Unit 1: Identity
Estimated Days: 2-3 weeks
Big Ideas/Essential Questions (How does this unit apply to a student’s life?)
•
•
•
How do we get to know others?
What are important aspects of my life?
How can we effectively and clearly present ideas to an audience?
Priority Standard(s)
RL 6: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in
a text.
SL 1c: Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant
observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
SL 4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent
descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
W 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
W 5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience
have been addressed.
Support Standard(s):
RL 10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
W 6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as
well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
L 6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases;
gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Content (Students need to know)
READING:
• Students need to know how to read for
information.
• Students need to know how to identify
point of view.
• Students need to know how to identify
contrasting ideas.
WRITING:
• Students need to know the difference
between a closed and open-ended
Skills (Students need to do)
READING:
• Students will cite several pieces of textual evidence
to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• In a passage, students will cite evidence indicating a
character’s point of view by underlining identifying
information.
WRITING:
• Students will complete an informal outline using
•
•
•
question.
Students need to know how to gather
information from interviewing peers
using critical thinking.
Students need to know how to organize
ideas using an informal outline
Students need to know how to compose
organized paragraphs (topic sentence,
supporting detail sentences and
concluding sentence).
COMMUNICATION:
• Students need to know speaking traits
(appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume and clear pronunciation).
•
•
•
key/star ideas to organize contrasting
characters/subjects.
Students will organize ideas into separate
paragraphs.
Students will organize writing into three
paragraphs each including a topic sentence,
supporting sentences and concluding sentence.
Students will construct a paragraph using topic
sentences, examples, evidence, and elaborations.
COMMUNICATION:
• Students will use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation in an oral
presentation.
Summative Assessments (evidence of learning)
• Students will write an informative/explanatory paragraphs based on their partner interview using
peer and adult support through the writing process.
o SCORING FOCUS: Paragraph organization, clear ideas and supporting details, appropriate
transitions
•
Students will orally present informative/explanatory content, contrasting two first day of school
experiences, using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Note: Choice of writing rubric to be determined by PLCs.
Factors to consider:
SMARTER Balanced Writing Rubrics measure the Common Core Standards, however, at this time,
anchor papers are not available. There is a separate SMARTER Balanced Writing Rubric for each
type of writing.
ODE Writing Rubric does not measure Common Core Standards, but anchor papers do exist. As far as
addressing increased standards for rigor in writing, a score of 4 on the ODE no longer meets the
standard. Scores of 5 or 6 would be required for meeting the current standard.
Formative Assessment (evidence of progress)
• Develop Open-Ended questions to gather information from partner
• Use an informal outline to organize ideas gathered from partner
• Use an outline to present an informative speech
• Summarize the story “Seventh Grade” and summarize their first day of seventh grade.
Resources:
FICTION LITERATURE:
• “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto (Bronze level purple literature book)
TEACHER RESOURCES:
• Step Up To Writing (for question development, informal outline, organization, paragraph structure,
and presenting ideas)