ed 139- writing unit plan

8/11/2019 Ed 139- Writing Unit Plan

1/15

Drew Foster

Ed 139

Writing Unit Plan

Grade Level: 4Standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events

using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a

narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3b Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or

show the responses of characters to situations.

Genre: Short Fiction

Purpose: Describe characters by how they look, what they do, say, and think, and what others say

about them.

Take the point of view of one character by seeing the situation through his or her eyes.

CLL Goal: Parts of speech: using adjectives and adverbs.

Grade Level Texts: (Yes, two of these books are Star Wars, Im not known for having a variety

of tastes)

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, Scholastic, 1997

Jedi Heroes by Clare Hibbert, DK Publishing, 2010, copyright Lucasfilm Ltd

Ackbars Underwater Army by Simon Beecroft, DK Publishing, copyright 2012

Lucasfilm Ltd

I chose these books each for a specific reason, which I identify in specifics as this unit plan

unfolds. The Adventures of Captain Underpants was chosen because it does a very good job of

describing the physical characteristics of the main characters, as well as the actions and speech of

the principal, who is the main antagonist of the story. The descriptiveness used by the author will

really help the students to see how characters can be created in detail. There are also pictures on

each of the pages to help the students understand what some of the descriptive words mean. Suchas when one of the characters is described as having a flat top.

Jedi Heroes was chosen because the book does a very good job of describing aspects of the

characters personalities using adjectives. The physical appearance of the characters is not

described in detail because the pictures are right there, but the book does a good job of

describing each of the characters using adjectives to tell about who they are and what they do.


2/15

Ackbars Underwater Army was chosen because of all of the action words in it. There are so

many verbs for the students to read and learn. More importantly, there are many adverbs used to

describe the action. If I want my students to become good writers I cant just teach them to say

that someone ran, I need to teach them the importance of writing about how someone runs.

At the end of each days writing assignment I have a rubric which will be used to assess whetheror not the students followed the directions for each writing assignment. The purpose of each of

these assessments comes directly from the purpose and goal stated above, that the student would

be able to describe a character in several different ways, and that they would be able to use

adjectives and adverbs. Something I think this unit helps with that is not in the purpose or goal is

providing the students with being able to provide a voice to their writing. I think one of the best

ways to lend a unique voice is the choice of adjectives and adverbs you use in your writing.

Though this is not an express goal of the unit, I would probably mention it to students as

something they should think about.


3/15

Day 1: Topic: Describing how a character looks

Resources: Captain Underpants Chapter 1, George and Harold,list of physical

characteristics and adjectives that describe them, teacher model.

Teacher Actions: Read through the first chapter of Captain Underpants. Point out how

George and Harolds physical features are described, The one with the tie and the flattop, The one with the t-shirt and the bad haircut. Hand out list of physical

characteristics to consider including and adjectives that can be used with them.

Student Actions: Use the list of characteristics and adjectives to completely describe a

person. Do not just list characteristics, describe the character to me in a narrative. You

need to at least include descriptions of their body including shape and size, their facial

features, and their clothing. This should be one paragraph, and should use at least ten

adjectives. Be sure to give your character a name.

CATEGORY 3 2 1 0

Description Studentdescribed body,

face, and

clothing ofcharacter.

Studentdescribed two of

the three

categories.

Studentdescribed one of

the three

categories.

Student did notdescribe any of

the three

categories.

Adjectives Student used at

least ten

adjectives.

Student used 7-9

adjectives.

Student used 4-6

adjectives.

Student used

fewer than 4

adjectives.

Name Character wasgiven a name.

Character wasnot given a

name.


4/15


5/15

Day 3: Topic: Describing what a person says

Resources: Chapter 4 of Captain Underpants, list of adverbs, teacher model.

Teacher Actions: Read chapter four of Captain Underpants. Take note of what Mr. Krupp

says. Im going to get those boys one day. One day very, very soon.In this story we

have a picture to show how Mr. Krupp feels when he is saying this, but a writer candescribe how he is feeling using their words. Do you remember how yesterday we used

adverbs to modify what someone did? Well, saying something is a verb, so we can also

use adverbs to modify speech.

