UPGS

Maria Para Unit Plan Genre Study September 3rd, 2013

Unit Plans Chosen:
 * Women in Literature Unit by Allison Trice (2001)
 * Beowulf Unit by Geoffrey Adams (2009)
 * Why Blend In: Accepting Individual Differences within Self and Others by Stacy Ward (2011)

I chose these three unit plans because they each individually meant something to me. Genders roles in literature has always interested me, therefore I chose to look into Allison Trice’s unit plan. Beowulf, on the other hand, I felt was an important text to have read in both high school and in college. My choice in Stacy Ward’s unit plan was a bit more personal, being that I support student growth in accepting themselves and their peers. Out of the three, I was drawn to Stacy Ward’s unit plan the most. Although this unit plan had been “weak” in some aspects, it was very organized and acknowledged parts such as goals, standards, and a grading outline. What I liked most about this unit plan was that it was straight to the point. Whereas some unit plans do not have a table of contents, this one did. It presented the fact that the teacher had had time for preparation. Unfortunately, I found that Trice’s unit plan was in need of improvement. Even though this unit plan was very interesting, I thought it to be “filling.” Basically, there was a lot going on without much direction. The first red flag went up when I noticed that the unit plan was not only lacking a table of contents, but also goals/objectives. Perhaps what had led the teacher to stray from these key points was their in-depth rational and synopsis. Structurally, all of the unit plans share these characteristics: a rationale, a breakdown of daily activities and teachings, and assignments as forms of assessment either at the end of the unit or throughout. As far as the similarities and differences for unit plans go, they both seemed to be equal. Whenever I had stumbled onto a difference, I also found that I would come upon a similarity. Impressively, each unit plan used some form or another of a grading plan. For instance, two out of the three unit plans included rubrics. I found this to be helpful because rubrics are an excellent way to communicate with the student on the basis of what is “right” and what is “wrong.” Another interesting aspect of these unit plans was that each involved some kind of group work or possible brainstorming. I would definitely evaluate these unit plans by organization. What the unit plans had been lacking was minor parts of an “ideal” unit plan. By fixing/adding pieces such as a table of contents, rubrics, assignments, and sources, the unit plans would reach their full potential. What each unit plan constitutes the curriculum of the English Language Arts is organizational aspect of any given day. In other words, forming the curriculum is solely based on knowing what to except and when to expect. If a student is not caught up on reading for the day one has planned a group project, it is up to the teacher to act upon that situation. I believe that by each unit plan having a broken down unit, the teacher and the students are given the opportunity to prepare themselves for anything. As far as what makes good instructional practices in English Language Arts, I look to Trice’s unit plan. What Trice seemed to rely heavily on was that of expression. Although this unit plan was not the only one that had focused on journal entries, it was the only one that encouraged student emotion. By doing so, students engage not only with the material, but also with themselves. English Language Arts students should be capable of many things; and perhaps, such things cannot be reached. Realistically, as these unit plans present, the “should be’s” of a unit plan are laid out in the beginning. In fact, the use of a rubric also support and guide students to their destination of what they should be capable of doing.

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While comparing the attitudes of these three unit plans, I notice that it does not matter what the attitude of a unit plan is…as far as there is a goal set in place. Each teacher has their own method of teaching, and therefore can incorporate any attitude they wish. I agree most with Geoffrey Adams’s unit plan out of all three. He agrees that students should be made aware of their goals, be taught form/content/connections, and be assessed according to set goals. He also stresses the need of organization, which is a volatile aspect of teaching English Language Arts. ======