Elementary English and Language Arts UDL Instructional Unit - Lesson 4
Contents |
Objectives:
Students will determine the importance of information in the text. Common Core State Standards: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.4.1, and RI.4.2
Students will use supporting evidence to analyze the author's purpose. Common Core State Standards: RI.3.2, RI.3.6, RI.3.9, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, and RI.4.6
Students will write evidence from the text and sort it into theme/not theme. (3.WI.l3)
Essential Question(s):
What is the author's purpose?
How does the author's purpose help the reader to determine what is important?
Vocabulary:
Author's Purpose: the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic
Review vocabulary from previous lessons
Materials:
- Chapter 8, Our School from the book, Children of the Dust Bowl
- Theme strips
- T-chart labeled theme and not theme
- Sticky notes
- Author's Purpose chart
Lesson 4 - Introduction
Activate Previous Knowledge
- Display a chart that is titled, "The Author's Purpose". Review the definition of author's purpose. Invite a student to write one reason why an author writes a text, (to persuade, to inform, to entertain). Have a different student add a characteristic of the purpose (i.e. sway thinking, give facts, tell a story). Have another student write the title of a text that meets the purpose (i.e. commercials, Children of the Dust Bowl, Saturdays and Teacakes). Repeat the process until all 3 purposes have been identified.
- Review the large group graphic organizer where the main idea and supporting details are listed. Reread the answers. Ask students: 1) What is the author's purpose for writing Children of the Dust Bowl? (to inform) 2) Why do you think Jerry Stanley wrote this book? (to inform the reader about how the teachers and the Okies built their own school. Remember students have only been exposed to Chapter 8 of the text. However, the teacher provided background knowledge for the whole book. It may be necessary to remind students of the context in which the book was written.
Definitions:
Author's Purpose: the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic
Multiple means of representation – anchor chart listing author's purpose, large group graphic organizer, book
Multiple means of expression – write on anchor chart in large group, review graphic organizer in a discussion with the large group
Multiple means of engagement – Students use prior knowledge on author's purpose.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers
- Provide a personal copy of the chart being completed on the board by the whole class. This is a 3-column T-chart with 3 rows. The columns are labeled "Author's Purpose", "Characteristic", and "Text Example." The rows are not labeled. It looks like this:
- Writing in the answers.
- Cutting and pasting (or hook-and loop tape attaching or using sticky notes with responses written on them) in the answers.
- Verbalizing the responses for a partner (peer or adult) to scribe.
- Completing the organizer digitally.
- During the large group review, provide the main idea/supporting details graphic organizer completed in Lesson 3, Practice, step 2. for the student to use n answering questions. Provide choices in accommodated format(s) for the student to select from in order to answer the teacher's questions. Pre-plan a question and answer for the student.
| Author's Purpose | Characteristic | Text Example |
Provide the T-chart in the most appropriate accommodated format which has previously been provided for the student in other activities. These might include color coded rows or columns, digital format, supplemented with symbol-based text, etc.
As the class fills in the chart, have the student complete his or her personal chart by:
If the student is chosen to answer a question, he or she can answer using the preferred mode of communication. This might be pre-planned.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators
- Provide a personal copy of the chart being completed on the board by the whole class. This is a 3-column T-chart with 3 rows. The columns are labeled "Author's Purpose", "Characteristic", and "Text Example." The rows are not labeled. It looks like this:
- Cutting and pasting (or hook-and loop tape attaching) in the answers.
- Sorting answers into a 3-dimensional graphic organizer such as the basket/container system described previously.
- Completing the organizer digitally.
- During the large group review, provide the main idea/supporting details graphic organizer completed in Lesson 3, Practice, step 2. for the student to use n answering questions. Provide choices in accommodated format(s) for the student to select from in order to answer the teacher's questions. Pre-plan a question and answer for the student.
| Author's Purpose | Characteristic | Text Example |
Provide the T-chart in the most appropriate accommodated format which has previously been provided for the student in other activities. These might include color coded rows or columns, texturally outlined with glue/yarn/puffy paint/etc., digital format, 3-dimensional format, supplemented with symbol-based text, supplemented with textures, etc.
As the class fills in the chart, have the student complete his or her personal chart by:
If the student is chosen to answer a question, he or she can answer using the preferred mode of communication. This might be pre-planned and/or pre-recorded into a voice-output device which the student can activate.
Establish Goals/Objectives for the Lesson
Inform students: "Today we have identified the author's purpose was to inform the reader about how the teachers and the Okies built their own school. We are going to examine the text to identify the possible themes/messages. Then we will find supporting details to justify our conclusions."
Multiple means of representation – large group graphic organizer, anchor charts, writing on sticky notes
Multiple means of expression – read assigned passage with small group, discuss with large group
Multiple means of engagement – Students read passage with the small group and write supporting details on sticky notes.
Lesson 4 - Body
Direct Instruction and/or Facilitation of the Lesson Activity(ies)
- Remind students that authors write to persuade, inform, or entertain but most texts have a deeper message.
- Explain to students that we will use the same theme strips from Saturdays and Teacakes to complete the sentence: The theme in this book is __________. Display the strips listing the possible themes: childhood memories, bravery, relationships, family traditions, farm life, historical events, friendship, or coming of age.