Student Actions: Use the list of adverbs you already have, or adverbs that you can think

of by yourself, and write a short story about something being said by your character. Let

your adverbs describe how the character feels about what he is saying. Include a

description of the actions and appearance of the character while they are saying this,

using at least one adverb t describe the actions, and one adjective to describe the

appearance of the character. This should be a minimum of two paragraphs.

CATEGORY 2 1 0

Description of

Speech

Student used at

least one adverbto describe the

speech of their

character

Student had the

character speak,but did not use an

adverb to

describe the

speech.

Student did not

include speech inthe assignment.

Actions Student described

the actions of thecharacter using

an adverb.

Student had an

action without anadverb.

Student did not

include an action.

Appearance Student described

appearance of

character with anadjective.

Student described

the appearance of

the characterwithout using an

adjective.

Student did not

describe the

appearance of thecharacter.

Length Was two

paragraphs

Was one

paragraph

Student did not

write


6/15

Day 4: Topic: Describing what a person thinks

Resources: Ackbars Underwater Army, pages 8-11, teacher model.

Teacher Actions: Read the text and point out what the characters are thinking. Lee Char

wants peace, but Nossor Ri wants a Quarren king. We can tell what they are thinking

because the text is in italics.

Student Actions: Write something new about your character. Include the physical

description of your characters faceusing at least one adjective and what they are doing

using an adverb. Write what the character is thinking in italics. This should be at least

two paragraphs.

CATEGORY 2 1 0

Thought Student includedthe thoughts of

their character,writing thethoughts in

italics.

Student includedthe characters

thoughts, but didnot write them initalics.

Student did notinclude

charactersthoughts in theassignment.

Actions Student describedthe actions of the

character using

an adverb.

Student had anaction without an

adverb.

Student did notinclude an action.

Appearance Student described

appearance ofcharacter with an

adjective.

Student described

the appearance ofthe character

without using an

adjective.

Student did not

describe theappearance of the

character.

Length Was two

paragraphs

Was one

paragraph

Student did not

write


7/15

Day 5: Topic: Describing a person by what others say about them

Resources: Jedi Heroes, pages 16-19, teacher model.

Teacher Actions: Read the text. Point out the adjectives used to describe Anakin and Obi-

Wan. Point out where in the text it tells what they are good at, and what their special

abilities and skills are.

Student Actions: Write about your character. Describe them like you would describe

someone you know. This time we are not going to include a physical description, actions,

speech or thoughts. Write a paragraph telling about your character. What are they good

at? How do they treat other people? What is their job? Do they have a family? Where do

they live? Include each of these five things.

CATEGORY 1 0

Skills Student shared

what thecharacter isskilled at.

Student did not

include what thecharacter isskilled at.

Interactions Student addressedcharacter

interactions.

Students did notaddress character

interactions.

Home Student describedcharacter\'s home. Student did notdescribe

character\'s home.

Job Student sharedwhat character

does for a living.

Student did notshare what

character does for

a living.

Family Student wroteabout character\'s

family.

Student did notwrite about

charactersfamily.


8/15

Day 6: Topic: Take the point of view of one of the characters

Resources: Teacher model.

Teacher Actions: Over the last several days we have created characters. We have

described what they look like, made some choices in how they speak and think, described

some things that they do, and given some information about their background. Today Iwant you to write a story from the perspective of the character you created. First Ill read

you what I wrote so you can get an understanding of what that might sound like.

Student Actions: I want your character to have a problem to deal with, and you will write

about how he or she addresses the problem. In this writing I want them to speak, think,

and do. Be sure to use at least two adjectives and two adverbs.

CATEGORY 1 0

Perspective Student wrote

from theperspective oftheir character.

Student did not

write from theperspective oftheir character.

Problem Student hadcharacter

recognize a

problem.

Student did nothave character

recognize a

problem.

Speak Student had the

character speak.

Student did not

have the

character speak.

Think Student includedthe character

thinking.

Student did notinclude the

characterthinking.

Do Student includedthe character

doing some kind

of action.

Student did nothave the

character do any

kind of action.

Adjectives Student used at

least two

adjectives.

Student used

fewer than two

adjectives.Adverbs Student used at

least two adverbs.

Student used

fewer than twoadverbs.


9/15

Student Self-Assessment Form

What did you first think of for writing about your character?

What was the easiest part? Why?

What was the hardest part? Why?

What part to you think you need the most help with? Why?

What would you do differently in the writing process?

What did you do that you want to incorporate when you write in the future?


