UNIT PLAN: YVONNE BOESKOOL
Unit Plan Overview
Unit: Features of Informational Text
Connections to Context: (How does this fit
with students experiences, the school goals, and
the larger societal issues? How does this fit with the
broader curriculum- what has come before and
what will come after?)
As current third graders, these students are
affected by the new third grade reading law
for Michigan. These students must now be
tested three times a year, and given an
Individual Reading Plan (IRP) if reading
deficiencies are present. Much emphasis is
placed on reading comprehension and much
stress is evident in light of the M-Step
test. Teachers such as my mentor teacher
worry that Cesar Chavez will begin to see big
changes when the retaining of third graders
begins because it is in a more low-income area
as well as the fact that most of the students
first language is not English but
Spanish. Because so many students are
English Language Learners, more time is
needed to grasp reading comprehension in
English. That is why units like this that help
students develop strategies to read and
understand are so important to this school and
this class.
Established Goals (What content standards and
program- or mission-related goal(s) will the unit
address? What habits of mind and cross-
disciplinary goal(s)- for example 21st century skills,
core competencies- will this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)
Students will study the Key Ideas and Details
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum
Teacher: Yvonne Boeskool
Stage 1- Desired Results
Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Grasp and practice strategies for reading and understanding informational text by identifying and using key
elements of the text formatting and content.
Identify and use these features of Informational text will directly apply to skills needed for the M-STEP test
that students will take later this year.
Foresee the uses of this unit in their possible future careers.
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that Students will keep considering
Informational, or nonfiction, text consists of the How they can continue to use text features to be
Main Idea, Key Details, Vocabulary, and Text effective readers.
Features. The uses and purposes of informational text as it
Text Features include formatting elements as well as applies to their lives outside of third grade and in their
content. possible future careers.
The elements of informational text presented in the
unit are important for understanding the passages
presented on the M-STEP test.
(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry, meaning-
making and transfer?)
(What specically do you want students to understand?
What inferences should they make?)
Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions
Cognitive Objectives Physical Development Objectives Socio-emotional Objectives
The students will be able to The students will be able to The students will be able to
Define and recognize Be still long enough to follow along Consider how they can continue to
informational/nonfiction text. with the teacher and engage in use text features to be effective
Identify the main idea from a body of discussion. readers.
text. Write full sentences on worksheets. Find motivation to tackle daunting
Use written features such as Work with partners in a civil way. tasks such as informational text.
headings, charts, and sidebars to find Use scissors and glue to deconstruct
information. an article and organize it by text Interact socially in a way that

as well as the Craft and Structure of
Informational Text as expressed by the
Common Core State Standards for English
Language Arts. The specific standards
addressed are:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the
key details and explain how they support the
main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key
words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate
information relevant to a given topic
efficiently.
Evaluative Criteria
(What criteria will be used in each assessment to
evaluate attainment of the desired results?)(rubric
required)
(Regardless of the format of the assessment, what
qualities are most important?)
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum
UNIT PLAN: YVONNE BOESKOOL
Use visual features such as images, features. develops a sense of belonging.
charts, and maps to find information. Construct and organize an article Recognize that they have the ability
Format non-fiction information in a based on given pieces of to manage informational text.
way that makes sense to readers. information. Consider the uses and purposes of
Use technology (chromebooks) informational text as it applies to
effectively and efficiently to explore their lives outside of third grade and
(What facts and basic concepts should online informational text. in their possible future careers.
students know and be
able to recall?)
(What discrete skills and processes should (What values and commitments and attitudes
students be able to use?) should students acquire or wrestle with?)
Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
I will be evaluating the Shark Assessment portion which students completed on their own. This shows me how well each
student knows the vocabulary and concepts from the unit and can apply it to an article.
The second piece is the Final book activity which students will complete with a partner. This tests their reading abilities and
application of concepts to book format as well as social interactions.
And lastly, students will be evaluated on their online exploration. This shows me how students can use technology to apply
these concepts and exercise their real-world use: research.
(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex performance?)
OTHER EVIDENCE:
Worksheets from earlier in the unit
Self-assessment based on given rubric
class discussions
(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?
 UNIT PLAN: YVONNE BOESKOOL

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Ive created a pretest/quiz to use as a preassessment. It covers the basic cognitive concepts of the unit through multiple choice, true or false, and short answer questions. It is short
and to the point so it does not get tedious for the student. It gives me, the teacher, an idea of what the kids already know about the topic. It also introduces students to the
considering the importance of text features.

(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does each Learning Events Progress Monitoring
learning event build?)
(How will you monitor students progress toward
Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in these acquisition, meaning, and transfer during lesson
Acquisition learning events events?) (Formative Assessment)
In most discussions, I will call on students by
Meaning drawing random name sticks. This allows me to
see how each student is keeping up. I will also
Transfer Initiating or Introductory Phase frequently ask students to give me feedback in the
Students will explore informational text through comparison of fiction and nonfiction form of a thumbs up, sideways, or down.
books.
(How will students monitor their own
Students will recognize the features of informational text
progress toward acquisition, meaning, and
transfer?)(Assessment as learning)(rubric?)
There is a lot of partner work in this unit. Students get
Developmental Phase to exercise and build upon their knowledge with the
resource of a partner, but then apply it by working
Students will break down an article and organize it by text features.
independently. The worksheets and activities they
Students will apply the use of text features to their reading comprehension. complete are a way for students to monitor their
progress. After the text feature deconstruction activity,
students are given a rubric to use to evaluate their own
work.
Culminating Phase
Students will apply the use of text features to life outside of third grade. (What are potential rough spots and student
Students will explore text features in a research setting. misunderstandings?)
Students may struggle with vocabulary and reading
fast and accurately enough.

(How will students get the feedback they need?)

They will be called on in class discussions. The
(Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, teacher will also circulate during activities to check
and multiple means of engagement?) progress.
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in the learning plan?)
(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum