ED 321-01

Unit Plan, Spring 2015

Title: Literature Circles
Language Arts
Topic: Read & Analyze Text
Grade: 7th

Subject/Course: English
Designer: Alyssa Toetz

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Understanding(s)
U Students will understand how to
detect what the author is trying to
say as well as why the writer writes
the way he /she writes based off of
textual evidence and their own
inferences.

Essential Question(s)
Q What makes a great story?
How do you read between the lines?

Students will know

K Students will know how to analyze
a novel and find its theme/s, how to
make inferences based off of
significant quotes, evidence, and
techniques writers use to engage
readers.

Students will be able to

S Students will be able to analyze a
novel and draw inferences from their
findings.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:
Other Evidence:
Students will be asked to write their
own short story. Students will work on
incorporating all the things we talked
about in the lessons into their story.
They will have to write an engaging
short story that includes.

Imagery
Theme/s
Protagonist
Engaging supporting
characters.

-Through observation of their writing

(journals), Ill be able to see if they
meet the objective.
-Through their posters and
presentations Ill be able to tell that
they understand the content.
-Students will follow the PEA method.
They will make a point (based off of
what they are asked to answer) find
evidence (a cited quote to prove their
point) and make an analysis (explain
why their evidence supports their
point and what it all means).
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Stage 3 Learning Plan

Day

Materials Needed

Learning Activities

1
Theme

Posters
Markers
PowerPoint

2
Protagonis
t

Journals

Students will engage by

creating a poster in
groups of 4-5 (their lit
circle groups). They will
draw and symbolize a
theme that the group
agrees on to share. Each
group member will
participate in explaining
their poster and how the
theme is related to their
novel based off of
textual evidence they
will have to find.
Students will follow the
PEA method. They will
answer the question,
What makes the
protagonist interesting
to the reader? They will
answer that in their
point. They will provide
textual evidence, and
they will then analyze
how their evidence
supports their point.

3
Imagery

Posters
Markers
Journal

Students will be asked to

select a part of the book
where the author uses
good imagery. They will
draw out what they
author is describing on
the poster, in their
groups. They will present
this with their groups.
Afterwards, they will
write in their journal and
answer the question,
How does imagery

Assessment
Strategies
Formative
Assessment:
Posters
Summative
Assessment:
Explanation of
their poster,
theme, and how
it relates to
textual evidence

Formative
Assessment:
Small group
discussion about
the protagonist
in their story
and why its
interesting
Summative
Assessment:
Journal entry,
following the
PEA method
Formative:
Poster
Summative:
Journal Entry

4
Printing Paper/
Relatable
Notebook Paper
Character( Journals
s)

5
Journals
Author
PowerPoint
Engageme
nt

influence a novel?
Students will make a
Venn Diagram to
compare and contrast
themselves with a
character they chose
from their novel. They
will present this diagram
to their group members.
Afterwards, they will
reflect on if they
themselves are similar or
different to the character
selected and why. They
will also explain why it is
good to connect with a
character.
Students will follow the
PEA method. They will
answer the question,
How does the author
draw in the reader?
They will answer that in
their point. They will
provide textual evidence
that they need to find
within their first few
pages of their novel, and
they will then analyze
how their evidence
supports their point.

Formative: Venn
Diagram
Summative:
Journal Entry

Formative
Assessment:
Small group
discussion about
why author
engagement is
important.
Students will
also discuss
what engages
them in a story.
Summative
Assessment:
Journal entry,
following the
PEA method

ED 321 Lesson Plan # 1

Title: Theme Statements
Subject/Course: English Language Arts
Topic: Read & Analyze to discover themes
Grade: 7th
Designer: Alyssa Toetz
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Understanding(s)
U
How to identify theme in a novel.
Theme statement
Students will know
K
Theme
Textual evidence

Essential Question(s)
Q
What makes a great theme?
Students will be able to
S
Students will be able to draw and
symbolize a theme from their group
novel and explain how their theme
relates to their novel using textual
evidence.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative Assessment: Posters
Summative Assessment: Explanation of their poster, theme, and how it
relates to textual evidence
Stage 3 Learning Plan
L
Materials: Posters, Markers, PowerPoint (attached)
Introduction: Students will be introduced to theme and how to identify the
theme(s) in the various novels they are reading in their literature circles.

Procedures:
-Class discussion led by introductory information on theme provided in a
PowerPoint. The PowerPoint includes what theme is, how to identify and describe
themes in novels with support from textual evidence, and examples of themes from
other novels students may have read.
-Students will engage in their thematic learning by creating a poster in groups of 4-5
(their lit circle groups). They will draw and symbolize a theme that the group agrees
on to share.
-Each group member will participate in explaining their poster and how the theme is
related to their novel based off of textual evidence they will have to find.
Closure: The theme lesson will close by reminding students the importance of
using theme as a strategy to analyze text and understand the true meaning. The
posters the groups create will be hung in the classroom to serve as anchor charts of
the students learning.

ED 321
Lesson Plan # 2
Title: Protagonist Character(s)
Arts
Topic: Read & Analyze Characters
Grade: 7th

Subject/Course: English Language

Designer: Alyssa Toetz

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Understanding(s)
U
How to identify protagonists
characters and their traits
How to use evidence to support their
opinion of their protagonist character
Students will know
K
Protagonist characters
PEA method

Essential Question(s)
Q
What makes a good or interesting
protagonist character?

Students will be able to

S
Students will use the PEA method in
order to describe why or why not the
protagonist character in their novel is
interesting to them?

