Informational Text Unit

Brittany Johnson & Shara Katlin

Objective/Introduction

What are you going to teach?

The overall objective for this unit is for students to be able to utilize
informational text through various facets such as: reading, writing and
conducting research. This unit focuses on teaching the importance of
informational text, specifically as it applies to non-fiction about Jim Henson.
We will also be teaching students about how to be a good researcher,
utilizing multiple sources to gain information and to appropriately support
their opinions with factual evidence. We will also be teaching them how to
write clear and coherently when writing an informational piece.
Describe the class this unit is designed for
The classroom that this unit was designed for is a fifth grade classroom
at Village Elementary School in West Windsor, NJ. The class consists of eight
students, 3 girls and 5 boys. All of the students in the class are classified and
have varying levels of ability. All of the students come from various
socioeconomic backgrounds, however, they live in a middle class school
district. All of the students utilize chrome books as a primary means of
communication and academic support. Many of the students struggle with
reading and writing. All of the students have trouble with receptive and
expressive language and writing. In addition, many of the students have
attention issues which results in a lack of focus which in turn hinders their
already low performance. Also, many of the students have metacognitive
and organizational needs and need constant organizational support when
completing various tasks. Along with comprehension and decoding issues in
reading, the students are all below grade level and have severe deficits in
language and vocabulary due to their reading deficits.

Rationale
Why are you going to teach the unit?
The purpose of this unit is to teach students the importance of
informational text, and utilizing the text through various content areas.
According to the 5th grade informational text unit, informational writing is
writing that is designed to examine a topic and convey information and ideas
clearly. Informational text is important because it is used throughout the
students educational career. Students will need to be able to read, compile
and present research in a classroom and in their careers. This unit will give
students a focus point to research and branch off of to learning about a
creator through various mediums and activities. Informational text is also in
accordance with the 5th grade curriculum.
How will this unit unfold?
This unit will begin with a pre-assessment of students prior knowledge
regarding informational text. The students will be asked to read a short
informational prompt and write a written response in which they explain
what they have learned about the character and other important information
that they found within the text. This will help us to assess their prior
knowledge on the concept and allow us to know where to further base our
instruction. The unit will then continue with our first activity. This will be a
read- aloud of the Who am I? book about Jim Henson. The students will also
be introduced to the reading strategy of making connections to the text and
will be asked to apply this learned strategy to their reading. This will also
allow the students to get a sense of how informational text is written and
what elements are important when writing or reading informational text.
Next, the students will be doing an activity that incorporates science and
language arts. Since the unit is about informational text, specifically
regarding Jim Henson, the students will be choosing an animal to research

and will then create their own Muppet based on their researched animal. This
will allow the students to gain experience with gathering information from
various sources and giving them the opportunity to make connections
between what they are learning about Jim Henson and the information they
find.
The unit will then continue with the students being asked to create
their own theme song or demo. The students will work collaboratively to
apply their knowledge of Jim Henson and Sesame Street (a show he created)
and create a theme song or demo. They will be asked to utilize rhyme within
their demo song and will also be creating a demo title and album cover
design. This is a great PBA because it is fun and applicable to real life. It also
allows students to incorporate art, music and language arts all in one lesson.
The unit will continue with the students being asked to create a platform on a
given issue and using resources to gain information about the topic to
support their claims. The students will get a chance to gain experience
voicing their opinions while backing them up with evidence. It is a nice way
to break up the material and helps support classroom community, which this
class struggles with.
The penultimate assignment will be a hiring ad activity. Students will
be told that Jim Henson is retiring and they are hiring a replacement.
Students will research a creator of their choice and have to provide support
as to why he or she is the best candidate for the job. They will then create a
hiring ad in which will characterize the strengths of their creator as it
pertains to the job. This will give them more practice and experience using
various texts and resources to gain information/ conduct research and will
also teach them more about their creator which will be useful for the final
activity. Lastly, the final element of the unit is a comparison research paper
in which the students will be asked to compare and contrast Jim Henson and
the other creator they had previously chosen.
Common Core Standards

WHST.6-8.7-Research to Build and Present Knowledge- Conduct short

research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question),
drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused
questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
RI.5.9-Integration of Knowledge and Ideas- Intergrade information from
several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.
W.5.2-Text Types and Purposes- Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.5.4- Production and Distribution of Writing- Produce clear and
coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
WHST.6-8.6- Production and Distribution of Writing- Use Technology,
including the internet, to produce and publish writing and present the
relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently
L.5.5- Vocabulary Acquisition and Use -Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings
SL.5.5- Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas- Include multimedia
components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when
appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes
NJ.1.2. Creation and Performance -All students will utilize those skills,
media, methods, and technologies appropriate to each art form in the
creation, performance, and presentation of Dance, Music, Theater, and Visual
Art
RI.5.3-Reading Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details- Explain the
relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas,
or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific
information in the text
RH.6-8.6-Reading: Craft and Structure- Identify aspects of a text that
reveal an authors point of view or purpose (e.g. loaded language, inclusion
or avoidance of particular facts)
WHST.6-8.1- Text Types and Purposes- Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an
understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
SL.5.1- Comprehension and Collaboration- Engage effectively in a range
of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with

diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
SL.5.4- Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas- Report on a topic or text
or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak
clearly at an understandable pace.
W.5.2-Text Types and Purposes- Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
WHST.6-8.4- Production and Distribution of Writing- Produce clear and
coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5.7- Research to Build and Present Knowledge- Conduct short
research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through
investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Adaptations
This is a 5th grade class of 8 classified students, 3 girls and 5 boys. The
students in the class have ranging abilities spanning on and below average.
Jake: Jake is one of the highest students within the class, he has an average
IQ. He has receptive and expressive language needs. Jake struggles with
interpreting language and multiple viewpoints. He also has difficulty with
writing.
Charlie: Charlie is one of the mid-level students in the class. He tends to get
off task easily and has attention issues. Charlie has language needs and
struggles with both reading and writing. Charlie uses an online reading
program that also gives him access to textbooks.
Simon: Simon is one of the mid-level students in the class, who has tensing
issues. Simon struggles with spelling and grammar and needs assistance in
writing. Simon is at a 2nd grade level with vocabulary and struggles with

