Rachel Stewart

FRIT 7430: Instructional Design

Understanding by Design

Summer 2011

Title of Unit

Writing Conventions

Grade Level

5th Grade

Stage 1 Identify Desired Results

Students will understand that: - Short story characters are often imperfect, and this can make writing more interesting. - Writing good stories engages the mind and encourages creativity. - We utilize a variety of tools and strategies within the scope of the writing process. - Differences in points of view are encouraged while maintaining the scope of the subject - Each learner has traits and strengths which are not necessarily equivalent to others. - Making and correcting mistakes are both part of the learning process. - Writing is a form of communication. - Chronological order is important in successful writing. - Writing is a process, and each step is equally important. - Peer review is an important aspect of the revision process. -Purpose often dictates what genre of writing should be utilized. -Claims about a work of literature in an essay must be supported by evidence from the text and an explanation of that evidence in their own words. -Different genres of writing have criteria and expectations that must be met. Related Misconceptions: - The teacher is always the target audience because he/she is the only one who will read student papers. - All essays must contain exactly five paragraphs. - Correct grammar is all that is needed for good writing. - Listening and paying attention are not always the same thing.

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: - How can critical thinking improve the flow of writing? - In what ways can writing be improved to keep the audience engaged? - Why is it important to evaluate your writing? - Why is it important to involve the writing process when writing? - Why is it important to use traditional structures such as chronological order in writing? - How can improving writing strengthen other communication skills? Topical Questions: - What is the difference between various genres of writing? - What is the difference between a topic sentence and a supporting sentence? - How do you construct an organized paragraph (e.g. main idea, supporting sentences, proper length, transitions)? - How can you organize a written work (e.g. introduction, body, conclusion)? - What structures can be used in good writing (e.g. chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and difference, etc.)? - How can you analyze your target audience and their needs? - How does the purpose of your writing affect your style and content?

Stage 2 - Evidence Performance Task(s)

Goal: Students produce writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and provides a satisfying closure. Role: Students will take the role of author of a letter that emulates the style and organization of Judith Viorst's "The Southpaw". Throughout much of the assignment, the teacher will take the role of a facilitator, helping students as needed.

Audience: At the beginning of the lesson, the students will be the audience as the teacher explains the activity for the day, and as various students read the text aloud. As students are completing the written product, their audience within the paper will be either a fictional character, someone they know in real life, or a famous character from television, movies, books, or cartoons. As students complete the peer review process, the audience will be the other student. Situation: Before students read Judith Viorst's The Southpaw, the following words will be presented on the board: - police officer - firefighter - scientist - secretary - nurse - bank teller - professional athlete - elementary school teacher - writer - doctor - lawyer - artist In a brief class discussion, students will be surveyed to determine whether or not they associate a certain gender with each profession. By show of hands students can demonstrate whether they associate each role with men or women. Then, students will be asked if they have ever asked to do something such as play a sport, pick out a toy, etc. only to be told That's not what boys/girls do. After a brief explanation from the teacher about how gender issues have changed in a variety of professions, sports, etc., students will read The Southpaw before completing a writing assignment. Product Performance and Purpose: After reading the short series of letters between a girl who wants to be on a sports team and a boy who doesn't want to let her join, students will write a formal letter in which they ask to do something that has been typically associated with another gender. For example, a girl might write a letter asking to be considered as a candidate for the next presidential election. A boy might write a letter asking to become a medical nurse. The student letter must consist of three paragraphs and contain a greeting and closing in the appropriate places. These students have been working on persuasive arguments and can use this extra practice in writing letters. These letters must include one paragraph that explains what the student is asking to do and another paragraph that explains why that student should be considered for the task at hand. Since gender associations with professions are steadily

changing, it may be hard for students to think of a task that is associated with a certain gender. If students are having trouble, the teacher can provide some examples of professions and tasks other than those listed on the board. Standards and Criteria for Success: GPS - ELA5W1: The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure. Students will exchange their letters with one other classmate. Each student should peer review by reading the letter of the other student to determine whether the other student wrote a clear letter that includes a greeting, two body paragraphs, and a closing in the appropriate places. During peer review, students will complete a graphic organizer such as the one shown below to evaluate the work of the other student. Praise What works best in their letter? What should they keep doing in their writing? Question What questions do you have about the contents of their letter? Polish What do they need to work on to improve their letter?

