ELA Instructional Unit - Part 2

Ashlyn Simmons
1. Writing Activities Description
Informative
Students will use multiple sources to research a major event from the American Revolution.
Students must use at least three books and one website to perform their research. Students will
get to choose the format of their presentation (video, powerpoint, short skit, or poster) but will be
required to initially write a 2 page research paper to convey their findings. Students will present
their presentations to the class; peers will critique their work using a rubric. The writing piece
and presentation must include at least 2 quotations, multimedia or illustrations (depending on
the format of the presentation they choose), and a works cited page/slide/etc.
RI.5.1, RI.5.7, RI.5.9, W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.8, SL.5.4, SL.5.5, L.5.1, L.5.2
Argumentative
After reading a series of informational texts about the American Revolution, students will decide
on two major figures of the American Revolution to research. Students will complete a venn
diagram comparing and contrasting the two people/groups using the texts read in class and
other available sources. The students will then follow up with a compelling argument as to which
person(s) most strongly affected the American Revolution using facts and concrete details found
in their resources. The argument must be at least 3 paragraphs long, using standard English
conventions.
RI.5.1, RI.5.3, RI.5.7, RI.5.9, W.5.1, L.5.1, L.5.2
Six Trait Writing- Organization
*This activity would be done before the other activities
Students will have access to the texts we will be reading throughout the unit. The students will
have the responsibility of reading each text (this could be whole group reading or individual
reading depending on the text), pick out at least 2 text structures each text uses, and fill out the
appropriate graphic organizers. Students will have to remember to identify text structure and fill
out a graphic organizer independently. They must complete 2 graphic organizers for at least 4 of
the 8 texts that will be read throughout the lesson. These organizers will assist them with the
rest of their activities throughout the lesson. *Not every text/book will be read in its entirety.
Text to read would include entire picture books, entire short books, passage(s) from certain
books, a poem from a text, etc.)
RI5.5, RI5.9
Poetry
Students will research Francis Scott Key (personal life, characteristics/traits, contributions to
American Revolution, and importance of The Star Spangled Banner) after learning about
cinquain poems. Students will write a cinquain poem independently about Francis Scott Key and
present it to a small group of students. Students will be graded on ability to demonstrate
understanding of conventions of standard English (capitalization, punctuation, spelling,
grammar, and usage.)
L.5.1, L.5.2

2. Language/Grammar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIKW_HsnNKg
3. Language/Spelling
Students will be acquainted with this routine already, I will simply add in content words during
the weeks covering this unit.
Each week students must get 100 points worth of spelling activities. Students must complete all
activities by the end of the day Friday each week. Activities and points include:
Definitions - Write at least 10 spelling words and their definitions (20 points)
Cursive Spelling - Write spelling words three times in cursive (20 points)
ABC Words - Write all spelling words in alphabetic order (20 points)
Syllable Words - Divide at least 10 spelling words into syllables using a slash
(20 points)
Silly Sentences - Write at least 10 sentences using 10 spelling words (50 points)
Poem Spelling - Write a poem using at least 5 spelling words (50 points)
Crossword Puzzle - Create a crossword puzzle using at least 10 spelling words.
(50 points)
Ransom Words - Cut out letters from newspapers to spell at least 10 spelling
words (50 points) I will be bringing this one to class to share with a small group.
Cheer Words - Write a cheer using at least 5 spelling words (50 points)
75 points if performed in front of the class
Cartoon Words - Create a comic strip with illustrations using at least 5 spelling
words (75 points)
Parts of Speech Words - Pick 10 spelling words and classify them by parts of
speech (i.e. noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc) (75 points)
Story Words - Write a story using at least 10 spelling words (75 points)
4. Speaking/Listening
Text: The Fighting Ground by Avi
Objective(s): TSW critique the work of his/her peers. TSW in groups, summarize a specific
period of time in the book The Fighting Ground by Avi by creating a timeline highlighting the
main idea from that passage. Students will present these to the rest of the class.
SL.5.3: Summarize the main points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported
by reasons and evidence
We will be reading The Fighting Ground by Avi throughout this Social Studies unit. This
historical fiction describes the events of 13 year old Jonathan as he runs away to fight in the
American Revolution. After returning home with a leg injury, his family is hesitant in allowing him
to fight anymore, but Jonathan goes anyway. Jonathan is taken prisoner by Hessian soldiers
and is introduced to a young boy whose parents have just been killed by Hessian soldiers. After
a series of harrowing events and a long, successful fight, Jonathan makes it safely home to his
family. This entire book takes place in the course of 24 hours in New Jersey.
At the beginning of each day, I will read the text aloud to the class. Before we begin reading, I
will use a projector/ELMO to project the book to the whole class. There are no pictures, but I will
ask them to read through the inside cover (the summary), read the title, and locate the authors

name. They will record these in their Social Studies journals. The students should gather that
the book is about a boy fighting in the Revolutionary War. Students will then be given a KWL
chart and I will ask them to fill out what they already know about the American Revolution. We
will have a short discussion first in small groups, then as a whole class, what the students know
about the war. The students will then brainstorm for a few minutes as they deliberate what they
would like to know about the American Revolution. I will work with integrating these things into
the unit if they are not already presented. Students will write their questions on a sticky note,
and then post them to a designated place in the classroom. As we read the book and work
through the unit, we will review their questions and discuss answers as we discover them
throughout the unit.
Instead of naming chapters, the author breaks up the text by denoting what time events took
place. In groups of 3-4, students will be given a 6-7 hour period (depending on the nature of
events occurring during that time) to report on. Students will create a timeline using each of the
time indicators found in the book. They will list at least 4 main events that happened during their
time period and add it to the large class timeline located around the room. Students will give a
short (2-3 min.) presentation before adding the events to the timeline describing the event and
how it affected Jonathan and/or the war.
5. Viewing
URL: http://www.ouramericanrevolution.org/

Yes

1.

Does the title of the page tell you what it is about?

2.

Is there an introduction or message on the page that tells you what is included?

3.

Are the links easy to distinguish from the rest of the text by color, size, or shape?

4.

Is it easy to find a place to search for information on the website?

No

5.
If you go to a bunch of other pages within the website, is it easy to get back to the
homepage without using the back button?

6.

Is each page or section clearly labeled with a heading

7.

Is the layout uncluttered and easy to use?

8.

Do the visuals help you understand the ideas on the website?

9.

Are there lots of ads?

10. Would you use this website to help you learn more about the topic? Explain your
thinking here:
There is a lot of extra information about the Revolutionary War that you do not
typically find with other sources/websites. It is a good resource to find information
about life during the mid-late 1700s, events leading up to the American Revolution,

nations/people involved, and even fashion during the American Revolution. The
timeline on the website would be helpful for students and the abundance of photos and
external links provides more insight into the topic.