Idaho Core Teacher Network Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Writing My Memories Created By: Sarah KingVeigel Subject: English Grade: Ninth Estimated Length (days or weeks):

Approximately 6 weeks

Unit Overview (including content) The focus of this lesson is to broaden

students’ understanding of traditional

narrative form. Students will know that essay

is not the only by narrative form a and that

if intentional, ruptures of grammatical rules

can strengthen a piece of writing. Students

will know that in real world writing, run ons

and fragments are used a literary technique..

Students will understand the characteristics

of the grammatical ruptures (run ons,

fragments) and be able to recognize them in

a work of literature as well as relate them to

real world examples. As you plan, consider

the variability of learners in your class and

make adaptations as necessary. Unit Rationale (including Key Shift(s)): Key Shift One: Students will build

knowledge and academic language through a

balance of content rich, complex nonfiction

and literary texts. Key Shift Four: Students will collaborate

effectively of purposes while also building

independent literacy skills.

Unit Rationale:

One of the challenges in teaching freshmen is

reconnecting them to the power, creativity and

elasticity of their own writing. Adolescent

insecurity combined with over prescribed

essay writing leaves many of my students

unwilling to take the risks that writing progress

requires. Although they know how to create an

academic paper, many of them have lost the joy

of creating that writing has inherently. This

short unit is meant to give them multiple

options for crafting narrative beyond a

traditional essay. When given the choice of

form, most can find their way back to their

own story.

The conversations about how to best tell our

stories helps when we look at others’ writing.

The switch between writer to reader and reader

to writer is intuitive for my best writers but not

for all of my students. We practice the switch

from reader (listener) to writer (talker) daily

through this unit with the intent that they can

access and emulate what professional writers

do.

Additionally, I want have my students to

experience a variety of authentic forms and

the seemingly oxymoronic use of rule ruptures

in some of the strongest of pieces we’ll read. I

want them to experiment. I want them to see

themselves as storytellers. I want them to have

fun with their language. I want them to write

with joy. At years’ end, they will collect these

drafts, their literature responses to extended

writes of journal prompts, etc., and combine

them in their final portfolio Thoughtshots From

Freshman Year. As Shakespeare said in

Sonnet 18 “...so long lives this and this gives

life to thee” One of the most gratifying things

to come out of this unit came when the students

identified their new understanding as this

“Reading is a way to know. Writing is a way

to be known.” At the end of the unit they

understood the interdependence of reading on

writing and writing on reading.

Targeted Standards: Idaho Core Grade-Level Standards:

W.9-10.3

❖ Write narratives to develop real or

imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, well-chosen details,

and well-structured event sequences.

W. I.9-10.5

❖ Develop and strengthen writing as needed

by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,

or trying a new approach, focusing on

addressing what is most significant for a

specific purpose and audience

R W.9-10.5

Essential Questions)/Enduring

Understandings: ❖ Overarching Year Essential Question:

How does literature inform my life?

Unit Essential Question: How do we hold our

memories? Enduring Understandings ❖ Everyone has a story that is worthy of

being heard

❖ Writing preserves thought and time “So

long lives this, then this gives life to

these”

❖ Reading connects us to other

memories, other times

❖ Writing well is a multi stage process -

stories don't just appear. They are a

series of choices, changes and revisions

❖ The form a writer chooses is guided by

Measurable Outcomes: Learning Objectives: ❖ Students will write a narrative using two of the

five forms drafted in class

❖ Students will identify broken grammatical rules

and the effect of these breaks on a piece.

❖ Students will imitate five different forms of

narrative.

❖ Students will develop and strengthen their

writing by planning, revising, editing and

rewriting.

❖ Students will provide specific, purposeful

feedback both digitally and in face to face

writing groups.

Learning Targets: ❖ I can experiment with different narrative forms

and sentence structures.

❖ I can write a narrative with well chosen details:

❖ I can identify when and understand why some

❖ Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or

claims are developed and refined by

particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger

portions of a text (e.g., a section or

chapter).

SL.9-10.1

❖ Initiate and participate effectively

in a range of collaborative

discussions with diverse partners

on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and

issues, building on others' ideas

and expressing their own clearly.

L.9-10.1

❖ Demonstrate command of the

conventions of standard English

grammar and usage when writing

or speaking.

