Understanding By Design Unit Template

Canadian poetry and Creating a National Identity 20

Title of Unit (Moving Forward: Establishing and Realizing) Grade Level
English Language Arts 3 weeks (17 school days)
Subject Time Frame
Marguerite Ferguson
Developed By

Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Broad Areas of Learning

How are the BAL incorporated into this unit?

Lifelong Learners – Students will read several poems regarding Canada and Canadian identity from different perspectives of Canadian poets. This way,
students will be able practice and improve on their analyzing skills by exploring the varying reasons why some individuals may hold a different attitudes
towards Canada and Canadian identity than others. The activities in each lesson will ultimately contribute to students’ ability to understand and appreciate
the worldviews of others. The students will have the most control of their learning in this unit and students will mostly be learning from one another.
Almost every lesson includes a group activity that asks for students to exchange ideas and opinions in a collaborative manner, which means students will
practice skills of leadership, listening, speaking, teamwork, and co-operation. This unit allows students to develop and practice their deeper thinking skills
(creating, evaluating, and analyzing) by working with different technological resources throughout the unit. These deeper thinking skills are skills that
students can apply outside classroom walls. A couple days will be dedicated for students to self and peer assess. This means students will not only learn
how to provide helpful feedback and criticisms, but they will also learn how to take criticism and apply it to their own work. This ultimately means students
will learn how to work together in order to achieve similar goals of success. A member of the community will also be speaking to the class one day. This
member of the community will be an immigrant to Canada and will discuss their journey to Canada, how they feel to live in Canada, and their life prior to
living in Canada. This speaker will help develop students’ knowledge not only about the multiculturalism in Canada, but also about how immigrants to
Canada may feel about Canada and what it means to live in Canada to them. This topic may spark more interest in students and motivate them to seek
more answers to Immigration and multiculturalism in Canada.

Sense of Self, Community, and Place – The poems the students will read will reveal the poet’s or the poem’s speaker’s true emotions and thoughts
about Canada and Canadian identity. Some of the poems the students will read will show that Canada is a place that welcomes everyone and is
appreciated, yet other poems will show that Canada is a place that has disadvantaged a lot of individuals, especially the Indigenous peoples. Either way,
students will recognize that that there are various factors that can influence one’s sense of identity and their personal beliefs. Ultimately, students will
come to understand and appreciate diverse beliefs and experiences from the First Peoples of Saskatchewan and from the diversity of cultures in the
province of Saskatchewan and Canada. The students will also be keeping a reading journal throughout the unit, which will help the students find their own
sense of identity. Prompts will be given to the students after the reading of each poem studied in the unit. The prompts will help the students connect
their own ideas, experiences, and ethnic backgrounds to the poem. They will be able to explore their personal experiences to determine if their personal
experiences in Canada and perspectives of Canada and Canadian identity are similar or different as the poets or the speakers of the poems. Students will
be able to interact with their peers verbally in the classroom or through technological resources. The interactions students engage in online will not only
help students nurture meaningful relationships with their peers, but also help students gain an appreciation for their peers’ diverse thoughts and ideas
made apparent through class discussions and activities online.
Engaged Citizens – This lesson can help open the eyes of many students. Students may possess a fixed idea of Canada and Canadian identity
depending on their personal backgrounds and experiences. The KWL chart activity at the beginning of the unit will help reveal some of the biases students
maintain about Canada, the people in Canada, and the attitudes towards Canada and what it means to lives in Canada that they believe exist today. Filling
out the rest of the KWL chart at the end of the unit will allow students to see how their own perspectives and biases changed from the first day to the last
day of the unit. The poems the students will read will help students understand that there are people in Canada who may hold different attitudes of
Canada and Canadian identity than themselves. Students will then be engaged in the various factors that may influence one’s positive or negative
attitudes towards Canada. One of the factors that influence negative attitudes towards Canada that will be explored during this unit is the types of
relationships that are maintained in Canada, specifically regarding the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This recognition will
ultimately help students realize that the relationship needs to be changed through decolonization and reconciliation not only to help establish positive
attitudes towards Canada, but also to reaffirm Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples. This unit will require students to use technology and a social
media platform, so that means students will engage in their actions online. Students will understand that their inappropriate and unprofessional actions
online will result in negative consequences not only for themselves, but others as well. Students will come to realize that their choices online can be
considered as cyberbullying or harassment and can negatively affect someone. This unit will help students understand that they must maintain respectful
and professional in any online community.
Cross curricular Competencies
How will this unit promote the CCC?

Developing Thinking – Students will explore Canadian identity and what it means to live in Canada by reflecting on their prior knowledge about
Canadian identity and personal experiences in Canada on the first day of the unit. Then students will take their prior knowledge, ideas, and experiences
and apply it to the Canadian poetry they read by a variety of culturally diverse authors. Students will be able to make connections between their own
experiences and perspectives and the experiences and perspectives of the poets/speakers of the poems they read. An interview presentation will not only
help students understand the factors that influence others’ assumptions and opinions regarding Canadian identity, but will also allow students to explore
and experiment with different ideas and representations of a Canadian identity. Students will be given multiple opportunities to participate in reading
responses and class discussions in order to analyze, respond, and critique the poems by numerous Canadian authors. This unit will also provide an
opportunity for students to use technological resources during some of the unit’s activities. Students will be able to develop their critical thinking and
creative thinking skills by using technology to demonstrate and explore their learning.

Developing Identity and Interdependence – Students will examine Canadian poetry by a multiple of culturally diverse authors in order to learn about
the cultural and linguistic backgrounds, societal influences, and experiences that influence one’s beliefs, especially towards Canada.
Students will come to understand that there are people in Canada who have different attitudes towards Canada and Canadian identity depending on their
personal backgrounds. Students will develop an understanding towards others’ worldviews and cultures, which will ultimately help students develop a
sense of openindedness and respect for all. A student-to-student interview activity in the unit will also expand students’ knowledge about different
peoples’ cultures, and it will be meaningful because students will be learning the different cultures of their peers. Students will be able to develop as
individuals through the numerous group activities and discussions that will occur throughout the course of the unit. Group activities encourage students to
share their personal experiences with their group members so that others can learn from different experiences and perspectives from their own. Students
will be practice working in harmony with one another by learning to listen, appreciate, and respect to the opinions and experiences of others. This unit
plan uses Google Docs for group discussions and collaboration. Google Docs allows students to collectively work on the same document. Students will be
able to observe, analyze, and evaluate their peers’ contributions in real time. Students’ learning abilities and their overall effort will be apparent right away
during the activities that use Google Docs. Students will have to learn how to value the varied abilities present in the classroom so that they can learn how
to respect and support their peers in order to maintain a positive learning environment within the classroom.

Developing Literacies – This unit will provide multiple opportunities for students to practice and improve on their literacy skills. Students will be able to
construct knowledge from different sources. Students will be able to pull information from the poems they read due to their ability to create meaning from
a poem using poetic devices. There will be multiple opportunities for students to practice their speaking and listening skills during class, group, and
partner discussions. Multiple discussion opportunities will help build a community within the classroom where students feel safe enough to develop a voice
that allows them to communicate their ideas, knowledge, and experiences to others in the class. Students will also be asked to practice their writing skills
through journaling opportunities throughout the unit. However, students will also be able to practice and improve upon their speaking, technological, and
representing literacies for the journaling assignment because students will be given the option to keep a photo, picture, video journal to express their
thoughts rather than only expressing their ideas through writing. New topics will be introduce throughout the course of the unit, and these topics will be
introduced and explained to the class by teacher modeling. Watching the teacher model a new assignment, task, or topic to the students will help
students practice and improve upon their listening and viewing literacies. Students will also be given the opportunity to research the poets studied in this
unit during a library period. Students will use databases in order to collect information for their interview presentation. The project that is assigned at the
end of the unit allows the students to express their understanding of the unit by creating an interview presentation. This presentation will help students
practice their listening, writing, and speaking skills. There will also be an option for students to create a multimedia presentation in order to make this
presentation inclusive to all students, which will also allow students to use technology as a way to express their understanding and find success similar to
that of their peers. Technology will play a big role in this unit since will be learning and interacting through different technological resources. The use of
technology in this unit will help students to explore different literacies. Students will come to understand that technology acts as a different way for
students to gather information, to interact with peers, and demonstrate their learning and understanding in the classroom instead of only believing
speaking, reading, and viewing are the only literacies in which students gain information and showcase their learning.

Developing Social Responsibility – This entire unit will create opportunities for students to engage in communitarian thinking and dialogue. The will
be numerous instances of class, group, and partner discussions either verbally in the classroom or through different technological resources where
students will be asked to share their thoughts, personal experiences, and ideas with their peers. Every students will be given an opportunity to contribute
to the flow of a discussion, especially during one of the class discussions that takes the form of a Talking Circle inspired by Indigenous culture. Students
will be encouraged to respect their peers; their peers’ experiences, ideas, and opinions; and the different ways their peers may participate in order to
create an accepting learning environment. This unit requires students to read a couple poems by Indigenous poets, which may show a negative attitudes
towards Canada due to the colonialism in Canada’s past and present. Students will be aware of the inequalities and injustices that Indigenous peoples of
Canada still experience today by reading the content in the poem by Indigenous poets. This awareness will help students brainstorm and find solutions to
the problems of racism, discrimination, and colonialism that still occurs in Canada today. Technological resources will be used throughout the unit, but the
teacher will ensure that they discuss digital citizenship with the students before any technological resources are introduced to the class Using technology
in the unit will help students understand that are consequences for students who act inappropriately and unprofessional during online activities, and that
these actions can affect others negatively. This will help students be able to conduct themselves in a professional manner online in order to be respectful
and sensitive towards others and the way others portray themselves online.
Learning Outcomes
What relevant goals will this unit address?
(must come from curriculum; include the designations e.g. IN2.1)

Compose and Create:

CC 20.1 – Create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts to explore:
 identity (e.g., Relationships with Family and Others);
 social responsibility (e.g., Evolving Roles and Responsibilities); and
 social action (agency) (e.g., The Past and the Present).

CC 20.2 – Create visual or multimedia presentations using dramatization or role-play, including a presentation of an interview of a literary character (or
author or historical or contemporary person) from a First Nations, Métis, Saskatchewan, Canadian, or international text.

CC 20.3 – Speak to present ideas and information appropriately in informal (including discussions and collaborative work) and formal (including an
interview, a dramatic reading, and introducing and thanking a speaker) situations.

