MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Language Arts Literacy Lab
Authored by: Peggy Cox
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Language Arts Literacy Lab is a special education support course that is designed to improve
students’ reading comprehension and written expression. Students admitted into this course have
demonstrated weakness in these areas. In this course, students will have the opportunity to learn and
apply reading comprehension strategies to support their studies in all academic areas. Students also
will focus on improving written language skills through direct practice using writing prompts as well
as editing and revising course assignments.
II.
RATIONALE
The rationale or the Language Arts Literacy Lab is to:
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provide students with the opportunity to improve their overall reading comprehension of fiction
and non-fiction
afford students the opportunity to improve their oral and written vocabulary
afford students the opportunity to improve their writing proficiency
STUDENT OUTCOMES (linked to NJ Core Curriculum Standards and Cumulative
Progress Indicators)
Students will be able to:
• read and comprehend a variety of genres and types of text, both fiction and non-fiction, with
fluency and comprehension (Standard 3.1)
• identify and apply personal reading strategies that are effective in comprehending a variety of texts
(Standard 3.1)
• identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts (Standard 3.1)
• use knowledge of root words to understand new words (Standard 3.1)
• choose and read material of personal interest, i.e., newspapers, magazines, novels, how-to
manuals
• recognize and understand various points of view (Standard 3.1)
• demonstrate effective use of AlphaSmart keyboard commands (Standard 8.1)
• use various writing strategies, such as outlines and graphic organizers (Inspiration) to plan and
write drafts according to the intended message, audience, and purpose for writing (Standard 3.2)
• state a position clearly and convincingly in a persuasive essay by stating the issue, giving facts,
examples, and details to support the position, and citing sources when appropriate (Standard 3.2)
• demonstrate writing clarity and supportive evidence when answering open-ended and essay
questions (Standard 3.2)
• create a multi-page document with citations using word processing software in conjunction with
other tools that demonstrates the ability to format, edit, and print (Standard 3.2, 8.1)
IV.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
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What strategies can I use to improve my reading comprehension?
How can I improve my working vocabulary?
What strategies do I use to effectively read and understand non-fiction?
How do I choose reading material that personally appeals to me?
How do I recognize the various points of view?
How can I use graphic organizers to improve the organization of my writing?
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STRATEGIES
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How can I make my writing more effective and engaging for my reader?
What strategies can I use to write more effectively?
How do I write an effective persuasive essay?
What are the different steps necessary in writing a well-organized research paper?
How can I use an AlphaSmart effectively in the classroom?
Extensive reading of teacher-assigned and student-chosen fiction and non-fiction
Formal and informal writing – text-based and stand-alone
Vocabulary study
Teacher conferences
Class discussion
EVALUATION
Papers: Students will write persuasive essays and a research paper. These will be process papers;
students will pre-write, compose, revise, and edit these papers.
Reading responses: These are short (1- to 2-paragraph) informal responses to the silent reading that
students will be engaged in every day.
Oral Participation: Students will engage in whole-class discussion, teacher conferences, presentations,
and writing workshops.
Quizzes/Tests: Short-answer quizzes and tests will be given as reading checks when deemed
necessary by the teacher.
Other: PowerPoint presentations, songs, plays, drawings/paintings, and other means of expression
will be used as assessments of reading comprehension.
VII.
