Instructional Planning Guide -- Overall Unit Plan

Instructional Planning Guide -- Overall Unit Plan

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
1) Students will be able to identify and create complete sentences with a subject and a predicate.
2) Students will identify and use phrases, and dependent and independent clauses.
3) Students will identify and begin to correct sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma-splices.
4) Students will know and use several ways to correct sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma-splices.

Social/Affective:
1) Students will work together as partners, small groups, and as a class to learn about sentences.
2) Students will come to understand the importance of creating complete, correct, understandable sentences.

Linguistic:
1) Terms will be clarified for students, including terms for parts of speech and other terms used when discussing sentences.
2) Students will be better able to communicate because they will better understand sentence structures as they write and read (and listen).

Assessment

Cognitive: Participation in class activities, discussions, games.
Quizzes to check understanding. Application of concepts and skills to their own written work.

Social/Affective: Social -- Informal observation and checking of partner and group work to determine effectiveness of partnerships and small groups. Affective -- Are students showing that they care about this work? Informal observation of student engagement, comments, and judgment of quality of work.

Linguistic: Participation in class activities, discussions, games. Application of concepts and skills to their own written work.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Students will complete activities and games, view PowerPoints and fill in notes, participate in class discussions, take quizzes, and complete a final written assessement -- applying what they have learned to a writing a personal essay. (Note: I will not announce the writing assignment as an assessment of what they have learned about sentences, though I will encourage them to use what they know as they write. This way I will be able to see if they are truly incorporating what they learn about sentences into their writing.)

Teacher Work
The teacher will prepares lessons on
Part 1
What makes a complete sentence
What verbs and subjects do
The jobs of verbs and nouns
Recognizing nouns and their replacers

Part 2
Review of previous
Clauses and phrases
Dependent and independent clauses
Complex sentences

Part 3
Review of previous
Why sentences are important
Non-sentences
phrases, fragments, run-ons, comma-splices

Part 4
Review of previous
Ways to reform/correct sentences:
simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence

Materials
Video clip from "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?"
TV and VCR Player
Computer, Projector, Teacher-Prepared PowerPoint Presentations
Prepared notes with blanks for PowerPoint Presentations
Black Robe for teacher and gavel
(I was looking for a striped "prison suit" for a student to wear, but they're hard to come by now.)
Prepared and copied quizzes and other worksheets/handouts
Overheads prepared to use with games
Overhead projector

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 1

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 1

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
1) Students will be able to identify and create complete sentences with a subject and a predicate.

Social/Affective:
1) Students will work together as partners, small groups, and as a class to learn about sentences.
2) Students will come to understand the importance of creating complete, correct, understandable sentences.

Linguistic:
1) Terms will be clarified for students, including terms for parts of speech and other terms used when discussing sentences.

Assessment

Cognitive: Students will self-report/assess on their individual understanding of what a sentence is and how to use it. Physical Response -- moving to area descriptive of the student's amount of knowledge.
Students will participate in a game to show their understanding of subjects and verbs: Slap game.
A quiz will be given at the beginning of the next class period on subjects and predicates, to see if students understood and retained what we discussed today.

Social/Affective: While and after lining up according to self-perceived understanding of sentences, students will discuss their understanding of sentences, and more knowledgeable students will teach those who feel they understand less. Students will participate as teams in the Slap Game.

Linguistic: Students will view a PowerPoint presentation about sentences and fill in blanks on prepared notes.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Students self-assess their knowledge about sentences.
Students share what they know about sentences with other students.
Students watch and listen to a PowerPoint presentation by the teacher, watching for the needed words and filling in the blanks on prepared notes.
Students participate as members of a team trying to identify subjects and verbs in sentences.


Teacher Work
1) To establish the metaphor/silliness of a "chain gang," the teacher prepares and presents a brief excerpt from the video O, Brother, Where Art Thou. (The clip I used was from the very beginning of the movie up until the George Clooney character is pulled from the freight car when the companions he's chained to fail to jump on. Stop the video quickly then, since a swear word is used after he had fallen. )
2) The teacher dresses up in a judge's robe (borrowed black graduation robe) and uses a gavel to call the class to order. She then "sentences" the students to work on a "chain gang," chaining words together properly to form correct sentences.
3) Teacher has students rise and swears them in to "Tell the truth, ,the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to yourself about sentences."
4) The teacher then directs the students to go out into the hall where she has posted four signs spaced down the hall that read as follows:

-- I could teach this class about sentences!
-- I pretty well understand sentences.
-- I make some mistakes when I write sentence.
-- What's a sentence?

5) After student have lined up down the hall, the line is "folded" so the students who understand the most are facing those who understand the least. The students are directed to tell each other what they think a teacher wants them to know about sentences, and/or their best hints for working with sentences.