10/15

Physical Characteristics

Head- Shape, Size

Hair- Color, style, length, amountBody- Shape, size

Arms/Legs- Length, width

Shirt

Pants

Shoes

Socks

Jewelry

Hat

Adjectives

Big

SmallRound

Pointy

Tall

Short

Wide

Thin

Fat

Slimy

Smooth

Squishy

Colorful

Shiny

Dull

Sharp

Wrinkly

Hard

Cold

Curly

Straight

Wavy


11/15

Adverbs

Accidentally

Badly

Boldly

Crazily

Delicately

Fast

Furiously

Gently

Greatly

Heavily

Highly

Hugely

Independently

Indoors

Joyfully

Just

Kindly

Never

Optimistically

Painfully

Playfully

Proudly

Quickly

Quietly

Reliably

Reluctantly

Repeatedly

Sneakily

Steadily

Swiftly

Together

Totally

Truly

Unfailingly

Unnaturally

Vainly

Vigilantly

Voluntarily

Zealously


12/15

Day 1 Writing Sample

My characters name is Merle. Merle is an old man whose back is bent a little. His leftleg is a little crooked, and he walks with a cane, and wears fluffy light blue slippers on his feet.

Merles skin is very pale. His body and limbs are very thin, and you can see the blue lines of his

veins under his skin. He is wearing a light blue bathrobe over his white t-shirt and black shorts.The robe is not tied shut, and is hanging loosely around his long, thin legs.Merles face is long and narrow, just as pale as the rest of him. His chin is so small you

can barely tell he has one. With short white hairs coming out of it, he looks like he hasnt shaved

in several days. Merle has a long, thin nose in the middle of his face, and it almost looks like itends in a hook, pointing up at the sky even when he looks down. His eyes are blurry behind large

square rimmed glasses with thick lenses, but you can tell that they are a bright green. His ears are

large and set far back on his head, with tufts of white hair coming out of them that looks like it

would prevent him from hearing anything. Merles forehead is very large, taking up about a thirdof his face, but not because of a receding hairline. In fact, Merles hair is as thick as any twenty

year old mans, and as white as snow, any hint of color long since faded into memory. Most

importantly is Merles mouth. His thin, pale pink lips look like they never smile, as if they havesomehow been frozen into a straight line that never moves.


Merle slowly opens his eyes and looks around the room from the comfort of his cozy redarmchair. He sees that everything is normal, and begins to carefully get up from his seat. After

30 seconds he is finally standing up as straight as he can, gripping his cane for support. He

shuffles lethargically through the orange shag carpet, which was laid down many years ago,

when it was not only in style, but when Merle didnt have to worry about clumsily tripping over

anything in his path. But he was too old to have new carpet put in, and had gotten used tomoving slowly through the house. He actually liked moving at a slower pace.

Merle pauses at the door to the kitchen, tightly grasping the doorframe. Now was the hardpart, when he had to move from the thick carpet only the slick linoleum floor of the kitchen. He

raised his injured left foot and slowly moved it forward, before gingerly setting it down on the

smooth kitchen floor. Then he lifted his cane and set it down on the linoleum. Now he just had to

move his good foot. He quickly moved his foot over the surface of the carpet, brushing thesurface with the bottom of his slippered foot because it was so low.


The phone rang. Merle wrinkled his nose. He didnt like it when the phone rang. It wasnever anyone who knew him. Everyone who knew him was gone, and they were never coming

back. He didnt move from his chair, just turned his head in the direction of the phone and saidgruffly, Shut up, you darned thing. Just hurry up and go to the answering machine. His voice

was rough, like sandpaper, and sounded like it hadnt been used in a long while.

He turned his face forward again, back to the wall he had been staring at, the wall thathadnt changed in the fifty years hed lived there, except that the crack growing up from the

bottom seemed to get bigger every year. The phone stopped ringing, and he sighed as the


13/15

machine started its recording, and then stopped midway through its factory recorded message

with its robotic male voice. The caller had hung up without leaving a message. Just like they

always did.


Merle stretched lazily out on his recliner. He was wearing the same old robe he always

wore around the house, untied just like it always was. His eyes were closed, there was no need to

open them. Nothing had changed in his house in years. Sometimes he made his way through the

house with his eyes closed just to see how long it took him to run into something. It never tooktoo long. He wasnt as aware of his surroundings as he had been in his youth.Back then I could

move, he thought.Back then people paid to see me move. Everyone loved to watch me juke and

leap and dive. Everyone loved me or maybe they just loved what I did.

