LITERACY / UNIT PLANNER

Topic: Treasured Objects 1888

Year Level: 5

GRAMMAR FOCUS: (levels)

Text type and mode

1. Whole text structure of an Information narrative

Information narrative

Listened to

Spoken

Weeks: 2

Read

Date: 12-16 October

Written

Viewed

Produced

Steps in Teaching and Learning Cycle: (adapted Derewianka, 1990/2007)

1. Building topic knowledge
2. Building text knowledge/Model the genre
3. Guided activities to develop vocabulary and text knowledge
4. Joint construction of text
5. Independent construction of text
6. Reflecting on language choices

Orientation
Complication and series of events
Resolution
Reorientation

Language features for the text-type:

Term: 4

descriptive language
adjectives and related groups of words
adverbs and related groups of words
first or third person pronouns
dialogue
tense changes

(Wing Jan, 2009, pp. 235-236).

CONTEXT: Overview of series of lessons and background information: Through our inquiry

studies, we are looking at the period of Australian history of 1888. Children are continuing
their learning of this topic by creating an information narrative with a focus on the everyday
life of children during that time.

Frequently used Literacy Instructional Strategies: Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Language Experience Approach (R/W) Picture Chat Read to Shared R/W
Guided R/W
Modelled writing Interactive writing Independent R/W Literature Circles Reciprocal Teaching
Mini lesson Roving conferences
Teaching techniques: Think Aloud, Text analysis, Cloze exercises, Note-taking,
Graphic Organisers: T-chart, Y-chart; Venn diagram, Data grid, Sunshine wheel, KWL chart, Flow
chart, Story map, templates for text-types for planning,

Pre-assessment of students skills and knowledge:

Standardized tests for reading/writing/ NAPLAN
Profile of Data Progression of Reading Development
Conferences/interviews
Student written work samples
Self-assessments
Literacy Learning intention: We are learning to construct and produce a
information narrative.
Learning behaviours: I need to gather facts from the period of time and learn
more skills in the construction of information narratives.
Success criteria: I know Im doing well if I can produce an information narrative
with all the relevant and connected facts. Create a historically accurate and
entertaining information narrative.

Four resource model (Freebody & Luke, 1990/1999): Code Breaker; Text Participant/Meaning
Maker; Text User; Text Analyst
Comprehension Strategies: Predicting; Visualising; Making connections; Questioning; Inferring;
Determining important ideas; Summarising; Finding evidence in the text; Understanding new
vocabulary; Synthesising; Comparing and contrasting; Paraphrasing; Recognising cause and effect;
Skimming and scanning; Five semiotic systems: linguistics, visual, auditory, spatial, gestural.
Question types: self-questioning; 3 levels; (literal, inferential, evaluative); QAR
Thinking Routines: See, Think, Wonder; Headlines; +1, Three word summary, 5VIPs, Give One,
Get One (refer Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & amp; Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible:
How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. eBook online)

Topic-specific vocabulary for the unit of work:

Resources:

Orientation, Complication, resolution and reorientation.

Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Cooperating
Considering options

Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring

Listening
Locating information
Making choices
Note taking
Observing

Wing Jan, L. (2009). Write ways. South Melbourne: OUP.pp. XX; EPISODE 13 English teaching resources downloaded on
12th October 2015 from www.myplace.edu.au/. My Place website www.myplace.edu.au Video clip Episode 13 ; ABC3
MyPlace http://www.abc.net.au/abc3/myplace/
Hertzberg, M. (2011). Focus on Oracy. In Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes. Newtown: PETAA. pp.
48-75
Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting

Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding

Seeing patterns
Selecting information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising

Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working independently
Working to a timetable

Designing
Elaborating

TEACHING & LEARNING CYCLE

(Identify step in the T & L cycle and
the literacy learning intention or
sessions focus )

Interpreting
Justifying

WHOLE CLASS
Hook or Tuning In
(Identify a strategy or a tool to help
activate prior knowledge and/or to
introduce the topic.)

We are learning to ...