decoding texts. Simon also uses an online reading programs where he has
access to textbooks.
Nate: Nate is one of the lowest students in the class, who has attention
issues including getting off task very easily. He needs explicit directions and
clear modeling of expectations. He also has metacognitive needs and
benefits tremendously from using organizers. Nate also has a very low
reading level and he needs constant review and repetition.
Sally: Sally is one of the highest in the class skill wise, but has the lowest
retention. Sally struggles with decoding and can study, but will forget what
she studies. Sally benefits from verbal prompts and assistance.
Gary: Gary is one of the highest students in the class, but he has a hard time
with explaining what he has learned through writing. Gary struggles with
expressing his thoughts verbally and he can become easily off-task during
class discussions. Gary benefits from being given choices and also being told
to pick one thing to share. He needs support when working with a partner or
in group work. He benefits from oral follow-up, for example, scaffold
questions. Gary needs a signal or a checklist for himself to independently
monitor his behavior or contribution.
Jasmine: Jasmine is the highest reader in the class, but she struggles with
spelling and grammar in writing. Jasmine does not always prepare for tests
and needs support with learning study skills. Her partnering choices need to
be taken into consideration because it can make or break her working
behaviors. She struggles with math and needs constant review of spiraling
concepts.
Tiara: Tiara is extremely low in the class. She struggles with reading and
math. Tiara needs constant review and repetition. Tiara has her eye on other
students behaviors within the class, and tends to get jealous when other
students get more attention than she does. She enjoys reading non-fiction,

but she has difficulty understanding important vocabulary, making meaning

of the facts, and she struggles with inferring and comprehending.
How will this unit meet the needs of all students?
This unit will meet the needs of students through various facets. Students
that struggle with metacognition will be provided with organizational
strategies and resources in order to aid the planning and implementation of
the concept. Those students with attention deficits will be able to move
around the room when working, and they will be given periodic breaks. All of
the directions for the assignments will be posted visually and explained
verbally to support those visual learners and those with auditory processing
needs. In addition, most of the lessons within the unit are realistic and
applicable. The lessons promote student accountability and provide multiple
means of experiential learning and discovery.

Pre-Assessment
A pre-assessment will be done in order to assess students
current understanding of informational text. For the pre-assessment,
students will be given a short non-fiction reading prompt and students will
then be asked to provide a written response of what they learned about the
non-fictional character and any other information they deem important. This
will allow us to see where the students are in their understanding of what
informational text is, how to properly dissect it and what important
information is being relayed through the text. In addition, students will be
assessed based on each individual lesson segment of the unit and we will be

conferring with the students throughout the unit to assess formatively. This
will be assessed using a rubric in order to determine progress throughout the
unit. The rubric will contain three levels, each corresponding to a different
level of understanding. On the rubric, one will be little to no understanding of
informational text, two will be limited understanding of informational text,
and three will be students fully understand informational text and can
comprehend the important information.

PreAssessmentRubric
Teacher Name: Ms. Katlin and Ms. Johnson
Student Name:

________________________________________

CATEGORY
Level Of
Understanding

Teacher Comments:

Student fully
Student has limited
understands
understanding of
informational text and informational text
can relay the important
information

Student has litt

understanding
informational t

Independent Reading
Language Arts and History
Standards:
RI.5.3-Reading Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details- Explain the
relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas,
or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific
information in the text
RH.6-8.6-Reading: Craft and Structure- Identify aspects of a text that
reveal an authors point of view or purpose (e.g. loaded language, inclusion
or avoidance of particular facts)
Objectives: SWBAT
Students will use prior knowledge from previously learned strategies in
order to make text-to-self, text-to-world and text-to-text connections to
the material with 80% accuracy or higher.
Students will be able to use prior knowledge to identify aspects of a
text that reveal an authors point of view or purpose with 80%
accuracy or higher.
Materials:
Readers Notebooks
Book Who Am I? Jim Henson
Independent reading books
Pen/pencil
Co-Teaching Model: Team Teaching because this brings two different
perspectives as well as allowing for extra and individualized support when
needed. Due to the fact that team teaching allows for different perspectives,
both Brittany and I can bring different perspectives/make different
connections to the text.
Introduction:
Raise your hand if you have watched Sesame Street before? Now
raise your hand if you know who created Sesame Street. Jim Henson created
the Muppets that you see on Sesame Street, and he was the one that made
the famous Kermit the frog who has been well known for a long time.
Today, we are going to read a book about Jim Henson, and learn all about his
life.
Procedure:

1) Introduce the strategy "connections" which is relating text-to-text, textto-world and text-to-self.
2) Begin reading "Who Am I? Jim Henson" and stop to think aloud, relating
text-to-text, text-to-world and text-to-self
3) Read the rest of the chapter while having students turn and talk to
partners. Teachers will listen in to take points and discuss with the
class.
Independent reading:
Students will read on their own and use the reading strategy
"connections" to help students become stronger readers.

Teachers will walk around to help struggling students with

understanding the strategy.

