Unit: FRIENDSHIP

th

Grade:

Subject/content
area
Title of Unit

Informational writing/English

Goals/Objectives

Write an article for the school newspaper.

Compile all of the articles into a classroom newspaper of their
own.
W.7.2 A,B,C,D,E,F

Standards
Mentor Texts:
Readings
Writings (your
models)
Necessary
Resources:
(worksheets,
people,
manipulatives,
etc.)
Technology
activities in unit

Friendship

Local Newspapers : The Jackson Sun/ News Journal

The Outsiders: S.E. Hinton
The Fox and the Hound: Ted Berman and Larry Clemmons
The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins
School Newspaper: Whitley Whiz
Owner of local newspaper
Couple who have been married 50+ years
Two best friends who have been friends since childhood

Movie Maker
PowerPoint
YouTube
Smartboard viewing of The Outsiders
Procedures

1. Hook: how to establish the focus of the unit

Read several different articles about friendship. Have students write a couple
brief sentences on what they consider a healthy friendship is.
2. Procedure of lessons: what lessons should be taught first?
- What is informational writing?
- What is an article?
- What is friendship?
- Writing workshop (editing and revision)
- Publishing final product to the school newspaper
3. Outcomes: what should students know and be able to do at the end of unit?
- Students will know what informational writing is.
- Students will be able to write and publish an article for a newspaper.
4. Writings: what writing practices will students do by end of unit
- Students will see different ways to write an article.
- They will write a couple of articles and choose one publish.
5. Summative Assessment: what will the final assessment look like?
- The final assessment will be the article they choose to publish.
6. Final projects/culminating activities/events

We will take a field trip to visit the local newspaper and talk with the owner
of the newspaper.
We will have a couple who has been married for 50+ years come in and
talk to the students about friendships.

Reflection:
What do you expect to happen in the unit?
- Students understand that the writing process pertains to everyday life.
- They know how articles are used for a paper and the writing processes that
take place in order to publish a piece of work.
Purpose of the unit?
- Students learn the importance of informational writing, how to submit this
type of writing to a newspaper, and how it applies to daily life.