PGPs:

1.3 – A commitment to social justice and the capacity to nurture an inclusive and equitable environment of all learners
  This goal will be accomplished by using different instructional strategies that will help create an inclusive environment for all learners since the
different instructional strategies will allow students of all learning styles to experience success. Different adaptations will be made in order to
assist student needs. The adaptations made for each lesson and assignment will help all students in need experience success similar to that of
their peers. Throughout the course of the unit students will be given fair opportunities to participate in class discussion and group work. There will
also be different options available for students to complete assignments and activities throughout the unit. These options allow students to choose
the option that they feel can best use their strengths to showcase their understanding of content. Every student will be given choices when it
comes to activities and assignments rather than just giving different options to EAL students, students with learning disabilities, or students with
giftedness in order to make it fair.
3.1 – The ability to utilize meaningful, equitable, and holistic approaches to assessment and evaluation
 This unit includes assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning. Students will be using a self-assessment checklist
(assessment as learning) on four separate occasions throughout the course of the unit in order to determine what areas of the marking rubric
they meet and what areas of the marking rubric students need to improve on. Students will also be using the rubric that the teacher will be using
to mark interview presentations at the end of the unit to peer-assess their peers’ presentations. Peer-assessments is a form of assessment for
learning and will be meaningful for students since they will be using the feedback from their peer-assessments in order to improve and strengthen
their interview presentations before the final presentation date. A lot of worksheets, group presentations, etc. in the unit will not be marked, but
rather handed in so that the teacher can review student learning. The teacher will provide feedback on the worksheets and hand them back to
students. Again, this will be meaningful for students because they can use the feedback received from the teacher in order to grow as a learner.
4.2 – the ability to incorporate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge, content and perspective into all teaching areas
 This goal is achieved in this unit because the poems that the students will be studying are primarily by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit poets.
Students will gain Indigenous perspectives on Canada, Canadian identity, and what it means to live in Canada as an Indigenous person. The
content of the poems by the FNIM poets is mostly about Canada’s history of colonialism, Residential schools, experiences of racism and
discrimination, and loss of Indigenous culture and identity. The content within the poems will help students understand that Indigenous
perspectives towards Canada, Canadian identity, and what it means to live in Canada has been shaped by negatives experiences in the past and
present.
Enduring Understandings Essential Questions
What understandings about the big ideas are desired? (what you want What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content? (open-
students to understand & be able to use several years from now) ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked to the content
What misunderstandings are predictable? of the enduring understanding)
Students will understand that... Content specific….

 Students will understand that there are certain poetic devices that  What is a Canadian identity?
can help find the meaning of a poem or help reveal the poet’s or the  What does it mean to be Canadian today?
speaker’s true thoughts  How is Canadian identity constructed?
 Students will come to understand that close-ended questions can  How is Canadian identity viewed differently depending on
abruptly end the flow of an interview while open-ended questions can different cultures?
help reveal deeper answers  How much have historical stories of different cultures contributed
 This unit will provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in to our sense of Canadian identity today?
peer-assessment. This means students will understand why feedback  Why is feedback important?
is so important in one’s progress of growth and development  How do you provide effective and helpful feedback?
 Students will understand that both positive and negative attitudes  How can I portray myself professionally on an online format?
towards Canada, Canadian identity, and living in Canada exist, and it
is one’s past that shapes their present thoughts and attitudes.
 Students will understand that cultural and linguistic backgrounds,
societal influences, and experiences can influence one’s perspective
towards Canadian identity.
 Students will understand that there are different ways to collect
information, communicate meaning, and demonstrate understanding
 through different literacies, especially using technology.
Related misconceptions…
 Students will introduced to new poetic devices that they may not
know
 Students will not be aware of the effects that open and close ended
questions have on the flow of interviews
 Students will not know how and why principles of composition need
to be integrated into a presentation
 Students may not understand that discrimination and racism against
Indigenous peoples in Canada along with Canada’s history of
colonialism has shaped the way in which Indigenous peoples feel
about Canada and living in Canada today.
 Students may not understand that the way they portray themselves
online can have consequences for themselves and others.
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? This content
knowledge may come from the indicators, or might also address pre-requisite
knowledge that students will need for this unit.
Students will know...
 The definitions of particular poetic devices
 The two types of questions that can be asked during an interview,
which are open-ended questions and close-ended questions
 How to differentiate between open and close ended questions
 How and where to apply principles of composition into their interview
presentations
 Specific techniques for speaking loudly and clearly
 How to use the interview presentation rubric to assess their peers in
order to help their peers improve upon their presentations
 How to use the self-assessment checklist to ensure their presentation
is meeting or not meeting the criteria in the rubric
 There are more than just one attitude and belief about Canada and
Canadian identity that exist, and it is one’s experiences and
background that will influence those attitudes
 That Indigenous peoples experience racism and discrimination by
others constantly in Canada and it is these negative experiences that
shapes their idea of what it means to live in Canada today just by
reading and analyzing the poems by the Indigenous poets
 That good feedback helps us to strengthen the message of a
FNMI, multicultural, cross-curricular…
 Students will be reading four poems by Indigenous poets. These
students will be exploring Indigenous perspectives towards
Canada. These perspectives will help students recognize that
many Indigenous peoples in Canada have been disadvantaged;
have faced discrimination and racism; and have lost part of their
identity due to colonialism in Canada
 Students will also be reading two poems from poets who
immigrated to Canada. These poems provide students with
perspectives of Immigrants of Canada and their experiences of
getting to Canada and why living in Canada has saved them.
These poems will help to emphasize the multiculturalism within
Canada. These poems will also illustrate Canada as a place of
freedom, safety, and sanctuary.
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? List the skills
and/or behaviours that students will be able to exhibit as a result of their
work in this unit. These will come from the indicators.
Students will be able to…
 Find meaning in a poem by examining the poetic devices found in
a poem
 Identify poetic devices in the poems studied throughout the unit
 Generate their own interview questions using open-ended
questions
 Answer challenging interview questions appropriately while
remaining in character
 Discuss their ideas and thoughts in informal settings, such as
group, partner, and class discussions
 show their understanding of the unit by expressing their ideas in
an formal setting, which will take the form of a class presentation
 Work collaboratively in order to achieve similar goals of success
 Provide effective and helpful feedback to their peers, which will
be used to improve and polish their presentations
 Recognize how helpful feedback from their peers is
 Create strong and clear thesis and conclusions, which will be used
in their interview presentations
 Apply principles of composition into their interview presentation in
order to enhance the presentation
 presentation and the overall presentation as well
 Students will know that there are proper ways to communicate online
with others
 Students will know how to differentiate between the proper times to
use technology in the classroom and when it is inappropriate to use
technology in the classroom
 Recognize their own biases about Canadian identity after
completing the KWL chart
 Recognize that different cultural, linguistic, societal, and historical
backgrounds can directly influence one’s perception of Canada
and what it means to live in Canada
 Use technology effectively and successfully in order to gather
information or to demonstrate their learning
 Conduct themselves in a professional, respectful, and appropriate
manner online during class activities that take place in online
communities.
 Students will be able to develop deeper thinking skills (analyzing,
evaluating, and creating) by using technological resources on
different occasions throughout the course of this unit

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task : Interview Presentation Project

This unit will involve the completion of an Interview Presentation. Students will choose one poet or one speaker from a poem that will be studied in the
unit. The students will be paired into groups of two. One partner will take on the role as the interviewer and the other partner will take the role of the
intervirewee, which will be their selected poet or speaker from a poem. The students will use the interview to determine a poet’s or speaker’s overall
attitude towards Canada, what it means to live in Canada today, and what being Canadian means to them. The students will have to collect information
from the poems and other outside sources in order to generate questions that can be asked to the interviewee in order to discover their answer. The
students will accomplish this by examining the poetic devices found in the poem in order to determine the tone, mood, and other findings that will help
the students further develop the script of their interview. The students will also be encouraged to gather any useful information from their reading
journals to help develop their script. The information that has been collected by the students will also be used to determine how the poet or speaker
would respond to the questions asked. The project will be presented in front of the class; however, there will be an option for students to create a
multimedia presentation and publish the video presentation on YouTube for the class to view it rather than preforming their interview to the class live.
This option gives the students to opportunity to create scenes, edit clips, and add special effects. It is essential to note that this option does not limit
student success or devalue the end product of their interview presentation, but rather helps students use other skills to display their learning in a unique
way in order to find success similar to that of their peers. Students will also be given the option to perform their interview presentation to only the teacher
outside of class time rather than preforming their interview presentation in front of the whole class. This performance task will provide an opportunity for
students to show their understanding about poetic devices and the content in the poem. The Interview Presentation will be judged using a rubric at the
end of the unit.

GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task

G – Goal Interview Presentation Project
What should students accomplish by
completing this task?
R – Role Goal: Students will be able to use the identified poetic devices in the poems and further research to realize that
What role (perspective) will your students there are different attitudes that are held towards Canada and Canadian identity. Students will understand that
be taking? one’s sense of Canadian identity is constructed by one’s cultural and linguistic background, societal influences,
A – Audience and experiences, which can ultimately influence positive or negatives perspectives towards Canadian identity.
Who is the relevant audience?
Role: The students will complete this project by focusing on the perspectives of their chosen poet or speaker of
S – Situation a poem. It is essential that the students focus on their chosen poet’s or speaker’s perspective in order to
The context or challenge provided to the
understand the factors that influence their opinions and attitudes regarding Canada and Canadian identity.
student.
Students will also take on the role as a researcher in order to collect helpful information that can be used to
further develop their interview scripts and presentations. The more research the students complete, the more
authentic their interview presentations will be.

Audience: The audience for this performance task will mostly be the students. The students will be given three
class days to practice and present their interview presentations to an audience of another partner group.
Students will also act as their own audience because they will be asked to assess themselves on their
presentation and script. The teacher will hold a small role in the audience portion since the teacher will only see
the students’ final product during the final presentations date.

Situation: The biggest challenge students will face with this project is determining how their chosen poet or
speaker would respond to the questions. The students do not know exactly how the poet or speaker would
respond to certain questions, so students will have to rely on their research and what certain poetic devices
reveal in the poem to generate responses. Another challenge will be interpreting the poem that the students
choose to analyze further. The poems create opportunity for interpretation. This means the students will have to
determine the meanings behind poetic devices in the poem, which ultimately means that the responses to the
questions may differ from their peers since each student may interpret a poetic device differently. However, as
long as the students can support their argument then there is no wrong answer.
P – Product, Performance
What product/performance will the Product/Performance: The students will be partnered together to create an interview that would occur
student between an interviewer and one of the poets or speakers from a poem that were studied in the unit. The
create? students will be asked to create an interview script for one of the first steps of building an interview. The
students will have created a creative and logical presentation that includes various principles of composition in
order to demonstrate their understanding of the poems, their chosen literary character, and of Canadian identity.

Standards and Criteria for Success: Students will be given the Interview Presentation Rubric and the Self-
assessment checklist on the first day of this unit. The students will be given both the rubric and the checklist to
ensure that the students becomes familiar with what is expected from them. The self-assessment checklist will
be a simplified version of the Interview Presentation Rubric. The purpose of the self-assessment checklist is to
help the students assess if they are meeting or not meeting the criteria of the rubric. This self-awareness will
help the students determine what needs to be improved upon. The components of the Interview Presentation
Rubric include: Language choice and conventions, message/meaning, and organization. For language choice and
conventions, students will be assessed on tactful wording, smooth transitions, ability to stay in character, and
application of principles of composition. Students will also be assessed on their thesis, supporting details, and
voice in their message/meaning. For organization, students will be assessed on a logical sequence and a
justifiable conclusion. Each component of the rubric is clearly explained in order for the students to full
understand the standards that must be met to achieve success.
S – Standards & Criteria for Success Rubrics located at end of Unit Plan
Create the rubric for the Performance Task
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence (work samples, observations, quizzes, tests,
journals or other means) will students demonstrate achievement of the
desired results? Formative and summative assessments used throughout
the unit to arrive at the outcomes.
KWL Chart: Students will be instructed to fill out a KWL chart on the first
day of the unit. Students will only be expected to fill out the “What I Know”
and “What I want to know more about” sections on the first day of the unit.
The students will then fill out the “What I’ve learned” section on the last
day of the unit. The students will be asked to fill out the chart on what they
know about Canadian identity, what it means to live in Canada today, and
differing attitudes against Canada and Canadian identity that may exist
today. This chart will be a pre-assessment of their knowledge prior to the
start of the unit. Filling out the rest of the chart on the last day of the unit
will help students realize the biases they held before the unit and recognize
their growth and development as a learner. The KWL chart will not be
marked, but rather used for students to see how much they have learned
from the start of the unit to the end of the unit.
Poetic Device Quiz: The students will become familiar with poetic devices
and their definitions. Students will learn about several poetic devices that
will be found in the poems that will be studied throughout the unit. It is
essential that the students understand the poetic devices and are able to
identify them in the poem. Students need to be able to do this so that they
can find the meaning behind each poem. The students will be quizzed on
the poetic devices, and the quiz will be marked making the quiz a form of
summative assessment. The marked quizzes will be used as evidence of
student learning and their understanding regarding poetic devices. The
marked quizzes will help me determine if the students are prepared to
move and study the poems or if the students need half a lesson to become
more familiar and confident with the poetic devices. Writing the quiz will be
the main option for students; however, students will also be given an oral
quiz option for the students who feel as though speaking is one of their
strengths and the way they feel the most confident with showing their
understanding. An oral exam will be specifically given as an option to EAL
students, especially the EAL students who feel more confident about
speaking English than Writing in English. There will also be an option to
complete the quiz online with permission form the teacher. This option also
comes with headphones for students to use sound during the quiz. This
option will help benefit EAL students since they will be able to highlight
words and sentences they are not familiar with and have those things read
out to them out loud. This option also helps students with visual
impairments since they can have the words read out loud to them rather
than struggling to read the words on the screen.
Student Self-Assessment
How will students reflect upon or self-assess their learning?
Self-assessment checklist: Students will be filling out a self-assessment
checklist three times throughout the unit. Students will use the self-
assessment checklist prior to presenting their interview to another partner
group during the peer-assessment activity. The self-assessment checklist
will help students are areas of the rubric they have in their presentations
and what areas are absent and still need to be added to their presentation.
The self-assessment checklist will also help students determine if they are
fully meeting, meeting, or not meeting the criteria of the rubric. This
checklist will allow the students to be their own assessors of their work,
which will help them become aware of the weaknesses and strengths of
their presentation. The students will also use the self-assessment checklists
not only to see their learning, but also to track the development of their
presentations throughout the unit. This way the students can see just far
they have come the day of their final presentation date. There will also be a
comment section in the self-assessment checklist. This section will be used
for students to make comments on their presentation, note the areas that
need to be improved on, and any realizations they make. This part can help
the students reflect on their work in order to set goals for improvement and
growth in the following days.
Reflection time: The peer-assessment activity will instruct students to
provide helpful feedback to the peers they were assessing. There will be
class time given after the peer-assessment activity is over so that partner
groups can discuss the feedback they received during the peer-assessment
activity. Students will reflect on the feedback that was given to them.
Students will reflect on what went well during their presentation, what did
not go well during their presentation, areas that need to be improved, and
what needs to be added or taken away from their presentation. This
reflection time will also be used for students to set goals on what needs to
be accomplished by the time they present their interview presentation to
another partner group.
Reading Journal: The students will be asked to keep a reading journal
throughout the unit. The students will use their journals to respond
questions that will be asked after each poem is read and discussed in class.
The prompts will either ask the students to identify poetic devices; discuss
the speaker and the speaker’s tone; the mood in the poem; or personal
experiences that are similar to those found in the poems. Students will be
given the choice to keep whatever style of journal they feel will showcase
their strengths the most in regards to showing their level of understanding
of a poem. Students will be given the option to keep a photo journal,
drawing journal, video journal, writing journal, or any other medium
students can come up with. Students must consult with the teacher it they
come up with a different medium that is different from the options listed
about to ensure it is okay. The purpose of the reading journal is not only to
help the students understand the poems and make connections to their
own lives, but also to build information that will be helpful and useful
during their interview script making process. The students will hand in their
reading journals at the end of the unit for the teacher to mark. The reading
journal will be used to see how the students’ thoughts developed
throughout the unit, how well they were able to identify poetic devices and
create meaning from the poem, how well the students were engaged, and
how much effort was put into their writing

Exit Slips: Each day a new poem will be discussed. There will be different
class and group activities in each lesson to help the students understand
the poem’s content. The exit slips will be assigned at the end of each class
and expected to be handed in before the students leave the class. There
will be questions written on the board about the poem that the students will
be asked to answer. Photos or videos may also be shown to the class and
the students will be asked to answer questions about the photo or video or
find meaning behind the photo or video. Student will also be provided to
links to a Survey Monkey which allows them to complete the exit slip online.
The students will also be able to raise any concerns or issues about the unit
thus far and ask any questions that need clarification. The students can also
write down any inquires they may have after the lesson they are interested
in and would love to explore further. The teacher can use the inquiries
found on the slips in future lessons in the unit. The responses on the exit
slips will not be marked. Instead, the exit slips will be used to determine
the students’ level of comprehension towards the poem that was studied
during that day. The exit slip will also help the teacher guide subsequent
lessons based any concerns raised or questions that the students may have
asked on their exit slips.

Peer-assessments: There will be three different class days that the

students will be able to peer-assess each other’s interview presentations.
Students will complete the peer-assessment online using WeVideo during
one of the days students practice their presentations. Students will video
tape themselves preforming their interview presentation using WeVideo and
will share the link to their WeVideo on a Google Doc for another partner
group to view it to add comments using the rubric as reference.
Videotaping themselves preforming their interview presentation will be a
helpful way for students to view their presentation themselves and observe
what changes they can make to make their presentation stronger. The
students will peer-assess using the interview presentation rubric, which will
be given out the first day of the unit and the same rubric that the teacher
will be using to mark the students on the final presentation date. One
partner group will partner with another partner group during this activity.
One partner group will view the other partner group’s presentation in order
to assess, and then the roles will reserve. After both partner groups have
presented then the two groups will come together to discuss the strengths
and weaknesses of the presentation and provide feedback on areas to
improve on. The rubrics that the students use to peer-assess will not be
handed in or marked. The purpose of peer-assessments is to help the
students become area if they are meeting or not meeting the criteria of the
rubric so that they can determine what needs to change or stay the same.

Group Presentations: there will be multiple activities that include group

work. Students will work in a collaborative manner to analyze a poem and
present their findings to the class as a group. These group presentations
will not be marked, but rather used to determine if the students use the
poetic devices well enough to find the overall meaning and tone in the
poem along with the poet or the speaker’s true feelings towards Canada
and Canadian identity.

Class worksheets: There will be some class worksheets provided to the

students. The students will hand in any worksheets completed in class;
however, these worksheets will not be marked. Instead, the teacher will
review the worksheet, provide feedback, and hand it back to the student.
This way the student can see where they went wrong and approach the
teacher if they have any questions. The students will be encouraged to
keep the worksheets and refer back to them later if needed. In a way, the
worksheets completed in class will act as a resource for students to look
back at if they need help or a refresher of a certain topic.

Comparison Map: The comparison map will not be marked. The students
will receive a checkmark on the map if the students have finished it and put
in effort into it. The comparison map will be handed in at the end of the
class for the teacher to assess student learning and understanding. The
teacher will checkmark the comparison map for completion and provide
feedback before handing back the assignment to students. This assignment
will help the teacher determine if the students are understanding the poetic
devices in the poems and are able to differentiate between poems.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

What teaching and learning experiences will you use to:
 achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1?
 equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners been ascertained? Have the learners been
part of the pre-planning in any way? What individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed?
Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical environment be arranged to enhance learning?

The goal of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of certain factors that can influence one’s sense of Canadian identity and the attitudes
towards Canada through the poems they will read and analyze in the unit. Students are headed towards an understanding of interrelated factors, such as
cultural and linguistic backgrounds, societal influences, and experiences that contribute to one’s perceptions and views of what it means to be Canadian
today. Student will understand and be aware of where they are going on the first day of the unit. The introductory lesson will lay out the outcomes of the
unit; what the students will be learning; the assignments that will help students to achieve the outcomes; the poems that will be discussed; the end of unit
final; and finally why the unit is important. The students will also be encouraged to ask any questions they may have about the unit so that I can provide
clarity so that the students gain a better understanding of the unit and the unit’s content.

Every student brings different experiences and backgrounds to the class, and therefore the students may already possess a pre-existing idea of Canadian
identity and what it means to be Canadian today. Students may also have positive or negative attitudes towards Canada and Canadian identity also
depending on their personal backgrounds. This will be good because some of the activities in the unit calls for students to explore their own ideas about
Canadian identity, their personal backgrounds, and personal experiences. Other activities in the unit also allow students to explore different viewpoints and
experiences that they can compare and contrast to their own. The students will assist the teacher in the navigation of the unit using the feedback that the
students will provide on the exit slips. The exit slips will also be used as a way for students to ask questions or raise concerns about any material in the unit
that they may be too shy or afraid to ask in class. I can use the inquiries found on the exit slips in order to incorporate more information into subsequent
lessons. Students may also express more curiosity or excitement in certain areas of the unit. I can use the students’ reactions in lessons to help guide me in
the planning of following lessons. I can also determine what needs to be emphasized more in future lessons so that I can engage the students and increase
their interest to learn more.