Please offer specific If anything was unclear to you suggestions for improving or there is anything you would their paper. like to know more about, list it here.

The teacher will note whether students thoughtfully completed the peer review process, and will access the student writing based on the writing process rubric below.

Performance Task(s) Rubric(s)

Students: - Demonstrate that their reading comprehension skills are well-developed. - Demonstrate understanding of the elements of writing a letter by clearly and thoroughly describing those elements. - Organize and describe their ideas in a logical manner. - State the problem and the solution with support from factual details about or from the story. - Identify the steps of the writing process. - Prepare an outline to organize ideas for writing. - Develop ideas in chronological order.

Writing Process Rubric: Specification Sentence & Paragraph Excellent (3) Good (2) Satisfactory (1) Needs to Improve (0) Sentences need improvement

All sentences are All sentences are Most sentences complete, well complete and well and paragraphs constructed, and constructed. are complete. of varied structure All requirements inclusive, content is organized. Elements met, need improvement on organization

Elements of All requirements Writing a Letter inclusive, content is well organized Grammar & Spelling Tone

Insufficient elements, poorly organized

There are no There are 1 to 2 There are 3 to 4 There are more errors in errors in errors in than 4 errors in grammar/spelling grammar/spelling grammar/spelling grammar/spelling Tone presented in Appropriate tone, a constructive subject outline is manner, subject clear outline is clear. There are 1 to 2 errors in cap./punct . Tone is reasonable, subject outline needs improvement There are 3 to 4 errors in cap./punct. Tone is reasonable, subject outline unclear There are more than 4 errors in cap./punct. Writing not legible, few stains

Capitalization & There are no Punctuation errors in cap./punct. Legibility & Neatness Writing is legible, no corrections, and neat

Writing legible, 1- Marginal writing, 2 corrections, few stains wrinkle paper

TOTAL: ____ / 18

(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)

- Students will give writing samples on a given topic. - Students will solve a writing puzzle with the three different sections of writing. - Students ask questions by contributing to the topic and paraphrasing what was said. - Students take notes, outline the subject, observes and make comments by demonstrating they comprehend and can synthesize the content through creative experimentation. - Students will work through a Proofreading Center to evaluate their ability to identify grammar, spelling, and sentence structure errors. - Students will complete an evaluation worksheet on the parts of speech.

Other Evidence

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

After completing the final draft of their letters, students will draft a letter of reflection, answering the following questions: - What do you like best about the letter you have written and why? Explain what the reader should notice about this section that makes it your favorite. - What was hardest about this assignment and why? Explain what you did to meet this challenge. - If you were going to revise your letter again, what would you work on? - How does this assignment show your growth as a writer? Explain which parts of the letter illustrate this growth. - What would you like to continue to learn about as a writer? Not all students learning styles are the same. Some students are gifted, have language barriers, special needs, etc. Each learner has traits and strengths which are not necessarily equivalent to others. We utilize a variety of tools and strategies within the scope of the writing process. Peer review is an important aspect of the revision process. The point is to find a system where all students are able to be more creative while confirming to the performance standards that were established. Experimental tools such as using the standards-based grade book can sometimes be more effective over the traditional grade book especially when the styles of learners are different. Explanation One grading practice that is gaining popularity is the standards-based grading, which involves measuring students' proficiency on well-defined course objectives. A typical homework assignment for learners can be a small collection of writing problems, each of which is linked to a learning objective. The goal is to get learners to continuously ask themselves, Do I know this? Can I do this? Interpretation Systematic and extensive feedback on writing assignments sends students the message that they