Closing:
Have students turn and talk to a partner about connections they made
in their independent reading, we will walk around and listen in.
Discuss some of the connections we heard and relate it to the reading
strategy.
Discuss how making connections helps us become stronger readers.
Assessment:
Students will verbally explain the connections they made/found and
will share them aloud
Students will write three things that they found/connections they made
on a post-it and post it in their cloud
Students will be conferenced with in order to assess progress and
comprehension of the learned strategy
Adaptations:
Students will read books based on their own independent reading level
Those students who need it will be able to utilize the online reading
program to aid them in their reading

Create Your Own Muppet

Language Arts, Science & Art
Standards

Writing (History & Technical Science): WHST.6-8.6- Production

and Distribution of Writing- Use Technology, including the internet,
to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between
information and ideas clearly and efficiently
Writing (History & Technical Science): WHST. 6-8.7- Research
to Build and Present Knowledge- Conduct short research projects
to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on
several sources and generating additional related, focused questions
that allow for multiple avenues of exploration
Reading Informational Text: RI.5.9- Integration of Knowledge
and Ideas- Integrate information from several texts on the same topic
in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably
Music & Art: NJ.1.2. Creation and Performance -All students will
utilize those skills, media, methods, and technologies appropriate to
each art form in the creation, performance, and presentation of Dance,
Music, Theater, and Visual Art.

Objectives: SWBAT

LAL & Science: Students will be able to gather information on an

animal of their choice by using technology and other resources while
meeting the criteria given on the rubric.

LAL & Science & Art: Given required specifications of what needs to
be included, students will be able to illustrate a design and provide a
written and verbal explanation of their Muppet while meeting the
criteria on the rubric.

LAL: Students will be able to utilize multiple sources in order to write

about the topic while meeting the criteria on the rubric

Materials Needed:

Anchor Chart

Resource Materials/Resources

Paper

Crayons/Markers

Co-Teaching Model: This lesson will be administered using team-teaching.

This method was chosen because it allows each teacher to help facilitate the
various steps of the lesson. It also allows for there to be extra support when
needed. Due to the fact that there are multiple steps within this lesson,
team-teaching allows for both teachers to have parity. In addition, it provides
multiple view points and approaches to teaching/explanation of the
procedure.
Introduction: Chalk Talk Protocol-Good morning class. As you can see,
on the board there is a phrase, Animals from Sesame Street. We are going
to start class today by doing a chalk talk. I want each of you to take turns
writing something on the board that relates to this topic. After everyone has
written something we will look at our list and share.
Procedure:
1) Ask students to create a list of animals from Sesame Street on the
white board using the chalk talk protocol
a. Go through this list and name the type of animals these
Muppets are.
i. Ex.- Big Bird is a bird
ii. Snuffalufagus is a wooly mammoth
iii. Kermit is a frog
2) Introduce students to the Anchor chart on creating their own
Muppets, explain what we are looking for with each Muppet they are
creating. Reiterate that their Muppet must be created from an
animal.
3) Teachers will be guiding students through this task by checking in
on their status, asking questions about they have found and make
sure they are following the criteria.
4) After students complete their Muppets they will introduce them to
the class by giving their audience a short synopsis on their Muppet,

the audience can ask the student questions and guess the animal
the Muppet was originated from.
Closing:

After all the Muppets are introduced to the class, the teachers and
students will discuss the difficulty of creating a Muppet and how it
relates back to Jim Henson. As a class we will discuss the importance of
researching and gathering information to help discuss or write on a
certain topic.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed based on the criteria in the rubric (Students

will be expected to receive a 7 or higher based on the rubric criteria)

Adaptations:

Students with metacognitive issues will be provided a graphic

organizer, and students with attention needs will have the freedom to
move about the room. Students have access to their own Chromebooks
to work on a Word document that will help students with spelling. All
students will be provided with a checklist to keep them on track with
this lesson.

Research Report : Make A Muppet

Teacher Name: Ms. Johnson and Ms.
Katlin
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY 4

Diagrams
&
Illustratio
ns

Diagrams and
illustrations are
neat, accurate
and add to the
reader\'s
understanding
of the topic.

Diagrams and
illustrations are
accurate and
add to the
reader\'s
understanding
of the topic.

Diagrams and
illustrations are
neat and
accurate and
sometimes add
to the reader\'s
understanding
of the topic.

Diagrams and
illustrations are not
accurate OR do not
add to the reader\'s
understanding of the
topic.

Internet
Use

Successfully
uses suggested
internet links to
find
information
and navigates
within these
sites easily
without
assistance.

Usually able to
use suggested
internet links to
find
information
and navigates
within these
sites easily
without
assistance.

Occasionally
able to use
suggested
internet links to
find information
and navigates
within these
sites easily
without
assistance.

Needs assistance or
supervision to use
suggested internet
links and/or to
navigate within
these sites.

Information
clearly relates
to the main
topic. It
provides 1-2
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Information
Information has little
clearly relates
or nothing to do with
to the main
the main topic.
topic. No details
and/or
examples are
given.

Quality of Information
Informati clearly relates
on
to the main
topic. It
includes
several
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Sources

All sources
(information
and graphics)
are accurately
documented in
the desired
format.

Range: 13-16= A

9-12= B

All sources
(information
and graphics)
are accurately
documented,
but a few are
not in the
desired format.

6-8= C

All sources
Some sources are
(information
not accurately
and graphics)
documented.
are accurately
documented,
but many are
not in the
desired format.

Below 5= D

Comments:

Create Your Own Demo

Language Arts, Music & Art Lesson
Standards:

Writing: W.5.4- Production and Distribution of Writing- Produce

clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Language: L.5.5- Vocabulary Acquisition and Use -Demonstrate
understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances
in word meanings
Speaking & Listening: SL.5.5- Presentation of Knowledge and
Ideas- Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and
visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the
development of main ideas or themes
Music & Art: NJ.1.2. Creation and Performance -All students will
utilize those skills, media, methods, and technologies appropriate to
each art form in the creation, performance, and presentation of Dance,
Music, Theater, and Visual Art.

Objectives: SWBAT

LAL & Music: Given a list of required elements, students will be able
to work collaboratively to create a rhyming song while meeting the
rubric criteria
Art: Given a brainstorming sheet for planning, students will be able to
design an album cover that meets the criteria on the rubric
LAL, Music & Art: Students will be able to utilize skills appropriate to
each art form to create a song and visual representation (album cover)
while meeting the criteria on the rubric

Materials:

Anchor chart with explicit instructions

Brainstorming Sheets/Graphic Organizer
List of Required Song Elements (Handout)
Paper or Poster board
Markers and other materials as needed

Co-Teaching Model and Teacher Roles: For this lesson, we chose to teach
using the team teaching model. We chose this model because it provides an
opportunity to give multiple viewpoints. It also allows us to have teacher
parity and better gage the class. Both Brittany and I will play equal roles in
this segment of the unit. We will rotate instruction and collaboratively work
with students to provide additional support.
Introduction:
Good morning 5th graders! As you know, throughout the past couple of
weeks we have been working on our information text unit, focusing
specifically on Jim Henson. Today, we are going to be continuing our unit and
have a fun activity to help us do so. Before we begin though, I want you to
think about your favorite TV show. Once you have thought about your
favorite show, I would like you to take a few minutes to think about the
beginning song or theme song for the show. Think a little bit about the
words, what the song tells you about the show, etc. What types of elements
do these songs have? Turn and Talk to your partner.
Procedure:
1. Gather students at the carpet
2. Introduce the lesson by asking students to think about their favorite TV
show, specifically the TV shows theme song
3. Ask the students to think about the various elements that are in a
theme song
4. Have students turn and talk to their partner and share out
5. Discuss the various elements of a good theme song (Its engaging,
directly relates to the show in some way, etc.)
6. Introduce mock demo activity
7. Explain that Sesame Street is in need of a new single and they are
holding a contest to see what it will be
8. The students will be writing a theme song using rhyme, creating an
album title and designing a cover
9. Briefly discuss what should be included in their albums (directions
and expectations)
10.
Break up students to go back and start working independently
(An anchor chart with explicit directions will be posted)
11.
Distribute all materials

12.
Students will create their single or theme song, album cover and
album title
13.
Students will present their albums to the class

Closing: Thank you all for sharing! You all did such a wonderful job, we
wouldnt be surprised if you ALL got record deals! So, before we move on, I
want you to think a little bit about our activity today. When you go home
tonight and are watching your favorite show, think about todays activity and
see if you can figure out the meaning of the song, how it relates to the show,
what mood it sets, etc. and we will share tomorrow. You may now go back to
your seats.
Assessment:

Students will be assessed based on the rubric criteria

Students will be expected to receive a 7 or higher based on the rubric
criteria
The teachers will be conferring with students to track progress and
assess them formatively

Adaptations:

Students with metacognitive needs and organizational issues will be

provided with graphic organizers/planners
Students with attention issues will be given the opportunity to move
freely throughout the class, and be given movement and cognitive
breaks after 15-20 minute segments
Students with auditory processing needs will be supported because the
directions and expectations for the activity will be reviewed verbally
and will be posted to provided visual support
Soft music will be playing in the background to help students
focus/keep them on task and work productively and creatively

Album Cover Brainstorm Worksheet

**Use the space below to brainstorm possible design ideas/elements for your
album cover**
Things to Consider: What are the important aspects of your song? How can
you design your cover to reflect the important themes of your song?

Music : Create a Theme Song

Teacher Name: Ms. Johnson and Ms.
Katlin
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY 4

Creativity The song

contains many
creative details
and/or
descriptions
that contribute
to the
listener\'s
enjoyment. The
writer has
really used
his/her
imagination.

The song
contains a few
creative details
and/or
descriptions
that contribute
to the
listener\'s
enjoyment. The
writer has used
his/her
imagination.

The song
contains a few
creative details
and/or
descriptions, but
they distract from
the song. The
writer has tried to
use his/her
imagination.

There is little
evidence of
creativity in the
song. The writer
does not seem to
have used much
imagination.

Organizati The song is

on
very well
organized. One
idea follows
another in a

The song is
pretty well
organized. One
idea may seem
out of place.

The song is a
little hard to
follow. The
transitions are
sometimes not

Ideas seem to be
randomly
arranged.

logical
sequence with
clear
transitions.

Clear
transitions are
used.

clear.

Focused
on the
Theme

The entire song

is related to the
theme and
allows the
listener to
understand
much more
about the
theme.

Most of the
song is related
to the theme.
The song
wanders off at
one point, but
the listener can
still learn
something
about the
theme.

Some of the song

is related to the
theme, but a
listener does not
learn much about
the theme.

No attempt has
been made to
relate the song to
the theme.

Rhyme

Rhyme is used
throughout the
song, and
contribute\'s to
the listener\'s
enjoyment.

Rhyme is used
in most of the
song, and
contribute\'s to
the listener\'s
enjoyment.

Rhyme is used
very little
throughout the
entire song.

No attempt of
using rhyme has
been made in the
song.

Range: 13-16= A 9-12= B

6-8= C

Below 5= D

Comments:

The Great Debate

Language Arts and History
Standards

Reading Informational Text: RI.5.9-Integration of Knowledge

and Ideas- Integrate information from several texts on the same topic
in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Writing: W.5.4- Production and Distribution of Writing- Produce
clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Writing (History and Technical Science): WHST.6-8.1- Text
Types and Purposes- Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and
relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an
understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Speaking & Listening: SL.5.1- Comprehension and
Collaboration- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse

partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others ideas and

expressing their own clearly.
Speaking & Listening: SL.5.4- Presentation of Knowledge and
Ideas- Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing
ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
understandable pace.

