Subject

Area
Grade
Level
Topic
Length of
Unit

English Language Arts

7
Course Intro: Building a Community of
Readers and Writers
4 weeks 20 days

Overview:
In this unit students will learn essential knowledge, skills and attributes
that will be carried throughout the course of the term. As such, this unit
is designed around fostering a community of readers which is the
foundation for English Language Arts learning. Students will have the
opportunity to explore and practice necessary skills that are vital in
developing literacy. Initially, we will begin to create a classroom
community through icebreaker activities. This time will ensure
assessment data can be gathered regarding student interests. From
their I will recommend books that I think each individual will enjoy. My
primary focus will be to meet students where they are at and
demonstrate to them that reading is a worthwhile activity. Students will
be exposed to various different genres and formats through teacher led
book talks and in-class activities. Additionally, they will begin to learn
about the writing process and paragraph writing prior to beginning the
next unit. Integrated within the unit is goal setting and reflection as well
as peer and self-evaluation.
Rationale:
Fostering a classroom community is essential for student learning.
When students feel safe they are more likely to take risks. As such, this
unit is longer so that students have time to build relationships with
myself as well as their peers. They also have time to practice routines
and expectations which will help ensure student success in the future.
My focus for this unit is creating a classroom of readers. In order to
ensure students continue to develop their literacy skills, I need to instill
this passion for reading in each of them. This means validating student
experiences, recommending high quality books that are interesting and
giving them time to practice. It also means introducing them to different
genres and formats that will expand their literary knowledge. This is the
foundation for the course and will help empower students to pursue
reading in the present as well as in the future.

Subject
Area
Grade
Level
Topic

English Language Arts

7

Length of
Unit

Course Intro: Building a Community of

Readers and Writers
4 weeks 20 days

Established Goals:
1 -Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts,
ideas, feelings and experiences
1.1 p
1.1.3 - Express Preferences
1.1.4 - Set Goals
2 - Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and
respond personally and criticallyto oral, print and other media texts
2.3 Understand forms, elements and techniques
2.3.1 Understand forms and genres
3 Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and
information.
3.3 Organize, Record and Evaluate
3.3.2 record information
3.3.3 evaluate information
4 - Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity
and artistry of communication
4.1 Enhance and Improve
4.1.1 Appraise own and others work
4.1.2 Revise & edit
4.1.3 Enhance legibility
Understandings:
Students will understand that

Their interests and experiences

are valued
Reading is the foundation to
developing literacy skills
Reading and writing are
enjoyable and worthwhile
activities
There are a variety of different
genres and formats to explore

Students will know

Their rights as readers
Different genres, formats, and

Essential Questions:

Why is reading important?

Do you see yourself as a reader?
How do we pick what to read?

Why is writing important?

Do you see yourself as a writer?
How do we go about writing?

How do we evaluate others work as

well as our own?

Students will be able to

Set realistic and specific goals
Pick quality literature

Subject
Area
Grade
Level
Topic

English Language Arts

7

Length of
Unit

elements
The writing process
How to conduct a book talk

Course Intro: Building a Community of

Readers and Writers
4 weeks 20 days

Communicate their preferences of

literature
Write a paragraph
Evaluate own and others work

Resources Needed:
Literature Notebooks
Peer/Self Evaluation forms
Goal Setting forms
Conference forms
Book Surveys
Book Talks:
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven Sherman Alexie (short stories)
The Girl With the Baby Sylvia Olsen
In Search of April Raintree Beatrice Mosionier (Novel)
Hatchet Gary Paulsen (Novel)
I, Witness Norah McClintock (graphic novel)
Benched Cristy Watson (Hi-Lo)
Attitude Robin Stevenson (Hi- Lo)
Centerville Jeff Rud (Hi-Lo)

Assessment Tool Overview

Assessment
Tool Title

Outcomes

Book Survey

1.1.3

Goals

1.1.4

Conferences

1.1.3, 1.1.4

Literature
Notebook

1.1.3,1.1.4,
2.3.1, 3.3.2,
3.3.3

Journal Writing

1.1.3

Description
The book survey is a one-page preassessment that will help inform me of
student interest as well as student selfesteem/efficacy when it comes to
reading. This will be done in the first
week to help me decide high quality book
recommendations for each student
quickly. This will help as a starting point
especially for approaching readers.
Students will have the opportunity to set
highly specific, short term goals for
themselves so that they have something
to work towards. Initially these goals will
pertain to reading and writing. We will
revisit them in a month and set new ones.
This will help empower students to
continue to develop and hone their skills
in these areas.
In the following week, I will conduct
conferences with students. These will be
more comprehensive assessments that
will help me get to know the student
better including their interests, goals,
strengths and challenges. This will allow
me to better understand individual needs.
This notebook will be used throughout the
term. It will be a place that students can
track their progress, reflect on book
selections and anticipate future reads. It
will be a great for formative,
metacognitive and summative
assessments.
This will be an assessment carried on
throughout the term. Students will be
given 5-10 minutes to write at the end of
classes. They may write about anything
that is on their mind or they may respond
to a prompt written on the board. At the
end of the unit they must pick one journal
entry for a grade

For

A
S

OF

Genre Group
Quiz

2.3.1

This is an informal group quiz that will see

whether students are able to look at
pieces of literature and categorize them
into genres based on their characteristics.
This is an essential skill that mature
readers possess. Students will be in
groups and be given a set of books in a
tub. They will have to discuss each and
come to a consensus regarding its genre.
I will be circulating and making notes
based on student responses.

