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| How do scientists communicate ideas so everyone can understand them? |
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| In this unit, students will choose an area of inquiry to research and craft a text to inform readers about a new or deeper understanding related to their area of inquiry. Students will take on the stance of a scientist and engage in research on their chosen area of inquiry (a science or health-related topic) that effectively uses one or more text structures as well as appropriate text features to effectively convey their understanding of the researched topic. In the lessons, you will find that students study how informational texts are crafted in traditional formats (articles, etc.) as well as in formats that convey ideas auditorily and visually (infographics, videos, podcasts, etc.). For this reason, it is suggested that students’ own writing combines two or more formats. For example, they may design an infographic as well as a short essay-style explanation of its main ideas. To support students’ drafting of their own informational texts, the teacher should model their own drafting and revising process for a model topic. Throughout this unit, mentor texts and resources are suggested on the topic of invasive species: Invasive Species Texts. (Note: some of the texts linked within this resource require login to a free educator account.) If the teacher is using this bank of suggested texts, the model drafting that they would do would then be on invasive species. Students’ chosen topics may vary depending on their wide range of interests and expertise.
The unit asks students to reflect on their writing experience and choices at two stages in the process. The inclusion of reflection is another move toward helping students become more independent thinkers and writers. As students become more aware of why they make the choices they make during a writing task and what the outcome of those choices are and how they arrived at their final product, they will become increasingly more confident as writers and thinkers, and better able to self-direct their own learning process. The goal is for them to see the teacher as a resource in the writing process rather than the person who steers the ship.
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| MI: English Language Arts 6-12 Reading: Informational Text 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. RI.6.2. Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. RI.6.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. RI.6.5. Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. RI.6.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. RI.6.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. W.6.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. W.6.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting. Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. W.6.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. SL.6.2. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. SL.6.5. Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information. 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. L.6.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. | |
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| - How do researchers develop questions worth exploring?
How do readers approach an informational text to better understand what the author is saying? How do researchers and writers choose which facts and information to include in order to convey an understanding? How do writers organize their informational texts so that readers can understand their ideas?
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Pre-Assessment: Reading and Writing: Students should read an informational text, state the central idea, and write a summary of it. One of the articles found on invasive species from the following ReadWorks or Newsela links may provide opportunities for this: Invasive Species Texts. Single point rubric to use with reading pre-assessment. You may use any combination of nonfiction texts drafted in students’ notebooks, student surveys, and/or cold writing prompts on known subjects to gather information that gives you data on students’ strengths and needs in the following areas: Single Point Rubric for Informational Writing
Pre-Assessment: Speaking/Listening: Students could listen to a short (under 3 minute) video on invasive species and write a short summary. Then, each student discusses what information should be included in a summary and then shares their summary as the teacher records any information that will be useful in creating sentence stems and norms. The sentence stems will help scaffold for those that may need it. The same audio could be used to compare to an infographic or other text, and students will jot down why the author chose that specific form and for what purpose. These could be written as an exit ticket. See article for additional ideas on exit tickets. Gaining Understanding on What Your Students Know
Suggestions for Summative Assessment: Throughout this unit, students will research and craft an informational text on a topic of their choice that effectively uses one or more text structures as well as appropriate text features to effectively convey their understanding of the researched topic. In the lessons, you will find that students study how informational texts are crafted in traditional formats (articles, etc.) as well as in formats that convey ideas auditorily and visually (infographics, videos, podcasts, etc.). For this reason, it is suggested that students’ own writing combines two or more formats. For example, they may design an infographic as well as a short essay-style explanation of its main ideas. Single Point Rubric for Informational Writing Consider using this resource for places to publish student writing.
Because students’ writing in this unit is developed from their own research and reading of that research, you may summatively assess reading standards as observed within their final drafts and/or through a cold read of given text(s) with subsequent questions: informational text reading rubric.
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| Click here to access detailed lesson plans for this unit.
For additional context and support with the instructional approaches in all of the units, please click here. | These units are intended to be a free curriculum resource available widely at no cost to Michigan schools and teachers. Because of this, the lessons in these units contain links to any required instructional materials for implementing individual lessons. In order to support the instructional practices throughout the units, your district should consider providing resources and materials in the following areas: - Suggested anchor and mentor texts: Throughout the units, you will find suggested texts to use as anchor and mentor texts when modeling reading and writing instruction. Because the units are built around standards and instructional practices, they are not about the content found within any given text, and so any suggested text may be substituted for alternate texts as appropriate given the focus and standards of the unit. Text selection in these units prioritizes diverse representation of characters, situations, and authors including, but not limited to, racial and ethnic background, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, genre, format (e.g. graphic novels, novels in verse, etc.), and complexity levels. If you are considering alternate or additional texts, it is critical to the integrity of these units that diverse representation is maintained. If you wish to use the suggested texts included in the unit, you can find free-access materials linked within each lesson template. Because the unit writers prioritized a commitment to engaging, inclusive texts, there are some suggestions for texts and trade books that are not available in free, open-access platforms. Texts that you may want to consider purchasing for teacher and/or student use can be found within the unit as well as in this document that lists Texts and Resources to Consider Purchasing . For schools that own a Newsela ELA subscription, this document provides suggested Newsela resources to supplement each unit.
- Abundant choice reading materials: Because these units are built upon workshop principles, students’ opportunity to independently select and engage in a wide range and volume of reading is critical. Access to school libraries and media specialists will significantly support implementation of these units. Additionally, individual classroom libraries will provide further and crucial resources necessary for the differentiation and gradual release of responsibility necessary to implementing these units with fidelity.
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