• Assignment (50 points)
  • Complete the one-page 4-Day Content Area Literacy Thematic Unit Planning Guide (provided on the Canvas course page) and submit it to your professor for approval. Once approved, this will be the foundation for your final project. See the Course Module Appendix B for a detailed description of your final project.
  • Requirements: Use the following guidelines for completing the Planning Guide:

1. What is the specific theme/topic for this content area unit?

Choose a theme/topic in your content area that you would like to address in a unit plan. (i.e., History – Overcoming Adversity; Science – Uniquely and Wonderfully Made; Music – The Poetry of Rap Music…).

Your overall topic/subject for this project cannot be ELA.

If you are an English teacher, you may choose a theme that fits a novel you are studying. For example: To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Depression.

If you are a math teacher, your theme should relate to a real-world application of a concept you are studying. For example: The Black Plague and probability.

1. What is the essential question for the unit (real-world connection)?

This is the main idea or major concept you want your students to think about and understand during this unit. It is the focus of your unit.

See this link for help in writing your essential question. https://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-elementary-school/102262-writing-essential-questions-for-your-lesson-plans/ (Links to an external site.)

1. Content Area and Literacy (ELA) Standards for this unit.

• You will find links to MS Content area standards If you are not in MS, use your state’s standards.

https://mdek12.org/OAE/college-and-career-readiness-standards (Links to an external site.)

Make sure your chosen unit theme/topic aligns with standards for your chosen grade – i.e., you can’t do a solar system unit if that topic is not part of your grade level’s science standards.

• Use this document for the ELA standards unless you are not in MS. In that case, use your state’s standards. You can link to your chosen grade from the Table of Contents.

https://districtaccess.mde.k12.ms.us/curriculumandInstruction/MississippiCurriculumFrameworks/ELA/2016-MS-CCRS-ELA.pdf (Links to an external site.)

You need to list at least 2 standards for each of the 5 key ELA areas: Reading Literature (for the fiction text,) Reading Informational, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. You can find a description of these 5 key ELA areas on pages 17 and 18 of the document linked above. You will defend your attainment of these standards within your unit as part of your final project.

• The Unit you create for your Final Project must meet your selected Standards.

1. Text Set: List each item using correct APA format. Explain your rationale for choosing each item. See Vacca, Chapter 11 for additional information about Text Sets.

Create a Text Set of five (5) items related to your chosen topic or theme. These items will be used throughout the rest of this course and in your final project. You must have access to the actual items – either hard copy or online is fine. You will be required to use at least three (3) of these items in your final project.

Rationale – explain, in a couple of sentences, why you selected the item you did. What value is it going to add to your unit? Your reasons could be anything from content area information, literacy skills reinforcement, attention getting, reinforcing background knowledge…..

You are required to include the following genres in your text set: Nonfiction, Fiction, Visual Literacy, and Media. The fifth item is your choice.

Description of Genre Types:

• Nonfiction text – Informational (factual) book, chapter, magazine or newspaper article (print or online), or website.
• Fiction text – examples include children’s story/picture book (yes, you can use this with older students), short story, chapter book, novel, graphic novel, etc. As a reminder – fiction is “made up” so this may not be a factual (informational) picture book.
• Visual Literacy item(s) – charts, graphs, drawings, photographs, maps or any print or online medium that requires students to analyze information presented in a visual format. Students should be gleaning information from the visual elements rather than by reading text.

For example:

• Students could analyze population growth of an area by looking at data presented in a graph or table.
• Students could make inferences about living conditions during a historical period by viewing a series of photographs.

This genre may be in print or digital format but not a video. The purpose is to require the students to meet Visual Literacy standards – gathering, analyzing, interpreting information presented visually. You can find further explanation here https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley (Links to an external site.)

• Media item (audio/video): videos, animations, audio speeches, audio books…