Design Document

Letters Home from Yosemite

Client: Jenna Treadwell
ID Team: Alyicia Richards, Tracy Richardson, Lauren Schell-Bozone, Blake Treadwell
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Target Audience and Context

Target audience: 4th Grade Reading Class
Context: We are implementing a blended style course where Moodle, an online course
management system, is implemented in a middle school classroom.
Instructional Objectives
Overall goal of instruction: Using the story Letters Home from Yosemite, students should
grow their knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and writing while deepening
their ability to comprehend a narrative non-fiction.
Specific objectives Upon completion of this course, the learners will be able to:
o Module 1 Objective: Classify and interpret grammar and spelling from Letters
Home from Yosemite with 85% accuracy.
o Module 2 Objective: Define and develop vocabulary used in a short story and
pass a vocabulary test with 85% accuracy.
o Module 3 Objective: Demonstrate reading fluency.
o Module 4 Objective: Identify main ideas of a short story and illustrate those ideas
in a visual format.
o Module 5 Objective: Construct pieces of writing that inform or explain about a
topic by clearly introducing the topic in narrative form.
o Module 6 Objective: Navigate, analyze, and communicate Internet resources
using Microsoft Photostory with 90% accuracy.
Instructional Strategies
Instructional approach and justification
The objectives of this lesson have been determined. It is pivotal that the appropriate
instructional strategies are implemented. This will clarify how the objectives will be met
and how the subject matter will be delivered to the student. For this instruction, we have
determined that the most appropriate approach to utilize would be Elaboration Theory,
content expertise sequencing. We will be focusing on information from Letter Home

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from Yosemite and applying the content in several different capacities. We are convinced
allowing students to apply the learned knowledge for this book will permit the
information to transfer and students will retain the information. According to Smith and
Ragan (2005), A conceptual or theoretical elaboration sequence is used for developing
content expertise (p. 130).

Motivational strategies
The ARCS model will be instituted to employ motivation into the students attitudes:
Attention Allowing the students to utilize Moodle would gain and retain the students
attention. Technology is a driving force with students today. They love to utilize technology.
Also, humor will be adding to the story.
Relevance Showing relevance is definitely a motivator for students. We will share with
students why reading is vital by sharing experiences with them. For example, students will have
assignments with grammar, spelling, vocabulary, etc. These skills work collaboratively with
reading and are needed to be successful.
Confidence Helping students with understand that they can be successful. We will
reassured the student that they can and will do it. This shows the student that we have confidence
in them and it helps them to become motivated. We will give students immediate and specific
feedback to assist with confidence.
Satisfaction Students satisfaction is established on the quality of what has been
accomplished. We will need to be assured that the students are satisfied with their achievements.
If not, we will have to apply reinforcement to turn this into a more satisfying situation.

Assessment strategies
Based on the content of this course, we will be utilizing formative assessment for this
unit. Formative occurs in the short term. Formative assessment is the most effective
assessment for improving student comprehension and accomplishment. Here is a listed
of what exercises are classified under formative assessment, class discussion, quiz, and
on the spot performance. While using formative assessment, we will provide immediate
feedback to students; so, the student may adjust behavior and enrich performance. By
utilizing formative assessment, we are allowing students to retain the information that is
discussed in the classroom.

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4.

