A Night To Remember:Views And Voices, Author(s): Carol Amberg, Grade Level: 7, Subject Area: English Language Arts 1903, - K-W-L: What do I think I already know about the sinking of the Titanic? What do I want to know or think I'll learn? (in collaborative pairs)

Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
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LU Title: A Night to Remember: Views and Voices	Author(s): Carol Amberg
Grade Level: 7	School Address:
Subject Area: English Language Arts 1903	School Phone/Fax:

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
Point of view shapes narrative.
Literature reflects society.
Authors reconstruct historical events using primary and secondary sources.
A Night to Remember is both historical and fictional.
Facts about the sinking of the Titanic.
Nautical vocabulary.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do authors write about historical events at which they were not present?
How did social class and gender determine survival of the Titanic disaster?
How does writing voice reveal perspective?
KEY STUDENT LEARNING: Literature developed around specific historical events can come to symbolize changes in society.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

K-W-L: What do I think I already know about the sinking of the Titanic? What do I want to know or think I'll learn? (in collaborative pairs)

Connection to State Learning Standards

Unit Theme:

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should e in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

that point of view shapes narrative

that literature reflects society

that authors reconstruct historical events using primary and secondary sources

facts about the sinking of the Titanic

nautical vocabulary

research

reading A Night to Remember

creating a word web of nautical terms

summarizing chapters by rewriting chapter titles as news headlines

brainstorming lists of possible techniques used by the author

searching the many Internet websites connected to the Titanic

presenting findings orally to small groups

while reading, students will routinely respond to facts and ideas from the text in the form of guides, graphics, charts, lists, and discussions

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

read, draw conclusions from lists of those lost/saved

read, interpret charts

infer and record main ideas of chapters

use graphics to organize thinking

imagine self as character in a book

write a paragraph using the cause-effect pattern explaining at least three changes in society which occurred as a result of this disaster

paragraph will be drafted, conferenced, revised, and submitted using the writing process

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

authors' research techniques

class structure, early 20th century

history as literature

Comparing
Classifying
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Error Analysis

Analyzing Perspectives

Constructing Support
Abstracting
Other:

Generate questions an author must ask to gain a balanced perspective on views and voices.

Collaborate to draw conclusions from data (chart of lost/saved, sorted by class, age, gender). Write 5 statements based on data.

Use graphic organizer to compare experience in 1st and 3rd class.

Linked literature: read "For a Lady I Know" by Countee Cullen. Write a thematic comparison paragraph.

TASK: Write two short narrative paragraphs, one from 1st class and one from 3rd class perspective.

Planning Guide

Unit:

Titanic: Views and Voices

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........**	What reasoning process will they be using?	Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.
Choose one of the narrative paragraphs and develop it into a fictional short story about the last hour before the Titanic went down.	[ ] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [ ] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions) [X] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [ ] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ ] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation: #1 Point of view and perspective clear in writing voice. #2 Narrative reflects event accurately. #3 Narrative develops and resolves conflict. #4 Writing conventions observed: sentences, paragraphs, mechanics.

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

	Element #1	Element #2	Element #3	Element #4
Elements Scale	Point of view and perspective clear in writing voice	Narrative reflects event accurately	Narrative structure develops and resolves conflict	Writing conventions observed: sentences, paragraphs, mechanics
Weights	50	20	10	20
4	Class of character clear; tone of writing appropriate; timeline of events accurately portrayed; actions plausible; plot is developed with setting, conflict, resolution; sentences: no run-ons, fragments; paragraphs: unified; mechanics: accurate capitals, usage, punctuation, spelling	Class can be inferred; mostly accurate timeline; actions plausible; plot is somewhat developed; some sentence, paragraphing, and/or errors in mechanics	Difficult to determine class; timeline unclear; actions somewhat plausible; plot is not developed carefully; significant errors in sentence structure, paragraphing, and/or mechanics	No discernible point of view; timeline unobserved; actions implausible; plot undeveloped; significant errors in writing skills
3
2
1

NOTE: Rubric or other performance assessment instruments may be used.

Constructing a Holistic
Scoring Tool
(Rubric or Activity Specific Key)

Key Questions:

* How many score points are needed to discriminate among the full range of different degrees of understanding, proficiency, or quality?

This response, product, or performance provides evidence of understanding of concept/principle/generalization or proficiency in skill/process/strategy.

