Leah Newton Unit Plan Template Unit title: Fiction vs.

Nonfiction Grade level: 6 Subject: Language Arts

Unit Assessments

Setting: General Education Classroom (Inclusion Model)

Big ideas of unit (can be in statement or question form): - Some literature tells the truth and some does not - We need to be able to tell whether or not what were reading is true so that we know how to react to it - Fiction and nonfiction are both important, including sub-genres with special purposes Standards addressed in unit (at least 3): CC.6.R.L.9 Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics CC.6.R.L.1 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary fiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently CC.6.R.L.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently Learning Targets (at least 5 total, you do not have to have targets of each type) Knowledge: Reasoning: * Identify the sub-genre of a piece of * Compare and contrast a fiction and fiction or nonfiction text nonfiction text in terms of their * Identify sub-genres as either fiction or approaches to the same topic nonfiction * Identify common text features and characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction literature * Explain the difference between fiction and nonfiction by providing definitions and by explaining examples of subgenres Skill: Product: * Create a fiction or nonfiction book, accompanied by a justification of the characteristics and text features that make it fiction/nonfiction Disposition:

Leah Newton Test Blueprint Target/Objective Target #1: Identify the sub-genre of a piece of fiction or nonfiction text Target #2: Identify common text features and characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction literature Target #3: Identify genres as either fiction or nonfiction Target #4: Decide whether a book is fiction or nonfiction by applying knowledge of the general characteristics and specific text features of fiction versus nonfiction text Target#5: Explain the difference between fiction and nonfiction by providing definitions and by explaining examples of sub-genres

Unit Assessments

Question 1-11 12-20 21, 22 23-24 25

Leah Newton End of Unit Assessment Name: ____________________

Unit Assessments

Date: ___________________

Unit Test: Fiction & Nonfiction

Directions: This test has four sections: 11 matching questions, 11 fill-in-the-blank questions, 2 short answer questions, and 1 essay questions. You will have 40 minutes to complete this test. You should plan on spending about 10 minutes on each section. You may not use any books, notes, or other class materials. There is no penalty for guessing. For all questions, mark your answers directly on this paper in either pen or pencil.

MATCHING (2 pts. each; 22 pts. total) On the line, write the genre from the answer box that best matches the text excerpt. Answer Box Historical fiction How-To Realistic Fiction Biography Science fiction Fairy tales

Mystery and suspense Adventure

Autobiography Reference Journal

1. ________________________________________ This war is a joke, Joey said angrily. He had lived up North all his life and still he couldnt understand why so many of his friends had gone off to fight for Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War. It all started because Lincoln wouldnt let the Southerners do what they wanted and then you idiots run off and join up just cause he asks us to. ~ Nowhere to Turn, by Alan Kay 2. ________________________________________ Sunday, November 23rd: It is the loveliest of Sunday morningswith just breeze enough to keep our sails full. We shall reach Beaufort tomorrow morning. It is amusing to see how the stiffness disappears from people after being a few days at sea. ~ Untitled, by Thomas Higginson 3. ________________________________________ Fifteen-year-old Ron Gibson was there with his Scout troop on the day the alien ship dropped out of the clouds and set up shop on the grass by the Washington Monument. In fact, the aliens very nearly landed on Ron and his fellow Scouts as their ship touched down. Stunned but curious, the boys march through the front door and become the first humans to meet the Talperno. ~ Foreign Embassy, by Jay Greenstein

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Unit Assessments

4. ________________________________________ Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions in the butter until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir the dill, paprika, soy sauce, and chicken broth into the mushroom mixture; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. ~ Hungarian Mushroom Soup, by Ms. Geneva 5. ________________________________________ Kim saw the new girl, Tina, holding a lunch tray and looking for a place to sit. Kim quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact with Tina. How was she going to tell Tina that they couldnt be friends? Kim focused on Rachel instead. Rachel captured everyones attention at the table. She glowed when she spoke, so she had naturally become the leader of the group of friends. ~ The New Girl, from Study Island 6. ________________________________________ Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation. ~ Martin Luther King Jr., by A&E Networks 7. ________________________________________ It was not that there was so much wind certainly not as much as hed been through before with the tornado, when he was first marooned in the wilderness and not that there was so much rain, although there was a goodly amount of it. It was the combination of the two. ~ Brians Return, by Gary Paulsen 8. ________________________________________ Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She went for a walk in the forest. Pretty soon, she came upon a house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in. At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry. She tasted the porridge from the first bowl. "This porridge is too hot!" she exclaimed. ~ Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by the Brothers Grimm 9. ________________________________________ Over two-thirds of the worlds surface is covered by vast oceans, he oldest and largest living environments. Life began her more than 3.5 billion years ago. Without the fertile oceans, the earth would be dry, barren, and devoid of life. Beneath the worlds oceans lie rugged mountains, active volcanoes, vast plateaus, and almost bottomless trenches. ~ Life in the Oceans, by Lucy Baker

