LITERACY-9
ESSENTIAL UNIT 5 (E05)
(Narrative - Important People)
Reading: People Narratives
Writing: Biography/Friendly Letter
(July 2014)
Unit Statement: In this unit the student will take a look at narratives centered around
people, such as biographies and autobiographies. While reading, he/she will be on the lookout
for sequence of events, for connections to make, and for opportunities to compare and
contrast. He/she will be writing friendly letters and a biography on a chosen person. Choosing
to write the biography in letter format will help show that the student has an intimate
knowledge of the person being written about.
Unit one is currently engaged, and teachers should refer to it for continued practice of
routines, strategies, skills, etc.
Unit Emphasis (Focus Wall):
Reading Strategies/Skills: monitor/clarify; inferring/predicting; sequence of events; compare
and contrast; story structure
Developing Vocabulary: suffixes (-ion, -ation, -ition)
Writing Genre: narrative
Trait Focus: use the 6+1 writing traits in conjunction with the writing process
Grammar Focus: adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and prepositional phrases, relative
pronouns and adverbs and abbreviations.
Essential Outcomes: (reading and writing must be assessed separately for mastery)
Reading Literacy (E05): (People Narratives)
Using course-level appropriate fiction and nonfiction texts:
1. The Student Will apply unit suffixes in determining the meaning of age-appropriate
words. (JTE 4.17) (LLG p. 145)
2. TSW create a timeline or other organizer to illustrate the sequence of events of at
least one story read. (JTE 4.17)
3. TSW make, confirm, and revise realistic predictions. (4.19)
4. TSW make inferences using background knowledge and clues from the text. (JTE
4.19)
5. TSW research and sequentially organize the important events in the life of a person
who is significant to the student (from literature or real life). (JTE 4.19 - 4.20)
6. TSW compare and contrast the life and times of a person from a
biography/autobiography to his/her own life and times. (JTE 4.16)
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7. TSW determine the point of view from which a story is written.
8. TSW create a personal response to the biography/ autobiography that shows describes
why the person from literature was influential.
Writing Literacy (E05): (Biography/Friendly Letter)
1. The Student Will demonstrate the use of: adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and
prepositional phrases, relative pronouns and adverbs and abbreviations. (JTE 4.164.20) (WSTE 423, 426, 428, 520-523, 591-597)
2. TSW examine the friendly letter format and create an outline for it. (JTE 4.17)
3. TSW examine mentor texts for examples of descriptive writing. (LC 1.3)
4. TSW use the writing process to publish a biography of the person he/she chooses.
(Students can use friendly letter format and assume alternate identities
(pretending to be related to the person whose biography they are writing) in
order to show an intimate knowledge of the person.) (JTE 4.18) (LC 1.2)
(WSTE 476, 488.3)
5. TSW effectively use vivid, sensory details, similes and exact words to describe the
person. (JTE 4.16) (LC 1.3 and 1.4)
Introduced Outcomes: (taught, not assessed)
1. The Student Will locate domain-specific words in texts he/she reads and define them.
2. TSW identify examples of allusions in texts.
Practiced/Ongoing Outcomes: (development is ongoing)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Student Will acquire and use new vocabulary in reading, writing, and speaking.
TSW demonstrate age appropriate spelling in their writing.
TSW practice properly formed handwriting techniques.
TSW review the structure of a paragraph.
TSW review previously learned prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
Key Terms and Concepts:
Reading
Cause
effect
meaningful connections
biography
autobiography
background knowledge
myth
compare
contrast
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writing terms and concepts:
describe
vivid details
topic sentence
transitional words
friendly letter
salutation
closing
personal narrative
elaboration
Suggested Materials for Teachers: (provided by school)
*See Essential Unit 1
Journeys Language and Literacy Guide (p. 216 - 224)
Suggested Professional Materials for Teachers: (provided by school)
*See Essential Unit 1
Suggested Exemplar Texts (read alouds):
Thank You, Mr. Falker - Patricia Polacco
Boy - Roald Dahl
Who Was . . . .? biography series (multiple authors)
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
Additional Resources: (may not be provided by school)
*See Essential Unit 1
Technology Links:
*See Essential Unit 1
Destiny Webpath Express (found in school library)
http://www.k12reader.com/subject/inference/
Worksheets to help support/explain/practice inferring
http://mrswarnerarlington.weebly.com/inferencing.html
Lots of resources for inferring
http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/makingpredictionsl.cfm
Online explanations and practice with predicting
http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/search/?query=predictions&N=0&npp=48
Scholastic predicting printables
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/14/b4/21/14b4218bf6cacfe929d393edbbeec027.jpg
“Sequence of Events” anchor chart
Suggested Activities:
● Anchor Charts - Create and reference anchor charts when modeling how to read and
write. Students will use these to reference when it's his/her turn to work
independently.
○ How to Write a Fiction Story
○ Qualities of Good Personal Narrative Writing
○ Key Questions Fiction Writers Consider in Revising Endings
○ Ways Writers Support Each Other
● Focus Wall - Create a wall with all the grammar concepts, friendly letter format, lists
of sensory words, lists of possible choices for biographies, examples of simile, editing
checklists, etc.
