You are on page 1of 10

Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer

Understanding by Design

Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Word Analysis Strategies and Reference Materials Grade Level: 4th Grade

Topic/Subject Areas: Reading

Key Words: Analysis, Dictionary, Thesaurus, Synonym, Antonym, Homophone, Affixes

Designed By: Sarah Kretzer Time Frame: 4 Weeks

School District: Regent University School: Teacher Ed & IDS Dept.

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):


In this reading unit, students will expand their vocabulary when reading. They
will learn about roots, suffixes, prefixes, antonyms, synonyms, and homophones.
Students will use this knowledge to understand the meanings of words and to expand
their own vocabulary. Students will learn to use the context of a text and to draw from
different content areas when trying to understand the meaning of an unknown word.
They will also be able to properly use the word reference materials, including the
glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.

Unit design status: Completed template pages stages 1, 2, 3

Completed blueprint for performance task Completed rubrics

Directions to students and teacher Materials and resources listed

Suggested accommodations Suggested extensions

Status: Initial draft (date: ___________) Revised draft (date: ____________)

Peer Reviewed Content Reviewed Field Tested Validated Anchored

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 1


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS

Unit Title: Word analysis strategies and word reference materials

Established Goals:
4.4 The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
a) Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b) Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.
c) Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
e) Use vocabulary from other content areas.

Understandings: Students will understand that Essential Questions:


Misunderstanding the meaning of a word Why is it important to understand the
can cause a reader to misunderstand an meaning of unknown words in a text or
entire sentence or passage. passage?
Knowing the meaning of unknown words What different things can be used to help
can help you in everyday life to better you understand the meaning of a word
understand conversations and other better?
reading materials. How can you use the knowledge of words
The knowledge of words and their parts and their parts to help in other subject
can help you in other subjects to better areas?
understand the meanings of unknown How can knowing the meaning of words
words. help in practical, day to day life?
You can draw from content in other What areas can you draw from to
subjects or other areas of life to help understand the meaning of unknown
understand the meaning of a word. words?

Students will know: Students will be able to:


Key terms roots, affixes, synonyms, Draw knowledge from previously read
antonyms, homophones. content and understanding to help define a
Where the glossary, dictionary, and word.
thesaurus is located and how to use them. Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and glossary
The difference between synonyms and to determine the definitions of unknown
antonyms. words.
The dictionary is in alphabetical order Look at a vocabulary word and divide it
Context clues surrounding a word can into root word, suffix, and prefix.
help to identify the meaning of the word. Take a word divided into root word,
Affixes can be prefixes that are added on suffix, and prefix and use these parts to
to the beginning of a root word, or determine the meaning of a word.
suffixes that are added to the end of a root Identify homophones and know the
word. difference in the meanings and spellings.
A root word is a word of itself and How to search through a dictionary using
combined with the prefix and suffix can alphabetical order.
be used to determine the meaning of the How to differentiate homophones
new word.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 2


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
A glossary is located in the back of a book
and has definitions for words used in the
book.
Homophones are words that sound the
same but have different meaning.
A thesaurus is made up of synonyms for a
specific word.

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE


Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:
GRASPS activity: The students are book Quiz 10 multiple choice questions on
editors and they are revising a passage word analysis and reference tools
sent in to them by their client. The
students will review the passage and Quiz Breaking down words into roots
determine how to fix the flaws and and affixes
improper uses of words.
Homework Using the thesaurus,
RAFT activity: Students will write to a dictionary, and glossary
pen-pal explaining the importance of
understanding the meanings of words and Homework Antonyms and synonyms
how it can relate to every day, practical
life. Writing Prompt Students will read a
passage we are learning about in Science,
The students will break up into groups. then choose 5 words from that passage
Each student in the group will learn about and describe how roots and affixes help
a specific vocabulary word, construct a them to understand the meaning.
mini poster, and teach it to the other
students in their group. Performance will In-class Assignment worksheet on
be based upon the mini poster created and context clues
teacher will walk around and listen to
groups. In-class Assignment worksheet on
homophones
The students will pick any five words that
they want to pick. Using those five words
and a foldable provided, the students will
create their own dictionary and their own
thesaurus by showing knowledge of using
an actual dictionary and thesaurus and
replicating it for their own words in their
own foldable.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

KWL chart on the lesson for that and add it to their student workbook journals.

