GM+English+IP

=Instructional Plan/Learning Activities= Hook: Read the first few paragraphs of //The Great Railroad Race// and have the students predict what will happen. Learning Activity: Each student will be given a transportation or general vocabulary word on a cardboard necklace. They will then research the word and post their findings on the Vocabulary page of the class wiki, including at least one link, as that word. Students will then present their respective word. After, they will create a discussion board to peer review each other's work and to add one additional fact or thought about each word. Artifact:Wiki Page w/discussion board and embedded files. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 1. The focal vocabulary for the topic of transportation innovation. (commute, gauge, metropolitan, terminal, canal, etc.) || 1. Demonstrate ownership of appropriate vocabulary by effectively using a word in different contexts for different purposes. || A1: Interconnected Elements: Comprehension, Vocabulary, Alphabetics, Fluency (Grade 7) b || Hook: Bring in several types of print and have students (in their teams) race to separate the items into piles that make sense to them. Learning Activity: Evaluate half of the texts as a group, explaining the differences between secondary and primary sources and how each one is a secondary or primary source. In teams, have the students separate the second half of the texts on their own and discuss the findings as a class. Talk about what type of source //The Great Railroad Race// is and have each team then make an Inspiration web explaining the differences between the two types of sources if they were going to teach a lesson about them. Artifact:Inspiration web w/visuals posted on wiki. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 2. The contrasts and similarities between secondary and primary sources. || 2. Evaluate a text and its purpose, and support conclusions with evidence from the text. || A4: Persuasive Texts (Grade 7) c || Hook: Have students read unedited, grammatically incorrect passages about transportation and have them report out on what the articles were about. (The articles should be rather unclear so that students will struggle to understand the material) Learning Activity: Discuss the importance of editing and peer review. Have students create a blog and journal as if they were at the building of the transcontinental railroad. Within each team, have students peer edit the blogs and have the students revise their journal entries for accuracy, grammar, spelling and voice. Artifact: Blog reflections/revisions. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 6. The importance of editing original work and improving upon it. || 6. Reflect on drafts to improve focus, effect, and voice incorporating peer response when appropriate. || B1. Interconnected Elements (Grades 6-8) c || Hook: Show me the money! Introduce a millionaire businessperson who wants to invest money in a new transportation innovation to the class. Learning Activity: Students, in pairs, will create a piece of publicity promoting a "new" transportation innovation of their choice in hopes of it being funded. After the completion of their document, students will present their publicity in front of a investor who will pick the most influential publicity. After, the entire class will debrief to discuss the effects of the media, what makes good publicity and how the media affects society. Artifact: MS Publisher document. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 4. How the media and its purpose affect society. || 4. Analyze the characteristics of various genres of literature and their purposes. || A3. Informational Texts (Grade 7) g || Hook: Bring in a creative painting, video, passage from a book or article and a photograph and discuss what makes each of them good or attractive. Learning Activity: In teams, have students sketch or draw slides of any kind of movie relating to transportation. There are no limits or rules except that each movie must be a narrative and must be creative and engaging. Artifact:iMovie. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 5. Why creativity is important when creating original works. || 5. Imagine a plot or other narrative structure, point of view or setting. || B2. Narrative (Grades 6-8) a || Hook: Invite a storyteller or author to the classroom to read or act out a suspenseful passage or story. Learning Activity: Individually, each student will draft one chapter of a fiction book on tape about a community's reaction to the coming of a new transportation innovation. They will include the opposing reactions, fears, disbelief and frustration of the townspeople in that community. Artifact: Podcast. || English: Students will understand that by analyzing diary entries from the transcontinental railroad they will comprehend the many trials and errors of the railroad that impacted western society. (2) || 3. How to create believable fiction by employing a wide range of tactics. || 3. Use a range of narrative strategies for effect including dialogue and suspense. || B2. Narrative (Grades 6-8) c ||
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