There may be certain student exceptionalities that I need to be aware of so that I can integrate differentiation and adaptations when needed. The poems
that will be studied in the unit include poems about certain views of Canada from poets with different ethnic backgrounds. I need to be aware of the
demographics of the classroom, and I need to ensure that I tell the students that just because a certain poet holds a specific view towards Canada does not
mean every person from that ethnic background maintains the same view. This will ensure that the students that have the same ethnic backgrounds as the
poets are not ridiculed or treated differently.

This unit can be set in the classroom to increase optimal learning. The classroom can be arranged multiple ways to help students learn the best. For
instance, the desks may be arranged into groups of four during learning activities during the lesson. The desks can also be split down the middle to create
an environment for a class debate. Altogether, the desks can be rearranged and the space can be manipulated to achieve the desired result of the lesson.
How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)

Students will be shown two YouTube videos as the motivational set. First, the students will be shown the video, “How to be Canadian.” After, the students
will be shown the video, “How to talk like a Canadian.” These videos poke fun at Canadians and both good and bad stereotypes, and some of the tips in
both videos are outrageously funny because they are relatable and true. These videos will help introduce the unit and the topic of Canadian identity and
what it means to be Canadian today. The teacher will lead a discussion after the videos are shown. First, the teacher will ask the students to call on their
own ideas, background knowledge, and experiences in order to provide any other tips that they can think of that help people act and talk like a Canadian.
This will help the teacher determine what the students think constitute a Canadian identity. The teacher will instruct the students to provide an explanation
of their answer to justify their contribution. The students’ contributions will be written on the board. Then the teacher will discuss if the information
provided in the videos are true. Some students will answer yes and others will answer no, and this will help show that there are certain beliefs about
Canadian identity and the things that construct what it means to be Canadian that exist and are maintained by different people. The teacher will also
discuss the importance and purpose of showing these videos. The purpose of showing these videos is to show the surface level things that make up
Canadian identity. The teacher will tell the students that the unit will dig deeper into Canadian identity by exploring different perspectives of Canadians and
Indigenous peoples to show that there are different views and attitudes of Canadian identity and what it means to live in Canada today.

What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and essential questions in the unit? How will you
equip them with needed skills and knowledge?
# Lesson Title Lesson Activities CCCs Resources

1 Introduction to Activity 1.1 – How to be Canadian Developing https://www.

Unit: Who are The students will be shown a YouTube clip that provides steps and tips on how to be Canadian. literacies, youtube.com
We? The teacher will then lead a discussion about the clip and the accuracy of the video. The developing /watch?
students will then be showed another YouTube clip that shows viewers how to speak like a thinking, v=o34VzENN
Canadian. The clips goes over 21 funny Canada slang words. There will be another class developing Pic
discussion about the video and the accuracy. identity and
interdependence https://www.
Duration: 20 minutes , developing youtube.com
social /watch?
Activity 1.2 – Introduction to the Unit responsibility v=cPX3lEIS4
The teacher will discuss the unit in its entirety. Assignments, poems, lesson activities, outcomes, bo
end of unit performance task, etc. will be discussed. This will also pose as an opportunity for
students to ask any questions they may have on the unit or any of the expectations laid out. The Photos of
students will also be given the 3 copies of both the self-assessment checklist and peer- Canada
assessment rubric. The teacher will explain why the students have received both the checklist PowerPoint,
and rubric. reading
journal
Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 1.3 – KWL Chart

The teacher will hand out the KWL chart to the students. The teacher will instruct the students
to fill out the first two sections of the chart (what I already know and what I want to learn). The
remaining of the chart (what I learned) will be filled out on the last day of the unit.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 1.4 – Photo Analysis

Students will be shown a PowerPoint presentation that shows multiple picture of Canada and
elements that are assumed to make Canadian identity. The PowerPoint presentation will include
photos of Canada’s landscape, sports that are popular in Canada, certain foods, people of
different cultures, slang words, clothing, etc.

The students will be instructed to take time to view the photo and discuss the image with a
partner. The students will use prompts on the board to fuel their discussion, but the point of this
activity is to have the students discuss how the images relate to Canadian identity and what it
means to be Canadian today. Students will also be expected to discuss the following:
  a title for the image
 a brief explanation of the image
 why does the image create a sense of Canadian identity
 How does the image relate to Canadian identity and what it means to be Canadian

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 1.5 – Reading Journal

Students will be given the rest of the class to write in their reading journal. Students will be
asked to write a small paragraph about their idea of Canadian identity. The students will outline
what it means to be Canadian and the things that make people Canadian.

Duration: 10 minutes
2 The Power of Activity 2.1 – What is a poetic device? Developing Poetic device
Poetic Devices Students will receive information about poetic devices and their importance in finding meaning in literacies, PowerPoint
poems. Students will receive this information from a PowerPoint presentation created by the developing presentation,
teacher. The PowerPoint presentation will also include important poetic devices that the students thinking, identify
will come across in the poems they read during the unit. The definitions of these poetic devices developing poetic
will be provided along with an example of the poetic device to help the students understand the social devices
poetic device more clearly. There will also be a paper copy of all the poetic devices that were in responsibility worksheet,
the PowerPoint presentation that will be provided to the students to study. The teacher will also the songs:
tell the students that there will be poetic device quiz the following day. “Mean” by
Taylor Swift,
Duration: 15 minutes “Sweet
Nothing” by
Activity 2.2 – Identify Poetic Devices Calvin Harris,
Students will be given a worksheet that they will have to work through using the information and “Hot N
they collected and took notes on during the PowerPoint presentation. Students will be able to Cold” Katy
work on the worksheet in pairs. Perry, poetic
devices:
Duration: 10 minutes terms and
definitions,
Activity 2.2 – Music time! paper for
Students will listen to 3 familiar songs. The teacher will pull up the lyrics on the smart board so exit slips,
that the students can follow along to the song. The students will be ask to note down any poetic laptops,
devices in the song that they can identify. After this activity the class will come together to tablets, and
discuss the poetic devices that the students found in the songs. cell phones.

Duration: 20 minutes

Activity 2.3 – Group work

The class will be divided into groups of 6 in order to work through an activity similar to the
previous one; however, this activity will be led by the students. The groups will now be asked to
use their resources, such as a phone, tablet, or laptop to find 1 song. The group will have to
identify and explain 5 or more poetic devices in the song. The class will then come together after
10 minutes. Each group will then have an opportunity to present their findings to the class.
 Duration: 20 minutes

Activity 2.4 – Exit slip

The students will be expected to complete an exit slip before they leave the class. Questions
about poetic devices and their importance will be written on the board for the students to
answer.

Duration: 5 minutes
3 The Power of Activity 3.1 – Power of Poetic Devices Day #1 Recap Developing Short poems
Poetic Devices A recap of the lesson will be provided to the students. This time will also be used for the identity and (30 different
Day #2 students to ask any lingering questions from the first day of this lesson. interdependence poems),
, developing blank paper,
Duration: 10 minutes thinking, markers,
developing pencil
Activity 3.2 – Individual poem reading and analysis literacies crayons,
Each student will be given a different poem to read and analyze. No exact poem is the same, poetic device
which means the students cannot copy off one another, but rather apply their own quiz
understandings and learnings to the poem. The poems are not related to the unit, but rather
used as a practice exercise. The students will highlight the poetic devices that they can identify
in the poem. Next, the students will write in the writing journal what the meaning of the poem is
using the evidence they found from the poetic devices.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 3.4 – Poem Representations

Students will use the information they have gathered from the poetic devices in order to
represent the meaning of the poem in a drawing. The students can either draw the overall
meaning of the poem, a particular tone or mood that sticks out from the poem, or a scene that
is created through imagery. The students will be given the chance to share their representations
to the class if wanted.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 3.5 – poetic device quiz

The students will be quizzed on the definitions of poetic devices and their ability to identify
poetic devices in small passages. There will be an option for students to complete an oral
version of the quiz. Students will also be given the option to complete the quiz online. Students
who chose this option will be given headphones so that they can use the sound and click words
or sentences to be read out loud for them.

Duration: 20 minutes
4 Sensing Activity 4.1 – Video Developing https://www.
Canadian Students with watch Shane Koyczan performing his poem, “We Are More,” live at the 2010 literacies, youtube.com
Identity Vancouver Olympics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBmI00trLLU). Students will also be developing /watch?
provided with notes about Koyczan and his background as a person and poet. social v=oBmI00trL
We Are More – responsibility, LU
Shane Koyczan Duration: 10 minutes developing
 thinking, notes on
Activity 4.2 – Class brainstorming on a Google Doc developing Shane
identity and Koyczan,
The teacher will provide students with a link to a Google Doc. The link will take students to a interdependence Reading
bare document with two writing prompts at the top of the page. The first prompt at the top of journal,
the Google doc will ask students to think of things that are believed to be Canadian and things white board
that contribute to Canada’s identity (foods, landscapes, sayings, sports, etc.). Koyczan’s poem markers,
will be used as inspiration for this activity. The other prompt will ask students what moments in “We Are
history also contribute to Canadian identity. Students will collaboratively work on this Google Doc More” group
to discuss the things that make a Canadian identity. questions,
paper copy
Duration: 10 minutes of the “We
Are More”
Activity 4.3 – Journal Response poem
Students will write down what they believe Canadian identity is and what it means to be
Canadian today. The teacher will ask the students if their views will change. Students will be
instructed to write down why or why not their views may change over the course of this poem.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 4.5 – Group work

Students will be divided into groups of 4 to work through a set of questions provided on a
handout. The students will also be provided with a paper copy of the poem to refer back to in
order to answer the questions. This handout will help the students come to understand
Koyczan’s poem and the meaning behind the poem. The students will explore the poetic devices
in the poem to help them find the message of the poem.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 4.6- Presentations

Each group will be provided time to present their findings to the class.

Duration: 15 minutes
5 Sensing Activity 5.1 – Poem Readings Developing Reading
Canadian The teacher will read both “I am Canadian” and “Oh Canada” to the students. thinking, journal,
Identity Day #2 developing questions for
Duration: 10 minutes social debate, Prezi
I am Canadian responsibility, presentation
– Duke Redbird Activity 5.2 – Prezi Presentation developing on Duke
And Oh Canada The teacher will present a Prezi presentation to the students with background information on literacies Redbird and
– Mika Lafond both Duke Redbird and Mika Lafond. Mika Lafond

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 5.3 – Class debate

“I am Canadian” is a poem that illustrates Canada and Canadian identity in a positive light;
 however, “Oh Canada” is a poem that illustrates Canada and Canadian identity in a negative
light. The teacher will ask the students questions about one poem or both. The students will
then have to go to “agree/yes” side of the class or the “don’t agree/no” side of the room. The
students from both sides with get an opportunity to discuss as a group before they justify their
choice to the rest of the class.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 5.4 – Journal Response

The students will be asked to compare and contrast the poems in their reading journal. They will
also have to compare and contrast how the poetic devices in both poems create different
meanings, tones, and attitudes towards Canada and Canadian identity

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 5.5 – Exit slip

Students will note one thing they learned during the lesson, one thing that resonated the most
with them, and one or more ideas that are still confusing after this lesson.