● Important Person Poster - Create a poster displaying the important information
learned about an important person
● Make a cross curricular connection with Cultural Studies and write a biography about
a person they are learning about in history.
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Suggested Assessment Tools:
1. Attached rubric or teacher-generated rubric that assesses ALL essential outcomes
(TSWs). An effective rubric is presented and discussed with the student at the
beginning of the unit, referred back to throughout the unit, and used to assess at
the end. Students will collaborate with peers and the teacher to assess their own
writing with final judgment by the teacher.
2. Writing Pathways (Units of Study Kit) by Lucy Calkins provides rubrics and
checklists for teachers and students.
3. “6+1 Traits” writing rubrics
4. Teachers can have students produce a quick write at the beginning and end of units.
(*See QSI Quick Write Guidelines) Teachers should keep these as evidence of
students’ writing.
5. Elk Grove Common Core Rubrics for narrative, informative, and opinion writing are
found in the QSI Literacy User’s Guide. Scoring on these rubrics should follow QSI
mastery grading. (Scores on the 1 and 2 points should be P, scores on the 3 should be
at the B level and scores on the 4 should be an A.) Document Source: Elk Grove
Unified School District, Elk Grove, CA
6. Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment / DRA
7. QSI Reading and Writing Behaviors Checklists (*See QSI Literacy User’s Guide)
RUBRICS FOUND ON FOLLOWING PAGES………………………
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QSI LITERACY-9 E05
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LITERACY-9 Reading: People Narratives Rubric (E05)
Student Name: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________
To receive a ‘B’ the student must show ‘B’ level mastery on ALL Essential Outcomes. (TSW’s)
To receive an ‘A’, the student must show ‘A’ level mastery on 3 of 4 available and ‘B’ level
mastery on all remaining TSW’s.
‘A’ Level
TSW
‘B’ Level
1. Apply unit suffixes in
determining the meaning
of age-appropriate words.
I can use the suffixes I
learned in this unit to figure
out what words mean.
2. Create a timeline or
other organizer to
illustrate the sequence of
events in at least one story
read.
I can put the events of a
story in the correct
sequence.
3. Make, confirm, and revise
realistic predictions.
My predictions show deeper
thinking. I can explain why they do
or do not make sense in the context
of the story.
I can make, confirm, and
revise my predictions while
reading. My predictions
take into account what is
realistically possible in the
story I’m reading.
4. Make inferences using
background knowledge and
clues from the text.
I can point out and explain the clues
in the text and in my background
knowledge I used to make my
inferences.
I can make inferences
using prior knowledge and
clues from the text.
5. Research and sequentially
organize the important
events in the life of a person
who is significant to the
student (from literature or
real life). (JTE
6. Compare and contrast the
life and times of a person
from a
biography/autobiography to
his/her own life and times.
(JT
I can gather and organize
information about a
person’s life and put it in
chronological order.
When comparing and contrasting, I
used abstract examples that
demonstrated evidence of inferring
or higher-level engagement.
7. Determine the point of
view from which a story is
written.
8. Create a personal
response to the biography/
autobiography that shows
he/she made meaningful
connections.
I compared and contrasted
the life of the main
character to my life. I used
specific examples and
details.
I can figure out the point of
view an author used when
writing a story.
My literature response not only
summarizes the key events and parts
in the story while showing my
understanding, but it also explains
my connections with the story using
specific details/examples
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QSI LITERACY-9 E05
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I created a personal
response to my
biography/autobiography
showing the meaningful
connections I made while
reading.
‘P’ - Notes
LITERACY-9 Writing: Biography Rubric (E05)
Student Name: ________________________ Date: _______________________________________
To receive a ‘B’ the student must show ‘B’ level mastery on ALL Essential Outcomes. (TSW’s)
To receive an ‘A’, the student must show ‘A’ level mastery on ALL available and ‘B’ level
mastery on all remaining TSW’s.
‘A’ Level
TSW
‘B’ Level
1. Demonstrate the
use of: adjectives,
adverbs, prepositions
and prepositional
phrases, relative
pronouns and adverbs
and abbreviations.
I can demonstrate the use
of adverbs, prepositions
and prepositional phrases,
relative pronouns and
abbreviations.
2. Examine the
friendly letter format
and create an outline
for it.
I created an outline for
both types of letters. I can
explain the differences
between forms.
3. Examine mentor
texts for examples of
descriptive writing.
I can cite examples of the
way writers shape their
stories with the weave of
characters, setting and
plot.
I can find examples of the
types of writing I am
trying to do.
4. Use a letter format
to publish a
biography of the
person they choose.
I challenged myself by
choosing a letter type and
point of view that I haven’t
used before. The letter is
used to creatively describe
my characters personality
and tell facts and details of
their lives.
I used a letter format to
creatively write a
biography of the person I
chose.
5. Effectively use
vivid and sensory
details, similes and
exact words to
describe the person.
I use vivid and sensory
details and similes in the
description of my
character. They enhance
my description and create
vivid mental images for
the reader.
I use vivid and sensory
details and/or similes in
the description of my
character.
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QSI LITERACY-9 E05
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‘P’-Notes