Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Lumberjacks in the Midwest

Teacher: Kristi Dunn

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:

-We will talk about how lumbering back

then affects us today in our lives.
(How does this fit with students
experiences, the school goals, and the
larger societal issues?)

Established Goals

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Notice logging and reforestation when they travel to other areas.
Describe the importance of trees and logging for the development of the Midwest.
Clearly state which types of trees lumberjacks were interested in and why.
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that
Students will keep considering
Lumberjacks cut down trees.
What was it like to be a lumberjack back in
the 1800s?
Life in the lumberjack camp involved long
What is it like to be a lumberjack today?
hours, comradery, and loneliness.
Facts and details are important to support
What makes Michigans geography so great
an argument or a story.
that lumbering would happen there instead
of another state?
Authors write stories around themes.
How has lumbering in the past affected our
(What specifically do you want students to
lives today?
understand?
How does lumbering fit or not fit with how
What inferences should they make?)
God wants us to take care of the world?

-CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text
when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences
from the text.
-CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having
read or studied required material;
explicitly draw on that preparation and
other information known about the topic
to explore ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.b:
Students will be able to provide
reasons that are supported by
(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry,
facts and details.
meaning- making and transfer?)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2:
Determine a theme of a story,
drama, or poem from details in
Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions
the text; summarize the text.
Cognitive Objectives
Physical Development
Socio-emotional Objectives
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3:
Objectives

Verbalize
the
events
that
Cooperate with their
Describe in depth a character,

Present
their
research
on
happen
in
chapter
4
group members
setting, or event in a story or
their poster to the class
Discuss reading strategies
Read paragraphs aloud
drama, drawing on specific
details in the text (e.g., a
Follow the checklist to
and use them with the
out of the book and listen
character's thoughts, words, or
class while talking about
include everything that
while others read
actions).
the chapter
should be included on
Work effectively and
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.7
the poster
Compare what they
positively with a partner
Make connections between the

Skim
online
resources
for
learned
from
research
to

Work together with their

text of a story or drama and a
what
they
have
learned
key
words
and
headings
team to answer the
visual or oral presentation of the
from reading the book
that will help them find
questions in the Jeopardy
text, identifying where each
answers
version reflects specific
List and explain the
game
descriptions and directions in the
different types of jobs
text.
(What values and commitments and
that lumberjacks could do
*4 H3.0.1
attitudes should students acquire or
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Use historical inquiry questions to investigate

the development of Michigans major economic
activities (agriculture, mining, manufacturing,
lumbering, tourism, technology, and research)
from statehood to present. (C, E)

What happened?

When did it happen?

Who was involved?

How and why did it happen?

How does it relate to other events or issues in

the past, in the present, or in the future?

What is its significance?

*4 H3.0.5
Use visual data and informational text or
primary accounts to compare a major
-Michigan economic activity today with that
same or a related activity in the past. (E)
Michigan Reading Standards: 3. Know and
apply grade-level phonics and word analysis
skills in decoding words.
(a) Use combined knowledge of all
letter-sound correspondences,
syllabication patterns, and
morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to
read accurately unfamiliar
multisyllabic words in context and out
of context.

Summarize the events

that happened in chapter
5
Apply research of logging
to their understanding of
the book by sharing
examples of connections
they made, and by
answering questions I ask
them about the history of
lumbering.
Connect lumberjack
vocabulary to their own
vocabulary
Show what they have
learned by giving a
presentation on
interesting facts they
found
Evaluate the work on their
poster by looking at a
checklist and a rubric
Recall information they
learned throughout the
unit, and use it to answer
questions correctly
Support their answers
with deeper explanations
to show how lumbering
worked, and why it
worked that way

(What discrete skills and processes

should students be able to use?)

wrestle with?)

(What facts and basic concepts

should students know and be able to
recall?)

-Reading standards for informal text: K-5

Integration of knowledge and
ideas: 9. Integrate information from
two texts on the same topic in order to
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

write or speak about the subject

knowledgeably.
-Michigan Writing Standards:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly
Introduce a topic clearly and group
related information in paragraphs and
sections; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), illustrations, and
multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension
7. Conduct short research projects
that build knowledge through
investigation of different aspects of a
topic.
(What content standards and programor mission-related goal(s) will the unit
address?
What habits of mind and crossdisciplinary goal(s)- for example 21st
century skills, core competencies- will
this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)

Evaluative Criteria
-How accurate their representation is
in terms of theme and details?
-If it is well planned out
-If it makes sense
-If they worked together well as a
group
-If they used their class time well
(What criteria will be used in each
assessment to evaluate attainment of
the desired results?)(Rubric required)
(Regardless of the format of the
assessment, what qualities are most
important?)
-That my students learn why
lumberjacking is important, and why

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by (Summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK (S):
The students will be creating a poster at the end to show what theyve learned throughout our
lumberjack unit.
(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning making and transfer- through complex
performance?)

