Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay

Understanding by Design

Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Understanding Non-fiction Grade Level: 4th

Topic/Subject Areas: Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences, Identifying New

Information, Identifying the Authors Purpose, Identifying text features and structures,
formulating questions, identifying cause and effect and accessing prior knowledge.
Key Words: infer, conclusions, questioning, cause, effect, prior knowledge, informative,
persuasive, entertain, problem and solution, cause and effect, description, sequencing
and compare and contrast.
Designed By: Laura Seay Time Frame: 4 Weeks
School District: Virginia Beach City Public Schools School: Alanton Elementary

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

The students will learn how to use and work with non-fiction texts and their features. This is
the third time the students will be learning this information this year. They will begin by
making inferences based on non-fiction texts, identifying new information that they have
learned, and identifying the authors purpose. Then, the students will identify text structures in
a non-fiction text, as well as identify text features. They will learn how to identify and
understand why the features are important while writing. They will learn how to formulate
questions based on the text and find their answers. They will also learn how to find cause and
effect statements within a non-fiction text as well as understand how they are used throughout
an entire article. They will access prior knowledge as they learn new information and use that
prior knowledge in context clues in order to draw inferences. By the end of this unit, the
students will have a stronger grasp on how to read and understand non-fiction texts.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 1

Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th
STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS
Unit Title: Non-fiction
Established Goals: The students will be able to understand, read and write non-fiction texts by the end of the
unit. They will be able to identify differences and similarities among non-fiction texts and within non-fiction texts.
Understandings: Students will understand that
The students will understand how to draw
conclusions and make inferences about the text.
The students will understand how to identify new
information gained from the reading.
The students will be able to explain the authors
purpose.
The students will understand how to identify non-
fiction text structures and use the pattern to guide
comprehension.
The students will understand how to use text
features to identify new information and understand
the text more effectively.
The students will understand how to distinguish
between cause and effect relationships.
Students will know:
The students will understand how to draw
conclusions by using the text and their prior
knowledge.
The students will understand how to identify
new information gained by using the text and
identifying what they already know and what
they have learned.
The students will understand how to choose
the authors purpose based on how the article
was written: to inform, entertain, or persuade.
The students will understand how to choose
the correct text structure: cause and effect,
compare and contrast, problem and solution,
description and sequencing. They will know
the key words to look for in the article and
apply this knowledge to make connections
and improve comprehension.
The students will know the different text
features, such as type, headings, and
graphics in order to draw conclusions in the
text.
The student will know how to distinguish
between cause and effect sentences and they
will be able to pick them out in a passage as
well as create their own.
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)
Designer: Laura Seay
Essential Questions:
What kind of inference can you draw from
this article?
What new information have you gained
from this article?
What is the authors purpose in this
passage? Why? How do you know?
What kind of text structure is this article?
How do you know? Why is it not a different
text structure?
Why does this text feature help to
understand the article?
Where is a cause and effect statement in
this article? How does it help you to
understand the article better?
Students will be able to:
The student will be able to use their
knowledge from their own experiences to
make sense of and talk about a topic,
recognizing similarities between, personal
experiences and the text, the current text and
other texts read, and what is known about the
topic and what is discovered in the new text.
The students will understand how to make
simple inferences using information from the
text and infer cause and effect relationships,
combine new information, compare and
contrast primary and secondary sources,
make judgements and form opinions about
the text.
The students will be able to explain the
authors purpose by using evidence from the
text, explain how the main idea connects to
the authors purpose, discuss why an author
might have used certain words and phrases
and details, and skim the text to locate
information to support the main idea.
The students will be able to identify structural
patterns found in nonfiction, and use the
pattern to guide comprehension. They will
understand that non-fiction texts may be
organized differently, and they will apply
knowledge of text features in order to make
connections and improve comprehension.
