1 st Unit: the initial bridge from here to your vision TODAY’S FLOW MORNING: 1 st Unit Curriculum LUNCH 1 st Unit Pedagogy Building Our Team into the Future

Objectives: CMs analyze unit essential questions & unit goals through the lenses of rigorous ELA, cultural competence/ critical consciousness, leadership development. CMs analyze a single text to determine central message(s), author’s devices, readers’ strategies. CMs develop a culminating question for that text. CMs chart out what Ss will need to do each day of that text. AGENDA: 8:30- 9:00- Overview of Units & Collaboration 9:00- 9:15- Analyze Team ELA 1 st Units 9:15- 9:50- Choosing Texts 9:50- 10:20– Breaking a Text Down 10:20- 11:00– Developing CFQs or Writing Assignments for Texts 11:00-11:30– Developing Daily Objectives 11:30- 11:45– Celebrating & Learning from Each Other

Ignite Your Background Knowledge Based upon what you know from your life and what you learned at Institute AND based on your vision… –What is a unit? –How does a unit help you and your students get to your goals?

Here are some common UNIT definitions for us: Students read, discuss, write about, and write to emulate the author’s craft in 3-8 texts that “talk to each other” about a specific topic-theme. During and at the end of the unit, students get feedback from their teacher and each other AND THEN adjust their actions/ habits across… –Independent reading –Text analysis & other writing –Vocabulary –Grammar/ mechanics –Speaking & Listening & Leadership Skills

How ONE unit fits into your year: 1 st 9 Weeks2 nd 9 Weeks3 rd 9 Weeks4 th 9 Weeks U1U2U3U4U5U6U7U8

Here’s how the Common Core Defines a Unit (called a ‘module’) Independent Reading, Checking In & Tracking

Supported Curriculum Development INSTITUTE UNIT: The ISAT (which is a unit) was totally given to you. You had to teach specific texts and ask specific CFQs 1 ST UNIT: We’re giving you a unit, planned by Mississippi teachers. We’re about to plan a portion of this unit together. You should feel free to switch out texts and change CFQs 2 ND UNIT & BEYOND! Create, co-create, or adapt new units! Plan with our ELA- Team or your school’s ELA-Team or both! Create your own CFQs that align to PARCC.

Finally! What you’re about to open up: Unit 1 essential questions Unit 1 text-set & CFQs Unit 1 calendar with daily objectives Split into 3 groups: 9-12, 7-8, 5-6  How do these different elements of Unit Planning Work together to move students closer to our ELA- vision?  Why did this teacher choose the texts & the develop the essential questions in the way that she did? Rigorous ELA Achievement in reading, writing, speaking Student Leadership Critical Consciousness Pride in Self & Community/ Cultural Competence

Your Collaborative Goal: Choose another text for your 1 st unit! Read each text from your group. Consider these questions to come to a decision: –Does this text offer a different or unique answer to some or all of the unit essential questions? –Does this text offer a window or a mirror perspective? –Is this text appropriately complex enough for this unit? Come back together at 9:50am.

Learn from Other Groups What was challenging about this project? What felt really good about this project? How did you benefit from a diversity of brains working on this project?

Your Collaborative Goal: Analyze & Break Down Your Text Consider these questions to come to a decision: –How does the author’s message answer the essential questions? –How does the author create meaning? (literary devices) –What must readers be able to do to understand the devices and style and message of the text? Come back together at 10:20am. Author is conveying that he values knowing and learning more about and teaching others about his American Indian heritage– despite and because he looks more like his German lineage. Uses dialogue, expanding a small moment, 1 st person POV, & specific description to convey this message. Readers must visualize the moment in the kitchen and the moment at the funeral, connect the text to their own lives

Learn from Other Groups What was challenging about this project? What felt really good about this project? How did you benefit from a diversity of brains working on this project?

Your Collaborative Goal: Design a CFQ or End-of-Text Writing Assignment Consider these questions to design: –What sort of writing do you want your Ss to do? –What is your prompt? –Does your prompt ask Ss to synthesize or apply the theme or main message? –How would you model this for students? Come back together at 11am. CFQs 1: What did Zac believe? How did he paint this picture for us to better understand why this is something he believes? Think of a powerful realization or moment in your own life that helped you clarify what you value. What do you believe? What small moment in your life led you to believe this? 2: Write a “This I believe” memoir about the small moment in your life. Use dialogue, description of character, and 1 st person narrative just like Zac Broken Rope did to expand a small moment.

Learn from Other Groups What was challenging about this project? What felt really good about this project? How did you benefit from a diversity of brains working on this project?

Your Collaborative Goal: Design Daily Objectives Consider these questions to design: –Look back at your text break down & your CFQ. –What will students have to know and do by the end of each day in order to be able to answer your CFQ by the end? –SWBAT… –Align it to the CCSS! Come back together at 11:35am. Objectives DAY 1: SWBAT determine the message in “Fry Bread”. SWBAT analyze how the author uses dialogue and precise word description to help the reader understand why he values heritage. DAY 2: SWBAT choose a specific moment from their own life that defined what they value or what they believe. SWBAT plan to include powerful dialogue and specific character description. DAY 3: SWBAT compose a narrative “This I Believe” essay of their own, Illuminating their personal values. RL.8.2. Determine a theme & analyze its development over the text. & RL.8.1. Cite text evidence to support analysis. W.8.3. Write a narrative to develop & talk about real experiences.

YOU DID IT!!!!!! How has this project expanded your vision for what you want for your students or what it’s going to take to get there?

After lunch… PEDAGOGY of Unit 1! How will it feel? Our Future Development Building Relationships (Culture of Achievement with MS & HS)