OTHER EVIDENCE:
The students will be writing a short paragraph on their poster to show what they have learned.
(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

they should learn about it today.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Stage 3- Learning Plan

For my pre-assessment, I typed out a list of seven questions that I am going to have each student write a response to. The questions include
things like what did a lumberjack do? What kind of tools did they use? etc. Each student will work on this by himself or herself, and I will
collect them and plan my unit plan
off of that.
Preassessment- due: Apr 2
(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward
Learning Events
which goal
does each
Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in
learning
these learning events
event
build?)
Acquisition
Meaning
Transfer

Lesson 1:
o Acquisition
o The students will be doing a role-play to present what happened in the pages that
were assigned to them. This will be a way for the students to teach their fellow
classmates.
o The students will be using reading strategies they have already learned, such as
problem/solution, summarize, and prediction to comprehend the book Journey Back
To Lumberjack Camp.
o Meaning
o The students will be filling out a worksheet over chapter four that has the students
answering fill-in-the-blank questions about information they learned while reading
chapter four.
Lesson 2:
o Acquisition
o The students will be drawing pictures to represent their interesting facts on their
posters and using words to discuss with their partner about what their facts should
be and what they should draw.
o Transfer
o The students will research interesting facts about lumberjacking in the Midwest by
reading given websites and taking notes.
Lesson 3:
o Acquisition
o The students will be using reading strategies they have already learned, such as
problem/solution, summarize, and prediction to comprehend the book Journey Back
To Lumberjack Camp.
o Meaning
o The students will be filling out a worksheet over chapter four that has the students
connecting vocabulary words from the book to words that the students use in their

Progress Monitoring

(How will you monitor students

progress toward acquisition,
meaning, and transfer during
lesson events?) (Formative
Assessment)
-I am going to have class
discussions that will address these
things so that I can know and
understand better what the
students are getting out of my
lessons. From there I can decide
what to teach, depending on the
results of the formative
assessment.

(How will students monitor

their own progress toward
acquisition, meaning, and
transfer?)(Assessment as
learning)(Rubric?)
-I am going to have the students
create a poster over what they learned
while they were researching. I am
going to give them a checklist of
everything they have to have on this
poster so that they can monitor their
own progress by checking off what
they have done. I will also be showing
them the rubric that I will be grading
them on so that they know exactly
what I am looking for.

(What are potential rough

spots and student
misunderstandings?)
-Potential rough spots could be
getting the students to

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

o
o

every day language. The backside of the paper has the students drawing a picture
of a typical lumberjacks breakfast. The students have to label the food with the
new vocabulary they have learned.
The students will be doing a guided reading with me facilitating who reads what,
and I will also be asking questions to keep them engaged.
The students will be able to answer questions, make connections, and share
examples verbally about our research and the book they are reading.

Lesson 4:
o Acquisition
o The students will be doing a written response on the poster they create at the end
of the lesson.
o Meaning
o The students will be using their interesting facts to teach the rest of the class about
lumbering.
o Transfer
o The students will be presenting their posters in front of the class.
Lesson 5:
o Acquisition
o The students will be using their acquisition knowledge to participate in a game of
Jeopardy that will review the concepts the students have learned throughout this
unit.
o Transfer
o The students will be answering tougher questions in our Jeopardy game that will
help them to remember what they have learned for long time.
o
o
o
o

understand the history/social

studies behind the book. I
think they will be able to read
the book well and understand
it, but the background
knowledge might be a little bit
tricky. I will support their
knowledge development by
asking them deep questions,
and helping them come to a
correct answer.

(How will students get the

feedback they need?)
-The students will get the
feedback they need from my
grading them on their
presentation, their posters, and
how I react to their answers
during our class discussions.
This way their feedback will
come in three different ways so
that they really understand
where they should be at with
the topic.

(Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and
expression, and multiple means of engagement?)
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in the learning
plan?)
(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum