7th Grade Connections Hot Off The Press UbD
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals
What power standards will
this unit address?
RH.6-8.1, 5, 6 & 8,
1. Cite specific textual evidence to
support analysis
of primary and secondary sources.
5. Describe how a text presents
information (e.g.,
sequentially, comparatively,
causally).
6. Identify aspects of a text that
reveal an author’s
point of view or purpose (e.g.,
loaded language,
inclusion or avoidance of particular
facts).
8. Distinguish among fact, opinion,
and reasoned
judgment in a text.
Transfer
What challenge will be required of students at the end of this unit?
How will they transfer their knowledge to a new situation?
Compare and contrast various types of news media. Students will gather credible information from a variety of sources and
create a news media source.
UNDERSTANDINGS
What specifically do you want students to understand?
Students will understand that…
-The elements of good journalistic writing
-Journalists must internalize a body of discipline-related
vocabulary.
-Effective reporting requires superior listening skills and
effective oral and written communication.
-It is important to know how to access accurate news from
various sources.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry,
meaning-making, and transfer?
-Why is it important to be able to access information in a
variety of ways?
-How has the way people access information changed over the
years and how will it continue to change?
-What are the benefits and challenges of accessing news
today?
WHST.6-8.1.a-e
1. Write arguments focused on
discipline-specific
content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or
issue,
acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the
reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and
relevant, accurate data and evidence
that
demonstrate an understanding of the
topic or
text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
create
cohesion and clarify the
Acquisition
What basic concepts should students understand in order to be
What discrete skills and processes should students be able to
successful on the transfer level task?
use?
Students will know….
-How & where to access credible news information
-Communication skills (oral & written)
-Key news media vocabulary (editor, reporter, elements of a
news article & feature story)
Students will be skilled at….
-Creating news stories
-Accessing credible news information
-Demonstrating successful cooperative learning
relationships among
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal
style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section
that follows from and supports the
argument
presented.
WHST.6-8.2.a-f
2. Write informative/explanatory
texts, including
the narration of historical events,
scientific
procedures/ experiments, or
technical processes.
a. Introduce a topic clearly,
previewing what
is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and
information into broader categories
as appropriate to achieving purpose;
include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g.,
charts, tables), and multimedia when
useful to
aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant,
well-chosen
facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations,
or other information and examples.
d. Use precise language and domainspecific
vocabulary to inform about or
explain the
topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal
style and
objective tone.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that
follows from and supports the
information or
explanation presented.
WHST.6-8.4, 5, 6, 8 & 9
4. Produce clear and coherent
writing in which
the development, organization, and
style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
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.
6. Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce
and publish writing and present the
relationships
between information and ideas
clearly and
efficiently.
8. Gather relevant information from
multiple print
and digital sources, using search
terms effectively;
assess the credibility and accuracy of
each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions
of others while avoiding plagiarism
and following
a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from
informational texts to support
analysis reflection, and research.
SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 7 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
Stage 2 - Evidence
Evaluative Criteria
What criteria will be used to
evaluate attainment of the
desired result?
Summative Assessment
How will students demonstrate their understanding (meaning-making and transfer) through complex performance?
Students will gather credible information from a variety of sources and create a news media source.
-Rubric
-Self assessment
-Peer assessment/editing
-Graphic organizer
Formative Assessment
How will we monitor student progress to ensure that they will be successful on the summative (transfer level) task?
-Match key vocabulary words and descriptions
-Question and answer during lessons
-Newspaper Scavenger Hunt
-Reading new stories
-Writing news stories
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Pre-Assessment
What pre-assessments will you use to check student’s prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?
-Discussion questions
-Pre-test
Learning Events
Do the learning events support students in experiencing success on the
transfer level task?
Demonstration:
After building student background knowledge in writing and reading news
stories, the teacher will model the skills needed to create their own stories.
Guided Practice:
The teacher will provide the guidelines for the news story and advertisement.
The teacher will model this writing process.
Independent Practice:
Students will create their own news story and advertisement.
Application/Transfer:
Students will get information from a variety of sources to apply in a news
story and an advertisement.
Progress Monitoring
How will we monitor student progress?
-Discussion questions
-Reading, writing & editing of news stories
-Peer review of news story
-Self Reflection