Understanding by Design
Unit 2 – You Live, You Learn
Unit Title: You Live, You Learn Grade Level(s): 7th
grade
Subject/Topic Area(s): Reading and Language Arts
Key Words: Conflicts, Summarizing, Characterization, Main Idea, Genre, Mythology,
Point of View, Folk Tales
Designed By: Jenny Bernardi, Julie
Giordano, Michele Jones, Lindsay
Heatwole
Time Frame: 10 weeks
School District: Wicomico
Unit Description (including curricular context and unit goals):
This unit flows from the focus of making choices to facing consequences. Students will
read various passages, journal, and reflect on the unit topic which will prepare them
for the performance task. As students continue going through the unit, they should
gain a greater insight to the overarching theme that growing up is challenging and
rewarding.
Suggested Texts
Short Works;
“Rikki Tiki Tavi” p. 140 (short story)
“Mongoose on the Loose” p. 638 (article)
“The Dinner Party” p. 136 (Short Story)
“That October” p. 270 (Short Story)
“Borders of Baseball: U.S. and Cuban Play” – p. 313 (Article)
“After Twenty Years” p. 388 (short story)
“Casting Call” p. 590 (article)
“Hollywood Beat” p. 594 (article)
“A Christmas Carol” p. 772 (play)
“Empress Theodora” p. 97 (article)
“The Hippodrome” p. 102 (article)
“Bargain” p. 398 (Short Story)
“How to Change a Flat Tire” p. 614 (manual)
“The Twelve Tasks of Hercules” p. 935 (Graphic Story)
“The Song of Trees” p. 42 (short story)
“from Long Walk to Freedom” p. 524 (autobiography)
“Elizabeth I” p. 508 (biography)
“Saving The Earth” p. 624 (article)
“Hearts and Hands” p. 346 (short story)
“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” p. 832 (Play)
“King Midas and the Golden Touch” p. 908 (myth)
“Mason-Dixon Memory” p. 62 (essay)
“Tilting at Windmills” p. 619 (Article)
Extended Works
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
The Outsiders
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Call of the Wild
My Side of the Mountain
World Myths and Folk Tales
On My Honor
Breadwinner
Charlotte Doyle
Understanding by Design
Stage 1: Desired Results
What content standards are addressed?
1.C.1.a Read familiar text at a rate that is conversational and consistent
1.C.2.b Demonstrate appropriate use of phrasing
1.D.3.a Use context to determine the meanings of words (above grade-level words used in
context & words with multiple meanings)
1.E.4.a Identify and explain the main idea from the text or a portion of the text
1.E.4.b Identify and explain information already directly stated in the text
1.E.4.c Draw inferences and/or conclusions and make generalizations
1.E.4.e Summarize or paraphrase the text or a portion of the text
1.E.4.f Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience
2.A.1.a Read, use and identify the characteristics of primary and secondary sources of
academic information such as textbooks, trade books, reference and research materials,
periodicals, editorials, speeches, interview, articles, non-print materials, and online materials,
other appropriate content-specific texts
2.A.1.b Read, use, and identify the characteristics of workplace and other real-world
documents such as sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms,
instructional manuals, menus, pamphlets, rules, invitations, recipes, advertisements, other
functional documents.
2.A.3.a Analyze organizational patterns of the texts (sequential order & cause/effect)
2.A.3.b Analyze the contribution of the organizational pattern to clarify or reinforce
meaning and support the author’s purpose and/or argument
2.A.4.c State and support main ideas and messages
2.A.4.d Summarize or paraphrase
2.A.4.e Identify and explain information or ideas peripheral to the main idea or message
2.A.4.f Explain relationships between and among ideas within a text or across multiple
texts
2.A.4.g Synthesize ideas from text
2.A.4.h Distinguish between fact and opinion
2.A.6.a Analyze the extent to which the text fulfills the reading process
2.A.6.b Analyze the extent to which the structure and text features clarify the purpose
and the information.
