Unit Plan Template

Unit Author
First and Last Name Amy Jane Priest
Author's E-mail Address ajpri@msn.com
Course Name(s) Digital Storytelling in the Curriculum
Course Number(s) IT 5340
Course Section(s) OL5
School City, State, Zip Montrose, CO 81401
Instructor Name(s): Sherri Clemens and Melissa Kreider

Unit Overview

Unit Plan Title Experiencing My Voice: Culture and Cultural Identity

Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential Question How does my culture help to define me?

1. How can language express my culture?

2. How do people and ideas influence my culture?
Unit Questions 3. What assumptions do I and others have about
my cultural identity?
4. What experiences give my culture a voice?
Unit Summary

This unit applies various writing techniques and activities that can help students
define their culture and cultural identity. Through research and discussion, students
will also explain cultural assumptions. The assessment is a personal narrative related
to cultural identity that will be turned into a digital story.
Subject Area(s): (List all subjects that apply)

language arts, social studies

Grade Level (Click boxes of all grade levels that apply)
K-2 3-5
6-8 9-12
ESL Resource
Gifted and Talented Other:      

I N T E L ® T E A C H T O T H E F U T U R E 1
© 2001 Intel. All rights reserved.
 Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes

 Students will use a graphic organizer to brainstorm descriptive language of culture.

 Students will apply figurative language to compose a poem describing their culture.
 Students will free write about a personal experience that expresses their culture.
 Students will discuss culture in groups to define culture.
 Students will prepare research questions related to their own cultural identity.
 Students will apply organizational skills to interview family members.
 Students will evaluate a selected quote reflecting their cultural identity.
 Students will read and discuss their reflections with other classmates.
 Students will explain how they and others make assumption about their culture.
 Students will compose a personal narrative on their cultural identity.
 Students will peer evaluate narratives on ideas, organization, and voice.
 Students will revise their personal narrative to create a digital story script.
 To demonstrate mastery of the unit, students will create a digital story.
Targeted State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks

Standard: 3. Writing and Composition

1. Writing literary genres for intended audiences and purposes requires ideas,
organization, and voice
a. Employ a range of planning strategies to generate descriptive and sensory
details (webbing, free writing, graphic organizers)
b. Use a range of poetic techniques (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme);
figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification); and graphic elements (capital
letters, line length, word position) to express personal or narrative voice in texts

2. Writing informational and persuasive genres for intended audiences and purposes
require ideas, organization, and voice
c. Write to pursue a personal interest, to explain, or to persuade
f. Select vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea

Standard: 4. Research and Reasoning

1. Individual and group research projects require obtaining information on a topic from
a variety of sources and organizing it for presentation
a. Identify a topic for research, developing the central idea or focus and potential
research question(s)
e. Select and organize information,evidence, details, or quotations that support the
central idea or focus

2. Assumptions can be concealed, and require identification and evaluation

a. Accurately identify own assumptions, as well as those of others

I N T E L ® T E A C H T O T H E F U T U R E 2
© 2001 Intel. All rights reserved.
 Procedures
Day 1- Model webbing process with a graphic organizer on the topic of culture. Show students
a cultural scene and then have them generate sensory details related to the scene. Students
should illustrate a cultural scene and then choose a graphic organizer to brainstorm
descriptive language, especially sensory details, about their own cultural scene.
Day 2/3- Identify and give examples of figurative language. Model a “poem of me.” Students
will then use figurative language to compose their own “poem of me.”
Day 4- Model free writing about a personal topic. Have students discuss possible topics with a
partner. Then give students a timeframe to free write about a personal experience that
expresses their culture.
Day 5- Using culture webs from day 1, students will write an individual definition of culture.
Assign groups. Students should share individual definitions of culture and discuss culture to
generate a consensual group definition. Each group will then write group definition on a
poster. Each person in the group will provide evidence for how their own personal
experiences relate to the group’s definition of culture.
Day 6- Model how to write good research questions. Students will work independently to
brainstorm questions that they have about their own culture. Homework: Students will prepare
interview questions to conduct interviews.
Day 7- Model and discuss good interviewing techniques and procedures. Student will roleplay
interviewing a partner in class. Student will work with a partner to give and receive feedback
on interview questions. Homework: Students will conduct interviews over the next two days.
Day 8/9- Students will conduct research online on a topic of interest pertaining to their culture.
Students will select a graphic organizer to find and record information, details, and quotes to
support their main topic.
Day 10- Model the process of writing a reflective paragraph based on a quote. Students will
select a quote from their interview responses or from online resources to write a reflective
paragraph on how the quote reflects their cultural identity.
Day 11- Students will read and discuss their reflective paragraphs within a group. Students
will participate in a group simulation exploring cultural assumptions. Through the debriefing
exercise, students will explain their own cultural assumptions about each other.
Day 12- Model the process of writing a personal narrative. Students will explore personal
narratives through several examples. Students will apply pre-writing strategies to determine a
personal narrative topic related to their cultural identity.
Day 13/14- Students will compose a personal narrative. Homework: personal narrative
Day 15- Students will evaluate at least two other classmates’ personal narratives based on
the writing traits of ideas, organization, and voice.
Day 16- Model revision process for incorporating voice into a personal narrative. Students will
revise personal narratives.
Day 17- Model and present my digital story of culture and cultural identity. Students will start
revising their personal narratives into a digital story script.
Day 18- 25- Focus on each of the seven elements of digital storytelling through daily mini-
lessons. Students will create their own digital stories.
Approximate Time Needed (Example: 45 minutes, 4 hours, 1 year, etc.)

I N T E L ® T E A C H T O T H E F U T U R E 3
© 2001 Intel. All rights reserved.
 5-6 weeks
Prerequisite Skills
Students should already have some writing, online research, and communicative skills.

Materials and Resources Required For Unit

Technology – Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed.)
Camera Laser Disk VCR
Computer(s) Printer Video Camera
Digital Camera Projection System Video Conferencing Equip.
DVD Player Scanner Other:      
Internet Connection Television

Technology – Software (Click boxes of all software needed.)

Database/Spreadsheet
Desktop Publishing
E-mail Software
Encyclopedia on CD-ROM
Printed Materials
Image Processing Web Page Development
Internet Web Browser Word Processing
Multimedia Other:      
graphic organizers, 6 trait peer rubrics, personal narrative
examples, interview questions model and roleplay, interview
techniques and procedures; Overhead transparencies:
“poem of me” example, writing prompts, cultural quotes and
reflective paragraph model

Supplies notebook, pencils, butcher paper, markers

http://www2.eou.edu/~kdahl/cultdef.html
http://www.ikan.biz/v2/us/FAQs/What-is-your-definition-of-
culture.htm
Internet Resources
http://www.digitrends.com/crossingcultures/iden.htm
http://homelands.org/worlds/quotes.html
http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/diversity-quotes.htm

Others
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
modified instruction, additional printed models as needed,
Resource Student usage of word processing programs, extended assignment
deadlines, para or peer assistance, use of scribes

peer tutoring, learning-strategy instruction such as

Gifted Student DEFENDS, use of technology, independent research,
flexible curricular pacing
Student Assessment

I N T E L ® T E A C H T O T H E F U T U R E 4
© 2001 Intel. All rights reserved.
 Assessment will be based on observation, evaluation of writing pieces, performance rubrics,
and student participation in discussions. Mastery of unit will be demonstrated by creation of a
personal narrative and a digital story expressing their understanding of culture and their
cultural identity.

I N T E L ® T E A C H T O T H E F U T U R E 5
© 2001 Intel. All rights reserved.