Stage 1 - Desired Results
Established Goals:
This unit will address the Arizona State Standards for 6th Grade Language Arts. Specifically,
prediction, character motivation, character traits, inference, theme, and generating
clarifying questions for a literature selection will be addressed. It will also incorporate the
ideas of character education and Character Counts.
Understandings:
*Big Ideas- The big ideas are Friendship, Love, Bravery, Life Choices, Death, and Conflict.
*These are desirable because of the transfer into life. The lessons and ideas from the study
of The Outsiders are applicable to common experiences.
*Common misunderstandings expected are judgement by appearance, a bad decision
means you are a bad person, and social class prejudice.
Essential Questions:
*What is the importance of friends and family?
*How/Why do people make choices for their lives?
*What happens when strong emotions are not dealt with properly?
*What makes a person courageous or a hero?
*What commonalties do people have that transcend social class?
Students will know*how to question the book to clarify meaning.
*what universal character traits are.
*their opinion of what makes a person good or a hero.
*that people should be judged by actions, not appearance.
*that wealth does not equal happiness.
*that anger/strong emotions need to be handled in constructive, not destructive ways.
Students will be able to*transfer these ideas to their own lives/experiences.
*transfer these skills to analyze other books.
Stage 2-Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
*The students will participate in class discussion/debate on open ended questions from each
chapter. They must be able to back up their opinions with evidence from the book or real
life.
*The students will generate their own clarifying questions about the text based on topics
such as prediction, character motivation, and inference.
*The students will respond to the text by writing.
*Tasks will be graded by rubric and observation.
Other Evidence:
The students will give a written response to discussion questions; write three different types
of essays including literary response, persuasive, and expository; create character profiles;
and participate in discussion.
*The students will self-assess/reflect on their learning by including a self-assessment based
on the six traits rubric for all writing assignments. They will be given time to reflect on and
change any written responses to discussion questions after classroom discussion/debate.
They will also assess how their own opinions have changed as a result of reading The
Outsiders.
RATIONALE:
This unit has been designed to address Arizona State Standards for Language Arts. I have
included both reading and writing standards that center around the book. In conjunction
with addressing the following standards, this unit also incorporates character education and
decision making.
INTRODUCTION:
This is a literature unit for the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The unit addresses many
state standards and is designed to be used toward the end of the sixth grade year. It
incorporates reading strategies and writing skills learned throughout the year. After each
chapter in the book, the students answer open-ended discussion questions and then have a
classroom discussion about their responses. They are then allowed to change any answers
they wrote before turning in their papers. They are also required to generate their own
discussion questions to share with the rest of the class. The unit also includes three writing
assignments. The first is a persuasive letter, the second is a compare/contrast research
paper, and the last is a literary response. The students also are required to reflect on
character motivations and evaluate the decisions made by characters in the book. At the
end of the unit, the students will have learned something they can apply to their lives.
Stage 2 Matrix
Evidence of the desired results:
*The students will be able to explain character motivation for the main characters in the
book.
*The students will be able to interpret how the decisions made by characters influenced
their circumstances.
*The students will be able to apply what they have learned from the characters to situations
in everyday life.
*The students will be able to see the situation from the perspective of different social
classes and reflect on how that transfers to our lives.
*The students will be able to show empathy by putting themselves in the position of the
characters in the book and explaining their feelings.
*The students will self asses before turning in any written responses to discussion questions
in order to evaluate their own understanding.
Relevant Book:
This is a literature unit for the novel The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton.
Six Facets of Understanding:
The students will use all six facets of understanding in order to gain insight and meaning
from the book. The process will start by explaining and interpreting events from the book to
understand character motivation and decision making. The next step is to apply these
situations by making connections with themselves and others to the characters in the book.
The students will then utilize perspective and empathy by putting themselves in the place of
others to understand how they must feel. During the process they will be reflecting on their
own thoughts while participating in class discussions.