Merle reached his gnarled hands back and placed them behind his head. Who cares, hethought,those were the old days. Im better off now. He stretched his body again, and then laid

back down, resting his tired, broken, and fragile body from a long day of doing nothing.


Merle is an old man. He loves alone in a big home that was built for a family, but as faras anyone knows theres no family that ever lived there with him. Neighborhood legend has it

that years ago he used to entertain guests, but that all stopped after the accident. One wrong step

on the football field was all it took to end his good years. Now he just lives off of his insurance

money, never leaving the house, and only opening the front door to let in the man who delivershis groceries, and even then all he does is let the man carry the bags into the kitchen, pays him,

and closes the door behind him, he never says a word, and the list is always written so that he

doesnt have to. He moves so slowly that its a surpriseto anyone that he can cook. Of course,hes so thin that maybe he just doesnt eat very often. Hes supposed to have some brothers andsisters scattered around the country, but none of them have ever set foot in this neighborhood. At

this point they might all be dead and gone. It doesnt make much difference, Merle isnt going

anywhere with anyone anytime soon.


There it was, that sound again. That shrill sound that meant that someone was trying to

sell me something. Ring-Ring-Ring.I dont even know why I keep that phone. Its always just

sales people trying to sell me something or sports reporters trying to get my opinion on the new

hotshot sports star. I sit completely still in my comfortable chair. Just waiting for the caller togive up. The phone stops ringing, and I sit here waiting for the caller to hang up in the middle of

the answering machine message, but they dont. The machine beeps. An elderly female voice

speaks. Merle. I know youre there, pick up the phone. Like thats going to get me to answer.

How is it that you knowing I dont want to talk to you should make me want to talk to you? Ifanything it shows me that you dont care about my preferences. Merle, its Sarah.I know who

you are.Merle Jimmys dead. I know that you havent spoken with the family in a while, I

just wanted to make sure you knew. Call me if you want to go to the funeral. She hung up.


14/15

No, I croaked. That was all I could manage after years of not speaking. Years of only

feeling anger and resentment. I know Im an angry person, I just dont care. The world hasnt

given me any reason not to be. And this doesnt help. I may be sad now, but its just going toleave me with more anger.

I slowly close my eyes, hoping for sleep to come instantly so that I dont have to bear this

pain right now. My brother is gone, and hes not coming back.

Reflection on my writing process.

Im not quite sure what happened with my writing. I had intended to write a happy story

with the parts all forming a nice picture, but it turned from a story about a nice old man to a story

about a shut in who cant deal with the past. My writing process started with the simplest part,

naming my character. I wanted a name that wasnt going to be seen a lot, and Merle came to my

mind. The thing about the name Merle is that its an old mans name, so when I started to picture

him in my head that is what showed up. Originally in my physical description of him he was

smiling, but from the second writing sample he turned into this lonely old man, so I had to go

back to amend the first days writing so that it fit the character he had become, and its that way

with any character I create. They just sort of show up, and I have no choice but to love them as

they are and do my best to represent the idea that comes to me.

The hard part of the writing for me was limiting it to the short sections that I made. I

decided it wouldnt be bad for me to do a little more than I was asking of my students, if for no

other reason than to show that it doesnt kill you to do more than the bare minimum on writing

assignments.


15/15

Differentiation

For extension I will give students the option to write a whole short story instead of doing

one or two paragraphs at a time. I will present that as an option at the beginning of the class, and

have the students who want to try to write a whole short story split into separate sharing groups

so that there is not one group with several students who will take longer to share their work. Theextension for each day would involve using the topics of prior days when writing along with the

one from that day. In a way they already build easily on top of each other, but rather than mixing

some and not others I would have the extension include each of the topics from prior days.

For students who need the skills reinforced I would have them practice each of the skills

before putting them into a short story. For example, on day six I would have the students first

work on writing first person pronouns before I would have them incorporate them in a story.

Once they felt confident they knew how to write in the first person I would give them the

assigned writings, but some students just need to repetition of a skill before they get it down, and

some need to practice a skill while it is set apart before applying it to their writing.

ed 139- writing unit plan

Documents