Unit Planning Template

Teacher Name: Julie Di Felice

Your plan may exceed the space provided. Expand the table as needed to explain your plan for your unit.

Unit Name

Grade: 4

Animal researchers wanted

1-3 Specific Language Expectation(s)
Developing and Organizing Content: Writing
Research
1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and
oral, print, and electronic sources (e.g., identify key words to help narrow their
searches; cluster ideas; develop a plan for locating information; scan texts for
specific information, including teacher readalouds, mentor texts, reference texts,
shared-, guided-, and independent-reading texts, and media texts)
Classifying Ideas
1.4 sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways (e.g.,
by underlining key words and phrases; by using graphic and print organizers such as
mind maps, concept maps, timelines, jot notes, bulleted lists)

Big Ideas/Desired Results

What do I want students to learn? These
ideas must align with each of your chosen
Curriculum Expectations and your planned
activities.

Organizing Ideas
1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units
that could be used to develop a
summary, using a variety of graphic organizers (e.g., a Venn diagram, a paragraph
frame) and organizational patterns (e.g., generalization with supporting information,
cause and effect)

I can gather information about a

particular animal to gain more
knowledge
I can gather ideas and create
subheadings for a written report
about an animal
I can gather and summarize
information into the graphic organizer
provided for me
I can identify what animals eat
depending on their food choices
I can research and discover new
facts about an animal of my choice
e.g. penguins live in cold climates

1-2 Specific Cross-curricular Expectation(s) Habitats and communities

3.6 identify animals that are carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores
2.3 use scientific inquiry/research skills (see page 15) to investigate ways in which
plants and animals in a community depend on features of their habitat to meet
important needs (e.g., beavers use water for shelter [they build
their lodges so the entrance is under water], food [cattails, water lilies, and other
aquatic plants], and protection [they slap their tails on the water to warn of danger])
Evidence of Learning

What final evidence of student learning will I accept? Create and include exemplar(s).

Students final task of the unit will be to gather/ research information on an animal of their choosing. Student will be asked to create
a 5 paragraph, 1 page report on the information they have gathered on this animal. Students must create subheadings (1
paragraph per subheading) on the following topics: habitat of their animal, food they eat( are they omnivores, herbivores,
carnivores?), appearance of their animal,what climate does their animal live in? Something interesting they found in their research.
Students will be showing that they can organize their thoughts under these subheadings and begin to show an understanding that
each new idea they have needs its own designated paragraph.

Assessment Tool
Include a tool for assessment of instruction to be used at the end of the unit. Describe what tool you are
using to assess and what aspects of learning it will assess. Submit this tool with your assignment.
Assessment For
- Students and the instructor will partake in the use of KWL chart of what they know about animals and their habitats. This will be a
diagnostic form of assessment that will be created on a piece of chart paper K: what their knowledge of the subject matter is W:
what they want to learn L: what they have learned( to be left at the end of the unit. Students will all have sticky notes and have a
chance to place their sticky note on the chart paper provided. This gives the teacher a chance of what to plan for the duration of
this unit and assess students knowledge.
Assessment As
- Students will be using graphic organizers as a form of assessment As leaning. Students will demonstrate that they can translate
what they have learned and categorize the information they have researched into summarized bullet points onto their graphic
organizer.
- Students will also hand in a picture of the animal they have chosen to research upon. As an exit slip they will be asked which
climate their animal lives in. Their animal will be placed upon the bulletin board after they have told their instructor which climate
their animal belongs to. This aids the teacher in assessing if their students did the research and are abel to explain their thinking.
Assessment Of
-As a class the students and the instructor will co-create the assessment tool being used for their reports. Instead of using the
traditional rubric, students will be helping to create a checklist of items their reports must entail. This will be a specific checklist so
that students know explicitly what is expected of them. By having students co-create their checklist it makes them an active
member in creating their assessment. This also puts the onus on the students to make sure they complete the checklist.
-Students will lastly be participating in the final step of our KWL chart. Students will again be handed out sticky notes and be asked
to write something that they have learned throughout the unit and place it under the L of the KWL chart. Students will be asked to
put their names on the sticky notes so that the instructor can use this to document students active participation in class.

Describe the skills, knowledge and resources required of students to provide evidence of their learning.
What was required when you created the final artifact/exemplar/product/evidence of learning?
Inquiry: Students must use their own creativity and curiosity to spur their research. Students must show that they are able to use a
variety of materials to research on their particular topic e.g videos, books, internet, iPads, etc.
Independence: Students must show that they can work independently and finish tasks without having to be reminded to be on task.
Students must also show that they can listen to instruction and be able to show how they can work independently by not talking to
their elbow partner and staying focus on the task.
Collaboration: Students will work together to give each other feedback on their first draft of their report. Students will show that they
can give constructive feedback to their peers in the form of 2 stars and a wish. Students must also show that they can work
harmoniously with their partner and give appropriate feedback. As well, students must show that they can collaborate as a class
when working through the KWL chart.
Participation: Students must show active participation through the week by participating in the KWL chart and writing on their
stickies. Students must also show their participation and be a part of the peer editing process.
Organization: Students will demonstrate their ability to organize their thoughts and ideas in their report and be able to show that
they are abel to organize their information in a concise manner. Students can show that they are learning by filling out their graphic
organizers with the appropriate information under their subheadings.
Knowledge: Students must show that they are knowledgeable in the subject that they have been learning about over the past
week. They must demonstrate that they have used their new found knowledge and applied it to their tasks over the week.

Projected Learning Experiences

These are subject to change based on assessment for instruction. Using your description of the knowledge, skills, and resources
required to provide evidence of learning, try to plan learning experiences backwards from Day 5.
Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

KWL:Assessment For
(30 min)

Research Template
(30 min)

Assessment As
(30 min)

Rough Draft
(45 minutes)

Good Copy/Peer Editing

(45 minutes)

Day 1 the instructor will

have the students
participate in a KWL
chart to assess what the
students know, what
they would like to know
and what they have
learned (for the end of
the unit). The instructor
will read some of these
items out loud to entice
the students learning for
the unit.
The instructor will
explain that this unit will
be a lead up to a final
assignment entailing a 1
page written report that
we will be working on for
the rest of the unit. The
instructor will inform
students to bring in a
picture for the next day
about of the animal they
would like to research

Today, students will be

researching on their
chosen animal. The
instructor will begin the
lesson by asking
students if they have all
chosen an animal for
their research project
(students will use
thumbs up/thumbs down
method). Students who
have their thumbs down
the teacher will
individually speak with
them after the
assignment has been
explained and then they
will have time to
conference with the
teacher on possible
ideas for their research.
The instructor will pose
a question to the
students of what they
think would be possible

Students will be working

on their research
templates today in
preparation for making
their rough drafts for
their reports. The
instructor will go over the
various topics on their
graphic organizer and
continue to copy
information of their
research into the
selected headings.
Students will be showing
their ability to
summarize information
and collect bullet points
into their designated
spaces of their graphic
organizer. Students have
the option to work on the
computer, use books or
audio material and/or
videos to complete this
section of their work.

Students will be cocreating a checklist in

which they will use as an
assessment tool as well
as the teacher. They will
discuss how much
information is needed in
their report, the quality
etc. Students will also be
introduced to 2 stars and
a wish for when they
peer edit each other's
work, preparing for the
final draft.
Day 4 students will be
working on the rough
draft of their report. The
instructor will give an
introduction of what their
rough draft should look
like and what should be
included in their rough
drafts. Students have
already filled out their
templates and will use

Students will be
demonstrating their
learning by producing
their final copy of
their draft. Students
will be finishing up
their final drafts and
hand them in by the
end of the period.
During this time they
may continue to have
their table mates
observe their reports,
or they may continue
to finish their final
draft. Students must
have their final drafts
handed in by the end
of the period to be
marked by the
teacher. This is a
work period for
students to work on
their reports, if they
so choose they may
conference with the
teacher before they
start their final draft.
All drafts must be
handed in at the end
of the period.

for this project.

The instructor will
discuss various animals
as possible subject
choices and show
various books in the
classroom that can be
used.

subheadings( topics)
they may want to
research on for their
animals. This will
eventually become an
anchor chart and a
checklist of what the
students need to include
for their report.

The instructor will be

collecting these items to
be looked over to make
sure students are on the
right track and
understand the task that
has been assigned.

the information from

those templates to begin
to construct their
paragraph sentences.
Students will use the
duration of the period as
a work

The instructor will read

out their exemplar to the
students and leave it up
on display so that the
students may view it to
give them a guide of
what they need to
produce as a final
report.
If students do not have a
computer at home, they
are encouraged to print
one during the time they
have during the
computer lab.

Students will copy this

down into their
notebooks and have this
as a future reference
when they will peer edit
their classmates work as
well as their own.
As a consolidation,
students will be asked,
as an exit slip (before
they go out for recess/
snack) which habitat
their animal belongs to.
The teacher will then
post the picture of the
animal that the students
have brought in, onto the
bulletin board for display
to show their knowledge
of animals and their
habitats.

period to create their

rough draft. Students
must finish their rough
draft at the end of this
period. The period has
been extended to ensure
students have enough
time to finish their rough
draft in preparation for
peer editing and the final
draft for the next class.

At the end of the

period, students will
complete, as a class,
the final assessment
of the unit. Students
will all get a sticky
note and write down
something they have
learned during this
unit and post it to the
KWL chart. After
everyone has posted
to the KWL chart, the
instructor will go
through some of the
items as a class and
how they have
progressed
throughout the unit.

Further Considerations
1. How will I build student choice into this unit?
Student choice will be the main focus in this unit as students need to think of an animal, of their choosing of which they would like
to write their report on. Throughout the activities that we do, students must be keeping their end goal in mind. They must have
chosen which animal they would like to focus on for their culminating task. I think it is important to have student choice because
the results of the students reports will hopefully be more thorough. Since they are getting the choice as to what animal they would
like to research on, hopefully this will spur them to research deeper and gain as much information as they can about this animal.
by having the choice ti research this animal, this may aid them when discovering interesting facts about this particular animal they
have chosen.
2. List three questions to build into instruction to promote analytical thinking (refer to a Q-chart and the Big Ideas for help).
1. How can I gather information about a particular animal
2. How can I learn to create subheadings to help me in my writing?
3. How do I know when to create a new paragraph?
4. How do I distinguish an omnivore from a carnivore and herbivore and vice versa?

3. How will I build in opportunities for guided and independent practice?

Guided

Guided practice will be built by having the instructor explain exemplars that they have made so that the students will get a visual
representation of the task they need to emulate. Students will also be working with the teacher to co-create a checklist in which
they must abide by to meet the requirements of the task. Students are also encouraged to conference with the teacher throughout
their drafts for any pressing questions or clarification that they might need. Students also have the opportunity to work
collaboratively with their classmates and have them review their rough draft to check to make sure if it meets all the requirements
and give their classmates some feedback, in the form of 2 stars and a wish.
Independant
After seeing the exemplar students will have their own time to research their topic (independently). Students will show that they
can demonstrate good listening skills, as well as their ability to work independently free from any aids. Students will be researching
on their own, as well as filling out their graphic organizer. Students will demonstrate their ability to work independently by being
able to classify their research into their designated subheadings. Students will show their organization skills by transferring their
bullet point information and making them into paragraphs for their reports.
4. How can I build in assessment as instruction (peer- and self-assessment)?
When students finish a rough draft of their work they will be engaging in a peer review lesson. This lesson will be to read over one
anothers work to decide on what grade to give them and useful feedback. Students will then re-read their work and grade
themselves. To aid students in their assessment process they will be following the outline (checklist) that ew have made as a class
to determine if they have finished or not. Reporters will evaluate themselves twice, once to deem if they have met all the
requirements and then after they have received their marked work from their peer. Students will again look over their work before
they produce their final drafts. When their peers review their classmates work, they will be giving assessment in the form of 2 stars
and a wish. This will give the writer the tools they need to improve for their final draft, which they will be submitting.

Resources
Include 2 related websites for students to explore:
1. http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/

2. http://www.animalfactguide.com/links/
3. http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html
4.http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals.html
5. goodreads.com (This will be for students if they need help finding any other related books for their topic)

List 5 books to place in your classroom library:

1. Drinking animals: Dan Jackson

2. What is a Carnivore (Herbivore and Omnivore): Bobbie Kalman
3. Eye witness books: Jungle: Theresa Greenaway
4. National Geographic Readers: Weird Sea Creatures: Laura Marsh
5. National Geographic Readers: Deadliest Animals: Melissa Stewart
6. Polar Bears: Emily Ross Townsend
*all books are also available electronically

List other additional resources:

Youtube Videos (examples)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Klscf43X4w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IvMcjDj7Uo

-students also have the option to use the iPad to find their own videos or resources online as well as the classroom
computers. Students might also choose to bring their own device.
-Students may also choose to Skype their reference (with permission of parents/principal/teacher) e.g. zoologist, someone
who works at the local zoo, people who may work with this certain type of animal.
-as listed above students may choose to use Goodreads to help them in their research to find books similar in topics
-school library database/ librarian

Wall Display
A bare bulletin board has been reserved for your unit. Describe how you would use the space.

What I would to with my bulletin board would be to have the students each choose what their animal is and what type of
climate it belongs to. I would divide the bulletin board up into 4 different quadrants: ocean, forest,desert and arctic. The
students have chosen what type of animal that they would like by the second day of the lesson. During their time at the library,
I would have students print out a picture of the animal they they are going to be researching upon and have them use this as
an exit slip for that days lesson by choosing the quadrant that their animal belongs to. They way all the students can see all
the different animas that their classmates have chosen and this gives the other students a chance to look to see the different
types of animals that belong to different habitats and climates.

Our Animal Research

Arctic

Ocean

Desert

Forest

Create a Centre Related to Your Unit

Purpose of the Centre
The purpose of this centre is to allow students an area inside the classroom where they can go and research about an animal of
their choosing, or even an animal that one of their friends has chosen to know more information about. This is meant to be an one
ended centre that is student lead. Students are choosing what they want to learn in this centre and the instructor has given them
various tools to explore this subject to depend their learning, or to understand it in a different way. The centre has been created to
give a a differentiated instruction for students who would prefer audio books over regular books, or videos instead of websites or
vice versa. There are a variety of different tools the students can use, whether it be listening, reading, researching or watching.
This is to move away from the teacher directed form of teaching and allows students to be creative and explore.

Related Ontario Curriculum Expectation

Research

1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and oral, print, and electronic sources (e.g., identify
key words to help narrow their searches; cluster ideas; develop a plan for locating information; scan texts for specific information,
including teacher readalouds, mentor texts, reference texts, shared-, guided-, and independent-reading texts, and media texts)
2.3 use scientific inquiry/research skills (see page 15) to investigate ways in which plants and animals in a community depend on
features of their habitat to meet important needs (e.g., beavers use water for shelter [they build
their lodges so the entrance is under water], food [cattails, water lilies, and other aquatic plants], and protection [they slap their
tails on the water to warn of danger])

Materials Needed
-Ipads
-Classroom computers
-Various books about omnivores, herbivores and carnivores (from library or bought)
-books about animals in their habitat (from library or bought)
-internet connection
-pens/pencils
-paper
-headphones

Estimated Cost
The cost of this centre would vary. Most schools that I have been to have iPads for each grade, usually 2. Therefore I would ask
my teaching partner to borrow the class set of iPads for the week, until our unit is over. I could also just borrow the iPads whenever

we had free time to use this centre for the week, if this would become a pressing issue. We would not need to purchase the iPads
and computers, since they are already in the classroom. As well, we would already have a collection of books about animals in our
classroom as part of our classroom library. If any other books needed to be used, I would first check with our school library, which
is usually rich with many resources about animals in their habitats. Therefore, I would expect this centre to cost almost nothing,
unless we need other books which I would need to purchase, which would be between $30-40.

How would you introduce this centre?

This centre would be introduced the first day of the unit. The instructor will have already explained to students that they will be
doing a written report and that they will need to think of an animal. The instructor would then inform students that during anytime
they have for researching or for free time, there is a table set up at the back table. The instructor would inform students that this is
an inquiry table where they may go and read, research or listen to books, websites, music, or audio about different animals and
their habitats. Students would already know from centres that were used before that students can use this during free time, or
during that subject period to gain new knowledge during this unit and it is to be used at their disposal.

What ongoing management or maintenance does the centre require?

The instructor would need to monitor the area to make sure that the students were on task. The instructor would need to place
importance on the use technology. The instructor will need to inform students that these pieces of equipment are not toys and are
not their for leisure and to fool around on, but to explore and expand their knowledge during this unit. It would be beneficial for the
instructor to monitor the students as they are working in this centre, to make sure they are on task and using their time wisely.
This centre could be used throughout the year and the only change it would need would be to the subject matter e.g. books,
different websites the students could use etc. That way it would be conducive to what they would be learning.

Centre Option #2 (no technology)

For other schools that maybe would not have access to any sort of technology I would create and area where students would be
able to do the same centre, just without the the electronics. Students could just use the books as a resource in lieu of the
electronics. This is a less expensive version of the centre, in case certain schools aren't able to ave the funding for electronics.
Fun Activity
This would be an exercise students could complete as a minds on possibly or this could remain a centre, if the instructor had a
variety of cards to choose.
Students would play a version of the game heads up, where one person wears a head piece on their head with a card of a
particular animal or habitat. Their teammates must aid them to figure out the card that is on their headpiece, without mentioning
what it is. This is a great activity for students to use their vocabulary and other skills to help their teammates find the answer.
Students can build vocabulary and knowledge during this game that will help them gain new knowledge.