➢ b. Use various types of

phrases (noun, verb,

adjectival, adverbial,

participial, prepositional,

absolute) and clauses

(independent, dependent;

noun, relative, adverbial)

to convey specific

meanings and add variety

and interest to writing or

presentations

Content Standards (if applicable)

purpose and audience. Essay form is

only one of many types.

❖ Working at the sentence level can

change a piece - adding phrases,

strengthening the noun and subject-are

tools that work

❖ Personal Narrative has a beginning, a

middle and an end

❖ The rules of grammar can be broken IF

it is intentional and understood.

writers choose to break the traditional rules of

grammar and what effect these ruptures have.

❖ I can offer purposeful, specific feedback to my

peers either digitally using Google Docs or face

to face.

❖ I can strengthen my writing by revising, editing

❖ I can participate in small and larger group

discussions

Summative Assessment: ❖ Summative Assessment

Description: Students will write a

multi paragraph nonfiction narrative

choosing two of the formats

explored throughout the unit, for

submission to the North Voice

Literary Magazine. This writing

will demonstrate understanding of

the concepts compositions that

demonstrate synthesis and analysis

of complex ideas or themes and

evidence of a deep awareness of

purpose and audience. These

compositions will:

➢ demonstrate evidence of a

deep awareness of purpose

and intended audience

➢ demonstrate a distinct voice

that stimulates the reader or

listener to consider new

perspectives on the

addressed ideas or themes

http://education.ky.gov/curri

culum/docs/Documents/CC

A%20WRITING%20SUPP

ORT%20DOK.doc

❖ Depth of Knowledge (DOK) 4

❖ Rubric or Assessment Guidelines:

See Resources

Central Text:”Short Assignments” by

Anne LaMott Text Complexity Analysis of Central Text:

● Quantitative: See Resources.

● Qualitative: See Resources.

Reader-Task:See Supporting

literary texts (if applicable):

➢ “My Name” by Sandra

Cisneros

➢ “This Is How I Remember

It” by Betsy Kemper

➢ Encylopedia of an Ordinary

Life” by Amy Krause Rosenthal

➢ “Waiting” by Peggy McNalty

➢ Short Excerpts from Harper

Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Leslie Marmon Silko’s

Ceremony, Barbara

Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible,

Graham Greene’s Wind in the

Willows by and The God of

Small Things by Arundhati Roy

❖ Supporting informational texts

➢ 2008 Pew Research on Writing,

Technology and Teens

➢ Excerpts from Jamaica

Kincaid's Autobiography of My

Mother,

➢ Mark Twain’s “Two Views of

the Mississippi”

Art/Music/Media Other

Materials/Resources:

Teacher writing models Art: Starry Night Over the Rhone by

Vincent VanGogh,

Ville d'Avray by Jean-Baptiste-Camille

Corot, Lyon by Mona Edulesco, Ballet

Rehearsal by Edgar Degas

Calvin and Hobbes: “Snowmen” Comic

Video: Finding Forrester Excerpts

Video: Anne Lamott documentary trailer

Instructional Sequence

Frontloading/Anticipatory Set Lesson plan or outline:

The prior three weeks of work

on “Where” I Am From…”

have been a frontload for

creating a community of writers

and for telling our story.

Photo vs. story: teacher mode.

How are our memories best

preserved? What does the text

add?

Week One

Activity/Strategy:

Texts and Resources

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments Instructional Notes

Monday: Journal Write: What do you need to

become a better writer? Think-Pair-Share Jigsaw read of 2008 Pew Research

Writing, Technology and Teens

Copies of the Pew Research

divided among groups

Composing to Plan

Pair Reports Anchor Chart::

Ways Writers

Write:

I use this report to begin

talking specifically about what

the students need as writers.

What will help them? How

can they become better? This

Research is lengthy so read the

overview before assigning and

scan to see how detailed you

Comment [1]: We could either list these here, use the dropdown menu in the boxes below or both. I am torn about the dropdowns—makes them consider for each day, but might seem limiting.

want to go into the Pew

Research. Depending on your

class, some sections may not

be necessary

Tuesday: Continue jigsaw reading of “Writing,

Technology and Teens” Journal Write: Does this article

represent what you feel? How does it?

