Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Title of Unit
Subject
Developed By
Thematic Unit: Compare & Contrast Themes/Author’s
Approach to Themes: “Growing Pains”
Reading
Grade Level
5
Time Frame
1/26/15 – 3/13/15
Anna D’Agostino & Stephanie Bass
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
Through interactive read alouds, shared reading, guided reading and book groups, students will have the opportunity to delve
deeply into books that explore what makes growing up such a confusing and overwhelming time and how young people can
handle those times. Students will critically evaluate the various authors’ themes and characters, consider the implications of the
authors’ messages on their own life, and compare and contrast what different authors have to say about this unique but
challenging time in life. They must be able to identify what specific techniques were used in order to convey this message. This
unit will be integrated into the writing unit on response to literature.
Students will see how authors use all the story elements to convey a message or theme*, looking in particular at how the
characters in different texts respond to the challenges they’re faced with. They’ll experience how readers draft and revise their
understanding of a text as they develop theories about the characters and what the author might be trying to show them
through the character’s journey. They’ll keep track of their thinking about individual books and compare and contrast the themes
and characters of different books through the use of a Thematic Unit Chart. In addition, they’ll use their discoveries to write a
response to literature in which they compare and contrast what two different authors approach or treatment to the themes
were. At this point, students will be looking very closely at different techniques the author used in order to convey his/her
theme.
The unit will last for four weeks, including the administration of a pre-assessment. During the final week students will complete
an on-demand task about the theme that requires them to read two grade-level texts and write a response.
* Theme is defined not just by what big one- or two-word abstraction a text might be exploring, but what a particular author in
a particular text might be staying about that abstraction. (Or as Janet Burroway says, “What about what it’s about?”)
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
RL5.1
Quote accurately from the text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the
text.
RL5.2
Determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama
respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text
RL5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as
metaphors and similes.
RL5.6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
a. Recognize and describe how an author’s background and culture affect his or her perspective.
RL5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Standards that are addressed in an ongoing way throughout the year:
RL5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas and poetry, at the high end of
the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable
pace.
Understandings
Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
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Literary elements work together to convey themes in fiction
Different authors have different perspectives on the same
theme
Different authors use different techniques in order to
convey his/her message/theme
Texts can have more than one theme and can be subject to
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What did the author want me to get out of this
piece? (Theme)
What techniques did the author use to get his/her
point across?
How were those techniques used to develop

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the reader’s interpretation
Conflict is essential to fiction
Fiction explores character’s motives and actions as they
deal with conflict
Reading fiction can be a means of self-discovery
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit?

theme? Character? etc...
How were those techniques used to manipulate
the reader?
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
Students will be able to…
Reading:
 The meaning of a theme
 What are the different literary devices and how they are
used in texts
 Authors can convey the same things in different ways using
different techniques
Reading:
 Read closely to consider what the writer might
be trying to tell us through the details of the
story (literally, inferentially and thematically)
 Cite evidence to support ideas, thinking,
interpretations and conclusions during textbased discussions
 Ask why and how questions to develop
hunches, theories and eventually conclusions
about why the characters are acting and
responding the way they are and how that may
change over time
 Use talk to grow and develop ideas
 Critically evaluate an author's theme
 Make significant comparisons across texts
 Identify different literary devices used in a text
 Analyze author’s craft
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Task:
Pre-Assessment
In each passage the author communicates a clear theme (message) to the reader. Write a response comparing and
contrasting the theme of each passage. Explain what decisions the authors made in order to make the message clear.
Use details from both passages to support your answer.
In your response, be sure to:
 Provide an introductory and concluding paragraph.
 Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
 Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
 Use details from both passages to support your answer
Materials
 “Five Dollars” by Jean Little
 “Shells” by Cynthia Rylant
 Response to Literature Graphic Organizers/Templates
Post-Assessment
In each passage the author communicates a clear theme (message) to the reader. Write a response comparing and
contrasting the theme of each passage. Explain what decisions the authors made in order to make the message clear.
Use details from both passages to support your answer.
In your response, be sure to:
 Provide an introductory and concluding paragraph.
 Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
 Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
 Use details from both passages to support your answer
Texts:



