Artefact 2 Literacy Unit Planner

This piece of evidence was fro my third year literacy class where I explored putting together a unit based on history but taught through literacy. It encapsulates
several descriptors for standard 2 as highlighted and listed below.
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.2 Content selection and organization
2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
LITERACY / UNIT PLANNER
Topic: My Place Minna: 1868

Year Level: 5

GRAMMAR FOCUS: (levels)

Text type and mode

Verbs, Adjectives, conjunctions, adverbial phrases Adjectival phrases

Information Narrative

1. Whole text structure of a Information Narrative

Steps in Teaching and Learning Cycle: (adapted Derewianka, 1990/2007)

1. Building topic knowledge
2. Building text knowledge/Model the genre
3. Guided activities to develop vocabulary and text knowledge
4. Joint construction of text
5. Independent construction of text
6. Reflecting on language choices

Language features for the text-type:

-

Use of connectives e.g. first, before, then (using)

Noun Phrases e.g. beautiful princess, huge building (using)

Dialogue

Tense changes

(Wing Jan, 2009, pp.235 237)

CONTEXT: Overview of series of lessons and background information
Students are going to learn the features and how tow write information narratives, incorporating their
inquiry unit study on the Gold Rush. Students will produce a published piece that not only entertains but
informs the reader. They will develop the language features required in writing this text type including
both noun phrases and connectors.

Term:
Listened to

Spoken

Weeks:
Read

Date:
Written

Viewed

Produced

Frequently used Literacy Instructional Strategies: Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Language Experience Approach (R/W)
Picture Chat Read to Shared R/W
Guided R/W
Modelled writing Interactive writing Independent R/W Literature Circles Reciprocal Teaching
Mini lesson Roving conferences
Teaching techniques: Think Aloud, Text analysis, Cloze exercises, Note-taking,
Graphic Organisers: T-chart, Y-chart; Venn diagram, Data grid, Sunshine wheel, KWL chart, Flow
chart, Story map, templates for text-types for planning,

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Pre-assessment of students skills and knowledge:

Standardized tests for reading/writing/ NAPLAN
Profile of Data Progression of Reading Development
Conferences/interviews
Student written work samples
Self-assessments
Literacy Learning intention: We are learning to write information narratives that both
inform and entertain
Learning behaviours: I need to listen. Respond, interact, express ideas and use my writing
skills throughout this unit
Success criteria: I know Im doing well if I can successfully create an information narrative
about the Gold Rush

Topic-specific vocabulary for the unit of work:

Resources:

Selectors, squatters, expeditions, colonies, settlement, immigrants, legislation, protagonist

Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Cooperating
Considering options
Designing
Elaborating

TEACHING & LEARNING

CYCLE

1. Setting the Scene

2. Language Feature:
Connectors (use of
oral language)

3. Language Feature:
Noun Phrases (use
of oral language)

4. Characters

Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring
Interpreting
Justifying

WHOLE CLASS

Four resource model (Freebody & Luke, 1990/1999): Code Breaker; Text Participant/Meaning
Maker; Text User; Text Analyst
Comprehension Strategies: Predicting; Visualising; Making connections; Questioning; Inferring;
Determining important ideas; Summarising; Finding evidence in the text; Understanding new
vocabulary; Synthesising; Comparing and contrasting; Paraphrasing; Recognising cause and effect;
Skimming and scanning; Five semiotic systems: linguistics, visual, auditory, spatial, gestural.
Question types: self-questioning; 3 levels; (literal, inferential, evaluative); QAR
Thinking Routines: See, Think, Wonder; Headlines; +1, Three word summary, 5VIPs, Give One,
Get One (refer Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & amp; Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible:
How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. eBook online)

Listening
Locating information
Making choices
Note taking
Observing
Ordering events
Organising

MINI LESSON

See attached resource sheet

Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting
Providing feedback
Questioning

Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding
Restating
Revising

INDEPENDENT
LEARNING

Seeing patterns
Selecting information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising
Synthesising

SHARE TIME AND

TEACHER SUMMARY

Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working independently
Working to a timetable

ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES

Watch Episode of Behind the News Gold Rush found at: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2823680.htm (Abc.net.au, 2010).Complete a see, think, and wonder
individually (Appendix 1). Gather as a class and create a whole class list. Assessment through class discussion, observation and work.
Tell a story about your
Watch an episode of my place (magic lantern
Read a page from a book of
Group together as a class
Assessment through
day using as many
(Myplace.edu.au, 2014)) using listen and watch
choice and find all
and create a class list of
observation during
connectors as possible.
method. Get students to discuss in pairs the
connectors. Create a list in
connectors that can be
work and discussion as
Emphasising the
connectors that could be used to describe what
book for later reference.
used in writing. Including
well as the sharing of
connectors. Discuss with was going on.
Share list with partner
both those from the text
connectors at the
class.
adding any that they may
and those that students
conclusions of the
think of.
have heard before.
lesson.
Picture Chat (Appendix
Put students into pairs and get one student to face Students a given an image
As a class gather and share Observation of the
2). Discuss what is
away from the board holding a sheet of paper
and are asked to write down
the noun phrases that
students describing the
happening in the picture. with several images on it (appendix 3). The other
as many descriptive nouns
students came up with
images. Collection and
Get them to use as many student is to describe the image on the board
as possible to describe the
making a class list that will review of the noun
describing words as
using as many nouns as possible so that the
image.
be useful for their
phrases used during
possible.
students can guess which image is being shown.
narrative piece later in the
consolidation.
Do this several times showing different images
unit.
and swapping the roles.
Begin with reading a chapter of Novel My Story A banner bold (Wheatley, 2011)Followed by discussion of characters in novel and from the my place episode.
Listing key attributes and facts about them. Model a fictionalised biography. Students return to tables and create their own protagonist for the information narrative
based on the gold rush era and complete their wanted poster (Appendix 4). Share their character with a partner. Assessment is via observation of work and character
review.

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5. Sovereign Hill
Excursions
6. Narrative
Comparisons

7. Story Maps

8. Introductions

9. Complications

Students visit sovereign hill.

Begin with chapter of
My Story A banner
bold(Wheatley, 2011)

Discussion:
Analysis of three short
Class sharing of what they
Observation and
What is a narrative?
narratives. Students are to
found and a review of what
reviewing of work.
What do they think an information narrative is?
internet search two
differs in an information
Fact versus fiction.
information narratives and
narrative.
Creating a list of key features of a narrative:
another just a regular one.
introduction, complication, resolution, characters
Students are to identify the
etc.
type of narrative, break them
Discussion of how information are about a
into the sections intro,
particular time, person, issue, animal or
complication and
setting/era. Reference both My Story A banner complication and who the
bold (Wheatley, 2011) and My place
key characters are.
(Myplace.edu.au, 2014).
Create a comparison list on board of regular
narrative and information narrative.
Watch Episode of my
As a class map out episode plot playing attention
Creation of own story map
Sharing of story map with a
Observation and
place Making Amends to structure of a narrative.
about their information
partner.
review of story map.
(Myplace.edu.au, 2014)
Get students to think about a possible narrative to narrative. (Appendix 5)
write and after some silence students can discuss
with a partner their ideas.
Watch introduction of
Discussion of what makes an introduction and
Creation of their own
Sharing their introduction
Observation and
episode of my place
creating a list involving the features. Setting the
introduction from their story with a partner.
review of
Making Amends
scene, introduction of characters.
map and character
introduction.
(Myplace.edu.au, 2014)
Model writing and introduction.
biography.
Similar to introductions lesson. Focus on Complications. Watch complication section of episode of my place Making Amends (Myplace.edu.au, 2014)and discuss
what are possible complications that they have heard of in previous books. (My Story A banner bold (Wheatley, 2011)). Discussion of important features in
Complications. Model writing. Draft complications section of their piece. Share with partner. Assessment through observation.

10. Resolutions

Similar to previous lessons but focus on resolution. Finish watching the resolution section episode of my place Arranged Marriage (Myplace.edu.au, 2014) and
discuss resolutions of different stories particularly in My Story A banner bold (Wheatley, 2011). Discuss features of a resolution. Model writing. Draft. Share with
partner. Assessment through Observation and resolution review.

11. Editing

Finish reading My Story A banner bold (Wheatley, 2011) and explain editing. How to edit, spelling, grammar, Make sure it makes sense, add in details, Reading it
out aloud. Students edit own story and then swap with a partner. Assessment through observation.

12. Publishing

Students publish their work

13. Sharing.

Students share their work in small reading groups where each child gets to read their story aloud.
Year 7 students come in from Mercy College Coburg to listen and give feedback about to students about their work.

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