can and should do homework as practice. Students are accountable for mastering the standards connected to assigned homework. Extra assignments are encouraged for better understanding of the writing process. Application We must create an environment where writing standards can and must be met and where students are not permitted to submit substandard work without being asked to revise. Perspective Comparison of traditional grade book with standard-based grade books: Example 1: Traditional grade book includes homework, quizzes, and tests Example 2: Standard-based grade book includes objective 1 (write an ending of a story), objective 2 (identify the elements of a story), and objective 3 (compare and contrast two stories). The standards-based grade book informs the teacher where adjustments should be made with classroom instructions. Students can also see much more information about their learning styles. Gifted and talented students can be truly challenged in a standards-based classroom because if they show early mastery of fundamental skills and concepts, they can concentrate on more challenging work at higher levels. Whereas, students who struggle can continue to retest and use alternate assessments until they show proficiency, and they are not penalized for needing extended time. Using the standard-based grade book allow students with special needs to modify their work and, if needed, develop different ways of demonstrating they have met their proficiency goals. Their working styles can be easily accommodated in this system because modified assignments and assessments require no special adjustments in the grade book. The grade book simply shows where they are in meeting the standards, without reference to how they are demonstrating their learning or what modifications needs to be made. Empathy Each class needs a clear and concise set of writing standards with precise levels of mastery. Teachers must be patient as students and parents adjust to standards set for the students. Students have expressed increased satisfaction with having a larger degree of control over their grades using the standards-based grading instead of the traditional grading system. Self Knowledge Areas such as attendance and effort could be reported separate from academic achievement. If we base our grades on standards rather than attendance and behavior we can actually help students understand the importance of quality and how it relates to the fulfillment of a higher

degree of self-sufficiency. Quality in writing matters, and the ability to measure the quality of one's own work is a learned skill.

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences Week 1 1. DJP: Begin each day with a DJP (Daily Journal Prompt) to hook students with an interesting writing topic. Students will be allowed freedom to respond to the prompts in any manner that they choose, as long as they use at least four complete sentences. For the first prompt, ask the students, "What are some reasons that people write, and why is it important to write correctly?" to help students begin thinking about the importance of the writing process. - H

2. Pre-Test: To help the instructor assess prior knowledge, students will complete a writing conventions pre-test that consists of three parts. Part one will consist of a multiple choice section that asks students to select correctly written sentences. Part two will consist of a matching section in which students will match language terms to their correct definition. Part three will consist of an essay question that requires an answer in paragraph form. In addition to helping the teacher know where to begin with students, this pre-test should serve as a means to help students recall and assess prior knowledge of the topic. The pre-test also gives the instructor knowledge that will help the teacher tailor instruction for individual students. - R, E-2, T

3. Photo Story 3 / YouTube - Writing Elements / Essential Questions: Introduce the elements of writing and essential questions that will be addressed each day. Using a Photo Story 3 (http://www.microsoft.com) presentation which has been uploaded to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com), provide necessary vocabulary and show examples of appropriate language usage in writing. Use imagery in the presentation, and even student examples to engage student interest, explain what you hope the class will accomplish today, and equip students with necessary tools to complete other activities. - W, H, E

4. Brainstorming: This activity could be conducted as a large group class activity or in small groups. Ask student groups to name a topic they are interested in. Something they would like to learn more about and write about. Then ask students to write down everything about that topic. Then the

groups will start organizing their thoughts into categories. This is the first step in the writing process. The teacher can use any variety of brainstorming worksheets. - E

5. Hamburger Shuffle - Parts of an Essay: This activity will be conduct as a large group activity. Materials need for this activity include a Power Point Presentation and computer equipment. A Power Point Presentation will be delivered to the class about the different parts of the essay. The teacher will use a design of a Hamburger to introduce the Introduction, Body, and Conclusion of an essay. Other parts of an essay such as adjectives, details and other descriptors will also be included in this design. - E, R

6. Writing Puzzle: This activity is a large group activity. Make a puzzle piece of an essay on a given topic. The Puzzle pieces can be made using the parts of an essay. For example the introduction would be one piece, the body another piece, and the conclusion another piece. Students will be divided into groups. Each student will be given a puzzle piece of a given topic. Each student will decide where in the essay their piece fits. Students in each group will organize their puzzle piece for the group's essay. Then students will present their essay to the class. The class decides if the essay is in the correct chronological order. - E, R, O

