Unit Title: Express Yourself

Unit Title: Express Yourself

Delaware ELA Curriculum Unit Template

Preface: This unit has been created as a model for teachers in their designing or redesigning of course curricula. It is by no means intended to be inclusive; rather it is meant to be a springboard for a teacher’s thoughts and creativity. The information we have included represents one possibility for developing a unit based on the Delaware content standards and the Understanding by Design framework and philosophy.

Subject/Topic Area: Expressive Writing

Grade Level(s): 7th Grade

Searchable Key Words: ideas, organization, development, word choice, sentence structure, voice, conventions, descriptive details, audience, dialogue

District: Christina School District

Time Frame:

Reviewed by: Date:

Brief Summary of Unit (This should include a brief unit summary including a description of unit goals, rationale for the approach taken, and where it appears in the course of study.)

Students will explore the six traits of writing through a variety of short writing assignments or activities. They will explore elements in literature that make a realistic fiction more or less interesting and then apply that to their writing. Students will write a personal narrative called Lessons Learned for a newspaper competition.

Stage 1: Desired Results
(Determine What Students Will Know, Do and Understand)
Delaware ELA Content Standards (This should include a list of the DE Content Standards for which instruction is provided in this unit and which are ultimately assessed in the unit.)
1.1 Writers will produce texts that exhibit the following text features, all of which are consistent with the genre and purpose of the writing: development, organization, styles, and word choice.
1.2 Writers will produce texts that exhibit the following language conventions at all grade levels: sentence formation, conventions.
1.3 Writers will produce examples that illustrate the following discourse classifications: by the completion of the grade, writers will be able to write persuasive, informative, and expressive pieces.
Purpose: Students understand that expressive writing is author-centered; the most important consideration is the writer’s intent to tell a story or make meaning of an experience (reflection, self-discovery), to achieve personal goals, or to create literary pieces.
Audience
1. write in a manner that demonstrates an awareness of the audience (e.g., prior knowledge, motivation)
2. communicate necessary background information and/or definitions
3. acknowledge reader’s positions or beliefs about ideas or issues
4. write to audiences that can be increasingly distant (e.g., unknown but familiar personalities/roles such as local politicians, in addition to more familiar “others” from previous grades)
Development
· Develop interesting ideas for writing that are fresh and original
· Create a title that reflects the subject and engages the reader
· Use dialogue, description, and narration when appropriate
· Use sensory images (e.g., feelings, sight, smell) and figurative language (e.g., metaphor, simile) to describe feelings, events, and/or characters when appropriate
· Use rhetorical devices (e.g., rhetorical question, repetition, direct address) when appropriate
· Use strategies such as humor and non-literal language (e.g., idioms) to engage the reader
Organization
· Use paragraphs to transition between ideas and control and enhance message
· Develop an introduction that hooks the reader and establishes the mood
· Use increasingly more subtle transition words/ phrases that show relationships and make connections
· Use order other than chronological (e.g., flashback, foreshadow)
· Develop a conclusion that moves beyond summary (e.g., provide resolution/closure, pose purposeful questions to the reader to keep the reader thinking)
Sentence Structure
In order to capture the audience’s attention and establish a convincing style, tone and voice:
· use complete sentences to express thoughts
· vary sentence structure (e.g., simple, compound, complex, compound-complex sentences)
· vary kinds of sentences (declarative, explanatory, interrogative, imperative)
· vary sentence lengths
· vary sentence beginnings (experiment with placement of phrases and clauses in sentences)
· write sentences that create purpose-specific rhythm and flow naturally
Word Choice
Use vivid and precise words with the audience’s needs and writer’s purpose, style and voice in mind. The writer will
· use more specific, concrete language, and phrasing
· use adjectives and adverbs to describe, illustrate, and modify (clarify meaning)
· use action verbs when possible
· use words that convey appropriate voice (e.g., attitude, emotion, point of view, commitment)
· use a variety of accurate words and phrases that avoid repetition
· use a purposeful range of formal/informal language depending on the audience
· use non-literal language (e.g., idioms, slang, figurative language)
· use words that have denotations or connotations appropriate for the writing purpose

Big Idea (This should include transferable core concepts, principles, theories, and processes that should serve as the focal point of curricula, instruction, and assessment. Ex: Manifest Destiny, fighting for peace.)

