Planning Language Arts Units

The language arts are best learned and applied in meaningful situations in the school, the community, and daily life. To this end, this curriculum advocates a unit planning approach, with units based on meaningful contexts. Teachers are encouraged to develop units at each grade level that respond to students' interests, incorporate all the language processes, and give students a range of learning experiences in whole class, small group, and individual situations.

This curriculum guide provides various contexts to help teachers plan instructional units. All unit themes and topics can be related to and developed under broader categories or contexts. These contexts are intended to be explored at each grade, although some will appear explicitly and others only implicitly. For example, the Communicative, Personal, and Social Contexts, by their very nature, will be incorporated implicitly in most English language arts units and learning experiences. The Imaginative and Literary Context should be the explicit focus for at least one unit at each grade level. Contexts with sample topics are listed below.

Personal and Philosophical Context: self-concept, self-image, feelings, favourite things or places, thoughts, growing up, exploring the influential forces in our lives, human ideas, beliefs, values, ways of thinking and knowing.

Social, Cultural, and Historical Context: relationships with others, interactions with others, community and cultural customs, events and issues, our place in the history of humanity, archaeology, autobiography.

Imaginative and Literary Context: literature (classic, contemporary), genres, illustrator/author studies, cultural perspectives, novel studies, fantasy, possibilities and improbabilities, nonsense, humour.

Communicative Context: different methods or forms of communication, visual literacy, mass media, computer applications, language origins.

Environmental Context: nature, animal kingdom, earth, sky, sea, space, environmental concerns and issues.

Most classroom language experiences can be grouped or integrated under these five contexts. These contexts frequently integrate with each other and with topics of study in other subjects.

It is recommended that grade 1-5 teachers plan five to seven units for the year, basing at least one unit on each of the five contexts. The chart on the following page gives an overview of possible unit themes and topics for each context.

Types of Units

In addition to considering the five contexts, teachers need to think about the types of units they plan, ensuring that they include the following three types:

A multi-genre thematic unit is built around a theme or topic and includes a range of prose, poetry, and plays (e.g., Heroes).
A multi-genre, interdisciplinary inquiry unit is built around a theme or topic that is related to an important question(s). An interdisciplinary unit considers and addresses objectives from both English language arts and other area(s) of study. The emphasis in an inquiry unit is on "finding out" the answers to a question or questions that the students have about the theme or topic. Teachers and students use the inquiry process to guide their activities in an inquiry unit (see p. 265-267).
A genre study unit focuses on a specific literary genre (e.g., the novel). An author study focuses on the works of a particular author or illustrator.

Thematic studies easily adapt to multigrade situations. Teachers can vary activities within a broad theme or topic to suit the various ability levels of students and to meet the learning objectives for their respective grades.

Suggested Guidelines for Unit Types

Type of Unit	Minimum Number
Thematic units	3 per grade
Inquiry units	1 per grade
Author or genre study units	1 per grade

Thematic studies encourage all students to participate, become involved in the planning, and take responsibility for their learning. "One of the most important outcomes of theme studies is that students gain self-confidence because they are motivated to learn and apply what they are learning and this confidence breeds success" (Tompkins, 1997, p. 33).

Sample Themes and Topics for English Language Arts Units

Contexts	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4	Grade 5
Personal and Philosophical Context (could be integrated with health education, arts education, mathematics, physical education)	All About Me Feelings Safety My favourite things	Fears My body Hobbies	Wishes & dreams My emotions Friends/foes My responsibilities Safety at home Role models Making choices	Family tree I am unique Leisure time activities My relationships with others School life Feelings	Heroes Growing up Street kids Accomplish-ments What I believe Learning from stories
Social, Cultural, and Historical Context (could be integrated with social studies, arts education, health education)	New friends Family Home is where the heart is Neighbourhood Playground Outdoor activities	Friends and Friendships Our community Life in the Community Communities of the past Homes The spirit of giving	Comparing communities Cities Legends (genre) Elders Biographies (genre)	Pastimes Cultures & celebrations Prairie life Life in northern Saskatchewan Saskatchewan place names Local issues	I am Canadian My peers Historical fiction (genre) Stepping back in time Diaries Early exploration
Imaginative and Literary Context (could be integrated with arts education, social studies, science)	Rhymes (genre) Fairy tales (genre) Imaginary creatures Little critters Illustrator study Storytelling What if ...	Surprise endings Monsters & giants If I were ... Do you believe it? Author study Fables (genre) Humour in print	Folktales (genre) Poetry (genre) Knights & castles Space Space crafts Make believe & magic Author study	Tall tales (genre) Fables (genre) Inventions Dreams Lost in space Author study Trickster tales Legendary creatures	Autobiography (genre) Mysteries (genre) Myth & legend (genre) Glimpses of other worlds The future Fantasy Author study
Communicative Context (could be integrated with arts education, mathematics, social studies, arts education)	The telephone Special days & celebrations Signs and symbols	Nonsense Play on words Special friends Advertisements on TV for children (genre - media studies)	Sound Electronic & mechanical sounds Magazines for children (genre - media studies) The power of television Communicating electronically	So Why are You Laughing? Multicultural mosaic Words and pictures Advertising (genre - media studies)	Origins of language Visual storytelling Values & messages on the WWW (genre - media studies) Oral literature Signs & symbols Sign language
Environmental Context (could be integrated with science, arts education, mathematics, health education)	Animals Farm Animals Plants & trees The senses Forms Food Amazing animals Motion Conservation	Weather Air & water Plant growth Creepy crawlers Dinosaurs Magnets	Endangered animals Animal growth Earth Day & night Think green Farming The sky The senses Turtles	Habitats Light Predicting weather Rocks & fossils Insects & spiders Metamorphosis Recycling	Matter & Its changes Machines & work Bridges Bones & artifacts Oceans Hunting & fishing

