UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE (adapted from Thompson Rivers University)

Unit Title: Personal Connections to Texts

Name:

Brittany Tremblett (Moeller),

Bronwyn Bustin, Christine LeBlanc
and Marlene Gaunce

Subject(s):

Number of Lessons: 10

Time: (in weeks)

English Language Arts

Grade(s):

Kinderga
rten
(Emerge
nt)

Rationale:

This unit is important because it introduces students to various authors and illustrators. Students
will learn how to express their feelings and opinions in different ways.

Overview and Concept Map:

We want students to recognize their thoughts and opinions of books from an author. The students
will notice the similarities and differences of various works of an author and illustrator. Students
will express opinions and ideas through drawing, clay molding, discussion, story telling, and a
puppet show. The students will be assessed on comprehension, interpretation and expression
throughout the unit. Their summative assessment will be a puppet show presentation.
Concept map can be found in Appendix A.

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

General curriculum outcome: Students will be expected to respond personally to a range of texts.
Specific curriculum outcome: Students will be expected to respond personally to texts in a variety
of ways. Students will be expected to express opinions about texts and
illustrators.

the work of authors and

Prerequisite Concepts and Skills: Students have done prior reading and viewing of text of personal interest. They have already been
asked to express their feelings and give simple descriptions of their past experiences including
listening to opinions of others. They have participated in small group as well as class discussion.
They have engaged in reading or reading like behavior as they experienced a variety of literature
and have used with support the various cueing systems and a variety of strategies to construct
meaning from texts. With assistance, students have interacted with a variety of simple texts as well
as human and community resources. Students have prior knowledge of the vocabulary for author
and illustrator.
Teacher Preparation Required:

The GCO 1-5 would be completed to teachers satisfaction

This unit plan was developed as a team of four teachers for consistency among classes.
The teacher consulted a librarian for authors, keeping illustrations in mind.
A visit to the public library was necessary (Audio-tape)
Online research (Audio-clips)

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Purchases: Socks, googly eyes, glue, clay, yarn, pipe cleaners, markers
Cross-Curricular Connections:

Science, Art, Health Lesson?,

Extensions to Unit:

Audio books could be used as a tool of enrichment for children who are at a higher reading level
then emergent. Example: Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
Compare authors and illustrators.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

and Differentiated Instruction (DI):

Have three options for final assessment to address multiple intelligences

o Option #1: The student can choose to present a puppet show while the Very Busy Spider is narrated.
o Option #2: The student can choose a different book to present a puppet show that the child may have a better
connection with.
o Option #3: The student will tell the teacher a story one on one.
Checking for understanding with happy and sad faces
o To assess the true and imaginary lesson
o Formative assessment
o Confirming directions
o For class agreement or disagreement
o For readiness and willingness to share
Mini-lessons may be necessary based on checking for understanding.
Using a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of the students throughout lessons
Peer groups
o For sharing their ideas and opinions
o Dialogue
Self reflection
o Video recording of the practice puppet show and final puppet show
o Visual or auditory reminder of task
o Understanding (green card) Not understanding (red card), happy and sad face or through music
Attention of class
o Musical ditty
o Rhythmic clap
o Chimes
VADer
o Providing necessary accommodations to include students with impairment

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Visual representation of goals, procedures, routines, and rubrics

Student Engagement and enrichment
o Auditory Books
o Videos
o Student learning center
Create their own story of illustrations
Comic strip
Audio books
Videos
Word search (based on word wall)
Word wall writing practice
Differentiate learning environment
o Small and large groups
o Mat activity
o Station activity
o Learning center
o Show

Resources:

- Arthur and the Baby

-Arthur Halloween
- Arthur Goes to Camp
Writer and Illustrator: Marc Brown (Audio books)
- If You Take a Mouse to School
-If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Writer: Laura Joffe Numeroff Illustrator: Felicia Bond
- The Fire Station
-Alligator Baby
Writer: Robert Munsch Illustrator: Michael Martchenko
- The Grouchy Ladybug
- The Very Busy Spider
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Writer and Illustrator: Eric Carle

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Overview of Lessons:
Lesson #
and Title
(time in minutes)

Outcomes in
lesson

Lesson #1:
Responding to If
You Give a
Mouse a Cookie

Outcomes in Student
Friendly Terms
(b)
Teaching Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Lesson Activities

Materials
(Specific to This Lesson)

Respond
personally to
texts.