RESOURCES
Textbooks and supplemental materials:
• Developing Metacognitive Skills: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension – Suzanne Carreker
• Groundwork for a Better Vocabulary (3rd ed.) – Beth Johnson, Carole Mohr, Janet M. Goldstein
• Groundwork for College Reading with Phonics (4th ed.) – Bill Broderick and John Langan
• Homework’s Not Another Word for Something Else to Lose: Helping Students WANT to Succeed in School
and Then Setting Them Up for Success – Cheryl Miller Thurston
• I Read It But I Don’t Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers – Cris Tovani
• Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader’s Workshop – Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan
Zimmermann
• Six-Way Paragraphs (3rd ed.) – Walter Pauk
• Teaching Written Response to Text: Constructing Quality Answers to Open-ended Comprehension Questions
– Nancy N. Boyles
• Teaching Writing: Strategies for Improving Literacy Across the Curriculum – Diane Gess
• Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills (4th ed.) Langan
• Various fictional and non-fictional paperbacks, magazines, newspapers, on-line sites
• Writing Workshop Survival Kit (2nd ed.) – Gary Robert Muschla
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Student Materials
• Composition Book – Reading Journal
• Handouts
• Highlighter
• Paper
• Pen/pencil
• Three-ring notebook divided into three sections: Literature, Vocabulary, Writing
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Unit One: Course Orientation, Learning Style, and Introduction to Metacognition (4-5 weeks)
Resource Materials
AlphaSmart Keyboard Commands
Alpha-Smart Quick-Start DirectionsDouble Entry handout
Handout – Alpha-Smart Quick-Start Directions
Handout – How to Choose a Book
Handout – Read-Alouds for Reluctant Readers
Handout on how to make your learning style work for you
Handout on learning styles and multiple intelligences
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm - website on learning styles, multiple intelligences
Literary Terms handout
Read Alouds for Teens
Reading Response Rubric
“Stories to Be Read Aloud”
Study Habits Questionnaire PowerPoint
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Learn their preferred learning style
• Learn their multiple intelligence(s)
• Increase their understanding of the importance of knowing how they best learn
• Increase their understanding of how to facilitate their learning
• Increase their understanding of difficulties they have with reading and reading comprehension
• Choose books that appeal to them
• Read silently in the classroom at least three times a week
• Increase their understanding and usage of basic literary terms
• Listen and respond to a book read aloud
Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Learn how to use an AlphaSmart
• Generate writing activities for the class
• Write responses to prompts for their independent reading and for a read-aloud book
Suggested Activities
• Students will complete a questionnaire that asks what they would like to accomplish in the course,
both in reading and writing. In addition, they will fill out a personal interest survey, which will
help the teacher and students better choose what to read.
• Students will turn in a schedule of their courses. During the school year, if deemed positive,
students can work in LLC on various fictional or non-fictional readings assigned in different
classes.
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Distribute the handout describing various learning styles (Students will take a learning style
inventory test online (http://www.howtolearn.com/freelearningstylesinventory.html;
http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html). After determining their preferred learning style,
they will read the handout describing what works best for their particular learning style. Students
may add to the list.
Students will be assessed individually to determine their reading ability: ability to decode and their
reading comprehension
Students will watch the Study Habits Questionnaire PowerPoint presentation as an introduction
to thinking about how they currently approach their class work and homework. Students will fill
out a organizer detailing what their current study habits are and what they would like to change
We will have a whole-class discussion about how to choose appealing books to read
independently. Distribute the handout – “How to Choose a Book.” Model the behaviors used:
looking at the cover, reading or skimming the back cover or inside flap, reading the first few pages.
If it is appealing, put it in a stack. Once we have three or four books, students will vote on which
one they want. That will be our first read-aloud book. Books will be taken from the list of Read
Alouds for Teens.
A sample writing prompt will be written on the board or projected on the overhead. As a whole
class, we will answer the prompt. Then, students will be given the rubric for assessing reading
responses. The rubric will be reviewed, and students, in pairs, will grade our response. A wholeclass discussion will follow.
For the first student writing prompt for the read-aloud book, students will respond, using either
the AlphaSmart keyboards or a PC in the classroom (there should be enough for everyone).
Directions (“AlphaSmart Quick-Start Directions”) will be distributed, and students will write
responses and upload them to a PC. All students will save their response to a flash drive.
Students will rotate among the PCs and AlphaSmarts so all are proficient on both.
Students will be given time to choose a book to read independently. They will keep a book log in
their notebook, under the literature section, which will list the book title, date of reading, and
pages read. In addition, on reading days, students will write in response to a reading prompt.
This also will go in their notebook.
Students will use Double-Entry Diaries to analyze quotes in the novels they are listening to and
reading. A direct quote will be on one side of the page, and the student will write thoughts or
reflections about the quote on the other side of the page.
Students will be given a handout of basic literary terms, including plot (exposition, conflict (types),
rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), major and minor characters, protagonist,
antagonist, foil, theme, figurative language (simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification,
onomatopoeia, hyperbole), foreshadowing, irony, tone/mood, and symbolism. Students will
check off those terms they already know. In pairs or threes, they will provide examples from
movies, books, or stories for terms. In a whole-class discussion, students will share their
examples.
