W.

Tyler

Teacher: Wimberly Tyler

FRIT 7234
Grade: 6th Grade
Subject: English/Language Arts

Unit: Informational Writing

*A note about lesson order: In reality, these three lessons represent the beginning,
middle, and end of a much larger unit on informational research and writing. This unit would
span across several weeks, with these three represented lessons taking place at various points in
the process. Lesson one would occur at the start of the unit, preferably within the first few days
before students begin their research. Lesson two would be planned for much later in the unit,
after students had gathered research and been given a chance to form drafts of their informational
writing, in whatever form that may be. Lesson three would occur at the end of the unit as the
students prepare to finalize their writing projects and present their understanding as a whole.

Mini-lessons:

Lesson One: Plagiarism and the Ethical Use of Information

Standards Language Arts

● ELAGSE6W6: ​Use technology, including the Internet, to

produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
● ELAGSE6RI7: ​Integrate information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in
words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
● ELAGSE6W8: ​Gather relevant information from multiple
print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others
while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic
information for sources.
● ELAGSE6SL4: ​Present claims and findings, sequencing
ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and
details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate
eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

ISTE Standards for Students

● 2. Digital Citizen: ​Students recognize the rights,
responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and
working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and
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model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

● 2c. ​Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for
the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual
property.
● 7. Global Collaborator: ​Students use digital tools to broaden
their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating
with others and working effectively in teams locally and
globally.
● 7b. Students use collaborative technologies to work with
others, including peers, experts or community members, to
examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.

Essential Question(s) ● What does it mean to be an ethical online citizen?

● Why is it wrong to copy other people’s work?
● How can you become a better online citizen?

Learning Objective(s) ● Students will understand and be able to recognize plagiarism,

fair use, and digital ethical citizenship.
● Students will be able to explain the importance and relevance
of digital citizenship.
● Students will be able to assess their own digital behaviors and
create a plan of action to improve.

Inquiry Focus Assessment, Appropriate Use of Technology, Learner Success,

Ethical Citizenship, Authenticity

Digital Information 3. Using Information Ethically - How will I ethically use the
Fluency information?

Student Learning ● Students will log into the teacher guided interactive
Activities and presentation tool Nearpod to answer topic related questions
Technology Use anonymously so that the answers are displayed for the class to
see. Questions: How would you define plagiarism? What does
it mean to be ethical? ​(Technology Level: Engage)
● Teacher will use Nearpod to present basic information related
to the topic such as the definitions for fair use, plagiarism,
copyright, ethics, citizenship, etc. ​(Technology Level:
Engage)
● Students will be asked to answer various polls on Nearpod
based solely on the basic information given by the teacher.
Polls: Do you think preventing plagiarism really is important?
Do you think you have plagiarized before? How would you
rate yourself as a digital citizen when it comes to using
information ethically? ​(Technology Level: Engage)
● Teacher will review poll results and explain that plagiarism is
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important and that the students will hopefully work to become

better online citizens, but that they are going to take control of
it for themselves.
● Students will work in small groups of two or three to
investigate resources given to them by the teacher using a
curated collection of ethical use resources on List.ly:
https://list.ly/l/4GqE​ (Technology Level: Enhance)
● Students will be given the option to use paper or a digital tool
of their choosing to take notes on their discoveries.
● Students will use the information they acquire to create an
informational poster about one of the following topics of their
choosing: plagiarism, copyright, fair use, digital citizenship.
Posters will be hung up around the school for peer viewing.

Assessment ● The completed posters will be used to assess student

understanding of major concepts related to the ethical use of
information and its importance.
● Students will quickly write down one SMART goal they can
focus on throughout the informational writing unit to become
more ethical digital citizens.

Lesson Two: Reviewing, Editing, and Revising

Standards Language Arts

● ELAGSE6W6: ​Use technology, including the Internet, to

produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
● ELAGSE6W5: ​With some guidance and support from peers
and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including
grade 6.)
● ELAGSE6W4: ​Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
● ELAGSE6SL1: ​Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on ​grade 6 topics, texts, and
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issues,​ building on others’ ideas and expressing their own

clearly.