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Unit Assessments

10. ________________________________________ One evening in early December 1955 I was sitting in the front seat of the colored section of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The white people were sitting in the white section. More white people got on, and they filled up all the seats in the white section. When that happened, we black people were supposed to give up our seats to the whites. But I didnt move. ~ My Story, by Rosa Parks 11. ________________________________________ The sidewalks and road were empty. Under the full moon, nothing moved except a cat darting from one side of the street to the other. He had lost the thing. He was safe. Just a few more steps to home. Peter turned into his own yard. He had just put his foot on the front step when the big, dark something grabbed him with two big, hairy hands! Whats the matter? it rasped. Dont you like me? ~ Dare to be Scared, by Robert Souci FILL-IN-THE-BLANK: Fiction or Nonfiction (1 pt. each; 11 pts. total) On the line, write Fiction if the statement most applies to fiction text, and Nonfiction if the statement most applies to nonfiction text. Do not abbreviate your answer. 12. ____________________ Has a Dedicated to or For section 13. ____________________ Has a beginning, middle, and end 14. ____________________ Often has more than one author 15. ____________________ Includes photographs instead of drawings 16. ____________________ Includes drawings 17. ____________________ Has a Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index 18. ____________________ Lists resources in the back of the book 19. ____________________ Is fake 20. ____________________ Is not fake 21. ____________________ Includes biography, journal, and reference 22. ____________________ Includes fairy tales, mystery, and adventure

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Unit Assessments

SHORT ANSWER (8 pts.) Indicate whether each of the following books is fiction or nonfiction by circling the correct response in parentheses. Then, list three text features or characteristics that helped you make your decision. 23. Greeks (4 pts.) Greeks is by Susan Peach and Anne Millard. On the front, there is a photograph of armor from a Greek soldier. The back says, The Greeks invented the Olympic Games, democracy, and western art and culture. This book looks at aspects of everyday life in ancient Greece, as well as providing a clear historical outline. Inside, there are lots of photographs with captions. There is also a Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index. This book is (fiction/nonfiction) because it includes the following text features/characteristics: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

24. Millie Waits for the Mail (4 pts.) Millie Waits for the Mail is by Alexander Steffensmeier and is dedicated to his mother. The front of the book has a drawing of a cow and a chicken standing outside a mailbox. Inside, it tells about a talking cow named Millie who loves scaring the mail carrier and ruining all the packages that he brings for the farmer. One day, Millie receives a package of her own and doesnt want to ruin it, so in the end she becomes friendlier and doesnt ruin packages. This book is (fiction/nonfiction) because it includes the following text features/characteristics: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

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Unit Assessments

25. ESSAY (14 pts.) In this unit, weve focused on the difference between fiction and nonfiction. In the space below, explain the difference between these genres. Make sure you do the following in your response: * Define fiction and non-fiction. List at least three sub-genres of each. * Describe the characteristics of each of the sub-genres that you mention. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leah Newton Assessment Scoring Guide MATCHING (22 pts) 1. Historical fiction (2 pts) 2. Journal (2 pts) 3. Science fiction (2 pts) 4. How-to (2 pts) 5. Realistic fiction (2 pts) 6. Biography (2 pts) 7. Adventure (2 pts) 8. Fairy tale (2 pts) 9. Reference (2 pts) 10. Autobiography (2 pts) 11. Mystery & suspense (2 pts)

Unit Assessments

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK (11 pts) 12. Fiction (1 pt) 13. Fiction (1 pt) 14. Nonfiction (1 pt) 15. Nonfiction (1 pt) 16. Fiction (1 pt) 17. Nonfiction (1 pt) 18. Nonfiction (1 pt) 19. Fiction (1 pt) 20. Nonfiction (1 pt) 21. Nonfiction (1 pt) 22. Fiction (1 pt)

