Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Unit Plan

Kara Tonneberger

Grand Valley State University

ENG. 308-03

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Unit Plan

Unit Rationale

In this unit plan it will be designed for a third grade classroom in a school district of

many diverse needs. We will be focusing on conjunctions, comprehension in the reading

materials in the classroom, and identifying themes. One of the standards that we will be focusing

on is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1, “Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding

of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.” This unit plan will last for

one week and two days and will contain a classroom library with different books of different

themes. The students will work on worksheets that pertain to the books in the library to test

comprehension and they will work to identify different conjunctions within the books.

Theory and Pedagogy

In this unit plan we will focus on the approach to look at a large scale of themes in our

classroom library. Michigan recently passed Read by Grade Three Law that states students may

need to repeat grade three if they are more than one grade level behind (Michigan, 2019). This is

just one instance that shows how important reading is for the growth and education of our

students. We also need to focus on making sure that we also balance out the other english related

topics like comprehension, listening, and writing.

Throughout this lesson plan we will incorporate reading, comprehension, and discussion

through small groups of collaborating, individual journaling, and filling out worksheets. This

will help to aid individual skills in english as well as developing a good sense of skill in working

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

in groups and how to develop an ability to explain the students personal point of view to the

discussion. Students will face challenges in discussions with others and will work through them

by collaborating with other students around them/in their groups. As the teacher, it will be the

teachers responsibility to monitor the students and test their knowledge by giving informal

assessments to make sure that the students are grasping the right concepts from the lesson that

the student is working through.

Addressing Diverse Students

In my classroom I will ensure that each one of my students is included in each lesson

plan. I will take into account each student’s needs and make sure that the learning is

collaborative for the students so that they have everything they need to succeed in my classroom.

Many things that need to be considered by the teacher planning the lesson/unit; English

Language Learners, Special need students, and diverse learners should be considered when

making adaptations to a lesson. Each student learns differently and it is important to allow

students to explore the material in how they understand best. It is important to ensure equity in

the classroom which means that students should all receive equal education but some students

need help and extra time in order to reach that same level of knowledge.

For students who have a special need, it is important to give them more time to

collaborate and work with other students who can help with discussion and solidifying the

concepts for that student when explaining terms in student friendly definitions. For students who

are English Language Learners it is important to provide materials that can help them understand

the materials being talked about during class or during a discussion/lesson. It will help those

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

students to be around students who are fluent in English language so that the English language

learner can hear pronunciation and fluency of the words. The English language learner may need

additional resources to ensure that they have the same level of understanding.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Unit Rationale References

Brock, C., Borti, A., Frahm, T., Howe, L., Khasilova, D., & Ventura-Kalen, K. (2017).

Employing autoethnography to examine our diverse identities: Striving towards

equitable and socially just stances in literacy teaching and research. International

Journal of Multicultural Education, 19(1). Retrieved from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ113586 5.pdf

Michigan Department of Education. (2019). Facts for families: What is the read by grade

three law? Retrieved from

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/3rd_Gr_Reading_Facts

_Families_Final_629306_7.pdf

Tompkins, G. E. (2017). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (7th ed.).

Pearson Education, Inc.

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 Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Unit Overview

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Mini lesson on Start Continue Finish Start Content Area

Conjunctions and Comprehension Comprehension Comprehension Lesson Plan
introduction of lesson lesson lesson
what the parts of a
story are.

Introduce the new

books in the
classroom library.

Finish content Start & Finish Close Intro to text-to-text, Begin Foundational Close unit plan by
area lesson plan, if reading lesson text-to-self, skill lesson summarizing in
needed. text-to-world, discussion what we
lesson connections did during the unit
plan and if any
student is still stuck
on a topic.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Standards Used In Unit Plan

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate

understanding of a text, referring explicitly to
the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their

traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain
how their actions contribute to the sequence
of events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that

of the narrator or those of the characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings,

and plots of stories written by the same author
about the same or similar characters (e.g., in
books from a series).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1C Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,

supporting a point of view with reasons.
Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because,
therefore, since, for example) to connect
opinion and reasons.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Comprehension Lesson Plan

Subject Teacher Grade Time

ELA Tonneberger 03 90 total minutes.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text
as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about
the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

Objectives

The students will..

● Read a book about a certain theme.

● Ask questions about the theme.
● Present information to the class.
● Be able to explain what a theme is, what a plot is, be able to describe
characters/characteristics, and what the setting is.

