6 Literary Essay 1-8-13 - Writing Across the Curriculum

[Pages:30]6

LITERARY ESSAY

Unit Overview

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thefollowinggrade6LiteraryEssayUnitisarevisionoftheSPPS2008 LiteraryEssayUnitofStudy,aligningtheunitwiththe2010MinnesotaEnglish LanguageArtsstandardsforwritingarguments(opinionsforgradesK-5).The revisedunitisbasedonthegenrestudydevelopedbyLucyCalkinsinA CurricularPlanfortheWritingWorkshopGrade6. Thisunitbuildsonstudents'priorexposuretowritingargument.Inthefifth gradeLiteraryEssayUnitstudentsdraftentireessaysinaclassperiod,until theycanwritewithfluencyandstructure.InthesixthgradePersonalEssay Unit,studentsformedopinions,andextendedtheirwritingwithexamples.In theResearch-BasedArgumentUnit,studentswroteandsupportedthesis

Essential Questions 1. HowcanIwriteliterary

essaysusingavarietyof essaystructures? 2. HowcanIextendmy useofAcademicEnglish toexpressmyopinions? 3. HowcanIthinkmore criticallyabouttextsand theworld?

statements.

ThroughthesixthgradeLiteraryEssayUnit,sixthgradestudentsdevelopacommandofmorecomplex

essaysstructures,anddemonstratedeeperanalyticthinking.Studentswilllearntousethethreeessay

structures.Oneofthesestructures,theclaimwithsupportfrompersonalexperience,foreshadowsthe

sortofwritingrequiredforcollegeentrancetestsandessays.Thisunitaskssixthgraderstoshowa

greaterself-relianceinanalyzingbooksattheirindependentreadinglevel,allowingstudentstodevelop

the"insightsthatmakeforstrongargument"(2011,p.111).Thisunitpreparesstudentsfortheseventh

andeighthgradeexpectationsoftracingthedevelopmentofatheme,"todiscussnotjustwhatapiece

oftextevidencedemonstratesbuthowitdoesso"(2011,p.111).

Themostimportantpartofthiswork,however,istheopportunityforthesixthgraderstousewritingto

increasetheircriticalthinkinganddeepanalysisoftextsandtheworld.Thisisimportant,notonlyfor

collegeandcareer,butalsosoourstudentsbecome"thekindofpeople...whodon'tjustseethesurface

ofthings.Wedon'twanttotakeothersforgranted;wedon'twanttobelieveeverythingthat

advertisersorevenreporterstellus"(2011,p.110).Throughwriting,wecan"pushourthinkingtonew

levels...adeepunderstandingofliteraturewillalsohelpusthinkdifferentlyaboutourselvesandour

world"(2011,p.110).

Unit learning activity summary

? Completeon-demandwritingforassessmentatthebeginningoftheunit ? LiteraryEssayOne--exploringathemeoracharacterinasingletext ? LiteraryEssayTwo--includingexamplesfromthesecondtextandastudent'sownexperience ? LiteraryEssayThree--comparingthetwotexts,exploringdifferenttreatmentofsamethemes ? Draft,reviseandedittheessay ? Completefinalon-demandassessmentattheendoftheunit ? Reflectiononlearning

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

1

Appendix

Textexamples Anchorcharts Blankboxandbulletoutline SampleBoxandbulletoutline Sampleessays

Stage I. Desired Results

__________________________________________________________________________________

Standards SPPSunderliningdenotesrigoraddedforthisgradetowardmeetinganchorstandard

Prima rAylso

#

Benchmark

Reading: Literature

6.4.1.1

Citetextualevidencetosupportanalysisofwhatthe textsaysexplicitlyaswellasinferencesdrawnfrom thetext.

SPPSLearningTargets

? IcanciteevidencefromthetextwhenI

X

analyzewhatthetextsays

? Icanciteevidencefromthetexttosupportmy

inferences

6.4.2.2 6.4.9.9

Writing

Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextandhowit ? isconveyedthroughparticulardetails;providea summaryofthetextdistinctfrompersonalopinions ? orjudgments.

?

