UBD Unit Nathan Miller

8/7/2019 UBD Unit Nathan Miller

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Stage ThreeLearning Plan

Nathan Miller

Title of Unit Writing for Informational Purposes Grade Level 6

Curriculum Area Reading, Writing, Technology skills Time Frame Three weeks

Identify Desired Results

Stage 1

Established Goals

Content StandardsInformation Literacy Standard 3- The student who is information literate uses information accuratelyand creatively. (ALA)

GPS ELA6W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.

The student:a. Uses organizational features of electronic text (e.g., bulletin boards, databases, keyword searches, e-

mail addresses) to locate relevant information.b. Includes researched information in different types of products (e.g., compositions, multimedia

presentations, graphic organizers, projects, etc.).c. Cites references.

Understandings

Students will understand that:

Who, what, when, where, and why are necessary components of an informative article.Citing references is necessary.

References for informative writing should be credible.Correct grammar and spelling are important in a news article.Effective writing must follow an organizational structure.Certain aspects about a person or an event are more engaging to readers.

Technology helps provide a basis for gathering and organizing information.

Essential Questions

Overarching Topical

What makes a person/persons life newsworthy?What activities in a persons life can make a great

story?Why are people interested in the life and activities

of other people?How can technology be used as an aid in the

writing process?

Should you believe everything you read?

In what order should the events of a persons life bepresented in writing?

How do reporters gather information to write a newsarticle?

Why is the citation of references necessary?What are the important parts of a newspaper article?How can the internet and written sources be used to

write about a persons life?

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge

Students will knowSkills

Students will be able to

How to identify and understand the main idea,supporting facts and details

How to summarize ideas in their own wordsThe writing process used in a newspaper article

The logical sequencing to accurately retell storiesHow to use an effective organization structureHow to analyze, interpret, and synthesize

researched information and ideasHow to identify and sequence significant events

about a personHow to use word processing software to assemble

and organize information about a topic

Apply writing process to summarize non-fiction textin the form of a newspaper article

Use electronic and print sources to gather informationabout a topic

Demonstrate comprehension of complex textWrite to inform othersAnalyze and assess the information and ideas gathered

from a variety of print and electronic sourcesOrganize pertinent information and details in a logical

and cohesive manner using word processingsoftware


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Assessment Evidence

Stage 2

Performance Tasks

Goal Students will write an article about the life of a famous person.

Role

Students are given the job of newspaper reporter. They are asked to gather

information from various sources to write about someone that they considernewsworthy by considered the order of the events of a persons life and theimportant parts of a newspaper article.

Audience The article will be written for the newspaper reading public.

Situation

Students will be given a broad topic. They will choose a famous person to writeabout that fits the category of their topic. They will research that person using

electronic and print sources and then use that information to write their article.

Product,

Performance,

and Purpose

Students will do an article scavenger hunt to find errors and to find the main

points of the article. (scavenger hunt assignment)Students will write a short biography about themselves.

Students will create a newspaper article about a famous person.(newspaper

assignment) (Rubric)Students will write daily in their journals about what they have learned from theactivities. (journal activity)

Standards

The students performance is based on:

Information Literacy Standard 3 - The student who is information literate usesinformation accurately and creatively. (ALA)

GPS ELA6W3 - The student uses research and technology to support writing.

The student:a. Uses organizational features of electronic text (e.g., bulletin boards, databases,

keyword searches, e-mail addresses) to locate relevant information.b. Includes researched information in different types of products (e.g.,

compositions, multimedia presentations, graphic organizers, projects, etc.).c. Cites references.

Key Criteria

Accurate information

Organized

Correct grammar and Spelling

Components of newspaper article

Other Evidence

Class discussionsHomework Assignments

Observance of research skillsJournal writing


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Autobiography

Write a short autobiography about yourself explaining the details of your life thus

far. Be sure to include Who, What, When, Where,and How. Think about

activities in your life that make a great story. Be sure to watch the podcast before

starting your autobiography to find out what you will need to include as part of thefive Ws. The podcast can be found at: http://got.im/9kfp


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Daily Journal Activity

Write about each topic in your journal on the assigned day: Each topic will be

covered in class discussion.

In your opinion explain:

Day 1: What you think when you read articles that are grammatically incorrect or

contain spelling/punctuation errors

Day 2: What makes a persons life newsworthy?

Day 3: Why people are interested in the life and activities of other people.

Day 4: How technology can be used as an aid in the writing process.

Day 5: How reporters gather information to write a news article.

Day 6: Why the citation of references is necessary.Day 7: What you have learned about the work of a reporter.

Day 8: If we should believe everything we read about people.

Day 9: How a writer keeps the attention of their readers.

Day 10: What it would be like for everyone to know most of the details of your

life.


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Scavenger Hunt Activity

Carefully read the newspaper article that has been given to you.

On a separate sheet of paper:

1. Explain what details from the article that you find to be interesting.2. Determine any information in the article that is boring to you and

explain why.

3. Determine any information in the article that is funny to you andexplain why.

4. Identify and list any misspelled words that you find.5. Identify and write down any grammar errors.6. Identifyand list the Who, What, When,Where, Why, and How about

the topic of the article.

7. What is the main idea of this article?8. What was the writer of your article trying to convey to their audience?


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Famous Person Biographical Newspaper Article

Assignment:

Research information about the famous person that you have chosen and your

teacher has approved.You may use electronic sources and print sources. Use theresearched information to create a newspaper article about the famous person using

a word processing program. The article must be written in newspaper columns

using a word processing program. The article must answer the basic questions

Who, What, When,Where, Why, and How? Remember what you learned in your

podcast for the autobiography assignment. You will also need to view a podcast

on what it takes to be a reporter to give you an idea of what point of view you

should be writing from. This podcast can be found at: http://got.im/0rzm

You will share rough drafts of your article within small groups. This peer

editing session will allow you to check your work against the work of others inyour group and learn from each other.

Assignment Checklist

Review and gather facts from internet or print sources.

View podcast about being a reporter

Using MS Word:

___ Produce a catchy headline- title.

___ Create the byline- your name.

___ Write the lead (who, what where, when, why and how).

___ Write the body of the biography- tells what happened with lots ofexciting details and in a logical order.

___ Write the ending- does it have a comment that keeps them

thinking?

___ Name your newspaper.

___ Be sure to cite the references that you use in MLA style.

___ Have your group review your rough draft.

___ Make revisions to the rough draft.

___ Have your group help you edit your rough draft.

___ Have a classmate proofread the finished article.___ Ask your teacher for permission to print.

___ Be sure to save a copy in your user file.

Review the newspaper articlegrading rubric as your write your article to help you

understand how you will be graded and to make sure you have included all of the

necessary components.


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Learning Plan (Stage 3)Where, Why, & What

Goals:To have students begin thinking about what is important information to include in informative writing.

To understand essential ideas/questions in terms of the unit:What makes a person/persons life newsworthy?

What activities in a persons life can make a great story?Why are people interested in the life and activities of other people?

How can technology be used as an aid in the writing process?Should you believe everything you read?

In what order should the events of a persons life be presented in writing?How do reporters gather information to write a news article?

Why is the citation of references necessary?What are the important parts of a newspaper article?

How can the internet and written sources be used to write about a persons life?Students will be given a schedule of the requirements of the unit. (See Calendar)

Expectations:

To understand these goals, students will analyze newspaper articles for content; writean autobiography including who, what, when, where, and how; do journal writing to

further analyze the essential ideas/questions of the unit, and ultimately, write anewspaper article about a newsworthy individual. Teacher and students will review the

newspaper article rubric.

Relevance and Value:To use information accurately and creatively:

The students use research from electronic and print sources and word processing software to support

writing a newspaper article.In addition, students will:

Demonstrate comprehension of complex text

Identify and understand the main idea, supporting facts and details

Summarize ideas in own words

Use logical sequencing to accurately retell stories

Identify and sequence significant events about a newsworthy person

Apply writing process to summarize non-fiction text in the form of a newspaper article

Apply group cooperation skills

Apply peer-editing processes

Diagnosis:Prerequisite skills

y Knowledge of 5 traits of article writingy Prior instruction and experience in the writing processy Basic keyboarding skills helpful but not taught in Language arts classy Have exposure to Microsoft Word, and possibly publisher (if newsletter is created)

Evaluate what students know about the who, what, when, where, and how of a newspaper article to


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determine if they can correctly determine each partSee Scavenger Hunt orAlternate Scavenger Hunt.(Logical Entry Point)

Evaluate what students know about information found on the internet. Is it all accurate? Where do thestudents find interesting information about people?...Class Discussion with flipchart/activboard listings.

(Foundational Entry Point) Media specialist will evaluate further when research begins.