The assessment types used are:
*Class discussion
*Written response to discussion questions (academic prompts)
*Essays (persuasive, compare/contrast, and literary response) (performance task)
Valid? Reliable? Sufficient Evidence?
The assessments are both valid and reliable because they involve higher level thinking
skills. They are not just multiple choice questions or questions with only one right answer.
They require thought and understanding in order to justify reasoning. The assessments are
also sufficient since they incorporate numerous skills and facets of the book to come up with
an answer.
Anchorage in credible and useful evidence:
The unit is anchored in credible and useful evidence since there are many performance
tasks and academic prompts included. The students could not fake their way through this
unit. They must achieve a certain level of understanding in order to respond adequately to
the questions.
Evidence of Learning and Assessment Plan
Performance Tasks:
The performance tasks involved with this unit are a Character Profiling activity and a
compare and contrast research paper. They will each be assessed by rubric.
Quizzes, Tests, Prompts:
Each chapter of the book includes a sheet of discussion questions. The students first answer
each question on their own and then participate in a class discussion of the questions. After
the class discussion, the students reflect on their answers and write down if the discussion
changed any of their answers and include why or why not. These will be graded by rubric.
The students will also be required to write a persuasive letter as one of the characters in the
story and choose from several literary response essays as a final exam. Both of these will be
graded by using the Six Trait rubric (for all six traits) used to grade AIMS provided by the
State of Arizona. It can be obtained at their website but I could not download it to attach to
this project.
Informal Assessments:
The students will be required to participate in class discussions of each chapter where the
teacher can easily see if they are understanding the book. They will also talk to the teacher
informally at various stages in their performance tasks to make sure they are on the right
track.
Self Assessments:
The students will be required to fill out the same rubric the teacher uses for each
assignment before they submit their work. This will be turned in with their assignment. Each
student will know exactly what is expected and what they need to do for the grade they
want. It will also let the teacher see how the students see themselves.
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND RUBRICS ARE ATTACHED
The learning activities in this unit follow the WHERETO model. The students know where
they are going from the Hook activity and all projects should be introduced at the beginning
of the book. The assignments can all be easily tailored to low end students by allowing
discussion questions to be totally oral and partnering with another student or a scribe for
the written projects and assessments. The questions and projects are designed so that
gifted students will naturally take their responses to the next level because of their open
ended nature. The activities allow students to explore their thoughts, rethink and revise
after peer interaction, and exhibit their understanding and creativity as well as evaluate the
author's work.
Objective
PO 2:
1::of
3:
4:
5:
6:
7
Predict
Confirm
Generate
Use
Connect
Apply
Identify
Use
graphic
reading
knowledge
text
the
predictions
information
clarifying
content
theme
organizers
strategies
ofin
questions
about
the
using
and
works
in
(e.g.,
organizational
events
order
prior
text
ofin
drawing
prose,
for
knowledge
to
order
in accuracy.
clarify
text
poetry,
to
conclusions,
structures
tocomprehend
the
experience
and
meaning
and
text
(e.g.,
drama.
determining
features
and
text.
ofchronological
the
to (e.g.,
related
text.
AZ-Subject
Arizona
Subject/
Grade
Strand
: Performance
Concept
Language
:Grade/
Academics
GRADE
: Strand
: Arts
Concept
6
Domain
1:
2:
Reading
Comprehending
Standards
6:
1:
: Reading
Comprehension
Elements
Process
Literary
Literature
Strategies
Text
illustrations,
text
order,
cause
and
and
time-sequence
sources.
effect,
titles,
topic
order,
sentences,
inferences,
cause
key
sequencing)
effect
words).
relationships)
to comprehend
of texttext.
to
comprehension.
Identify,
Employ
strategies
analyze,
and
to making
comprehend
apply
knowledge
text.and
of
the
structures
and elements
of aid
literature.
Performance Objective PO 3: Describe the motivations of major and minor characters.
