Teaching Strategies:
Content Knowledge
Students will be introduced to the storybook The Harlem Renaissance, by Matthew Gollub. They will take a picture, walk through the story, and discuss the photographs. Students will make inferences based on that information. Anchor charts will be created based on students’ prior knowledge of the topic. A KWL (What you know; What you want to know; What you learned) will be used to document information as we read the story. Students will be introduced to the essential questions of the story (Big Idea). Vocabulary words and definitions will be displayed for student knowledge.
Group Reading:
The first reading of the story will be done as a large group. Students will take turns reading in a large group, pausing to discuss photographs and unknown words and vocabulary. Students will be reminded to look for clues in the text that will help to answer the essential questions. The second reading of the story will be done in small groups of 2-3, with the students taking turns reading. After these readings, there will be student-led discussions on the text in small groups.
*Modification: Students who have difficulty reading the text will be placed in a small group with the teacher, working on fluency and decoding.
Mini lessons:
Students will spend 5-7 minutes in class journaling. There will be daily prompts to answer based on different sections of the text. Students will discuss their writing with their peers. We will add to the KWL chart during this time if there are any new questions or concepts from the reading. There will be ample opportunity to go back and look at various resources as we present them. Mentor texts will be used as examples of different techniques of writing. Students will view writing from figures highlighted in the book as well as from their peers. Students will workshop this writing in large and small groups and add comments and corrections where applicable for each example. I will model good writing techniques through my own journal writing and model text. (We will do this several times throughout the unit.)
Independent Practice:
Students will have the opportunity to read and write independently. They will be encouraged to go back through the text and find key ideas and make notes on the information they find important. Students will have the opportunity to choose their historical figure from Gollub’s book to do extended research on. They will have access to other resource materials as they work through the reading and writing process. The teacher will take this opportunity to work with small groups of students and individuals to check in on how their research and writing are progressing. This unit will be based on a workshop- and project-based learning model. Students can work at their own pace while following the rubric for understanding. Students working independently allow the teacher to circulate through groups and work with individual students.
Library visit:
A visit to the library will be set up with the school librarian for students to look for sources to use for their research. The librarian will review library procedures. Students will spend this time locating texts to build a resource library for our classroom. The librarian will offer assistance in locating materials. At the end of the unit, we will return the books. Students will be encouraged to look for many different types of sources.
Flexible group instruction:
Students who have chosen the same research subject will have the opportunity to work in small groups. Group members will be encouraged to share the reading and research duties. Information gathered by groups will be kept in a community folder for reference. The teacher will meet with each group to monitor their process and offer assistance. The groups will be responsible for asking teachers for materials or resources they are having trouble locating. Flexible seating will be available for all groups to maximize comfort and work time.
Writing Workshop:
Students will have the opportunity to submit their work to the teacher for feedback. Students will also share their work with their peers several times throughout the unit. We will work in small and large groups for workshop writing. Students will have the opportunity to listen to work from peers in their group and as a whole class. We will start to put daily prompts together to begin to build content for the first draft of writing. Rules and procedures will be reviewed before students move into group settings. Clear instructions will be given to students. Students must be writing or researching the majority of the time. Respectful group discussions are ok. Voice levels should be appropriate. Everyone in the group should be contributing to the discussion and work.
*Students who have difficulty with the writing process will work one on one and in small groups with the teacher to learn and work with effective writing techniques.
Information Sessions:
Students will have the opportunity to share informational resources with their peers. Some groups may have found resources that other groups have not. Each group will have the opportunity to share information from their resources. Students will lead discussion panels where each group will answer questions that other students may have from their research or from the text. After our daily journal prompts, we will do a whole class check-in. We will share where we are in our research and writing. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Reading and Writing Integration:
Students will use the information they collect from reading, note-taking, discussion, and journal entries to use as a resource for future writing. Once students have enough information to begin their first draft, they will combine all of this information and begin writing.
Assessment:
Students will have a rubric that aligns with writing standards. Students will be able to monitor their progress by following the rubric. Journaling prompts will also be used to check for understanding as we complete the unit. The final assessment will be based on student writing and content, and the final arts project that will align with the rubric. Informal assessments will be used throughout the unit. During every activity, there will be an opportunity to check our understanding and clarity. Students will be given opportunities throughout the unit to correct their work and mistakes to get the maximum points on this project.
Arts Integration:
Students will have the opportunity to extend their learning by integrating an art form into their writing. Students will be shown examples of writing, paintings, photographs, and recordings in order to choose the form that will best relate to their subject matter. Students can choose a variety of activities to showcase their research. They can be as creative as they would like. Power Points, posters, creating artwork, writing their poetry or short stories, singing, playing instruments, or performing a play are among examples students can choose in order to extend their learning.
Gallery Walk:
At the end of the project, students will have the opportunity to view their peers’ writing and art. We will invite fourth-grade ELA students to attend our gallery walk as well. Students will have the opportunity to offer feedback on student work. Students will present their final drafts and art integration piece to the class.
Q&A:
After each student presents their finished writing assignment and art integration piece, we will take a few minutes for students to ask their classmates a question about their subject. We will also complete the KWL Chart by adding information into the learned category, as well as adding any further knowledge we have gained along the way. We will keep the anchor charts as a resource for future assignments.
Field Trip:
Students will have the opportunity to attend a concert and listen to jazz played by local musicians. Students will also be able to see works by local artists in the Pittsburgh area that helped to create a musical renaissance in one of our local communities.
Summary Meeting:
The class will meet at the end of the unit to discuss their opinions. We will conference individually to go over the rubric and discuss what grade the students earned. More importantly, I will debrief with each student on their understanding of the content.
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