Hook & Hold

Begin by asking What makes a person newsworthy? Then give each student a newspaper article aboutsomeone they know or a local event that they are familiar with. The students will read the article and pick

out ideas from the article that are interesting, boring, funny, misspelled, etc. (Aesthetic Entry Point) Theywill also identify the Who, What, When,Where, Why, and How about the topic of the article they have read.

(Logical Entry Point)

Then have the students draw a topic out of a hat. The topics will be broad such as a singer, anactor/actress, a writer/songwriter, etc. That way the students can pick a specific person that is interesting

to them that fits that topic. (Aesthetic Entry Point) Their final topic/person will have to be approved. Thestudents should be thinking about their topic as other activities are introduced prior to any research or

writing.

Explore&Equip

Discuss the writing techniques used in articles. (Narrational Entry Point)Brainstorm interesting people as a class (what makes them interesting.)

View Podcast on the basics of Who, What, Where, When, and HowIntroduce learning content in PowerPoint presentation for writing newspaper articles (Foundational Entry

Point)Components:

Headline, Lead, Body, Ending

Who, what, when where, and howFactual information Versus False information

View Podcast What it Takes to be a Reporter

Review research process. Demonstrate use ofGalileo, Google, and direct website browsing.View Video Discover Language Arts: Research

Introduce worksheet to help with information gathering and research.Hand out worksheet about MLA style citations and introduce the fundamental concepts and understanding

behind MLA.Students can also view the websiteshttp://www.library.ubc.ca/home/about/instruct/mlastyle.html,

http://www.engl.niu.edu/comskills/View Video Correct Citations & Works Cited Page

Rethinking ,Reflection, & Revision

Students will examine other articles for content. They will create new headlines for the articles as part of a classdiscussion.

Students will write daily in their journal based on journal topic for that day.Students will write autobiography to begin learning the organization process of writing about a person.

(Experiential Entry point)Students will research information about topic with guidance of teacher and media specialist.

Students will write newspaper article rough draft beginning with Headline, Lead, Body, then Ending.In groups of 3, students will evaluate each others work as newspaper editors. (Social)


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Students will revise articles and complete final draft.Students who finish early can do an additional enrichment activity.

Evaluation & Self-Evaluation

In journals and in class discussion students evaluate the questions:

Would you make a good reporter?

Which writer/classmate would make a good reporter and why?Is it right for people to write about things that are not true?What were your strengths in this writing assignment?

What were your weaknesses in this writing assignment?How have you changed your thinking about what you read about other people?

How have you changed your strategy for finding information about certain topics?

Tailor to student needs

Slow readers:Given extended time on assignments and shortened reading assignments.

Receive oral instructions and have reading material read to them by special ed. collaborator.

Directed to internet & print resources for research more appropriate to their ability - based on pre-evaluationand reading level.

Scavenger hunt activity can be done in groups of two or more.

Hearing impaired:Receive teacher notes and written instructions of all assignments and discussion items.

Attention deficit disorder:

Have their assignments broken down into smaller assignments.

Slow Learners:Will work with the special education collaborative teacher as a group rather than being placed in groups of

peers without special needs to prevent intimidation and frustration. Newspaper article assignment can besimplified based on student ability. Students will use the Know the news graphic organizer or the Event

map" graphic organizer to aid in writing their article. The length of the article can be reduced to fewerparagraphs with simpler details.

Advanced Learners:

Will be given theenrichment activity to further their writing and technology skills.

Organize learning

See Calendarattached below


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Calendar

Week One:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursda

Journaling

Journal Day 1:

What do you think when youread articles that are

grammatically incorrect or

contain spelling/punctuation

errors?

Teach content vocabulary

Journal Day 2:

What makes a persons lifenewsworthy?

Journal Day 3:

Why are people interested inthe life and activities of other

people?

Journal Day 4:

How can technologas an aid in the writ

process?

Classroo

m

Activit

y

Introduce the unit, standards,

and tasks.

Pre-evaluate students research.

Introduce content vocabularyStudents will do newspaper

article scavenger hunt as pre-

evaluation.

Students will draw topic out of

hat.

Discuss the writing techniques

used in articles.

Brainstorm interesting people

as a class (what makes theminteresting.)

Discuss the journal topic.

Continue reading the textbook.


Introduce learning content for

writing newspaper articles

Students will writeautobiography. (may be

handwritten or typed)

Continue reading the textbook.

Discuss the journal

Review newspaper

presented by teache

Students will comecatchy new headlin

newspaper articles

Discuss the final pr

expectations.