“Five Dollars” by Jean Little
“Shells” by Cynthia Rylant
Response to Literature Graphic Organizers/Templates
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate
achievement of the desired results?
Formative Assessment- Information will be gathered through
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Small group and individual student conferences
Teacher observations
Student responses during read aloud, shared reading, guided reading and book groups
Thematic Unit Chart contributions
Thematic Unit Response Notebooks
Responses as culminating projects
Objective(s)
Listed Aim or Learning Intention
of Each Lesson.
1. Determine Theme
-Anchor Chart: Different themes and
explanation (Vocabulary
development) Some examples:
courage, equality, dreams, family,
Growing up, loneliness, friendship,
acceptance, death
Related to knowledge, skills or both?
-“3 Step Process” to Find the Theme:
1- What is the subject or big idea?
2-What do the characters do or say
that is related to the subject?
3-What do these things tell you that
is important to learn about life?
-Analyzing Characters: How do the
characters respond to the
challenges? How do the characters
change throughout the course of the
story?
-How there can be different themes
in text as long as a reader can justify
his/her thinking
-Determining the theme of a poem
Assessment
Theme Graphic Organizers
On-going Checklist
Conference Notes
Resources
-See Reader’s Handbook pg. 280
-See Teacher’s Guide of Reader’s
Handbook pg 196
 The Name Jar by Yangsook
Choi
 One Green Apple by Eve
Bunting
 Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
 Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
 Gleam and Glow by Eve Bunting
 Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
 The Lemonade Club by Patricia
Polacco
 The Junkyard Wonders by
Patricia Polacco
 Bully by Patricia Polacco
 The Matchbox Diary by Paul
Fleischman
 Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang
 The Lotus Seed by Sherry
Garland
 The Key Collection by Andrea
Cheng
 Only One Year by Andrea
Cheng
 Tight Times by Barbara Shook
Hazen
 A Chair for My Mother by Vera
B. Williams
 Nim and the War Effort by Milly
Lee
 The One in the Middle is the
Green Kangaroo by Judy Blume
 Crow Call by Lois Lowry &
Bagram Ibatoulline
 The Tiger Rising by Kate
DiCamillo
 Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
 Pictures of Hollis Woods by
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3. Analyzing Author’s Craft
*Teacher’s will choose what aspects
of author’s craft to cover*
-Some examples of author’s craft:
tone/mood, figurative language,
imagery, word choice, sentence
structure, symbolism…etc.
-Define meaning of technique and
read different examples
-Model/identify techniques
-Student annotations and notes
-Reader’s Response Notebooks
(journal entries)
-On-going checklist
http://tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.co
m/2013/03/social-issues-book-clubunit.html
http://www.maupinhouse.com/media/u
pload/GHR_sample.pdf
http://udleditions.cast.org/craft_intro.ht
ml
-How does the author use this
technique to convey his/her
message?
-Why does the author use this
technique?
-How are the themes
similar/different?
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/north_ca
rolina/student/languageart/assets/binde
rs/readstrat3534055.pdf
http://literaturek6.weebly.com/authorscraft--author-study.html
-revisit mentor texts to show
students how the author used the
technique (close reading)
4. Compare/Contrast themes
from two different texts and
how the author conveyed the
Author Study Craft Charts (see
attached)
-Completion of Author’s Craft
Charts
-Conference/Observation notes
-interpret author’s choice of words
(figurative language, descriptive
words) and what they might suggest
Patricia Reilly Giff
Donuthead by Sue Stauffacher
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara
O’Connor
The Report Card by Andrew
Clements
Ida B, and Her Plans to
Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster,
and Possibly Save the World by
Katherine Hannigan
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Sun & Spoon by Kevin Henkes
-Completion of venn diagram or
compare/contrast t-chart
theme through author’s craft
--What techniques does each author
use in order to make the message
clear for you?
-Conference/Observation notes
-On-going checklist
-How are these techniques similar
and different?
-Which writer is most effective in
conveying their purpose or meaning?
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning..
A text-based know/wonder
chart
ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning…
Read Aloud/ Shared Reading
Students will contribute
their ideas verbally and by
using Post-it notes.
Guided Reading
Students will formulate
text-dependent questions
that arise while reading the
texts.
Thematic Unit chart
Venn Diagram
ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and
learning…
Book Clubs
Students will use
accountable talk when
conversing with their book
club members to share
what they are wondering,
what they have learned,
and what they are still
wondering. Students will
work together to clarify
ideas about the text.
T-chart to show similarities and
differences
Checklist for depth in student
conversations
Independent Reading with
support
Students will read books at
their level and/or write in
their theme response
notebook.
Partnership for assessing
partnership or small group
conversations
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)