Understanding by Design Template | Unit Topic: Inquiry | 8th Grade

STAGE ONE: DESIRED RESULTS

CONTENT STANDARD & ESTABLISHED GOALS:
Speaking & Listening Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye
contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.5
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen
claims and evidence, and add interest.
Writing Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and
information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.B
Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations,
or other information and examples.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.C
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style.
Reading Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
Language Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
Understanding(s)
Essential Question(s):
Students will understand that:
How do I prove to others that my social
There is a range of serious social
justice topic is important and worthy of
injustices in their neighborhood, city,
study and action?
country, and around the world
How do I research a social justice topic that
Students have agency and the
I am passionate about so that I find reliable,
responsibility to research social justice
trustworthy and relevant information?
topics they are passionate about
Who is raising awareness about my social
There are people and organizations
justice topic?
committed to work for justice across a
Who is doing activist work to fight for justice
variety of social justice issues and
within my area of interest?
students can join many of these efforts
How do I raise awareness about my social
the enact change
justice topic and share my research in an
engaging and informative way?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know
How to conduct a student-driven
inquiry project centered around a
social justice topic of their choice.
That they are simultaneously given
freedom to work at their own pace
and are responsible for completing all
their work.

Students will be able to

Conduct research by finding relevant,
trustworthy, and reliable non-fiction articles
online
Analyze a nonfiction text in order to identify
the authors claim and supporting evidence
Create a presentation about a social justice
topic they are passionate about in order to
raise awareness and share the current
activism work that is being done in their
area of interest
STAGE TWO: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Task:
Other Evidence:
Students will create a TED Talk
Students will complete a PSSA text
choosing from a range of visual
dependent analysis writing activity as a prepresentation techniques (Prezi, Google
assessment
Slides, Emaze, PSA, documentary, or
Students will reflect throughout the process
infographic)
by writing journal entries
Student participation during a small
Students will help design the TED Talk rubric
group brainstorm session about the
with the teacher
injustices in their neighborhood, city,
As students present, each student will take
country, and around the world
notes with their feedback and questions
Annotating and highlighting non Students will self-reflect on their presentation
fiction articles based on their social
process by completing a rubric after they
justice topic of interest
present

Beginning Culminating

Learning Activity

STAGE THREE: LEARNING PLAN

Objectives/Goals

Formative Assessment

PSSA Text
Dependent
Analysis Writing
Prompt

Students will understand how

strong writers corroborate
authors different points of view
in order to create a sophisticated
argument with evidence from
several texts

I will analyze the students discussion

contributions and writing samples and see
the extent to which they can synthesize an
authors argument and use multiple points
of view in order to support their argument.

Brainstorm
Injustices

Students will raise awareness of

social injustices in the students
neighborhood, city, country and
across the world.

I will evaluate the student-generated ideas

during brainstorming to help guide students
towards exploring a social justice topic they
are passionate to learn more about.

Journal
Reflections

Students will realize ideas evolve

within an inquiry process.

I will use the students journal entries to track

their progress within Picowers (2012)
framework Six Elements of Social Justice
Curriculum Design for Elementary Education.
Additionally, these journals will help me to
proactively trouble shoot when students are
confused or stuck.

Learning Activity

Class Share Outs

Objectives/Goals

Formative Assessment

Students will build off of each

others ideas and value
classmates ideas.

I will evaluate the students responses for

their use of accountability talk moves in
order to help connect students ideas with
one another so that students can learn from
the strengths of their peers.

Students will distinguish reliable

sources within a body of
research.

I will use the students research findings to

help them organize their research and
reflect on the extent to which they can trust
each source.

Reading &
Annotating
Non-Fiction
Research Articles

Students will understand the

rhetorical strategies reporters use
when writing non-fiction and
argument articles.

I will analyze the students ability to examine

multiple arguments and synthesize their
findings.

TED Talk Visual

Presentation

Students will understand how to

examine and synthesize multiple
arguments in order to make a
captivating argument and
presentation.

I will use the students TED Talk presentations

to analyze the depth to with the students
explored their topic with rigor and passion.

Researching
Reliable and
Relevant NonFiction Articles

(The students will choose to

create their TED Talk from a
range of visual presentation
techniques (Prezi, Google Slides,
Emaze, PSA, documentary, or
infographic)

TED Talk
Presentation
Feedback Notes

TED Talk
Presentation
Rubric

Students will develop a critical

eye for presentation norms and
facilitation.

Students will understand they

have an important role in
shaping how they will be graded
for this assignment. After
presenting their TED Talk, the
students will understand the
importance of self-reflection and
self-evaluation.

I will analyze the students feedback notes

after each TED Talk presentation in order to
ask a question and/or give a praise about
the speakers presentation skills.

I will evaluate the students visual

presentation, feedback notes and their final
self-reflection as part of their final TED Talk
grade and feedback.