Objectives: SWBAT

LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to create a platform while
providing factual evidence to clearly support their reasoning and
meeting the criteria on the rubric
LAL: Students will be able to use effective presentation techniques to
state a clear and cohesive argument meeting the criteria on the rubric
LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to demonstrate an
understanding of the topic or text by supporting claims with logical
reasoning and accurate data while meeting the criteria on the rubric

Materials:
Notecards
Research materials/resources
Template
Co-teaching Model: The model we will be using for this lesson is teamteaching, this will be beneficial for the students to have two different
perspectives on the big question. This also gives the opportunity for the
teachers to model the debate, providing two different platform examples.
Introduction:
Today we will be working on creating a platform. This means that we will
be stating an opinion and providing factual evidence to support our
reasoning. Before we start, I want us to watch a segment of Sesame Street
and while we watch this I want you to think about this question, What do
you like and dislike about the segment? Jot down your thinking that way
after we can share-out. This will help us begin to think about reasons why or
why not the show should be cancelled.
Procedure
1. Discuss with students about creating a platform (the reason they
should keep or get rid of the show and the facts to support their
reasoning)
2. Give students the big question, Should Sesame Street be cancelled?
Have students turn and talk about what they would consider to be their
platform on this topic. Have a few students share-out.

3. Introduce the The Great Debate anchor chart, discuss the questions
and split the class into 2 groups of 4.
4. Each teacher will take a group and begin discussing reasons for their
side. They will write them down on a chart to have a visual.
a. Students will use this information to begin gathering evidence.
b. With the template given students can begin their research.
5. The teachers will be conferring with students and checking in on their
progress
6. Students will finish filling out the template and present to the teachers
to check, then they can begin writing their notecards for the debate.
7. The room will be set up so that 2 students will come to the front at a
time from each side and they will present their platforms. The audience
will give them questions to answer and each side may answer.
8. After the students finish, we will come back as a class and discuss all
the reasons we found for each side and write them on the board.
Closing: Great job boys and girls! This debate was designed to help you
better understand how to support your reasons. This allows you to be
accurate with your reasons by providing factual evidence to back it up.
Politicians use platforms in their campaigns, and who knows maybe youll be
one in the future! So remember, whenever you have an opinion on
something, make sure you have factual evidence to back it up!
Assessment:

Students will be assessed on any materials utilized during their

presentations
Students will be assessed on the handout/template given to organize
information

** These materials will be assessed based on the rubric criteria. Students

will be expected to receive a 7 or higher based on the rubric criteria***
Adaptations:
This lesson will be adapted to fit students needs by giving them a template
to organize their information. There will also be an anchor chart for students
to have a visual of what needs to be included in their platform. Students with
metacognition needs will be checking in with the teachers on their status and
they will have a checklist. Students with attention needs will have freedom to
move about the room and will be given movement and cognitive breaks after
each 15-20 minute segment. The students can use their Chromebooks to
look up definitions and spellings of vocabulary.

Class Debate : Sesame Street Show

cancellation
Teacher Name: Ms. Johnson and Ms.
Katlin
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY

Information All information Most

presented in

information

the debate was presented in

Most

Information had

information

several

presented in the inaccuracies OR

clear, accurate the debate was debate was

was usually not

and thorough.

clear.

clear, accurate clear and

and thorough.

accurate, but
was not usually
thorough.

Presentatio Team

Team usually

n Style

used gestures, sometimes used members of the

consistently

Team

One or more

used gestures, eye contact,

gestures, eye

team had a

eye contact,

tone of voice

contact, and

presentation

tone of voice

and a level of

tone of voice

style that did not

and a level of

enthusiasm in

and a level of

keep the

enthusiasm in

a way that kept enthusiasm in a attention of the

a way that kept the attention of way that kept

the attention of the audience.

the attention of

the audience.

the audience.

audience.

Organizatio All arguments

Most

All arguments

Arguments were

arguments

were clearly

not clearly tied

tied to an idea

to an idea

were clearly

tied to an idea were clearly

(premise) and

tied to an idea (premise) but

(premise).

organized in a

(premise) and

the organization

tight, logical

organized in a

was sometimes

fashion.

tight, logical

not clear or

fashion.

logical.

Understand The team

The team

The team

The team did not

ing of Topic clearly

clearly

seemed to

show an

understood the understood the understand the adequate

topic in-depth

topic in-depth

main points of

understanding of

and presented and presented

the topic and

the topic.

their

their

presented those

information

information

with ease.

forcefully and

with ease.

convincingly.

Range: 13-16= A
Comments:

9-12= B

6-8= C

Below 5= D

Hiring Ad
Language Arts and History
Standards:

Writing (History and Technical Science): WHST.6-8.7-Research

to Build and Present Knowledge- Conduct short research projects
to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on
several sources and generating additional related, focused questions
that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Reading Informational Text: RI.5.9-Integration of Knowledge
and Ideas- Integrate information from several texts on the same topic
in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Speaking & Listening: SL.5.4- Presentation of Knowledge and
Ideas- Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing
ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
understandable pace.

Objective:

LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to utilize appropriate

researching skills in order to create a Hiring ad on a creator of their
choice while meeting the criteria on the rubric.
LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to integrate information
form several sources in order to write and speak about the subject
while meeting the criteria on the rubric.
LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to present an opinion by
using appropriate facts and relevant details to support their reasoning
while meeting the criteria on the rubric.

Materials:

Poster Template

Checklist/Organizer
Brainstorming Sheet
Anchor Chart
Poster Paper
Markers, Crayons etc.
Research Materials/Resources

Co-Teaching Method: This lesson will be taught using Parallel teaching.