Activities

Day one:

● The lesson will begin with the introduction of what themes are in the classroom
library for that week. (diversity, family, outdoor activities, jealousy & anger) (10 minutes)
● Next, the teacher will discuss what a theme is, what a setting, plot, and characters
are in a story. (5 minutes)
● Next, the teacher will talk about the worksheets and discussions they will have
throughout this week of reading. (5 minutes)
● The teacher will then ask students to go home and talk to their parents/guardians
about what theme their book they choose is about, and if they have any stories they can

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

relate.. The students will write down what they talk about with their family members for
them to use as a reference later.

Day two:

● The students will come back to class and have a small table group discussion
about what they talked about with their parents/guardians. (5-10 minutes)
● Next, the teacher will have the class transition to large group conversations about
the themes. (5-10 minutes)
● Next, the teacher will review with the students what a setting and plot is with the
students and then transition to silent reading time of the same book they are reading or
choose another book from the classroom library. (20 minutes)
● The teacher will then pass out a worksheet to the students to reflect and test
comprehension of the book that they chose. (5-10 minutes)

Day three:

Presentation Day!

● After the student has completed their book they will then present their book to the
class. They will tell what the theme is, who the characters are, what the setting is, and
what the plot is. (20 minutes)
● The teacher will assess the students' understanding by how the students present
the information of the book to the class. (informal)

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Name:__________________________

Classroom Library Reading Guide

Title of the Book:

Before you begin reading, write a response to the first question on this page. Once you
finish answering that question, but this paper aside and begin reading your book. Once you
have completed your reading, answer these questions to the best of your ability.

From the main cover and title what do you think this book was about?

Did it change after you read the book?

What is the setting in the first 5 pages of the book?

Who is the main character? Is there more than one, if so who are they?

What is the plot of this book?

What surprised you about this book?

Did the main character do anything that you didn’t expect?

What is the setting in the last 5 pages of the book?

What is the theme of this book? Are there more than just one?

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Content Area Lesson Plan:

Subject Teacher Grade Time

ELA- conjunctions Tonneberger 03 35min

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1C

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because,
therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.

High Leverage Practice: Explaining and modeling content, practices, and strategies

Objectives

The students will...

● Read a book from the classroom library,

● Identify conjunctions from the book chosen,
● Answer questions about the conjunctions on a worksheet accurately.

Activities

During the lesson, the teacher will

● The teacher will review by asking students to describe to them what a conjunction
is and what it does to a sentence. (5 Minutes)

● Next, the teacher will pass out the conjunction worksheet that reviews what
words are conjunctions and how to use them in a sentence. The students will complete
this worksheet alone. (10 minutes)

● Next, the teacher will have the students grab a book from the classroom library.

● After 10 minutes, the teacher will tell the students that it is time for them to stop
where they are and pass out a worksheet.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

● The students will identify conjunctions from the book the student read to work on.
(10 minutes)

● The teacher is going to make sure that the students were accurate when answering
the questions, and will then guide them in discussion on the different conjunctions that
they found throughout each of their books. (informal)

Name: ___________________________

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Conjunctions Found Throughout My Book

In the past few days of class we have been talking about what a conjunction is and
what it does in a sentence. In this worksheet you will read a book from the
classroom library and read it all the way through. Once you are completed return to
this worksheet. You will give your title of the book, what the main theme of the
book is, and how many pages are in the book. You will then review the book and
find a page in the book that contains a sentence that uses a conjunction. You will
then record the sentence it is used in.

Title:
Theme:
Page Range:

Page found on.. Conjunction Sentence from the book..

used..
1.

2.

3.

Name: _____________________________

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Conjunction Worksheet

What are FANBOYS….?

F……
A…...
N…..
B…..
O…..
Y…..
S…..

Matching FANBOYS With Example Sentences.

1. Every day was a happy day, ___________ every night was peaceful.

2. Celia says you’re in shock, ____________ I think you’re just lazy.

3. You can pick your friends, ____________ you’re stuck with family.

4. Hiccup leapt out of the way, ____________ the sharp point of the blade pierced his
shirt and tore a neat slice out of it.

Is this a correct use of a comma? If the sentence is incorrect,

rewrite the sentence in the space below.

1. Stephen must study, Stephen will not pass the test.

2. The boys play basketball, and the boys play soccer.

3. My mom will sleep, or my mom will rest.

4. Jan went to the carnival, she had a great time.

USE FANBOYS TO FILL IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

EX. She went hunting.

Kerry traveled to AND
the woods,
John eats chicken, John eats
hamburgers.
David likes video David does not like to
games, pay for video games.
The zebra enjoys The zebra does not
eating grass, like to get chased by
lions.
Sarah must pass her Sarah will not be able
test, to go to the movies.
The class must The class will not
behave, receive a free day.
Luke’s car stopped, Luke’s car was out of
gas.
I finished my I went outside to play.
homework early,

What are FANBOYS….? KEY

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Answer Key
1. Every day was a happy day, AND every night was peaceful.

2. Celia says you’re in shock, BUT I think you’re just lazy.

3. You can pick your friends, BUT you’re stuck with family.

4. Hiccup leapt out of the way, BUT the sharp point of the blade pierced his shirt
and tore a neat slice out of it.

Is this a correct use of a comma? If the sentence is incorrect,

rewrite the sentence in the space below.

1. Stephen must study, Stephen will not pass the test.

Stephen must study, OR Stephen will not pass the test.

2. The boys play basketball, and the boys play soccer.

CORRECT

3. My mom will sleep, or my mom will rest.

CORRECT

4. Jan went to the carnival, she had a great time.

Jan went to the carnival, AND she had a great time.

USE FANBOYS TO FILL IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN.

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

KEY
EX. She went hunting.
Kerry traveled to AND
the woods,
John eats chicken, AND John eats
hamburgers.
David likes video BUT David does not like to
games, pay for video games.
The zebra enjoys BUT The zebra does not
eating grass, like to get chased by
lions.
Sarah must pass her OR Sarah will not be able
test, to go to the movies.
The class must OR The class will not
behave, receive a free day.
Luke’s car stopped, SO Luke’s car was out of
gas.
I finished my SO I went outside to play.
homework early,

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Close Reading - Folktales

Subject Teacher Grade Time

ELA Tonneberger 03 45min

Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text
as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6

Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about
the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

High Leverage Practice: Explaining and modeling content, practices, and strategies

Objectives

● Students can identify elements of themes in stories.

● Students can identify points of view from characters.

● Students can explain why their evidence is an element of a theme

Activites

● The lesson will begin by refreshing the students’ memory of the different parts of
a story, theme, plot, setting, characters, conflict, resolution. (5 minutes)

● Next, the teacher will show the students the book, The way I Feel. This book will
be read aloud in front of the students and the teacher will stop to talk about important
parts to transition between. (10 minutes)

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

● The teacher will then do a mini lesson on close reading. They will explain that in
close reading you reread a text looking for evidence. For our book we will be looking for
the different parts of what makes a story. We will look at each part specifically. We will
point out any situations or words that stop us up and we will go back to investigate them.
If there is a part of the story that confuses the student, they will write down the page or
what is happening. (15 minutes)

● The teacher will continue to scaffold students through the process by having a
student reread the next page, having student groups talk about and record in their English
journal what evidence they find when looking through the reading and then reporting
back to the large group. (10 minutes)

● To wrap up, the teacher will instruct students to reflect on today’s work with a
person sitting near them about what they learned and what stumped them. After pairs
have had a chance to share, the teacher will ask for a few students to share what they or
their partner said to explain the parts of the story. The class will end with an exit slip
stating what the biggest thing that stumped them. (informal) (5 minutes)

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Foundational Skill Lesson -Text to Text Connections

Subject Teacher Grade Date & Time

ELA Tonneberger 03 45-50min

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3

Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about
the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)

High Leverage Practice: Setting up and managing small group work

Objectives

● Students can recall books that they have read

● Students can compare and contrast two texts by making text-to-text connections.

Activites

During the lesson, the teacher will demonstrate text to text connections with explicit instruction
and then students will practice in groups.