Evaluation
• Questionnaire – what they would like to accomplish in the course
• Survey – gain information about their personal interests
• Self-assessment – determine each student’s personal learning style
• Observed completion of graphic organizer on study habits
• Observed ability to choose a book of personal interest
• Assess written responses to read-aloud book will be assessed according to the Reading Response
Rubric
• Weekly check of reading log
• Journal entries/reading prompt responses for the students’ independent reading will be collected
and assessed according to a reading prompt rubric
• Assess student knowledge of literary terms by matching words with definitions and by identifying
terms in a piece of literature
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Unit Two: Vocabulary Building (1-2 weeks)
Vocabulary building will take place throughout the year. Students will learn Greek and Latin prefixes,
suffixes, root words, and word families. This will assist students in decoding unknown vocabulary words in
both academic and leisure reading. Students also will learn the meanings for selected vocabulary words.
Resource Materials
Graphic organizers – various webs
Groundwork for a Better Vocabulary (3rd ed.) – Johnson, Mohr, and Goldstein
Index cards
McDougal, Littell English (Blue level)
Word Map Rubric
Objectives
The students will:
• Infer word meanings from context
• Learn prefixes and suffixes
• Learn Greek and Latin roots
• Determine word meanings from prefixes, suffixes, and roots
• Provide examples of words that incorporate the various prefixes, suffixes, root words, and word
families
• Select and learn unknown vocabulary words from their readings
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Select unknown vocabulary words from their independent reading as words they would like to
learn
• Determine the meaning of unknown words by looking them up in a dictionary or on
www.dictionary.com
• Learn various strategies to use to decode unknown vocabulary words
• Learn which of the various strategies to assist in remembering definitions works best for them
Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Increase their use of varied vocabulary in their writing
Suggested Activities
• Students will be provided with five prefixes, suffixes, or roots to learn each week. They will
provide examples of words for each, i.e., if the prefix is intra, their example could be intramural or
intrastate.
• Students will choose five unknown words from their independent reading and guess the meaning
of each; these will be kept in a vocabulary log. They will then determine the correct meaning from
the dictionary or from www.dictionary.com.
• Various strategies for learning new vocabulary will be discussed. Students can create new
strategies for remembering the prefixes, suffixes, root words, and word families. They should
keep in mind the way in which they best learn. They will share their strategies with the class.
• Students will use a variety of webs for vocabulary words: semantic web, derivative web, and
multiple meanings web.
• Students can create crossword puzzles for their vocabulary words, sharing them with other
students in the class.
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Students will play Around the World, showing their knowledge of the meaning of prefixes,
suffixes, roots, or vocabulary words.
Students will be asked to create a game of their choice that will require knowing the meaning of
the prefixes, suffixes, roots, or vocabulary words.
Students can play prefix-, suffix-, or root Pictionary with the class.
Evaluation
• Assess knowledge of vocabulary through written quizzes
o provide meaning of various prefixes, suffixes, and roots
o provide examples of words that contain prefixes, suffixes, and roots
o write sentences using vocabulary words
• Assess understanding of vocabulary by observing completion of student webs
• Assess understanding of various meanings for words by observing web completion
• Assess new vocabulary usage by reading students’ written work
Unit Three: Reading Comprehension for Non-fiction (6-8 weeks)
Resource Materials
ACE organizer
Answer organizers/instructional supports
Graphic organizers– persuasive writing
Index cards
Instructional supports from Teaching Written Response to Text
KWL charts
Online texts
Photocopied short and long non-fiction selections
Selected readings from Six-Way Paragraphs (3rd ed.) – Walter Pauk
Student textbooks
Written Response Rubric
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Learn strategies to use when reading various types of non-fiction
• Read a variety of non-fiction, including short and long passages and instructional texts
• Expand their vocabulary through pre-reading discussion of unknown words in the reading
selections
• Summarize orally accurately the main point, supporting ideas, and details of various non-fiction
Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Write reading responses based on reading of selections
• Use Inspiration software to create a concept map that includes the main point, supporting ideas,
and details of various non-fiction
• Write brief summaries of non-fiction selections
• Use rubrics to evaluate their and other students’ writing
• Write responses to open-ended questions based on the readings
Suggested Activities
• Using short, non-fiction selections from Six-Way Paragraphs, the teacher will discuss the features of
the chosen text, ask a question to connect the passage to the students’ background knowledge, and
state the purpose and tell students what to think about as they read. The teacher will review any
unknown vocabulary words with the students, and the students will highlight these words in the
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passage. In a whole-class discussion, students will pair up and share background knowledge
relating to the passage, using a graphic organizer. Information is shared with the class. Students
may web key vocabulary words, using a semantic web, derivative web, or multiple meaning web.
