Context: I created this multi-text study in RE 4030 under the advisement of Dr. Pacfici in the spring of 2007 as a Block II requirement. The packet was created for the fifth grade and was created around the fiction Kira- Kira.

Impact: This multi-text study is a great way to integrate both fiction and non-fiction texts through very creative and engaging formats. Through reading Kira- Kira and The Journal of Ben Uchida text, students are given the opportunity to think critically about what they read while completing a variety of activities that connect to the multi-texts. I chose to develop the multi text because I felt that immigration is very important to this country now and with so much controversy surrounding immigration I thought students need to know that there were different people coming in to this country a long time ago. I thought it would be helpful if our class focused on Japanese immigrants and study about Japanese/ American culture with this multi-text. I was able to implement the following parts of this unit with social studies in the fifth grade at Cove Creek School.

Alignment: With completion of this multi-text study unit I meet the follow DPI standards for elementary school teachers

Standard 1: Elementary teacher have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy.

Indicator 3: Teachers know and understand a diverse range of historical and contemporary literatures, including various genres of American, British, and World, as well as literatures written by women and authors of colors and works written for children and young adults.

I met this standard by including different types of text by diverse authors in the multitext packet.

Indicator 4: Teachers understand the elementary school child's social, cultural, linguistic, cognitive and affective backgrounds as they relate to the ability to develop effective communication processes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

I met this standard by providing activities that address the needs of each student and their learning style. In the multitext I provide a variety of different ways for students to communicate their ideas such as presenting, reading, and writing.

Indicator 5: Teachers know and understand that reading is taught as a process of constructing meaning through the interaction of the reader's existing knowledge, the information suggested by the written language, and the context of the reading situation.

I met this standard by asking probing questions to activate their existing knowledge. Students are also put in groups with some of the packet activities which help them to interact with peers to help increase reading skills.

Indicator 6: Teachers understand the importance of literacy for personal and social growth.

I will try to meet the needs of each student in my class by developing age/ level appropriate activities to encourage social and personal growth.

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

Indicator 2: Teachers understand and use an interdisciplinary approach to teaching by connecting and integrating language arts, mathematics, science, social students, healthful living, and arts concepts and processes, with appropriate technologies to enhance their teaching.

This standard is met through integrating language arts, social studies and technology into this unit by students being able to work on the internet workshop. I was able to integrate language arts in this project by making this project centered on social studies content (Japanese Immigration)

Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using student’s prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interest when designing lessons.

This standard is met by activating the existing knowledge of my students through having them make predictions about their book they are reading, Kira Kira.

indicator 5: Teachers assist students in developing multiple learning strategies to address discipline specific content, critical thinking , and problem solving skills.

This standard is met by having activities for each student that is molded for their learning style.

indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.

This standard is met by assessing students both informally and formally through observations and final vocabulary test.

Standard 12: Working alone or with arts specialist teachers and/or other qualified arts professionals, elementary teachers are able to integrate the arts inot the elementary curriculum.

I met this standard by incorperating art into my multitext study. Students were requried to do a Sketch to Stretch activity where they would listen to me read the frist two pages of the book and they would draw what they think the book would be able. They had to be very creative could be pictures or abract art to convey emotions

Standard 6: Elemetnary teachers have an unerstanding of the basic concepts of the arts.

Indicator 2: Teachers have an informed acquaintance with exemplary works of art from a variety of cultures and hostorical periods.

I met this standard by taking art history classes in college (The arts was my concentration)I would take some of the art work from this time period of Kira Kira and from Japan and introduce this art work to my students.