English Language Arts 6-9: Sample Unit: Saskatchewan

Sample Unit

A Taste of Saskatchewan (Grade 7)

Contexts: Personal, Social, Environmental, Imaginative, Historical
Time Line: approximately 6 weeks

Objectives

The foundational objectives develop gradually and continuously throughout the Middle Level. The following learning objectives have been selected as the focus for this grade 7 sample unit.

Speaking

Students will extend their abilities to recognize that talk is an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning.

use talk to share feelings and opinions.

Students will extend their abilities to practise the behaviours of effective speakers.

speak at a rate that enables others to follow, use a volume appropriate to the situation, and modulate voice for effect.

Students will extend their abilities to speak fluently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences.

read aloud with expression, showing awareness of rhythm
demonstrate an ordered sense of story by retelling familiar stories and personal experiences
speak to describe own and others' experiences
participate effectively in group discussions.

Listening

Students will extend their abilities to practise the behaviours of effective, active listeners.

set purposes for listening in a variety of listening situations
concentrate on message of the speaker(s) and respond with interest

Students will extend their abilities to listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.

listen in order to gather information, participate in a discussion, and appreciate or enjoy.

Writing

Students will extend their abilities to practise the behaviours of effective writers.

shape and develop pre-writing into a written draft by using formats appropriate to purpose and audience
seek out teacher or peers with specific strengths and then identify relevant comments/suggestions for use during revision
proofread and edit for conventional spellings of written English in own and others' writing
share writing-in-progress and final drafts in various ways.

Students will extend their abilities to write fluently and confidently for a variety of purposes and audiences, employing appropriate formats.

write to report and inform, and to create personal and fictional narratives
experiment with a variety of other forms of writing (e.g., poems, letters).

Reading

Students will extend their abilities to practise the behaviours of effective, strategic readers.

give complete attention to the reading task
select and use appropriate strategies for constructing meaning from text
reflect on their personal and critical response to what they read, and share their responses with others.

Students will extend their abilities to read fluently and confidently a variety of texts for a variety of purposes.

recognize and appreciate that literature can contribute to their understanding of themselves and their roles in the family and community
develop sensitivity to cultural groups other than their own through literary characters and events.

Integrated Language Study

Students will extend their abilities to:

make subject-verb agreement
use appropriate verb tense
punctuate accurately
proofread and self-edit.

Common Essential Learnings

Many of the objectives for English language arts also develop knowledge, skills, and processes related to the C.E.L.s of Communication, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Values and Skills, and Independent Learning. In addition, other C.E.L.s may be emphasized, depending upon the unit topic or theme. Objectives related to the C.E.L.s for this sample unit are stated below to provide direction for teachers. However, emphasis on particular C.E.L.s within a unit does not preclude the development of other C.E.L.s.

The following objectives related to the C.E.L.s were selected for this sample unit:

ask pertinent questions to further their own understanding (C)
respect, understand, and empathize with the language, thoughts, artistic expressions, and viewpoints of others (C)
provide reasons for their answers, ideas, responses, or choices (CCT)
understand through the study of literature how cultural heritage shapes understanding (PSVS)
co-operate with and help each other in order to enhance their understanding through sharing information (IL).

Unit Focus and Direction

Students in grade seven are becoming increasingly more aware of themselves and of how others perceive them. They thrive on active involvement, both in the classroom and in the community. This unit about Saskatchewan addresses their need to interact with each other and with members of the community in meaningful ways through their speaking, listening, writing, and reading processes.

"A Taste of Saskatchewan" provides students with the opportunity to read literature that depicts characters in situations similar to their own. It also encourages them to practise critical thinking in connection with these related experiences. This unit encourages students to learn more about the past and present in their own province and in their own regional areas; it also introduces students to the historical and social aspects of Saskatchewan literature.

By reading and discussing works by Saskatchewan writers, students will recognize that authors write about what is familiar and real as well as about what is fantastic and imaginary. Students will practise their own writing skills through the writing process.

The development of oracy skills is also important. In this unit, time is allotted for developing a sense of "story" and for storytelling, as well as for interviewing, discussing, conversing, and reporting. It is suggested that teachers contact Saskatchewan writers and storytellers to invite them into their classrooms and that students have an opportunity to interact with these people, as well as with other community members.

As they progress through the unit, students will consider questions such as the following: What does it mean to be from Saskatchewan? How do I feel about living here? What can I learn about my own community? How is living in Saskatchewan different from living in other parts of Canada? Which people in my community could I be talking to for more information about Saskatchewan's past? Is there a Saskatchewan writer who will correspond with me to help me learn more about writing or to tell me something about herself/himself? What past experiences that are uniquely Saskatchewan do I have to write about or relate?

Students will need:

three-ring binders with three dividers for mini-lesson information, individual vocabulary study, and personal spelling lists
bound notebooks for Reader Response activities
writing folders and portfolios.

