UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE
Title of Unit Creating a Narrative Story Grade Level 6
Curriculum Area(s) Narrative and paragraph writing Time Frame 6 weeks (Feb 22-April 20)
Developed by Kari Dignum
IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Programs of Study Foundations
What program foundations form the emphasis of the unit? What big ideas from the program of studies will you include?
The emphasis of the unit is to have students practice creating narrative stories which include a beginning, middle, and end. Big ideas for the
unit will include: using descriptive language, introducing dialogue, drawing in the interest of readers, and planning for a story. The goal of such
will be to help students plan and write a short story within a two hour time period.
Essential Question
What is the big, overarching question guiding your unit plan?
How can students best prepare themselves for narrative writing in a two hour exam period?
Unit Plan Outcomes
What are the program of studies general outcomes and specific competencies to be covered in your unit?
What will students understand, be able to do, be able to apply?
Outcome 2.3 Understand Forms, Elements and Techniques
● discuss the connections among plot, setting and characters in oral, print and other media texts
● identify key characteristics of a variety of forms or genres of oral, print and other media texts
Outcome 4.1 Enhance and Improve
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
● use paragraph structures in expository and narrative texts
● write legibly and at a pace appropriate to context and purpose
● choose words that capture a particular aspect of meaning and that are appropriate for context, audience and purpose
Outcome 4.2 Attend to Conventions
● use complex sentence structures and a variety of sentence types in own writing
● identify past, present and future verb tenses, and use throughout a piece of writing
UNIT PLAN RESOURCES
What resources will you require? Will there be guest speakers/field trips to plan for?
Will you need particular resources/materials/technologies?
● Online resources such as teacher handouts, YouTube videos, project ideas (ex. Sizzling Starts: 6 Ways to Start your Story! | EasyTeaching -
YouTube)
● Computers will be used by students when working on their writing assignments
● Previous worksheets used by Mrs. Spencer
● Provincial exam exemplars and pictures used
UNIT PLAN SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
What will you accept as evidence that learning has occurred at the conclusion of this unit?
What is the summative performance assessment for the unit? A mock exam will be given with a picture prompt.
What is the goal of your summative performance assessment as The goal of the assessment is to allow students to practice writing a short
framed within the outcomes and competencies? What do you
story based on a picture prompt. I hope students learn how they should
hope to learn?
manage their time between planning and writing the story. Additionally,
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
it will help them to understand the assessment criteria for their final
provincial exam.
Based on the final test I will consider which parts of the unit would
require further instruction in future lessons. It will also help me to see
How will this assessment inform student learning and your which students excelled and struggled, and how I can adapt to help them.
practice?
For those who require extra help, I can suggest they work on specific
sections.
LESSON PLAN SEQUENCE/OUTCOMES
For each lesson in the unit, consider the primary topic/activities, outcome and assessment. Does each lesson build on the next?
Consider the following questions as you plan your sequence of lessons:
What events will help students engage with, explore, explain, elaborate on and evaluate the big idea in the unit?
How will you help guide students to reflect, rethink and refine their work/ideas/understandings?
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their developing skills/knowledge/understandings?
How will you assess whether
What is the primary objective of this What are the primary activities in this learning has occurred in each
Lesson #
lesson in your own words? lesson? lesson? How will you employ
formative assessment?
1. ● Students will be introduced to the ● Youtube video and worksheet paired ● The exit slip will be the
unit with work on beginning with it on 6 ways to introduce journal entry. Teacher D will
Feb 22 paragraphs, describing setting, make a comment on their
● package on describing setting creatively
and brightening boring sentences. entries to see what info stood
Intros and and rewriting sentences.
rewriting out to them.
sentences ● journal entry - advice to someone based
on information from today’s class.
