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Exploring Structure through Resource Materials

Unit Plan

Exploring Structure through Resource Materials

Objectives

Students have been introduced to resource materials in earlier grades. They are familiar with the uses of a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an encyclopedia. This unit will build on their prior knowledge and expand their understanding. Students will:

  • review when and how to use specific resource materials.
  • explore ways that the use of resource materials enhances understanding.

Essential Questions

  • Why learn new words?
  • What strategies and resources do readers use to figure out unknown vocabulary?
  • How do learners develop and refine their vocabulary?
  • How do strategic readers create meaning from informational and literary text?
  • What is this text really about?
  • How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?

Related Unit and Lesson Plans

Related Materials & Resources

The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.

Materials haven't been entered into the unit plan.

Formative Assessment

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    Multiple-Choice Items:

    Choose the best answer for each question.

     

    1. Which resource would be best for finding the number of syllables in a word?

     

    1. atlas
    2. dictionary
    3. encyclopedia

     

    1. Which resource would be best for finding how airplanes fly?

     

    1. atlas
    2. dictionary
    3. encyclopedia

     

    3.  How do text features help readers create meaning from text?

    A  They help the reader tell if the text is reliable.

    B   They clarify and add information for the reader.

    C  They improve understanding by keeping the reader on track.

     

    Multiple-Choice Answer Key:

    1. B, 2. C,  3. B

     

    Short-Answer Item:

    Use an encyclopedia. Choose a topic and write three supporting details about the topic.

     

    Short-Answer Key:

    Example:

    A whale is a huge animal that looks like a fish.

    Whales are mammals.

    A whale breathes through a blowhole out of the top of its head.

    Short-answer Scoring Rubric:

    Points

    Description

    3

    Student correctly states three supporting details about a topic.

    2

    Student correctly states two supporting details about a topic.

    1

    Student correctly states one supporting detail about a topic.

    0

    Student does not state any supporting details about a topic or does not attempt to answer the question.

    Performance Assessment:

    Say, “Your class has been asked by a publishing company to create a resource about plants. Each of you will be assigned a word that has to do with plants. Your job is to create a dictionary entry or an encyclopedia entry for your word. Make sure that what you create is written in your own words, not copied right from a book. Also, make sure that the resource entry you write has all of the text features that type of resource should contain.”

    Provide each student with a word related to plants, such as leaf, evergreen, root, soil, shrub, pine, or tulip, and the following list of text features for students to use as a guide:

    • Dictionary: spelling, pronunciation, syllables, definition
    • Encyclopedia: title, one or more paragraphs with facts

    Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric:

    points

    Description

    4

    Student completes the performance task by accurately including all of the requirements for the chosen resource.

    3

    Student completes the performance task by accurately including most of the requirements for the chosen resource.

    2

    Student completes the performance task by accurately including some of the requirements for the chosen resource.

    1

    Student completes the performance task by accurately including few of the requirements for the chosen resource.

    0

    Student demonstrates a lack of understanding of the task or makes no attempt to complete the performance task.

03/01/2013
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