ISTE Standards for Students

● 1. Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take

an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating
competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning
sciences.
● 1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and
improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a
variety of ways..
● 7. Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden
their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating
with others and working effectively in teams locally and
globally.
● 7c. Students contribute constructively to project teams,
assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively
toward a common goal.

Essential Question(s) ● How do you assess writing?

● How can you use feedback to improve your writing?
● How can feedback be helpful and informative?
● Why is it important to review our work in order to improve?

Learning Objective(s) ● Students will understand why creators review their work
before publishing.
● Students will identify and be able to utilize different strategies
for reviewing writing and providing feedback to peers.
● Students will be able to self-assess their work and identify
their strengths and weaknesses.
● Students will be able to interpret feedback given to them by
peers and use that feedback to form a plan for editing their
work.

Inquiry Focus Appropriate Use of Technology, Assessment, Performances of

Understanding, Learner Success

Digital Information 3. Using Information Ethically - How will I ethically use the
Fluency information?
3a. Learners ethically use digital information. Learners decide
whether or not to integrate digital information related to a specific
information task. Learners cite the source and/or author for the
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selected digital information.

Student Learning ● Students will watch a BrainPop video on the writing process.
Activities and (Listed on the content curation found here:
Technology Use https://www.pearltrees.com/mstylertech/resources-reflection-r
evising/id32910882​ )​(Technology Level: Engage)
● We will have a short, teacher-led discussion about what peer
review and self-review means, how to provide effective
feedback, and what key elements should be in their writing.
● Teacher will list key elements visually in the room
(SMARTBoard, whiteboard, anchor chart, etc.) for student
reference.
● Since all student writing will have been conducted on Google
Docs, students will log in and pull up the writing piece of
their choice.
● Students will read through their piece and identify at least one
specific element or skill in their writing that they feel weak in
for their peers to watch for while reviewing. Students will be
given the option to watch a variety of BrainPop videos about
sentence structure and writing conventions if they need
assistance in identifying something specific. Videos can be
found on the content curation of lesson resources:
https://www.pearltrees.com/mstylertech/resources-reflection-r
evising/id32910882​ ​(Technology Level: Engage)
● Students will have a brief time to discuss their pieces with
their partner and what they want their partner to specifically
be looking for while reading. It will be explained that this is
the time to ask their peers for any specific advice they’d like
in relation to their writing.
● Teacher will display and explain various peer review
checklists and forms. The students will need to pick one form
that they feel best fits the type of advice their partner is
looking for. Checklists and forms can be found on the content
curation:
https://www.pearltrees.com/mstylertech/resources-reflection-r
evising/id32910882​ ​(Technology Level: Enhance)
● Students will share their documents with their partner, giving
them editing access. They will use the sticky note feature to
leave advice and comments on their partner’s work. They will
also be asked to fill out their feedback sheet while reading and
identify the topic sentences, thesis statement, and final call to
action in their partner’s writing. This should all be done
silently, using only collaboration features on Google Docs.
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(Technology Level: Enhance)

● After each partner’s writing has been reviewed, each student
in the partnership will have a set amount of time to explain
their feedback sheets and comments left on their partner’s
work. The other partner must listen only and not comment.
They will have a set time to ask questions and clarify after the
explanation time is over. Then, the partners will switch and
the other will have a chance to share their feedback.

Assessment ● Students will be given a self-assessment sheet to fill out after

listening to and reading their partner’s advice. They will fill
out their sheet to create a plan for themselves as they start the
editing processes.
● HOMEWORK: Students will be introduced to resources that
provide help with citing sources. Students will be asked to
review these resources and check their citations against the
resources and helpers to make sure they have properly cited
the ideas and quotations in their writing that do not belong to
them.
● Resources for both the self-assessment and the citation
activity can be found on the content curation:
https://www.pearltrees.com/mstylertech/resources-reflection-r
evising/id32910882​ ​(Technology Level: Extend)

Lesson Three: Publishing

Standards Language Arts

● ELAGSE6W2: ​Write informative/explanatory texts to

examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
● ELAGSE6W4: ​Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
● ELAGSE6W6: ​Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
● ELAGSE6W7: ​Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the
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inquiry when appropriate.