3.A.2.a Analyze text features that contribute to meaning
3.A.3.a Distinguish among types of grade-appropriate narrative such as short stories, folklore, realistic fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, essays, biographies,
autobiographies, personal narratives, plays, and lyric and narrative poetry
3.A.3.d Analyze characterization
3.A.3.i Analyze the point of view
3.A.3.h Analyze the author’s approach to issues of time in a narrative
3.A.3.j Analyze the interactions among narrative elements and their contributions to
meaning (plot elements and point of view)
3.A.5.b Analyze the action of individual scenes and acts and their relationship to the plot
3.A.5.c Analyze how stage directions affect dialogue, characters and plot
3.A.6.b Analyze similar themes across multiple texts
3.A.6.c Summarize and paraphrase
3.A.6.d Reflect on and explain personal connections to the text
3.A.6.e Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society
3.A.7.a Analyze how specific language choices contribute to meaning
3.A.7.b Analyze language choices that create tone
3.A.8.a Analyze the plausibility of the plot and the credibility of the characters
3.A.8.b Analyze the extent to which the text contains ambiguities, subtleties, or
contradictions
3.A.8.c Analyze the relationship between a literary text and its historical and/or social
context
What enduring understandings are desired
(and what misunderstandings will be addressed) Note: Should address essential question? The factors that influence a person‟s decisions include family, education, friends, culture,
religious beliefs, and/or the world around me.
The choices that I make shape who I become and also affect my family, education, friends,
culture, religious beliefs, and/or the world around me.
Reading allows me to connect with characters and their decisions, which causes me to
reflect on and evaluate my own decisions.
Good readers check for understandings and use appropriate strategies to clarify meaning.
What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning ? What factors influence a person‟s decisions?
How do the choices I make today affect me and the world around me?
How do the choices I make influence the person I become?
How does reading help me gain greater insight about the choices I make?
What topical questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning ? How do I know if I understand what I read? What do I do if I didn‟t understand the text?
How does identifying the main idea of a text help me to understand what I read?
How does summarizing check understanding?
Why is it important to distinguish between fact and opinion in a text?
How do conflicts in literature help a reader to make personal connections?
How does the organizational structure of a text help the reader better understand?
How does analyzing the relationship between story elements aid understanding?
Why should a reader make inferences and/or draw conclusions?
How does the author build a character?
How does point of view influence the story?
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? Knowledge of:
Main Idea
Details of the text (directly stated)
Summarize
Draw conclusions
Conflict (internal/external, specific types)
Character
Organizational Patterns
Characterization
Point of View
Skills:
Identify main idea
Identify and explain information directly stated in the text
Summarize and paraphrase the text or a portion of the text
Make inferences
Draw Conclusions
Identify and analyze the organizational pattern of a text
Identify and analyze conflicts
Analyze relationships between and among characters, setting, and events
Analyze characterization
Analyze point of view
Understanding by Design
Stage 2: Acceptable Evidence of Understanding
What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks*
You are a coroner at the local crime lab. In general, a coroner‟s job is to examine dead
bodies from crime scenes. However, you are a character coroner, which examines the “ins”
and “outs” of a character. PHEW! Today, the character investigation supervisor asked you to
examine one character from the chosen group of stories. You need to read one of the stories
and identify the big decision that the character had to make. While you are reading the story,
keep notes about the character‟s feelings, thoughts, things the character says, things said to the
character, and the outside forces that helped influence the decision. Also, record your
thoughts and reactions to the character‟s decision and explain why you agreed or disagreed
with it. Now that you have delved deep into the character and have a pretty good
understanding of what that character is like, identify a song, book, or movie that you believe
the character would like and an explanation of your choice. Finally, to demonstrate how other
people perceive the character, write a summary of the character‟s choice from another
character‟s point of view in the story.
After you have gathered all the important information from the character, you need to
present it! You will use that information to fill in a “chalk outline” of that character. The
information goes in certain places in or around the “chalk outline”:
what the character thinks, goes near the top of the head
what the character hears from another character, goes near the ears
what the character says, goes near the mouth
what the character feels, goes near the heart
the outside influences goes outside around the chalk line
the summary of the story goes in the gut area of the outline
your opinion and explanation of the character‟s choice goes in one leg
song, book or movie the character would like and why goes in the other leg
the summary of the decision from another character‟s point of view goes outside the
chalk line
**NOTE TO TEACHER: You can use a normal size sheet of paper, poster board,
or bulletin board paper (have students trace each other) to do this activity.