How doesn’t it? Think Pair Share Introduce Summative Assessment

Schedule and Requirements: Write a

narrative Closely read and highlight key pieces of

Summative Assessment Schedule and

Requirements Explain to you partner what you

highlighted and why and then switch

roles

Copies of the Pew Research

divided among groups Summative Assessment

Schedule and Requirements

(see Resources)

Composing to Plan

Pair work

If there isn’t enough time in

class to complete the reading

and highlighting of the

Summative Assessment,

assign as homework with the

partner work done at the

beginning of the hour on

Wednesday

●

●

●

Wednesday: View Anne Lamott “Bird by Bird”

documentary trailer as an introduction to

the author. View Finding Forrester clip about

conjunctions Begin “Short Assignments” Mini

Lesson

Anne Lamott "Finding Forrest" clip “Short Assignments” by Anne

Lamott (see Resources)

Composing to Plan

Anchor Chart -

How do “real”

writers write? Post It Note

Some of the vocabulary as

well as the content is

challenging. For any

vocabulary questions during

this (or any other lesson/unit)

we have an ongoing Word

Wall in the classroom.

Students use a Frayer Model

variation providing the word, a

synonym, an antonym and a

quick definition. When a word

is placed on the wall, the

student who places it there

quickly explains the word,

provide synonyms Thursday: “Short Assignments” continued

“Short Assignments” by Anne

Lamott (see Resources)

Friday: Create Meme for “Short Assignments”

in pairs Gallery Walk of Memes using Post It

Notes to vote for the favorite being ready

to defend/explain their choices Argue for the choice

Meme Generator ImgFlip

Composing to Plan

Meme Gallery Walk

Meme Selection Class discussion

Memes are an easy way to

summarize text and an easy

formative assessment. The

kids have fun with this

Week Two

Activity/Strategy

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments Instructional Notes:

Monday: Introduce Hillocks Questioning

(Complex Implied Relationships,

Authorial Generalizations, and Structural

Generalizations) In pairs, students create questions about

the cartoon using the Hillocks Question

Stems for Levels 6-8 Choose the best of each and pass it to

another pair for them to answer.

Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen

Cartoon Hillock’s Questions Sheet (amended) (see Resources) Hillocks Level 6, 7 and 8

Questions Stems (see

Resources)

Composing to Practice

Question Writing Beyond Level 3 Students will require stems for

their first encounter with

structural and authorial

generalizations. This

hierarchy helps focus on what

they author did to create the

pieces they’ll read.

Post It Response: What does asking

these questions do for your

understanding?

Tuesday: Think Aloud “This Is How I

Remember It” with by Betsy Kemper

as an example of micro narrative

marking the text for grammar ruptures,

strong nouns and verbs. “I do” With a partner and using the Hillocks

Question Stems, create one question

from each level for “This Is How I

Remember It” Word Wall additions Swap with another pair and answer

them first orally and then with the

group.

Anchor Chart: How do real

writers write? “This Is How I Remember It”

by Betsy Kemper (see

Resources) Extension text: “Girl” by

Jamaica Kincaid (see

Resources)

Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

Partner Questions

and responses Post It Note

Response Word Wall

The students have done a

ThinkAloud in the unit

previous to this, However,

since the text is so different

from most of the texts they’ve

experienced, it make sense to

start the “I do” sequence

again.

Wednesday: Assist teacher to Think Aloud through

the first 2 1/2 lines to “so much” With a partner from across the room repeat the Think Aloud” process from

Tuesday to the end of “Waiting” with

teacher assistance when needed. “We

do” Journal Write: What effect does

Kemper’s and McNalty’s choices have

on our understanding of her message?

Cite specific examples. Think-Pair-Share Out Brainstorm: What topics would lend

“Waiting” by Peggy

McNalty(see Resources) Teacher example

Composing to Practice

ThinkAloud Think-Pair-Share

Having followed the Think

Aloud on the previous day, the

kids should be ready to do

some of a longer, similarly

formatted text with a partner

with teacher assistance. Many of my students, perhaps

because they are ninth graders,

love this form. They can

break traditional rules and

create a rant - a highly charged

response to whatever they see

as wrong, hateful, exciting,

etc., They enjoy the release.

themselves to using the form Kemper

does? Practice by imitating Kemper in your journal

Thursday: Teacher example: How I Did It

WriteAloud on white board Practice Convey or Confuse Feedback on

teacher model Read Kemper imitation from your

writing group Writing group responds after completing

the Convey or Confuse? Feedback Refer back to Anchor Chart Class Share Out - What was done well?

How was it done? What can you use in

your writing?

Anchor Chart Student Imitation of

Kemper/McNalty Feedback - Convey or Confuse? Did the form the writer used in

the student draft help convey

the message or did it confuse

the message? How could they

move to the Convey side if not

already there?