Then students will pair up and take turns reading the passage. As a whole-class, students correct
misinformation and add information to their graphic organizer. Students will decide the following
and write each on a separate index card, sequentially numbered:
o what the passage is about
o the main idea
o supporting ideas
o details for each supporting ideas
Using their cards, students will take turns summarizing the passage. Then, students will write a
75- to 100-word summary of the passage that includes a sentence for the main idea, sentences that
support the main idea, and a concluding sentence and a title. Students will edit their passage.
Students will learn how to use Inspiration software. Instead of writing the information above (#14) on index cards, students will create a concept map showing the same information. This will
help them visualize outlines.
The organization of instructional texts will be addressed. Students can use the SOAR technique
to preview chapters before reading. Scan the title, pictures, highlighted words, etc. in the chapter,
Outline main ideas under each heading, Analyze or get a general understanding about each topic,
Read the chapter.
Students can use KWL charts, charting what they Know, Want to know, and what they have
Learned from their reading.
Put students in groups of 2 or 3. Distribute the same open-ended question to each group and tell
them to develop an answer. After all groups are done, explain the ACE method
o A – answer the question as written
o C – cite from the text using details and quotes to support your answer
o E – explain how your citations support your answer
Have each group go back over their answer and revise it so that it contains the three parts of the
ACE method. Aft they have completed their revision, collect the responses the redistribute them
so each group has another group’s response. Each group should identify the A, C, and E in the
response they have. A volunteer from each group will write the “A” from the paper they have on
the board. The class can then discuss the various answers, identifying the strengths and
weaknesses of each. Follow the same routine for C and E. For homework, students can get a
sheet with different open-ended questions and their response. They are to identify the A, C, and E
in each response. The next day, distribute a rubric for assessing responses to open-ended
questions. Students, working in pairs or threes, can apply the rubric to the responses completed
the day before. Now, students can work individually on an open-ended question based on a
current reading selection. Assist students as necessary.
To assist students in constructing quality responses to open-ended comprehension questions,
students will be walked through the criteria for quality responses. In addition, instructional
supports and answer organizers will be used to assist students win knowing what information to
provide. Supports and organizers are readily available in Teaching Written Response to Text.
As an introduction to persuasive writing, students, in pairs, will choose a topic of personal
interest, i.e., changing their curfew at home, being allowed to have a drink at home even though
underage, etc. One will try and convince the other of their viewpoint, with one being for and the
other against. As reasons are mentioned, the non-arguer should jot down a brief note. Students
will share their experiences in a whole-class discussion.
Students will work on persuasive writing by starting with persuasive paragraphs. They will be
given a list of topics, with the goal being to write a thesis sentence that will include three
supporting ideas. Students will include evidence to support their viewpoint. Each idea will be
elaborated into a complex sentence, and the paragraph will end with a concluding sentence.
Those students who are ready will move into a persuasive essay, with an opening paragraph, three
body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Students will use printed or online
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(http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/persuasion_map/) graphic organizers that will
incorporate all necessary components for a persuasive paragraph or essay.
Evaluation
• Assess ability to employ reading strategies through direct observation and through whole-class
discussion
• Assess vocabulary knowledge through webbing, games, quizzes, and whole-class discussions
• Assess students’ ability to summarize reading selection by observing their oral presentations
• Assess and score students’ written responses according to rubric
• Assess students’ ability to use Inspiration by direct observation
• Assess students’ ability to peer review each other’s responses through direct observation and
through completion of rubrics by students
• Assess students’ ability to respond effectively to open-ended questions through use of a rubric
Unit Four: Reading Comprehension and Fiction (6-8 weeks)
Resource Materials
Books from library
Handouts – exercises on sentence structure and grammar
Novels in classroom
Poems
Short selections and short stories
Selected readings from Six-Way Paragraphs (3rd ed.) – Walter Pauk
Set of laminated index cards for each student: Who, What, Where, Why, When
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Select and read fiction silently throughout the year.
• Use various strategies to improve reading comprehension
• Know the various types of point of view
• Improve their understanding of the effect of using various points of view
• Answer question cards (Who, What, Where, Why, When) based on their reading or listening:
Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Improve their writing style by eliminating sentence fragments, combining related sentences, and
increasing their use of adjectives and adverbs
• Write responses to prompts for a novel read aloud and for fiction read silently
• Write summaries of fictional passages, alone and with a partner
Selected Activities
• The students will listen to fictional selections read aloud.