● The lesson will begin by the teacher asking students if they have ever seen the
two Disney Pixar movies, Inside Out & Up. The teacher will then ask for someone to
give a brief summary of the two movies. (10 minutes)

● The teacher will then explain the reading strategy we are practicing today is called
making text-to-text connections. The teacher will demonstrate how to use a Venn
Diagram based on the Disney Pixar movies with the help of the students’ knowledge. For
example, both movies have the same theme of family and emotions. (10 minutes)

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

● The students will then practice in their table groups using the two books on their
desk (from the classroom library) to fill in the venn diagram like we did for the movies.
The students should start by recalling what each of the books was about. The teacher will
monitor the groups by walking around and observing conversations. The teacher will
then work with a small group of students including language learners at a back table who
will likely struggle with making connections to provide more scaffolding. (15-20
minutes)

● At the end of class, the teacher will have each group tell what books they had and
then share one difference and one similarity they found. The teacher will record their
ideas on the board. To extend this thinking, the teacher will then ask students if they can
generalize these findings to similarities and differences between fables and folktales in
general. (10 minutes) (informal)

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Annotated Bibliography

**Each of these books would be in the classroom library for the students to explore and use
during reading comprehension guides.

Theme: Anger and Jealousy

Bang, Molly. When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... Scholastic Bookshelf, 2004.
"Oh is Sophie ever angry now!"Everybody gets angry sometimes. For children, anger can
be very upsetting. Parents, teachers, and children can talk about it. People do lots of
different things when they get angry. In this Caldecott-honor book, kids will see what
Sophie does when she gets angry. Everybody gets angry sometimes. For children, anger
can be very upsetting. Parents, teachers, and children can talk about it. People do lots of
different things when they get angry. In this Caldecott Honor book, kids will see what
Sophie does when she gets angry. What do you do?

Berenstain, Stan. The Berenstain Bears and the Green Eyed Monster. Random House Books for
Young
Readers, 2013.
Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan
Berenstain. Brother just got a new bike for his birthday, and now Sister is green with
envy. Will she ever be able to get past it? This beloved story is a perfect way to teach
children about jealousy and how to overcome it.

Cain, Janan. The Way I Feel. 1 ed., Parenting Press, 2000.

Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions,

including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride.

Chichester Clark, Emma. Plenty of Love to Go Around. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2016.

Based on the adventures of Emma Chichester Clark’s real-life dog, Plum, this delightful
romp gently tackles feelings of jealousy and the difficulties of sharing, in endearing,
dynamic illustrations that readers will love. Plum the dog loves being her family’s Special
One. So when Binky the cat moves in next door and everyone showers him with
attention, Plum feels left out. Cats are not her favorite thing! Binky follows Plum
everywhere, even to the park, which everyone knows is not for cats. And on top of that,
Binky is so annoyingly clever. Is he the new Special One? Or is there enough love for
both of them?

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

Theme: Family
Baker, Jeannie. Mirror. Candlewick, 2010.
Somewhere in Sydney, Australia, a boy and his family wake up, eat breakfast, and head
out for a busy day of shopping. Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his
family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this
ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the
activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first
seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some
unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side — one from the
left and the other from the right — these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly
detailed collage illustrations.

Beaty, Andrea. Rosie Revere, Engineer. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013.
Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish,
Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions
from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats:
Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them. Afraid of failure, she
hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA
Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s
something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail, if you quit.

Bunting, Eve. Going Home. HarperCollins, 1996.

Christmas is coming, and Carlos and his family are going home—driving south across the
border to Mexico. But Mexico doesn't seem like home to Carlos, even though he and his
sisters were born there. Can home be a place you don't really remember? At first, La
Perla doesn't seem very different from the other villages they pass through. But then
Carlos is swept into the festivities by Grandfather, Aunt Ana, and the whole village.
Finally, Carlos begins to understand Mama and Papa's love for the place they left behind
and realizes that home can be anywhere, because it stays in the hearts of the people who
love you.

Theme: Outdoor Activities

Cornwall, Gaia. Jabari Jumps. Candlewick, 2017.
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming
lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all.
“Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad
squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special
jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto
the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, Gaia Cornwall

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Literacy Unit Rationale and Plan

captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy
you can’t help but root for.

Dean, James. Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach. HarperCollins Publisher, 2013.
Pete the Cat is one groovy cat at finding shells and building sand castles at the beach. But
when it gets too hot, there’s only one way to cool off—jump into the ocean! Except Pete
might be a scaredy-cat when it comes to the water.

Theme: Diverse Traditions

Kotb, Hoda. I've Loved You Since Forever. HarperCollins, 2018.
I've Loved You Since Forever is a celebratory and poetic testament to the timeless love
felt between parent and child.

Mora, Oge. Thank You, Omu! Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018.
Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one,
they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a
portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing
left for herself?

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