Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Descriptive Writing UnitElle Quist

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
-Students are experiencing words all around
themspoken, written, readand through
many mediumsbooks, newspapers, texts,
Facebook posts, emails, etc. If we aim to
equip students hearts and minds for the
world, they need to understand the power and
potential for word usage.
Established Goals
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, telling details,
and sensory language to convey a vivid
picture of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters.
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach, focusing on addressing what
is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6
Use technology
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, relevant
descriptive details, and sensory language to
convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as pacing and
description to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the
topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B
Develop the topic with relevant facts,
definitions, concrete details, or other
information and examples.
-Habits of mind: Curiosity, responsibility,
creativity, engagement, openness

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Incorporate language that is figurative, sensory, descriptive, and power-packed in narrative/descriptive writing as well as
assignments across subject areas
Understand other points of view through adopting the voice of another; develop empathy and compassion

(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that
Words carry great power and the way we use them (in
order and selection) shapes clarity and explanation.
We can use words to grow in empathy for other human
beingswords do not remain on a piece of paper but
enter our hearts and minds.

(What specifically do you want students to understand?

What inferences should they make?)

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will keep considering
How can my speech and writing have a strong impact?
Where can I use my descriptive writing techniques in
places where itll matter?

! !

(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry, meaningmaking and transfer?)

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Students will know
The five senses and how to use them
to enhance their writing
Methods of structuring a description
Names and definitions of key
figurative language devices
(alliteration, onomatopoeia,
metaphor, simile, personification)
The importance elements of crafting
an engaging hook

(What facts and basic concepts should

students know and be
able to recall?)

Students will be skilled at

structuring an effective description
implementing descriptive
techniques in WAC
organizing an outline in a logical
order
finding examples of hooks,
figurative language, and sensory
language in their own reading

Students will exhibit

empathy toward othersbe able to
step into someone elses shoes (or
voice as it is)
awareness of the power (positive
and negative) of word choice
respectful critique of peers writing
vulnerability in sharing their own
writing with the class

(What discrete skills and processes should

students be able to use?)

(What values and commitments and attitudes

should students acquire or wrestle with?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

Stage 2- Evidence
Evaluative Criteria

Students will show their learning by

1) Students must write one 1-page

descriptive essay about a place they love.
2) It must include all elements from the class
mini-lectures.

PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Warm-ups that get them thinking about the content to come.
Daily progress and work time in class on a final project, Pivotal Places
Evaluating a peer in a peer review session
Producing a one page descriptive essay incorporating all of the elements from class mini-lectures.
Taking notes on critical aspects discussed as a class (figurative language, organization, etc)

(What criteria will be used in each assessment to

evaluate attainment of the desired results?)

(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex performance?)

It is important for students to leave this

unit understanding the importance and
relevance of strong description. It is also
critical for students to take in basic paperwriting craft (especially paper
organization and hooks).

OTHER EVIDENCE:
Participating in group discussion/brainstorming
Using a Google Doc so students can work on their project anywhere and can share it with their teacher
Conferencing with each student individually to assess their progress thus far (on Day 3 of 5)

(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?

(Regardless of the format of the assessment, what

qualities are most important?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

!
Stage 3- Learning Plan
There is no formal pre-assessment, but the pre-assessment is addressed through warmups at the beginning of class. Each day begins with some sort of simple activity to get the
students minds going and pre-assess where they are at for the day. I fashioned these warmups with both the daily material and the unit as a whole in mind. For example, Day 3
of my lesson plan begins with a worksheet where students fill in synonyms for a list of adjectives. Not only does this help the student recall what synonyms are, but it
determines how much time I need to spend on reviewing afterward. Warm-ups very from worksheets to reading to discussion about pushups.
(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

Learning Events

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in these
learning events

Day 1:
1) Drawing pictures of locations from a written description
2) Discussing and brainstorming as a class the descriptive writing definition/what it includes.
3) Filling out a Pre-Write Brainstorm sheet with a partner to find a topic
4) Describing pictures verbally by what they experience with their five senses
5) Writing five sensory detail sentences about their place
6) Creating a Google Doc for notes and paper writing
Day 2:
1) Independent reading
2) Drawing connections between their book hooks and writing their own (through discussion,
reading aloud, etc)
3) Taking notes on their Google Doc
4) Practicing essay organization by describing the classroom as a group
5) Outlining their Pivotal Places paper
6) Sharing their Google Doc with the teacher and reading over the final rubric
Day 3:
1) Filling out the synonym/adjective sheet for warm-up
2) Taking notes on their Google Doc
3) Creating Word Wheels of adjective synonyms
4) Using a thesaurus online
5) Writing a rough draft of the Pivotal Places assignment
6) Conferencing with the teacher for two minutes
Day 4:
1) Doing ten push-ups and describing what they felt like
2) Reviewing figurative language devices in group discussion
3) Taking notes on their Google Doc
4) Learning two new figurative language devices through lecture/class discussion
5) Participating in the Figurative Language circle activity
6) Finishing their rough draft of the Pivotal Places assignment
Day 5:
1) Reading their essays aloud for grammatical/spelling errors
2) Discussing the value of peer and self grading
3) Grading themselves based on the rubric
4) Peer editing their classmates work and sharing their own in pairs
5) Making final edits on their Pivotal Places assignment and turn it in tomorrow

Progress Monitoring

(How will you monitor students

progress toward acquisition, meaning,
and transfer during lesson events?)

-I have the students write all of there notes

and their paper on a Google Doc, which
they share with me. I can use this to
monitor where students are at and see if
they need extra help.
-I also am conferencing with each student
to check in on their progress and to hear
their thoughts on the writing process.
(How will students monitor their
own progress toward acquisition,
meaning, and transfer?)
-Students do practice activities in class for each
element they learn. How they do on these
activities gives them a pretty clear idea of how
they will do on their final drafts.
-The connection between hooks and independent
reading is way to experience transfer for
students.
-Students evaluate their peers work using the
rubric and complete a self evaluation.
(What are potential rough spots and
student misunderstandings?)
-Sharing the Google Doc/remembering to do
all their work on this specific document
-Organizationstudents may lose handouts,
not format their notes clearlythis would
be cleared up by specific instructions during
class about where to store papers.
-Getting the assignment done in a week
ideally, this would be a two week project.
(How will students get the feedback they
need?)
-Students have all their material on a Google Doc
so they can receive feedback that way.
-Students are all meeting with their teacher 1on-1 in brief conferences to receive feedback
-Students are receiving feedback from a peer
before turning in the final product for a grade.
-Students have time to work on their Pivotal
Places assignment in class. They can ask
questions during this time and receive feedback.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum