Education Commons^™

Top Secret: Understanding Characters! [3rd Grade], Renee E. Ulrich

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this novel based unit on Top Secret, students will discover how plot, conflict and relationships affect change in a character. (3rd Grade)

Setting The Scene: Adapting Romeo And Juliet To The 21st Century, Erika Barker, Veronica Pena-Montalvo

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

A six week unit designed to teach play structure and understanding, culminating in a scene adaptation to a different era with the addition of a musical number. Students will learn how to effectively identify Aristotle’s Six Elements of a Play as well as practice a variety of character analysis techniques. They will also understand how language is a reflection of an era and can be used to ‘set the scene’. While this unit has been designed around Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is our goal that it be used with any play from any time period.

The Individual And Group Dynamics In Alexie’S The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, Kat Aylesworth

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit was designed to be the second unit of the school year which means that the students will have had ample practice on writing body paragraphs but will need a lot of work on organizing ideas, building writing stamina, and formatting a complete paper. This unit places a heavy emphasis on finding and using textual evidence to support wider claims. It is the first step in the process and will serve as a foundation for the rest of the year.

Students will learn these skills while coming to an understanding about group dynamics and the place of the individual …

How Do You Get What You Want??, Garrett Scott, Anne Blake

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit will help students to understand the different components of persuasion through the use of a variety of learning activities. The students will participate in three scaffolded performance tasks that will require them to work alone, in partners and in a group setting. Students will be able to independently use and evaluate persuasive techniques in media. By the end of the unit each student will have created and composed a persuasive letter, a multimedia print ad, and a public service announcement.

Finding The Right Fit, Norton Reihner

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

No abstract provided.

Day Of The Dead, Jeanine Capitani

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This is a 15-day language arts unit dedicated to understanding the Mexican holiday, El Día de los Muertos, celebrated on November 1 and 2. The students will learn the significance of the Day of the Dead and how it is celebrated as well as learning important vocabulary. The students will do a writing project including an interview of a deceased relative or family friend, a cumulative paragraph explaining the importance of Day of the Dead, and a reflective paragraph. The students will also complete different art projects related to Day of the Dead. At the end, the students will have …

The Play Is A Mirror: Looking At Human Nature In Romeo And Juliet [9th Grade], Melissa Manny

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Since reading Shakespeare for the first time often causes students to doubt themselves or quit from frustration, the purpose of this unit is to support students throughout the reading process so that they learn to appreciate drama as a means for better understanding themselves, rather than letting it defeat them from the beginning. Through an examination of character motivations, in addition to the language and dramatic conventions Shakespeare uses to bring their stories to life on stage, students will experience theatre as a mirror that reflects their own struggles and desires back to them. The relationship between the audience’s reaction …

Photographic Eye: Capturing The Moment Through Personal Narrative [8th-9th Grade], Amy Anderson

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will explore the connections between the writing process, art and memory. Through the lens of photography and art, they will refine and publish a “moment in time” personal narrative. This unit was created for the beginning of the school year, and serves the dual purpose of reviewing the writing process and helping students create meaningful connections with each other. Learning culminates as students produce and present a literary magazine celebrating their work.

“Happily Ever After?” A Fairy Tale Unit [1st Grade], Audrey Tan

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is designed as a mid-year unit for 1st grade language arts. Students will have had some exposure to story elements and will have written a few stories independently. The unit is designed around fairy tales. In this unit, students will explore the features that define fairy tales. They will learn how to recognize fairy tales. Students will understand that fairy tales are fantasy. The students will listen, compare, and analyze the characters of fairy tales. Throughout the unit students will develop their idea of happiness. Their understanding will deepen through exposure and discussions. Students will also connect to …

Ideas Trait: The Foundations Of Writing [3rd Grade], Carolys Gordillo

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Based on the 6+1 traits of Writing, the Idea Trait is the first element that students explore to brainstorm unique ideas to write about and improve details in writing. This 4 week unit focuses on ideas and content, the first trait which helps students develop their writing skills. Students will write a personal narrative about an ordinary activity that occurred during their summer vacation with a fun twist. The picture book Ted will be shared and will be discussed to get students thinking of how their ordinary activities during summer could become extraordinary if they had an imaginary friend. Over …

Making Writing Personal [6th Grade], Kathleen Fenske

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit, students will view nonfiction and fiction as a commentary on an author’s personal life and on society, particularly the life of a migrant worker. Students will also begin to view writing as a process and as a reflection of self. Students will begin the unit by delving into the following questions: How does literature reflect a culture or time period? What can we learn from the past? To what extent can fiction reveal truth? Should a story teach you something? Why write? Why share personal experiences in writing? What makes writing worth reading? Through these questions, students …

Tacky The Penguin: "What's The Problem?" [1st Grade], Audrey Tan

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is designed as a mid-year unit for 1st grade language arts. Students will have had some exposure to story elements and will have written a few stories independently. The unit is designed around the Tacky the Penguin books written by Helen Lester. In this unit, students will explore problems and solutions in stories. Students will understand how conflict and resolution engage and entertain readers. The students will listen, compare, and analyze the problems and solutions in three different books. They will realize the power of choice that an author possesses when developing a story. Throughout the unit students …

What Is A "Good" Reader? - Part 2: Word Patterns [1st Grade], Elizabeth Cambray

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit, the students will learn to identify word patterns in texts and understand that word patterns can help them recognize, decode, and comprehend unknown words in an unfamiliar text. In order to reach these goals, the students will complete various word pattern activities, read and explore a variety of poetry, and then participate in a Poetry Slam.