Students will select texts for this project from the short works in the Suggested
Literature section of Stage 1 for this unit.
*Complete a Performance Task Blueprint for each task (next page).
Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work samples, etc.): See Standardized Test Preparation Workbook to select appropriate selections and
questions relating to the knowledge and skills of the unit
See Collection Resource workbooks to identify appropriate selection assessments
Use questions in the textbook.
See journal suggestions offered for each selection.
See side margins of teacher‟s edition for good discussions of the skills throughout
reading selections.
Story Maps
Graphic Organizers
Student Self-Assessment:
In a warm-up or for a journal topic, have the kids write about the performance task. Have
them explain what they liked about the task, didn‟t like about the task, and how/why it could
be changed. Ask students to include an evaluation of how well the performance task
demonstrated their understanding of the skills/standards of the unit.
Performance Task Blueprint
Task Title: Character Autopsy Approximate Time Frame: 3-5 days
What desired understandings/content standards will be assessed through this task?
Point of view
Characterization
Summarizing
Events of the plot (directly stated)
What criteria are implied in the standard(s) understanding(s) regardless of the task
specifics?
Time Management
Higher Order Thinking
Transfer of learning
Independent Task completion
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?
You are a coroner at the local crime lab. In general, a coroner‟s job is to examine dead
bodies from crime scenes. However, you are a character coroner, which examines the “ins”
and “outs” of a character. PHEW! Today, the character investigation supervisor asked you to
examine one character from the chosen group of stories. You need to read one of the stories
and identify the big decision that the character had to make. While you are reading the story,
keep notes about the character‟s feelings, thoughts, things the character says, things said to the
character, and the outside forces that helped influence the decision. Also, record your
thoughts and reactions to the character‟s decision and explain why you agreed or disagreed
with it. Now that you have delved deep into the character and have a pretty good
understanding of what that character is like, identify a song, book, or movie that you believe
the character would like and an explanation of your choice. Finally, to demonstrate how other
people perceive the character, write a summary of the character‟s choice from another
character‟s point of view in the story.
After you have gathered all the important information from the character, you need to
present it! You will use that information to fill in a “chalk outline” of that character. The
information goes in certain places in or around the “chalk outline”:
what the character thinks, goes near the top of the head
what the character hears from another character, goes near the ears
what the character says, goes near the mouth
what the character feels, goes near the heart
the outside influences goes outside around the chalk line
the summary of the story goes in the gut area of the outline
your opinion and explanation of the character‟s choice goes in one leg
song, book or movie the character would like and why goes in the other leg
the summary of the decision from another character‟s point of view goes outside the
chalk line
What student products/performances will provide evidence of desired understandings?
Product: Character Autopsy
Performance: Create an autopsy of the
character that shows what the character‟s like
and what factors influenced the character
when making the big decision. Also evaluate
the main character‟s decision from the point
of view of another character in the story.
By what criteria will student products/performances be evaluated?
3 2 1 0
Summary of
Story
The student wrote a detailed summary of the story that also
includes the decision
made.
The summary has some details, but some information
is missing.
Summary is vague providing little detail about the
story.
No summary
Characterization
The student filled in all 5 areas of
characterization with relevant information.
The student filled in most of the
areas with information that
was mostly relevant.
The student filled some of the areas with information
that was somewhat relevant.
The student did not fill in most of the
areas.
Applied
Characterization
The student gave a great example of a
song, book or movie as well as a great
explanation why the character would like
it.
The student gave an example and a good explanation.
The student gave an example, but the explanation
was weak.
The student gave a song
book or movie, but didn’t give
an explanation.
Decision
Evaluation
The student shared his/her opinion about
the character’s decision and gave a great explanation as
to why he/she thought so.
The student gave an opinion and a good explanation.
The student gave an opinion, but the explanation
was weak.
The student gave an
opinion, but did not explain
his or her
opinion.
Another
Character’s
Point of View
The student showed a strong
understanding of point of view when
summarizing the choice from another
character’s perspective.
The student understands point
of view.
The student’s understanding of
point of view is inconsistent.
The student doesn’t
understand point of view.
Understanding by Design
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop
and demonstrate the desired understanding?
