Benchmark – Literacy Mini-Unit Plan

 
Elementary teachers frequently develop and implement unit plans designed to enhance students’ learning in the English language arts. Well-conceived unit plans take into account a broad range of needs, including literacy skills, standards, text selections, students’ unique learning abilities and backgrounds, and sound instructional strategies and assessments.

The purpose of this assignment is to practice developing and delivering literacy instruction that is appropriate for the elementary English language arts classroom and designed for students in your field experience classroom.

Utilizing the needs assessment data you collected for the student from your field experience classroom in Topic 6, as well as other data you have learned about all of the students in your field experience classroom, create a week-long unit, composed of 3 individual lesson plans on literacy, utilizing the Common Core or your state’s literacy strands for that grade level. These strands should include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

Use the “COE Lesson Plan Template” for each of the lessons. You may adapt any previous assignments in the creation of this mini-unit plan,
as long as the lessons form a planned, cohesive unit. 
The unit should include the following:

Lesson activities that include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language/vocabulary and are aligned to state or national standards.
A grade-level appropriate text selection.
Use of at least one digitalresource that promotes effective communication and creates opportunities for active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
Connection, through instruction or assessment, to students’ prior learning knowledge and students’ personal culture/background.
Formative and summative assessment strategies to promote learning.
At least one homework or an extension activity that encourages students to apply what they learned in the unit to literacy in a different curricular content area like science, social studies, or mathematics.
Differentiation of strategies, assessments, and extension activities for all of the following: Students with special needs, gifted students, and English language learners.

Along with the unit, write a 250-500 word rationale describing your reasoning for your instructional choices, your integration of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, and your differentiation for various learning needs. Be sure to cite any resources used.

Submit your unit plan and rationale as one deliverable.

While APA style format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.