Unit Plan

Course:ENG4C
Unit 1 : This I Believe

Unit Description This unit will focus on the Oral Communication strand but it will also serve as a diagnostic
for the overall expectations in the Reading and Literature Studies, Writing, and Media
Studies strands. The theme for the unit will revolve around the idea of personal belief and
how one can defend and support an opinion
Big Ideas and Essential Skills How do you effectively explain your beliefs and share them with others?
• Listening to Understand
• Speaking to Communicate
• Reflecting on Skills and Strategies

Culminating Task Personal Oral Essay

Lessons Expectations Assessment strategies

D=diagnostic F=formative
S=summative
Welcome to ENG4C
Introductions and discuss expectations: course outline,
paperwork
Either go down to computer lab to demonstrate class website
or use data projector to demonstrate and ask students to fill out
questionnaire at home. Introduce unit 1 by having students
make a web about their personal beliefs. Model this first for the
class.
Reading Diagnostic O 2.1, 2.3, Reading diagnostic (d)
Check that questionnaire has been completed. R 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, Class discussion (d)
Discuss webs from previous day: What are some of the factors 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, Observation (d)
that influence our personal beliefs? What causes people to 2.3, 3.2, 4.1
change their beliefs?
Students will read the personal essay “The Dignity of Work”
and complete a reading diagnostic.
Reflection: What are some of the strategies you used to make
meaning from the text? (Oral diagnostic)
Writing Diagnostic O 2.1, 2.3, Writing diagnostic (d)
Students will be given a series of writing prompts and sample W 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, Class discussion (d)
responses and then asked to respond personally. 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2,
The Pursuit of Happiness 3.3, 3.4, 4.1
Fear
Society
Who do you admire?
If possible, book the computer lab for this activity.
Reflect on strategies used to generate ideas, get past blocks,
express ideas. (oral diagnostic)
Media Diagnostic M 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, Note-taking sheet (d)
Students will examine a number of different media texts in 2.2, 4.1
small groups and analyze them in terms of what each “text”
says about the beliefs of its creator. “Texts” could include
magazines, product packaging, TV commercial, movie trailer,
movie poster, books, web page, etc.
Class poll about the types of media they consume on a daily
basis.
Book Selection W 2.1 Blog reflection (d)
Visit the library to select independent reading material. Books
may be fiction or non-fiction. Students will use these books to
practice reading strategies explicitly modeled in class.
Blogging task: Visit the class blog and respond to the post:
What are your first impressions of the book you chose
Personal Essay Intro O 1.1, 1.4,1.7 Anchor chart (f)
Students will read/listen to a variety of essays from This I Student moderation of essays (f)
Believe. Teacher will first do a read-aloud/shared reading of
one essay. With class develop an anchor chart describing how
the author develops and supports an opinion. In small groups
students will examine other essays and determine how the
authors develop and support opinions. Evaluate using level
1,2,3,or 4. They will present these using a method such as
“one stays the rest stray” or jigsaw.
Personal Oral Essay: creating a rubric O 1.1, 1.4,1.7, 1.9 Rubric (f)
Discuss examples of the This I Believe essays. Review anchor W 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 Brainstorming (f)
chart. What were the characteristics that all the essays had in
common? What are the characteristics that the really strong
essays had that set them apart? Then remind students that
these are meant to be heard on the radio, rather than read.
What does this change? Have students develop rubrics in
small groups and then compare
Begin brainstorming ideas for personal oral essays
Personal Oral Essay: drafting W 1.2, 1.4, 2.1 Observation/conference
Mini lesson on developing an outline. Teacher models Outline (f)
developing outline of personal essay and gets input from
students.
Students then create outlines. Teacher will conference with
individual students while they are working. Students will be
expected to have outline done by the end of class.
Personal Oral Essay: drafting W 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, Conference
Mini lesson on different ways to support ideas. 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, Draft (f)
Drafting/conferencing time
Listening Strategies O 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3,1 Observation (d/f)
Develop a definition of what active listening looks like, sounds Role-play (f)
like and feels like. Role play.
Discuss strategies students use when listening to increase
their comprehension. Practise these strategies while listening
to/watching one of Rick Mercer’s rants. Discuss what strategies
were successful and which ones weren’t. Try again while
watching a different one.
Analysing oral texts O 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, Written reflections (f)
Students will view two different speeches and analyse the 1.8, 1.9
speaker’s use of rhetorical devices, vocal technique, and visual
elements. Create an anchor chart about the characteristics of a
good speech. Use Sir Ken Robinson talk: Do Schools Kill
Creativity Ask students to reflect on what they plan to add to
their personal oral essay based on this.
Revising Personal Oral Essay W 2.6, (3.1, 3.2, Draft (d) for mechanics
Students will revise their essays based on their anchor charts 3.3, 3.4) Observation and teacher
and what they learned from analysing oral texts. O 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2 checklist (f)
Teacher reviews what active listening looks like and sounds Revision slips (f)
like. In small groups students will take turns reading their
essays. The group members will practise active listening skills
and are advised to give readers a strength, weakness, and
next step based on criteria identified.
Revising Personal Oral Essay W 2.6 Annotated drafts (f)
Mini-lesson on annotating essay O 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5,
Students will be given time to revise essays based on student 2.6
feed back and will be instructed to mark up their essays
indicating where they plan to pause, underline areas for
emphasis, speed up, slow down, etc.
Discussion about presentation of the essays. Students will be
asked to record their reading of the personal essay in digital
format. For those who do not have access to technology, a
recording time will by arranged.
Presentations O 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.7, Audio presentation of oral essays
After all files have been uploaded to class blog, students will 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, (s)
have time in the computer lab to listen to the personal essays. 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1
They will be asked to comment on the essays in a professional
and courteous manner.
Essays will be assessed based on the rubric created by
teachers and students.
Planning notes: Independent reading will be on-going as will weekly reflections in class blog. The majority of the
assessments for this unit are diagnostic and will inform specific foci for following units. Activities will be modified based on
availability of technology.