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice

Feedback - Convey

or Confuse? Pair Work

Some kids might not know

what “convey” means. Take

five minutes to have them add

it to the Word Wall or their

notebooks using their cell

phone for the definition. I use a 4X4 lined Post It

Notes for Confuse or Convey?

Having the student readers

divide the Post It in half by

folding or drawing a line and

titling each section either

Confuse or Convey. The

students keep the feedback on

their piece. I model my writing with the

kids because I need them to

understand that sometimes it is

hard to do (even for me-

especially for me) I want them

to see me struggle.

Friday: Closely read “My Name” noticing/

highlighting any ruptures in conventional

English With a partner, write one of each of the

question levels from Hillock’s

Hierarchy on index cards using

provided stems for Cisneros’ piece

“My Name” from House on

Mango Street (see resources)

Composing to practice

Hillocks Questions

/Answers on Index

Cards

Turning from Calvin and

Hobbes to “My Name”

requires the students using the

question stems again. I

emphasize that this is another

technique to mine text in the

same way that we mined more

information from the Calvin

and Hobbes cartoon. Although

Pass questions to another pair and have

them answer together at the bottom of

the index card. Journal Write: What did the questions

reveal in “My Name” that might have

been overlooked otherwise? What can

we add to the Anchor Chart? Word Wall additions HW: Ask your parents the story of your

name

the text doesn’t have difficult

vocabulary, some students

will need some assistance

creating these questions. These questions help the kids

look at what the author did

which they often have trouble

with doing.

Week Three

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments Instructional Notes

Monday: Journal Write: Why do you think

Cisneros made the writing choices she

did? What were the effects? Cite

specific evidence. Think-Pair-Share Journal Write with a

member of the opposite sex. Review My Name Teacher example:

How I Did It WriteAloud Using the template created from

Cisneros’ piece, draft your own version

of My Name Writing Groups Online - responding

“My Name” by Sandra

Cisneros(see Resources) “My Name Template” (see

Resources)

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

Journal Responses Think-Pair-Share

Template Online Responses

on Google Docs

The students continue

focusing on what the author

did and try their hand at

imitating, with the support of

the template, the way Cisneros

conveyed complex ideas with

simple phrasing,.

using the Convey or Confuse Protocol Rough Draft due Tuesday

Tuesday: Two Writing Groups combine Share My Name Rough Draft with

another writing group Journal Write: Where in your writing

could you use Cisneros’ approach?. Revisit Anchor Chart - Is there anything

to add, remove or edit?

Anchor Chart: How do real

writers write?

Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

As the students become more

experienced recognizing what

moves writers make, they will

look at what they can imitate

in their own writing. I try to add to, subtract from or

revise the Anchor Chart based

on students new insights at

least once a week. I run the

danger of forgetting to track

the conceptual moves the

students are making without

taking the time to write them

down. . Wednesday: Another Form: Closely read and annotate

Encylopedia of an Ordinary Life excerpt How does this express and reflect? How is it a narrative? Revisit Anchor Chart Teacher Model Encyclopedia of Me Drafting A-E Word Wall additions Writing Groups Online - responding

using the

Excerpt: Encylopedia of an

Ordinary Life by Amy Krause

Rosenthal

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

Draft

The Encyclopedia offers all

level of students a platform in

which to write.

Thursday: Drafting Encyclopedia of Me A-E

Student Drafts A quiet day for drafting.

Friday:

Introduce The Rule of “So What?” Re-reading for the “Encyclopedia of

Me” for the “So What?” with new

partner Express and Reflect Check with

highlighter Revisit Anchor Chart - Is there anything

to add, remove or edit?

The Rule of “So What?” -

Nancy Atwell (see Resources) Highlighter Anchor Chart

Composing to

Plan/Practice

Identification of

Partner’s “So

What?” Highlighted Rough

Draft

Week Four

Activity/Strategy

Texts and Resources

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments Instructional Notes

Monday: Respond to the following quote by

Mamoud Darwish in your journals after

viewing several paintings on the screen

suggestions Starry Night Over the Rhone

by Vincent VanGogh, Ville d'Avray by

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Lyon by

Mona Edulesco, Ballet Rehearsal by

Edgar Degas

I belong there. I have many

memories…

I have learned and dismantled all words

in order to draw from them

A single world: Home

Starry Night Over the Rhone by

Vincent VanGogh,

Ville d'Avray by Jean-Baptiste-

Camille Corot, Lyon by Mona

Edulesco, Ballet Rehearsal by

Edgar Degas are available as

images on Google. These are

suggestions only.

