How does this unit develop key concepts and content understanding?

• Students will understand what informational texts are.
• Students will produce their own informational texts about an animal.
• Students will find a topic that they will become expert in.
• Students will use a graphic organizer effectively to organize their topic.
• Students will become writers and apply writing techniques in their own informational texts.

How does my unit enable students to experience the power of their minds and their capacities as learners and doers (powerful learning)?

• Students were treated as authorities on their topics and wrote as expert authors.
• Students used resources and materials around the room to help them learn and write about their animals.
• Students picked an animal they wanted to focus on and wrote in depth on four aspects of it.
• Students discussed their topics and writing with partners, shared with tablemates, and conferenced with the teacher to receive feedback on their work.

How does my unit develop intellectual and academic habits of mind, work, and discourse, including habits of independent or collaborative thinking and doing typical of readers, writers, speakers, creators, researchers and thinkers in the discipline (ways of knowing)?

• Students will write without stopping for extended periods of time to build their writing stamina and develop writing habits.
• Students were treated like writers and were taught to emulate the writing process. We practiced brainstorming topics, outlining with a graphic organizer, writing across pages, editing our work, and sharing.
• Students learned a new strategy during the mini lesson, and then had time to apply it independently. Small individual conferences helped guide each student to a next step that was specific to them and their writing.
• During writers workshop students receive guidance without critiques, as this is a time for students to gain confidence in themselves as writers and build their stamina.
• Students will use a graphic organizer to help them organize their thinking. This will help them implement a heading, write about four aspects of a topic, and organize this across four pages successfully. This will help students focus on and execute each step correctly.
• Students will have the opportunity to share their work at the end of the unit.

How does this unit incorporate literacy development, including capabilities of proficient readers, writers, and speakers?

• Students will be exposed to various nonfiction texts throughout the unit as models for their work.
• Students will write prolifically after every mini lesson
• Students will share their work and practice presenting and being good listeners
• Students will receive individualized feedback and guidance on their writing