Duration: 5 minutes

6 Connecting Activity 6.1 – Residential School clip Developing https://www.

Past to Present The students will watch a brief YouTube video about residential schools. This video will highlight literacies, youtube.com
some of the logistics about residential schools in Canada. This resource is more informational, developing /watch?
I Lost My Talk and will provide students with the background information that is needed to understand the social v=riSqg53AJ
– Rita Joe poem by Rita Joe. Students will also need to view this clip to understand that Canada’s past has responsibility, bB
contributed to present thoughts towards Canada and Canadian identity. developing
thinking Who is Rita
Students will take notes about information shared in the video. Joe
PowerPoint
"Every Child Matters" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riSqg53AJb8 (5:48) presentation,
information
Duration: 6 minutes sheet
handout,
Activity 6.2 – Who is Rita Joe? poster paper,
The teacher will give background information on Rita Joe. The students will be expected to take reading
notes. The students will learn where she is from, where she grew up, her experience in journal
residential school, and other work she has completed. This information will be provided on a
PowerPoint Presentation.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 6.3 – Poem reading

The teacher will read out Rita Joe's poem “I Lost My Talk” and answer any questions that the
students may have about the poem.

Duration: 5 minutes
 Activity 6.4 – Group analysis and discussion
Students will be divided into groups of 3. The students will be instructed to highlight literary
devices in the poem such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, allusion, repetition, and key words
that allude to the poem’s theme and tone. Students will be given an information sheet that will
assist them in poetry analysis. Students will also be asked to analyze and discuss the stanzas
from the poem in their groups. Together they will describe the importance of each stanza to the
poem as a whole. They will interpret the stanza in their own words. They will be asked to pick
out the literary devices and interpret each device and why it is important in understanding the
poem. Students will have to write their findings on poster paper, which the students will have to
present their findings to the class. Each student in the group will have to talk.

The teacher will provide examples of posters completed by other students in previous classes.
This will help students determine what is expected from them and will set the standards for
students.

Duration: 30 minutes (20 minutes for group work and 10 minutes for group presentations)

Activity 6.5 – Journal Response

Students will be given the rest of class time to respond to the questions written on the board in
their reading journal.

Duration: 10 minutes

7 Connecting Developing Monica

Past to Present Activity 7.1 – Who Are You? identity and Goulet
Day #2 interdependence PowerPoint
The students will be given a handout that consists of an outline of a person. The students will be , developing Presentation,
Just Remember asked to fill in the outline of the person will words, drawings, quotes, etc. that could be used to social blank paper,
– Monica describe themselves. For example, a students could write words like student, sister, Filipino, responsibility, markers,
Goulet funny, caring, blogger, shy, saxophone player, French speaker, etc. Students will be prompt by developing pencil
the following questions, which will be written on the board for students to refer to: literacies, crayons,
developing pencils/pens,
 What are you good at? thinking reading
 What language(s) do you speak? journals
 What sports do you play?
 What instruments do you play?
 What is your ethnic background?
 What do you like to do?
 How would your friends describe you?

The students will then pass their completed handout to a classmate. The students will then be
instructed to crumple and slightly tear their classmate’s handout before handing it back. The
students will notice that some of their words or images that they wrote/drew in the outline of
the person is destroyed or hard to read. The teacher will use a class discussion to explain the
purpose of the activity, which is to show students that one’s construction of a unique identity
can be destroyed through certain experiences over a period of time. The teacher will touch on
topics such as, racism, discrimination, residential schools, etc. as experiences that can shape
Indigenous peoples’ views of Canada and what it means to live in Canada today. In other words,
experiences in the past can influence our thoughts and beliefs about a certain thing. The
teacher will emphasize how the crumble and rip marks represent the idea that it may be difficult
to truly acknowledge, understand, and appreciate Indigenous identity if we continue to allow
stereotypes, false representations, and racism to form our beliefs and understanding of
Indigenous identity.

This activity will help introduce the main idea of the lesson, which is the idea that past
experiences, especially negative experiences, can influence beliefs and attitudes certain
individuals maintain about particular topics. In this lesson’s case, this activity perfectly connects
to Goulet’s poem. Goulet’s experiences with racism and discrimination have not only shaped the
ways in which she views Canada and what it means to live in Canada as an Indigenous person
today, but has also shaped the tone that is present about Canada and how Indigenous peoples
are treated in Canada in her poem.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 7.2 – Background Information

The teacher will provide background information on Monica Goulet verbally to the students. The
teacher will also show pictures on a PowerPoint presentation while the teacher speaks freely to
the students. This will help the students gain some insight about the poet and her experiences
as an Indigenous person and writer in Canada before they dive into reading her poem.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 7.3 – Poem Reading

The teacher will read Monica Goulet's poem, "Just Remember" to the class.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 7.4 – Turn and Talk 2, 4, 6

The teacher will instruct the students to find an “elbow partners” in order to discuss the
following:

 How is there discrimination towards Indigenous peoples present in the poem? Have you
ever experienced racism and discrimination yourself based on your own cultural
background?
 What positive images of Indigenous identity are present in the poem?
 The speaker mentions the true past of the Indigenous peoples and the past that “you”
(the settlers) write in theirs. How has the past contributed to the speaker’s sense of
Canada and what it means to live in Canada today?
 How can lived experiences shape beliefs towards Canada and what it means to live in
Canada today? Relate your answer to your own experiences to justify or support your
 point.

The students will have a few minutes to discuss before the teacher will instruct the students to
find another group of 2 in order to make the group number of 4 students. Again, the students
will discuss the following questions in their group of 4 for a couple minutes before creating a
group of 6 to discuss the same questions. The class will then come together to discuss the
insights from each group.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 7.5 – Comparison Map

The teacher will begin this activity by describing a Venn diagram, what is expected to be
included in a Venn diagram, and the task of comparing the poem by Rita Joe to the poem of
Monica Goulet to the students. The teacher will then model on the board how to create a Venn
diagram for the students; however, the teacher will not model the Venn diagram on the same
topic that that the students will be expected to create. Instead, the teacher will discuss what it
means to be Canadian to me (someone who was born and raised in Canada) and what it means
to be Canadian to my mom (someone who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines) in the
Venn diagram that the teacher will model to the class. Modelling the Venn diagram to the
students using a different but relevant example will help students understand the components of
a Venn diagram and understand what is expected of them.

The teacher will then instruct students to close their eyes and put up either a 1, 2, or 3 (1 being
the weakest and 3 being the strongest) with their fingers to demonstrate their level of
understanding and confidence regarding Venn diagrams and the task that they have to
complete. The teacher will quickly write down the number the student chose beside their name.
The teacher will instruct the students to open their eyes once this has been completed. The
teacher will then assign students to the group that corresponds with their level of
understanding, and this way students will be put into groups of similar learning ability. Each
group will then work together to create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Rita Joe’s
poem (“I Lost My Talk”) and Monica Goulet’s poem (“Just Remember”). Each group of students
will have to explore both poem’s mood, tone, imagery, metaphors, etc. to determine if both
poets/speakers have similar or different views of Canada and what it means to live in Canada
today.

The teacher will ensure to touch base with each group, but the teacher will make sure to spend
a good chunk of time working with group 1 (weakest understanding group) in order to ensure
this group fully understands the task and the learning strategy. The teacher will use this as an
opportunity to answer any questions the group may have, review the key concepts and skills
used to create a Venn diagram, and provide more examples to help provide more clarification
about the task and learning strategy to the group. The teacher will also be circulating the room
and providing responsive feedback on each group’s Venn diagram.

Duration: 20 minutes

Activity 7.6 – Journal Response

 The students will be given the remaining time of class to answer one of the following questions
in their Journal.

1. Why does one’s past (personal, family, cultural, historical) influence the way one shapes
their beliefs and views about something?
2. What changes can Canada make and what changes can you make so Indigenous
peoples have positive views of Canada, Canadian identity, and what it means to live in
Canada?

Duration: 5 minutes

8 Exploring Activity 8.1 – Student-to-student interviews Developing Reading

Perspectives The students will be partnered up at the beginning of the class. The students will be given time social journals,
to interview one another. Students will ask one another about controversial topics which will be responsibility, George
Wakes Up Next written on the board. Students will also ask their partner about their personal thoughts of developing Jonas
Morning to Canada and what role Canada has played in their life. The students will also be asked about literacies, PowerPoint
Strains of O what Canadian identity looks to them. The teacher will stop the interviews to tell the students developing presentation,
Canada on the the purpose of this activity, which was to explore one another’s perspective towards certain identity and poster board
Radio – George topics and of Canadian identity. This activity will help introduce this topic of the unit to students. interdependence paper
Jonas , developing
Duration: 15 minutes thinking

Activity 8.2 – Background information

The students will take notes on the PowerPoint presentations about George Jonas and his
personal background as a person and poet.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 8.3 – Poem reading

The teacher will read the poem to the class.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 8.4 – Group work

The students will be split into groups of 5. Each group will be responsible for reading and
analyzing one stanza of the poem. There is a total of 5 stanzas in the poem. The students will be
asked to describe the importance of each stanza to the poem as a whole. They will interpret the
stanza in their own words. They will be asked to pick out the literary devices and interpret each
device and why it is important in understanding the poem. Students will have to write their
findings on poster paper, which the students will have to present their findings to the class. Each
student in the group will have to talk.

The teacher will provide examples of posters completed by other students in previous classes.
This will help students determine what is expected from them and will set the standards for
students.

Duration: 25 minutes (15 minutes for group work and 10 minutes for group presentations)
 Activity 8.5 – Journal Response
Students will be given the remainder of class time to discuss the speaker’s overall perspective
towards Canada in their journal.

Duration: 5 minutes

9 Exploring Activity 9.1 – Guest Speaker Developing Guest

Perspectives A person who immigrated to Canada will be the guest speaker, which will help introduce the thinking, speaker,
Day #2 poem that will be studied in this lesson. The guest speaker will tell their story to the students. developing Cyril
The guest speaker will discuss their life before Canada, their journey to Canada, and their life in social Dabydeen
Multiculturalism Canada now. The students will be given time to ask the guest speaker any questions they may responsibility, PowerPoint
– Cyril have about their view of Canadian identity and what it means to be Canadian today? developing Presentation,
Dabydeen literacies reading
Duration: 25 minutes response
journals
Activity 9.2 – Background information
The teacher will discuss the poet, Cyril Dabydeen, using a PowerPoint presentation. The
presentation will provide background information on the poet and his life as an immigrant living
in Canada.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 9.3 – Individual poem reading

Students will individually read the poem “Multiculturalism” by Cyril Dabydeen

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 9.4 – Journal Response

The students will be asked about their initial thoughts about the poem and to respond to them.
They will also be asked if they know anyone who has had a similar experience as the speaker in
the poem. If so, they will write how immigration to Canada has affected their lives (good or bad)
and connect it to how the speaker addresses immigration and the multiculturalism in Canada.