Score Point 4	Score Point 3
[ ]Class of character clear; tone of writing appropriate	[ ]Class can be inferred
[ ]Timeline of events accurately plausible; portrayed; actions plausible	[ ]Mostly accurate timeline; actions
[ ]Plot is developed with setting, conflict, resolution	[ ]Plot is somewhat developed
[ ]Sentences, paragraphs, mechanics are accurate	[ ]Some sentence, paragraphing, and/or errors in mechanics

Score Point 2	Score Point 1
[ ]Difficult to determine class	[ ]No discernible point of view
[ ]Timeline unclear; actions somewhat plausible	[ ]Timeline unobserved; actions implausible
[ ]Plot is not developed carefully	[ ]Plot undeveloped
[ ]Significant errors in sentence structure, paragraphing, and/or mechanics	[ ]Significant errors in writing skills

Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

Internet research skills

Visual representation of ideas: graphic organizers

Assessment Modifications:

Short story may be recorded on audio or videotape with speaking skills segment replacing writing conventions on rubric.

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

6-8 weeks, conducted concurrently with teaching of requisite skills for the included tasks and including reading time. (This unit was taught in a block schedule with 2/43 minute and 2/86 minute classes per 6-day cycle. Noting schedule by weeks should adapt to other school schedules.)

WEEK #1: Initiating activities: KWL, video film clips; Begin reading novel: Chapters 1-3 (homework); Begin word web of nautical terms as they arise; Begin summarizing chapters by retitling them; Visit computer lab to start searching bookmarked sites

WEEK #2: Continue reading: Chapter 4-7 (homework); Continue word web; write original sentences using nautical words; Continue summarizing chapters by retitling; Choose an area to become a "Class expert" (i.e. timeline or survivor accounts or White Star Line) and to focus Internet research

WEEK #3: Finish reading: Chapter 8-10 (homework); Brainstorm possible research techniques used by author who was not present at event (whole class); To get at author's perspective, generate a list of questions an author would have to ask himself about primary and secondary sources (collaborative pairs); Use chart of lost/saved sorted by age, class, gender; draw conclusions and write in the form of five statements based on the data (small group/jigsaw); Use graphic organizer to compare 1st & 3rd class passengers' experiences; Write a paragraph using cause-effect pattern: It has been said the sinking of the Titanic changed the world. In a paragraph of about 10 sentences, explain at least 3 changes which occurred as a result of this disaster.

RUBRIC FOR PARAGRAPH

4-Paragraph has general topic sentence which clearly states cause; explains 3 effects accurately and clearly; makes concluding statement; uses mature sentence structure; follows conventions of standard English.

3-Paragraph has general topic sentence; explains 3 effects accurately; makes concluding statement; uses mostly mature sentence structure; follows conventions of standard English.

2-Paragraph explains 3 effects mostly with accuracy; some problems with sentence structure; errors

1-Paragraph explains only 1 or 2 effects; serious problems with sentence structure; errors in mechanics prevent reader understanding.

WEEK #4: Peer-conference; then revise, word-process paragraph; Quiz on nautical vocabulary; Linked literature (read short poem/epitaph, "For a Lady I Know."; Write a thematic comparison paragraph; Peer edit, word process paragraph (individual)

WEEK #5: To imagine self as character in a book; make a chart of 5 senses and list what a character would have seen, felt, heard, tasted, smelled before and after the iceberg was struck in 1st class, then in 3rd class; Share sensory details and participate in discussion about point of view; Analyzing perspectives: write a short narrative paragraph of the experience of the last hour aboard the ship, first from the perspective of a 1st class passenger, then of a 3rd class one (non-graded, but peer reviewed in small groups); Review short story criteria developed earlier this year; Adopt a point of view (1st or 3rd class) and choose a person or family found in the list of lost/saved passengers

WEEK #6: Using short story development graphics, draft a short story set in the last hour before the ship went down and carefully plot a narrative which demonstrates analysis of perspective, accuracy of historical event, narrative structure (conflict, climax, resolution) and writing conventions (sentences, paragraphs, mechanics); Write, peer-conference, word-process short story

WEEK #7: ENRICHMENT WEEK (if possible, this could be the week of April 16th-the anniversary of the sinking); Polish short stories; submit for publication in class book to be bound and circulated through school library; Conduct memorial ceremony planned by students to include demonstrations of understanding through multiple intelligence's such as: design and execute hallway bulletin board about Titanic, perform music from movie (vocal and instrumental), short story readings aloud to class, show and tell about photos, diagrams, other information gleaned from Internet research, bake Titanic-shaped cake, scan current newspapers for references to Titanic and present (students actually initiated and followed through on all of these!)

Written Overview:

This unit engages students in many of the processes real writers use when they create historical fiction: researching a variety of media, evaluating information, reading other genres on this theme, analyzing perspectives through comparison, constructing narrative, revising writing.

It also provides an interesting forum within which to teach the customary curriculum of the ELA classroom: reading fiction, writing paragraphs, stories, discussing reading with peers, increasing vocabulary, recognizing relation of fiction and history, drawing conclusions from nonfiction material.