• Point of view will be addressed. The different points of view will be discussed, including first-,
second-, and third-person. Also, the concepts of subjective, objective, omniscient, and limited
narrator will be explored. As each piece of fiction is read, point of view will be identified, as
well as discussed as far as why the author chose to use that particular point of view. Students
will reflect on how the telling of the story is affected by the point of view. Students can
explore how the story might change if told from a different point of view.
• As a writing activity, students, in pairs or alone, will rewrite a short selection from a different
point of view.
• Students will respond to prompts: responses may be written in prose or poetry, drawn, acted
out, put in a rap song, or presented orally
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Using various short fictional selections from Six-Way Paragraphs, the features of the chosen
text will be discussed and a question will be asked connecting the passage to the students’
background knowledge. Difficult vocabulary words will be addressed. Students will map the
words and underline them in the passage. Students will work in pairs, taking turns reading the
passage. They will summarize the narrative passage using Question Cards (Who, What,
When, Where, and Why). They should answer each question as follows:
o Who? – name the characters
o What? – state the events in order and then determine the most important event
o When? – state the time(s) in which the events take place
o Where? – state the place(s) in which the events take place
o Why? – state the reason why the most important event happens
Paired students will write a three-sentence summary of the passage: “The passage is about
whom. It takes place when and where. What happens because why. OR The character (does
what) because (why). The character learns that _____________. The theme of the passage is
_____________________. Students answer teacher-posed questions on the passage, and
students will generate simple and complex sentences based on the passage.
Students will share their knowledge about what makes up a sentence (subject and verb).
Provide samples of fragment vs. full sentences. Ask students to write examples of each, and
then share with the class. From there, students will be guided to seeing the benefit of more
informative, more interesting sentences that contain more information. For instance, instead
of “The boy goes into the school” Early one Monday morning, as the sun appeared above
the horizon, the young boy sprinted up the steep steps into the three-storied, brick school.” A
student can provide a simple sentence that can be written on the board. From there, each
student can add to it, making it more complex, more informative, and more interesting. This
exercise is something that we will do over and over.
Students will read poems, focusing on different elements of the poem, i.e., rhyming words,
rhythm or meter, repeating words or sounds, figurative language, and word choice
(connotation). Students will discuss these elements. Students also will read with attention to
the meaning. Students will read the poem chorally to understand the poet’s mood and the
attitude toward the subject. A whole-class discussion will follow. Students read the poem
with attention to how they feel about the poem and then write a three-sentence summary of
the poem: The idea of the poem is ___________________. The author uses
_____________________. The poem makes me feel ________________________.
Evaluation
• Assess, through direct observation, student ability to read silently
• Assess, through direct observation and individual and whole-class discussion, student ability to
use various strategies to improve reading comprehension
• Assess reading comprehension through whole-class discussion, student response to questions
based on reading, plot mapping of story, and drawn and written responses to reading
• Assess students’ knowledge of point of view through written quiz
• Assess students’ knowledge of point of view through whole-class discussion of literature and
through students’ written responses to prompts
• Assess students’ ability to use Who-What-Where-When-Why cards to summarize selection
through direction observation, whole-class discussion, and written, oral, and drawn responses
• Assess improvement of each student’s writing through direct observation of written responses
• Assess students’ ability to write summaries, alone and in pairs, through direct observation of
product
Unit Five: Research Writing (6-8 weeks)
Resource Materials
Books
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Graphic organizers
Handouts on stages of research process
Index cards
Manila envelope for research materials
Topic list
Websites
Objectives
The students will:
• Establish a topic for a researched persuasive essay
• Research information to support their thesis
• Read sources and take notes on index cards
• Organize their ideas
• Write a first draft
• Use correct format for citing researched information
• Write a bibliography
• Revise their first draft
• Peer review another student’s paper
• Proofread their final draft
• Orally present their findings to the class
Suggested Activities
• Students will brainstorm possible topics for their researched persuasive essay. They will be
encouraged to use MHS subscribed websites, like Opposing Viewpoints, to assist them in coming up
with ideas for topics. The teacher also will have a list of topics that they may choose from. The
process of writing a research paper will be broken down into specific steps, each of which will be
walked through in class and be accompanied by a written explanation and a graphic organizer,
where appropriate. The majority of the work will be done in class.