1. Introduction to the Unit: Use one of the Kinesthetic Anticipation Guide structures
(See Appendix C) to have students respond to the first three (3) Enduring
Understandings from Stage 1. Student responses are not necessarily critical; the
DISCUSSION about these ideas is important. Students will return to this activity
following the unit readings to assess whether or not their ideas about these topics
have changed. In their discussion at the end of the unit, students should use
details from the texts to support their answers. You might even have them respond
in this structure while role playing, from the point-of-view of a character.
The factors that influence a person‟s decisions include family, education,
friends, culture, religious beliefs, and/or the world around me.
The choices that I make shape who I become and also affect my family,
education, friends, culture, religious beliefs, and/or the world around me.
Reading allows me to connect with characters and their decisions, which
causes me to reflect on and evaluate my own decisions.
**NOTE: You might break these three (3) statements down into smaller
statements for students to respond to.
“Facing Consequences” Quote Interpretation activity. Show students the 7 quotes
based on Facing Consequences (Appendix D). Have students choose one quote
they relate to or find interesting. Have students complete the open mind
worksheet (Appendix B) to express their thoughts and feelings through drawings,
symbols, and words. Students can present their “Open Mind” to their classmates.
2. Explain to students that the stories that will be read in this unit all have a common
theme of making choices and facing consequences. Have students fill in the
center circle of the thematic web (Appendix E) with the unit theme of Making
Choices and Facing Consequences. As the stories are read and analyzed, have
students fill in the surrounding bubbles with their explanation of how the story
ties to the theme. Students should use details from the text to support their
explanation. Also, relating to the theme through literature will help the reader
relate to the overarching theme of the year. (Growing up is challenging and
rewarding.)
a. Have students explore the differences/similarities between a folktale and a
myth. Complete a Venn Diagram graphic organizer, either individually or
with a partner (Appendix F) Information can be found in Literature book
p.900-p.903 along with the presentation in Power Notes CD Collection 9
“Greek Myths and World Folk Tales.” Information could also be gathered
by completing a WebQuest activity using sites such as:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/a/mythslegen
ds.htm
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/
b. Introduce/define the core vocabulary words to be used throughout the unit
as the story is read. These words can be found at the beginning of each
story under “Academic Vocabulary”.
3. Explain to students that they‟ll be focusing on specific characters and their traits
in order to evaluate their choices in the reading. To begin thinking about
characters, use a Think-Pair-Share format to have students explore what makes a
good friend. Then, have students create a “Friend Web.” In the middle should be
the phrase “good friend,” stemming out from this have the students brainstorm
qualities or traits that a good friend should have, and stemming out from this have
students brainstorm things that a good friend might do or say that would
demonstrate these qualities or traits. Explain that authors create or build
characters in a similar fashion. Show students a “Character Web” using the same
format as the “Friend Web” but with a character‟s name at the center, based on a
previously read story such as “Seventh Grade” or “An Unforgettable Journey.” In
your model, include direct and indirect characterization examples. Explain how
students use the things that characters say, do, think, and feel, as well as the things
other characters say about them and their physical descriptions to build a
character. As additional practice, you might have students practice completing a
similar web based on well-known children‟s stories or fairy tales such as
“Cinderella” or “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” You might also use the
suggested Guided Practice activity on Page 246 in the Teacher‟s Anthology where
students create a character description from a previously read text and have other
students guess the character based on their description.
a. Use the Literary Focus Essay, “How Do Writers Reveal Characters?” on
Pages 246-247 in the anthology and the Analyzing Visuals “How Can You
Determine Character from a Photograph?” activity to further develop their
understanding of characterization, specifically direct and indirect
characterization.
b. To have students distinguish between direct and indirect characterization,
have students complete the Characterization Practice worksheet
(Appendix G).
c. You might use the Collection 3 Literary Focus assessment on Page 3 of
the Collection 3 Resources book to assess students‟ understanding of
characterization, overall.
4. Have students complete a character analysis graphic organizer (a variety of
characterization graphic organizers can be found online at
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/tools/character%20study.pdf) at
various points throughout the reading of the novel to further practice analyzing
characterization and/or to assess. You might also use a characterization BCR at
periodic points in the story to assess character analysis skills. Have students
complete characterization BCR‟s as practice, following discussion, and have them
complete “cold read” BCR‟s with selections they read independently for
assessment. (A public release of a characterization BCR can be found at
http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/pritems/reading/grade6/3A3d.html.)
a. If reteaching is necessary, you might use the lesson outlined on Page
1013E Characterization of the Teacher‟s Edition.