Duration: 10 minutes

10 The Hot Seat Activity 10.1 –Who Am I? Developing https://www.

literacies, youtube.com
This is a Fairy Tale character guessing game. The students will be encouraged to ask the developing /watch?
teacher questions in order to uncover which Fairy Tale character the teacher has wished to thinking, v=soSlzFJkiF
portray. This character guessing game has two goals: to sensitize interviewers to the flow- developing k&t=59s
stopping effect of closed-ended questions and to encourage interviewers to ask questions based social
on what they have just heard. This activity should introduce the students to the topic of responsibility https://www.
interviews while also interesting them in their end of unit project. The students will ask the youtube.com
teacher questions to reveal the character the teacher has chosen to be. Points will be given to /watch?
the teacher or students depending what type of questions they ask. v=nUkT_1fK
z1g&t=50s
 Duration: 5 minutes
https://www.
Activity 1.2 – Interview Clips youtube.com
The students will be shown three different YouTube clips of interviews. Students will be given /watch?
questions to answer in a think-pair-share activity v=6I85z8i9z
3o&t=4s
Duration: 30 minutes
chalk/white
Activity 1.2 – Sample Interview board
markers,
A teacher led discussion about the different components of an interview will help the teacher character
and the students work together to create a sample interview with the Big Bad Wolf. First, the trait
teacher will discuss appropriate language that is often used in interviews. The teacher will also worksheet,
discuss how body language can help convey emotion or attitude in an interview (Example: build-an-
crossing one’s arm could demonstrate anger or boredom). Next, the teacher will ask the interview
students to recall any information about the Big Bad Wolf either from the story The Three Little worksheet,
Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood. Using the information collected from the students, the teacher notebooks,
will help brainstorm with the students to create a sample interview with the Big Bad Wolf pen/pencil,
important
Duration: 15 minutes interview
information
Activity 1.3 – Partner Work handout

The interview sample activity should have prepared the students for this next activity. The
teacher will hand out the poet/speaker trait worksheet and the Build-An-Interview worksheet to
the students. The teacher will divide the class into groups of two. The students will be given the
rest of class to determine their roles for the interview presentation, decide which poet or a
poem’s speaker they wish to interview, and fill out the poet/speaker trait worksheet.

Duration: 10 minutes

11 The Hot Seat Activity 11.1 – Recap and Outline Developing Build-an-
Day #2 literacies, interview
The teacher will discuss the lesson from the previous day. developing worksheet,
thinking, scripts, self-
The teacher will also ask the students if they have any questions on the previous lesson that developing assessment
needs clarification. The teacher will also ask the students what they enjoyed and what they did social checklist,
not enjoy about the previous lesson. This will ultimately help the teacher determine what needs responsibility peer-
to be done in future lessons while also showing what needs to be handled better during this assessment
lesson to increase student learning. The teacher will also outline what today’s class will look like rubrics
and the overall purpose of today’s class. The purpose of today’s class is not only for students to
create and practice their interview, but to also receive feedback from their peers in order to
reflect and set goals for the improvement of their presentation.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 11.2 – Partner Work

The students will be given some time to work on their Build-An-Interview worksheet, construct a
draft of their script for their interview, and practice their interview before they have to engage in
a self and peer assessment of their presentation.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 11.3 – Self-Assessment

The students will be asked to take out their self-assessment check-list that was given to the
class at the beginning of the unit. The students will be instructed to fill out the self-assessment
to ensure they have each component of the rubric integrated into their script/presentation. If
not, then the students simply know what needs to be added to their presentation.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 11.4 – Peer-Assessment

Two partner groups with be paired together (a total of 4 students). There will be three class
time opportunities of peer-assessment, but this will be the first time the students will present
their script and presentation to the other partner group in order for the partner group to assess
them. Partner group A will present their script and presentation to partner group B to assess
using the rubric given to the students at the beginning of the unit. The groups will then switch,
and partner group B will present their script and presentation to partner group A to assess. The
groups will sit down and discuss each other’s presentation after each partner group has
presented. The goal here is for the students to discuss what went well, what did not go well,
what could be improved, and provide any other helpful feedback. The purpose of this activity is
for the students to become familiar of what is expected of them to accomplish using the rubric
criteria while also receiving feedback that is crucial for the improvement of their presentation.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 11.5 – Partner Reflection and Changes

The partners will then use the feedback that they got during the peer-assessment on their
presentation in order to reflect. The students will be instructed to discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of their presentations in order to set goals. The goals the students set will help
them polish and improve their presentation for the next round of self and peer assessment,
which will ultimately help them create a well-polished presentation for their final presentation
date.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 2.5 – Exit Slip

The teacher will write four questions on the board for the students to answer on a piece of
paper. The students will be expected to hand in their piece of paper to the teacher before they
 leave the class. The students will answer the following questions:

• What were the strengths of your presentation?

• What are the weaknesses of your presentation?
• What do you wish you could practice more?
• What do you wish to learn more about in order to make your presentation better?

Duration: 5 minutes
12 Creating a Activity 12.1 – Talking Circle: What is a thesis and what makes a thesis good? Developing Thesis
Strong Thesis thinking, statement
A teacher will ask the students to arrange their chairs in a circle in order to create a talking developing on PowerPoint
circle. The teacher will explain that talking circles originated with First Nations leaders and the social Presentation,
process was used to ensure that all leaders in the tribal council were heard and that those who responsibility, YouTube
were speaking were not interrupted to the students. The teacher will also introduce the talking developing clip, Google
stick to the students and explain that the person holding the talking sick has the only right to literacies Doc link,
speak and that the talking circle will be passed to the left. The teacher will also discuss how if a Survey
person does not wish to speak then they can pass the stick to the next person. The teacher Monkey Link,
must ensure to discuss the importance of listening and learning from others during this Stoodle link,
discussion. The teacher will start off the talking circle by asking the students if they can define a talking stick
thesis and what some characteristics of a good thesis are and why the students believe the
characteristics of a thesis they came up with are good and make a thesis strong. Each student
will have the have the opportunity to speak if they choose to.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 12.2 – Thesis Examples

Students will be shown a PowerPoint Presentation consisting of three slides. First, a poor thesis
will be projected on the board following a strong thesis and then a mediocre thesis. The
students will engage in a think-pair-share activity for each thesis shown to the class. The
students will be asked to think about what makes the thesis strong or weak. The students will
also be asked to think about where the thesis could improve on too. Students will then turn to
an “elbow partner” to discuss the projected thesis and share their ideas and thoughts. Then the
class will come together to discuss the thesis and the students’ findings.
Duration: 20 minutes

Activity 12.3 – Fix the Thesis

The students will watch “Writing Ninjas: How to write A Strong Thesis Statement” on YouTube.
The students use the information provided in the clip in order to help them work through this
activity. Students will be provided with a Survey Monkey link. The link will bring the students to
a page where they will be asked to fill their name into a blank box before pressing next.
Students will then come to a new page after clicking next, and this page will showcase 3
different poorly written thesis statements. Students will have to improve the thesis statements
by re-writing a new thesis statement in the box below the original thesis statement. Students
will be instructed to press submit when they have completed the Survey Monkey. The teacher
will bring up the improved thesis that the students created in the Survey Monkey once all
 students are completed filling in the survey. The teacher will be sure to explain how the names
behind student answers will appear anonymous on the board. The teacher will go over the
improved thesis statements that the students came up with and have a class-discussion about
the strengths and weaknesses found in improved thesis statements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n0f_bR5aoc

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 12.4 – Work on Your Own Thesis Statement

Students will be given the rest of class time to construct, develop, or improve the thesis
statement of their interview presentations and share their improved thesis on a class Google
document. Students will be able to provide real time feedback on their peers’ thesis. This will
help all students apply their received feedback from peers to help improve the quality of their
thesis statements. However, it is essential that the teacher discuss with the class the guidelines
when it comes to providing feedback to their peers online. Cyberbullying and harassment will
have to be discussed prior to this activity so that students understand the respectful and
appropriate ways to communicate online.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IETySlTqYTVZmOnZHbSGfJwY-
gMwqRD4rKkH80hfmKs/edit

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 12.5 – Class Brainstorm

Students will be provided to a link to Stoodle, which acts as a virtual whiteboard that provides
real-time collaboration and communication. The teacher will explain Stoodle and how it allows
students to add drawings, text, voice clips, and images from the internet in order to express
their thoughts and ideas. The students will open the link to find the starting of a mind map being
created. There will only be one box in the center of the blank page which will read “results of a
good thesis.” Students will be instructed to add to the mind map whichever way they choose.
Students have discussed good thesis statements and worked through improving thesis
statements throughout the lesson, and this closing activity will help students make the
connection between good thesis statements and the result it creates through an interactive way.

https://stoodle.ck12.org/

Duration: 5 minutes
13 Principles of Activity 13.1 – examples of principles of composition Developing Sound
Composition literacies, effects,
and Students will either be asked to sign onto their Twitter or to quickly sign up for Twitter prior to developing notes of
Presentation beginning this activity. The teacher will explain how students can choose either to tweet in their social principles of
Practice #2 thoughts using the hashtag #MissFerguson or by deciding to share their thoughts to the class responsibility, composition,
verbally. The teacher will also discuss how students can also tweet in questions during the developing SWAT
lesson using the same hashtag or even “slide into Miss Ferguson’s DMs” with questions if they thinking PowerPoint
do not feel comfortable enough showing their confusion on Twitter. The teacher will then review game, peer-
respect and professionalism that must be conducted online and the consequences that may arise assessment
from inappropriate behaviors online during this activity, which was also discussed that was rubric, self-
earlier in the Thesis lesson. assessment
checklist,
Students will then be given a list of particular principles of composition that they can use in their notebooks,
interview presentation, such as graph, statistics, images, sound effects, music, etc. that they can pens/pencils,
use as a resource for their final project. The teacher will play certain sound effects for the link to
students such as clapping, booing, cheering, crickets, drum roll, etc. Students will be asked to Survey
tweet in their ideas regarding how each sound effect creates a mood a meaning. Students can Monkey exit
also tweet in their thoughts on when principles of composition can be played in their interview in slip, link to
order to develop the flow of the interview, provide evidence to support an idea, or enhance a Twitter
mood established in the interview by the interviewer. Again, students do not have to use twitter
to participate in the class discussion. Instead, they can discuss their ideas and thoughts to the
class verbally.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 13.2 – SWAT!

