Adapted From Wiggins & McTighe, Understanding by Design

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Subject: 9th Grade English Unit Timeline: Two Weeks

Title: Preparation Stage: Service Learning Action Plan

Unit Overview: This unit is part of a larger Service Learning Project. This lesson falls under the
second phase of the project, Preparation. Students will have chosen a project that is both
connected to literacy and meets a community need. During this stage, students will learn how to
professionally communicate with an authentic audience.
Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

Writing can be used for social advocacy
and social change
Effective electronic communication
depends upon awareness of audience
Effective writing relies upon awareness of
word connotations and specific word
usage
Research can change attitudes toward a
particular audience
Reflection and revision are necessary
steps in the writing process
Peer evaluation is a helpful step in the
writing revision process
How do writers use research to inform the
way they communicate with particular
audience?
How can writing be used to shape social
advocacy?
How do words carry different meanings
for different audiences?
What is the best way to organize
information for clarity of meaning and/or
expression?
How does technology shape, or change,
the way we communicate?
Why is revision and reflection necessary
to promote a professional appearance
and ease of communication?
What can I learn from collaborating with
others while developing a Service
Learning Plan?

Objectives

Students will be able to identify the difference between formal and informal writing
Students will be able to identify a particular purpose for writing and create organizational
structure around that purpose
Students will be able to write a professional salutation and Subject for an e-mail
Students will be able to apply specific research skills to gather important information about
an audience (the MPG--Mission Philosophy Goal--strategy)
Students will be able to integrate information gathered during research to inform appeal to
specific audience
Students will compose and revise e-mails to organizations of choice (Service Learning Plan
will be implemented at particular organizationi.e., Boys & Girls Club)
Students will participate in the peer revision process in order to make necessary changes to
 their own writing and apply knowledge of formal/informal writing to help others

New Jersey Common Core State Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3.A
Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook,
Turabian's Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.A
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function
in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.C
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both
print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its
part of speech, or its etymology.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.D
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the
inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas
and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement,
and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new
connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9-10 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific
expectations.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
(Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and
including grades 9-10 here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display
information flexibly and dynamically.
 Stage 2: Determine Evidence for Assessing Learning
Performance Tasks
Introductory Mock Interviews (Verbal)
Ratings of Sample E-mails with Evidence
Peer Evaluation Checklist
Self-Evaluation Rubric (May Be
Generated by Students)
Summative Reflection (Written)
E-mail Response Reflection
Final Assessment Rubric
Score Above and Beyond
Student incorporated
Awareness of language designed to
Audience target a specific audience
(word choice). Student
included a catchy subject audience). Student
line. Student incorporated
MPG research directly into
e-mail and connected to
purpose.
Student not only
Organization organized information
around central theme and
clearly introduced
themselves, but used
transitions to connect
ideas throughout the e-
mail. Clear purpose stated
at the beginning and
reviewed at the end.
Student was respectful.
Peer Evaluation Student completed
Other Evidence:
Post-it Note Exit Tickets
Discussion Participation (How did you
apply the MPG strategy? What did you
change about your writing from the first
email?)
Daily Reflections (On Do Now Sheet)
Do Now responses (On Do Now Sheet)
Participation in Teacher Modeling of
Strategies
Individual Writing Conferences
Heads Up Connotation Game
Google Classroom Blog Posts
Met Objective Inadequate
Student incorporated Student incorporated
professional language professional language
(may not be geared (may not be geared
towards specific towards specific
audience). Student
included a relevant included a relevant
subject line. Student subject line. Student
incorporated MPG incorporated MPG
research directly into e- research directly into
mail. e-mail.
Student clearly Student did not clearly
introduced themselves introduce themselves
and at least alluded to or overall purpose.
overall purpose of Writing disorganized
message. Student used and irrelevant to
some transitions to purpose of email (no
connect ideas. Student clear purpose stated).
included a beginning,
middle, and end.
Student was respectful. Student may have
Student completed been disrespectful.
 checklist and gave three
or more compliments and
helpful comments on
email. Student responded
well to peer critique and
made modifications to
improve writing.
Student used clear
Reflection evidence to support
reflection. Student showed
clear growth from
beginning to end in terms
of attention to audience
and organization.
checklist and gave at Student did not
least three compliments complete checklist.
and three helpful Student did not
comments on email. respond well to peer
Student responded well critique.
to peer critique.
Student generally Reflection incomplete
alluded to examples of and/or off-topic.
growth in reflection. Student did not show
Student showed some growth throughout.
growth from beginning to
end in terms of attention
to audience and
organization.

Stage 3: Build Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

TW place Do Now prompt, Do Now prompt, Do Now prompt, Do Now prompt,
objectives and What kind of Do you change How do you Look back at
essential texts, ads, or how you talk usually revise the essential
questions on the commercials can based upon your work? Do questions and
board. Do Now best sell whom youre you read it unit objectives.
prompt, products? T/P/S speaking to? twice? Do you Underline the
Highlight three responses. Explain. T/P/S have a friend ones youve
essential responses. help you check mastered. Circle
questions. Try to it? Do you ever the ones you still
answer them revise it at all? need work on.
remember, there T/P/S T/P/S
are no right responses. responses.
answers! SW
T/P/S
responses.

SW participate SW create an SW participate in SW send an SW participate

in Interview advertisement Heads Up game. email to a in Interview
Simulations for their project. SW identify partner and will Simulations and
(based upon TW identify common words complete Peer will compare to
their different levels of and Evaluation Mondays
organizations). organization positive/negative Checklist in simulations. TW
TW identify (Catchy Subject, connotations, as preparation for ask students to
MPG model Identify Self, well as words Individual identify MPG,
within Identify Message, that would be Writing word choice,
responses. Appeal to appropriate for Conferences. and
Organization, younger/older organizational
Conclusion). SW audience. structure in
respond to simulations.
advertisements
 on Google
Classroom Blog.
SW be given ten TW identify TW model word TW conduct SW share their
minutes to organizational choice revisions individual writing e-mails with the
research MPG structure and will to her e-mail. TW conferences class. Peers will
of their provide ask partners to based upon provide a
organization and organizer. TW brainstorm with Peer Evaluation comment and a
will share during share three one another for Sheet. TW ask compliment for
discussion. model emails best word students to each email on
with students to choice. SW apply identify MPG, Google
open and word choice to word choice, Classroom Blog
review as if they revise her own and (teacher will
were the writing. TW ask organizational outline
intended students to structure. guidelines
audience. SW be change one word regarding
asked to rate on in email and comments and
specific criteria share with class. compliments).
given by teacher. TW ask students
TW model one to revise emails.
analysis of an
email.
Respond to SW apply SW share SW respond to SW complete
Post-It Note organizational changes to email Post-It Note final reflection
Prompt, What is technique and out loud (if they prompt, How using self-
your correct dont want to did the peer evaluation
organizations salutation to their share out loud, evaluation rubric.
MPG? Why will e-mail. TW they can process help
it be important in provide organizer complete you to improve G&T: SW create
writing your e- and sentence reflection on Do your writing? their own rubric
mail? starters/salutation Now sheet). How were you and evaluate
ideas. able to help themselves
someone else based upon
improve their rubric
writing?

Reflection: Though UBD certainly inspired a flashback to my Junior Year at TCNJ, I was surprised to find
myself in relatively unfamiliar territory as I composed my lesson plans. I did not realize how little I paid
attention to assessment before in my classroomoften, I spend so much time focusing upon creating
hooks that engage both my struggling writers and my gifted and talented crew that I neglect to
differentiate assessments. However, I do know that students only become better writers when they are able to
revise and reflect, especially with one another. Going forward, I have the following questions...
What are some techniques that English teachers, even teachers across the board, use to differentiate
assessments?
How does a teacher create several formats of assessments that assess the same objectives without
losing their minds or all of their time?
What is the best way to encourage POSITIVE peer evaluation?
Does it always help to show students enduring understandings/essential questions at the beginning of
each unit? Would it help to ask students to reflect upon them in the beginning in the end (honestly, I
dont usually do this)?