Compareandcontrasttextsindifferentformsor

?

genres,includingthosebyandaboutMinnesota

AmericanIndians(e.g.,storiesandpoems;historical

novelsandfantasystories)intermsoftheir

approachestosimilarthemesandtopics.

Icandeterminethethemeorcentralideaofa

text

Icanexplainhowtextdetailssupportatheme orcentralidea Icansummarizeatextwithoutincludingmy personalopinionsorjudgments

Icancompareandcontrasttexts(representing differentgenres,suchasstories,poems, historicalnovelsandfantasystories,including thosebyandaboutMinnesotaAmerican Indians)bythinkingabouthowtheyapproach similarthemesandtopics.

X X

6.7.1.1

Writeargumentstosupportclaimswithclearreasonsand ? Icanwriteaclaim

X

relevantevidence:

? Icanidentifycrediblesourcesandusethemto

a. Introduceclaim(s)andorganizethereasonsand

supportmyclaim

evidenceclearly.

? Icansupportaclaimwithreasonsand appropriateevidence

b. Supportclaim(s)withclearreasonsandrelevant ? Icanshowmyunderstandingofthetopicbymy

evidence,usingcrediblesourcesand

choiceofreasonsandevidence

demonstratinganunderstandingofthetopicor ? Icanusebasicparagraph/essaystructures

text.

(introduction,body,conclusion)whensupporting

c. Usewords,phrases,andclausestoclarifythe relationshipsamongclaim(s)andreasons.

d. Establishandmaintainaformalstyle.

myargument ? Icanusetransitionwordsandphrasestoclarify

linksbetweenandamongclaimsandreasoning ? Icanwriteinaformalstyle.

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

2

6.7.4.4 6.7.5.5 6.7.9.9

e. Provideaconcludingstatementorsectionthat

followsfromtheargumentpresented.

Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthe

? Icanunderstandmywritingtask

X

development,organization,andstyleareappropriateto task,purpose,andaudience.

? Icanunderstandthepurposeformywriting ? Icanidentifytheaudienceformywriting ? Icandevelopandorganizemyideasinawaythat

fitsmytask,purpose,andaudience

? Icanwritemyideasclearlysotheymakesense

? Icanwritemyideasinastylethatfitsmytask,

purpose,andaudience

Withsomeguidanceandsupportfrompeersandadults, ? Icanusethewritingprocesstodevelopand

X

useawritingprocesstodevelopandstrengthen

improvemywriting:collectideas,plan,draft,

writingasneededbyplanning,drafting,revising,

revise,edit,rewrite,andpublish

editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach.(Editing ? Icandevelopandimprovemywritingbytrying

forconventionsshoulddemonstratecommandof

newapproaches

Languagestandards1-3uptoandincludinggrade 6.)

? Icaneditmywritingusinggrade6language conventions

? Icanworkwithpeersandadultstoimprovemy writing

Drawevidencefromliteraryorinformationaltextsto supportanalysis,reflection,andresearch:

a. Applygrade6Readingstandardstoliterature. b. Applygrade6Readingstandardstoliterary

nonfiction

? Icanuseevidencefromtexttosupportmy thinkingandresearch

? Icanapplysixthgradereadingstandardstohelp meanalyze,reflect,andresearchwhenIam writing

Language

6.11.1.1 Demonstratecommandoftheconventionsofstandard Underdevelopment

X

Englishgrammarandusagewhenwritingorspeaking.

a. Ensurethatpronounsareinthepropercase

(subjective,objective,possessive).

b. Useintensivepronouns(e.g.,myself,ourselves).

c. Recognizeandcorrectinappropriateshiftsin

pronounnumberandperson.

d. Recognizeandcorrectvaguepronouns(i.e.,ones

withunclearorambiguousantecedents).

e. Recognizevariationsfromstandard

Englishintheirownandothers'writingand

speaking,andidentifyandusestrategiestoimprove

expressioninconventionallanguage.

6.11.2.2 Useknowledgeoflanguageanditsconventionswhen

X

writing,speaking,reading,orlistening.

a. Varysentencepatternsformeaning,

reader/listenerinterest,andstyle.

Maintainconsistencyinstyleandtone.

b. Spell correctly.