- In the same small group from the prior lesson, students discuss which theme would relate to the text and sorts them accordingly.
- As a large group, sort the strips into two categories: theme or not theme. Discuss student rationales.
| Theme | Not Theme |
| Childhood Memories | Family Traditions |
| Relationships | Bravery |
| Friendship | |
| Coming of Age | |
| Historical Events | |
| Farm Life |
Multiple means of representation – word cards, theme strips, chart paper with t-chart or projected onto screen
Multiple means of expression – sort/discuss in small groups then share in large group
Multiple means of engagement – Students discuss where the themes are placed in small group then sort them into a t-chart with the large group.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers
- Provide the same accommodated materials regarding author's purpose as in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1.
- Provide the same accommodated materials regarding the possible themes as in Lesson 2, Body, steps 3 and 4.
- Follow the same instructional procedure as in Lesson 2, Body, step 4.
- Follow the same instructional procedure as in Lesson 2, Body, step 5.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators
- Provide the same accommodated materials regarding author's purpose as in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1.
- Provide the same accommodated materials regarding the possible themes as in Lesson 2, Body, steps 3 and 4.
- Follow the same instructional procedure as in Lesson 2, Body, step 4.
- Follow the same instructional procedure as in Lesson 2, Body, step 5.
Lesson 4 - Practice
- Students work with their small group using Chapter 8: Our school from Children of the Dust Bowl. Students will mark the passages in the text that support the theme(s) they have chosen. Students write the supporting details their group has chosen on the sticky notes. (One detail per sticky note will work best for the upcoming sorting activity)
- Students return to the large group. They should continue sitting with their small group partners. Each small group will present two supporting details and place it next to the theme strip it supports. The group will explain why they chose the details and why it supports a particular theme.
Multiple means of representation – supporting details on sticky notes, t-chart on chart paper or projected onto screen
Multiple means of expression – read, discuss and record in small group, write on sticky notes, share details in large group
Multiple means of engagement – Students reread assigned passage in text and write the supporting details. Sort theme strips and sticky notes with the large group; discuss.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers
- Provide the information and accommodations for Chapter 8: Our School from Children of the Dustbowl in the same format as in Lesson 2, Practice, step 1.
- Use the same instructional procedures as in Lesson 2, Practice, steps 2 and 3.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators
- Provide the information and accommodations for Chapter 8: Our School from Children of the Dustbowl in the same format as in Lesson 2, Practice, step 1.
Use the same instructional procedures as in Lesson 2, Practice, steps 2 and 3.
Lesson 4 - Closure
Revisit/Review Lesson and Objectives
Read aloud the themes and the supporting details listed on the sticky notes. Discuss: Are the supporting details next to the theme that it best supports? (yes or no) If students answer no, ask: Which supporting detail would you move? Why? (varied answers) Discuss rationale with the large group and make appropriate changes.
Multiple means of representation – theme strips, details on sticky notes
Multiple means of expression – discuss and manipulate supporting details in large group
Multiple means of engagement – Students discuss theme and supporting details; provide rationales.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers
During the large group activity, provide access to all the accommodated materials that have been developed and used regarding themes and supporting details. Allow the student to answer questions using his or her preferred mode of communication. Pre-plan information for the student to contribute.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators
During the large group activity, provide access to all the accommodated materials that have been developed and used regarding themes and supporting details. Allow the student to answer questions using his or her preferred mode of communication. Pre-plan information for the student to contribute.
Exit Assessment
Exit slip: What is the theme you feel best meets the author's intent? Why? (all are acceptable answers: childhood memories, relationships, friendship, coming of age, historical events, farm life) \*It's at the teacher's discretion on whether students have acceptably justified their theme choice.
Multiple means of representation – notebook paper, t-chart drawn on chart paper or projected onto screen Multiple means of expression – write, discuss rationales Multiple means of engagement – Students identify the theme and provide appropriate supporting details to justify their choice.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers
Allow the student to choose the theme and his or her rationale from several choices (correct answer and from one to three plausible but not correct choices with the number depending upon the discrimination ability of the student). Note: Because this is an assessment activity and not instructional like the other activities in this lesson, all of the themes and rationales must be plausible (even though only one is the most appropriate). Here you are trying to assess the student's ability to determine the theme and give a rationale for the choice. Providing distractors that are clearly not linked to the text would not give information to verify the student's achievement of the learning objective.
Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators
Allow the student to choose the theme and his or her rationale from several choices (correct answer and from one to three plausible but not correct choices with the number depending upon the discrimination ability of the student). Note: Because this is an assessment activity and not instructional like the other activities in this lesson, all of the themes and rationales must be plausible (even though only one is the most appropriate). Here you are trying to assess the student's ability to determine the theme and give a rationale for the choice. Providing distractors that are clearly not linked to the text would not give information to verify the student's achievement of the learning objective.
Lesson 4 – Resources
Author's Purpose. (n.d.). In Gourmet Learning. Retrieved from http://gourmetlearning.com/site/media Stanley, J. (1992). (p53, 60-70). Children of the Dust Bowl The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.