This gives the teachers the opportunity to respond better to individual
questions asked by students. Teachers will also be able to personally work
one-on-one since it is already such a small group.
Introduction: Good morning 5th graders. Today we will be continuing our
unit on informational text. First, I have a few questions. Have you ever read
the Job Listings, or seen a hiring ad? Where can you find them? What are
some common elements that you find in these ads? Turn and talk to a
partner.
Procedure:
1) Students will be asked to gather in the appropriate section of the
classroom. Teachers will begin by asking students questions such as:
a. Have you ever read the Job Listings, or seen a hiring ad?
b. Where can you find these ads?
c. What are some common elements you see in these ads?
2) Create an anchor chart with the students, to show the different
elements included in the hiring ad. Provide an example of a hiring ad
and have students come up to the anchor chart and circle the different
parts they see and explain what it is.
3) Relate this to Jim Henson, he is retiring and needs someone to take his
place.
a. What does Jim Hensons replacement need to be able to do?
b. What strengths does Jim Hensons replacement need?
c. Where is the job located?
4) Think about the questions we just answered, we made a hiring ad for
Jim Henson and you all will do the same for a creator of your choice.
5) Teachers will distribute a brainstorming worksheet for students to
begin their research and filling out the worksheet.
6) Teachers will be monitoring the class, by walking around to make sure
students are on task, answering any questions students have and
approving the completed worksheet.
7) After the worksheet has been approved, students can begin working on
their posters, which will be their Hiring Ad for their retiring creator.
8) Students will present their ad to the class, and as a whole class we will
discuss any similarities between hiring ads and a few differences.

Closing: Thank you for sharing 5th graders. Those were some great ads!
I think all of these candidates will be perfect for the job! Hiring ads are
very prominent parts of everyday life. People need jobs to make money to
survive. So, the next time you see a job listing or a hiring ad, think about
this activity and the different information that you would need to find in
order to be a good candidate for the job.
Assessment:

Students will be assessed based on the criteria on the rubric (Students

will be expected to receive a 7 or higher based on the rubric)
Students will be assessed formatively as we will walk around, observe
and assist when needed
Students will also be asked to post-it or provide an exit card about
three things that they learned about their creator or the elements of
hiring ads

Adaptations:

For the student (s) that have metacognitive and organizational

issues, a poster template will be provided
For those students that have trouble staying on task, a clear
checklist will be provided. All tasks on the checklist must be done in
order and one of the teachers will come around to approve their
work before moving on to the next task
Students with attention needs will be able to move around the room
and work in areas where they can be most comfortable and
productive
A sample poster will be provided to all of the students to be a
baseline for their work
Although students will be working individually, they will be given the
opportunity to talk through their work with their classmates and
share ideas and suggestions
All students have access to Chromebooks, this gives students the
opportunity to check their spelling on spellcheck while writing.

Brainstorming Worksheet
Name ___________________________
_________________________

Date

Directions: Before you begin work on your poster, fill out this
worksheet. This will help you think through the process and come up
with ideas to create the hiring ad poster for you creator.
1. The creator I am going to write an ad for is

2. The reason I chose this creator is

3. This creator is famous for

4. What strengths does this creator have that makes them a good fit
for this job?

5. Based on this list of strengths, what are the most important

strengths the new hired creator will need?

Making A Poster : Hire Ad

Teacher Name: Ms. Johnson and Ms. Katlin
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY

Required
Elements

The poster
includes all
required
elements as
well as
additional
information.

All required
elements are
included on
the poster.

All but 1 of the

required
elements are
included on the
poster.

Several
required
elements
were
missing.

Knowledge
Gained

Student can
accurately
answer all
questions
related to
facts in the
poster and
processes
used to
create the
poster.

Student can
accurately
answer most
questions
related to
facts in the
poster and
processes
used to
create the
poster.

Student can
accurately
answer about
75% of
questions
related to facts
in the poster
and processes
used to create
the poster.

Student
appears to
have
insufficient
knowledge
about the
facts or
processes
used in the
poster.

Content Accuracy

At least 7
accurate
facts are
displayed on
the poster.

5-6 accurate
facts are
displayed on
the poster.

3-4 accurate
facts are
displayed on
the poster.

Graphics Relevance

All graphics
are related
to the topic
and make it
easier to
understand.
All borrowed
graphics
have a
source
citation.

All graphics
are related to
the topic and
most make it
easier to
understand.
All borrowed
graphics have
a source
citation.

All graphics
Graphics do
relate to the
not relate to
topic. Most
the topic OR
borrowed
several
graphics have a borrowed
source citation. graphics do
not have a
source
citation.

Range: 13-16= A
9-12= B

6-8= C

Less than 3
accurate
facts are
displayed on
the poster.

Comments:

Below 5= D

Compare and Contrast

Language Arts and Social Studies
Standards:
Reading Informational Text: RI.5.9- Integration of Knowledge
and Ideas- Integrate information from several texts on the same topic
in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Writing: W.5.2-Text Types and Purposes- Write
informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
Writing (History and Technical Science): WHST.6-8.4Production and Distribution of Writing- Produce clear and
coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

 Writing: W.5.7- Research to Build and Present KnowledgeConduct short research projects that use several sources to build
knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Objective: SWBAT

LAL & Social Studies: Students will be able to gather information on

a creator and compare and contrast this creator to Jim Henson while
meeting the criteria given on the rubric

Social Studies: Students will be able to utilize multiple sources in

order to conduct research about a creator of their choice while meeting
the criteria given on the rubric

LAL: Given a Venn diagram, students will be able to produce clear and
coherent writing while meeting the criteria on the rubric

Materials Needed:

Graphic Organizer (Venn Diagram or Writing Template)