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

3

Enduring Understandings

? Writerswriteliteraryessaysusingavarietyofessaystructures. ? WritersuseAcademicEnglishtomoreeffectivelyexpresstheiropinions. ? Writersusewritinginordertothinkmorecriticallyabouttextsandtheworld.

Essential Questions

? Howdowritersstructuretheiressays? ? HowcanIusespecificlanguagetoeffectivelyexpressmyopinion? ? HowcanIthinkmorecriticallyabouttextsandtheworld?

Stage II. Assessment Evidence

__________________________________________________________________________________

Performance Tasks

? On-demandwritingforassessment ? LiteraryEssaysexploringathemeoracharacterinasingletext ? LiteraryEssayincludingexamplesfromthetextandastudent'sexperience ? PolishedLiteraryEssaycomparingtwotextsthatexploresthedifferenttreatmentofsimilar

themes ? Completedself/peerevaluationrubricandediting/revisionchecklist ? Completefinalon-demandassessmentattheendoftheunit ? Reflectiononlearning

Other Evidence

? EntriesintheWriter'sNotebook:notesabouttexts,Post-Itnotes,BoxandBulletoutlines, potentialthesisstatements

? Notesfromstudentconferences ? Anecdotalnotes

Resources in Support of Assessment

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

4

Learning Target Checklist Essay

Grade 6 Literary

Name:

Date

Icanwriteaclaim.

Icansupportaclaimwithreasonsandappropriateevidence.

Icanusebasicparagraph/essaystructures(introduction,body,conclusion)when supportingmyargument.

Icanusetransitionwordsandphrasestoclarifylinksbetweenandamongclaimsand reasoning.

Icanwriteinaformalstyle.

Icanwritemyideasinastylethatfitsmytask,purpose,andaudience.

Icandevelopandimprovemywritingbytryingnewapproaches.

IcaneditmywritingusingGrade6languageconventions.

IcanciteevidencefromthetextwhenIanalyzewhatthetextsays.

Icandeterminethethemeorcentralideaofatext.

Icancompareandcontrasttexts.

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

5

Product or Performance Rubric Essay

Grade 6 Literary

StudentName:_______________________

Beginning

Developing

___Doesnotstatean

___Statesanopinion

opinionthatrelatesto

thatsomewhat

thethemeofthetext

relatestothe

___Doesnotsupportthe

themeofthetext

Content

opinionwithreasons

___Supportsthe

___Doesnotidentify

opinionwith

evidencefromthetextto

reasons

supportthereasons

___Identifiessome

evidencefromthe

texttosupportthe

reasons

___Doesnothavean introduction

___Doesnotorganize reasonsandevidence intoparagraphs

___Doesnoteuselinking wordsandphrasesto connectopinions, reasons,andparagraphs

___Doesnothavea conclusion

___Hasanintroduction thatstatesthe opinion

___Organizessome reasonsand evidenceinto paragraphs

___Usessomelinking wordsandphrases toconnect opinions,reasons, orparagraphs

___Hasaconclusion

Organization

Process

___Madefewchangesto originaldrafttoimprove essay

___Didlittleeditingonown orwithpeers

___Didnotwriteclearfinal draft

___Madesome changestooriginal drafttoimprove essay

___Didsomeeditingon ownandwithfrom peers

___Wrotefinaldraft

___Containsmanyerrorsin standardEnglish capitalization, punctuation,andspelling

___Usesstandard English capitalization, punctuation,and spelling,has severalage- appropriateerrors

Mechanics

Date:__________

Proficient ___Statesanopinion

thatrelatestothe themeofthetext ___Supportstheopinion withlogicalreasons ___Identifiesevidence fromthetextto supportthereasons