6) The teacher has prepared and presents a PowerPoint teaching about the basics of subject and predicate (verb). The teacher has also prepared notes on the PowerPoint that have words and phrases left out for the students to fill in. Students keep their notes in their binders or in a basket provided in the classroom, and are told they may use them on some of the quizzes they will take.

7) The teacher has prepared a set of sentences to be projected on the white board. She has also provided two (unused for their original purpose) fly-swatters. She divides the students into two teams. Each team sends a scorekeeper to the back of the room, and a "player" to the front to a seat positioned near the seat for the other team representative. The representatives prepare themselves to slap the sentence part specified by the teacher when the sentence is projected on the white board. The first one to slap the correct word earns a point for his or her team. The "players" then switch with others from their teams until everyone has a chance to play. Even the scorekeepers trade off and have a turn. This is an opportunity for the teacher to observe informally who understands subjects and verbs (predicates), and who doesn't.

Ongoing: Teacher observes and takes notes on who is "getting it," and who isn't.
Response to activities and observations: The teacher rearranges student seating to pair students who understand with those who don't.

Materials
video clip from "O Brother, Where Art Thou
video player and TV
black robe for teacher
gavel or toy gavel
signs for degrees of understanding about sentences (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com/
Game/Activity Materials, Files, Sentences Corners.)
Computer, projector, and screen
Teacher-prepared PowerPoint (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com/ PowerPoints, Files.)
Teacher-prepared notes on the PowerPoint with blanks for the students to fill in. PowerPoint, Part 1
overhead projector (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com/ Notes on PowerPoints, Files.)
overhead with sentences
two fly swatters

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 2

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 2

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
2) Students will identify and use phrases, and dependent and independent clauses.

Social/Affective:
1) Students will work together as partners, small groups, and as a class to learn about sentences.
2) Students will come to understand the importance of creating complete, correct, understandable sentences.

Linguistic:
1) Terms will be clarified for students, including terms for parts of speech and other terms used when discussing sentences.

Assessment

Cognitive: Students will fill in the missing blanks on prepared notes as they watch a PowerPoint. They will take a quiz on what they have learned so far, using their notes.

Social/Affective: Students help each other make sure they have their notes filled in from last time and this time. (The social/affective element is addressed as photos of the students themselves are used and example sentences use people and places they know as topics.)

Linguistic: Students will fill in the missing blanks on prepared notes as they watch a PowerPoint. They will take a quiz on what they have learned so far, using their notes.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Students view another PowerPoint and fill in blanks on the prepared notes.
Students individually take a quiz on which they may use their notes.


Teacher Work
1) The teacher again dons the black robe (everytime we talk about sentences).
2) The teacher has prepared and presents more PowerPoint presentation about sentences.
(Before showing the second segment, the teacher scrolls quickly through the slides from the first-- yesterday's -- presentation.)
3) The teacher has also prepared notes with blanks for the students to fill in.
(Important: The teacher has made sure that any students who were absent last time have the notes and have been able to fill them in with the help of students who already have the notes. )

4) The teacher has prepared a quiz on the first two lessons (PowerPoint Presentations) about sentences. Students may use their notes while taking the quiz.
5) The teacher reads through the quizzes to see who is and isn't understanding.

Materials
Computer, projector, and screen
Teacher-prepared PowerPoint (See PowerPoint and Notes at http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com/
Teacher-prepared notes on the PowerPoint -- PowerPoint, Part 2
Teacher-prepared quiz on the first two sections of the PowerPoint. (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com/ Quizzes, Tests, Practices for Sentenced, files, Quiz on Sent. 1 & 2)

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 3

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 3

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
For lesson #3) Students will identify and begin to correct sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma-splices.


Social/Affective:
1) Students will work together as partners, small groups, and as a class to learn about sentences.
2) Students will come to understand the importance of creating complete, correct, understandable sentences.

Linguistic:
1) Terms will be clarified for students, including terms for parts of speech and other terms used when discussing sentences.

Assessment

Cognitive: Teacher will informally assess as students join in discussion and answer questions during the PowerPoint presentation.
Individual students will take a quiz on subjects and predicates, and dependent and independent clauses.

Social/Affective: Students will again help their partners and others around them to make sure they all have the notes pages filled in.

Linguistic: Teacher will informally assess as students join in discussion and answer questions during the PowerPoint presentation.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Individual students will take a quiz on subjects and predicates, and dependent and independent clauses. They will be able to use their notes.
Students will view and participate in discussion and answer questions about a PowerPoint prepared by the teacher.
For part of the PowerPoint, a student volunteer becomes the class scribe to edit the PowerPoint, adding a class-generated list of reasons why correct, clear sentences are important.
Students will also fill in the blanks on prepared notes.

