mr. or Mrs. White. In a RAFT paper, students write a letter to another chosen character from the story or a journal entry about what occurred in the story. Interpretation/Application/Perspective/Empathy Responses are shared with the class.

Before reading the next story, students are asked by the teacher the following questions for class discussion: Explanation/Empathy

Have you had a special occasion ruined because of someone else? Have you ever had a birthday that was so happy? Do you sometimes wish that you were older? Younger? Why? What are the advantages of both?
Responses are shared with the class. Empathy Before leaving, and in order to serve as a quick review, students are asked to write on a post-it note what they understood well and what they still need clarification on. This serves as a reflection piece for the teacher in order to make any revisions to future lessons/activities if needed. Self-Knowledge

Day Three Teacher discusses any issues brought up by the Post-it notes and clarifies anything that needs to be clarified. Finish up anything from yesterday that wasnt covered. Students are reminded of questions they were asked yesterday. Students read the short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros. Teacher reads aloud the story in order to show students the intended effect of the language. Throughout the story, the teacher stops for discussion all the while serving as a guide. Students are asked to write responses in their journals to the following prompts (written on the board): Explanation/Interpretation/Application/Perspective/Empathy

Who is the main character? What is she experiencing during the story? How does this experience make her feel and think? What images did this story convey? What words or descriptions does Cisneros use to tell the audience how the main character is feeling and thinking?
Students are encouraged to share their responses while the teacher continues to serve as the guide. A plot mountain is completed as a class on Eleven. Explanation/Interpretation/Application Students are to read Tuesday of the Other June for homework in order to prepare for the activities on Friday. Before leaving, and in order to serve as a quick review, students are asked to write on a post-it note what they understood well and what

they still need clarification on. This serves as a reflection piece for the teacher in order to make any revisions to future lessons/activities if needed. Self-Knowledge Day Four Teacher discusses any issues brought up by the Post-it notes and clarifies anything that needs to be clarified. Finish up anything from yesterday that wasnt covered.

Teacher reviews characterization, and how Cisneros portrays the main character to the audience through her language. Students then break off into groups of three (some groups of four possibly due to number of students). These groups are assigned by the teacher and comprise of high, middle, and low learning level students. The purpose of this is to expose more able students to help other less-able students, thus reinforcing the lesson for every level. Once in their groups, students create interview questions for the main character about the incident that occurs. These questions must further help explain the main character's point of view, words, thoughts, or actions during the story. Teacher must provide examples in order to ensure student understanding. When students have at least five questions, students are then moved into partners (again there may be a group of three depending on number). During this time, students conduct their interviews with each other, taking a turn to ask and answer questions checking each other with the provided rubric and providing for each other a potential grade for the activity (Appendix A). After the interviews, students independently complete a journal entry sharing what they now know about the main character and what specific words from the story support their response. Explanation/Interpretation/Application/Perspective/Empathy Students are reminded to read Tuesday of the Other June for homework in order to prepare for the activities on Friday. Students participate in the Post-it note reflection activity. SelfKnowledge

Day Five Teacher discusses any issues brought up by the Post-it notes and clarifies anything that needs to be clarified. Finish up anything from yesterday that wasnt covered. Teacher discusses Tuesday of the Other June from last night and clarifies any questions the students may have. As a class, students (with their ppt notes for extra help) go to the computer lab and go to http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/. They are to complete the character map, conflict map, resolution map, and setting map provided by the webpage by using information from

the story. Explanation/Interpretation/Application/Empathy Teacher walks around the computer lab and serves as a guide. Upon returning to class, the teacher introduces the summative assessment for the unit: students will write their own short story. Students will be provided a handout with the following information along with the rubric used to grade the assessment: Explanation/Interpretation/Application/Perspective/Empathy Students will be given one week to complete this assignment with a small segment every day in class until the due date set aside for questions or concerns about the assignment.

You will create your own short story that describes a main character through an experience at school, home, or any place you feel is significant. After revising and editing your short story, you will be given the option to share your creation with the class. After each story is shared, you can take a minute to sketch and describe your characters. You need to follow the enclosed rubric (Appendix B) in order to fulfill your desired grade. In addition to guidance from the teacher, a list of additional resources are provided for the students:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/plot-diagram/ http://www.learner.org/interactives/story/ http://staff.fcps.net/tcarr/shortstory/plot1.htm

Students participate in the Post-it note reflection activity and reminded that the elements covered in this unit will be revisited in future units. Self-Knowledge

Appendix A

Rubric Made Using: RubiStar ( http://rubistar.4teachers.org )

Interview : Main Character Interview

Teacher Name: Mrs. Hathcock

Student Name: CATEGORY

________________________________________ 4 Before the interview, the student prepared several in-depth AND factual questions to ask. Both the interviewer and the person being interviewed can be heard/understood very clearly on the tape with no wind or background noise. 3 Before the interview, the student prepared a couple of in-depth questions and several factual questions to ask. Both the interviewer and the person being interviewed can be heard/understood very clearly on the tape but there is some wind or background noise. 2 Before the interview, the student prepared several factual questions to ask. The person being interviewed can be heard/understood very clearly on the tape but the interviewer's voice is not easily heard. 1 The student did not prepare any questions before the interview.

