Concept Based Unit Plan

The Power of Words -- Identifying Audience

Day 7 of 9, Week 3 of 3
Plan Type: Summary

Essential Question:
1. Who is my audience?
2. How can words be powerful?
6. How can words inform their audience?

Objectives:
SWBAT
1. Understand that words are a powerful tool because of how they affect an audience.
(Cognitive)
F. Words can be powerful by informing their audience.
G. Informative words use descriptions to show things to their audience.

2. Value bravery, kindness, and respect.

A. Be brave by writing down their ideas and expressing themselves.

3. Write and reflect on the power of their words to influence a specific audience.
A. Identify the intended audience of a written work.

SOLs:
7.1 The student will participate in and contribute to conversations, group discussions, and oral
presentations.
d) Use language and style appropriate to audience, topic, and purpose.
7.3 The student will understand the elements of media literacy.
e) Craft and publish audience-specific media messages.

CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 7 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific
expectations.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Assessments:
Formative:
- Annotations of descriptive essay
- The students will be reading an example of a descriptive essay and annotating it.
These annotations will show me that the students understand the elements of a
descriptive essay: an introduction followed by specific details. If most of the
students understand it then I will move on with the material and have a few short
conferences with the students who do not understand the material. If the
students annotations do not show me that they understand the text than I will do
some review the following day. (1F, 1G)
- Exit Ticket
- The students will identify the intended audience of the descriptive essay on a
sticky note exit ticket. I will sort these post its into two piles: gets it and doesnt
get it. I will write an affirmational note on those who did get it and have a short
conversation or review some material with those who did not, depending on the
numbers of post its in each pile. These post-its will also inform whether or not I
suggest that a student revises their inspirational image. (3A)

Material Needed
- Elmo document camera
- Projector and screen
- Something to write with
- Example descriptive essay:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OB2LZNZDx6M9RtCsh1tTIYb0VBeUZ9dC8zkUK
g_2UAQ/edit?usp=sharing

Technology Usage
I will be using the document camera to model my annotations.
Differentiation
Mercedes has had some problems with annotations. Therefore I will do some individualized
scaffolding with her during the brainstorming portion of the class.

Aniya does not enjoy sitting through the think alouds and has proven herself capable of
annotating independently. I am sending her to the library with a copy of the descriptive essay we
will be annotating and a sheet of individualized instructions. She is to return to check in with me
halfway through the class and then I will send her back to finish her days work.

Procedures
Beginning Room Arrangement: The desks are arranged into five tables of four desks apiece.
There are also soft reading spaces, such as the beanbag corner and two different couches, and
a kidney shaped conference table in the back of the room. When the students enter they know
to pick up handouts by the door, leave their bookbags and class materials at their homebase
seats, and sit anywhere they find comfortable and productive and read their independent book
for the fifteen minute reading caf.

Reading Caf (15)

The students have 15 minutes to read a book of their choice wherever they like in the room. The
only expectation is that they are silent and reading. During this time I take attendance and
circulate the room to conference and read with students.

Greet Students (5) [20]

When the students are done with Reading Caf I would instruct them to make their way back to
their homebase seats.
Okay team! Lets find our way back to our homebase seats.
The students would close their books and return to their homebase seats.

Informational text introduction (15) [35]

I will introduce the students to the concept of informational text.
Descriptive Essay Annotations (15) [50]
We will annotate the first two paragraphs of an example descriptive essay.

Brainstorm (15) [65]

I will introduce the students to the last part of their portfolio and we will brainstorm what they
might write about.

Workshop (20) [85]

The students will have about twenty minutes to get started working on their descriptive
paragraph.

Closure: Exit Ticket (5) [90]

The students will write their exit ticket and I will dismiss them.