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
2. ● Planning a complete story using a ● practice planning a story with worksheet ● Students will hand in their
Feb 25 planning sheet beginning paragraphs and
● write three different intro paragraphs to
planning sheet for
● creating several beginning the same planned story
completion marks, and to
Planning for a paragraphs using the different
story ○ share with a partner and each assess their understanding.
into styles from last class
decide the best intro the other
● planning a protagonist character created
for your story
○ based on the chosen paragraph,
you will continue your story by
adding a middle paragraph
3. ● Students will complete middle ● Google slides presentation on the middle
March 1 paragraph practice activities of a story by Teacher D
Middle ● Students will watch: When to Start a New
paragraph Paragraph - TiPToP - YouTube and write
down the suggestions given
● Students continue their story by adding
two body paragraphs
4. ● Editing and using dialogue in a ● Complete worksheets which ask students ● Students will hand in the
story to edit out mistakes from writing edited version of their
March 3 handout story for completion
● Students will understand the ● Google slides presentation and youtube
marks
Editing and correct grammar for a variety of video on important aspects grammar in
dialogue writing techniques (ex. comma) writing
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
5. ● Students will practice using ● Worksheet completion on word choice ● Word choice worksheet will
stronger descriptive words in and using descriptive words in writing be handed in for completion
March 7 their writing marks
● test your knowledge quiz on word use
Word use and ● Students will complete a test your (words that sound the same)
descriptions knowledge test on word choice
● Students will work together to complete
(difference between their, there,
the video: HOMOPHONES Quiz | Can you
they’re for example)
Pass? - YouTube
6. ● Students will understand what a ● Students will watch Writing a Narrative: ● Students will hand in their
ending paragraph must include in Part 5 Solution | EasyTeaching - YouTube writing to the finish the story
March 9 order to wrap up a story and complete a worksheet paired with it youtube prompt
Ending of a ● Students will practice wrapping ● Students will practice writing an ending
story up a story in the techniques to Writing Prompt: You Have Just Been
taught to the class. Shrunk Down to Two Inches Tall -
YouTube and Creative Writing Prompt:
You Just Discovered a Magical Movie
Theater - YouTube
7. ● Students will practice writing ● Students will be given several picture ● Picture book will be handed
sentences and paragraphs based prompts from the site: Once Upon A in at the end of the block
March 15 on several picture prompts Picture - Image prompts to inspire (must include 6 photos and
reading and writing sentences to write the story)
Picture ● Students will understand how
prompts they can connect to a picture ● Two intro sentences will be written for
through brainstorming work each picture and one will be chosen to
write a complete picture book on the
prompt
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
8. ● Working together, students will ● Students will take turns circulating based ● Barren Grounds writing
March 17 practice creating a final short on a Barren Grounds prompt activity will be shared with
story based on prompts Teacher D at the end of the
Short story as ● They said to them activity (idea
class
a pod group generating activity)
9. ● Students will be introduced to ● A project sheet and rubric will be given ● Students must show their
April 4 their final writing project and can to students at the start of class complete planning sheets
begin to work on it prior to starting written
Project intro ● Students must complete a planning sheet
work
and be approved by Teacher D
● Students can begin writing their project
10. ● Students will work to complete ● Time period to work on their written ● Student exit slip: write what
April 6 their written project story and visuals you worked on today, and
your plan for next class
Project work
11. ● Students will work to complete ● Time period to work on their written ● Student exit slip: write what
April 12 their written project story and visuals you worked on today, and
Project work how you will share next class
12. ● Students will share their final ● Sharing period, students one at a time ● Written projects will be self
April 14 written project to their pod share their story and read it with their evaluated and marked by
members pod group Teacher D during the class
Final project
time
sharing period ● Volunteers can share their final ● A class sharing period
story to the entire class
● Self assessment handed in to Teacher D
● Students will self evaluate their
work
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
13. ● Students will complete a review ● Review package work ● Completing the review
April 16 package to look back on the package will help students to
● Picture prompt practice as a class
information from the unit prepare for the assessment
Review period
● Kahoot on the unit information next class
● Students will practice writing a
sentence starter to several picture
prompts
14. ● Students will be assessed on their ● Students will complete the final written ● Marking will be summative
April 20 unit in a final test test for the duration of the period and based on the rubric
expectations used in the
Final written ● Students will demonstrate their
Alberta provincial tests.
test knowledge and understanding of
Iroquios culture and the
importance consensus
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