5. As an introductory lesson to a character‟s personal growth and development ask
students (individually) to write down the names of two favorite characters they
have encountered in books they have read. Next have them make a jot list of
specific reasons why they chose the characters as favorites. Then have students
make a list of what they remember about how the author developed each of the
two characters. Tell students, while they complete the above activities, to
consider ways the author makes the characters come to life, including each
character's:
physical characteristics
interaction with other characters
interaction with his or her environment
the character‟s thoughts
dialect or way of speaking
Divide the class into large groups and have students share their favorite
characters‟ names, why they chose the two characters, and details about the
characters that make them come to life. Have the students develop an in-class
written profile of a friend or family member that they are close to. The profile
should include information that describes their person from a range of
perspectives to capture as full a description as possible for the reader. Initiate an
open discussion of recurring patterns of characterization observed in the students'
favorite characters and/or techniques used in students' descriptions of a friend or
relative. Lastly, ask for volunteers to share "profile" responses.
Another activity that helps students understand the idea of character development
is having the students develop their own character. Bring in a bag of potatoes.
Divide students into groups of two or three. Give each group a potato and the
Potato Person Profile worksheet. (Appendix H) As a group, have students fill in
the profile thus developing a character. (This activity would also work as a
prewriting activity within the writing workshop)
By this time, students should have a good idea about character development.
Have students read “The Twelve Tasks of Heracles” p. 932. While reading the
story, have the students think about how the author develops the character. Also
introduce the idea of character motivation. This is a part of the development of a
character. Refer to the Literary Focus on p. 933 in Literature Book for more
information.
a. “King Midas and the Golden Touch” p. 908 (optional text)
b. “Orpheus, the Great Musician” p. 912 (optional text)
6. Throughout the unit, conduct mini-lessons, including direct instruction, modeling
with a previously read text or portion of a text, guided practice, independent
practice, and assessment on the following topics and have students complete
exercises that apply these skills to a story:
a. Point-of-view—Use the Literary Focus essay “What are Theme and Point
of View?” on pages 340-341. You might also use the Point of View
Reteaching Lesson on Pages 1013G-H. For additional practice, you might
create sentence strips with examples of different points of view from
previously read texts. To apply this skill to the novel, have students re-
write a portion of the text from a different point of view (i.e. 1st person to
3rd
person omniscient, 1st person to a different 1
st person narrator, 3
rd
person omniscient to 1st person, etc) and also write an explanation of
how/why the point of view changes the narrative.
i. “After Twenty Years” p. 388
ii. “Bargain” p. 398
b. Conflict—Review students‟ introduction to internal and external conflict
from Unit 1‟s work with plot. Create a web with the word “conflict” in the
middle; have students work in pairs to brainstorm different kinds of
conflicts that they might have experienced, read about, or seen on
television. Have students cut these words out and sort them into two
groups: internal and external. Now, within the external groups have them
look at the examples they‟ve listed. Have them identify who is involved
(should be two forces or entities) in the conflict. Now post or a pass out an
explanation of the three kinds of external conflicts, as well as examples of
each (See Appendix I). Based on this information, have students label the
external conflicts as either man VS man, man VS nature, or man VS
society. **NOTE: You might also prepare sentence strips with examples
ahead of time and place in sandwich bags and/or envelopes. Students can
complete the sorting activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups.
Have students justify their sorting in writing or through whole class
discussion. For additional practice, you might have students identify
movies that center on each kind of conflict with a summary and
classification of the conflict. To apply this skill to a story, have students
complete a simple conflict chart identifying, categorizing, and evaluating
the conflicts within the story. (See Appendix J).