Resource Materials/Resources

Template

Pencil

Paper

Co-teaching Model: This lesson will be taught using teaming teaching to

help give students the opportunity to work with both teachers. This class as
a whole struggle with writing, given the small amount of students and the
use of 2 teachers is an opportunity for all students to receive one-on-one
attention.
Introduction: Today we will be continuing with our unit. Remember how
we were working the past few days on gathering information on Jim Henson
and your creator. Just to refresh, I want you to think back and try and
remember three interesting facts that you found out about your creator.
Once you have them in your mind, turn and talk to your partner and we will
share.
Procedure:
1. Review information regarding their creator as found and utilized in
their hiring ads
2. Create an anchor chart with the students explaining what specifically
they should be looking for as good researchers and how to compare
and contrast

3. Explain the task and give step by step instructions/expectations

4. The students will be asked to continue researching their creator and
gather more in depth information about him or her
5. The students will then use their predetermined information about Jim
Henson, and their gathered information about their creator to compare
and contrast Jim Henson and their creator (They will be given a Venn
diagram to aid in this process)
6. Students will be asked to use their information and comparisons to
construct a report (They will be given a writing template to aid in this
process)
7. Students will publish their reports and share with the class
Closing: Thank you for sharing class! I want you to remember that this is a
very important concept that can help you in the future. We are never done
researching and even comparing and contrasting. When you go home
tonight, think about ways that this can help you in the future or even find
two things and compare and contrast them! Im excited to see what
information you gather and share! You may now go back to your seat.
Assessment:

Students will be assessed based on the written report that they submit
(This will be assessed based on the rubric criteria. Students will be
expected to receive a 7 or higher based on the rubric criteria)

Students will be asked to post-it three new pieces of information that

they found or one similarity and one difference between the two
creators at the end of the lesson

Adaptations:

Students with metacognitive and organizational issues will be provided

with graphic organizers and other template resources

Those with attention issues will be able to move freely throughout the
classroom and will be allotted short breaks after each 15 minute
segment

Students with spelling and writing difficulties will be able to utilize their
Chromebooks to aid in their spelling and grammar

The teachers will be circulating the class and conferring individually

with the writers in order to assist in planning and organization of the
task

Research Report : Compare and Contrast

Research
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY

Organization

Information is
very organized
with wellconstructed
paragraphs and
subheadings.

Information is
organized with
wellconstructed
paragraphs.

Information is The information

organized, but appears to be
paragraphs are disorganized. 8)
not wellconstructed.

Sources

All sources
All sources
(information and (information
graphics) are
and graphics)
accurately
are accurately
documented in documented,
the desired
but a few are
format.
not in the
desired format.

All sources
(information
and graphics)
are accurately
documented,
but many are
not in the
desired format.

Some sources
are not
accurately
documented.

Graphic
Organizer

Graphic
Graphic
organizer or
organizer or
outline has been outline has
completed and been completed
shows clear,
and shows
logical
clear, logical
relationships
relationships
between all
between most
topics and
topics and
subtopics.
subtopics.

Graphic
organizer or
outline has
been started
and includes
some topics
and subtopics.

Graphic
organizer or
outline has not
been attempted.

Paragraph
Construction

All paragraphs
include
introductory
sentence,
explanations or
details, and
concluding
sentence.

Paragraphs
Paragraphing
included related structure was
information but not clear and
were typically sentences were
not constructed not typically
well.
related within
the paragraphs.

Most
paragraphs
include
introductory
sentence,
explanations or
details, and
concluding
sentence.

Range: 13-16= A

9-12= B

6-8= C

Below 5= D

Comments:

Post-Assessment Rubrics
Teacher Name: Ms. Katlin and Ms. Johnson
Student Name:

________________________________________

CATEGORY
Level Of
Understanding

Teacher Comments:

Student fully
Student has limited
understands
understanding of
informational text and informational text
can relay the important
information

Student has litt

understanding
informational t

Teacher Name: Ms. Johnson and Ms.

Katlin
Student Name:
________________________________________

CATEGORY 4

Organizati Information is
on
very organized
with wellconstructed
paragraphs and
subheadings.

Information is
organized with
wellconstructed
paragraphs.

Information is
organized, but
paragraphs are
not wellconstructed.

The information
appears to be
disorganized. 8)

Sources

All sources
(information
and graphics)
are accurately
documented,
but a few are
not in the
desired
format.

All sources
(information and
graphics) are
accurately
documented, but
many are not in
the desired
format.

Some sources
are not
accurately
documented.

Quality of Information
Informatio clearly relates
n
to the main
topic. It
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Information
clearly relates
to the main
topic. It
provides 1-2
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Information
clearly relates to
the main topic.
No details and/or
examples are
given.

Information has
little or nothing
to do with the
main topic.

Paragraph All paragraphs

Constructi include
on
introductory
sentence,
explanations or
details, and
concluding
sentence.

Most
paragraphs
include
introductory
sentence,
explanations
or details, and
concluding

Paragraphs
included related
information but
were typically not
constructed well.

Paragraphing
structure was
not clear and
sentences were
not typically
related within
the paragraphs.

All sources
(information
and graphics)
are accurately
documented in
the desired
format.

sentence.

Rating Scale: A (13-16)

B (9-12)

C (6-9)

D (5 or below)

Comments:

Post-Assessment
A post-assessment will be done in order to assess students
understanding of informational text at the end of the unit. For the postassessment, students will be assessed based on an assessment task, as well
as through the rubric used for the pre-assessment. For the final postassessment task, the students will be asked to write an informative piece on
a topic of their choice. This will act as a post-assessment because it will allow
us to gain insight into the students performance and understanding of
informational text. Although a similar task was done at the end of the unit
(compare and contrast report), this will allow us to compare the students
scaffold work compared to work done completely on their own. In addition,
students were assessed based on each individual lesson segment of the unit
and we conferred with the students throughout the unit to assess
formatively. The students were assessed using a rubric in order to determine
their progress throughout the unit. The rubric contains three levels, each
corresponding to a different level of understanding. On the rubric, one will be
little to no understanding of informational text, two will be limited
understanding of informational text, and three will be students fully
understand informational text and can comprehend the important

information. The students will be assessed on this rubric again as well as a

rubric that will assess their individual work.

