A Biography Story

1. Who's My Hero? Language Arts A Biography Story 4th Grade

2. Unit Plan Summary • The unit is entitled Who's My Hero? to capture that personal, connecting aspect of biographies. The unit invites students to think of their own personal heroes who have shaped their lives or thinking in different ways. The next step is to offer them an opportunity to share their heroes as biographers. To prepare for that, they study other biographies to become more aware of and use their unique formats and structures. They learn, too, how the effective use of language enhances their work as biographers and its power in casting one's hero in a clear, positive light. The events take place in a language workshop context, which plays a major role each day in providing opportunities for students to read/ listen, speak/ write with a specific area to consider and apply. It incorporates the principles of Reader's and Writer's Workshop and includes ALL aspects of literacy instruction: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

3. Targeted Content Standards • The student will use word recognition and vocabulary (word meaning) skills to communicate. • The student will apply strategies and skills to comprehend, respond to, interpret, or evaluate a variety of texts of increasing levels of length, difficulty, and complexity. • The student will express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas effectively. • The student will apply Standard English to communicate.

4. Student Objectives / Learning Outcomes • The student will use word recognition and vocabulary (word meaning) skills to communicate.c. The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate.e. The student will use definitional, synonym, or antonym context clues to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words. f. The student will apply knowledge of simple figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole) to determine • the meaning of words and to communicate. • The student will apply strategies and skills to comprehend, respond to, interpret, or evaluate a variety of texts of increasing levels of length, difficulty, and complexity.a. The student will apply knowledge of text features, parts of a book, text structures, and genres to understand, interpret, or analyze text. b. The student will analyze texts in order to identify, understand, infer, or synthesize information. c. The student will recognize or generate a summary or paraphrase of the events or ideas in text, citing text-based evidence. • The student will express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas effectively.a. The student will use and reflect on an appropriate composing process (e.g., planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing/ sharing) to express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas with a focus on texts increasing complexity and length. [Note: Editing will be tested under competency four.b. The student will compose descriptive texts using specific details and vivid language. d. The student will compose informational text clearly expressing a main idea with supporting details, including but not limited to, text containing chronological order, cause and effect, compare and contrast, or simple procedure. f. The student will compose text based on inquiry and research. • 4. The student will apply Standard English to communicate.a. The student will apply Standard English grammar to compose or edit. b. The student will apply Standard English mechanics to compose or edit. c. The student will apply knowledge of sentence structure in composing or editing.

5. Curriculum Framing Questions

6. Assessment Timeline Before project work begins Students work on projects and After project work is completed complete tasks * Modeling * T-chart * 4-Square Organizer * Write final copies * Biography * Final Reflections * Discussions * Interviews * Write a rough draft * Create project presentations * Edit and Revise drafts brochures Assessment Summary Questioning occurs throughout the unit to probe student thinking and allow student reflection. Teacher takes notes to assist in keeping track of individual student needs. These notes can also provide information on how well students understand certain concepts and can be used to reteach difficult concepts. The presentation rubric is used by students to self-asses their presentations before teacher assessment. The writer’s checklist and 4-Square organizer describes the criteria for their writing from a different point of view and is used while students are writing and again to assess their final products. When students finish their drafts, a peer feedback form is used to give and receive feedback on their stories. Students use this feedback to revise their final products. Students will use blogs to share, critique and make suggestions. Students’ oral responses to the Essential Question in provide information about how students have connected their work in the unit with broader issues.

8. Instructional Procedures Lesson 1 – 4 days Purpose: Proficient readers stay focused on their reading. They attend to the most important information in the text in order to better understand what they have read. ·Discussion –Opening: Teacher poses question, What do we already know about biographies? and generates brief discussion, listing students' responses on chart paper (to be kept and reviewed at the end of the unit, for comparison and awareness of expanded thinking).TTW model by reading a biography story and have students use a bubble map to list important facts about that person. TSW read a printed biography paying close attention to the story elements used to write the story. They use their knowledge of these elements to make decisions about the overall meaning of a passage, chapter, or book. TSW complete a T-Chart contrasting biographies and non-fiction writers. ·Students will research hero & conduct practice interviews in pairs using a guideline rubric to discuss interview process. Non-fiction Writers Biographies

9. Instructional Procedure Lesson 2 - 8 days Purpose: The purpose of this lesson and events is to support readers in learning how to employ behaviors of strategic reading to build deeper understanding of the text. At a text level, readers . . . • identify key ideas, themes and elements as they write • distinguish between important and unimportant information using their own purpose(s), as well as the text structures and word cues • use text structures and text features to help decide what is essential • use their knowledge of important and relevant parts of text to prioritize what they commit to long-term memory and what they retell and/or summarize for others. • TSW use a 4-Square organizer to plan for writing. • Write a rough draft biography about that person, • Edit and revise biographies. Write final copies. • Create project brochures or story boards

10. Instructional Procedures Lesson 3 – 8 days Purpose: Writing is an active thinking process. Writers explore ideas, engage in reflective thought, and select and arrange language in a way that allows them to communicate effectively. Writing is hard work. Writers honor both process and product. A piece of writing often evolves through a process of planning, drafting, revising, and editing. This process is recursive, allowing for considerable reflection, rereading, and revision at any point along the way.Writers make plans for their writing before and during the drafting process. They use their knowledge of text elements such as character, setting, conflict, sequence of events and resolution to create a structure for their writing. They work to replicate the style of authors they find compelling. Writers revise (add, delete and rearrange) their writing so that it is clearer and more meaningful. Writers use what they know about good writing craft to enhance their meaning. Writers monitor their own progress by asking questions about the choices they are making in content, structure and word selection as compared to their initial writing plans. Writers write in such a way that makes it possible for their audience to ask questions while they read. Writers share their final copies with class. When the projects are complete students will write a reflection in which they describe what they learned about writing and interviewing and set goals for their next writing project.

11. Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction