Emily Meyer Topic of the Unit: Values & Culture Grade Level: 6 Course: Language Arts Length of the

Unit: 3 weeks Brief Description: This unit will explore values and beliefs within different cultures. We will discuss the concept of values, their place in culture, and their importance in our society. This unit will revolve around three specific Iowa State Standards: the comprehension strategies inferencing and determining importance and engaging collaboratively in class discussions. To most successfully utilize the unit a variety of cultures and values will be identified through a diverse variety of text. This unit includes texts from Hindu, Puerto Rican, American, African, Native American, and Islamic authors. Current events and articles from news websites will also be utilized. Through these culturally enriched materials, students will actively participate in the units three state standards alongside learning about cultural values and beliefs. Methods: This unit encompasses many forms of student learning, including differentiated instruction, direct instruction, and cooperative learning instruction. These lessons utilize the gradual release of responsibility model and cooperative learning strategies to encourage active and engaged collaboratively. This unit utilizes both literature from the past and more recent writing and current events. To actively engage students, this unit is balanced between individual and collaborative work. This is greatly based on standard SL 6.1 in the Iowa Core(the standard that students should be capable of conversing about debatable issues). Through said methods, students will be able to state and support their own opinion while respectively acknowledging their classmates thoughts and opinions. Standards: RL.6.1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.6.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. SL.6.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. o Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. o Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. o Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion. o Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

Values and Beliefs Unit Plan Calendar

Essential Question: Where do our values and beliefs come from? Blue: Inferencing Strategy RL 6.1 Green: Determining Importance RL 6.2 Pink: Discussion Collaboration SL 6.1

Monday Introduction To The Unit Text: The Royal Bee Activity: Get Five, Give Five

Tuesday (Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan Text: Hero In Haitti Technique: Double Entry Journal HW: Value Bags (Direct Instruction Lesson Plan) Text: Azeezas First Fast Technique: Very Important Point

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Technique: Value Bags Activity (using the Gradual Release Model)

Text: Eleven by Sanda Cisneros Technique: QAR

Text: No Guns At My Sons Funeral Technique: Questioning the Author

Text: Smoky Night Technique: Sum It Up

Text: Stories From An Island Like You Technique: KWL

Text: Stories From An Island Like You Technique: Somebody Wanted But So

Text: Stories From An Island Like You Technique: RAFT activity

Text: House On Mango Street (1) Technique: Jigsaw HW: Reading Assigned

Text: House On Mango Street (2) Technique: Jigsaw HW: Reading Assigned

Text: House On Mango Street (3) Technique: Fishbowl Activity

Cooperative Instruction Lesson Plan

Unit Wrap Up Reflection Writing Activity paired with:

CNN Videos Technique: Four Numbered Heads Technique: 3,2,1

Emily Meyer Differentiated Lesson Plan 6th Grade Literacy Standards RL.6.1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Goals

Students will understand the concept of inference through this article. They will understand the importance of supporting their inference through textual evidence/support.

Resources


Details:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/08/25/cnnheroes.pat rice.millet/index.html (video) Will make copies of the text. Need projector, computer, speakers Topic: A Hero in Haiti

Learning Objectives o Students will be able to use inference to determine things about a text. o Students will understand the importance of using textual evidence to support their inference. o Students will be able to apply the essential unit question after making inferences about Mr. Millet (the Haiti hero).

Assessment Objectives o Students will complete the double entry journal with a total of five facts/inferences about Mr. Millet. o Students will work successfully both collaboratively and independently. o Students will respond to the essential question in paragraph form in their writing journals. They will includes textual support to explain their opinions on Mr. Millet.

Lesson Procedures o Introduction: Today we are going to learn about the process of inferencing. As we have talked about before, inferencing is taking clues from the text and background knowledge we have about a text to better understand what a text is trying to tell us. The cool thing about inferencing is that we do it in our daily lives all the time! For example, what did you guys infer when you saw the desks had been grouped in pair of twos today? (Have someone respond) Exactly, well be working in pairs for part of this lesson. You probably did this without even realizing it! Your background of

knowing how the desks are usually set up in the classroom, plus the clue that they are now set up in pairs helped you determine what we might be doing today. (5 minutes)

o Model Demonstrate (I do): Okay, so Im going to hand out a text that I found while I was scoping out the news the other day. We are going to go through this partially together and partially on your own- and we are going to make inferences about the main character. This will help us determine what this article is trying to say about the main character, Mr. Millet. Everyone please take out a piece of paper and copy the Double Entry Journal on the board. On one side, I want you to write textual evidence and on the other I want you to write my inference. Lets begin with us reading the first paragraph together. (I will then read the first paragraph and demonstrate OUT LOUD one fact about Mr. Millet and what I can infer about that fact. It will be important to do this process orally so that I demonstrate this metacognitive thinking.) (5-7 minutes)

o Guided Practice (We do): Okay, does that make sense? (Check for questions!) Now we are going to read the next paragraph together. (Will then read the paragraph together and PROVIDE a fact about Mr. Millet for the class. Then ask for volunteers about what we might infer about Mr. Millet based on that fact. If students seem to grasp this we will move on to the next step. If they dont, we will do another together!) (5-7 minutes) o Collaborative Learning (You Do Together) Now that you guys seem to be getting the hang of it- Im going to let you do it without me. As you noticed, you are in pairs today. In your pairs, read the next two paragraphs together. I want you both to come up with two facts/textual evidence and then make two inferences about Mr. Millet. When you are done, put your pencils down and we will have groups share out their favorite fact/inference with the class. (Do this, again I will make sure they seem to be grasping the concept. If we need to go back to guided practice or continue collaborative learning I will do so before moving on. (5-7 minutes) o Independent Practice (You Do): For the remainder of the article you will read and come up with two more facts and two more inferences about Mr. Millet on your own. Please put your desks back in the normal rows. If you have any questions or need helpplease dont hesitate to raise your hand. There are lots of

facts in these final paragraphs, but you only need to write down two in your double entry journal. (10-12 minutes) o Conclusion: It looks like most of your are finished with your double entry journal. Tomorrow, we will work more with inference, but for right now I want you to pull out your writing journals. I am going to show you a video that CNN made about Mr. Millet. Your ticket out of class today will be to write a paragraph about Mr. Millet based on what you have learned about him today. I want you to think about our essential unit question: Where do values and beliefs come from? Where do you think Mr. Millets values and beliefs come from? Why? Be sure to support your answer. It might help to look back at your double entry journal for textual evidence. There are no wrong answers here! Just make sure you write three or four complete sentences. (7-10 minutes) Differentiation: o English Language Learners: I will differentiae the process for ELL students based on their readiness. I will keep the beginning on the lesson (the I do & We Do) the same. However, when we get to the You Do Together portion I will pair with this student. I will read the text with them, stopping at words that are difficult or new to the student. I will help with the reading portion of this- but I will still request that the student comes up with the fact and inference. In order for the student to be able to do this, we might need to talk about the text a little bit. I will have the students ask questions, etc. I will also do this for the Independent Practice as well. It will be a fine line of making sure they understand the text to making sure Im not handing over answers. o Special Education: Assuming that I have a student that has a behavioral disorder in my classroom, I will again change the process due to their learning profile. I will be sure to specifically pair this student with another student that they trust and are able to work with. I will also be sure not to agitate this student by calling on him to share unless he is prepared to do so. I will constantly be checking up on the student, because not understanding can definitely trigger behavioral issues. During the collaborative and group practice I will definitely be careful to watch this student and make sure they are understanding and feeling confident about the lesson. If not, I will work with them during independent practice time.

o Gifted and Talented: I will change the content due to learning profile for a gifted and talented student. This article was pulled from a text specifically written for students. To keep the concepts the same, I will still have them work on inferencing but give them a more difficult current event article to read. I will discuss this with them in the beginning of class and have them follow along with the I do instruction by giving them the article everyone is using as well. However, when other students are working collaboratively, I will have them begin with their own more difficult text. If there is more than one student at this level I can have them do the same thing as the other students just with the different text. It will just depend on the make up of the class. However, above everything, I want to make sure that this student still gets the modeling that their classmates do.

Thinking Strategies o Obviously, we are learning about inference. However, in my last request of them (writing in their journal about the essential question), I am challenging them to make meaning out of the concept of inferencing. They are being requested to apply this lesson to the unit, but also to use inferencing to answer a question. Using this critical thinking process will help students to find purpose in this lesson. Assignment: o No homework will be sent home, but they will be responsible to complete the double entry journal on their own. The paragraph in their writing journal is their ticket out of class. If a student does not complete these two assignments in class, they will be given the opportunity to meet with me after class, after school, etc. If they are not able to complete these things within the allotted amount of time, this might indicate they are struggling to grasp inferencing concepts.

Emily Meyer Direct Instruction Lesson Plan VIP- Very Important Points Standards:

RL 6.1 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of a t text distinct form personal opinions or judgments.