7. Loose Stitch Outline (Pre-writing / Organization): Students will create an outline to organize the content of each paragraph that will be written in the I-Search student interest essay. Loose Stitch (http://www.loosestitch.com) provides Web 2.0 software that allows students to easily create such an outline. - O

8. Rough Draft - I-Search Student Interest Essay: Students will create a rough draft of their own essay. -E

9. Peer Review: Working in groups of 3-4 members, students will read out loud their essays. Other group members will use a three-column Praise-Question-Polish graphic organizer to record what they find best about the essay, what they are unclear about, and what the author could do to improve the essay. The group will discuss feedback for each member. Each student will then work to revise their essay based on the advice they received during peer review. The teacher will once again review the grading rubric for the interest essay with the class. Each student will be asked to score their own draft in its current state, allowing students to determine how they should spend any additional time revising. R, E, T

10. Editing: Using Power Point, teacher will provide students with a checklist to proofreading and editing their revised essays. This checklist will include the best strategies to identify and correct errors

in spelling, complete sentences, subject/verb agreement, and pronoun agreement. Students will work through each step to find and correct errors throughout their essay. - E

11. Final Draft - I-Search Student Interest Essay: Students will submit their essays along with a brief letter to the reader in which they explain what they like best about their essay and what they wish they had additional time to work on. R, E

Week 2

1. DJP: Begin each day with a DJP (Daily Journal Prompt) to hook students with an interesting writing topic. Students will be allowed freedom to respond to the prompts in any manner that they choose, as long as they use at least four complete sentences. Prompts generally allow for student choice within the response, and come from two sources to differentiate for heterogeneous learners: Let's Write!: A Ready-To-Use Activities Program for Learners with Special Needs (C. Stowe, 2000), and 350 Fabulous Writing Prompts: Thought-Provoking Springboards For Creative, Expository, and Journal Writing (J. Sweeney, 1995) - H, T 2. DGP: After students share their daily journals in small groups, students will work in small groups on a DGP (Daily Grammar Practice) activity to provide and equip them with knowledge of how to properly use language and sentence structures. Activities can involve editing student work as a class while displaying the work on a projector, or can come from the following text.: Daily Language Review, Grade 6 (J. Norris, 2000) - E

3. GoAnimate - Writing Elements / Essential Questions: Introduce the elements of writing and essential questions that will be addressed each day. Using a comic animation created in GoAnimate's Web 2.0 software (http://www.goanimate.com), provide necessary vocabulary and show examples of appropriate language usage in writing. Use dialogue and action within the animation to engage student interest, explain what you hope the class will accomplish today, and equip students with necessary tools to complete other activities. End the presentation with a class discussion of questions posed at the end of the animation. - W, H, E 4. GoAnimate - Storytelling: Once students have seen a GoAnimate animation, they are going to want to create their own. Have students write a hand-written script that includes four characters, a specific setting, and an interesting dilemma. Students can brainstorm in small groups of three or four and work together on one script. Once they have shown the script to the teacher for approval, the group will work to create a seven-scene animation. Once all students have completed the task, groups can volunteer their animations for viewing in a class film festival. - H, E, O 5. For Girls and for Boys: Before students read Judith Viorst's The Southpaw, the following words will be presented on the board: police officer, firefighter, scientist, secretary, nurse, bank teller, professional athlete, elementary school teacher, writer, doctor, lawyer, and artist.

