Rationale for multi text:

Context:

This multi text unit was created as a block II requirement, under the advisement of Dr. Ellen Pesko for RE 4030.  The student will develop literacy for learning.  The topic of the unit was on the holocaust.  Through the activities, vocabulary, and readings with the unit students will gain an understanding of what the holocaust was like and the history of World War II and the culture and how the people survived.  Students were challenged to use their knowledge of the holocaust, and read, write, and answer higher order thinking questions.   The students were able to respond to journal topics, understand different aspects and literature. This unit was designed for fifth grade students as in aligned with the NC standard course of study for Language Arts, and Social Studies.

Impact:

The unit impacts students learning in many ways because it requires student to look at text from many different angles and analyze it.  All students will understand after completion of this unit about the holocaust and what the people went through during this time.  I think that the students in the classroom can get a better understanding of the holocaust from a story that is told by a student their age.  This unit meets standards for fifth grade students in Language Arts and Social Studies for NC.   This unit has a variety of informational texts, as well as fictional texts to reinforce the vocabulary.  Students produce work through their journals to show that they have a clear understanding of the topics that were covered throughout this unit.

Alignment:

Standard 1: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy. I met standard 1 by having a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in the English Language Arts and Literacy.  I used indicators 1,3, 4, and 5.  I met this by having a good understanding of the developmental stages of language acquisition.  I know and understand a diverse range of historical and contemporary literatures, as well as literatures written by women and authors of colors, and works written for children, and young adults.  I have an understanding of elementary school child’s social, linguistics, cognitive, and affective backgrounds as they relate to the ability to develop effective communication processes such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  I know and understand that reading is taught as a process of constructing meaning through the interaction of the readers existing knowledge, the information suggested by the written language, and the context of the reading situation.

Standard 4 indicators: 8, 10: I have knowledge of history and historical concepts including a sense of chronology, cause and effect, continuity, change, and world history. I demonstrated knowledge and understanding of physical, regional, and cultural geography and their effects on the relationship between people and their environments through the book I never saw another butterfly.