Making+Responsible+Choices-+Unit+Goals

 Purpose of Unit

Authors have the power to persuade an audience and often share their views in what they write. By examining three popular works of children’s literature, students will learn how authors use persuasion to get them to see the interdependence between the needs of man and the needs of nature as well as various environmental issues that exists as a result of man’s needs.

After seeing various authors’ points of view, students will draw their own conclusion and judge if the needs of man exceed the balance that should exist between man and nature. Students will communicate their own opinion on the subject and try to effectively persuade others to support their opinion to resolve an environmental issue or problem facing our community or world.

During the unit students will agree or disagree to the following statements and provide evidence to support their opinions: • Natural resources are meant to be used • Things change whether we want them to or not. • The present is more important than the future. • The future is unpredictable • Fiction is more persuasive than non-fiction. • What we do are what we don’t do makes a difference. • Small choices can make a big difference.

Targeted NYS Standards/Performance Indicators

• (Geography- SS 3.1e) Investigate how people depend on and modify the physical environment. • (Civics, Citizenship, & Govt.- SS 5.4b) Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community issue or problem. • (Civics, Citizenship, & Govt.- SS 5.4a) Show a willingness to consider other points of view before drawing conclusions and making judgments. • (Civics,Citizenship & Govt.- SS 5.4f) Propose an action plan to address the issue of how to solve a problem.
 * Social Studies**

• Big Idea- (The Living Environment- 4.7.1c) Humans, as individuals or communities, change environments in ways that can be either helpful or harmful for themselves and other organisms.
 * Science**

• Identify author’s purpose. • Recognize author’s point of view. • Compare and contrast information idea and information from two different sources. • Analyze ideas and information on the basis of prior knowledge and personal experience. • Form an opinion on a subject on the basis of information, ideas, themes expressed and presentations.
 * English Language Arts (ELA)**

Essential Understandings Habits of Mind/Attitudes


 * Students will understand that:**

1. What we do today will impact our world tomorrow. 2. We have the power to use our natural resources wisely. 3. We need to balance the needs of man with nature. 4. Humans, as individuals or communities, change environments in ways that can be either helpful or harmful for themselves and other organisms. 5. Authors can use text to persuade the reader. Students will:

• Listening for Understanding • Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations

**Essential Knowledge** • the effects human interaction and progress have on the environment • a balance between the needs of man and nature must exist. • changes to the environment can be helpful or harmful to man and other organisms that environment. • an author’s purpose for writing • how point of view influences a persons writing • the value of persuasion as a tool to influence the beliefs of others Critical Skills
 * Students will know …**

o Comparing o Analyze o Draw conclusion
 * Critical Reasoning Skills**

o Collect and organize ideas through note-making o Draw conclusions; make and test inferences, hypotheses, and conjectures o Conduct comparisons using specific criteria o Work effectively with others collaboratively o Write clear, well-formed, coherent explanations in all content areas Other Skills (Literacy/ Discipline Specific)
 * Hidden Skill of Academic Literacy:**

• Identifying the Main Idea • Using Specific Evidence from the Story to Identify Theme • Using Critical Analysis to Evaluation Ideas
 * ELA Power Standards**

• Understand Author’s Purpose • Determining an Author’s Point of View • Compare and Contrast • Recognize Cause and Effect • Recognizing Different Levels of Meaning in Text
 * Embedded Skills**

Essential Questions

1. How will what we do or don’t do today to our environment impact our world in the future? 2. Do we have the power to use our natural resources wisely? Support your opinion. 3. Do authors persuade readers with their books? Support your opinion. 4. Should we balance our needs with those of nature? Support your opinion.

Unit Overview and Student Learning Goals

• give examples/evidence to support opinions using their experience with text and/or background knowledge. • demonstrate understanding of specific unit vocabulary. • summarize information identifying key ideas and relevant supporting details. • be able to explain relationships and interactions based on cause and effect in the story. • find cause and effect from details in the text. • determine the author’s point of view. • compare/contrast two stories writing a clear, well-organized, and well-developed essay to demonstrate their understanding of the unit. • create a product intended to persuade others of their perspective or point of view
 * The students will:**