This is a game that will help students understand the principles of composition and when to
apply it in their interview. The game will be projected on the smart board. There will be a
question at the top of the screen. For example the screen may read “the interviewee is taking a
real long time to answer a question… what type of sound effect would you apply?” and the
options may be A. drum roll or B. laughing. The students have to use the fly swatter to swat the
best answer. The class will be split into two teams. One member of each team will come to the
front to compete with the student from the other team. Each student will have an opportunity to
play at least one time. The first player to swat the right answer wins a point for their team. The
first time to 10 points wins.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 13.2 – Self-Assessment

The students will be asked to take out their self-assessment check-list that was given to the
class at the beginning of the unit. The students will be instructed to fill out the self-assessment
to ensure they have each component of the rubric integrated into their script/presentation. If
not, then the students simply know what needs to be added to their presentation.

Duration: 5 minutes

Activity 11.4 – Peer-Assessment

Two partner groups with be paired together (a total of 4 students). There will be three class
time opportunities of peer-assessment, but this will be the first time the students will present
their script and presentation to the other partner group in order for the partner group to assess
them. Partner group A will present their script and presentation to partner group B to assess
using the rubric given to the students at the beginning of the unit. The groups will then switch,
 and partner group B will present their script and presentation to partner group A to assess. The
groups will sit down and discuss each other’s presentation after each partner group has
presented. The goal here is for the students to discuss what went well, what did not go well,
what could be improved, and provide any other helpful feedback. The purpose of this activity is
for the students to become familiar of what is expected of them to accomplish using the rubric
criteria while also receiving feedback that is crucial for the improvement of their presentation.

Duration: 15 minutes

Activity 11.5 – Partner Reflection and Changes

The partners will then use the feedback that they got during the peer-assessment on their
presentation in order to reflect. The students will be instructed to discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of their presentations in order to set goals. The goals the students set will help
them polish and improve their presentation for the next round of self and peer assessment,
which will ultimately help them create a well-polished presentation for their final presentation
date.

Duration: 10 minutes

Activity 11.6 – Exit Slip on Survey Monkey

The teacher will provide a link to a Survey Monkey which will act as their exit slip. Students will
be asked to answer why and how principles of composition must be integrated into the interview
presentation. Students’ answers must be submitted before they can leave class. There will also
be another box under the exit slip question that will act as the space for students to ask any
questions regarding the lesson and its content. These questions will be answered the next day.

Duration: 5 minutes
14 Student- Activity 14.1 – Library Research Developing Computers,
Teacher The library will be booked for the students to use in order to conduct research on the poems and thinking, library,
meetings and their poets studied in class. The students will also be encouraged to bring their own laptop if developing laptop,
Research Time they want to use their own laptop to conduct research during this time too. The purpose of the literacies, notebooks,
library time is for students to gather helpful information that they can use to help develop and developing pens or
enhance their interview scripts. identity and pencils. Self-
interdependence assessment
Duration: 55 minutes (5-7 minutes will be dedicated to student-teacher meetings) checklists,
interview
Activity 14.2 – Student-Techer meetings presentation
Partners will be asked to join the teacher for a halfway check during the library research time. rubric
Students will be asked to present their scripts to the teacher in order for the teacher to see the
progress students have made. Students will also share the completed self and peer assessment
forms with the teacher as more evidence of their progress. The purpose of this meeting is to
answer student questions and provide help and guidance for the students who need it or seem
to struggle. After the meeting with the teacher is completed then the students will be asked to
continue their research during the library time. The meetings with each partner group should be
completed by the end of this class.
 Duration: 5-7 minutes per each partner group
15 Presentation Activity 15.1 – Presentation Practice using WeVideo Developing Self-
Practice #3 literacies, assessment
This will be a working period for students. Students will meet up with their partner to discuss developing checklist,
their presentation and to complete the self-assessment checklist to assess themselves prior. social Interview
responsibility, Presentation
Students will record themselves presenting their interview presentation using WeVideo. Students developing rubrics.
will be instructed to find another partner group and share the link to their WeVideo of their thinking
interview presentation on the class Google Doc so that the other partner group can view it.
Students will analyze the WeVideo recording created by the other partner group and add text to
the video to identify the strengths of the presentation and areas for improvement using the
marking rubric as reference. By the end of the period, the Google Doc will be filled with links to
all of the students’ WeVideos. This Google Doc will also be shared with the entire class so that
students can watch other WeVideos of student interview presentations. Students will also be
encouraged to leave notes on the strengths and weaknesses of group presentations for each
other on the Google Doc in order to help their peers improve. The students will then separate
from the other partner group once they have completed the peer-assessment in order to view
their peers’ comments on their WeVideo, discuss, and reflect. Here, the students will also set
goals for their final presentation date.

During this time the teacher will be circulating the class in order to provide help and guidance to
the students who need it. The teacher will also use this time to answer any questions the
students may also have.

Duration: 60 minutes
16 Final Activity 16.1 - Presentations Developing Timer,
Presentation identity and rubrics
date Time allotted for presentations to be done interdependence

Duration: 60 minutes
17 Final Activity 17.1 – Presentations Developing Timer,
Presentation identity and rubrics
date Time allotted for the second round of presentations to be done interdependence

Duration: 50 minutes

Activity 17.2 – KWL Chart

Students will be given the remaining of the class to fill out the rest of their KWL chart. There will
be a class discussion after the students have completed their chart. The teacher will ask the
students to share anything they may have realized through the course of the unit (personal
biases, ah-ha moments, etc.). The teacher will also discuss the purpose of the KWL chart, which
was for the students to recognize their personal biases about Canada, Canadian identity, and
what it means to live in Canada today prior to the unit and how their perceptions or biases may
have changed through the course of the unit.
 Duration: 10 minutes

Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)

Considerations
Required Areas of Study:
Is there alignment between outcomes, performance
assessment and learning experiences?
Comments
The learning experiences throughout this unit related directly to a number of outcomes
found in the Saskatchewan Curriculum Guide for English Language Arts 20. This unit
connects to outcome CC 20.1 because the students will be using a reading journal to write
down their thoughts, emotions, and ideas regarding the poems read in the class and their
connections to Canadian identity and what it means to be Canadian. The reading journal
itself is a learning experience because students will learn how to connect ideas,
observations, and emotions to respond to the poems studied in class. Reading journal
prompts will be given to students in order to guide the students on the right paths of
realization towards the experiences that construct one’s sense of Canadian identity.

Students will also be expected to create a presentation that involves an interview of a

literary character from one of the poems that has been studied during the unit, which
aligns with outcome CC 20.2. This project creates a learning experience for students
because they will learn how to view poems and the content of the poems using the
viewpoint of a poet or the speaker of the poem. Students will also learn how to explore the
viewpoints of poems in order to discover certain factors, attitudes, and emotions towards
Canada and Canadian identity. This will help students learn that there are multiple views of
Canadian identity that exist in Canada.

Outcome 20.3 will be achieved through various informal and formal settings that will take
place throughout the unit. Students will present their ideas and thoughts in informal
settings, such as, in partner, group, and class discussion where they will be expected to
share ideas and information. Students will also be expected to express their understanding
of the unit in a formal setting, which will be the interview presentation that will be
presented to their peers and the teacher. This outcome connects directly to a learning
experience. Students will learn that their peers may have different thoughts and ideas than
their own. This will help students learn to respect, value, and appreciate the contributions
made by their classmates.

Students will use the knowledge they required from multiple learning experiences from the

Adaptive Dimension:
Have I made purposeful adjustments to the curriculum
content (not outcomes), instructional practices, and/or
the learning environment to meet the learning needs and
diversities of all my students?
unit and apply it to the end of unit project. The performance assessment will help
determine if the students have achieved the set outcomes established at the beginning of
the unit. The performance assessment will also be differentiated if needed so that all
students can achieve success and complete the established outcomes.
For struggling students:
EAL students will be placed near the front of the class by the teacher’s desk so that the
teacher can provide extra guidance to those who struggle with the English language and
need further explanation. Some of the poems that will be studied in the unit will be played
so that students can listen to the poet perform the poem. This may be difficult for EAL
students to follow along with, so paper copies of the poem will be given to the students to
follow along. Providing every student with a paper copy will ensure that the EAL students
do not feel different from their peers. The students will not be allowed to use a dictionary
during the poetic device quiz; however, there will be a word bank of difficult words and
their definitions to help the EAL students attain success similar to that of their peers.
EAL students will be encouraged to create an interview presentation in English, but EAL
students will be allowed to present their presentation in their original language since this
unit explores and celebrates the multiculturalism in Canada. However, students will be
asked to provide an English version of the script to the teacher and their class so that
everyone can follow along.
Students with learning disability will also be placed near the front of the class along with
the students will behavioral issues. This will make it easier for these students to
concentrate during class lectures, discussions, and group work. It will also be easier to
attend to these students since they will be closer to the teacher’s desk, which means it will
be easier to provide help, answer questions, provide a more clear explanation and clarity,
and give guidance to those who show signs of struggle. Students with learning disabilities
or students who seem to struggle will be put into groups with students who seem to be
excelling in the unit during group or partner work. The student who is doing well in the
unit can help the student who struggle come to understand the curriculum content by
explaining the content in a way that their peer can understand.
Students with learning disabilities will also be given more time to complete their poetic
device quiz. There will also be options for students to conduct an oral quiz or to complete
their quiz in a separate, supervised room. Some learning disabilities make it difficult for
students to manage their time wisely, such as students with ADHD. There will be constant
visual and audible reminders given out during each activity in the lesson so that the
students are aware of the time before transitioning onto the next activity. This will ensure
that each student uses their time wisely and does not become flustered or easily frustrated
when it is time to move on.
The students will be asked to present their interviews in front of the class at the end of the
unit; however, some students may struggle to present their presentations due to anxiety
or speech disorders. Students with speech disorders will be instructed to write a script
since their speech disorder may enable them from successfully completing an oral
presentation. These students will also be encouraged to create a video presentation where
they could edit in speech bubbles instead of directly speaking. This way the student can