Subject/ Grade/ Domain : Writing
Grade : Grade 6
Strand : Strand 1: Writing Process
Concept : Concept 1: Prewriting
Prewriting includes using strategies to generate, plan, and organize ideas for specific purposes.
Performance Objective PO 1 : Generate ideas through a variety of activities (e.g., prior
knowledge, discussion with others, printed material or other sources).
Performance Objective PO 2: Determine the purpose (e.g., to entertain, to inform, to
communicate, to persuade, to explain) of an intended writing piece.
Performance Objective PO 3: Determine the intended audience of a writing piece.
Performance Objective PO 4: Establish a central idea appropriate to the type of writing.
Performance Objective PO 5: Use organizational strategies (e.g., outline, chart, table, graph,
Venn Diagram, web, story map, plot pyramid) to plan writing.
Concept : Concept 2: Drafting
Drafting incorporates prewriting activities to create a first draft containing necessary elements for a
specific purpose.
Performance Objective PO 1: Use a prewriting plan to develop a draft with main idea(s) and
supporting details.
Performance Objective PO 2: Organize writing into a logical sequence that is clear to the
audience.
Concept : Concept 3: Revising
Revising includes evaluating and refining the rough draft for clarity and effectiveness. (Ask: Does this
draft say what you want it to say?)
Performance Objective PO 1: Evaluate the draft for use of ideas and content, organization, voice,
word choice, and sentence fluency.
Performance Objective PO 2 : Add details to the draft to more effectively accomplish the purpose.
Concept : Concept 4: Editing
Editing includes proofreading and correcting the draft for conventions.
Performance Objective PO 1: Identify punctuation, spelling, and grammar and usage errors in the
draft.
Performance Objective PO 2: Use resources (e.g., dictionary, word lists, spelling/grammar
checkers) to correct conventions.
Concept : Concept 5: Publishing
Publishing includes formatting and presenting a final product for the intended audience.
Performance Objective PO 1: Prepare writing in a format (e.g., oral presentation, manuscript,
multimedia) appropriate to audience and purpose.
Performance Objective PO 2: Use margins and spacing to enhance the final product.
Performance Objective PO 4: Write legibly.
Strand : Strand 2: Writing Components
Concept : Concept 1: Ideas and Content
Writing is clear and focused, holding the reader’s attention throughout. Main ideas stand out and are
developed by strong support and rich details. Purpose is accomplished.
Performance Objective PO 1 : Use clear, focused ideas and details to support the topic.
Performance Objective PO 2: Provide content and selected details that are well suited to audience
and purpose.
Performance Objective PO 3: Develop a sufficient explanation or exploration of the topic.
Concept : Concept 2: Organization
Organization addresses the structure of the writing and integrates the central meaning and patterns that
hold the piece together.
Performance Objective PO 1 : Use a structure that fits the type of writing (e.g., letter format,
narrative, play, essay).
Performance Objective PO 2 : Develop a strong beginning or introduction that draws in the
reader.
Performance Objective PO 3 : Place details appropriately to support the main idea.
Performance Objective PO 4: Include effective transitions among all elements (sentences,
paragraphs, ideas).
Performance Objective PO 5: Construct paragraphs by arranging sentences with an organizing
principle (e.g., to develop a topic, to indicate a chronology).
Performance Objective PO 6: Create an ending that provides a sense of resolution or closure.
Concept : Concept 3: Voice
Voice will vary according to the type of writing, but should be appropriately formal or casual, distant or
personal, depending on the audience and purpose.
Performance Objective PO 1: Show awareness of the audience through word choice and style.
Performance Objective PO 2: Convey a sense of identity through originality, sincerity, liveliness,
or humor appropriate to the topic and type of writing.
Performance Objective PO 3: Use language appropriate for the topic and purpose.
Performance Objective PO 4: Choose appropriate voice (e.g., formal, informal) for the audience
and purpose.
Concept : Concept 4: Word Choice
Word choice reflects the writer’s use of specific words and phrases to convey the intended message and
employs a variety of words that are functional and appropriate to the audience and purpose.