Short Excerpts from Harper

Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Leslie Marmon Silko’s

Ceremony, Barbara

Kingsolver’s Poisonwood

Bible, Jamaica Kincaid's

Autobiography of My Mother,

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice

Notecatcher Group discussions

I play Beethoven's Moonlight

Sonata while the kids view

and free write. It has a sense

of longing that I think Darwish

is evoking and it seems to help

them look deeply into the

images.

What is the place where you most feel

home?

Read three of the excerpts from Silko,

Kingsolver, Greene, Lee, Kincaid, Roy,

Kincaid and complete the Note Catcher In groups of 3, identify what they had in

common? What did they do? What

makes this thing special? Sacred? Word Wall additions On a Post-It note identify two techniques

that the writers did that you will use in

our own draft.

Mark Twain’s “Two Views of

the Mississippi” Graham

Greene’s Wind in the Willows

and The God of Small Things

by Arundhati Roy

(See Resources) Holy Place Note Catcher (see

resources)

Tuesday: Holy Place drafting Brainstorm focus questions that will

help you get the best feedback on your

piece in your Writing Groups. What do

we need to know in order to make this

real for the reader?

Share Out

Writing Groups Meet Online - respond

using the focus questions

Journals

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice

Online Responses

on Google Docs Focus Questions

Google Docs makes it easy to

create collaboration beyond

the school day and school

walls. I prefer writing groups

of 3. I’ve moved back and

forth between homogeneous

skills grouping and

heterogeneous skills grouping.

I found that in this unit I was

more able to tailor mini

lessons more specifically and

devote more time to those

writers who needed more

assistance if the groups are

homogeneous. However I

change writing groups for

every unit.

Wednesday: Revisit Anchor Chart - Is there anything

to add, remove or edit? Lesson: Explode a Moment From

After the End by Barry Lane - Zooming

in and slowing down. The Writer as

Anchor Chart Barry Lane "Exploding a

Moment"

Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

This seems easy but for many

of my writers, slowing down

time is new. How do you

control time as a writer? How

do you become the

Cinematographer of your own

Cinematographer Teacher example: How I Did It Write

Aloud Using any of their drafts done in class

including their “Where I am From“

piece, students will zoom in on one

moment to explode it, slow it down,

zoom in on it. Word Wall additions Drafting the explosion

Student Drafts

script?

Wednesday: The writer will pass the before and after

versions of the exploded moment to their

writing group. The writing group

members will give silent feedback using

the PQP protocol. Express and Reflect Check ( from

Kelly Gallagher: Write Like This) with

highlighters Journal Write. What do you need to

change( focusing on the balance of

express and reflect) and how will you do

it? Writing Groups will nominate their best

Explosion to read to the class..

Exploded Moment Draft Express and Reflect Check

Composing to Plan Composing to Practice

Express and Reflect

highlighting

Students will divide a sheet of

notebook paper in half after we

define what Express and

Reflect mean. Express - what

happened to me Reflect - what

it means to me. They will read their Rough

Drafts first marking for where

they expressed and in another

color, where they reflected.

Many find that they are heavy

on the expression but light on

the reflection. The best

writing is a blend of both.

This is the place of

vulnerability for many writers

and the precious work setting

up the classroom community

pays off here.

Thursday: Choose two drafts you’re most interested

in pursuing into final copy form. You

Student Drafts

Composing to Practice Composing to Draft

AVID Vocabulary

Strategy

I edited Lamott’s original title

of this piece. Her advice is

will now switch hats and be the writer. Read Anne Lamott’s advice to writers

marking in the margins things that you

want to remember, things that piqued

your interest, things that confused or

confounded you. What, advice/suggestions that we have

read/discussed these past four weeks will

you use? Write it in your journal in capital letters

and then put it on the Word Wall. Word Wall additions

”Lousy Rough Drafts” from

Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott

(edited for language) In

resources

Words on Word

Wall

practical and intuitive. I use

this advice fro Lamott here

since we are moving in to the

final selection of two forms to

convert to a final copy. Students have written five

drafts through the past weeks.

Some forms will be interesting

enough to explore further.

Some won't be as interesting.