Ordering events
Organising

Providing feedback
Questioning

MINI LESSON
(Explicitly model the use of a new strategy or a
tool to assist with the literacy learning
intention or focus of the session and to
prepare students for successful completion of
the set task. Reference to Wing Jan include
page details)

Restating
Revising

Synthesising

INDEPENDENT
LEARNING
(Extended opportunity for students to work in
pairs, small groups or individually on a set
task. Time for teacher to probe students
thinking or work with a small group for part of
the time. Reference to Wing Jan include page
details)

SHARE TIME AND

TEACHER SUMMARY
(Focussed teacher questions and summary to
draw out the knowledge, skills and processes
used in the session)
Link back to literacy learning intention and
key points of effective reading/writing,
speaking, listening and viewing.

ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES
(should relate to literacy learning intention
or focus of the session. Includes how &
what you will use to make a judgment on
students attempt/work)
Success criteria written for students to
know what the minimum expectation is.

With connection to mini lesson,

children are to go to
independent learning and think
of a specific item that one of the
children had to give up and
describe their feelings towards
that item, by remembering the
emotion (eg, sad, angry,
disheartened)

Bring children back to together

as a class to share their
learning.

Observation
Listening for children
contribution to class
discussion. Being able to
express emotions/feeling
towards household items at
the time.

Gradual release of responsibility:

Before, During, After

1. Building topic
knowledge
We are learning to
identify important
house hold items to
children and how they
feel about them.

Introduce the new topic

as part of the unit of
work.
As part of the inquiry
topic we are learning
about life in the 1880s
With focus on what
children did during that
time.
Also consider whether all
children had access to
these toys. Do different
have different things they
find as a possession?
Would the Aboriginal
children feel safe around
the white children when
they play games?

Watch the 1888 clip (episode

13) as a class. After viewing the
clip advise children that we are
watching it again but with
specific information to look out
for.
- Keep in mind the items
the children need to
give up for the magical
potion.
- What do you notice
about the children and
the items they need to
give up?
- Do they seem really
important to you?
Give children 2 minutes to have
a mini discussion with the
children around them in regards
to the questions.
Have share time about the
questions with the focus on
what little children have during
the period of time. And what it
would feel like to have so little
to play with.

Victorias brother felt

angry because he had
to give up his favourite
slingshot. Now he has
nothing else to play
with
Make a clear focus on the
Aboriginal children during this
video. Clear explanation that
times were different from then
and now.
Children can work in pairs to
construct a list of items and
feelings in a chart to help
brainstorm.
Focus group: 3 children.
Focus on extending vocabulary
in relation to household items

Have 3-4 pairs of children

share their sentences,
Other children must listen and
give feedback on what emotion
was being felt for the character.
Bring a question to the children
about toys.
- How would you feel
if you had to give up
your Lego, iPad,
Barbie?
- Would you feel upset
- as well?

Focus group: can children

make connection from
pictures to words. A teacher
led session.

and toys during 1880s.

An Illustrated word wall
activity with a range of pictures
and words associated to match
and record in work book.

We are learning to
think in different levels
about illustrations
from 1880s.
We are learning to
describe features of
1880s with adjectives.

This lesson focus is on the text of My Place with images from 1888.
Children will you a thinking routine. See, think, wonder. To focus on oral language related to the time and creating a word back for their future writing task.
Children will then use a Y chart to write the literal, inferred and evaluative understanding of the images.

2. Building text
knowledge/Model
the genre
We are learning to
identify parts of a
narrative by reading
fairy tales.

Introduce to the students

that this lesson is about
what the structure of a
narrative looks like, with
help of our favourite fairy
tales.
(basic narrative,
information )

This lesson focus is on describing words with association of the clip from 1888. Children are to watch the clip again and think of adjectives to describe what they
see. A shared topic will be modelled for children. Children will then receive a concept map (see appendix 1) to focus on the other aspects. Laptops will be used for
independent viewing of the clip. This will be used later as a word bank for writing. Adapted from (Wing Jan, 2009, p245)
Question children with the
following terminology:
- Orientation
- Complication
- Resolution
- Reorientation
- Have you used these
skills in your writing
before?
Clarify any questions children
have about these terms.
Read a Three Little Pigs story
and ask children to listen for
what parts of the story may
follow this structure.
Model for the class with the use
of pictures and words and have
a discussion of why certain
scenes revolve around the
structure
- What scene do you
think is the
orientation? How do
you know this?

