Unit 1: Building a Community Can an outsider be part of a community?
Teacher Guide
A. Structuring Cohesive Texts: Bridging
1. Understanding text structure
Apply understanding of the organizational structure of different text types to comprehending texts and to writing clear and cohesive arguments, informative /explanatory texts and narratives.
Goal: Expose the SCRIBEs to different text types. They study the organizational patterns and learn that each text type expresses ideas in different ways. Then, SCRIBEs apply that understanding to extract information from each text type and start to comprehend each text by reading closely.
SCRIBEs will explore the organizational pattern of the following text type: Instructions. The Reader’s Handbook introduces this text type in Focus on Real-world Writing (pp. 265-272).
SCRIBEs will benefit from this text type as they are exploring the skill of organization. The key reading piece is a set of computer game instructions. The first learning experience will be to investigate the need for instructions: why do we need instructions?
Key emphasis is on the organizational structure of the computer game instructions given. Reader’s Handbook assists the SCRIBE to understand the organization of this text type in the section named Understanding the Organization (p. 269).
SCRIBEs will continue exploring informational writing using their Student Applications Book (7th grade ed., pp. 116-117). They will learn the purpose of a flyer. SCRIBEs will comprehend the importance of providing enough information to deliver an important message. Also, they investigate the type of information provided in flyers and anticipate how this information affects readers personally.
The last key piece studied in this unit will be an email. Using the Write Source (7th grade ed., p. 212), SCRIBEs will learn the information in an email and how this informational writing should be organized to provide important information and achieve the intent to inform and affect the readers.
The effects of all text types studied in this unit will be explored with language support to get SCRIBEs ready to apply knowledge to address another part of the targeted standard: writing clear and cohesive informative texts.
Writing on Demand
SCRIBEs will write an on demand writing assessment. The prompt will address the unit’s essential question: Can an outsider be part of a community?
What steps can a community take to welcome all recent immigrants and make them part of their community?
What are the positive effects of integrating newcomers to the community?
What can a group of students do to welcome a new student into their class and make them feel comfortable and welcomed? How would you integrate them into your learning community?
Writing Project
SCRIBEs recognize the need to involve the community and make a safe environment for all community members regardless of any differences. In this unit, SCRIBEs will work on a campaign to unite their community.
The quantity of projects completed by the SCRIBEs will depend on the time, quality, and time given to present the project. Project needs to reflect the skills explicitly taught in this unit: organization and hierarchy.
SCRIBEs should focus on the solution, not the problem. SCRIBEs will provide plenty of information to encourage the community to follow. This could be the beginning of a SCRIBE’s journey moving from follower to leader.
SCRIBEs will organize an informational meeting for their community advocating their ideas about strengthening their community by providing a safe environment for all community members. Ultimately, the project should answer the question: Can an outsider be part of the community?
SCRIBEs may do one or all of the following:
· Informational brochure addressing the community
· Flyer to the community inviting them to a community meeting
· Email to community leaders requesting them to participate in a community meeting
· PowerPoint to be presented to the community at the community meeting
Key Pieces: Instructions, Flyers, and Emails