VELS Unit Planner Team: Year 7 Year Level: 7 Semester

1
Step 1
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and
instructions)
Key Concept Polished piece
(Generative topic / why? /
big idea)
Essential Learning Domain: English
Domains Dimension: Writing
(Including dimensions) Standards: Students edit their writing for clarity, coherence and consistency of style, and proofread
and correct spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.
Domain: Personal Learning
Dimension: The individual learner
Standards: Students monitor and describe their progress as learners, identifying their strengths and
weaknesses and taking actions to address their weaknesses. They identify a variety of learning habits and
adopt those which assist their learning.
Domain: Communication
Dimension: Presenting
Standards: Students use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the
subject to convey a clear message across a range of presentation forms to meet the needs of the
context, purpose and audience.
Understanding Goals 1 What are the elements 2 How can the ‘Polish It 3 4
(Written as essential of the ‘Polish It Up’ Up’ process be used to
questions or statements) process? edit writing?

Step 2
1. What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2. What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3. What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning experiences and
instructions)
Sequence Understandin Performances of Understanding Ongoing Assessment Reference to
g Goals (Criteria, feedback & reflection) specific VELS
standards
Introductory 1 Students use the first step of the ‘polish Completion of planning step of ‘polish English
Performances it up’ process to plan a written piece it up’ process Personal Learning
(Tuning in) (either of their own choice or the Communication
teacher’s).
Guided 1, 2 Students continue using the ‘polish it up’ Completion of ‘polish it up’ checklist English
Inquiry process. They write the first draft of their Personal Learning
Performances piece and then polish it using the steps Communication
(Finding out / of the ‘polish it up’ process.
sorting out /
going further)
Culminating 1, 2 Students produce a final draft of their Polished piece English
Performances piece, correctly polished. Personal Learning
(Making Communication
conclusions /
taking action)

Step3
1.
What is worthy and desiring of understanding? (Identify desired results)
2.
What is evidence of understanding? (Determine acceptable evidences)
3.
What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence? (Plan learning
experiences and instructions)
Weekly Overview
(Units may vary in length. A 6 week timeframe is not prescriptive)
Week 1 Block 1 (During a Literacy lesson)
Discuss the task with the students and explain the four criteria sheets, ensuring the students are aware of the four styles of
writing that they could write in for this piece.

Planning and writing first draft – to be completed for homework before the next lesson if not completed during class.

Block 2
Explanation of the rest of the ‘polish it up’ process. Explicitly teach any elements the students don’t understand (i.e.
conjunctions, prepositions).

Students follow the checklist to guide them through editing their draft. They must tick off each element on the checklist as
it is completed.

Week 2 Block 1/2

Students continue editing their piece. If necessary they can write a second draft; otherwise, they should begin handwriting
their final draft.
Following the completion of the final draft, students should prepare their piece for submission, ensuring they have all
elements as listed at the bottom of the checklist planning guide.