Intel Teach Program Essentials Course

Unit Plan Template

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Unit Author First and Last Name School District School Name School City, State Unit Overview Unit Title The Genre Switch Unit Summary

Students review 6 sub-genres of fiction, particularly through examples of novels and movies. Next, students will be asked to identify a favorite novel or movie and decide which sub-genre it represents and why. Students will use assesments along the 2 week (10 day) unit in order to make sure progress is being made in learning the components of sub- genres. Lastly, students are asked to "switch" their novel or movie of choice and change key elements in it so that the sub-genre would change (ie: fantasy to action) in a multimedia project. Students will need to do online research for Webercise and create graphic organizers at the end of unit.
Subject Area English/Language Arts Grade Level 8th Approximate Time Needed 10 school days, with some time allotted at home for homework. Unit Foundation Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks

Writing Applications (Genres and their Characteristics) 2.1 C- Employ narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g,. relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, comparison and contrast of characters). Speaking Applications (Genres and the Characteristics) 2.2 C- Draw supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience
Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Identify and distinguish between different types of genre.Utilize credible internet sources to help spark creativity. Use multimedia to enhance story telling in their different genre
Curriculum-Framing Questions Essential What are the key elements of the 6 sub-genre of fiction? Question Unit Questions

How can you change a given genre to your favorite genre of fiction? How is it possible to change the genre and NOT change the story line?

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Intel Teach Program Essentials Course

Content Questions Assessment Plan

How does changing the genre change the way the audience perceives the story? How have you used your understanding of of the world to influence your "switched" genre piece? What key elements could you have kept but still have changed the genre?

Assessment Timeline

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Intel Teach Program Essentials Course

Before project work begins

Students work on projects and complete tasks

After project work is completed

-Chart assessing knowledge of genre of fiction as a whole.

-Identify fictional movies and literature that are most recognizable to students.

-Lecture on conventions of each sub-genre. -Informal writing assignment on one subgenre of their liking -Fill out and share Quizlet flashcards. -Choose movie of novel for their switch and identify its key features which make it that genre. -Choose another sub-genre to switch original movie or novel to and ID its features.

-Begin Webercise and finish overnight. -Exchange papers with a partner and complete the checklist for their particular sub-genre -Begin multimedia project powerpoint presentation

-Notebook check at the end of several class periods.

-Informal quiz: name 5 features of each sub-genre, and give example. - Informal afteractivity.

Assessment Summary Throughout the unit, my students will be monitored on a daily basis to see and check their progress in retaining the material being presented or reviewed that day. In their writers journal, they will be asked to record at least one or two new things they have learned that day, regarding the unit. For instance, key terms, concepts, concrete examples. In addition, after every new task, (ie. Selecting a genre and story, identifying their key characteristics) they will have their journal checked off and
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Intel Teach Program Essentials Course

given credit for their participation for the day. They will also be peer-reviewed toward the end of the 10-day unit and they will receive credit for both, reviewing and being reviewed. There are assessments online that will show up as either credit/no credit and those are simply to gauge how well they know their 6 genre. Lastly, the unit will be graded on the participation and completion of all quizzes, new journal entries, informal writing assignments, online activities, peer-reviews, and the projects final product. Unit Details Prerequisite Skills Some knowledge of fictional sub-genre. Access to computer outside of the classroom. Knowledge of how to look or access images online or in books. Creativity for the actual switch Instructional Procedures First, the students will be given a chart to assess their knowledge on the fictional sub-genre. The chart will not be graded on content but rather on how much effort they put into the assignment. This is to get a better grasp on their previous knowledge. They will also be taking part in an online activity that asks them to look at virtual flashcards and then assess what they have taken from it. Next, we will identify, as a class, fiction novels and movies that are relevant to them. For example, current movies or novels or short stories that they are familiar with and which are cleared by me. Next, I will take excerpts from some of those pieces and post them around the room without their titles, and in pairs, the students will have to identify what fictional sub-genre they think it is and why. We will regroup and discuss the elements they have identified, and this will lead into a formal discussion about our targeted 6 sub-genre and their elements. Students will double check if their thoughts on their charts and their thoughts on the postings around the room are correct. Students will then be asked to take a favorite novel (or short story) or movie and identify what fictional sub-genre it is. Movie or novel must be age and school appropriate. They will write out all they key elements that makes them that fictional sub-genre. Next, they will identify a second subgenre and change their original piece to this one. They must be careful to not only change plot but also change the elements themselves in order to have a full switch. After they have come up with key changes, they will be allotted time in class to work on the story or movie itself, coming up with a short narrative. This will be something like a pitch for a novel or movie. Students will exchange papers with a partner and will be given a handout with all the key elements we discussed as a class for each sub-genre. They will peer review their partners paper and check off the elements included in their 2 paragraph write up, give suggestions and brainstorm with their partners if needed. The latter part of this unit includes an online activity where they research what movies made the most money in a specific year. Example is given as a guide. They are then to identify the genre and write a summary stating their speculations on why that specific genre was successful in that year. The last part of the unit (lesson 4) asks students to create a graphic organizer with facts and opinions based on a web-based journal about cross-genre novels. Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
Special Needs Students

Students with special needs will only be required to turn in a one paragraph write up. Also, students will be given sentence frame. That is, students will be given something like I will switch the genre by and they would fill it in with their own words. The purpose of sentence frame is guide students in using proper syntax and vocabulary when answering questions out loud.

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Intel Teach Program Essentials Course

Nonnative Speakers

Students may be involved in cooperative learning. ELL students will be paired with a more accelerated student so as to discuss answers, agree and orally present material. This will give language learners an opportunity to improve oral language skills via peer instruction. Also, if students wanted to choose a novel or movie that is not in English, they can do so, so long as the elements or features are described in English. Students who are labeled gifted/talented will be asked to write a three to five page excerpt from their newly switched movie or novel, choosing one scene where key elements have clearly been switched. For the even more ambitious student, they may do a dramatic reading, or film their scene and share with the class.

Gifted/Talented Students

Materials and Resources Required For Unit Technology Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed) Camera X Computer(s) Digital Camera DVD Player X Internet Connection Database/Spreadsheet Desktop Publishing E-mail Software Encyclopedia on CD-ROM Printed Materials Students will need: their school textbook, a writers notebook, their novel (if using novel for project) and some sort of movie synopsis or excerpt (if using movie for project) Writers notebook where they will take all assessments, do all brainstorming, paste images or drawings, do informal writing assignments, review, and write all drafts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFOM4v0dVLw&feature=relmfu Example of a genre switch movie trailer by Hollywood producers Past student examples of a switch of a movie and a switch of a novel. Powerpoints developed during the course of the unit. X X Laser Disk Printer Projection System Scanner Television Image Processing Internet Web Browser Multimedia X Web Page Development Word Processing Other VCR Video Camera Video Conferencing Equip. Other

Technology Software (Click boxes of all software needed.)

Supplies

Internet Resources Other Resources

Programs of the Intel Education Initiative are funded by the Intel Foundation and Intel Corporation. Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Education Initiative, and Intel Teach Program are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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