Instructional Approaches:
Do I use a variety of teacher directed and student
centered instructional approaches?
still demonstrate what they understand in a manner that will help them experience
success. Students with anxiety issues will also be allowed to present their interview
presentation to only the teacher outside of class time or create a video presentation
created outside of class time without an audience.
There will be 3-4 class days that will be strictly dedicated to interview presentation
development. This means the classroom will get really loud with so many students
performing their presentations and discussing their presentations. In order to create a
quieter space, some students will be given the opportunity to work outside the classroom.
Students who are easily distracted will be able to work in the library, resource room,
empty classroom, etc. if they need a quiet place to work.
For students who need a challenge:
Students who are gifted or talented will be placed in same groups for group work or even
the interview presentation. This way the students who are gifted and talented can take
control over the pace of their learning in an environment that consists of similar learning
levels. Challenging the students with gifts or talents with technology will be a way that will
create interest in their learning. Students with gifts and talents will be asked how they can
transfer their thoughts to a more technological sided presentation. These students can
explore different editing applications that they can used to create a video presentation
during class and library time. The students with giftedness may also finish their
worksheets faster than the other students. When this happens these students will be
asked to move onto the next sheets or will be provided additional worksheets, readings,
and activities.
The entire unit requires little teacher directed instructional approaches. Instead, the unit
will focus more on student centered instructional approaches. The teacher will use verbal
processing as one of the instructional approaches. The teacher will use some of the
lessons in the unit to lecture about poetic devices or difficult components of the rubric to
help students understand. The teacher will also use some class time to read the poem that
will be studied that day to the class. There will also be teacher-led discussions in order to
help guide the students to certain realizations and understanding. The teacher will also use
visual processing as an instructional approach. The teacher will play a recording of a poet
performing a live reading of their poem to the class. The teacher will also show some
examples of interviews on YouTube to generate discussion about why each interview clip
was bad or good. The teacher will also utilize YouTube in the unit when it is appropriate to
do so and to help further understanding.
Besides these instances in the unit, the unit will use a variety of student centered
instructional approaches. Verbal processing will be a huge student centered instructional
approach that will be used throughout the unit. There will be multiple opportunities that
ask students to engage in discussion. There will be partner and group discussions during
the lesson, but students will engage in discussion the most during the work periods and
peer-assessment activities. Students will be expected to interact with one another in order
to present their presentation and provide and receive feedback. Students will also be
asked to come together as groups after the peer-assessment activity to discuss the
 strengths and areas of improvement of each other’s presentation. Lastly, the students will
learn by doing. This act of doing will be a student centered instructional approach since
the student is in control of their own learning. There will be multiple activities in the unit
that will force the students to gain an understanding my completing a certain task on their
own, with a partner, and in a group. Ultimately, students will learn and understand new
concepts, ideas, and definitions through activities that allow them to practice showing their
learning and understanding. Students will also practice their interview presentations
multiple times before they actually present in front of the entire class and the teacher. This
repetition will help students understand what components of their interview presentation
are strong and weak, which will allow them to determine what areas need to be improved
upon.
Resource Based Learning: Students will be provided with the Interview Presentation Rubric and the Self-assessment
Do the students have access to various resources on an checklist during the first lesson of the unit. This will be a resource that the students will
ongoing basis? have to refer to throughout the unit in order to develop and improve on their interview
presentations. The poems that will be studied in the unit will be printed off and put into
duotangs that will be provided to the students at the beginning of the lesson as well.
There will also be a page in the students’ duotangs that will have several website links that
have a recording of a particular poem read out loud. This will be a resource the students
can use if they want to listen to a reading of the poem, which will help them discover the
tone of a certain poem due to the way the reader reads the poem. It is essential to take
advantage of the technological era we currently live in, so students will be encouraged to
use their laptops or cellular devices to locate additional information. Students’ laptops and
cellular devices will be useful, especially during the script making process, since students
will be able to conduct research and find information that may help to enhance or develop
their interview scripts further. Students will also be shown examples of interviews on
YouTube in order to help the students understand the components of an interview and
what makes an interview strong or weak. Students will also be given more links to
interview examples that they can explore on their own time if they need further
clarification.
FNM/I Content and Perspectives/Gender Canada is full of diverse cultures, so this unit will be exploring different cultures and their
Equity/Multicultural Education: perceptions of Canada and Canadian identity in order for students to realize that different
Have I nurtured and promoted diversity while honoring attitudes of Canada and Canadian identity have been established. Students will be
each child’s identity? studying several different poems by Canadian poets throughout the course of this unit.
Students will explore poems by Indigenous poets, Saskatchewan poets, and poets who
immigrated to Canada. This way students will be able to explore different viewpoints and
perspectives in order to gain a true understanding of what it means to be Canadian today.
Students will be provided with perspectives from Indigenous peoples of Canada, people of
minority backgrounds, and the immigrants of Canada. It will be extremely helpful that
each poem comes from a different perspective. This way students will be able to see how
certain experiences influence one’s attitude towards Canada. It is also important to note
that the poems are not all by male poets. Instead, the students will be getting a mix of
poems from both female and male poets.

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)
Interview Rubric
4 – Fully 3 – Fully 2 – Mostly 1 – Not yet
meeting meeting grade meeting grade meeting grade
expectations level level level
with enriched expectations expectations expectations
understanding (FM) (MM) (NY)
(EU)
Language choice Tactful You have a well- Your interview Your interview You are having
and conventions wording developed grasp reflects careful reflects mostly troubles with
of the art of and tactful careful and careful and
tactful wording. wording. You tactful tactful
You remain balance being wording. You wording. You
respectful when “in character” show some did not remain
responding to and speaking troubles being “in character”
challenging respectfully. “in character” and did not
questions. and speaking speak
 respectfully. respectfully to
challenging
questions.
Smooth Your interview Your interview There was an Little to no
transitions flows eloquently flows attempt for flow was
from one part to smoothly from smooth created in your
the next. You one part to the movement interview.
have used next. You have from one part There was no
engaging used to the next in use of
transitions. appropriate your interview. transitions.
transitions. You use
limited
transitions.
Ability to You remain in You are able to You are in and You are having
stay in character and stay in out of troubles
character bring your character and character remaining in
character to life bring your throughout character
throughout your character to your interview. throughout
whole interview. life. You show You show your interview.
You have a clear a good ability some troubles You show little
ability to get to answer answering understanding
“into the head” questions from questions from about your
of your another another chosen
character viewpoint. viewpoint. character in
regardless of the order to answer
questions asked. questions from
You engage in another
complex viewpoint.
thinking from
another
viewpoint.
Apply and You utilize the You can apply You apply You have
adapt principles of and adapt the some troubles
principles of composition to principles of principles of applying
composition great advantage composition. composition in principles of
in order to Images, order to composition to
advance and graphs, develop your your interview.
develop your statistics, message and There are no
message. The music, and supporting images,
integration of sound effects details. There graphs,
graphs, are presented are some statistics,
 statistics, in a way that images, music, or
images, music, emphasize and graphs, sound effects
and sound develop your statistics, present in your
effects are message. music, and presentation.
polished and sound effects
thought- present to
provoking. enhance your
presentation.
Message/Meaning Central, Your message is You Your message You struggle to
strong thesis clearly on one independently is mostly clear present a clear
topic with a and clearly and on topic. thesis that is
thesis message represent a strong and
that resonates central, and central.
with the strong thesis.
audience and
aligns clearly
with the
purpose.
Logical You support You support You use some There are
points and your message your message logical details minimal or no
examples to with numerous with logical to support your use of logical
support logical and details (visual, message. You details to
message, insightful details written, include some support your
provide that serve to auditory) to examples from message. You
unity, expand and achieve unity, the poems read do not include
coherence, develop the coherence, and in class in any examples
and thesis in appropriate order to from the
emphasis interesting ways. emphasis. You support your poems we have
You show strong integrate message. read in class to
unity and multiple help support
coherence and examples from your message.
through- the poems we
provoking have read in
emphasis. You class in order
include to support your
numerous message
examples from further.
the poems read
in class in order
support your
message further.
 Style, The style, The style, You create a You struggle to
volume, and volume, and volume, and presentation use proper
voice are voice of your voice of your with a style style, volume,
appropriate presentation presentation and voice that and voice that
to audience resonate with suit your somewhat suits suits your
and purpose your intended intended your intended intended
audience and audience and audience and audience and
purpose. You purpose. You purpose. You purpose. Your
speak with speak with speak too style, voice,
appropriate volume but softly or loudly and volume
volume and have limited to convey your failed to
inflection in inflection in message convey your
order to convey order to fully sufficiently or message
your message convey your effectively. effectively and
effectively and message sufficiently.
sufficiently. effectively.
Organization Logical Your interview Your interview You introduce Your interview
sequence is introduced in introduces your interview does not follow
a manner that your message in a manner a logical
immediately in a logical that mostly sequence,
captivates and sequence. The informs and making it
hooks the sequence often engages the difficult for the
audience. The engages and audience and audience to
sequence informs the your sequence follow your
consistently audience. is mostly presentation.
engages and logical.
informs.
Valid and Your conclusion Your Your You have
justifiable clearly and conclusion conclusion difficultly
conclusion sufficiently ties wraps up your mostly wraps bringing
the parts of your ideas in a up your ideas closure to your
presentation logical and in a logical and ideas in a
together and convincing convincing logical and
strengths your way. way, but leaves convincing
message. unanswered manner or
questions for there was no
the audience. conclusion
present at the
end of your
presentation.
Feedback:
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Self-assessment checklist prior to presentation

Criteria Specifics Self

Assessment Codes: Identify which areas of

Language choice and
conventions
E – Exceeds the your presentation you
expectation are meeting and other
M – met the expectation areas that need
DN – did not meet the improvement using the
expectation assessment codes before
I – some improvement your final presentation
needed date.
Tactful wording Demonstrates a well-
developed grasp of the
art of tactful wording.
Smooth transitions Your presentation
flows fluently from
one part to the next.
You have used
engaging transitions.
Ability to stay in Can you remain in
character character and bring
your character to life
in your presentation?
Do you have a clear
ability to get “into the
head” of your
character and answer
challenging questions
from another
viewpoint?
Apply and adapt You use the principles
principles of of composition in
composition order to advance and
 develop your message.
You use polished and
thought-provoking
graphs, statistics,
images, music, and
sound effects.
Message/Meaning Central, strong Your message is clear
thesis and only on one topic.
Your thesis message
aligns clearly with the
purpose.
Logical points and Your message is
examples to supported with
support message, numerous logical and
provide unity, insightful details that
coherence, and serve to expand and
emphasis develop the thesis in
an interesting way.
There are multiple
examples from the
poems read in class to
further support your
message.
Style, volume, and The style, volume, and
voice are voice of your
appropriate to presentation are able
audience and to resonate with your
purpose intended audience and
purpose. Do you speak
with appropriate
volume and inflection
in order to convey
your message
effectively and
sufficiently?
Organization Logical sequence The introduction of
your presentation is
immediately
captivating. The
sequence of your
presentation is logical
 and consistently
engages and informs
the audience.
Valid and Your conclusion
justifiable clearly and sufficiently
conclusion ties the parts of your
presentation together
and strengths your
overall message.

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