Unit Plan: Imagine!
Creative Writing

English Language Arts / Grade 4-5

Big Ideas

English Language Arts 4-5

  • Using language in creative and playful ways helps us understand how language works.

Visual Arts 4-5

  • Creative expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community.
  • Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.

Concepts:

  • Creativity
  • Imagination
Essential Questions

Students will keep considering…

  • How can I express my creative ideas effectively in oral and written language?
Evaluative Criteria

Formative Assessment

  • Participation in classroom activities: reading circles, listening to peers, reading stories, etc.
  • Planning and drafts of story writing : editing and revising
  • Journaling: students write weekly journals and choose one to hand in
  • Teacher observation in class

Summative Assessment

  • Creative story: “What happens on your perfect day”?
  • Storytelling: share story out loud with the class
  • Journaling: students hand in one journal assignment (they choose the best from the unit)
Monitoring Progress

Teacher will monitor progress:
Teachers can monitor progress through ongoing formative assessment including but not limited to:

  • N/A
Resources

TEXTS

  • Imagine by Bart Vivian
  • Imagine a Day by Rob Gonsalves and Sarah L. Thomson
  • Imagine a Place by Rob Gonsalves and Sarah L. Thomson
  • Imagine a Night by Rob Gonsalves and Sarah L. Thomson
Reflection

How will teachers and their students reflect on and evaluate the completed project?

Teacher Reflection

  • What aspects of the unit went well?
  • What did students struggle with?
  • What did you struggle with?
  • What would you add/revise the next time you taught this unit?
  • Were there any unintended outcomes?
  • Were students engaged?

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

EXECUTE THE LEARNING PLAN

LEARNING EVENTS:

  • These learning events/activities are suggested activities only. 
  • In some cases the plans are not fully completed lesson plans. 
  • The teacher may choose some lessons/activities to span over several lessons. 
  • Teachers may add, revise and adapt these lessons based on the needs of their students, their personal preferences for resources, and the use of a variety of instructional techniques.

Learning events are enriched for students when teachers consider the “WHERE TO” acronym and guiding organizer by Wiggins and McTighe.

> Click here for more information on WHERETO

<h2>Where To</h2>
<table style=”height: 1175px;” border=”2″ width=”813″ cellpadding=”8″>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>W</strong>here:</td>
<td width=”212″>Where are we going in this lesson Why? What is expected of my students during and after this lesson?</td>
<td width=”378″>• Present the performance task to students early in the unit • Post essential questions; students can generate their own questions as well • Check for  misconceptions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>H</strong>ow:</td>
<td width=”212″>How will I hook and hold student interest during this lesson?</td>
<td width=”378″>• Use a provocation as an entry point • Present students with a mystery or challenge</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>E</strong>quip:</td>
<td width=”212″>How will I equip students for expected performances? How will I make sure to teach the foundational skills so that they can understand and complete tasks?</td>
<td width=”378″>• Access understandings and experience with solid instructional practices • Consider strategies that work for divers e learners • Incorporate literacy 44 strategies</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>R</strong>ethink and Revise:</td>
<td width=”212″>How will I help students reflect, rethink and revise their ideas, writing, and tasks?</td>
<td width=”378″>• Have students rethink the big idea • Have students reflect on  their learning  to build understanding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>E</strong>valuate:</td>
<td width=”212″>How will students self-evaluate and reflect on their learning after each lesson/task?</td>
<td width=”378″>Some ideas for self-evaluation include:
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>• Ticket out the door • Rubrics and checklists • Formative assessments and feedback</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>T</strong>ailor:</td>
<td width=”212″>How will I tailor learning to varied needs, interests and styles? (refer to the NVSD Adaptations Checklist).</td>
<td width=”378″>• Differentiate to your students with the product, the process and the content</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=”67″><strong>O</strong>rganize: <strong> </strong></td>
<td width=”212″>How will I organize and sequence the learning in each lesson and transition to a new lesson?</td>
<td width=”378″>• Start with the end in mind</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan=”3″ width=”657″>Please note that the order in which teachers present this to their students is not mandated to the order of the acronym.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style=”text-align: justify;”>

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • How can I express my creative ideas effectively in oral and written language?
Lesson Hook

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What is imagination?

 

Lesson Hook

1) Circle: Ask students to share out what imagination means to them and project definition of “Imagination”

2) Discussion: Do the class definitions / real definitions line up? What is different? What is the same?

3) Read Story book Imagine (Bart Vivian)

Lesson 1 - Imagine

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What is imagination?

Introduction (Lesson 1)

1) Re-read book Imagine

2) Journal entry: Choose one statement from the book Imagine and finish the statement and add illustrations. What would happen? What would it look like? What do you see?

3) Statement options: “Believe that you can be…” , “Dream of adventures…” , “Imagine that your tree house is more than just a tree house…”

Lesson 2 - Imagine a Day

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What do you like about your days?
  • What makes a good day?

 

Lesson 2

In Circle:

1) Share your idea of the perfect day.

2) Read book: Imagine a Day.

3) Journal entry: Describe your perfect day (with illustrations).

4) Option: Invite Artists for Kids to teach lesson on illustrations/ depth perception.

Lesson 3 - Imagine a Night

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What do you like about your nights?
  • What is darkness? How does it make you feel?
  • What makes a night good?

 

Lesson 3 – Imagine a Night

In Circle:

1) Share your idea of the perfect night.

2) Read book: Imagine a Night.

3)Journal entry: Describe your perfect night (with illustrations).

Lesson 4 - Imagine a Place

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What is the importance of place?
  • Why is place important to you?

 

Lesson 4 – Imagine a Place

1) Guest speaker: Henry (TWT) – share place-based story

2) Circle talk: on importance of place, places that are important to students.

3) Students share that is a place that is important to them.

4) Journal entry : Imagine a place that you love/ that is magical.

5) Venn diagram based on places that are important to you.

Lesson 5 - Imagine a Place

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What is the importance of place?
  • Why is place important to you?

 

Lesson 5 – Imagine a Place

1)  Final journal entry : Choose one journal entry to perfect. Working on final draft: drafting, editing, proof reading.

2) Start class book assignment: Working on illustrations for class book and writing description of place for class book.

Lesson 6 - Imagine a Place

The Learning Events should always be prefaced by focusing on the essential questions:

  • What is the importance of place?
  • Why is place important to you?

 

Lesson 6 – Imagine a Place

1) Finish good copy of journal

2) Finish their statement / illustration for class book Imagine a place…

3) Share stories in a circle

The following resources are made available through the British Columbia Ministry of Education. For more information, please visit BC’s New Curriculum.

 

Big Ideas

The Big Ideas consist of generalizations and principles and the key concepts important in an area of learning. The Big Ideas represent what students will understand at the completion of the curriculum for their grade. They are intended to endure beyond a single grade and contribute to future understanding.


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Core Competencies

orangecommunicationCommunications Competency

The set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media

bluethinkingThinking Competency

The knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual development

greensocialSocial Competency

The set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Curricular Competencies & Content

Curricular Competencies are the skills, strategies, and processes that students develop over time. They reflect the “Do” in the Know-Do-Understand model of curriculum. The Curricular Competencies are built on the thinking, communicating, and personal and social competencies relevant to disciplines that make up an area of learning.


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Additional Resources

First People's Principles of Learning

To read more about First People’s Principles of Learning, please click here.

For classroom resources, please visit the First Nations Education Steering Committee.