SHORT ANSWER (8 pts) 23. (4 pts) 1 point for the correct genre (nonfiction) 1 point for each of the following, maximum 3 points: Factual More than one author Photographs Captions Table of Contents Glossary Index 24. (4 pts) 1 point for the correct genre (fiction) 1 point for each of the following, maximum 3 points: Not factual One author Dedication Beginning Middle End

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Unit Assessments

25. EXTENDED WRITTEN RESPONSE (14 pts) 1 point for defining fiction as fake 1 point for each of the following sub-genres of fiction (3 points total) o Historical fiction o Mystery and suspense o Science fiction o Fairy tales o Adventure o Realistic fiction 1 point for each of the following descriptions (3 points total) o Historical fiction Has people, places, and events from history but is not all true o Mystery and suspense Often involves a crime story and is scary o Science fiction Always has science/technology thats used in an unusual or impossible way o Fairy tales Usually begins with Once upon a time and has a happy ending o Adventure Action-packed and often about survival o Realistic fiction Could actually happen 1 point for defining nonfiction as not fake 1 point for each of the following sub-genres of nonfiction (3 points total) o Biography o Autobiography o Journal o Reference o How-to 1 point for each of the following descriptions (3 points total) o Biography A book or story that someone writes about another persons life o Autobiography A book or story that someone writes about their own life o Journal Collection of personal thoughts, usually including the date o Reference Teaches about a topic such as nature, science, or history o How-to Step-by-step instructions

Leah Newton Performance Assessment: Book Design 80 points

Unit Assessments

You are an author working for a famous book company. Your friend works there too. One of you writes fiction and the other writes nonfiction, but your boss wants you to both write a book about the same topic. After you write your books, youll need to explain and present them in order to get your boss approval. The Books One of you will create a fiction book about a topic and the other will create a nonfiction book about the same topic. For example, if your topic is elephants, the person writing the fiction book might write an adventure story about how a talking elephant escaped from the circus. The person writing the nonfiction book might write a reference book on the types of elephants that can be found across the world. The topic is completely up to you just make sure it is something that you can write about using the sub-genres of fiction or nonfiction that we have learned about in class. Other examples of topics include: Insects & Animals Places People Butterflies School Yourself Whales Chicago The principal Groundhogs The United States Drake Bats The universe Obama Ants The mall Benjamin Franklin The Write-Up Every time you submit a book to your boss, you need to convince her that youre an expert in your genre. Complete a short write-up in which you identify whether the book you created is fiction or nonfiction, explain the characteristics or text features that make it fiction or nonfiction, and identify its sub-genre. The Presentation You and your partner will present your books to your boss and her helpers (your classmates). During your presentation, you need to convince everyone that your books are different enough to both be published. Compare and contrast the books, explaining how they take different approaches to the same topic.

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Unit Assessments

Rubric for Book & Write-Up You will be graded individually for the book that you made and the write-up that goes along with it, and they will be graded together as one product. Criteria There are six criteria for the book and write-up: 1. Length of Book 2. Craftsmanship of Book 3. Content of Book 4. Grammar 5. Genre 6. Features and Characteristics Indicators Here are the indicators that youve met the criteria: 1. Length of Book 5+ single-sided pages 2. Craftsmanship of Book Very neat binding, illustrations, and text 3. Content of Book Entirely logical storyline or entirely accurate facts 4. Grammar 0-2 errors total 5. Genre The genre of the book (whether fiction of nonfiction) is completely apparent and consistent The genre is correctly identified in the write-up 6. Features and Characteristics The book has 5+ text features or characteristics appropriate to its genre 5+ text features or characteristics are correctly identified in the write-up

Leah Newton Levels and Descriptors High (10 pts) Length of Book 5+ single-sided pages Craftsmanship of Very neat binding, Book illustrations, and text Content of Book Entirely logical storyline or entirely accurate facts 0-2 errors total The genre (whether fiction of nonfiction) is completely apparent and consistent, and is correctly identified in the write-up The book has 5+ text features or characteristics appropriate to its genre and 5+ text features or characteristics that are correctly identified

Unit Assessments

Grammar Genre

Features and Characteristics

Average (7 pts) 3 or 4 single-sided pages Somewhat neat binding, illustrations, or text Somewhat logical storyline or somewhat accurate facts 3 or 4 errors total The genre (whether fiction or nonfiction) is somewhat apparent or consistent, or is vaguely identified in the write-up The book has 3 or 4 text features or characteristics appropriate to its genre, or 3-4 text features or characteristics that are correctly identified