Preparation

Sound Quality

The sound quaity is poor making it hard to hear/understand the person being interviewed.

Student never Student rarely Several times, the Student rarely interrupted or interrupted or student interrupted interrupted or hurried the person hurried the person or hurried the hurried the person Politeness being interviewed being interviewed person being being interviewed, and thanked them and thanked them interviewed AND but forgot to thank for being willing to for being willing to forgot to thank the the person. be interviewed. be interviewed. person. Student can Student can accurately answer accurately answer a several questions few questions about Student can Student cannot about the person the person who was accurately answer a accurately answer who was Knowledge Gained interviewed and can few questions about questions about the interviewed and can tell how this the person who was person who was tell how this interview relates to interviewed. interviewed. interview relates to the material being the material being studied in class. studied in class. The student listened The student listened carefully to the carefully to the person being person being The student asked a The student did not interviewed and interviewed and couple of follow-up ask any follow-up Follow-up asked several asked a couple of questions based on questions based on Questions relevant follow-up relevant follow-up what s/he thought what the person questions based on questions based on the person said. said. what the person what the person said. said. Date Created: November 21, 2011

Appendix B

Rubric Made Using: RubiStar ( http://rubistar.4teachers.org )

Story Writing : My Very Own Short Story

Teacher Name: Mrs. Hathcock

Student Name: CATEGORY

________________________________________ 4 3 2 1 No attempt was made to catch the reader's attention in the first paragraph.

Introduction

A catchy beginning First paragraph has First paragraph has was attempted but a "grabber" or a weak "grabber". was confusing catchy beginning. rather than catchy.

Setting

Characters

Some vivid, The reader can Many vivid, descriptive words figure out when and The reader has descriptive words are used to tell the where the story trouble figuring out are used to tell audience when and took place, but the when and where the when and where the where the story author didn't supply story took place. story took place. took place. much detail. The main characters The main characters The main characters It is hard to tell who are named and are named and are named. The the main characters clearly described in described. Most reader knows very are. text as well as readers would have little about the pictures. Most some idea of what characters. readers could the characters describe the looked like.

characters accurately. It is fairly easy for It is very easy for It is fairly easy for the reader to the reader to the reader to understand the It is not clear what understand the understand the Problem/Conflict problem the main problem the main problem the main problem the main characters face but characters face. characters face and characters face and it is not clear why it why it is a problem. why it is a problem. is a problem. There is an appropriate amount There is too much There is not quite of dialogue to bring dialogue in this enough dialogue in It is not clear which the characters to life story, but it is this story, but it is Dialogue character is and it is always always clear which always clear which speaking. clear which character is character is character is speaking. speaking. speaking. Several action verbs Several action verbs A variety of verbs are used to describe (active voice) are (passive voice) are Little variety seen what is happening used to describe used and describe in the verbs that are in the story, but the Action what is happening the action used. The story word choice doesn't in the story. The accurately but not seems a little make the story as story seems in a very exciting boring. exciting as it could exciting! way. be. The story contains The story contains a many creative The story contains a There is little few creative details details and/or few creative details evidence of and/or descriptions descriptions that and/or descriptions, creativity in the that contribute to Creativity contribute to the but they distract story. The author the reader's reader's enjoyment. from the story. The does not seem to enjoyment. The The author has author has tried to have used much author has used his really used his use his imagination. imagination. imagination. imagination. The solution to the The solution to the character's problem The solution to the No solution is character's problem is easy to character's problem attempted or it is Solution/Resolution is easy to understand, and is is a little hard to impossible to understand, and is logical. There are understand. understand. somewhat logical. no loose ends.

Spelling and Punctuation

Neatness

There are no spelling or punctuation errors There is one There are 2-3 The final draft has in the final draft. spelling or spelling and more than 3 Character and place punctuation error in punctuation errors spelling and names that the the final draft. in the final draft. punctuation errors. author invented are spelled consistently throughout. The final draft of The final draft of the story is the story is The final draft of The final draft is readable, neat and readable, clean, neat the story is readable not neat or attractive. It may and attractive. It is and some of the attractive. It looks have one or two free of erasures and pages are attractive. like the student just erasures, but they crossed-out words. It looks like parts of wanted to get it are not distracting. It looks like the it might have been done and didn't care It looks like the author took great done in a hurry. what it looked like. author took some pride in it. pride in it.

Date Created: November 21, 2011

References (2008). Rubistar. Retrieved from http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

(2011). Readwritethink. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/files/ Resources/interactives/lit-elements/

Dodson, Dawn. (2009, August 31). Creative ways to teach characterization lessons. Retrieved from http://www.lessonplanet.com/directory_articles/language_arts_ Lesson_plans/31_August_2009/100/creative_ways_to_teach_characterization_ lessons

Williams, Bradley. (2011). Literary Elements [PowerPoint slides].