2.4.1, 2.4.2,
2.4.3, 4.1.3

This will be the first major assessment

regarding writing. It will inform me
whether students can format, write, and
check their conventions in a basic
paragraph. It will also inform me of their
overall stamina when it come to writing.

4.1.1, 4.1.2

Students will learn to give specific

feedback on peers work for the writing
assignment prior to submission and their
own after submission. This will allow
students to be more reflective about their
strengths and weaknesses in their
writing.

My Summer
Writing Think
about an incident
that happened to
you this summer
and exaggerate in
the telling. Make it
into a tall tale

Peer/Self
reflection

Monday

Tuesday (1)

Wednesday (2) Thursday (3)

No School

7-1: Icebreakers

7-1: Course Outline 7-1: Routines

7-1: Survey
Centers
7-2: Routines
Survey
7-2: Centers
(graffiti
board, goals, writing,
book preview)

7-2: Icebreakers
Course Outline

Monday (5)

Tuesday (6)

Wednesday (7) Thursday (8)

7-1/7-2:
Book Logs
Picking Books
Journal

7-1: Book Talks x2

/Rights of Readers
Journal

7-1:
Book Talksx2
Genre Interactive
Notes
Journal

IR

Friday (4)

Friday (9)

7-1: Book Talk x2

7-1: Book Talk x2
Genre Book Tasting IR
Journal
Conferences/ IR

Conferences/ IR

Monday (10)

Tuesday (11)

7-1/7-2:
Genre Quiz
Synonyms/
Antonyms
Journal

7-1: Conferences/I.R 7-1: The Writing Process

7-1: Prompt x2
Peer Review
7.2: The Writing Process
7-2: Prompt x2
Conferences/I.R
7.2: Peer Review
I.R

Monday (15)

Tuesday (16)

7-1/7-2:
homonyms/
homographs
journals

7-1: prefixes/suffixes7-1: Basic Paragraph 7-1: Write My Summer

7-1: IR
bball
Writing
I.R
Journal
7-2: prefixes/suffixes7-2: Basic Paragraph 7-2: Write My Summer
bball
Writing
Journal
I.R
I.R

Detailed Learning Activities:

Day 1: Icebreakers
Icebreaker activities will include

Wednesday (12)Thursday (13) Friday (14)

7-1: I.R

Wednesday (17)Thursday (18) Friday (19)

Day 2: Course Outline/Surveys

Students will be taken through the course outline in the form of a group work
scavenger hunt. After about approximately 25 minutes we will recollect as a whole
group and go over findings. Teacher input will be added where appropriate.
Day 3: Expectations/Routines
At the beginning of class, the teacher will ask students what they think of class
expectations that should be implemented. We will make a list together of some
things that students can expect from teacher and teacher can expect from students.
We will then walk around the classroom and engage in role playing of what NOT to
do during certain routines. These include
Writing on board upon entering class
Transition times
What to do when late
What to do when returning from being absent
Keeping organized
Portfolios
How to turn in work (late etc.)
Packing up
Day 4: Centers
Students will rotate around the room and visit a variety of different stations. These
stations will be a way for students to do a lot of assessments within a short amount
of time. Some of the stations include:
Graffiti walls (What do you need to be successful this year? What makes a
good teacher? What makes a good experience? What are some of your
strengths? What are some things you would like to work on?
Writing Prompt
Goal Setting
Drawing Center (What will you be doing after graduation?)
Book Browse
Day 5: Surveys
The surveys will be a short one-page pre-assessment. Students will write it and have time
to read afterwards.
Day 6: Book Logs/Picking Books
Day 7: Book Talks/Rights of Readers (conferences)
Students will watch how to conduct a book talk. They will take notes and conduct a
discussion (think, pair share) on what a book talk entails. They will then make a list of
things that they should be able to do when reading. We will compare these to the rights of
readers list and post it on the wall. Students will also be pulled individually to attend
conferences when others are individually reading.
Day 8: Genre Mapping

Day 9: Book Talks/Genre

Day 10: Genre Group Quiz
Students will sit in assigned groups. They will be given a bucket of books and asked
to sort them into their genres. Students will have to justify their answers. If time
permits, a student from each group will lead a discussion about the process they took
when categorizing one of their books.
Day 11: The Writing Process/Conferences
Day 12: Visual Writing Prompt
There will be a prompt on the board. Students will create a mini story/paragraph
including the 5Ws. They will practice the writing process.
Day 13: Peer Review
Students will discuss how to give feedback. A mini lesson on this will follow and include
modelling. They will then circulate around the room and give their peers specific and
constructive feedback.
Day 14: Independent Reading
Day 15: Circle Sharing/Basketball Review/Flex Day
This day is designed to allow students space and time to get back into the flow of
things. First there will be circle time where students have the opportunity to share
about their weekends, ask questions about the course, talk about concerns etc. Then
we will move into basketball review where students will be on teams and have to
answer certain questions about genres, expectations, etc. (everything covered to
date. Students who answer correctly will be able to choose where to shoot the ball
from. (3 points, 2 points, 1 point).
Day 16: Basic Paragraph Writing Workshop
This will be lesson on conventions of writing a paragraph.
Day 17: Planning
Students will be shown a picture taken from my summer. Teacher will model how to
approach planning in three different ways. Teacher will also go over the rubric.
Diagrams (graphic organizers)
Lists
Writing Frames
Students will have the rest of their period to plan for the writing period the next day.
Day 18: My Summer Writing Assignment
Students will have two periods to write a piece using the basic paragraph writing
method pertaining to their summer.
Day 19: Independent Reading