We are learning to use

information in our
narrative writing.

With connection to mini lesson,

children are too look at a range
of fairy tales in small groups
and decide the structure.
Children will be working in
table groups (four to a table)
with different fairy tales on
each table (3 in total). Children
must consider the structure of
the narrative and connect them
with a template. (See appendix
2).
Teach questioning children:
- The complication is
about the situation that
occurs during the
story. How do you
know this is a
complication?

Bring children back to together

as a class to share their
learning.
Give a final recap on the
structure of a narrative by
having a discussion on one of
the other fairy tales that was
used during independent
learning.
- Were there multiple
complications to some
of the stories?
- Do you think having
multiple
complications is good
writing? Why?

Observation of class
discussion and connection to
previous knowledge of the
structure of narrative.
Checklist may be used on
focus group. Whether they
can decipher the four parts
to a narrative and which part
of the fairy tale coincides.

Focus group: 3 children.

Focus on looking at the
structure of a single story. In a
read aloud. As each part of the
story is read children to add the
details to the narrative structure.
This lesson focus is moving away from traditional narrative writing, and bringing in information. Children will choose an information topic from the choice of
animal, country, or person. Children will find three facts about their chosen topic and create a Y chart with their partner. Teacher will be roving around to keep
children on track with the structure and questioning what information is important.

We are continuing
information knowledge
with focus on 1880s.

This lesson focus is continuing the information narrative structure with the inclusion of specific 1880s knowledge. Children will have the opportunity to revisit the
My Place text with a specific focus on information that is presented during 1888. This is a guided lesson where teacher will read the text and children will then
receive strips of the text to categorise with connection to information (character, event, setting, objects).

3. Guided activities
to develop
vocabulary or
specific language
feature

Introduce to the children

that this lesson is a focus
on creating a concept
map of specific people,
places, things, problems,
clothing, etc.

We are learning to
reconstruct
information narrative
with a dictogloss.

Focusing on dialogue and

adverbs.

4. Guided activities
to develop
vocabulary or
specific language
feature
We are learning to tell
stories from different
points of view.

This lesson focus is on the

language feature of point
of view.

The children have viewed the

clip multiple times, so no need
to watch it for enjoyment.

Children will undergo the

process of a dictogloss with a
partner.

Bring children back to together

as a class to share their
learning.

Children will be doing a

dictogloss activity where a part
of My Place will be read.

Children will run through the

steps individually and then have
a discussion with their partner
on any words they might have
difficulty with or perhaps
missed.

Have children contribute their

reconstruction of the text

Remind children what a

dictogloss activity is and the
steps.
- We are listening first,
then re listening for
specific information,
then writing key
words. Then we will
write in our own
words.

Children will be presented

with a range of little
paragraphs from stories that
show different points of view.
A read aloud activity where
children will be asked to listen
for features of the paragraph
that lets them know that it is
from a first or third point of
view.

Identify similarities and

difference to some of the
responses.

Focus observation of
children making connections
between listening and
written communication.
Focus group:
How well children can
match the noun to the
describing adjective.

Children are then to create a

small paragraph reconstructing
the section of My Place.
Focus group: 4 children
Children who might be word
level of reading/writing.
Present a range of adjectives
that present different describing
words. (feeling, sounds,
character, setting). Children are
to focus on a part of the My
Place text and match. Focusing
on oral language.
With the knowledge of language
features to make a piece of
writing first or third person,
children are encouraged to write
a little paragraph about a
fictional character in either first
or third person.
This will then be performed as
readers theatre
Teacher questions:
- What kind of words do
we use if we are talking
about a person? For
example, I, we, you,
me.?
- Do you think first or

Bring children back to together

as a class to share their
learning.
Present some of the
performances.
Question children about what
they now know about different
points of view in writing.
- How can that make a
story good or not so
good?
Final discussion of how points
of view can be used in your
own writing when you create

Annotated children work

Conferences with children
in terms of their
understanding of points of
view in writing.
Photographs of children
performances for journal.
To then annotate.

third person writing is

tricky? Why?