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Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th
STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Tasks:
Animal Research Project: The students
will research an animal of their choice and
use their prior knowledge and research
skills in order to find out information. Once
they research and find new information on
their animal, then they will write a paper on
what they have learned about their animal.
(Teacher Developed)
Choice Board: The students have a choice
between 9 options to show their
competency with cause and effect.
(Teacher Developed)
Choice Board: Inferencing: The students
were given a choice of how to
demonstrate their knowledge on
inferencing by choosing 3 activities to
complete. (Teacher Developed)
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)
Designer: Laura Seay
Other Evidence:
Achieve 3000 A leveled article and
comprehension questions.
Answers and participation during Core
Clicks: During the whole group
instruction, the teacher will take
anecdotal notes on which students
understand the concept being taught and
which ones are still struggling. (Core
Clicks)
Answers to the text features worksheets
that the students complete during the
Box Rotation. (Teacher Developed)
Brain Pop: Their answers to the quiz will
indicate whether they know the
information or not. (Brain Pop)
Word Study: Completing the word study
work on Google Classroom (Teacher
Developed)
Word Study Assessments Weekly
(Teacher Developed)
Homework answers: The homework is
the same concept that the students are
learning in whole group, but based on
their one book one classroom book.
Cause and Effect Kahoot! (Teacher
Developed)
Kahoot! (Word Study Kahoot! Teacher
Developed)
Word Study Quizlet (Teacher
Developed)
Teacher Observations
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Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay
STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN
Summary of Learning Activities:
(list by number here and then complete the week-by-week planning calendar below using the same
information)
1. PowerPoint on non-fiction text features (for the entire week) (Teacher Developed)
2. Anchor chart (Teacher Developed)
3. Research Graphic Organizer Outline (Physical Appearance & Habitat) (Teacher Developed)
4. Google Classroom Word Work Forms (Teacher Developed)
5. Martin Luther King Jr. Article (extension for above-level) (Teacher Developed)
6. Non-fiction text features scavenger hunt (above-level) (Teacher Developed)
7. Identifying text features task cards (on-level) (Teacher Developed)
8. Non-fiction text features worksheet (Low-level) (Teacher Developed)
9. Fluency: Garage Sale Treasures (Education, V. D)
10. Achieve 3000 (Differentiated Instruction Solutions)
11. Anchor Chart (Main Idea & Detail) (Teacher Developed)
12. Core Clicks: Hot Shots: read it (Monday), analyze it (Tuesday), discuss it (Wednesday), skill
workout (Thursday), question quest (Friday). (Common Core Standards for Close Reading)
13. Research Graphic Organizer Outline (Diet & Important Information & Interesting Information)
(Teacher Developed)
14. Fluency: Summer Can Feel So Long (Education, V. D)
15. Achieve 3000 (Differentiated Instruction Solutions)
16. Opposites Main Idea & Detail Questions (Education, V. D)
17. Quarterly Test (2) (Pearson Assessments School Net)
18. Inferencing Anchor Chart (Teacher Developed)
19. Core Clicks: Keeping a Culture Alive: read it (Monday), analyze it (Tuesday), discuss it
(Wednesday), skill workout (Thursday), question quest (Friday). (Common Core Standards for
Close Reading)
20. Kahoot! Review for Word Study. (Teacher Developed)
21. Using their research: Write the paragraphs for introduction, physical appearance and Habitat.
(Teacher Developed)
22. Achieve 3000 (Differentiated Instruction Solutions)
23. Frayer Model: Cause and Effect (Teacher Developed)
24. The Great Big Garbage Patch Inferencing Worksheet (Teacher Developed)
25. Word Work: Google Classroom Forms. (Teacher Developed)
26. Bees and Bee Keeping SOL Review The students will read and pick out the main idea and
detail from each paragraph, then they will answer the SOL Review Questions (Education, V. D)
27. Cause and Effect Anchor Chart (Teacher Developed)
28. Core Clicks: Sweet Teamwork: read it (Monday), analyze it (Tuesday), discuss it (Wednesday),
skill workout (Thursday), question quest (Friday). (Common Core Standards for Close Reading)
29. Kahoot! Review! (Teacher Developed)
30. Using their research: The students will write the paragraphs for diet, important facts and
interesting facts and conclusion. (Teacher Developed)
31. Edit their papers. Edit their peers papers.: The students will edit their own papers and then, once
they are finished, then they will edit their peers papers. (Teacher Developed)
32. Achieve 3000 (Bears Have Healthy Hearts & Bird Brains? Not these Birds) (Differentiated
Instruction Solutions)
33. Word Work: Google Classroom Daily work. (Teacher Developed)
34. Choice Board for Cause and Effect: The students are given a choice on how they want to display
their work and knowledge of cause and effect. They will use the information about their animal
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 4
Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay
that they are researching (Teacher Developed)
35. The FIRST First Lady SOL Review Story: The students will create cause and effect statements
as they read through the story. Then they will answer the SOL review questions. (Education, V. D)