Adaptive Dimension

The Adaptive Dimension empowers teachers to make adjustments in a variety of areas in order to meet individual student needs. Throughout this unit, teachers will make adjustments as required in learning environment, instruction, curriculum topics, resources, or assessment and evaluation. The duration of the adaptation may range from five minutes of individual assistance to whole class instruction over an extended time frame. See the introductory section of the curriculum guide for more information about the Adaptive Dimension.

Instructional Strategies

Throughout this unit teachers will use a variety of instructional strategies. Each lesson includes some methods from each of the following strategies: direct instruction, indirect instruction, independent study, and interactive instruction. Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice (Saskatchewan Education, 1991) provides detailed information about each of these strategies and describes methods of instruction that fit into each strategy.

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies

This unit provides opportunities for the use of the following strategies:

self-assessment, peer assessment, teacher assessment

observation checklists

anecdotal notes

writing portfolios

rating scales

Reader Response Journals

individualized spelling and vocabulary records

oral presentations.

Teachers should monitor and record student progress by using a variety of assessment tools on a daily basis. Regularly collected data provides information upon which to base instructional decisions and student reports. Sample assessment tools are provided in this curriculum guide. These may be used as printed or they may be adapted to accommodate observation of specific lesson objectives and student needs. Teachers should make students aware of the criteria for their assessment and evaluation early in the unit. Whenever possible and appropriate, students should be involved in establishing these criteria.

Resources

The bibliography lists resources that are useful for this unit; however, teachers may find it necessary to select other resources that are more appropriate to their students' needs and interests. In addition, there may be resources that are already known by the teacher, or that are more readily available at the time.

Note: The bibliography that accompanies this guide will be updated regularly to include suitable new releases. Teachers are encouraged to select resources from the bibliography and from their own repertoire of literature, considering the needs and interests of their students.

Teacher Preparation

Select a variety of resources by Saskatchewan authors that are appropriate to student activities and organize these into a classroom collection for use throughout the unit. Locate several anthologies of short stories, nonfiction, and poetry by Saskatchewan writers.
Select five or six novels by Saskatchewan authors written for varying reading levels to match student abilities (four or five copies of each) for students' guided reading experiences.
Create a bulletin board display consisting of scenes from Saskatchewan, pictures of Saskatchewan authors, reviews of Saskatchewan books, and other relevant items of interest. This display can be added to by the students and teacher throughout the unit.
Obtain information regarding Saskatchewan authors or storytellers who may be able to visit your classroom. To locate Aboriginal storytellers, contact the Aboriginal liaison person with the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild. (See Saskatchewan Writes! A Learning Resource Guide About Saskatchewan Writers and Their Works.) Make arrangements for a Saskatchewan author to visit your classroom for a day during week four of this unit. This may be for readings and discussion of the author's works or for involving students in an author initiated writing activity. Also arrange for a storyteller (preferably a local community member) to visit sometime during week five of this unit.
Determine how class times and procedures will be structured. Some considerations include: the structure and organization of the writing process; the time and organization for Reader Response, Literature Circles, and independent reading; the number of oracy activities and their structure; how language study will be integrated; expectations regarding Vocabulary Logs and personal spelling lists; and the assessment and evaluation of the unit. Teachers may wish to determine some or all of the procedures in collaboration with students. However, it is useful to have considered the possibilities beforehand. Review applicable sections of the curriculum guide.
Prepare a Literature Circle folder for each Literature Circle group. The folder, to be kept in the classroom, should contain the following items:
Literature Circle Information Sheet (one copy). This provides the group with information about the reading of the novel, group discussions, and group roles.
Individual Reading Schedule (one copy for each member of the group). This is an individual recordkeeping sheet for each student. It provides the teacher and student with information about the students' reading progress.
Role Sheets for each of the following: Discussion Co-ordinator, Summarizer, Language Master, and Recorder. (Alternative roles may be chosen depending upon students' abilities and needs.)

Different coloured paper for each folder item can make for easy reference when the teacher is explaining their uses. See samples of the forms described above in the Reading section of this curriculum guide.

Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

Observations made during daily classroom instruction and learning help teachers to question and reflect upon their practice. When teachers ask questions about such things as the effects of their instruction, student engagement in activities, and student progress, they find ways to improve their practice and make learning more rewarding for their students. Within each lesson of the sample unit, one or two questions provide possibilities for teacher reflection; teachers may use these questions or develop their own questions, depending upon their purposes and needs. (Additional questions may be recorded in the spaces provided at the end of each lesson.) Often, teachers record their observations, questions, and reflection in journals or notebooks as a means of maintaining records of decisions that have helped shape their practice.

Activities in this Unit

The suggested times for activities within each lesson are approximate and are intended only to serve as guidelines. Teachers may find it necessary to adjust these times according to their students' needs, interests, responses, and requirements.