Performance Objective PO 1: Use accurate, specific, powerful words that effectively convey the
intended message.
Performance Objective PO 2: Use words and phrases that consistently support style and type or
writing.
Performance Objective PO 3: Use vocabulary that is original, varied, and natural.
Performance Objective PO 4: Use literal and figurative language where appropriate to purpose.
Concept : Concept 5: Sentence Fluency
Fluency addresses the rhythm and flow of language. Sentences are strong and varied in structure and
length.
Performance Objective PO 1: Write simple and compound sentences.
Performance Objective PO 2 : Write sentences that flow together and sound natural when read
aloud.
Performance Objective PO 3: Vary sentence beginnings, lengths, and patterns to enhance the
flow of the writing.
Concept : Concept 6:Conventions
Conventions addresses the mechanics of writing, including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar
and usage, and paragraph breaks.
Performance Objective PO 2: Use commas to correctly punctuate:
Example b: greetings and closings of letters
Performance Objective PO 7: Spell high frequency words correctly.
Performance Objective PO 11 : Use paragraph breaks to indicate an organizational structure.
Strand : Strand 3: Writing Applications
Concept : Concept 3: Functional
Functional writing provides specific directions or information related to real-world tasks. This includes
letters, memos, schedules, directories, signs, manuals, forms, recipes, and technical pieces for specific
content areas.
Performance Objective PO 2: Write a friendly letter that includes a:
Example b: salutation
Example c: body
Example d: closing
Example e: signature
Concept : Concept 4: Persuasive
Persuasive writing is used for the purpose of influencing the reader. The author presents an issue and
expresses an opinion in order to convince an audience to agree with the opinion or to take a particular
action.
Performance Objective PO 1: Write persuasive text (e.g., essay, paragraph, written
communications) that:
Example a: establishes and develops a controlling idea
Example b: supports arguments with detailed evidence
Concept : Concept 5: Literary Response
Literary response is the writer’s reaction to a literary selection. The response includes the writer’s
interpretation, analysis, opinion, and/or feelings about the piece of literature and selected elements
within it.
Performance Objective PO 1: Write a response to literature that:
Example a: presents several clear ideas
Example b: supports inferences and conclusions with examples from the text, personal
experience, references to other works, or reference to non-print media
Example c: relates own ideas to supporting details in a clear and logical manner
Concept : Concept 6: Research
Research writing is a process in which the writer identifies a topic or question to be answered. The writer
locates and evaluates information about the topic or question, and then organizes, summarizes, and
synthesizes the information into a finished product.
Performance Objective PO 2: Write an informational report that includes:
Example a: a focused topic
Example b: appropriate facts and relevant details
Example c: a logical sequence
Example d: a concluding statement
File Attachments:
1. Conceptual Map, Teaching Strategies, and Self Assessment.doc
2. Ousiders writing prompt #1.doc
3. Outsiders Chapter One Discussion Questions.doc
4. Outsiders Final Essay Test.doc
5. The Outsiders Chapter 2 Discussion Questions.doc
6. The Outsiders Chapter 10 Discussion Questions.doc
7. The Outsiders Chapter 3 Discussion Questions.doc
8. The Outsiders Chapter 4 Discussion Questions.doc
9. The Outsiders Chapter 5 Discussion Questions.doc
10. The Outsiders Chapter 6 Discussion Questions.doc
11. The Outsiders Chapter 7 Discussion Questions.doc
12. The Outsiders Chapter 8 Discussion Questions.doc
13. The Outsiders Chapter 9 Discussion Questions.doc
14. The Outsiders Character Profile Project.doc
15. The Outsiders Character Profile Rubric.doc
16. The Outsiders Character Profiles.doc
17. The Outsiders Discussion Question Scoring Rubric.doc
18. The Outsiders Hook and Final Reflection.doc
19. The Outsiders Research Project.doc