5.

Joint construction
of text

We are learning to plan

for our class
information narrative,
with prompting
questions

Children have had the

opportunity to construct
information for their
writing piece.
This lesson children will
be shown a model of
planning for an
information narrative.
The topic children will be
focusing on for their
writing piece
- You are a child
in the 1880s.
Tell me
everything you
do for fun.

Children will have knowledge

of the chosen information
narrative topic.
This lesson is about planning
for information narrative based
on 1880s.
Inform children that depending
on what they would like to
write about, it may be easy to
choose one aspect (setting,
character, object) to write about.
So that as much information can
be found for good writing.
Model the planning process for
information
- What questions do we
need to answer about
our information
narrative?
Have a chosen topic for
planning and consider the
following questions.
- What it is going to be
about?
- What information do
we need to know about
our chosen topic?
(toys, cloths, places)
- What will the character
be doing?
- The narrative
structure?
Adapted from (Wing Jan, 2009,
p259)

Focus group: 3 children

Children who need extra
assistance for points of view.
A shared reading approach
where children are to alter the
tense of a sentence with the use
of different personal pronouns.
This lesson will be a whole
class activity for planning of the
information narrative.
Children will help contribute to
the class narrative, so when
going to individual work they
will have a good understanding
of the task.
Children will help contribute to
the questions through a data
chart.
Example:
- Character: Alex age 8
- Toy: Hop scotch
- Where:
- What:
- Who:
- Have you included
facts?
- What will happen in
your story?
- What is your
orientation,
complication,
resolution,
reorientation?

your information narrative.

- Do you think it would
be easier to write in
first person?

Allow children to have a copy

of the questions that will help
in the production of their
information narrative.
This will be worked on during
the next lesson

Observation of children and

their reaction to the planning
process.

We are learning to
sort our plan into
sections for writing.

This lesson focus is on further planning for writing of the information narrative. Children will be able to help in the construction of the narrative with the help of
the planning session from last lesson. As well as any other resources that have been collated (character charts, adjective activity, research etc). This lesson is a
shared writing lesson with the ideas from the children contribution and teacher written.

We are learning to
plan for our own
information
narrative.
We are continuing
our planning for
information
narrative.
We are learning to
write an information
narrative with plan.

This lesson focus is on planning for own personal writing. Children will receive their own data chart to help assist in their information writing. All resources will
be available to children to get the most out of their chosen topic. (laptops, non-fiction books related to topic) A small focus group can be created form children
who seem to be struggling with the planning process.

6. Reflecting on
language choices

Children will continue their planning for their information narrative. Once children have filled in their data chart, the process of categorising their information into
the structure of the narrative can be introduced again. Teacher modelling can be used. An assessment checklist will be used during this lesson to see whether
children are planning appropriately, using the narrative structure, appropriate point of view and use of adjectives etc.
Children will begin their information narrative writing. Children will have structure of a narrative visible for them as a guide. Encouragemnt for self-correction
during these lessons. (approximately 3 lessons for writing of information narrative)
Once information narratives are in the process of completion, children will have mini conference about their piece in drafting. Check for any errors, and
annotations on work.
Piece will be finalised and placed in their portfolio.
This lesson focus is on presenting their information narrative to the class. In small groups children will read their narrative to each other. Children will be
encouraged to give warm feedback, and listen for any techniques they have learnt from the past weeks.
Children will then self-assess their writing, by questioning what they liked about information narratives, their strengths, what they need to improve on.

Appendix 1

Appendix 2
Jack and the Bean stalk
Orientation

Complication

Resolution

Reorientation

Little red riding hood

Cinderella