MYP unit planner

Teacher(s)

Subject group and language Language acquisition English

Unit title Personal Narratives

MYP Phase 4

Unit duration (hrs) 20

INQUIRY: establishing the purpose of the inquiry

Key concept

Related concept(s)

Global context

Creativity

Identity, Purpose, Message

Personal and cultural expression

Statement of inquiry
Storytelling is a universal way of exploring our cultural identity and sharing who we are

Inquiry questions
Factual How do we create memorable narratives?
- What are the elements of a narrative?
Conceptual Why do people tell stories?
To what extent does storytelling convey cultural norms?
Debatable How do our stories impact others? How does learning about the lives of others change our point of view?

Objectives

Summative assessment

C
Communicating in response to spoken,
written and visual text

Outline of summative assessment task(s) including

assessment criteria:

Criteria C & D

Using language in spoken and written form

Relationship between summative assessment task(s)

and statement of inquiry:

The students will demonstrate their productive abilities

by creating their own personal narratives and sharing
Students will write a personal narrative of a minimum of
their own stories, This will reflect their cultural and
200-250 words to one of two written and oral prompts.
personal backgrounds.

Approaches to learning (ATL)

Communication
I Communication skills: Reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information:
-make inferences and draw conclusions
-write for different purposes
Thinking
IX Creativity and innovation: Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives

-use brainstorming and visual diagrams to generate new ideas and inquiries
-create original works and ideas; use existing works and ideas in new ways

ACTION: teaching and learning through inquiry

Content

Learning process

Identifying and using the narrative text type

Learning experiences and teaching strategies

Appropriate tenses

State and post daily learning outcomes

Chronological organization of events

Model tasks

Cohesive devices (transitions)

Present rubrics and checklists used for evaluation

Topic specific and descriptive vocabulary

Introduction

Accessing prior knowledge

Identifying and using the elements of a personal
narrative

first person

purpose to the narrative

Sensory descriptions

beginning that engages the reader

middle that includes action or a series of

events

a meaningful conclusion or ending that

expresses thoughts, feelings and/or attitudes

Five minute quick write:

o

What did you do over the weekend? ( last night, sometime in the past)

Students write in past tense

Share with a partner/whole class

emphasize verbal construction

Building Background

Tell a story to students

o Brainstorm elements of a good narrative

Identifying and using stylistic components of a

personal narrative

first person

purpose

sensory descriptions

Use of appropriate voice, register and tone

beginning that engages the reader / listener

Use of literary devices

middle that includes action or a series of events

Use of correct punctuation and spelling

meaningful conclusion or ending

Reading Comprehension/text interpretation skills

Practice

Content

Comprehension strategies such as 2SQ3R

(skimming, scanning, questioning, read, recite,
review)

Learning process
Structures

Past tense: Preterit / Pass compos/ pretrito)

o Introduction and practice using the preterit

Inferring meaning, feelings and attitudes from

examples of personal narratives

Draw conclusions from examples of personal

narratives

The teacher walked

The teacher called

Visualizing

The teacher finished

students write verbal constructions after seeing a mini-scene acted out by the teacher

o Power point presentation on preterit

Past tense: imperfect (imparfait, imperfecto)

o Introduction and practice using the imperfect

formation and translation of imperfect tense

o imperfect versus preterit

Students practise writing sentences using past tense forms.

Reading comprehension
Students read a range of narratives first as a whole class, guided reading, independent and practice:
o

2SQ3R skills (skimming, scanning, questioning, read, recite, review)

Inferring meaning, ideas and attitudes

point of view

first person

drawing conclusions

Content

Learning process
Writing
Prewriting

identify their audience, purpose and form

choose a topic

using graphic organisers

brainstorm

gather sensory details

create a list of sensory words in the target language

organize ideas in chronological order

fill in graphic organizer:

beginning, events, end

use time-order words and phrases

categorize according to sense (5 senses chart)

first, next, after that, the following day, last year, finally, once, when I was...

Drafting
o

strong beginning to engage the reader

describe the situation

follow events from graphic organizer

ending that expresses thoughts and feelings

Content

Learning process

Revising with a partner

o

voice and tone

Can you picture what I am describing?

Is the order clear?

Do you understand how I felt?

check for spelling, punctuation

structures

Editing

Publishing
o

share with whole class

Formative assessment

English:
Students will read and respond to an excerpt from Becoming Anna: The Autobiography of a Sixteen-Year-Old by
Anna J. Michener.
Spanish:
Students will read and respond to a narrative, La Enemiga by Virgilio Daz Grulln.
Key elements of a good narrative
Students list the key elements of a good personal narrative.
Structures
Preterit
Students write five sentences using the past tense to indicate what they did last night.

Content

Learning process
Imperfect
Students write five sentences using the imperfect to recount when they were young.
Imperfect versus preterit
Students describe a situation using both past tense forms.
Reading comprehension
true/false
multiple choice
gap filling
short answer
Writing Process
o Self evaluation
o checklist
o peer revising/editing
o check progress
o Informal observation
Differentiation

provide links from the students experience to key concepts by using definitions, analogies, attributes,
characteristics, morphemes, and first-hand experience depending on the amount of students' prior
knowledge.
pre-teach vocabulary
collaborative group work
provide conceptual frameworks such as graphic organizers and unit overviews

Content

Learning process
Modifications
Comprehensible input:

appropriate speech for language proficiency

visuals, modeling, scaffolding, gestures and body language
Social interaction:

think, pair, share

Modify text according to students' language proficiency.

Resources

French
Pass compose
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/
Spanish
Preterito
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/pret1.htm
Imperfecto
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/imp1.htm
Preterito vs Imperfecto
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/pretimp1.htm
Boyles, P.P.; Met, M; Sayers, R.S. & Wargin, C.E. (2004). Realidades 2. Pearson Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0-13-134092-1

PHSchool.com

Reading comprehension skills

http://www.edhelper.com/language/Spanish_reading_comprehension_skills1.html
Writing
http://www.c3fes.net/docs/tacticas_narrativas.pdf
http://sites.google.com/site/newberrysspanishwebpage/helpful-signal-words
Moore, D.W., Short, D.J, Tatum, A.W et al 2009. Inside: Language, literacy and content Level D: Personal narrative