Students will choose the two

forms that they want to work

through to a final copy.

Friday: Create Wanted Poster based on one of

the forms we drafted: Grammar

Ruptures, My Name, Encyclopedia of

Me, Holy Place. and Exploded Moment“ Groups begin presenting. Complete on

Monday.

Wanted Poster (see Resources) Poster Paper Markers Bon Jovi: Wanted Dead or

Alive

Composing to Draft Composing to Transfer

Status of the Class

Check in from

Nancie Atwell In

the Middle Word Wall

The Wanted Poster helps the

kids remember the parameters

they noticed in the pieces

we’ve read and they’ve

imitated. I post them around

the room as checkpoints for

the class. I uses a class roster

spreadsheet for the Status of

the Class using the codes

Atwell uses in her book.

Week Five

Activity/Strategy

Texts and Resources

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments:

Instructional Notes

Monday:

Finish Wanted Poster Watch Clip from Finding Forrester clip

about writing Review rubric and Summative Assessment Mini Lesson on feedback: buzz phrases

you’ve heard but don’t know how to do

them. List: “I can’t hear your voice/Your voice

is too formal/informal” “Use more imagery” “Show Don’t Tell” Drafting Individual Conferences: PQP Protocol

(see Resources) focusing on how the writer differentiated

between Express and Reflect and “So

What?”

Finding Forrester Clip Class Generated List of

Feedback Phrases How do we actually do that?

Composing to Draft

Status of the Class

Check in Wanted Poster

Kids often know buzz phrases

like “use more imagery” or “be

specific” but they don’t know

what using “more imagery

means”. The quick lesson on “How do

you do that” provides the

student writers clear ways to

use more imagery, etc. and

how to give constructive,

specific feedback.

Tuesday: Receive Process Reflection

Requirements Closely Read and Summarize Drafting Individual Conferences Peer Assistance

Taylor Mali "The Importance of

Proofreading" Note: Some of

the language after the first

minute is questionably

appropriate for some

classrooms. View this before

showing. Student Drafts Writing My Memories Peer

Conference and Revision Notes

(see Resources)

Composing to Draft

Status of the Class

Check in

The video is very tongue-in-

cheek look at incomplete

Proofreading and what it

sounds like. After the first

minute or so, the errors

become increasingly ridiculous

and R-rated.

Wednesday: Reintroduce Rule of Specificity(see

Resources) Drafting Individual Conferences focused on

specificity Legible typed drafts due tomorrow

Student Drafts Writing My Memories Peer

Conference and Revision Notes

(see Resources)

Composing to Draft Composing to Finalize

Status of the Class Check in Word Wall

The Rule of Specificity was

first introduced in the unit

previous to this.

Thursday: Read your partner's aloud text using

DragonDictation, PaperPortNotes,

Google ReadWriteiTalk Recorder or

similar dictation app. Is what was recorded what you intended?

Does it sound that way you want it to

sound? What needs to change? Express and Reflect Check with

highlighter Close and critical reading: Peer Work Writing Groups meet: Individual conferences

Computers or student devices Typed Student Rough Draft Writing My Memories Peer

Conference and Revision Notes

(see Resources)

Composing to Draft Composing to Finalize Composing to Transfer

Status of the Class

Check in Feedback after

reading aloud Writing my

Memories check

Reading a draft aloud or

hearing your draft read aloud

reveals the errors that our

minds edit for us. When the

students hear others struggling

to move through their own

ntext or alternatively, sailing

through it, it gives them instant

auditory feedback of what

needs to be revised. This

process helps my challenged

readers/writers to revise.

Google ReadWrite is also an

excellent tool for less assured

writers.

Friday: Final conferences, questions and

clarifications

Typed Student Rough Draft Writing My Memories Peer

Conference and Revision Notes

(see Resources)

Composing to Draft Composing to Finalize Composing to Transfer

Status of the Class

Check in

Week Six

Activity/Strategy ❏ Texts and Resources

❏

Sequencing and

Scaffolding (building

knowledge, guided

practice, student

grouping, independent

practice, 5 Kinds of

Composing)

Formative

Assessments Instructional Notes

Monday: Final Drafts and Reflections submitted Reading Room Writing My Memories Reading Room

Response Sheet

Final Drafts Writing My Memories Reading

Room Response Sheet

Composing to Finalize

The responses start on the

bottom of the sheet. When the

first reader has finished

commenting, they fold the

response up to the line above.

