Samantha+M's+Thematic+Unit+Work

10/24/2012- I talked with my CT about the different units that would be covered in the spring. We discussed the different unit areas and she allowed me to decide on which unit I would be interested in teaching. I decided on Unit 5, which is "What's Your Point?" I really liked some of the ideas that this unit needs to cover, and it will allow me to tie in some historical documents. According to CMAPP, the unit should focus on author's point of view, arguments and supporting evidence, impact of the media on the way __#|information__ is conveyed, and how students share their ideas and voice. I am excited to create some activities around this unit and I plan on using a lot of outside supplemental material.

11/1/2012- I have started developing my first lesson of the unit, "What's Your Point?" I am thinking about different ways to present the meaning and purpose of this unit to the __#|students__. I want them to grasp why understanding different points of view and perspectives and having your own perspectives is important. My unit begins with identifying points of view by authors through different types of text and media. I plan to incorporate different mediums to let the students explore points of view and perspective. In my initial lesson, I want to have the students examine a short piece of writing, a film clip, and a poem to determine the points of view and the author or narrators purpose. My goal is to help the students understand that most everything has a point or purpose depending on the way it is expressed or written and why it is expressed and written.

Unit Objectives 1. Students will be able to understand how an author develops a point of view. 2. Students will be able to identify different text structures and explain how they impact the development of the main ideas and meaning. 3. Students will be able to develop an effective argument with sound reasoning and sufficient evidence. 4.Students will be able to compare and contrast two opposing sides to an argument and determine the main points of each side. 5. Students will be able to understand how the different mediums through which __#|information__ is presented can impact how it is understood and interpreted. Examples include: forms of text, film, audio 6. Students will be able to compare and contrast different genres of text to find the purpose and the author or narrator's point. 7. Students will be able to create their own narratives, poems, or videos to share their opinions and perspectives on a certain topic. 8. Students will be able to engage in literature circles and small group discussions to identify textual evidence based on guided questions. 9. Students will be able to create an argumentative writing essay that demonstrate sufficient evidence and a persuasive tone. 10. Students will be able to use technology to publish their writing in order to share and present.

Common Core Standards Reading 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific __#|claims__ in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts __#|address__ similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Writing 1. Write arguments to __#|support__ claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.