Understanding by Design English Language Arts/Literacy Unit

(Modified)

Unit Theme Class & Gender Conflict Grade Level Upper Elementary (5th grade)
Developed By Jesslyn Camp & Bethany Bursak

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
Indiana State Standards-ELA (RL, RI, W, and SL)
● 5.RL.2.2 Determine a theme of a story, play, or poem from details in the text, including how characters respond to challenges or how the speaker
in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
● 5.RL.2.3 Describe two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or play, drawing on specific details in the text, and how they impact the
plot.
● 5.RL.3.2 Describe how a narrator or speaker’s point of view influences how events are portrayed.
● 5.RL.4.2 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
● 5.SL.3.1 Orally summarizes or responds to a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
● 5.SL.3.2 Summarize a speaker’s points as they relate to main ideas or supporting details and demonstrate how claims are supported by reasons
and evidence.

Indiana State Standards-Social Studies

● 5.1.19 Read fiction and nonfiction stories about conflicts among and between groups of people at different stages in the formation of the United
States
● 5.3.12 Describe and analyze how specific physical features influenced historical events and movements.

Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

(These should reflect the storyline of the unit; as appropriate, identify
section of the curriculum with which each EU is most closely associated)
Students will understand that …
1. Race plays an important role in our day-to-day lives but it
does not define us.
2. Individuality is what makes us who we are and we shouldn’t
be ashamed of that.
3. You decide who you want to be, not society.
4. Society can negatively impact how we live our lives.
(These should support the storyline of the unit; identify section
of the curriculum in which each EQ is primarily addressed)
1. How does race play a role in our daily lives?
2. What is more important individuality or social acceptance?
3. What makes up someone’s identity? Is identity determined or created?
4. How does society perpetuate the tension between social classes?
5. How do circumstances impact a person’s decisions and actions?

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ELA/Literacy Unit and Grade: 5th Page 2 of 3

5. Friendship is often revealed more through challenging times

than through happy times.

Knowledge
Students will know…
● WK1- Students will determine theme, settings and understand
characters and events that take place.
● WK2- Students will determine characters point-of-view from
both the upper and lower class and how it affects the
characters.
● WK3: Students will compare and contrast non-fiction book and
poem.
● WK4: Students will know how social class and gender
correspond and how they affect them.
● WK5: Students will know what identify means.
Skills
Students will be able to…
● Students will be able to determine theme, settings, and character traits
of the main characters in the Outsiders.
● Students will be able to define the characteristics of different social
classes.
● Students will be able to compare and contrast different books and
images to the ideas/topics posed in The Outsiders.
● Students will be able to determine how race and gender play a role in
The Outsiders
● Students will be able to define their self-identity.

Materials
Fiction Non-fiction/Informational Other Sources

Lord of the Flies By: William Golding “Lunch Shaming” and other humiliations: 1. The Social Classes - Poem By: Sylvia
how Chidi
can we teach our kids about class,” Alissa 2. Picture of both “the Greasers” and the
Quart “Socs”
ELA/Literacy Unit and Grade: 5th Page 3 of 3

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Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Formative (Ongoing/Daily) Assessment(s) (list at least 5 ways you will assess students daily)

● Exit Slips Questioning students on one or two key concepts of the day
● Journal entry- students must pick one character or an idea that resonates with them
● Write their own poem about something that resonates with them from The Outsiders
● Write an essay about anything they have learned from The Outsiders
● Venn-diagram comparing and contrasting “the Greasers” and “Socs”

Summative/Performance Task Description

Goal/ Rationale We are using this book to help students understand social class in an age appropriate manner. Comparing the clothing of the
(How does task correspond to Socs and the Greasers, as well as comparing school lunches from higher and lower children will accomplish this.
unit theme/ essential questions?
Why are you choosing this task?)

Product/Performance Out ultimate goal is for students to be able to understand social class and how it affects today’s society.
Description

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Adapted by Annette M Roskam, Atlantic Research Partners Instructional Coach, for use with EQuIP Rubric for ELA (2015)

Note: The next step would be to plan the unit out in weeks and then daily lessons. I am not
asking you to do that for this project.