ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

Data from the 2004 North Dakota Assessment, School Improvement, and personal observations were the rationale for developing this unit. Our lowest language arts score was Standard 5: Writing for a variety of purposes was 71. The benchmark is 2: Different purposes require different forms. One of our continuing School Improvement goals is to improve writing across the curriculum for all students. This need has been identified as a concern, and a plan is being implemented throughout our school. Thus this unit will complement this area of concern. From my reading, it is evident that ND students need more instruction and pertinent writing practice. One of our objectives is to develop stronger writing skills for all students. As a 6th grade teacher, I’ve observed how the students have difficulty writing for various purposes. Our reading series addresses writing memorandums, friendly and business letters, paragraphs, reports and compare/contrast using Venn diagrams. Using technology, the students shall experience writing lessons for various purposes in an educational, pertinent, fun manner. The purpose of this unit is four fold: to strengthen my students’ writing skills for various purposes, to enhance the School Improvement goal, to meet North Dakota Standards, and to be in compliance with “No Child Left Behind” standards which require “continuous and subatantial academic improvements for all students.”

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: I want my students to be comfortable and proficient using the various forms of writing in both their personal and eventually professional lives. The students will know when and how to use each form for the various audiences. The completed project will result with each student compiling their own resource booklet for future use. Goal(s): Students will recognize the various forms and components of writing. Students will exhibit when and how to use each form for the various audiences. Students will experience working collaboratively to complete a comprehensive, finished product using the word processor.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1. What format and information do you use for memorandum, friendly and business letters? 2. When do you use informal/formal language? 3. What is the process for writing informative paragraphs? 4. How do you produce a Venn diagram? 5. How do you work collaboratively? 6. How do you compile all this information into a resource booklet? Objectives: After studying the various forms and components of writing, the students will write with minimal errors in writing skills and spelling based on the checklists they developed. The students will demonstrate how to collaboratively organize, write, and evaluate their own writings on the check lists they developed with minimal errors in spelling and writing skills. The students will write with ease using the word processor for everyday writing formats with no errors in spelling and writing skills. The students will experience writing their own checklists and evaluate their own writing with no errors in spelling and writing skills. The students will gather, organize, and compose informative paragraphs and develop a Venn diagram with no errors in spelling or writing skills. The students will compile an attractive resource booklet with minimal errors in spelling and writing skills.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? Since this is a project-based unit, there will be no formal quizzes. The grade will be determined by the students’ own evaluations on the checklists they developed to use on their completed writings along with my own observations and evaluations. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Since this is really a project-based unit, the students will discuss the necessary components and incorporate these into their vaiours forms of writing using correct spelling and writing skills. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? The students will write a memorandum, friendly and business letters, informative paragraphs, Venn diagram, and compile a resouce booklet. The students will develop checklists for evaluations for each writing lesson and evaluate their work. They will actually snail mail or E-mail their friendly letters to relatives. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? The evidence of understanding will be the discussions on the various writings, my observations, the completed project, the students’ own evaluations, and their resouce booklet.

Instructional Strategies

In order to understand, “What are the various purposes for writing?”, this unit will include inquiry-based and project-based learning. The students will discuss the various formats and components to each, actually writing samples of each. Also they will develop checklists and evaluate their own finished products. Furthermore, they will write informative paragraphs from various materials and compile this information into a Venn diagram for independent learning. The students will continually be cognizant of their own spelling and writing skills. With these experiences, they will be able to incorporate this unit into their everyday life situations.