i. “Rikki Tikki Tavi” p. 140
ii. “A Christmas Carol” p. 772
c. Problem/Solution Organizational Pattern—Introduce the problem/solution
organizational pattern (See
http://www.geocities.com/frankie_meehan/ProblemSolution.htm for an
explanation of a problem/solution essay which includes an example of the
organizational pattern.) You might also refer to the seeds for 2.A.3.a at
http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/lessons/reading/grade7/2A3a.html for
additional instructional ideas. To apply this knowledge to a story, have
students use a Problem/Solution organizer to identify a problem and the
solution to the problem within the text. You might then have them write a
newspaper article about the problem and solution using the organizational
pattern OR you could use an informational piece that is related to a
problem/solution within the text. Have students discuss how/why the
organizational pattern is important in this kind of text. **This mini-lesson
should be taught after the conflict work, preferably near a place in the text
that focuses on a significant problem and/or solution in the text.
d. Summarizing—Use the Reading Focus Essay “How Do You Predict,
Visualize, and Summarize?” on Pages 134-135. You might also use the
summarizing activities listed under the Guided Practice: Summarizing
notes in the Teacher‟s Anthology on page 135. You might also provide
students with specific summarizing strategies such as the “Sum It Up”
strategy. (See http://www.readingquest.org/strat/summarize.html or
Appendix K for clarification of the “Sum It Up” strategy.) Model the skill
or specific summarizing strategy with a previously read text or a well-
known children‟s story or fairy tale. You should include both good and
bad summary examples and have students evaluate them. You might also
have students practice summarizing with portions of a text they‟ve already
read. You might also refer to the Seeds for standard 3.A.6.c at
http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/lessons/reading/grade7/3A6c.html for
additional ideas for teaching/practicing summarizing. You can assess this
by having students read another portion independently and writing a
summary.
i. “Rikki Tikki Tavi” p. 140
ii. “The Hippodrome” p. 102
e. Also use literal and inferential questions throughout the unit to assess
student understanding of details directly stated or indirectly stated
throughout the unit. You can assess this through the summarizing
activities, as well.
7. You might consider using several thematically related informational texts (i.e.
“Saving the Earth” or “Mason Dixon Memory”) or literary texts from other genres
(i.e. “The Christmas Carol” or “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”) from
the Suggested Literature to demonstrate how the theme of All choices lead to
consequences is addressed in other literary forms. With the dramatic selections,
you will need to incorporate mini-lessons on dramatic elements as well. You will
need to have students continue to keep a running record of the choices made in
these texts, according to the Choices Chart, and should have students respond to
appropriate Essential Questions in small group/whole class discussions and/or
journal entries.
a. Have students return to the Kinesthetic Anticipation Guide activity from
the introduction to the unit, following the readings to assess whether or not
their ideas about these topics have changed. In their discussion, students
should use details from the texts to support their answers. You might even
have them respond in this structure while role playing, from the point-of-
view of a character or figure from a text.
8. Remind students that many texts include various features that make the text easier
to understand. Have students think, pair, share, about what an author may
include in an informational text to make it easier for the reader to understand.
(Features such as pictures, diagrams, maps, etc should be mentioned) Have
students read “How to Change Flat Tire” p.614. Ask students what text features
did the author use to make the passage easier to understand. Also conduct a class
discussion as to what features the author has included make this a real-world
document. Assessment for this standard can be found in the Other Evidence
section in stage 2, “How To” Pamphlet
a. The following website can be utilized to find various “How To” articles:
http://www.howtodothings.com/
i. “Casting Call” p. 590
ii. “Hollywood Beat” p. 594
9. Revisit the idea of inferencing, but focus on drawing conclusions and/or making
generalizations. Explain to students that drawing a conclusion in a story means
figuring out something about a character or an event. Use the following hyperlink
as a resource to help clarify the idea of drawing conclusions: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/resources/PDF/GOOD_TV_3_6_pdf_s/62177_InRCd_30.pdf Distribute the fable The Grasshopper and the Owl (Appendix L) and the Drawing
Conclusions Chart (Appendix M). Read the first four lines of the fable together.
Ask: What is making that „screech‟ noise? How do you know? Help students, as
needed, write the answers on their charts. Discuss how they formed their
conclusions. Allow students time to read the rest of the fable and complete their
chart based on the following questions:
How does Owl feel about Grasshopper‟s singing?
Why does Owl get a gleam in his eye?
What did Owl do just before he went to sleep?
As a class, discuss the answers that the students have come up with. Also discuss
why drawing conclusions is important in the reading process.