Background Information:

This lesson is going to introduce the main ideas/determining importance. This is such a HUGE strategy that I have started out small, breaking down this process to just using paragraphs. My goal will to be move to a larger scale as the unit goes on.
Materials:

Azeezas First Fast (short fiction text) Elmo An additional text for Gifted and Talented Like I said, I have decided to start very small and work my way up to larger portions of text. Therefore, students really only need to be able to understand the importance of textual evidencewhich in my classroom, will be discussed on a daily basis anyway.

Prerequisite Skills:

Audience: 6th Grade Literacy Behavior:

Condition: Students will accomplish all of this within the class period (first together and then independently) Degree: Students will get final VIPs when the work independently. Learning Objectives:

Students will determine a very important point from each separate paragraph. Students will defend their very important point with textual evidence.

Students will determine a very important point from a paragraph in the nonfiction text, Azeezas First Fast. Students will be able to defend their most important point through textual evidence that is separate from personal opinion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Introduction: Today we are going to read a fiction story titled Azeezas First Fast together. I will read this story aloud to you. After the story, we are going to discuss how, as readers, we determine what the most important points of the story are. Determining importance is one of the best things we can do as readers because it helps us understand what a text is really about. It helps us discover themes, main ideas, and helps us summarize a text. These are all strategies that we will be working on in the future, but for now we are just going to concentrate on finding the main idea in each paragraph. Tomorrow, or maybe the next day, we will start looking at the text as a whole. For right now, though, I just want you to relax and enjoy this story. We will go through the steps of determining importance together after we read. (5 minutes) (Read Azeezas First Fast) (15 minutes) I Do: Okay, now that weve finished the story- before we do anything else, lets start breaking down what we think is important in this story. Today we are going to start out in baby steps, and we are going to break down what is the VIP, very important point, in each paragraph. I will then read the first paragraph and model ALOUD what I think the most important point is and WHY. Now that I have my very important point, I need to make sure I can support it with the text. I will now be sure to write textual support next to my VIP. (5 minutes) We Do: Now that you have an idea of what we are doing, lets try this next one together as a class. I will reread the paragraph and then we will talk about what we think is the most important point. Call on students that are willing to

share. I will be sure to ask how they can support their response with textual evidence. Again, I will write the VIP and the textual evidence on the board/overhead. (5-7 minutes) You Do (together): For this next section you are going to choose one person to read in your groups. Then you are going to choose a VIP together. However, remember to include textual support next to your VIP. We will then share out with the class. Go around each group and ask them to share out their VIP. Explain that though some VIPs might be a little different from one another, as long as the group supported their VIP with textual evidence, this is okay. This will be a good checking point for me. If they understand it, we will go on. If they need more support, we will do this section a few more times. (5-7 minutes) You Do (Independently): For the last page, you are going to give me the VIP and textual evidence for each paragraph. When you are finished, turn your sheet over and I will come around and collect them. While we wait for students to finish, please be reading in your silent reading book. (5-7 minutes) Assessment/Closure: Okay, for the last few minutes, I am going to have you write another paragraph in your journal. I want you to think about out the VIP strategy today. I want you to answer two questions in your paragraph: 1. Did the VIP activity help you understand what is important to Azeeza about her culture. Why or why not? 2. Why do you think fasting for Ramadan was so important to Azeeza? (7 minutes) _______________________________________________________________________________________________ __ Differentiation:

ELL: I would probably make sure to read each section to ELL students. In the lesson, I start to let the kids do that on their own, but I would make sure that ELL students are either in a group where other students will read or I will read it aloud for them. This is a very step-by-step process and it is simplified to really break down the determining importance process. It will be important for me to check in after each step so that an ELL student might be able to explain to be verbally what their VIP is. I have a student at Hiatt right now that fully understands strategies, but has trouble writing them down on paper. I will check for understanding first, and then I will assist this student in putting their thoughts on paper. Special Education: If I had a student that was deaf in my classroom, I will make sure to provide a signer with the text and lesson BEFORE the class begins. I will take the signer aside and instruct her/him to let me know if the student seems to understand/ has any questions. In my practicum class, it seems that communication between signer and teacher is essential so that the student gets the same experience that the other students do. Providing the signer with information before the lesson begins also seems essential to the success of the lesson. Gifted & Talented: I would probably keep these students with me for the first part of the class (the I Do and We Do). However, because the text is a pretty easy one, I would then give them a short (but more challenging) text to determine the main importance (still by paragraphs). This would allow them to use the same strategy but to apply it to a text that might challenge them more. I would have them do the same closing strategy as my other students, but I would alter the questions in order to make it work for their specific text.