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative Assessment: Small group discussion about the protagonist in
5

their story and why its interesting

Summative Assessment: Journal entry, following the PEA method
Stage 3 Learning Plan
L
Materials: Journals
Introduction: Students will participate in an introductory activity of how identify
character traits using the PEA method. I will read aloud an excerpt from the short
story, The Ant and the Grasshopper. As I am reading students will record
character traits of either the ant or the grasshopper on post its. After I finish reading
I will ask students to share some of their traits from their post its. I will then model
how to support character traits students shared through evidence using a quote
that describes what the character said or did, and then an explanation for how that
supports the identified character trait. Students will repeat this process with their
tablemates.
Procedures: Students will gather in their literature circles to discuss the
protagonist character in their novel. They will discuss why or why not they think
their protagonist character is interesting.
Students will follow the PEA method to compose a journal entry individually. They
will answer the question, What makes the protagonist interesting to the reader?
Use evidence to support your point. The students explanations should provide
textual evidence, and they will then analyze how their evidence supports their
point.
Closure: The lesson on protagonist characters will close by asking students to
share their journal responses. As students share I will look for the evidence behind
their point made about their protagonist character. I will emphasize to students that
through their responses it is clear that you as readers are more engaged with your
novels when the protagonists is interesting.

ED 321
Lesson Plan # 3
Title: Imagery
Subject/Course: English Language
Arts
Topic: Analyzing text to identify imagery
Grade: 7th
Designer: Alyssa Toetz
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Understanding(s)
U
How imagery influences a novel
How to analyze text to identify
imagery
Students will know
K
Imagery
Five senses used in imagery

Essential Question(s)
Q
What makes engaging imagery for
the reader?
Students will be able to
S
-In their literature circles students will
identify a portion of their novel where
the author uses imagery in order to
demonstrate their understanding of
how imagery uses the 5 senses.
-Students will reflect on how imagery
influences a novel in their journals in
order to create a mental picture while
reading.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative: Poster
Summative: Journal Entry
Stage 3 Learning Plan
L
Materials: Posters, Markers, Journals
Introduction: Students will participate in an introductory activity to understand
what imagery is and why it is important. All of the authors of your lit circle books
use imagery in order to encourage you as readers to engage with the story through
creating a mental picture while reading. Authors are able to do this through the
literary technique, imagery. When the author uses imagery, they write to appeal to
the five senses of the reader. Ask students what the five senses are and record
them on the board. If a reader can see, smell, taste, or touch what the character
experiences, then you can imagine this in your mind and are engaged in the story.
Write the following sentence on the board: "The child got mad at the teacher." Ask
students the following questions: Does the sentence paint a picture for the reader?
Are there details that would appeal to the readers' senses? Model how to improve
the sentence through adding imagery. Ask students to work with their tablemates to
improve these bland sentences through using imagery. Examples: The pizza
tasted great. The class was boring. The teacher is weird. Share a few examples.
Procedures: Students will then move into their literature circle groups. Students
will be asked to select a part of their novel where the author uses good imagery.
They will draw out what they author is describing on the poster. They will present
this with their groups, and describe the specific points of imagery from their novel
that they illustrated.
Closure: After group presentations students will write in their journal and answer

the question, How does imagery influence a novel?

ED 321
Lesson Plan # 4
Title: Relatable Characters
Subject/Course: English Language Arts
Topic: Identify Character traits
Grade: 7th
Designer: Alyssa Toetz
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Understanding(s)
U
How to relate to a character

Essential Question(s)
Q
What makes a character relatable?
How do relatable characters affect
your engagement as a reader?

Students will know

K
Character traits
Similarities and differences

Students will be able to

S
Students will use a Venn diagram to
compare and contrast themselves
with a character in order to identify
character traits and connect with
characters they are reading about.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative: Venn Diagram
Summative: Journal Entry
Stage 3 Learning Plan
Materials: Printing Paper/ Notebook Paper Journals
Introduction: I will ask students to recall the protagonist character traits activity
and remind them of the PEA method they previously worked with.
Procedures: Students will then move into their literature circles. Students will
make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast their own traits with a characters
traits they chose from their novel. The similarities and differences they list of their
character must be supported using the PEA method. They will share their diagram

to their group members.

Closure: Afterwards, they will reflect on if they themselves are more similar or
different to the character selected and why. They will also explain why it is good to
connect with a character.

ED 321
Lesson Plan # 5
Title: Author Engagement
Topic: Author Engagement
Grade: 7th

Subject/Course: English Language Arts

Designer: Alyssa Toetz

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goal(s)
G
CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Understanding(s)
U
How the author engages the reader

Essential Question(s)
Q
What makes a novel engaging?

Students will know

K
Strategies of author engagement
PEA method

Students will be able to

S
Students will identify specific points
of author engagement in their own
novel using the PEA method.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative Assessment: Small group discussion about why author
engagement is important. Students will also discuss what engages them in a
story.
Summative Assessment: Journal entry, following the PEA method
Stage 3 Learning Plan
L

Materials: Journals, PowerPoint

Introduction: Students will review their learning from the week through a
PowerPoint discussing theme, imagery, protagonist character traits, and relatable
character traits. These are all strategies the author uses to engage the reader in the
story.
Procedures: Students will move into their literature circle groups and discuss

various ways the author of their novel has engaged them as readers: either through
imagery, character traits, or theme. Students will then reflect on the question in
their journals, How does the author draw in the reader? Student reflections will
follow the PEA method: they will answer the question in their point, they will provide
textual evidence that they need to find within their first few pages of their novel,
and then they will then analyze how their evidence supports their point.
Closure: I will introduce the short story performance assessment that students will
begin to work on the next day that will incorporate their learning of theme, imagery,
protagonist character traits, relatable character traits.

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