Conversation and Writing Units and Resources

UNIT 1:  Critical Thinking

Dee Thompson

Updated July 27, 2017 for

Hastings Public Schools/Wesleyan University

UNIT 1:

Communication: Listening, Speaking, Writing

Grades 9-12

Unit of Study: VOCABULARY TO DEVELOP “ACADEMIC CONVERSATIONS”

Objectives:

• promote critical thinking
• build academic vocabulary
• build literacy skills
• build oral language and communication skills
• promotes different perspectives and empathy
• fosters creativity
• fosters skills for negotiating meaning and focusing on a topic

SKILLS:

• Elaborate and clarify
• Support ideas with examples
• Build on and/or challenge a partner’s idea
• Paraphrase
• Synthesize conversation points

Unit Type: Skill-Based

Pacing: 3 weeks

DAY ONE:

Why is conversation called an art? *come to working definition. Ex. The PROCESS of bringing ideas to the table, sharing, and shaping them as we listen to ideas of others.”

ice-breaker…Have students count off, pull numbered cards from 1-10, hand out “concept circle” 1 ” What was the most beneficial experience you had this summer?”

Have all students stand up. (I) model conversation starter: “Would you tell me about one of your experiences?” “What was beneficial…?” “How?” and conversation extender, “Can you elaborate on that?”

[Lowest numbered students stand first, progress] each student adds with prompts, elaboration, details, extenders.

Finish with a second conversation about “What do you enjoy about your peers?” Using ball of yarn, hold end, pass as each student talks, hold each ‘string’ and continue making a visual web of the conversation.

*Hand out unit objectives, rubrics, and expectations.

ASSIGN each student to think of a conversation topic for DAY TWO: Conversation must be related to reading: favorite place to read, favorite book, favorite time to read, etc…

DAY TWO: prepare w/ 3 or 4 students a model of bad conversation and have rest of the class engage in ‘good’ conversation about what was wrong.

Begin poster listing established, shared conversation norms:

• We listen to each other. (pp. 30-31)

Hand out “Five Core Skills of Academic Conversation graphic (Figure 2.1) and project

Divide into pairs, assign a skill for each pair to analyze and model (PROJECT due DAY 7) PURPOSE: pairs will read, discuss, and determine a teaching model to share assigned skill

DAY 3: provide general examples and explanation of each skill, 1-5

• Skill 1: elaborate with analogies, questioning to clarify and probe, elaborating and clarifying with examples
• Skill 2: Support Ideas with Examples…EVIDENCE, examples from the text, from other texts, from the world, one’s own life
• Skill 3: Build on and/or challenge a partner’s idea
• Skill 4: Paraphrase
• Skill 5: Synthesize Conversation Points

DAY 4-6 TIME IN PAIRS TO WORK

DAY 7-9 PRESENTATIONS w/ follow up conversations after each one discussing effectiveness, other situations and examples appropriate for each skill

Scoring Rubric:

(1)Beginning: Presenters provide very little insight as to the benefit and/or appropriate use of assigned skill[no examples, no analogies, no clarification]; little or no supporting material or visuals

(2)Progressing: Presenters provide some insight as to the appropriate use of assigned skill[1 or 2 examples, analogies, clarification…]; little or irrelevant supporting material or visuals

(3)Proficient: Presenters provide detailed and analytical insight about multiple uses for assigned skill with relevant supporting material and visual aids

(4)Advanced: Presenters provide detailed and analytical insight about multiple uses for assigned skill with relevant supporting material and visual aids as well as engaging discussion with each other AND class about further applications in real world.

Dee Thompson

 

Unit 2: Writing

Overview: grammar and punctuation practice, sentence types and fluency practice, review of literary elements, journals, 5 essay types, and portfolios will be       used to draft, revise, and publish writing *APPLY understanding of      elaboration and synthesis to deeper communication through writing

Objectives:

Completing portfolio to include final drafts of minimum of

five essay types distinguished by purpose, two final drafts of

literary analysis essays, Completing writing journal to include all daily writing

prompts, peer evaluations, teacher evaluations, and self-

assessments

Practice skills in English Grammar and Composition to com-

plement writing assignments and demonstrate understanding

of language study in relation to six traits writing(e.g. study of

multiple sentence structures as it directly relates to fluency…)

Unit Type: skill-based

Pacing: 5-6 weeks (to be completed by end of 1st 9 weeks)