Continue reading th

Computer

labActivity Watch Podcast Who, What,

Where, When, and How

Homework

Begin thinking about topic Continue thinking about topic Continue thinking about topic Pick out Topic


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Week Two:


Journaling

Journal Day 6:

Why is the citation ofreferences necessary?

Students begin gatheringinformation

Journal Day 7:

What have you learned aboutthe work of a reporter?

Journal Day 8:

Should we believe everythingwe read about people?

Journal Day 9:

How does a writer attention of their re

Classroom

Activity


Introduce MLA style citations.Watch Video Correct

Citations and Works Cited

Page from Teachers Video

Company.


Students share anythinginteresting that was discovered

during research, either about

their topic or about the

research process.


Students share anythinginteresting that was discovered

during research, either about

their topic or about the

research process.

Discuss the journal

Students share anytinteresting that was

during research, eit

their topic or about

research process.

Computer

labActivity

View Podcast What it Takesto be a Reporter

Begin research

Continue researchCreate Citations (as they are

found)

Continue researchCreate Citations

Finish research.Create citations

Develop and write

newspaper article.

*Graphic organizer

when applicable to

Homework

Find a newspaper/magazine

article about a famous person


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Week Three


Journaling Journal writing: continue with

articleJournal writing: continue witharticle

Journal writing:Is it right for people to write

about things that are not true?

Journal writing:Would you make a

reporter?

Classroom

Activity

Peer Editing of Articles

*Special Ed. collaborated

heads up groups for special

needs students as needed.

Continue Peer Edit

Articles

*Special Ed. collab

heads up groups for

needs students as n

Computerlab

Activity

Write body of newspaper

article.

*Graphic organizers used

when applicable to student

*Do enrichment activity as

applicable to student

Write ending of newspaper

article.

*Graphic organizers used

when applicable to student

*Do enrichment activity as

applicable to student

Revise rough draft.

Homework


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Alternate Scavenger Hunt Activity

Carefully read the newspaper article that has been given to you. Answer the

following questions:

Write something interesting in the article.

Write something that was boring.

Write something that was funny.

Write any misspelled words that you find.

Write down any grammar errors.

Who was the article about?

What happened in the article?

Where did it happen?

Why did it happen?

How did it happen?


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Event Map

Who was involved? Ho

What Happened?

Where did it happen?

EVENTMAP


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Know the News

What is something interesting about your topic?

Who is your article about?

What all did he/she do in their life?

When did he/she do all of the above?

Where did all of the above take place?

How did he/she do it?


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Enrichment Activity

Take the newspaper article that was written and create a newsletter. The newsletter can be

created in MS Word or Publisher and should include the original article, graphics (be creative), acartoon, headlines/headings, weather, and any other information that you would find interest to

add to add newsletter. If the person you wrote about is no longer living, an obituary might beinteresting.

Information needs to be based on accurate facts but you can add fictitious events. For example,

create an advertisement announcing a meeting of the famous singer fan club or anannouncement for a book signing for the famous author. You can use templates created in

Word of Publisher to help you create the layout for the newsletter.


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Worksheet for research of electronic sources MLA style

* Always review the correct MLA citation format for each source when preparing a WoAuthor lastname, first

name.

(if available) OR

*Title ofweb site,

publication

or article(if no author)

Title ofArticle.(ifapplicable)

* Title ofJournal or

Periodical(if applicable)

Volume *Date: *page(s)(if available)

*Database.

(ex. Academic

ASAP) and

Service. (ex.Gale Group)

(if applicable)

Libraryof

access,

city,

state

Date ofaccess

(daymonth

year)

http://


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References

Citing sources the MLA way (2005). Communications writing skills program. Retrieved

November 12, 2007 from http://www.engl.niu.edu/comskills/.

Discovering Language Arts: Research. United Streaming. Discovery Education.

http://www.unitedstreaming.com

Formula for a Well-Written News Article. (2007) Media Awareness Network. Retrieved

November 12, 2007 from http://www.media-

awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/broadcast_news/news_article_form

ula.cfm

Getting Started with MLA Style. (2007). University of British Columbia Library. Retrieved

November 15, 2007 from http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/about/instruct/mlastyle.html

Peterson, C. (2007). Student Handouts. (2007). IRLS Staff. Retrieved November 13, 2007

from http://www.coconino.edu/library/handouts.htm.

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.

Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ISBN 0-

87120-342-1

Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understandingby design, (2nd

edition) Alexandria, VA:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ISBN 1-4166-0035-3.

Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understandingby Design: Professional development

workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

ISBN 0-87120-855-5.

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UBD Unit Nathan Miller