Understanding By Design Unit Template

(Revised & adapted)

Title of Unit / Thematic Unit: Literature Review – Overcoming Adversity / Grade Level / Grade 4
Subject / Reading / Time Frame / 28-30 instructional days (Feb. 4, 2013 – April 17, 2013)
Developed By / Cynthia Rotella, Cybi Ip & The 4th Grade teachers
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
Big Idea: Stepping Stones or Stumbling blocks?
The first step in solving the problem is to identify the problem correctly and then share with others. Communication, coping, collaboration, the need to brainstorm about your problem will guide you to multiple solutions. Thought and discussion will lead to the ideal answer. Action without proper analysis of the benefit and consequences will bring greater problems/challenges. The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how one uses them. Adversity is a fact of life. It can’t be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it.Your attitude determines whether the opportunity you face is a stepping stone or a stumbling block.
Students will compare and contrast how authors address the theme – overcoming adversity, analyzing how the authors’ similarities and differences on handling problems will broaden the students’ ability to resolve problems in their own lives.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
CCLS Reading Standards:
RL 4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 4.2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
RL 4.9. Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired? / Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
·  Readers can relate to character’s problems.
·  Character’s change after working through their personal problems, and the reader can too.
·  Problems can be resolved. It is only as big as you make it. / ·  Why does the author want to write about how their characters solve the problem? Why does it matter?
·  How do the authors help us see that adversity can be an opportunity to grow?
·  Is there ever a problem too big to solve?
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? / Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
·  Stories have problem(s) and a solution (there are internal and external problems).
·  Characters change/grow throughout the story.
·  Different authors provide different solutions to the similar problems.
·  It takes time to solve the problem across a story / Students will be able to…
·  Ask why and how questions help to develop hunches, theories and eventually draw conclusion about how the characters are acting and responding the way they are and how that may change over time
·  Use talk to grow and develop ideas (using Talk Moves)
·  Examine the character’s action to help the character overcome their problems; analyze how the character’s change helped him or her grow
·  Compare and contrast across texts
·  Comparing and contrasting author’s treatment of adversity using a variety of graphic organizers
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Pre Assessment
Task: Have the students write a Response to Literature by asking the following: “Write a response comparing and contrasting the problems or challenges the characters of two stories face and how they do or don’t solve them. How are the problems and the way they are handled similar and how are they different? Be sure to include evidence from both texts to support all your ideas.
Texts: My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
·  My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
·  Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
·  Response to Literature planning guide
Post Assessment
Task: Write a response comparing and contrasting the problems or challenges the characters of two stories face and how they do or don’t solve them. How are the problems and the way they are handled similar and how are they different? Be sure to include evidence from both texts to support all your ideas.
Text: “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
·  “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Rylant
·  The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
·  Response to Literature planning guide
4th Grade Rubric for Unit 3 Pre- and Post-Assessment
4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Organization
W11 Response to Literature / Introduces the book, thoroughly addresses all parts of the questions and provide a sense of closure. / Introduces the book, addresses all parts of questions and provides a sense of closure. / Introduces the book, attempts to address all parts of questions and provide a sense of closure. / Introduces the book, fail to address all parts of questions and/or provide a sense of closure.
Summary
RL 4.1 and 4. 2
W9a / Summary reflects accurate comprehension and focuses on the kinds of people the characters are, and how they were able to deal and solve the problem with evidence from the text to support all points. / Summary reflects accurate comprehension and focuses on the kinds of people the characters are, and how they were able to deal and solve the problem with evidence from the text to support most points. / Summary reflects partial comprehension and attempts to focus on the kinds of people the characters are and how they solve the problem with evidence from the text to support some points. / Summary reflects some comprehension and may focus on the kinds of people the characters or how they solve the problem with minimal evidence from the text to support points.
Interpretation
RL 4.2
W9a and 11 / Clearly articulates and elaborates on the theme based on the evidence from the text provided in the summary / Articulates the theme based on the evidence from the text provided in the summary / Attempts to articulate the theme, but is not effectively based on the evidence from the text. / Does not attempt to articulate the theme or attempts without any evidence
Content Comparison
RL 4.9 / Selects important characteristics that can provide insight into the nature of those items being compared. Accurately selects all major similarities and differences for each item selected. Draws some thoughtful
conclusions from the
comparison, usually
highlighting either the similarities or the differences. Integrates personal opinion and development with compared material fully and thoughtfully. / Selects characteristics
that can provide for a meaningful comparison. Identifies similarities and differences for each item selected. Draws some thoughtful
conclusions from the comparison. Integrates personal opinion and development with compared material / Selects characteristics
that provide for a partial comparison of the items. Identifies some of the major similarities and differences. Attempts to make conclusions about the compared items but has some difficulty explaining the significance of those conclusions.
Acknowledges personal opinion though integration with compared material is incomplete / Selects characteristics that are not important and don’t lead to insightful conclusions.
Inaccurately identifies
major similarities and differences. Does not get far beyond noting similarities and differences.
Voice
Language Standard 3 / Uses variety of lengths and sentence structures. Chooses words, phrases, and punctuation to convey ideas precisely and effectively / Writes clear comprehensible sentences: Chooses words and phrases to convey ideas precisely. Choose punctuation for effect. / Mostly writes clear comprehensible sentences with some attempts to choose words and punctuation for effect to convey ideas. / Lacks clear comprehensible sentence structures and no/limited evidence of word consideration
Mechanics and Conventions
Language Standard 1 and 2 / Demonstrates command of grade 5 language standard 1 and 2 / Demonstrates command of 4th grade language standard 1 and 2 / Demonstrates command of 3rd grade language standards 1 and 2 / Demonstrates command of 2nd grade language standards 1 and 2
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
On-going Assessment
  • One on one student conference using Student-Friendly Checklist during Independent Reading (See Appendix)
  • Students’ contribution to Thematic Attribute Chart during Shared Reading and Interactive Read Aloud (See Appendix)
  • Student responses from the Thematic Unit Response Journals
  • Guided Reading with the F&P Conferring Menu (Teacher focus on comprehension skills)

Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both? / Listed Aim or Learning Intention of Each Lesson. / Assessment / Resources
Week 1: Readers start to look critically at books and think about how they reflect real life experiences. / ·  Readers notice that books have meaning beyond the obvious and can analyze texts through different lenses.
·  Readers read with a social issue lens. We stop, look for, and name social issues we see in the text.
·  Readers notice elements of the story that are similar to our own world and real life experiences.
·  As readers we ask ourselves, how does this social issue affect people’s lives today?
·  Readers ask, is this story fair? Are characters and ideas presented accurately or stereotypically? Is this how things are in real life? / Picture Books –
·  Fly Away Home (M) by Eve Bunting
·  The Name Jar (L) by Yangsook Choi
·  Nim and the War Effort (P) by Yangsook Choi
·  The Old Woman Who Named Things (M) by Cynthia Rylant
·  Those shoes by Maribeth Boelts
·  One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
·  Brave Irene (S) by William Steig
·  Thank you, Mr. Falker (M) by Patricia Polacco
·  My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (M) by Patricia Polacco
·  A Chair for my Mother (M) by Vera B. Williams
·  Smoky Night (P) by Eve Bunting
·  Freedom Summer (M) by Deborah Wiles
Week 2: Readers pay attention to characters’ actions and look for underlying causes. / ·  Readers read with empathy, imagine what it would be like to be in the characters’ shoes, and think about what we would do if we were in the characters’ place.
·  Readers think about character motivation and how characters’ actions may be influenced by the social issue.
·  Readers consider interactions between characters and how the social issue could be a driving force.
·  Readers pay attention to how different characters are allowed to be from one another. We ask, how do other characters respond to those who are different?
·  Readers notice any resistance to the characters or the author’s choices and ask ourselves, what about this bothers me? / Chapter Books –
·  Every Living Things (R) by Cynthia Rylant
·  Sun & Spoon (R) by Kevin Henkes
·  Ida B (S) by Katherine Hannigan
·  The Report Card (R) by Andrew Clements
·  Pictures of Hollis Woods (V) by Patricia Reilly Giff
·  Wringer (U) by Jerry Spinelli
·  Because of Winn-Dixie (R) by Kate DiCamillo
·  How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Week 3: Readers notice people are members of particular groups that represent multiple perspectives and consider how power is not necessarily distributed equally amongst groups. / ·  Readers notice what groups are being presented in the text and think about what groups we personally have membership in.
·  Readers consider whether or not characters face a difficulty because they are members of a particular group.
·  As readers we ask ourselves, whose perspective is being told in the story and whose is being left out?
·  Readers think about point of view and speculate how the story might be different if told from the missing perspective or if missing voices were included. We ask, how does it feel to be on the other side?
·  Readers think about which groups have power in the text and how that power is shown. Then we ask ourselves, is this distribution of power justified? / Close Reading Passage –
·  Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
Week 4: Readers use texts to inform opinions and look for ways to take action in our own lives. / ·  When reading with a particular lens, readers maintain sight of the whole story.
·  Readers develop big ideas or opinions about the social issue.
·  Readers support their big ideas about the social issue with examples from the text.
·  Readers continue reading other texts about the same social issue to gain more insight into topics that engage us.
·  Readers think about these social issues and how we might combat them in our own lives.
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning.. / ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning… / ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
Student Friendly Checklist to Guide Teacher Questioning during 1-1 conference / Independent Reading / Students choose independent level books
Thematic Attribute Chart, Venn Diagram, Character Traits & Story Summary Organizers, “Somebody wants something, but…” Anchor Chart, “Know/Wonder” Chart, Sentence Frame/Discussion Starter Chart / Shared Reading, Interactive Read Aloud, Guided Reading / Students Response Menu (See Appendix), Instructional level texts, Grade level/complex text, Movie clip – Because of Winn Dixie

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)

Appendix