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Subject Area Grade Level Topic Length of Unit (Days) : Language Arts 11 (20-2) Appearances Can Be Deceiving 25
Subject Area Grade Level Topic Length of Unit (Days) : Language Arts 11 (20-2) Appearances Can Be Deceiving 25
Table of Contents
Item Page Number
Unit Organizer…………………………………..……………………………………………………….. 2
Assessment Overview…………………………………………………………………………................. 4
Unit Rationale……………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
List of Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Calendar………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Unit Organizer
Established Goals:
GLO #3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.
GLO #4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to create oral, print, visual and
multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
GLO #5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate
with others.
Where will this lead? 4.1.2 Consider and address form, structure and
medium
After this unit, students will have explored a) Select a text form appropriate to the purpose for text creation
(and be able to further explore) structures and consistent with the content to be presented in the text
related to form, content, and purposes. They
will be able to select an effective medium and b) Explore a variety of structures consistent with form, content
and purpose when creating texts
explain its use.
c) Select an effective medium appropriate to content and context,
Students will also be able to develop content and explain its use
appropriate to a purpose and produce a
unifying effect in doing so. They will develop 4.1.3 Develop content
content with form and context in mind and be b) Recognize and assess personal variables and contextual
able to establish a purpose while engaging an variables that influence the selection of a topic, concept or idea;
audience. and address these variables to increase the likelihood of successful
text creation
This will lay the foundation for upcoming c) Establish a focus for text creation, and communicate scope by
courses, where students will learn how to framing an effective controlling idea or describing a strong
modify selected inquiry strategies as needed unifying effect
and to use a variety of complex structures
consistent with form, context, and purpose d) Develop supporting details, by using developmental aids
when creating a text. appropriate to form and purpose
Assessment Overview
Assessment
Assessment Assessment
Assessment Tool Brief Description FOR
AS Learning OF Learning
Learning
While much of this unit covers actions such as
research, groupwork, and the development and
revision of products, this pre-assessment aims to
pinpoint the students’ experience with fitting
together potential text format that fit both content
and purpose for creation.
Modality options:
Newscast
Magazine
Online article
Newspaper
Facebook page
Rationale:
“Appearances Can be Deceiving” is a Grade 11 (20-2) unit that would last approximately 20-25
days, comprised of a one-hour class every weekday. This unit intends to invite the class of 30 students to
answer the question “What do we choose to hide or share with the world?” In this class, there is a wide
variety of learners, with most preferring auditory or visual, and a few preferring kinesthetic methods of
instruction. There are several with IPP’s indicating a grade level lower than their current grade, and a
large amount of the student body has phones and access to social media.
The critical inquiry question above aims to bridge the interest in technology and social media –
and the prevalence of online articles – with the program of studies outcome of “exploring a variety of
structures consistent with form, content, and purpose”. In order to do this, we will look at various
electronic and print methods of communicating information (i.e. online articles, magazines, newspapers,
pamphlets, social media pages). We will explore the various formats of each, and how their content and
possible bias is linked to their choice of presentation. In addition, we will discuss the possibility of
format/organization masking untrue content with the façade of authenticity and inquire about the
purposes behind these texts.
This exploration between organization, presentation, and content in relation to online sources is
incredibly important for today’s youth, especially considering the availability of information through
social media. Having the ability to separate quality content from the appearance of legitimate
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
information is extremely useful in creating critical thinkers and connecting it to students’ interests in the
online community branches the topic into their lives in an achievable and engaging way.
While exploring this, we will break the inquiry question down into several guiding questions,
such as: “How does presentation affect our interpretations of a text?” “Why are we swayed by visually
pleasing things?” and “Does presentation or information have more importance when reading a
persuasive text? Why?”
The program of studies will be expressed in this unit through a variety of activities and
assessments, as well as the final performance task. In this performance task (above) students will
develop their own online media (be it a Facebook page, blog, article, etc.) conveying topical information
of their own research (3.1.1). They will consider both the content and the purpose when deciding the
purpose of the media, design it accordingly (4.1.2), and edit (4.2.2) before publishing.
Throughout the unit, students will be scaffolded toward the performance task. This will be done
by selecting text forms appropriate to the purpose of text creation, and consistent with the content to be
presented (4.1.2.a, 4.1.2.c) and practicing revision and editing strategies with a critical eye towards
presentation suitable for purpose (4.2.2.a-d). A miniature version of the performance task will guide
students through the activity on a smaller, teacher-led assignment before allowing students the creative
rein to begin the performance task in groups (5.2.1, 5.2.2).
Resources:
(2016). Quiz: Can You Spot the Fake Stories? Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-
38005844
This quiz from BBC would be an entertaining and fun way to move from discussing complementing
presentation and content into discussing deliberately misleading content (potentially hidden by
misleading presentation).
The various social media pages above will serve as a base in which we can analyze the different
presentations of the page with the content it is trying to present. We will also look to make critical
judgements on what the authors’ purpose might be with these text creations and discuss how well the
format and content lend themselves to that purpose. I would like to use the WTF Fun Facts towards the
end and do an in-class activity in which students would pick out 1-3 of the “facts” that catch their eye as
bizarre or unrealistic. We could record our initial suspicions about the truthfulness and the possible
indicators of that using the “Media Literacy Smartphone” resource below. I would model this by using
the “fact” that people, on average, eat seven spiders in their sleep – something which I am personally
passionate about debunking.
Friesem, J., Hobbs, R. (2013). Introducing the Media Literacy Smartphone. Retrieved from:
https://mediaedlab.com/2013/02/12/introducing-the-mel-app/
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
I think this resource would be incredibly useful in developing guidelines for our critical analysis of
media. The resource features a “smartphone” with apps such as:
“Values Check” “Reality check”
“What’s Left Out?” “Read Between the Lines”
“Private Gain or Public Good” “Stereotype Alert”
“Solutions Too Easy” “Record/Save for Later”
It also offers 5 key questions of media literacy:
1) Who is the author and what is the purpose?
2) What techniques are used to attract and hold your attention?
3) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented?
4) How might different people interpret the message?
5) What is omitted from the message?
Crowdsourced. (2015). Mind over Media: Analyzing Contemporary Propaganda. Retrieved from:
http://propaganda.mediaeducationlab.com/rate/topcat4?next=true&c=8
This would be very useful to hone students in to the idea of authors’ purpose – when analyzing online
ads as well as the other formats we have seen so far. These are great examples with which to practice our
“Smartphone” apps, thus propelling discussion on the 5 key questions above.
This activity would be useful as something small with which I can scaffold students from analyzing
media to creating their own, with purpose in mind. It would require ample preparation so that the day
could run smoothly and students would have a fair amount of time to film and edit before presenting in
class.
B.E. Ch. 10
There are ample activities in here – it’s getting difficult to pare down and not have too many. I
particularly like, though, how the text describes my initial aspiration regarding this unit: having students
understand and be able to develop their own bias texts to demonstrate the wide availability of false
information online, and how easy it is to create. I really would like to use the questions at the end as
prompts to dive deeper into this topic, potentially as a source for debates once students’ understanding is
fully developed enough.
Janks, Hilary. (2013). Doing Critical Literacy: Texts and Activities for Students and Teachers.
Routeledge.
There are several questions in here that would do very well functioning the same way I have prompts
from Bridging English. These would facilitate discussion around relevant and important topics, and
ignite student thinking about deeper matters. I also think it would be useful to follow their guidelines for
a learning activity about what is private and what is public, using Facebook to demonstrate.
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
Levitin, Daniel. (2016). A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age. Allen Lane:
Penguin Canada.
I think that this book would be a great source in which to ground this unit. While reading the entire thing
would be much too much given the time frame and other resources/activities already considered here, I
would like to use excerpts from this book to highlight the major areas of consideration. Namely,
“Hijinks with How Numbers are Reported”, “Overlooked, Undervalued, Alternative Explanations”,
“Logical Fallacies”, and “Knowing What You Don’t Know”.
Calendar:
Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:
Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic:
Digital literacy Purpose, form, & content: Fake news online. Looking for accuracy and Will technology replace print
Fake news Instagram, Twitter, & Pinterest reliability online. Featuring: media?
SLOs Addressed: Facebook & WTF Fun “Facts”
SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: 4.1.2.a) Select a text form SLOs Addressed:
4.1.2.a) Select a text form 4.1.2.a) Select a text form appropriate to the purpose for SLOs Addressed: 4.1.2.a) Select a text form
appropriate to the purpose for appropriate to the purpose for text creation and consistent 4.1.2.a) Select a text form appropriate to the purpose for
text creation and consistent text creation and consistent with the content to be presented appropriate to the purpose for text creation and consistent
with the content to be presented with the content to be presented in the text text creation and consistent with the content to be presented
in the text in the text 4.1.2.b) Explore a variety of with the content to be presented in the text
4.1.2.b) Explore a variety of 4.1.2.b) Explore a variety of structures consistent with form, in the text 4.1.2. c) Select an effective
structures consistent with form, structures consistent with form, content and purpose when 4.1.2.b) Explore a variety of medium appropriate to content
content and purpose when content and purpose when creating texts structures consistent with form, and context, and explain its use
creating texts creating texts content and purpose when
Text: creating texts Text:
Text: Text: People eat 7 spiders per year in Adam Ruins Everything: Adam
How well do you know fake Instagram, Pinterest, and their sleep. (for the “I do” Text: Ruins the Internet.
news? Twitter pages (ex. NASA’s activity). For the “we do” WTF Fun facts as above in Bridging English
Instagram page) activity, students can choose resources.
Activities: between vaccines cause autism Activities:
Intro activities Activities: or “Aspartame’s Hidden Activities: Before branching into our
We will look at the various Dangers” Mini lesson: Researching. discussion around the day’s
Assessment: formats, discuss purposes and Using the critical literacy theme, we will do an activity
Pre-Assessment (Two by four) what function each serves, and Activities: remote, we will look at WTF (Sort Them Out) in which
compare the content that is Introducing the critical literacy fun facts online, discuss students will match a variety of
highlighted in each. remote. preliminary thoughts about purposes, content, and format
We’ll do an: “I do”, then move whether this is possibly a real (each on separate slips of
Assessment: n/a to “we do” debunking of myths fact, and potential doubts about paper) and justify their
that present themselves as it. Then we will research the reasoning. When we move into
facts. fact and arrive at a conclusion. discussion, it will take the
shape of conver-stations.
Assessment: n/a Assessment: n/a Assessment:
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
Assessment:
Mini White Board Activities
Select, Explore, Select, Explain
Pt. 1 due
Day 11: Day 12: Day 13: Day 14: Day 15:
Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic:
Screencasting Pt. 2 Content and Purpose Content, Purpose, and Format Content, Purpose, and Format Does the Media Falsify
Expectations of Life or Create a
SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: Sense of Possibility?
4.1.4.a) Meet production, 4.1.3.e) Develop content to 4.1.3.d) Develop supporting 4.1.3.d) Develop supporting
publication and display support a controlling idea or to details, by using developmental details, by using developmental SLOs Addressed:
requirements for print texts as produce a unifying effect aids appropriate to form and aids appropriate to form and 5.2.1.a) Set appropriate
appropriate to purpose, 4.1.3.f) Develop content purpose purpose personal goals for participation
audience and situation appropriate to form and context 4.1.3.f) Develop content 4.1.3.f) Develop content in a group; respect, be open to,
4.1.4.b) Develop presentation appropriate to form and context appropriate to form and context and be supportive of the
materials; and select strategies Text: thoughts, opinions and
and technologies appropriate to Mind over Media: Analyzing Text: n/a Text: n/a contributions of others in a
purpose, audience and situation Contemporary Propaganda. group; and share personal
Activities: Activities: knowledge, expertise and
Text: Activities: Mini lesson: the writing Work period for Select, perspectives with others, as
Screencasting a Critical We will view our commercials process Focus on pre- Explore, Select, Explain Pt.2 appropriate
Analysis and discuss how the differences writing, drafting today. Note: While students work I will 5.2.1.c) Ensure that a team's
(due to purpose) present the quantity expected for this monitor the room and ensure purpose and objectives are clear
Activities: themselves. We’ll have a mini assignment is small. that students are on task, help
We’ll spend the first half of lesson on how we can use the Work period for Select, struggling students, and remind Text:
class filming our commercials facets of the remote (from last Explore, Select, Explain Pt. 2. I each of early finishers’ tasks if Articles to present each side
as per the script, and the second week) in the creation of our will be surveying the room, they are complete. Bridging English
half editing the films. texts. If there is time, we will having conversations with
also look at ads from the text students about how they are Assessment: n/a Activities:
Assessment: n/a above and discuss the fitting their content into the Students will spend the first
harmfulness of this media. format and how they are half of class reading the short
presenting it. articles and choosing positions
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
Assessment:
Select, Explore, Select, Explain
Pt. 2 due
Day 16: Day 17: Day 18: Day 19: Day 20:
Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic:
Good Group Members do (or Topic Research Topic Research Content Development: Pre- Content Development: Drafting
do not) . . . writing, drafting
SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed:
SLOs Addressed: 3.1.1.a) Select and monitor the 3.1.1.a) Select and monitor the SLOs Addressed: 4.1.3.d) Develop supporting
5.2.2.a) Develop and use effectiveness of strategies to effectiveness of strategies to 4.1.3.c) Establish a focus for details, by using developmental
criteria to monitor and assess determine the depth and determine the depth and text creation, and communicate aids appropriate to form and
group processes breadth of inquiry or research breadth of inquiry or research scope by framing an effective purpose
5.2.2.b) Understand the various and to identify the purpose, and to identify the purpose, controlling idea or describing a 4.1.3.f) Develop content
potential roles and audience and form of audience and form of strong unifying effect appropriate to form and context
responsibilities of group presentation. presentation. 4.1.2.a) Select a text form
members, and appreciate the 3.1.1.b) Describe the purpose 3.1.1.c) Refine the purpose of appropriate to the purpose for Text: n/a
contribution that these roles of inquiry or research and the inquiry or research by limiting text creation and consistent
make to group processes scope of the inquiry or research or expanding the topic as with the content to be presented Activities:
topic; identify the target appropriate in the text Work period to further create
Text: n/a audience; and identify the 4.1.3.e) Develop content to the information for their
potential form for the Text: n/a support a controlling idea or to performance task. I will
Activities: presentation of inquiry or produce a unifying effect conference with groups
Work period to develop a research findings, when Activities: throughout the work period and
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
groupwork contract. applicable Work period. My role will be Text: n/a determine whether the flex day
During this time I will 3.1.1.c) Refine the purpose of the same as the previous day’s. (the final day for this unit was
conference with groups, inquiry or research by limiting Activities: left as a flex day if needed) is
ensuring they’re considering all or expanding the topic as Assessment: n/a Mini lesson: On pre-writing, necessary to use here to give
of the criteria for the appropriate the writing process. Reminder them more time to develop the
assignment and asking them to develop the content fitting to content as per the
what they’re considering to be Text: both format and purpose, format/purpose.
good groupwork. A Field Guide to Lies making these early stages of
Assessment: n/a writing important. How will Assessment: n/a
Activities: you lay out your information?
Mini lesson: overlooked, Work period to get writing.
undervalued, alternative
explanations (& how these fit Assessment: n/a
within students’ research)
Work period to do research for
the performance task.
For this work period, I will
monitor how on-task students
are and help re-direct students
struggling to find out
information.
Assessment:
Groupwork contract due
Day 21: Day 22: Day 23: Day 24: Day 25:
Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic: Theme/Topic:
Editing Revising Revision Day & Groupwork Finishing Touches Final Thoughts Flex day (if needed)
Reflection
SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed: SLOs Addressed:
4.2.2.a) Assess the beginning of SLOs Addressed: 4.1.4.a) Meet production, None
a text in progress, and revise it 5.2.1.b) Reflect on and describe publication and display
as needed to establish purpose strategies used to negotiate, requirements for print texts as Text:
and engage audience coordinate and cooperate with appropriate to purpose, Bridging English
4.2.2.b) Review the others; select appropriate audience and situation
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
Assessment:
Mid-Task Self & Peer Edit
Exit slips about groupwork (a
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
Lesson
Digital Literacy & Fake News Date Feb. 16, 2018
Title/Focus
Subject/Grade Time
Grade 11: 20-2 60 min.
Level Duration
Students will be introduced to the idea of digital literacy through a pre-assessment that determines
Lesson their level of knowledge and familiarity with the idea of format and content, and how each can be
Overview manipulated depending on the author’s purpose for creation. We will discuss the prevalence of
“fake news” or untrue articles online, the danger of misinformation, and how rapidly it can spread.
Specific 4.1.2.a) Select a text form appropriate to the purpose for text creation and consistent with
Learning the content to be presented in the text
Outcomes:
4.1.2.b) Explore a variety of structures consistent with form, content and purpose when
creating texts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Take part in a pre-assessment about digital literacy
2. Discuss the importance of critical and digital literacy
3. Create basis for discussion about content, format, and purpose through inquiry question
ASSESSMENTS
Formative: Pre-assessment questionnaire
Observation/Anecdotal This will be done through the Two by Four method: Students will complete as much
Self-Assessment of the questionnaire as they can on their own (marking with pencil the ones they had
Peer Assessment difficulty with) and after 5 minutes, pair up with a partner to compare answers. Once
Student/Teacher that pair has reached a conclusion, they will pair up with another pair and so forth.
conferencing
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Pre-assessment questionnaire
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Write agenda on the board.
Introduction Time
Attention Grabber I will have the inquiry question on the board: “What do we choose to 5 min.
hide or share with the world?” We will do a think-pair-share that will
branch us into the topic of purpose, format, and content through
discussion around how we present ourselves differently to our peers than
our teachers or parents or grandparents. I’ll branch these two concepts
Subject Area Language Arts
Grade Level 11 (20-2)
Topic Appearances Can be Deceiving
Length of Unit (days) 25
explicitly.
Assessment of Prior We will do the “How well do you know fake news?” quiz
10 min.
Knowledge
Expectations for Throughout the pre-assessment, I expect that the class remains at a low
Learning and Behavior level of volume as peers compare their answers with one another.
Advance 1. Attention grabber
Organizer/Agenda 2. Fake news quiz
3. Handing out pre-assessment
4. Pre-assessment activity 10 min.
5. Discussion of correct answers
6. Review the unit plan: tell students about upcoming assignments
and due dates as well as the general layout of the unit.
Transition to Body After the quiz (which focuses on digital literacy), I’ll ask a couple
students to help me hand out the pre-assessment questionnaire. 2 min.
Body Time
Learning Activity #1 Pre-assessment questionnaire. I will explain the two by four process to
students and set the timer for 5 min to work on the questions alone before
pairing up and reviewing answers. It will be key that students are honest
about the certainty of their answers as we will cover those questions as a 20 min.
class if they are still unclear by the time the class has formed two large
groups. Review of answers to questionnaire, discussion around other
answers that may present themselves.
Teacher Notes: I will provide as many pictures as possible to differentiate for ELLs in
Assessments/ my classroom, and I will also provide a translation below (if, in this
Differentiation fictitious classroom, the majority of my ELLs have a language in
common).
Learning Activity #2 We will have a quick, teacher-led discussion about the importance of
5 min.
critical literacy and digital literacy (reasoning in rationale, pg. 8).
Teacher Notes:
Assessments/ n/a
Differentiation
Learning Activity #3 Review of unit plan: highlight upcoming assignments and topics. This
will give students a lay of the land and orient them within the upcoming 5 min.
weeks. Provide assignment sheets where possible.
Teacher Notes:
Assessments/ Provide visual cues on Smart Board for ELLs.
Differentiation
Closure Time
Consolidation of What, So What, Now What? In this lesson closure, students will turn to
Learning: their elbow partner and share:
What they learned
So what (relevancy, importance of learning the concept, how it 3 min.
helps us)
Now what (where do we need to take our learning from here,
how does this affect our thinking?)
Feedback from
n/a
Students:
Feedback to Students n/a
Transition to Next
Dismissal for next period.
Lesson