The suggested text to be used is “Echo and Narcissus” p. 434. The Drawing
Conclusions Chart could be used for this text as an assessment.
a. “The Flight of Icarus” p. 922 (optional text)
b. “The Crane Wife” p. 954 (optional text)
10. Have students begin the Performance Task, using the short works that have not
been taught. You might narrow these options down to 3-5 that you wish for
students to focus on.
11. After the Performance Task, have students respond to the Student Self-
Assessment task outlined in Stage Two (2) of this unit.
Character Autopsy A
outside forces that influence the decision
character’s thoughts
what the character is told
character’s words another point of view of
the decision made
character’s feelings
summary of the text
Personal evaluation of the character’s choice and why you think so
Choose a song, book or movie that this character would like and why
Character Autopsy B
Appendix C
Kinesthetic Anticipation Guides
DEFINITION/Rationale: Kinesthetic Anticipation Guides are a way of assessing students‟
prior knowledge and/or misconceptions about a topic. Just like written anticipation
guides, they consist of statements with which students can agree or disagree. The
differences between written and kinesthetic anticipation guides are:
1. Students are able both read and hear the statements and then respond through
movement. The movement element is important for stimulating endorphins
which increase authentic learning according to brain compatible research.
2. Students are able to use “shades of judgment” versus simple rights and wrongs
or agree and disagree.
3. The process requires students to justify their answers and then interact with
their classmates. Discussion prompts thought!
4. Caters to kinesthetic learners for whom there is little stimulation in the
traditional classroom.
5. Provides variety.
TYPES: Two basic types of Kinesthetic Anticipation Guides; both allow for movement
and are fairly simplistic once modeled for students.
1. The Rock and a Hard Place A. G.
2. The Clothesline or “Where are you hangin‟?” A. G.
Directions: The directions for both types of kinesthetic anticipation guide are essentially
the same. Both require only a little prep on the part of the teacher, and then an
explanation or model for the students. Once in place, they can be used repeatedly.
The Rock and a Hard Place Anticipation Guide 1. The teacher will need a picture or poster of a rock and some type of hard place
(i.e. mountain or cliff). Post these at opposite ends of the room with a cleared
space between them.
2. Explain to students what each of these pictures depicts, and proclaim one the
“absolute agree/right” and one the “absolute disagree/wrong”. Explain that the
space in between is the “gray area” which is not entirely right or wrong.
Explain about shades of gray and their personal judgment. During this
explanation the teacher should physically move along the spectrum to model
the process for students. Use simple statements as examples (i.e. the sky is
red).
3. Now display on the overhead the statements. **You might also pass out a
paper copy of the statements so that students have a chance to read and think
about the ideas. This is especially important for students who have more
difficulty processing ideas.
4. Now ask students to stand up. Read aloud each statement and direct students
to move along the spectrum to the location that best shows their personal
response to the statement. **You might time this for the sake of order (15-30
seconds), and tell students they have to move silently.
5. Now ask students to turn to the person nearest them and take turns explaining
their personal responses and why they chose their spot. After they have
shared, ask 2-3 volunteers at different spots along the spectrum to share their
responses and explanations. Caution students about the need to respect each
others‟ views even if they disagree. You might even model appropriate
responses the first couple of times you use this structure.
6. Repeat the process for each statement.
7. OPTION: Now post the “true” or “correct” answers to each statement, if
applicable. Allow students to discuss, and be prepared to share evidence or
even have a reading that addresses some or all of the ideas in the anticipation
guide. *You might even write a narrative giving information about each of the
statements mentioned in the anticipation guide that corrects any possible
misconceptions. Ask the students to read the narrative and revise their original
answers on the written copy of the anticipation guide.
The Clothesline or “Where are You hangin’?” anticipation guide 1. The procedure for this version is essentially the same as the Rock and a Hard
Place version, except in this version the teacher will hang a clothesline or rope
from one end of the room to the other with a clear space between the ends.
2. The teacher can also use clothespins to hang sheets of paper with the numbers
1-10 on each sheet. In the directions for the anticipation guide, have students
rate the statements on a scale of 1-10, 1 being absolute disagreement and 10
being absolute agreement. Again, the teacher should model this with
simplistic statements, and explain the individual spots along the spectrum.