In a brief class discussion, students will be surveyed to determine whether or not they associate a certain gender with each profession. By show of hands students can demonstrate whether they associate each role with men or women. Then, students will be asked if they have ever asked to do something such as play a sport, pick out a toy, etc. only to be told, That's not what boys/girls do. After class discussion, a brief explanation will be given from the teacher about how gender issues have changed in a variety of professions, sports, etc. - H, E-2 6. Read Judith Viorst's "The Southpaw": Students will take turns reading aloud from this short series of letters between a girl who wants to be on a sports team and a boy who doesn't want to let her join. As students read a few sentences each, the teacher will stop to clarify possible points of confusion for the students, ask questions to gauge student comprehension of the reading material, and ask students to make predictions about what will happen next in the series of events. This activity engages students in the topic and provides an example of the correct format for a letter. - H, E 7. Mindomo Concept Map: Ask students to make a list of at least twelve different activities. These activities can be jobs, recreational activities, hobbies, etc. Then, have students create a concept map using Mindomo Web 2.0 software (http://www.mindomo.com). In this concept map, students will organize their activities according to three categories: activities that are normally considered to be for girls only, activities that are normally considered to be for boys only, and activities that are considered appropriate for both girls and boys. Students will print out their completed maps and compare their ideas in a small group setting. Each group will have one or two members share with the class the ideas that were the same, the ideas that were conflicting, and the ideas that were surprising. This activity helps engage students in higher level thinking about the topic and allows them to organize their ideas. - E, O 8. Persuasive Letter (First Draft): Students will write a rough draft of a formal letter in which they ask to do something that has been typically associated with another gender. For example, a girl might write a letter asking to be considered as a candidate for the next presidential election. A boy might write a letter asking to become a medical nurse. The student letter must consist of three paragraphs and contain a greeting and closing in the appropriate places. These letters must include one paragraph that explains what the student is asking to do and another paragraph that explains why that student should be considered for the task at hand. - T, O 9. Peer Review: Students are paired according to test scores/special needs. Students will exchange letters, read the work of the other student, and complete a peer review rubric. This rubric will allow the other student to assess if the other student is on the right track with the writing assignment. Upon completion of the rubric, the students will exchange rubrics, read the rubric results, and then discuss possible improvements for the paper. This assignment allows each student to revisit their work, and to evaluate their progress. - R, E-2 10. Persuasive Letter (Final Draft / Revision): Upon completion of the peer review activity, students will type a revision of their letter. This revision should address any unclear sentences, any omissions of required elements, and correct spelling and grammar mistakes. During this step in the process, students will revisit their original ideas, evaluate their progress, make necessary revisions, and organize the final product. - R, E-2, O Week 3

1. Begin each day with a DJP (Daily Journal Prompt) to hook students with an interesting writing topic. Students will be allowed freedom to respond to the prompts in any manner that they choose, as long as they use at least four complete sentences. Prompts generally allow for student choice within the response, and come from two sources to differentiate for heterogeneous learners: Let's Write!: A Ready-To-Use Activities Program for Learners with Special Needs (C. Stowe, 2000), and 350 Fabulous Writing Prompts: Thought-Provoking Springboards For Creative, Expository, and Journal Writing (J. Sweeney, 1995) - H, T 2. After students share their daily journals in small groups, students will work in small groups on a DGP (Daily Grammar Practice) activity to provide and equip them with knowledge of how to properly use language and sentence structures. Activities can involve editing student work as a class while displaying the work on a projector, or can come from the following text.: Daily Language Review, Grade 5 (1998) - E

3. Prezi - Writing Elements / Essential Questions: Introduce the elements of writing and essential questions that will be addressed each day. Using a Web 2.0 zooming presentation such as Prezi (http://www.prezi.com), provide necessary vocabulary and show examples of appropriate language usage in writing. Use imagery in the presentation, and even student examples to engage student interest, explain what you hope the class will accomplish today, and equip students with necessary tools to complete other activities. End the presentation with a class discussion of the elements. - W, H, E 4. Image Writing: At the end of the daily Prezi presentation, display an image. This image can be of an action situation, a funny situation, an interesting situation, or an ambiguous situation. Ask students to individually write a paragraph that is inspired by what they see. Have the student leave the story open and without a satisfying ending, so that it can be used for the next activity. Each day, provide a new "brushstroke" or technique to include in their writing. These techniques can be found in Image Grammar : Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing (H. Noden, 1999). Allow students to share their piece with one other student, and allow a few volunteers to read aloud. - H, E 5. Pass-It Stories: Place students in a cooperative group that consists of a row of students (a table of students or a circle if the classroom environment permits). Students will pass their Image Writing activity paragraph to the student directly behind or beside them. If the student is at the back of a row, that student can pass the paragraph to the front of the row. Students will read the writing, and begin to add a new paragraph of text. The new writing should continue the story, but not end it, and will continue until the teacher says "Pass It". As students write, the teacher can provide verbal or visual (another image) prompts to help students continue the story. This activity continues to engage students in practice of the writing process, and allows students to see how other students are using language to complete the writing activity. - H, E 6. Memory Map (Brainstorming): Explain that students will be completing a personal narrative through the week, and that prior to that activity, students will be completing a memory map to brainstorm. This memory map is a hand drawn map of the town in which that student has spent the most time. This map doesn't have to be to scale, but must show the places, people, and activities that the student thinks will be most memorable. Above the places, people, and activities, the student should

