Suggested timeline Learner Outcomes/Objectives Suggested Resources Sample Assessments/Rubrics Biography Unit – Reading Skills These activities will be ongoing for the duration of the unit. Independent Reading in biography genre: biography, autobiography, memoir Biography book list by lexile level. Final biography report Reader’s Response letters on book. *see rubric Crafting a reader’s response letter using evidence from a text. Interactive read-alouds: Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson Looking Back by Lois Lowry (1 period for each Mini-lesson on writing a Reader’s Response letter. (1 period) Reader’s Response letters throughout the unit *see rubric Understanding the wide genre of biography. Differentiating between biography, autobiography and memoir. Class experiences with the suggested picture books and short biographies; see bibliographies and for suggestions. Reader’s Response letters Multiple choice and short answers on ELA practice See rubric Two class periods Sequencing Creating a timeline Robert Munsch autobiography Sample double-sided timeline Completion of double-sided timeline Answers to sequencing questions on ELA practices. One class period Understanding the use of flashback Erika’s Story (or other picture book that employs ‘flashback’) One week Analyzing and annotating text. Participating in a book circle discussion using annotations as evidence. Book circle activity with biography picture books. Mini-lesson on book circles Introduction fishbowl activity with Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson (or other shared read-aloud) Group leader (teacher) anecdotal notes on discussion participation. See rubric Written reflection on discussion. One class period Reading informational text and understanding text features. Models can be from any informational text that has a variety of text features. Use one short passage, Summaries for multi-genre biography project
GRASP – Guided Reading and SummarizingProcedure for taking notes and from and summarizing short, informational text. about one page in length, to teach GRASP. Two class periods Researching a chosen author for a biography project School library collection Internet articles Multi-genre Biography Project Two class periods Answering a constructed response paragraph using text evidence Lesson on RAFT (paragraph writing) using Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson Independent biography books Completion of constructed response question for independent biography Completion of constructed response questions on practice ELA One class period Understanding characterization and inference (information that is implied rather than stated). Using text evidence to support and answer Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan Minilesson on character traits Overhead on character traits and text evidence Questions on practice ELA Performance on Reader’s Response letters Biography Unit – Writing Skills One class period Using RAFT to construct a complete and detailed paragraph Lesson on RAFT (paragraph writing) using Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson Completion of constructed response question for independent biography Completion of constructed response questions on practice ELA One week For Author Report: Writing summaries using GRASP Research notes One week For Author Report: Using the writing process – drafting, revising, editing, publishing. For Author Report: Using mentor texts as models for various writing modes: Picture Book;Series of Fact Cards; Letters; Journal; Brochure; Newspaper; Poem Collection Samples of each of the writing modes. *See professional texts and articles related to this topic Final Mulitgenre Author Report 3 weeks Writing Anecdotes using the writing process above Looking Back: A Book of Memories by Lois Lowry Completed picture autobiography
Using collected personal anedcotes as a ‘picture autobiography’ Mini-lesson on Picture Autobiography Two class periods Writing poetry from models Students will use line breaks to create a free verse poem from a paragraph. Various biography poems. Mini-lesson on modeling poetry Completed poems Two class periods Writing a free verse poem using line breaks. Mini-lesson on Found Poems: Turning Paragraphs into Free Verse Complete poems Biography Unit – Poetry Skills Duration of unit in one class sessions Understanding various types of poetry Noticing poets’ use of poetic devices: simile, metaphor, rhyme scheme, onomatopoeia Minilesson on ‘people poems’ Any poetry anthologies containing poems about ‘people’ Questions about poetry on practice ELA Correct annotation of poetic devices on poetry Biography Unit – Word Study Two class periods Understanding word structure: roots, prefixes, suffixes Finding the information to fill in a word map Mini-lesson on word parts Word Map activity Duration of unit; explanation in one class period Independently collecting vocabulary acquired through reading Using a thesaurus to locate synonyms and antonyms Word collection activity Completion of word collection Vocabulary questions on practice ELA Biography Unit – Grammar Skills One class period Recognizing and correcting run-on sentences Mini-lesson on run-on sentences ELA proofreading practice Editing on all final drafts for reading and writing tasks One class period Understanding the spelling principles for plural words Minilesson on Spelling Principles for Plurals Student practice sheet ELA proofreading practice Editing on all final drafts for reading and writing tasks Biography Unit – Listening and Speaking Skills Duration of unit: These are the activities that will foster listening and speaking skills throughout this unit. The activities have already been mentioned in other Listening to appreciate, understand and relate to a text Whole class read-alouds: Looking Back Zora Neal and the Chinaberry Tree Show Way Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Student contribution to class discussions. Student completion of independent assignments related to group
curriculum areas Ride Any other biography Participating in a small group discussion that requires students to listen to other group members and response appropriately Book Circle Activity Participation Rubric Reading aloud a poem with expression and fluency People poem activities Poem writing activities Anecdotal teacher notes on student expressive fluency Two-three class periods Listening for the purpose of taking notes in order to answer questions ELA Practice Listening Activity “Amelia Earheart” Completion of activity *see rubric