This way readers aren’t using

the “What they said” as their

response quite as often. I

scotch tape them together

starting with the largest

number with number 1 on the

bottom.

Tuesday: Look at WikiHow Examples of “How

To.. Guides” Identify parameters in a How To Guide.

What do they all do? What don’t they

do? Create How To Write A Memory Guide with Writing Group

Anchor Chart Paper Markers, Crayons

Composing to Transfer

Group work in

How To Write A Memory

I use the “How to eat a slice

of pizza” as a start

Wednesday: Writing Group Work How to Write a

Memory Add Illustrations

Anchor Chart Paper Markers, Crayons

Composing to Transfer

Group work in How

To Write A Memory

Thursday: How to Write a Memory Guide Due

Groups Present

How to Guides Journals

Composing to Transfer

How to Write a

Memory Guide

Presentation

Friday Big Paper Response using a quote from

the pieces Final Journals - How do we hold our

memories close? Connection to Next Unit Viewing "The Danger of a Single

Story" by Watch later Favorite

Download Rate Chimamanda Ngozi

Adichie

Chart paper for silent Big Paper

Response Big Paper Response from

“Facing History, Facing

Ourselves”

Composing to Transfer

Additional Extension: My

students weren’t ready to leave

this unit after finishing their

pieces. They had much more

that they wanted to say and

they wanted to say it to a

larger audience. They decided

to create an anonymous

collection of their pieces,

illustrate them and drop copies

of these writings in local

coffee shops. “The Reality of

Being a Teenager” was

published and delivered to

eight coffee shops and the

local record store. Because the

writers were interested in

beginning a dialogue with the

readers of their publication,

they created a web page. This

page has become a receptacle

for other writers and a place

for encouragement and

authentic feedback. There are

photographs in the Unit

Resources file of three of these

pieces under “The Reality of

Being a Teenager 2015.”

Integrated Literacy Mini-Lesson

When will the mini-lesson occur in the unit? Week One

Mini-lesson focus : Grammar in context,

Mini-lesson outline or lesson plan: See Resources

Mini-assessment: See Resources

Targeted Vocabulary

Academic: Reflect, Express, sentence fragment, When and how it will taught: using AVID vocabulary strategy. from the

beginning of the semester and our ongoing Word Wall. See explanation in

Tuesday, Week One Content: chandelier. When and how it will be taught: Prior to reading “My Name” in Week Three

Close Reading Activity When will the close reading activity occur in the unit? Week Three

beginning with the integrated mini lesson and continuing with each new

text throughout the unit

Text: “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros From The House on Mango Street In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters.

It means sadness, it means waiting. It is like the number nine. A muddy

color. It is the Mexican records my father plays on Sunday mornings

when he is shaving, songs like sobbing. It was my great-grandmother's name and now it is mine. She was a

horse woman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse--which

is supposed to be bad luck if you're born female-but I think this is a

Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans, don't like their

women strong. My great-grandmother. I would've liked to have known her, a wild,

horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn't marry. Until my great-

grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off. Just like

that, as if she were a fancy chandelier. That's the way he did it. And the story goes she never forgave him. She looked out the window

her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I

wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because

she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have

inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window. At school they say my name funny as if the syllables were made out of

tin and hurt the roof of your mouth. But in Spanish my name is made

out of a softer something, like silver, not quite as thick as sister's name

Magdalena--which is uglier than mine. Magdalena who at least- -can

come home and become Nenny. But I am always Esperanza. I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the

Text-Dependent Questions

Created by students using Hillocks Questioning Hierarchy

real me, the one nobody sees. Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze

the X. Yes. Something like Zeze the X will do.

Scaffolds and Extensions

UDL Components:

Individual choice and autonomy

III.7.1), Providing options for

sustaining effort (III.8.1-3) as well as

specific instruction in reflection

(III.9.3)

Support for students who are ELL, have

disabilities or read well below grade level text

band: Alternate Assignment :Narrative as graphic

novel, a Picture Story Student use of a dictation app (listed above) or the

teacher scripts student brainstorms, drafting etc. Templates Think Aloud reading and Write Aloud sharing Choice in what draft will be finalized

Extensions for advanced students: Watermark Moment Narrative piece after reading

“Coming to an Awareness of Language” by

Malcolm X, “Concrete River” by Luis Rodriguez

and “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie “Girl” by Jaimaica Kincaid