Low (4 pts) 1-2 single-sided pages Messy binding, illustrations, or text Illogical storyline or inaccurate facts 5+ errors total The genre (whether fiction of nonfiction) is not apparent or consistent in the book, or is not identified correctly in the write-up The book has 1-2 text features or characteristics appropriate to its genre, or 1-2 text features or characteristics that are correctly identified

Total: 60

Leah Newton Rubric for Presentation You will receive a group grade for your presentation. Criteria There are four criteria for the presentation: 1. Comparison: Topic 2. Contrast: Genre 3. Contrast: Features and Characteristics 4. Contrast: Benefits

Unit Assessments

Indicators Here are the indicators that youve met the criteria: 1. Comparison: Topic Clearly explains the topic of the books, and books are the same topic 2. Contrast: Genre Accurately identifies which book is fiction and which is nonfiction 3. Contrast: Features and Characteristics Lists 3+ text features or characteristics that are unique to each book 4. Contrast: Benefits Clearly explains one unique benefit of each book Levels and Descriptors High (5) Comparison: Topic Clearly explains the topic of the books, and books are the same topic Contrast: Genre Accurately identifies which book is fiction and which is nonfiction Lists 3+ text features or characteristics that are unique to each book Clearly explains one unique benefit of each book Average (3) Vaguely explains the topic of the books, or books are somewhat related topics Somewhat accurately identifies which book is fiction and which is nonfiction Lists only 2 unique text features or characteristics for at least one of the books Vaguely explains one unique benefit of each book Low (1) Does not explain the topic of the books, or books are unrelated topics Does not identify or inaccurately identifies which book is fiction and which is nonfiction Lists only 0-1 unique text features or characteristics for at least one of the books Does not explain unique benefits, or only explains the benefits of one book

Contrast: Features and Characteristics

Contrast: Benefits

Total: 20

Leah Newton

Unit Assessments

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities Performance assessment objective: Create a fiction or nonfiction book, accompanied by a justification of the characteristics and text features that make it fiction/nonfiction To involve students with disabilities in the performance assessment, I could assign a partner, the topic for the book, and the genre/ sub-genre of the book. Assigning a partner would diffuse stress for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities who may experience social anxiety when choosing a partner. Assigning the topic and genre would provide a more concrete starting point for students who may struggle with setting their own goals and initiating their own projects, or who struggle with comprehending directions. Next, I could provide students with lists of content-related material that they would need to complete the project. I would give them smaller versions of the anchor charts that we used in class to define fiction and nonfiction and to describe their sub-genres. This would help students with memory problems to recall the characteristics of their assigned genre/sub-genre. I would also give them a list of the text features and characteristics of either fiction or nonfiction books (depending upon which genre students were assigned). If I used this adaptation, I would explicitly tell the students to choose three text features or characteristics to include in the book, and would ensure that they check off those features/characteristics on their lists. This would scaffold the planning process for students and would help them to have a better understanding of the expectations. Furthermore, I could provide students with a stapled, pre-made booklet that they could use in order to make the book, or could let them use a computer program to make an online book. Although the assignment is to create a book and students are rated partially on their craftsmanship, students with less developed motor skills should still be given an opportunity to meet the objective. In the case that I provided the template for a booklet or allowed the student to create an e-book, the student would still be held accountable for neatness and overall presentation. Finally, I would provide an outline for the write-up and the presentation. The outline would help students to express their thoughts and once again help them to have a better understanding of the expectations.

Leah Newton

Unit Assessments

Leah Newton

Unit Assessments

Leah Newton Nonfiction Text Features and Characteristics Parts of the Book

Unit Assessments

Table of contents (In the front of the book; Outlines the chapters of the book by page number) Glossary (In the back; defines important words and vocabulary) Index (In the back; Tells you where to turn if you want to read about a certain topic) Resources (The other books and articles that the author used while researching the topic)

Authors Pictures Realistic? Speaks to

One author OR more than one author Photographs Realistic Your Brain

Fiction Text Features and Characteristics Parts of the Book Dedication Beginning Middle End Authors Pictures Realistic? Speaks to One author Drawings Not Realistic Your Heart