3. Now the students will stand and move, essentially following the same steps as
3-7 of the Rock and a Hard Place version.
**These can also be used as after reading assessments by using the same process, except
completing the kinesthetic portion after the reading, instead of before.
D Facing Consequences (7)
Results are what you expect, and consequences are what you get. ~Anonymous In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are only consequences. ~Robert Green Ingersoll While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. ~Steven Covey
Every choice you make has an end result. ~Zig Ziglar Don’t you ever wonder maybe if you took a left turn instead of right you could be someone different? ~Unknown
We all have to decide how we are going to fail . . . by not going far enough or by going too far. ~Sumner Redstone Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape consequences of his choices. ~Alfred A. Montapert
E
F
Appendix G
Characterization Practice
Label each of the following quotes as either Direct Characterization (D) or
Indirect Characterization (I).
1. She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but
hammer and nails. _______________________
2. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in
tennis shoes and blue jeans. _________________________
3. “ I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash
your face.” ____________________________
4. Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around in front of her, put a half nelson
about his neck, and continued to drag him up the street. ____________
5. The boy wanted to say something else other than, “Thank you, m‟am,” to
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn‟t do so as he turned
at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door.
____________________
H
Potato Person Profile
Building Characterization
Name
Age
Male or Female
Education
Employment
(Job)
What motivates
the character?
Hobbies/Interests
Favorite Food
Favorite Color
Favorite Music
Talent
Interesting Fact
Appendix I
Types Of Conflict
There are four main types of conflict:
1. Man Vs. Man (external)
(problem with another character)
2. Man vs. Society
(external)
(problem with the laws or beliefs of
a group)
3. Man vs. Nature (external)
(problem with force of nature)
4. Man vs. Himself (internal)
(problem with deciding what to
do or think)
Review Activity:
Most challenges in life and literature involve a conflict of some kind. One form of
conflict is an _________________ conflict, involving forces or choices within the
person. Another form of conflict, an ___________________, is when someone wrestles
with forces outside him/herself, like another person, nature, or even a law/ rule of society.
In literature, there are 3 kinds of __________________ conflict: man VS
____________, man VS ________________, and man VS __________________ . A
man VS _______________ conflict is when a character (or person) has a problem with
another person, whereas a man VS ___________________ conflict is when a character
(or person) has a problem with a force of nature, like a storm or the extremely cold
temperatures of Alaska. A man VS ___________________ conflict, however, is usually a
bigger issue, where a person is challenging or is challenged by some law, rule, or belief
of society, like when abolitionists challenged people‟s right to own slaves.
Appendix J Pages Type of
Conflict
Protagonist Antagonist Summary Coping
Method
Adapt as necessary, based on the story.
Appendix K http://www.readingquest.org
Reading Quest
S u m I t U p TITLE of READING SELECTION: 1. Read the selection and underline the key words and main ideas. Write these in the blank area below where it says “Main Idea Words.” 2. At the bottom of this sheet, write a one-sentence summary of the article, using as many main idea words as you can. Imagine you only have $2.00, and each word you use will cost you 10 cents. See if you can “sum it up” in twenty words!
Main Idea Words:
“Sum It Up” for $2.00 ____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ ____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ ____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ Adapted from Pat Widdowson Surry County (NC) Schools
L
"Grasshopper and Owl": Aesop's Fable
Screech, screech, SCREECH. A grasshopper sang all day long. "Would you please be quiet?" Owl asked. Screech, screech, SCREECH.
Noisy grasshopper kept singing. "What a bother!" said Owl to himself. "Be quiet down there! Please!" he said. "I need my rest!" But the rude insect just wouldn't stop. Screech, screech, SCREECH. Then Owl got a gleam in his eye. "Grasshopper," he said sweetly, "since I can't sleep, let's have some fun. Why don't you come up here and I will make a snack." Foolish Grasshopper thought that was a fine idea. Up, up Owl's tree he hopped. As soon as he got close, Owl grabbed him. "Delicious!' said Owl to himself. Then he fell asleep at last.
What's the moral of this story? Try your best to get along with your neighbors.
M Grasshopper and Owl - Drawing Conclusions Worksheet
Name ____________________________________ Date ___________
EVIDENCE CONCLUSIONS
Clues in the Story What I Already Know My Conclusion