Notes: Several themes and topics provide opportunities to focus on interdisciplinary units. Themes and topics highlighted in bold are developed as sample units, which are included in this curriculum guide. The themes and topics listed are examples; teachers may have additional ideas.

Sample Yearly Planning Form

Unit	Theme/Topic
1	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
2	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
3	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
4	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
5	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
6	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
Additional	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:
Additional	Theme or Topic: Context: Type of Unit:

Sample Unit Planning: Form One
Planning a Multi-genre Thematic Unit

Unit Title:

Context:

Time Frame:

Objectives for the Unit

Listening:	Speaking:
Reading:	Writing:
Viewing:	Representing:

Assessment and Evaluation

Introduction
How will I engage my students in the unit and introduce the theme or topic?

Instructional Activities
What series of activities and specific lessons will help my students achieve the objectives?

Closure
How will I bring closure to the unit?

Sample Unit Planning: Form Two
Planning an Interdisciplinary Inquiry Unit

English Language Arts	Other Subject Area(s)
Context/Theme/Topic: Objectives:	Parallel Theme/Topic: Objectives:
Big Ideas/Questions: Assessment and Evaluation: Resources: Activities Introductory Activities Instructional Activities Closing Activities

Sample Unit Planning: Form Three

Unit Title:

Context:

Focus Summary:

I have considered each of the following areas while planning this unit:

__ Learning Objectives

__ Instructional Strategies and Methods

__ Mini-lessons

Resources
__ print
__ non-print
__ human
__ gender equitable
__ Indian/Métis content and perspectives
__ multicultural content and perspectives

__ Interdisciplinary Possibilities

__ Opportunities for Student Reflection

__ Areas for Teacher Reflection

__ Common Essential Learnings

TL

__ Assessment and Evaluation Techniques

Adaptive Dimension

__ materials

Sample Unit Planning Checklist

In this unit of study, do I plan to:

__ identify key language arts objectives and expectations?

__ use engaging and appropriate introductory activities that will interest students and establish connections between students' existing knowledge and new learning?

__ sequence activities appropriately (i.e., known to unknown, simple to complex)?

In this unit of study, do I plan to employ a variety of instructional strategies to help my students achieve the objectives of the curriculum by:

__ planning for daily and ongoing activities for each language strand?

__ planning lessons that build on students' strengths and abilities?

__ planning lessons that address the appropriate language arts objectives?

__ employing appropriate before, during, and after scaffolds for learning tasks?

__ providing focused mini-lessons to explain and model specific knowledge, skills, and strategies?

__ ensuring that students have opportunities to support and learn from others?

__ balancing teaching and learning strategies to accommodate individuals and group learning needs and styles?

__ helping students understand why, how, and when a skill or strategy is used?

__ helping students draw on the strategies appropriate to the task at hand?

__ using a variety of print and non-print resources (including audiovisual, electronic, and human)?

__ using closure activities that allow students to show what they have learned and reflect on their learning?

In this unit of study, do I plan to employ a variety of assessment and evaluation techniques appropriate to the objectives, instructional approaches, learning activities, and students' needs by:

__ identifying what I am assessing and why?

__ identifying how students will demonstrate their understanding, skills, or strategy?

__ identifying the best times and ways to assess?

__ sharing expectations with students and others in advance?

__ involving students in developing and defining criteria?

__ encouraging students to explain how they use their language knowledge, skills, and strategies and to reflect on their use?

__ including ways for students to reflect on their work and growth?

__ knowing how I will explain and justify the weight and emphasis for each evaluation?

__ knowing how I will help students select and collect portfolio data according to criteria?