Leah Newton Write-Up Outline

Unit Assessments

Introduction Title of Book: _________________________________________________________________________ Topic: _________________________________________________________________________________ Genre (Is it fiction or nonfiction?): _________________________________________________ Sub-Genre: ___________________________________________________________________________ Body: There are three features and characteristics that make this book (fiction/nonfiction). The 1st text feature or characteristic Name of text feature or characteristic: ____________________________________ Where is it found in your book? ____________________________________________ Explain how you used it in your book: ____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ The 2nd text feature or characteristic Name of text feature or characteristic: ____________________________________ Where is it found in your book? ____________________________________________ Explain how you used it in your book: ____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ The 3rd text feature or characteristic Name of text feature or characteristic: ____________________________________ Where is it found in your book? ____________________________________________ Explain how you used it in your book: ____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Conclusion Title of Book: _________________________________________________________________________ Topic: _________________________________________________________________________________ Genre (Is it fiction or nonfiction?): _________________________________________________

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Unit Assessments

Presentation Outline Introduction Name: _________________________________________________________________________________ Partners Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Comparison Topic: _________________________________________________________________________________ Contrast: Genre Who wrote the fiction book? _______________________________________________________ What is it called? ____________________________________________________________________ Who wrote the nonfiction book? ___________________________________________________ What is it called? ____________________________________________________________________ Contrast: Features and Characteristics Three features/characteristics of fiction in the fiction book are: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Three features/characteristics of nonfiction in the nonfiction book are: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Contrast: Benefits Readers will enjoy the fiction book because ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ But readers will enjoy the nonfiction book because ______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Plan for Involving Students in the Assessments To involve students in the assessment, I would first provide them with a unit cover sheet, as seen below. This unit cover sheet lists the I can statements for the unit, along with the date by which the student should have achieved each objective. Students would keep this in their notebooks and would place all their unit notes behind it. Students would check off the boxes and fill in the information at the end of certain lessons, but I would encourage them only to check the box if they had truly achieved the objective. That would, students could track their personal readiness of the end of unit assessment, and would know where they need to seek help. I would also have students create their own end of unit assessments before the actual test. Each student would create 10 questions (any format) about the unit, along with an answer key. I would check the answer keys for accuracy. Then I would have students swap with a partner, take each others assessments, and grade each others work. I think this is a great study method because it forces students to anticipate the questions that might be on the test. Finally, I would require each student to review his or her partners book and write-up for the performance assessment, and then review a peers presentation. Students would assess each other using the same Book & Write-Up Rubric and Presentation Rubric that I would use for grading. It would give them a chance to peer-edit and revise the books, and would help them become more familiar with the requirements for the presentation before actually presenting. Students should not need to wait until the final assessment to know how well they are progressing in the unit or to have a clear understanding of the expectations.

Leah Newton Double-Sided Unit Cover Sheet: Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Unit Assessments

Directions: Keep this unit cover sheet in your notebook at the front of the tabbed Fiction vs. Nonfiction section. As we accomplish each objective, check off the box and fill in the information to show what youve learned. You can use this cover sheet to make sure youre on track and to review for your unit test.

I can: By 10/1: Explain the difference between fiction and nonfiction by providing definitions and by explaining examples of sub-genres
Definition of fiction: _________________________________________________________________________ Definition of nonfiction: _____________________________________________________________________ Examples of fiction sub-genres: ____________________________________________________________ Examples of nonfiction sub-genres: ________________________________________________________

By 10/1: Identify sub-genres as either fiction or nonfiction

Biography, journal, and reference are usually: ____________________________________________ Fairy tales, mystery, and adventure are usually: __________________________________________

By 10/5: Identify text features and characteristics of fiction vs. nonfiction

Examples of fiction text features and characteristics: ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Examples of nonfiction text features and characteristics: _______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________

By 10/8: Identify the sub-genre of a piece of fiction or nonfiction text

Text title:______________________________________________________________________________________ Genre: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Sub-genre: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Why it belongs to that sub-genre: __________________________________________________ ________

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Unit Assessments

By 10/11: Create a fiction or nonfiction book, accompanied by a justification of the characteristics and text features that make it fiction/nonfiction
Name of book: _______________________________________________________________________________ Genre: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Features and characteristics: _______________________________________________________________

By 10/15: Compare and contrast a fiction and nonfiction text in terms of their approaches to the same topic
Topic: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Features and characteristics of fiction book: ______________________________________________ Benefits of fiction book: _____________________________________________________________________ Features and characteristics of nonfiction book: _________________________________________ Benefits of nonfiction book: ________________________________________________________________

Why track my progress?

The reason we track our progress is to set goals an figure out where we need to focus. So, if you find that youve missed any of the objectives after the date listed, or if you realize that youre struggling to answer the questions under an objective, thats great! It means you know how to improve, and all you need to do is act upon it. If you need help, just ask!