Sharas Reflection
This unit plan was a great learning experience and gave me a lot of
insight into the hard work that teachers have to go through, especially
special educators. I am grateful for this assignment because although it was
very tedious, time consuming and often frustrating, it has taught me a great
deal about the special education process, specifically when writing and
adapting curricula material to better meet the needs of each individual
student as well as the class as a whole. This entire process coincides with the
first CEC standard of foundations because this standard refers to the idea
that special education is an evolving field with changes and adaptations
constantly occurring. This relates to the process I went through with the unit
plan because we needed to understand that there were constant changes
and adaptations that needed to be made to the content and the presentation
of the material.

The second CEC standard Development and Characteristics of Learners

refers to teachers respect for the needs of each student and the
understanding that each student has different strengths and weaknesses.
When creating this unit, our main focus was to comply with the third CEC
standard, which is Individual Learning Differences. We did so taking grade
level content and modifying it to best fit the needs of each individual
student. In addition, we analyzed the content and made sure that the
activities would be somewhat applicable and meaningful so that the students
would have a more positive experience with the material and the tasks that
they were being asked to do. For instance, we took each individual students
preferences, interests and strengths and weaknesses and carefully
considered these factors when preparing the unit. Those students who
struggle in writing, for instance, and therefore do to like to write were
provided with an activity that incorporated writing, but also other various
mediums to make it more enjoyable. All of the activities in this unit were
based on a concrete content area, but were modified to be more abstract in
the presentation.
This also applies to the fourth CEC standard of instructional strategies
because we made a point to vary our instructional techniques based on the
learning preferences of our students and based on their learning needs. We
utilized the fifth standard of learning environments minimally because it is
already an extremely small class, however, we made sure to make the class
a safe environment and encouraged collaboration and social interaction
between the students. The sixth CEC standard of communication was utilized
a lot during our lesson planning. Because Brittany and I have had the
opportunity to work with these students over a somewhat long period of
time, we have gotten to know them and their learning and social
preferences. This aided us in our planning of the lessons. For instance,
because of the nature of the class, the students work better independently
than in groups or occasionally partners. Also, Brittany and I made it a point

to include that we would be constantly communicating with our students

throughout the unit in terms of our expectations. We also made a point to
add that we would be periodically conferring with our students to maintain
open communication and to track their progress throughout the unit.
The instructional planning standard applies very well to this process
because it is the essence of what this unit plan is. As stated earlier, we
utilized careful instructional planning strategies based on the content,
learning styles and preferences of the students etc. In addition, since this
class is made up of all classified students, we utilized a lot of the strategies
shown in class and this was a good reference point to implement in our unit.
Throughout the unit, Brittany and I made a point to assess the students both
formatively and summatively. We felt that this was important, especially
because of the varying needs of the students. In terms of collaboration,
Brittany and I worked very well together and truly made a good collaborative
team. Brittany and I had not known each other before this semester,
however we worked very well together and had a good co-teaching
relationship/experience. This definitely was a prominent factor in the
effectiveness of the unit to meet the needs of our class.
Overall, this unit was a great learning experience that taught me a
myriad of things about teaching, planning and implementation. It gave me
great insight into the constant effort that teachers have to put forth to best
meet the needs of their students. It was also a great stepping-stone to
becoming a well-educated and experienced educator. This assignment was
very difficult at times, but helped me to grow as a person, and future
educator. I can now honestly say that I am much more knowledgeable about
the unit plan writing process and feel more comfortable to be able to write
one in the future.
Brittanys Reflection

This unit plan was a great learning process, not only did I learn what
goes into making a unit plan I also learned more about myself as a future
special educator. Creating a unit plan is a tedious process, which is very
time-consuming. Working collaboratively with my field partner really helped
with splitting the work and even bouncing ideas off one another. I believe
working collaboratively and with an open mind helped the process along, it
helped me notice the strengths I could bring to the table and the strengths
Shara brings. This process helped me notice that while brainstorming
lessons, always keep in mind the learners, making sure the lessons are
engaging and can be scaffold. The part I believe we struggled with the most
is pre-assessment and post assessment, sometimes it can be difficult to
make a pre-assessment for a unit that they have no idea about, yet this unit
is something theyve learned throughout other grades it is just more in depth
now. Our cooperating teacher was a lot of help when it came to determining
both, she gave us ideas and what exactly is needed in both assessments.
Instructional planning came easy to us both, we knew how we wanted to
teach the lessons and what would work best for the class. We know some
students do not work well in groups, so when we do split the class into
groups both teachers can supervise each one that way we know they are
staying on task and working cooperatively. We know working individually
works well for them, and so many of the lessons are independent work. One
lesson I really like for them is The Great Debate because students work
together at the beginning, and then research independently and come back

to present all together. When planning the lessons we also had to keep in
mind that all of the students have Chromebooks, which is beneficial to the
student and teacher, giving teachers the opportunity to make sure students
who get off task easily are staying on task. This was also great for our
students who struggle with spelling, they could use Google-Docs to write
their essays. We also have struggling readers who use a program on the
iPads, this program reads to the reader giving them the opportunity to
understand and comprehend the story. We have students who are severely
low in the class, those students are the ones we try to confer with as much
as possible to make sure they understand the task at hand and to see if they
need help. Overall, this was a great learning process for my partner and me,
personally I learned a lot about Unit Planning and will be using what I have
learned in the near future.