Learning Log from Instruction for All Students will be used throughout the week for the
students to reflect on what they have learned and what their opinion is or how they feel about
the lesson for that day.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 3


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
Students will fill out an entrance ticket on a Friday morning that will reflect on what they have
learned throughout the past week.

Students will have an exit ticket with the essential understandings questions that were
provided at the beginning of the unit. Questions will be given one at a time and not all at once.

STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN


Summary of Learning Activities:
(list by number here and then complete the week-by-week planning calendar below using the same information)

1. Use a KWL chart and have the students start on one to pre-assess their prior knowledge on
parts of a word and word-reference materials. (Rutherford, 2008)
2. Introduce the unit title and essential question #1 to the class.
3. Think, Pair, Share: Have the students think about what the answer to the essential question
may be, then pair up with their desk mate and share with one another what they think. Then
take a few volunteers to share their ideas with the class as a whole. (Rutherford, 2008)
4. Students will fill out an entrance ticket that will ask what we discussed the day prior in the
Think, Pair, Share.
5. Teacher will give brief instruction on why it is important to understand the meaning of
unknown words in a text or passage.
6. Teacher will assign the RAFT activity for the students to work on in class and then complete
for homework if not finished in class: Students will write to a pen-pal explaining the
importance of understanding the meanings of words and how it can relate to every day,
practical life. (Rutherford, 2008)
7. Introduce essential question #2
8. Use clock buddies and have the students pair up to discuss essential question #2 (Rutherford,
2008)
9. Teacher introduction instruction on the different things can be used to help understand the
meaning of words and to help broaden vocabulary (roots, affixes, homophone, synonym,
antonym) but do not go into detail on each word.
10. Introduce the culminating project/assessment to get them thinking about it throughout the unit:
GRASPS assignment on being a book editor (listed in detail in Stage 2).
11. Use Signal Cards to check for understanding of the assignment and discuss parts that are
unclear to the students. (Rutherford, 2008)
12. Introduce the term root word, give definition and examples of what a root word is.
13. Worksheet for the students to work on individually on root words: identifying the root word
and what it means on its own.
14. Exit ticket asking students what the definition of a root word is and asking them to give an
example.
15. Instruction on prefixes and the definition for prefixes.
16. Handout out on prefixes that has all common prefixes and what they mean.
17. Have students work in groups: give each group an envelope with prefixes and root words in it
and have them work together to create different words using the prefixes and roots and know
the definitions of the new words.
18. Instruction on suffixes and the definition for suffixes
19. Worksheet for students to work on individually on suffixes: identifying the suffix and what it
means

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 4


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
20. Introduce the foldable the students will be creating individually on roots, suffixes, and prefixes
and have them start it in class. What they do not finish in class will be homework.
21. Start by reviewing the students foldables. Show the class your own foldable and ask the
students if theirs looks similar and if they have any questions. Go around and look at all of the
foldables.
22. Quiz on breaking down words into their roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Identifying the different
parts of a word and what it means.
23. Hook, show the students YouTube video on antonyms for instruction.
24. Clock Buddies: have students partner up and play matching memory game to match the
antonyms together. (Rutherford, 2008)
25. Exit ticket on definition of antonym and ask for examples.
26. Hook, show students YouTube video on synonyms for instruction.
27. Clock Buddies: have students partner up and play matching memory game to match the
synonyms together. (Rutherford, 2008)
28. Exit ticket on definition of antonym and ask for examples.
29. Give homework out on antonyms and synonyms due the next day.
30. Review homework on antonyms and synonyms as a class.
31. Instruction on homophones and its definition with examples.
32. Hand out a worksheet on the most common homophones for a reference for the students to
use.
33. Worksheet for the students to work on individually: identifying the missing homophones for a
particular word.
34. Learning Log to review what the students have learned so far about roots, prefixes, suffixes,
antonyms, synonyms, and homophones. (Rutherford, 2008)
35. Group Activity: each student in group will be assigned a different vocabulary word and must
create a mini poster on that word. Students will then present their word and poster to the rest
of the class and be assessed on their mini poster by teacher.
36. Think, Pair, Share to assess prior knowledge: Ask questions on what the different parts of
speech are and how to use alphabetical order, have the students pair up to discuss their
answers with one another, come back as a class and share. (Rutherford, 2008)
37. Play instructional YouTube video on dictionaries and how to use them, have students take
notes on note taking sheet while watching.
38. Review note taking sheet and model using the projector how to look up words using a
dictionary
39. Ask the students to give a thumbs up or down to check their understanding and further explain
where students are showing difficulty in understanding.
40. Teacher instruction: Give a quick review of what the lesson was the previous day and how to
use a dictionary.
41. Break the students up into groups and give them an envelope with different words inside. Have
them work together to look up each word in the dictionary and find the definition and the parts
of speech and share with each other. Teacher walk around and listen to assess.
42. Students will pick any five words of their choice and then use a dictionary to find all of the
necessary parts on that word to create their own mini dictionary using a foldable.
43. Think, Pair, Share to review the definition of synonyms and antonyms and some examples
(Rutherford, 2008)
44. Teacher instruction: show YouTube video on the thesaurus
45. Teacher model how to use a thesaurus and in what situations they would need a thesaurus
46. Have the students individually complete a worksheet on the different parts of a thesaurus and
how to look words up using one.
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 5
Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
47. Teacher instruction: introduce what a glossary is and where you find it and how to use one.
48. Model for the students how to use the glossary
49. Give the students a worksheet to work on individually about the glossary and its different parts
50. Exit Ticket on the dictionary, thesaurus, and glossary as a review.
51. Assign homework on the dictionary, thesaurus, and glossary.
52. Think, Pair, Share on how these learned vocabulary words and word reference materials can
help in other subject areas. (Rutherford, 2008)
53. Come together for classroom discussion on essential questions #3 and #4.
54. Teacher instruction on how understanding parts of a word and word reference materials can be
used in other classes.
55. Entrance ticket on the answers to essential questions #3 and #4 as a review from the previous
days lesson.
56. Writing Prompt Students will read a passage we are learning about in Science, then choose 5
words from that passage and describe how roots and affixes help them to understand the
meaning.
57. Teacher instruction on how to use context clues to better understand the meaning of a word.
58. Teacher model by reading a passage on the projector aloud and selecting an unknown word
and using context clues in front of class to figure out what the meaning of the unknown word
is.
59. Worksheet for students in class to work on individually on how to use context clues to better
understand the meaning of an unknown word.
60. Complete the L section on the KWL chart to review what has been learned in this unit.
(Rutherford, 2008)
61. Quiz on word analysis and the word reference materials.
62. Begin culminating task: GRASPS activity: The students are book editors and they are revising
a passage sent in to them by their client. The students will review the passage and determine
how to fix the flaws and improper uses of words. (Rutherford, 2008)
63. Finish culminating task for homework if not done.
64. Final class discussion of essential questions.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 6


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer

Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Consider the WHERETO elements. You must include enough instruction for 20 lessons.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
KWL chart to pre- Entrance ticket Introduce essential Introduce GRASPS Introduction
assess prior Teacher instruction question #2 assignment instruction on root
knowledge on importance of Clock buddies to Signal Cards to words
Introduce essential understanding word discuss check for Worksheet on root
question #1 meaning. Teacher understanding words to complete
Think, Pair, Share RAFT activity introduction individually
on the essential instruction Exit ticket on root
question #1 words
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Instruction on Instruction on Reviewing and Hook: YouTube Hook: YouTube
prefixes suffixes modeling foldable video on antonyms video on synonyms
Handout with Worksheet on on roots, prefixes, Clock Buddies to Clock Buddies to
common prefixes suffixes and their and suffixes. play memory game play memory game
and meanings meanings Quiz on roots, on matching on matching
Group work with Intro and beginning prefixes, suffixes. antonyms synonyms
envelopes of of foldable on roots, Exit ticket on Exit ticket on
prefixes and root prefixes, and antonyms and synonyms and
words suffixes examples examples
Give out homework
on synonyms and
antonyms
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Review homework Learning Log to Instructional Teacher instruction Think, Pair, Share
on antonyms and review previous YouTube video on to review on to review synonyms
synonyms definitions dictionaries. dictionary and antonyms
Instruction on Group Activity to Review the note Group Work to Teacher instruction:
homophones and assess knowledge taking sheet practice looking up YouTube video on
definition of vocabulary words together in dictionary thesaurus
Handout on most and examples. Model how to look Individual Teacher model how
common up things with a assessment to to use thesaurus
create their own

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 7


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
homophones for dictionary on the dictionary using a Individual
reference projector foldable. worksheet on the
Worksheet to work Thumbs up or different parts of a
on individually on thumbs down to thesaurus and how
the missing check to use one
homophones of a understanding
word.

16. 17. 18. 19. 20


Teacher instruction Think, Pair, Share Entrance ticket on Teacher instruction Complete L section
on the glossary on how learned essential questions on context clues on the KWL chart
Teacher model how vocabulary and #3 and #4 to review Teacher models by for review
to use the glossary word reference Writing prompt on reading a passage Quiz on word
Worksheet for the materials can be using vocab and aloud and using analysis and
students to useful in other word reference to context clues to reference tools
complete subjects or day to connect to different understand the Culminating task:
individually on the day life. subject areas. meaning of an GRASPS activity
glossary Classroom unknown word. Finish GRASPS
Exit ticket to review discussion on In class worksheet activity for
the dictionary, essential questions to be done homework if not
thesaurus, and #3 and #4 individually on already done.
glossary. Teacher instruction context clues. Final discussion of
Assign a homework on essential essential questions.
sheet on the questions #3 and
dictionary, #4
thesaurus, and
glossary.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 8


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer

RAFT Pen-Pal Rubric


Task: Each student will write to a pen-pal explaining the importance of understanding the meanings of words and how it can relate to
everyday, practical life.

4 3 2 1
Accomplished Average Developing Beginning
You almost always pay You usually pay You sometimes pay You do not pay attention
Spelling attention to spelling and attention to spelling and attention to spelling and to spelling and
& punctuation. Someone else punctuation. Someone punctuation. Its often punctuation. Its very
can easily read your letter. else can usually read difficult for someone difficult for someone to
Grammar your letter. else to read your letter. read your letter.
You show an in depth You show an You show an You show a
knowledge of the importance understanding of the understanding of the misunderstanding of the
Content of knowing the meaning of importance of knowing importance of knowing importance of knowing
words and clearly relate it to words and can vaguely the meaning of words the meaning of words
Understanding everyday life situations. relate it to everyday life but cannot relate it to and cannot relate it to
situations. everyday life situations. everyday life situations.
Your letter includes the date, Your letter three of the Your letter includes two Your letter includes one
an address to the pen-pal, four components of of the four components of the four components
Letter body paragraphs, and a letter structure. of letter structure. of the letter structure.
signature.
Structure
You use a variety of different You use a moderate You use little variety in You use no variety in
Organization sentence structures and have amount of sentence sentence structure and sentence structure and
& your information organized structures and have your your letter includes a your letter includes
into paragraphs that flow and information organized few mistakes in many mistakes in
Sentence relate. into paragraphs that paragraph organization. paragraph organization.
relate.
Structure

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 9


Design Topic Word Analysis Strategies Subject(s) Reading Grade(s) 4 Designer(s) Sarah Kretzer
References

Ruthford, P. (2008). Instruction for All Students Second Edition. Alexandria: Just ASK.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 10

You might also like