(a) I will be able to make a

personal connection to going
to school. I will be able to
guess what is going to happen
next in the story.
(b) Read Aloud, Think Aloud,
Modeled Writing, Word Wall,
Oral Language

Responding to the
book
-Feelings
-Past experiences
-Sharing opinions
and ideas
Add to the word wall
if necessary

-Book Walk
-Read the book aloud
- Introduce the word
wall and add words
from book
-Continued
comprehension checks
through out
- Class discussion on
how the story made
them feel
- Modeled writing
activity worksheet
with pictures from
word wall words

If You Take a Mouse to School

Activity Worksheets (one per
student)

Respond
personally to
texts.

(a) I will be able to make a

personal connection to going
to school. I will be able to
guess what is going to happen
next in the story.
(b) Read Aloud, Modeled
Reading, Mix- Freeze -Pair,
Picture cards, Think Aloud,
Oral Language

Responding to the
book
-Feelings
-Past experiences
-Sharing opinions
and ideas
Add to the word wall
if necessary
Evaluate personal
connection
demonstrated in their
drawing

-Book Walk
-Read the book aloud
-Continued
comprehension checks
throughout lesson
- Class discussion
- Draw a picture of
your personal
connection to the text
- Create pairs using
picture cards
- Mix - freeze- pair for
peer sharing of their
drawing

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

Picture cards

(30 min)

Lesson #2:
Responding to If
You Give a
Moose a Muffin
(30 min)

(a)

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Lesson #3:
Comparing and
Contrasting If
You Give a
Mouse a Cookie
& If You Give a
Moose a Muffin

Expressing
opinion of the
two books
from Lesson #1
and #2

(a) #1: I will be able to

understand what happens in
each story we read. #2: I will
be able to find similar patterns
between both books and
understand the difference
between what is imaginary
and what is real.
(b) Role play, Oral Language

Express
opinions about
the work of the
author and
illustrator

(a) I will be able to share my

thoughts and feelings about
the author and illustrator.
(b) Oral Language, Student
Modeling, Compare and
Contrast, Bloom's Taxonomy

Express ideas
about the work

(a) I will be able to create my

own story using only the

(30 min)

Lesson #4:
Getting to Know
the Author and
Illustrator
(30 minutes)

Lesson #5:
Creating Our

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-Collect drawings
-Comprehension of
-Review book
books through
comprehension using a
creation of concept
visual concept map
map
with pictures that
-Partner discussion of describe key points
teacher led questions from the book.
-Overall
- Refer to word wall
comprehension
- Demonstrate
through final
upcoming activity
questions
through roleplay.
- Create pairs.
- Teacher asks
questions which
students respond to
with their partner.
Each partner has a
chance to respond.
- Teacher asks more
questions to the entire
group. Students
respond using their
happy/sad faces.
-The correlation of
-Show two
students' characters
illustrations, one from
to that of the
each book. Students
illustrator
physically point out
-The new book title
similarities and or
should correspond to differences.
the students' mold
- Use play-dough to
create a new character
that the illustrator
would use.
- Create book title for
the author's next book
based on your
character mold
-Monitor and note
-Teacher walk-through
students' story
of illustrations of The

If You Take a Mouse to School

If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Pictures for the Visual Concept
Map
Happy/sad faces

If You Take a Mouse to School

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

Model books:
The Grouchy Ladybug
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Own Stories in
Book Stations

of the
illustrator

illustrations in these books.

telling.
(b) Engage students' creative
thinking skills and interpreting
illustrations. Making
Predictions, Story-telling,
Illustration walk through,
Modeling, Think Aloud, Oral
Language

Express
opinions about
texts and the
work of one
person who is
the author and
illustrator

(a) I will be able to tell when a

book has the same author
and/or illustrator.
(b) Modeled reading, Oral
Language, Comprehension

(30 min)

Lesson #6:
Getting to Know
Works by the
Same Author
and/or Illustrator
(30 min)

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-Comprehension
demonstrated in class
discussion

Grouchy Ladybug and

Arthur Goes to Camp
-Set up stations, each
with one book.
-Students assigned by
teacher to eight
stations in groups of
three
-Students will create
and share within their
teams/stations their
version of the story
based on the
illustrations
-Teacher reads both
books without
mentioning the
authors and
illustrators' names
-Teacher uses
questioning techniques
to encourage students
to have a discussion
about the author and
illustrations.
>Questions include:
>What is the same in
the pictures?
>What are the books
about?
>Do you think the
same person wrote
these two books? If so,
why?
>How did these books
make you feel?
>Do you see any
patterns?
-Add new words to

Arthur Goes to Camp

Station books:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Busy Spider
Arthur's Halloween
Arthur and The Baby
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
If You Take a Mouse to School
Alligator Baby
Get Out of Bed

The Grouchy Ladybug

The Very Busy Spider

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Lesson #7:
Making
Connections
Between
Illustrations and
Text

Express
opinions about
texts and the
work of the
author and the
illustrator.