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 5

Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay

Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Consider the WHERETO elements. You must include enough instruction for 20 lessons.

Week Whole Group Writing Rotations

Week 1: 1. PowerPoint on non- 3. Research Graphic 4. Google Classroom Word
Text Features fiction text features Organizer Outline Work Forms
SOLs: 4.6 a, b, f, i, k, l 2. Anchor Chart (Physical Appearance 5. Martin Luther King Jr.
SOLs: 4.1 a, d & Habitat) Article (extension for
SOLs: 4.4 a, b, c above-level)
Writing SOLs: 4.7 6. Non-fiction text features
scavenger hunt (above-
level)
7. Identifying text features
task cards (on-level)
8. Non-fiction text features
worksheet (Low-level)
9. Fluency: Garage Sale
Treasures
10. Achieve 3000
Week 2: 11. Anchor Chart (Main Idea 13. Research Graphic 14. Fluency: Summer Can
Main Idea & Details & Detail) Organizer Outline Feel So Long
SOLs: 4.6 a, b, c, d, e, f, j, k, l 12. Core Clicks: Hot Shots: (Diet, Important 15. Achieve 3000
SOLs: 4.1 a, d read it (Monday), analyze Information, Interesting 16. Opposites Main Idea &
SOLs: 4.4 a, b, c it (Tuesday), discuss it Information) Detail Questions
Writing SOLs: 4.7 (Wednesday), skill 17. Quarterly Test (2)
workout (Thursday),
question quest (Friday).
Week 3 18. Anchor Chart 21. Using their research: 22. Achieve 3000
Inferencing: 19. Core Clicks: Keeping a Write the paragraphs 23. Frayer Model: Cause and
SOLs: 4.6 b, f, j, k, l Culture Alive: read it for introduction, effect
SOLs: 4.1 a, d (Monday), analyze it physical appearance 24. The Great Big Garbage
SOLs: 4.4 a, b, c (Tuesday), discuss it and Habitat. Patch Inferencing

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 6

Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay
Writing SOLs: 4.7 (Wednesday), skill Worksheet.
workout (Thursday), 25. Word Work: Google
question quest (Friday). Classroom Forms.
20. Kahoot! Review for 26. Bees and Bee Keeping
Word Study. SOL Review
Week 4 27. Cause and Effect Anchor 30. Using their research: 32. Achieve 3000 (Bears
Cause and Effect: Chart Write the paragraphs Have Healthy Hearts &
SOLs: 4.6 b, g, I, j, k, i 28. Core Clicks: Sweet for diet, important facts Bird Brains? Not these
4.1 a, d, Teamwork: read it and interesting facts Birds)
4.4 a, b, c (Monday), analyze it and conclusion. 33. Word Work: Google
(Tuesday), discuss it 31. Edit their papers. Edit Classroom Daily work.
(Wednesday), skill their peers papers. 34. Choice Board for Cause
workout (Thursday), and Effect
question quest (Friday). 35. The FIRST First Lady
29. Kahoot! Review!

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 7

Design Topic: Non-Fiction Subject(s) SOL ENGLISH 4 Grade(s) 4th Designer: Laura Seay
References

Common Core Standards for Close Reading | Core Clicks | Scholastic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2017, from

http://www.scholastic.com/coreclicks/

Differentiated Instruction Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2017, from https://www.achieve3000.com/

Education, V. D. (n.d.). English. Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/index.shtml

Pearson Assessments School Net. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/largescaleassessment/products-

services/schoolnet.html

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 8