Evaluation
• Students will complete each step of the research paper process before moving on to the next step.
Expectations for each step will be clearly explained, i.e., note cards: 5-10 completed note cards,
each of which will contain a quote or paraphrase from an article, along with full information
about the article – author, title, journal, publication date, and page numbers. Due dates will be
provided for each stage of the research paper process.
Unit Six: Non-fiction Leisure Reading (4-6 weeks)
Resource Materials
E-news and e-magazines
Magazines
Newspapers
Websites
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Choose non-fiction of personal interest
• Learn what the structure is of various non-fiction publications, including newspapers, magazines,
on-line e-news sites, e-magazine sites, and informational sites
• Read a variety of student-chosen (and teacher-approved) non-fiction
• Use the selections as resources to expand their vocabulary
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Summarize accurately the main point, supporting ideas, and details of various non-fiction
Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Write reading responses based on reading of selections
• Use Inspiration software to create a concept map that includes the main point, supporting ideas,
and details of various non-fiction
• Produce summaries of non-fiction
• Use rubrics to evaluate their and other students’ writing
• Write responses to open-ended questions based on the readings.
Suggested Activities
• Students will choose and read a variety of non-fiction. They will enter the title and author and the
pages read in their reading log. With the goal of producing a summary of the selection, students
will choose the medium: writing a summary, create a concept map on paper or in Inspiration, write
index cards to use to orally present the summary, create a PowerPoint, create a rap, or come up
with their own way to create a summary. The following types of publications will be discussed;
aspects will include audience, purpose, and organization. Students will present their summaries to
the rest of the class.
o Newspapers (print or online) – the overall organization of a newspaper will be discussed
and mapped in a whole-class activity. Students will choose articles to read from at least
two different sections of the paper: They will write a summary, map the article, or write
the main idea, supporting ideas, and details on index cards.
o Magazines (print or online) – the overall organization of magazines will be discussed.
Again, students will choose an article and summarize.
o E-news and e-magazine websites
o Informational websites
• Students will keep a log of at least five unknown words from each selection and will look up the
definition of each. Each student will be quizzed, either orally or in writing, on their vocabulary
words.
Evaluation
• Assess, through direct observation, students’ ability to choose selections of interest
• Assess students’ knowledge of organization of different types of non-fiction through whole-class
discussion, written response, and written quiz
• Assess, through direct observation, whole-class discussion, individual presentations, written and
drawn responses, PowerPoints, raps, etc., students’ ability to summarize their non-fiction selection
• Assess students’ written responses to selection through use of rubric
• Assess students’ ability to effectively use rubrics to assess another student’s response through
observation of completion of rubric
• Assess students’ ability to fully respond to open-ended question through use of rubric
Unit Seven: Reading an Autobiography, Biography, or Memoir (4-6 weeks)
Resource Materials
Various autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs
Reading Objectives
The students will:
• Select an autobiography, biography, or memoir of personal interest to read
• Read an autobiography, biography, or memoir in class
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Writing Objectives
The students will:
• Take notes on the important aspects of the person’s life
• Create an outline of the person’s life that includes required information
• Write a summary of the person’s life
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Suggested Activities
• Working in pairs, students will create a list of what information is important when writing about
someone’s life. In a whole-class discussion, their lists will be compiled into a master list of
required information. The teacher will create a handout or graphic organizer based on this master
list. Students will add required information, along with extra information on their subject.
• Students will create an outline, either written or in Inspiration that will contain all necessary
information, plus extra information, on their subject.
• Students will create and orally present a summary of their subject’s life. A rubric will be
distributed to the students so they are aware of what is required in this summary. The summary
can take the form of any of the following.
o Drama
o Painting or drawing
o Poem
o PowerPoint presentation
o Song
o Written
• Students will receive a rubric for an oral presentation. Each student will make a 3- to 5-minute
presentation about their subject to the class.
Evaluation
• Assess, through direct observation, students’ ability to choose a selection of personal interest
• Assess, through direct observation, students’ ability to read in class
• Assess, through completion of organizer/handout, students’ ability to glean important details
about the subject’s life
• Assess, through completion of written outline or Inspiration map, students’ ability to create an
outline of the subject’s life
• Assess, through use of a rubric, students’ ability to create a summary that contains the required
information
• Assess the students’ oral presentation, using a rubric
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