Content Outline
Module 1: Spelling & Grammar
Students will read Letter Home from Yosemite and apply the following skills.
Section 1 Title: Spelling with Yosemite
Section 2 Title: Grammar with Yosemite
Module 2: Vocabulary
Students will locate highlighted vocabulary in Letters of Yosemite digital file (pdf) and define.
Section 1 Title: Activate Prior Know
Section 2 Title: Identify Vocabulary from story
Section 3 Title: Transcribe Definitions
Module 3: Reading Fluency
In this module, students will practice reading Letters Home from Yosemite using different
techniques of reading. The reading will be available in digital format via Moodle.
Section 1 Title: Model Read
Section 2 Title: Echo Read
Section 3 Title: Model Phrase
Section 4 Title: Partner Read
Module 4: Identify Main Ideas
This module will be used to teach students the concept of main ideas. Steudents will learn what
a main idea is, and then, using the digital copy of Letters Home from Yosemite, practice
identifying main ideas.
Section 1 Title: Main Ideas
Section 2 Title: Identify Main Ideas
Section 3 Title: Concept Mapping with Main Ideas
Module 5: Creating a Narrative
After reading Letters from Yosemite, students will write a narrative about a personal experience
from a family vacation or other trip. In this module students will practice writing a narrative
following certain steps of prewriting, drafting, revising, and publishing. In the first step students
will brainstorm about a memorable family trip. They will organize their thoughts into a graphic
organizer. Next, students will create a rough draft of their narrative that will be reviewed by the
teacher and their peers. Lastly, students should make corrections to their narratives and publish
the final draft to a blog/forum in Moodle.
Section 1 Title: Prewrite
Section 2 Title: Draft
Section 3 Title: Revise and Publish

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Module 6: Apply Your Learning Using Photos

This module will allow students to employ basic internet skills and exhibit knowledge and
understanding of the art of photography, integrating scientific cross-curricular applications.
Using the World Wide Web, students will locate photos of Yosemite National Park. The students
will then create a digital photo book using Microsoft Photostory using the researched photos.
The students would be expected to identify each photo with a caption and state how it
compares/relates to Letters Home from Yosemite. There is no login required to use Photostory
and the free download comes with the Microsoft Office Suite.
Section 1 Title: Discovering Yosemite
Section 2 Title: Introducing Yosemite National Park

5.

Technology Integration Plan

We are designing a blended unit that includes integrated teacher instruction and computer-based
activities. Each student in Mrs. Treadwells fourth grade class has a laptop assigned to him/her to
use every day in school. Laptops are portable and can be taken with students into small group
settings or used individually. Students will not have to leave the classroom to access computers.
We will post instructional materials on a Moodle website. Instructional materials to be printed
will be posted on the Moodle site and can be printed in real time or prior to specific lessons.
Students will print assignments and projects created on the laptops directly to a classroom
printer. The teacher will use a computer and a projector to present materials and instructions to
the class as a whole when needed.
6.
Development and Production Plan
Instructional Materials: Within the four modules of this lesson, the instructional materials needed
to achieve the objectives will be facilitated by both traditional and non-traditional instructional
strategies. The instructional materials will include: Class set of computers/netbooks, digital copy
of Letters Home from Yosemite, access to the World Wide Web, paper, pencil/pen, established
debate topics, Concept Mapping Software download, Microsoft Photostory download, list of
vocabulary, and spelling quiz.
Development Tools: In order to develop the modules of this lesson, the following will be
required: Moodle course management system account, Internet, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Office
Word, Pearson Success Net access, and Wiggio.

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Production Timeline:
Date

Activity

Team Members

September 19

Meet via Wiggio conference to discuss

and design the layout of the analysis
document.

Alyicia, Richards Tracy

Richardson, Lauren SchellBozone, & Blake Treadwell

September 23

Meet via Wiggio conference to finalize

the analysis document content.

Alyicia, Richards Tracy

Richardson, Lauren SchellBozone, & Blake Treadwell

October 7

Set up the Moodle course management

system account and develop lesson
plans for the narrative writing activity.

Blake Treadwell

October 14

Set up the module pages within Moodle

and define all vocabulary lists needed.

Lauren Schell-Bozone

October 21

Include basic content for learning

objectives on module pages and create
the spelling quiz.

Tracy Richardson

October 28

Add all external resources, links, and

images, saved in the proper format to
Moodle. Create the lesson plan for the
Photostory activity.

Alyicia Richards

7.
References
Smith, P.A., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.