In this Unit Plan, Students will use Book Creator to create a comic of the story they have independently read in class. Students will independently use the resource I generated on how to use each function to create their comic. Then use the Criteria for Success ( cfs) to evaluate their own work, and share their work to peers.

In this eight-week module, students explore animal defense mechanisms. They build proficiency in writing an informative piece, examining the defense mechanisms of one specific animal about which they build expertise. Students also build proficiency in writing a narrative piece about this animal. In Unit 1, students build background knowledge on general animal defenses through close readings of several informational texts. Students will read closely to practice drawing inferences as they begin their research and use a science journal to make observations and synthesize information. Students will continue to use the science journal, using the millipede as a whole class model. They begin to research an expert animal in preparation to write about this animal in Units 2 and 3, again using the science journal. In Unit 2, students will continue to build expertise about their animal and its defense mechanisms, writing the first part of the final performance task—an informative piece describing their animal, the threats to its survival, and how it is equipped to deal with them. With their new knowledge about animal defenses from Unit 1, students will read informational texts closely, using the same science journal to synthesize information about their animal. Unit 3 allows students to apply their research from Units 1 and 2 to write a narrative piece about their animal that incorporates their research. This narrative will take the format of a choose-your-own-adventure. For their performance task, students will plan, draft, and revise the introduction and one choice ending of the narrative with the support of both peer and teacher feedback. The second choice ending will be planned, written, and revised on-demand for the end of unit assessment.

Find the rest of the EngageNY ELA resources at https://archive.org/details/engageny-ela-archive .

In this module, students will read, write, and speak about the topic of voting rights and responsibilities. In the first two units, students will read informational texts that focus on the women’s suffrage movement and the leadership of New Yorker Susan B. Anthony. Specifically, they will read firsthand and secondhand accounts of her arrest and trial for voting in a time when women were outlawed from doing so. Students then read The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach, a historical fiction novel set in the weeks leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment. They will continue to examine the idea of leaders of change and explore the theme “making a difference” by collecting evidence on how selected characters make a difference for others. After completing the novel, students will analyze this theme in selected passages of the novel and write an essay

Find the rest of the EngageNY ELA resources at https://archive.org/details/engageny-ela-archive .

Objective: I can identify and explain the theme of a story.After reading the book Auggie and Me: A Julian Chapter as a class (or having students read it), students are going to work in a group to create a headline for the book that captures the core idea or theme that we want to remember. Then, once they have their headline, on their own, they will take their headline and create an article that explains or supports the headline. Finally, they will work through the writing process to publish their article. *This activity should take 2-3 hours to complete. 

Flor has been looking forward to summer with her best friend since last summer! But an unexpected twist of fate lands her working in her family’s mattress store and her best friend at band camp. Herlife gets even worse when she has to compete in the local honey pageant (again) and volunteer to help a recluse beekeeper with her worst frenemy. With her parents fighting and the possibility of moving to New Jersey on the horizon, this summer cannot get any worse.Grade Level: 3rd-7thLexile Level: 870LGuided Reading Level: SGenre: fiction, chapter book 

Lesson objective:Students will determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text.The powerpoint and theme video are used to guide instruction and explain the basic concepts of theme. The read aloud video and engage ny reading material guide are used for guided practice in supporting students as they learn to identify the theme of the story. The image is used a resource to help students as they identify themes of stories, dramas, or poems. 

Michael is feeling all alone in a new city and new school until Jesse, a fellow student introduced him to the school garden! Working with new friends, exploring tastes, harvesting vegetables, nicknaminginsects, and solving garden riddles are just a few of the ways that the school garden helps Michael feel like he is growing roots. This Found Poetry style picture book is perfect for introducing a uniquemodern style of poetry while incorporating history, cooking, word study, and a love for the outdoor classroom.Grade Level: 2nd-5thLexile Level: Not availableGuided Reading Level: Not availableGenre: Fiction, poetry