Unit Plan: Critical Literacy
English Language Arts / Grade 4-7
Big Ideas
Texts can be understood from a variety of perspectives. (Grades 4-5)
Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking. (Grades 6-7)
Concepts:
- Reflection
- Values
- Beliefs
- Perspective
- Social Justice
Essential Questions
Students will keep considering…
- What does it mean to be critically literate?
- What is the relationship between critical literacy and social justice?
- How do our personal values, beliefs, and perspectives influence our understanding of texts?
- How do texts communicate social relationships?
- What does it mean to consider a different perspective?
- What strategies can readers use to critically analyze texts in a critical manner?
Evaluative Criteria
Teacher Evaluative Criteria:
Juxtaposing:
> Ability to compare texts
> Social implications of values, beliefs, perspectives are considered
> Depth of analysis- textual evidence used to support ideas
Switching:
> Ability to make switches in a text and show the impact of a switch on the text
Summative:
> Evidence that Critical Literacy skills have been applied
> Social implications are addressed, e.g., race, gender.
> Depth of analysis
> Textual evidence used to support ideas
Monitoring Progress
Teacher will monitor progress:
N/A
Potential Student Misunderstandings:
N/A
Resources
UNIT RESOURCES
- Textual Evidence Video
- Three Little Pigs Video
- The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Video
- The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
- Mean Jean the Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill
- Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
- #1000blackgirlbooks by Marley Dias
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES FOR CRITICAL LITERACY
- The Four Dimensions of Critical Literacy
- Critical Literacy at Learn NC
- Seeing Multiple Perspectives: An Introductory Critical Literacy Lesson
- Connecting Practice and Research: Critical Literacy Guide
- Metacognitive Strategies
- Using Read-Alouds with Critical Literacy Literature in K-3 Classrooms
- Critical Literacy at the Government of Ontario
- McLaughlin, M., & DeVoogd. (2004). Critical literacy: enhancing students’ comprehension of text. New York: Scholastic.
- Comber, B. (2001). Critical literacy: Power and pleasure with language in the early years. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 24(3), pp.168–181.
- Wilhelm, J.D. (2007). Engaging readers & writers with inquiry: Promoting deep understandings in language arts and the content areas with guiding questions. New York: Scholastic.
Reflection
How will teachers and their students reflect on and evaluate the completed project?
Teacher:
Next time I teach this unit I would…
Student:
My students needed:
Process:
Product:
Content:
Potential Student Misunderstanding:
- Students might assume that a story is just a story and does not communicate information about values and beliefs.
- Students may forget to “read” the pictures along with the text and may need scaffolding to use viewing strategies to deconstruct the images.
- Students may need concept of textual evidence reinforced and modeled several times.
- Students may need additional practice identifying perspectives present, take time each day to model identifying perspectives for students. It is possible to extend this into other areas such as social-emotional learning and conflict resolution by having students identify and explain the perspective of others involved in real life situations.
Downloads
Stage 2 – Evidence
Authentic Performance Tasks
AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCE TASK: Assessing for Understanding
Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding by:
GRASPS - Juxtaposing Assignment
What is a GRASPS task?
JUXTAPOSING ASSIGNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):
- What does it mean to be critically literate?
- What is the relationship between critical literacy and social justice?
- How do our personal values, beliefs, and perspectives influence our understanding of texts?
- How do texts communicate social relationships?
- What does it mean to consider a different perspective?
- What strategies can readers use to critically analyze texts in a critical manner?
GRASPS - Switching Assignment
What is a GRASPS task?
SWITCHING ASSIGNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):
- What does it mean to be critically literate?
- What is the relationship between critical literacy and social justice?
- How do our personal values, beliefs, and perspectives influence our understanding of texts?
- How do texts communicate social relationships?
- What does it mean to consider a different perspective?
- What strategies can readers use to critically analyze texts in a critical manner?
GRASPS - Summative Assignment
What is a GRASPS task?
SUMMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):
- What does it mean to be critically literate?
- What is the relationship between critical literacy and social justice?
- How do our personal values, beliefs, and perspectives influence our understanding of texts?
- How do texts communicate social relationships?
- What does it mean to consider a different perspective?
- What strategies can readers use to critically analyze texts in a critical manner?
Questions to Guide Student Thinking
Summative Assessment
ESSENTIAL QUESTION (s)
What does it mean to be critically literate
What is the relationship between critical literacy and social justice?
How do our personal values, beliefs, and perspectives influence our understanding of texts?
How do texts communicate social relationships?
What does it mean to consider a different perspective?
What strategies can readers use to critically analyze texts in a critical manner?
Other Evidence
OTHER EVIDENCE: Assessing for Knowledge and Skills
Students will show they have acquired Stage 1 knowledge and skills by:
Formative Assessment
Pre-Unit Assessment:
Ask students to write a definition of Critical Literacy in their notebook or journal. Ask them to keep it secure to refer back to over the course of the unit. Remind students that it is OK if their thinking changes over time. Ask students to date the entry.
Ongoing Formative Assessment:
> Collect journal entries to assess for depth of understanding related to essential questions, curricular competencies, and content. Provide feedback that supports students in deepening their understandings.
> Teacher should make careful observations of the questions students are posing while listening to reading and while reading independently. Look for thoughtful questions that provoke thinking in others. Further question students by asking, why is that an important question? What makes you ask that? How does asking this question help you better understand the text? Look for students not asking questions and provide small group lessons to develop their ability to pose questions about texts.
Student Self-Assessment/Reflection:
> Ask students to reflect on their understanding of Critical Literacy by using a graphic organizer with the headings, “I used to think…” and “Now I think…”. Students should refer back to their pre-unit assessment for assistance. Students can also reflect on the class graffiti activity. Have students add details to their reflection about the importance of Critical Literacy and ask them to identify a place/time/subject where they anticipate using their Critical Literacy skills. Note: This self-assessment could be done several times throughout the unit to track student growth and inform your teaching practice, especially if students are unfamiliar with the “I used to think/Now I think” strategy.
Teacher Reflection:
> Consider the following questions to help you prepare for, and adjust, this unit. Reflect on the ways your own values and beliefs might impact your implementation of this Critical Literacy unit.
> What relevance do I see for Critical Literacy in my everyday life?
> How am I thinking about social justice issues like race, gender, class, etc.?
> What experiences and/or privileges have I had or not had that may contribute to my understanding of these issues?
> What assumptions do I make about my students and the world when I am teaching? Who might be impacted by these assumptions?
> Am I using my students’ lived realities to build a culturally relevant learning experience in my classroom?
> Is there space in my curriculum for student voices? Cultural knowledge? Differences of opinion?
> What social justices issues make me uncomfortable? Why? Who can I professionally reach out to for support and/or to learn more?
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.
Core Competencies
Communications 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
Thinking Competency
The knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual development
Social Competency
The set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society
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.
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.