Teacher Work
1) The teacher will use a prepared quiz from READ180 materials to check student understanding of subjects and verbs, dependent and independent clauses. I combined and shortened two quizzes from the READ180 materials for struggling readers and writers. *
2) The teacher will prepare and present a PowerPoint focusing on common problems with sentences.
3) The teacher has prepared notes with blanks for the students to fill in.

*NOTE: The students will be able to retake this quiz.

Materials
Quiz -- (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com Folder: Quizzes, Tests, Practices for Sentenced, Files, 2 Subjects and Predicates, and depend and indepent. )
Teacher-Prepared PowerPoint and notes -- PowerPoint, Part 3
Computer, projector, and screen

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 4

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 4

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
Goal of Lesson 4) Students will know and use several ways to correct sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma-splices.

Social/Affective:
1) Students will work together as partners, small groups, and as a class to learn about sentences.
2) Students will come to understand the importance of creating complete, correct, understandable sentences.

Linguistic:
1) Terms will be clarified for students, including terms for parts of speech and other terms used when discussing sentences.

Assessment

Cognitive: Student pairs participate in a Core Test Preparation exercise that also provides practice for recognizing sentence problems.
Students work with parters to "rehabilitate" fragments, comma-splices, and run-ons into complete, correct sentences.

Social/Affective: The teacher observes how students work with their partners in a competitive activity for the whole class.

Linguistic: Students will discuss and ask and answer questions about problems with sentences.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Students work with partners on a test-practice to recognize (in a multiple choice format) sentence problems.
Students work with partners to rehabilitate (correct) illegal (problem) sentences.

Teacher Work
1) The teacher prepares copies of a core test practice worksheet focusing on editing sentence-level errors. (I copied one from our writing textbook materials.)
2) The teacher prepares and presents (with discussion and questions to and from students) a PowerPoint about ways to fix illegal sentences, with notes with blanks.
3) The teacher also prepares problem sentences for the students to correct. Students are to work in pairs.
They will find the errors, show the sentences correctly written, and after fixing a certain number of sentences will bring their work up to the teacher to be checked. (Fortunately, I had a student teacher present to help correct. When there is not another adult present, I give corrected pages to one or two of the students who already understand this concept, and have them help correct.
They then move on to another set of "sentences" that are fragments, comma-spices, or run-ons. They also have a final challenge of combining a series of parts into a complete, correct sentence.
There are small candy prizes for the first few teams to finish, having done a quality job.



Materials
Core Test Practice: any test practice on fragments, comma-splices, and run-ons
PowerPoint, Part 4 - and notes with blanks
Rehabilitation Race (See http://caveassessment.pbwiki.com Game, Activity Materials: Rehabilitation Race )
small candies for prizes

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 5

Instructional Planning Guide -- Lesson 5

Term 4, 2008-2009 School Year
Unit Title: Sentenced! Recognizing and Correcting Crimes Against Grammar!
Grade Level: Seventh Grade

Students: This unit has been prepared for mainstream classes of seventh grade English. The students have been working on writing skills all year, doing various writing assignments in class and on the MYAccess program. We have briefly studied some aspects of sentence structure and variety, including review of parts of speech, but we are still seeing many errors and weaknesses in sentence composition.

Goals

Cognitive:
Goal of Lesson 5 ) Students will know and use several ways to correct sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma-splices, and will be aware of sentence problems and possible corrections as they write an essay for a district writing test on MYAccess.
This period is intended as assessment of overall writing, and of sentence awareness and self-corrections.

Social/Affective:
1) Students spend the period taking an individual test. Writing the essay links to their interests because they get to select a topic from their own experiences.

Linguistic:
1) Students have an opportunity to show what they know about writing a personal essay.

Assessment

Cognitive: The teacher will check student essays for correctness or self-correction of sentences.

Social/Affective: Students are writing about self-selected topics from their own lives.

Linguistic: The teacher will check student essays for correctness or self-correction of sentences.

Sequence of Tasks

Student Work
Students are writing an essay (on MYAccess) about an incident in their own lives. They are to do their own planning, writing, revising, and editing within the hourl
Concerning students for whom time for testing is required to be (or should be ) extended, I talked with them individually, proving extra time for them to complete the work.

Teacher Work
The prompt is already posted on MYAccess by the district. I prepare a copy of the prompt for each student, with a reminder of log-in information, and other suggestions, with space for notes or planning.
After students take the test, I will check them (especially those of students who struggle with creating correct sentences) watching for improvement.

Materials
computer student lab with access to the internet
handout with a copy of the prompt, other information and reminders, and room for notes and planning