___Hasanintroduction thatprovidesa contextandstates theopinion

___Organizesreasons andevidenceinto paragraphsina logicalorder

___Useslinkingwords andphrasesto connectopinions, reasons,and paragraphs

___Hasaconclusion thatrelatesthe opiniontoan importantidea

___Madesignificant changestooriginal drafttoimprove essayincludingusing studiedtechniques

___Editedonownand withhelpfrompeers

___Createdpolished finaldraft

___Usesstandard English capitalization, punctuation,and spelling,mayhavea fewage-appropriate errors

Exceptional

___Statesanopinion aboutthethemeof thetext,going deeperinthinking

___Supportstheopinion withsignificant reasons

___Identifiesspecific evidencetofully supportreasons, usingmultiple examples

___Hasanintroduction thatprovidesa deepercontextand statestheopinion compellingly

___Organizesreasons andevidenceinto paragraphsinamore thoughtfulsequence

___Usescreativelinking wordsandphrasesto connectopinions, reasons,and paragraphs

___Hasaninsightful conclusion,relating opiniontobroader message

___Madeextensive changestooriginal drafttoimprove essayincludingusing studiedtechniques

___Editedonownand withhelpfrompeers

___Createdpolished, (typed)finaldraft

__UsesstandardEnglish capitalization, punctuation,and spelling,noerrors

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

6

Partner Revising and Editing Checklist

Essay

Name

Didwe...

Date

Partner1

Grade 6 Literary

Partner2

Introducethetopicclearly?

Yes________ Yes________

Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Stateanopinion?

Yes________ Yes________

Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Organizeideasinalogicalstructurethatfits Yes________ Yes________

thepurpose(usingbasicparagraph/essay structures:introduction;body;conclusion

Revisedit________ Revisedit________

supportingargument)?

Givereasonsforopinion,andsupport reasonswithfactsanddetails?

Yes________ Yes________ Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Writereasonsinalogicalorder?

Yes________ Yes________

Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Usetransitionwordsandphrasestolink opinionandreasons?

Yes________ Yes________ Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Writeaninsightfulconclusion,thatrelatesto Yes________ Yes________

abroadermessage?

Revisedit________ Revisedit________

Use6thgradeconventionsofgrammar, spelling,capitalization,andpunctuation?

Yes________ Yes________ Editedit________ Editedit________

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

7

Stage III. Learning Plan

__________________________________________________________________________________

Pacing

Adjustlessonstomeettheassessedneedsofstudents.SeeMini-lessonsuggestionsbelowformore

detailedinformation.

Week1: On-Demand QuickWritesto EssayOne: EssayOne: EssayOne:

Essential Assessment Explore

Crafting

BoxandBullet MiningtheText

questions

Thinkingabout Thesis

Plans

forRelevant

1,3

OneText

Sentences

Evidence

Week2: EssayTwo: EssayTwo:

EssayThree: EssayThree: EssayThree:

EQ1,3 CraftingThesis Developing

Crafting

Developing DevelopingBody

Statements Body

Thesis

Body

Paragraphs

andBoxand Paragraphs

Statements Paragraphs Second

BulletPlans

forThemes FirstApproach Approach

thatCut

AcrossTexts

Week3: EssayThree: Revisingfor

Revisingfor Revisingfor Revisionof

EQ2,3 Revisionfor Coherence,

Craft

counter-

Introductions

Elaboration Flow,andEffect

arguments andconclusions

Week4: Editingfor Editingfor

Copyortype On-Demand Reflection/

EQ3

Citation

Pronounsand finalpublished Writing

Celebration/

Tenses;

version

Assessment Share

Final

edit/partner

Edit

Before the Unit Begins

? Collecttextswithrichthemesfromclassroom,school,andcitylibraries.Includetexts"squarely withintheindependentreadinglevel"(2011,p.111)ofeachstudent.

? ThroughconferencesinReader'sWorkshop,booktalks,andintroductionsinbookgroups,help students select two independent texts with similar themes to focus on for the duration of this unit.

? Make sure students are taking notes about their thinking about theme, character, and plot structure for these books. Notes could be taken on Post-It Notes, or written in their Reader's Notebook (with page numbers noted, could additionally be flagged with Post-It Flags), page numbersmarkedwithPost-ItFlags,orpassagescopiedontowell-organizedindexcards.

? InReader'sWorkshop,especiallyinsmallgroups,begintodiscussthedifferentwaystwobooks mightpresentthesametheme.

? Collect multiple copies of two familiar, rich fiction texts for the beginning and ending assessments.

Grade6LiteraryEssaySPPSWriter'sWorkshopDecember,2012

8

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download