Real life provides the content for writing.
Unit Enduring Understandings (This should include important ideas or core processes that are central to the unit and transferable to new situations beyond the classroom. Stated as full-sentence statements, the understandings specify what we want students to understand about the Big Ideas Ex: Inverse operations are helpful in understanding and solving problems.)
Students will understand that…
1. Expressive writing is author-centered; the most important consideration is the writer’s intent to tell a story or make meaning of an experience (reflection, self-discovery), to achieve personal goals, or to create literary pieces.
2. Good writing provides insights into real issues and a fresh look at everyday life.
3. Effective writers craft their text over several drafts in order to be satisfied with the results.
4. Crafting a text requires manipulation, reflection, consideration of each of the six traits of writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Structure, and Conventions.
Unit Essential Question(s) (This should include open-ended questions designed to guide student inquiry and focus instruction for “uncovering” the important ideas of the content. Ex: What is healthful eating? What is the relationship between fiction and truth?)
1. What is the relationship between the author and audience?
2. How does a writer include real events into his/her writing?
3. Why is it important to revised and proofread your writing?
4. What kinds of changes do authors make to their original drafts?
Knowledge & Skills (This should include key knowledge and skills that students will acquire as a result of this unit? Ex: Factors affecting climate, The causes of World War II.)
It should also include what students will eventually be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skill Ex: take notes, complete a bent-arm pull, compare fiction to nonfiction.)
Students will know….
1. Six plus one traits of writing
2. Steps in the writing process
3. What to look for when editing.
Students will be able to…
1. Write a personal narrative.
2. Edit and revise their writing.
3. Give suggestions to others about how to improve their writing
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
(Design Assessments To Guide Instruction)
(This should include evidence that will be collected to determine whether or not the Desired Results identified in Stage One have been achieved? [Anchor the unit in performance tasks that require transfer, supplemented as needed by other evidence –quizzes, worksheets, observations, etc.]
Suggested Performance Task(s) (This should include suggested authentic tasks and projects used as evidence of student competency in the skills and knowledge deemed important in the unit. Ex: a written composition, speeches, works of art, musical performances, open-ended math problems.)
Consider the following set of stem statements as you construct a scenario for a performance task:
G – Goal—Ex: Reflect character’s motivation and predict his actions
R – Role—Ex: A character in Of Mice and Men
A – Audience—Ex: A family member or close friend
S – Situation—Ex: Creating a scrapbook chronicling a character’s life, real and inferred
P – Product, Performance, and Purpose—Ex: Scrapbook
S – Standards and Criteria for Success—Ex: Your scrapbook should include all components on included rubric
This year the local newspaper is holding a contest that will include personal narratives from regular people. You have decided to submit an entry. The title of the contest is called Lessons Learned. Write a personal narrative of a time when you learned a hard lesson.
G – Write an engaging personal narrative that reflects real life lessons.
R – Community member
A – Contest committee members
S – Writing an article
P – Personal Narrative
S – See the rubric below
Rubrics/checklists for Performance Tasks (This should include holistic or analytic-trait rubrics used as a scoring guide to evaluate student products or performances.)
Delaware Student Testing Program - General Rubric for Writing
The following characteristics determine the success of the response in meeting the needs of the audience and fulfilling the writing purpose.
Score of 5 / Score of 4 / Score of 3 / Score of 2 / Score of 1
Score point 5 meets all the criteria listed in score point 4. In addition, a paper receiving this score shows an exceptional awareness of readers' concerns and needs.
The student may have shown an exceptional use of:
• Development strategies specific to the purpose for writing
• Distinctive style, voice, tone
• Literary devices
• Compositional risks / Unified with smooth transitions, a clear and logical progression of ideas, and an effective introduction and closing.
Sufficient, specific, and relevant details that are fully elaborated.
Consistently complete sentences with appropriate variety in length and structure.
A consistent style with precise and vivid word choice.
Few, if any, errors in standard written English that do not interfere with understanding. / Generally unified with some transitions, a clear progression of ideas, and an introduction and closing.
Specific details but may be insufficient, irrelevant, or not fully elaborated.
Generally complete sentences with sufficient variety in length and structure.
Some style and generally precise word choice.
Some errors in standard written English that rarely interfere with understanding. / Minimally unified and may lack transitions or an introduction or closing.
Some specific details but may be insufficient, irrelevant, and/or not elaborated.
Some sentence formation errors and a lack of sentence variety.
Sometimes general and repetitive word choice.
Several kinds of errors in standard written English that interfere with understanding. / Lacks unity.
No or few specific details that are minimally elaborated.
Frequent and severe sentence formation errors and/or a lack of sentence variety.
Often general, repetitive, and/or confusing word choice.
Frequent and severe errors in standard written English that interfere with understanding.
For non-scorable responses see below:
• Blank
• Off topic
• Written in a language other than English / • Refusal
• Illegible
• Insufficient
Other Evidence (This could include tests, quizzes, prompts, student work samples, and observations used to collect diverse evidence of student understanding.)
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection (This should include opportunities for students to monitor their own learning. Ex: reflection journals, learning logs, pre- and post-tests, editing own work.)
End of writing session reflection journal and self-evaluation logs.
Stage 3: Learning Plan
(Design Learning Activities To Align with Goals and Assessments)
Key learning events needed to achieve unit goals
(This should include instructional activities and learning experiences needed to achieve the desired results (Stage 1) as reflected in the assessment evidence to be gathered (Stage 2).
The acronym WHERETO summarizes key elements to consider when designing an effective and engaging learning plan.
W – Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected? Help the teachers know
Where the students are coming from (prior knowledge, interests)
H – Hook all students and Hold their interest?
E – Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues?
R – Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work?
E – Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?
T – Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests, and abilities of learners?
O – Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning?
Did you consider the following unit design principles?
IP – International education perspective
IL – Information Literacy
WR – Workplace readiness/21st century skills
FA – Formative assessment, used to check for understanding
DI – Differentiated Instruction
UDL– Universal Design for Learning
TL – Technology Literacy
Resources & Teaching Tips (Consider the two questions below when completing this section.)
o What text/print/media/kit/web resources best support this unit?
Recommended from the Language of Literature McDougal-Littell series:
o What tips to teachers of the unit can you offer about likely rough spots/student misunderstandings and performance weaknesses, and how to troubleshoot those issues?
Accommodation/Differentiation ideas and tips (This should include a list or description of ways that you will differentiate instruction according to students' needs. This can include any curricular adaptations that are needed to meet special needs students. Ex: using reading materials at varying readability levels, putting text materials on tape, using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students, meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.
Technology Integration
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/kburke/tips_for_writing_a_personal_narr.htm
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/kburke/personal%20writing%20examples.htm
http://thewritingsite.org/resources/genre/narrative.asp
http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/narrativeprompts2.html
Content Connections

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