References:

http://www.liketoread.com/read_strats_importance.php

Emily Meyer 6th Grade Literacy Cooperative Learning Lesson Plan Goals:

Students will work collaboratively to answer questions based on CNN student news videos. Students will understand the importance of working together, but also understand their obligation to successfully answer question individually.

Standards: SL.6.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion. Lesson Background:

Information: This lesson will be based around standard 6.1 above. It works perfectly within this unit because we will be viewing two very different videos on CNN (for students) that incorporate values and beliefs. This will require students to work collaboratively, but also allow them to share their own opinion when they answer they question. Materials Needs: Computer, CNN Videos, Individual Whiteboards Prerequisite Skills: Understanding the importance of respecting different opinions. Lesson Objectives: o Students will work collaboratively in groups to answer each question. o Students will be capable of representing their group individually (for each question). o Students will be able to defend their opinion by giving examples from the video.

Cooperative Learning Grouping Structure: Numbered Heads Together

Interaction With Students:

Introduction (Objectives and Information): Today we are going to watch some videos on CNN that relate to our current unit theme of beliefs and values! First, though, we are going to break up into groups of four because the activity that we are doing today is going to require us to work both together and individually. Within this unit, we have been discovering what it means to understand others opinions and beliefs. Today, we are going to discuss these same things- but we are going to work together to do so. You might not have the same opinion as your group members, but as long as you are able to support your belief with examples from the videos- that is okay! (5 Minutes)

Setting up: I want all of you to count off in fours and then get into your respective groups. When you get in your groups, I want you to all choose a number between 1 and 4 again. We are going to watch one video about bullying in the classroom and another video on a Pakistani family. After both of these videos I am going to ask you some questions. After each question, I will give you time to discuss with your group on the answer. Some of these questions are going to be opinionated and some of them will just be informational. If your group ends up with conflicting opinions, that is just fine. The key is to explain your opinion to your group members so that they understand your perspective. I will give you extra time for questions like these. After I have given you time to discuss the question- I will call out a number and that member will be responsible for relaying an answer. (5 minutes)

Activity: We will then watch one of the videos. I will ask them various questions (some factual and then moving into more opinionated ones). I will give 2 minutes for factual information and 4(ish) minutes for the more opinionated ones. During this time I will walk around and listen to discussions, playing devils advocate, etc. (15 minutes). We will then watch the second video and we will repeat this process. I again will begin with more factual questions to recap the video and then move into more opinionate ones. Again, I will walk around the room and listen to their conversations (15 minutes).

Recognition: After the answers, I will be sure to recognize the difference in opinions- but in a positive manner. Really, the success of this activity relies on me being able to emphasize why respecting difference of opinion is so important. That is why I restructured this activity a little bit and allowed for group members to disagree. They will

be synthesizing together- but that doesnt mean they have to come up with the same conclusion (unless of course the answer is a factual one).

Assessment/Closure: This will be formative. I will be able to assess progress during their answers and listening to their group discussion. This will allow me to get an idea how well they work collaboratively- but also how well they use evidence from the video to support their opinions (this is something we talk about in all of the lesson plans). At the end of the activity I will also have them do a Ticket Out of class to give closure to the activity. I will bring this back to our essential unit question. Now that you have completed this activity, on a scratch piece of paper, please write a few sentences to answer the following questions. Pick one of the videos we watched. How did your opinions differ from others in the class? How did this improve your groups discussion? How did it hinder it? Finally, how do these differences in opinion relate back to our essential unit question: Where do my values and beliefs come from? ELL: I will alter this lesson for ELL students based on their readiness. I will alter the process for these students. I will make sure they understand the concept of both videos having them watch it before class time (if possible). Often oral language (especially on camera) is difficult to understand because people speak so fast. Perhaps after class the day before, or quickly before class begins, I can help them with any questions they have about the videos. Special Education: If I have a student that has a behavioral issue in the class I will change the process due to learning profile. I will make sure the student is placed in a group that he feels comfortable working with. I might have to individually assign groups for this period. Gifted and Talented: It will be difficult to change the content in this lesson since it is completely collaborative. I think for this lesson, the benefits of working together and hearing others opinions is very important. For that reason and due to learning profile I will change the product. I will give them a slightly different set of questions for their ticket out of class to keep them challenged. GT students are often naturally independent- so this lesson overall would probably be a good one to encourage collaborative working. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/10/22/lemon-mean-girls.cnn http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/11/30/pkg-sayahpakistan-mourns-soldier.cnn

Differentiation:

Resources: