ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding I want students to plan, organize and communicate their thoughts in a written composition.
Goal(s): Students will actively engage in the writing process. 

Questions Answered

1. What do I want my readers to know about me? 2. How will I communicate with my readers in a readable, interesting way? 3. What pictures and artwork would make my project attractive and interesting to my reader? 4. What sources will I need to access to get information in order to complete my project?
Objectives: 1. Students will use knowledge and experience to write.  2. Students will organize an outline for each chapter.  3. Students will access additional info to complete the project.  4. Students will revise and edit drafts of the compostition. 5. Students will use standard conventions of grammar, spelling and punctuation. 6. Students will learn to use clipart. 7. Students will learn to use the scanner. 8. Students will learn to use a software template program.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? 1. We would not use quiz and test items since ours is a performance-based rubric. 2. Their final project is considered a test grade using a rubric scoring guide.
What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? A given outline of titled chapters which provides a template for individual writing responses.
What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Students will create an autobiography that is interesting and enjoyable to read using clipart, scanned photos, and a word processing document.
What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? 1. When a chapter has been completed, it is turned in for editing and revising before final product is added to the autobiography portfolio. 2. A performance rubric will assess student completion of the product. 3. We collected comments from readers as feedback.

Instructional Strategies

Students will use project-based learning to create an interesting, attractive and enjoyable autobiography portfolio. They will use a template to develop their own ideas and use appropriate individual writing styles to communicate their thoughts. The students will utilize English content skills and apply technology to produce their project. This will help students develop personal and professional job portfolios needed when applying for jobs and or futher educational opportunities. It will also help students learn the value of creating and finishing a large project of which to be proud.