include a speech bubble in which the student explains what happened, who lives there, and what they did. This map is a brainstorming activity to engage the student in the topic, and to allow the student to organize information that will be included in the personal narrative. Further explanation of a memory map can be found in Writing and Being: Embracing Your Life Through Creative Journaling (G.L. Nelson, 2004) - H, O 7. LooseStitch Outline (Pre-writing / Organization): Students will create an outline to organize the content of each paragraph that will be written in the personal narrative. LooseStitch (http://www.loosestitch.com) provides Web 2.0 software that allows students to easily create such an outline. - O 8. Personal Narrative (First Draft): Students will use ideas from the Memory Map, and the organization utilized in the outline to write a rough draft of a personal narrative about the town in which they have spent the most time growing up. This narrative will begin with an introduction that describes the town, will include three body paragraphs that individually address important people, places, and activities, and will include a conclusion that explains what the student will remember most about this town. Students will be allowed to personalize this assignment since they are writing about personal life. - T, O 9. Peer Review: Students are paired according to test scores/special needs. Students will exchange papers, read the work of the other student, and complete a peer review rubric. This rubric will allow the other student to assess if the other student is on the right track with the writing assignment. Upon completion of the rubric, the students will exchange rubrics, read the rubric results, and then discuss possible improvements for the paper. This assignment allows each student to revisit their work, and to evaluate their progress. - R, E-2 10. Personal Narrative (Final Draft / Revision): Upon completion of the peer review activity, students will type a revision of their narrative. This revision should address any unclear sentences, any omissions of required elements, and correct spelling and grammar mistakes. During this step in the process, students will revisit their original ideas, evaluate their progress, make necessary revisions, and organize the final product. - R, E-2, O Notes to the Instructor Use this area, if needed, to explain to the instructor how your planned activities above satisfy specific elements of the scoring rubric. Teaching writing is a challenge for every teacher. In this unit of study each of the activities are coded for the WHERETO element. This code insures the direction of the activity. Through this three-week unit students will go through the process of writing which will clearly cover the standard. Different techniques are used through this unit to insure all types of learners are successful. The R in the WHERETO element is use in several of the activities for students to RETHINK, REFLECT, and REVISE. Different forms of Technology are also used to aide in the success of the learners and also to peak their interest in the writing process. References Daily language review, grade 5. (1998). Monterey, CA: Evan Moore.

Expert Software Applications. (2011). Mindomo [Software]. Available from http://www.mindomo.com/ Go!Animate. (2011). Retrieved from http://goanimate.com/ Microsoft. (2011). Photo Story 3 [Software]. Available from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=11132

Nelson, G. L. (2004). Writing and being: Embracing your life through creative journaling. Makawao, HI: Inner Ocean.

Noden, H. R. (2011). Image grammar: Teaching grammar as part of the writing process (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

LooseStitch. (2011). Retrieved from http://loosestitch.com/

Prezi. (2011). Retrieved from www.prezi.com

Stowe, C. M. (2000). Lets write!: A ready-to-use activities program for learners with special needs. West Nyack, NY: The Center for Applied Research in Education.

Sweeney, J. (1995). 350 fabulous writing prompts: thought-provoking springboards for creative, expository, and journal writing. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Viorst, J. (n.d.) The southpaw. Retrieved from http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/geigerr/files/2009/10/The-Southpaw-by-Judith-Viorst.pdf

YouTube. (2011). Retrieved from www.youtube.com