(a) #1: I will be able to match

the picture to the section of
the story that the teacher is
reading. #2: I will be able to
see how the pictures and the
words connect.
(b) Modeled Reading, Student
Problem Solving, Predictions,
Oral Language

-Ability to create and

comprehend a story
from start to finish.
-Making connections
between the story
and illustrations.

Respond
personally to
texts in a
variety of ways

(a) I will create and present a

puppet show in order to show
my understanding of the story
(b) Oral Language, Modeled
Reading

The Puppet Show

(30 min)

Lessons #8, 9,
10: The Puppet
Show Days
(30 min)

word wall.
-The teacher
photocopies
illustrations of the
book and pins them to
the board.
-Teacher reads one
book aloud while
students pick
corresponding
illustrations.
-As students select the
proper illustration they
will remove it from
the board.
-Add words to the
word wall.
Day 1
-The teacher will reread the story.
-Students will choose
a character to make
their sock puppet and
create it.
Day 2
-Practice puppet show
with narrator
-Record presentations
for students to reflect
and improve
Day 3
-Presentation of the
puppet show to the
other kindergarten
classes
-Record final
presentations

Alligator Baby
The Fire Station

The Very Busy Spider

-Socks, googly eyes, yarn, pipe
cleaners, markers, glue
-Video camera

Reflections/Revisions (if necessary, continue on separate sheet):

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Unit Plan Template

The unit plan template is designed as a guide to use when planning units. The plan may be adapted to specific
subject areas and modified as you gain experience. The attached sample template should be used as a basic outline.
The space required for each heading in the template will vary and should be adjusted as needed. The template is
available on the Intranet entitled Unit Plan Template. It is important that all areas required in the template are
completed and that the unit plan be sufficiently clear and detailed so that another teacher could use the plan to teach
the unit.
Rationale: Why are you teaching this unit?
Overview: Include a brief statement of the context and structure of the unit describing the major concepts, skills
and/or understandings. You should also include a concept map/graphic organizer/web for this unit.
Prescribed Learning Outcomes: The Curriculum Documents define what students should learn in each curricular
subject by describing what students should be able to do. These statements are the prescribed learning outcomes of
the curricula of New Brunswick. Your unit plan should state the prescribed learning outcomes to be taught and
assessed in the unit and on which the specific lessons are based.
Prerequisite Concepts and Skills: Concepts to be covered and skills to be taught before the unit can begin.
Teacher Preparation Required: Describe the preparations you need to make prior to presenting the unit. Do you
need to involve other people in the planning, such as the librarian? Are there materials to be gathered and websites to
check?
Cross-Curricular Connections: What other curricular areas will be addressed in the unit? If prescribed learning
outcomes from other subjects are specifically assessed, include these outcomes in this part of your unit plan.
Extensions to Unit: Consider the following questions: What activities might you add to the unit to extend and/or
enrich student understanding? Do you have more than one method available as a Plan B?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI): UDL includes: Multiple means of
representation; Multiple means of expression; and, Multiple means of engagement. DI is the process of ensuring that
a students readiness level, interests, and preferred mode of learning are recognized. Teachers can differentiate
instruction in four ways: content, process, product, and, learning environment based on the individual learner.
How will you accommodate your diverse learners? What are the individual needs within this classroom and how will
you accommodate them? Consider learning styles, multiple intelligences, Aboriginal and cultural influences. What
are the adaptations and modifications needed for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs)?
Resources: List resources used in the unit/lessons and, if necessary, where they can be obtained. Also list the
technology required.
Overview of Lessons: Describe the key elements of each lesson in a way that is easily expanded into a detailed
lesson plan. If using the Unit Plan Template (electronic version) add as many rows as there are lessons and expand
the size of the boxes as needed. First record the lesson number, title and length of the lesson in minutes, then list, by
number, the Learning Outcomes that are specifically addressed in the lesson. Briefly outline the major Instructional
Objectives (SWBATin student friendly terms), Teaching Strategies (a few words), Lesson Activities (sufficient detail
to enable another teacher to teach the unit), Assessment Strategies (include the strategy - the How and the
What you will be assessing), and Materials needed for the lesson.
Reflections and Revisions: As you teach and work through the unit with the students, record any changes you make
as work progresses. At the end of the unit reflect and record successes and any modifications you might make when
you teach the unit again.

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