● ELAGSE6W8: ​Gather relevant information from multiple
print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others
while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic
information for sources.
● ELAGSE6W9: ​Draw evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
● ELAGSE6SL4: ​Present claims and findings, sequencing
ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and
details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate
eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
● ELAGSE6SL5: ​Include multimedia components (e.g.,
graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in
presentations to clarify information.

ISTE Standards for Students

● 6. Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and

express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using
the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media
appropriate to their goals.
● 6a. Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for
meeting the desired objectives of their creation or
communication.
● 6b. Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or
remix digital resources into new creations.
● 6c. Students communicate complex ideas clearly and
effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects
such as visualizations, models or simulations.
● 6d. Students publish or present content that customizes the
message and medium for their intended audiences.

Essential Question(s) ● What does it mean to publish work?

● Why is it important to investigate our rights as creators before
sharing our work with the world?
● How do you choose the right publishing platform?
● How can creating an online portfolio draw attention to your
ideas and affect others?

Learning Objective(s) ● Students will be able to identify multiple different forms of

publishing and explain when each form might be used.
● Students will understand and be able to explain their rights as
content creators.
● Students will know how to build an online portfolio for their
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work using Google Sites and share it with others.

● Students will reflect on their portfolio and explain how they
hope it will impact their audience.

Inquiry Focus Ethical Citizenship, Appropriate Use of Technology, Assessment,

Performances of Understanding, Learner Success, Connecting with
Experts,

Digital Information 3. Using Information Ethically - How will I ethically use the
Fluency information?
3a. Learners ethically use digital information. Learners decide
whether or not to integrate digital information related to a specific
information task. Learners cite the source and/or author for the
selected digital information.

Student Learning ● To open the lesson, students will watch the Ted Talk entitled
Activities and “Write Your Story, Change History.” After watching, we will
Technology Use have a short discussion about how publishing their hard work
from the unit is only the start of their abilities and their impact
on the world. ​(Technology Level: Engage)
● As a class, students will brainstorm and discuss what it means
to publish work, what ways work can be published, and what
rights they think they should have as creators. Students will
do this by one round of putting their ideas on sticky notes and
sticking them to the appropriate anchor chart with the prompt.
Then students will have a chance to comment on each other’s
ideas, connect them to other student ideas, and ask questions.
This step will be done silently, with students writing directly
on the anchor chart. A third round will be conducted where
more replies and answers to questions can be written. Then
we will come back together and go over the ideas jotted on the
anchor charts.
● After reviewing the big ideas the students came up with, we
will create a master anchor chart with the student created
definition of publishing and ideas on how to publish.
● Students will watch a “crash course” video on Intellectual
Property and recall what they learned in the first mini lesson
about creator’s rights in order to create a class anchor chart
about what rights they have for their work. ​(Technology
Level: Engage)
● Teacher will explain that students will be using their work
from the unit to create a digital portfolio website using Google
Sites (since all work has been conducted using G-Suite for
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Education tools).
● Individual copies of the required elements of the website will
be passed out to students and they will use the resources
provided to them via the content curation to create a design
plan for their website. Resources include videos on how to
create a Google Site and how to customize various elements.
● Students will write out their plan for portfolio creation, using
their choice of an online tool or writing it on paper, and they
will label where the required elements of the portfolio will be
included. This will be turned in for brief evaluation.
(Technology Level: Enhance)
All resources mentioned within this portion of the lesson plan can be
found on the following content curation:
https://padlet.com/lt09225/qqzos8g3cqucr98q

Assessment ● Students will combine their writing from the unit and the
knowledge and skills they’ve acquired about the ethical use of
information, citing sources, editing, and publishing to create a
website portfolio using Google Sites as their summarizing
project.
● Students will be required to have certain pages or tabs on their
site to feature each of their writing pieces and other activities
completed during the unit, but otherwise, students will have
design freedom. This applies to the inquiry concept of
liberating constraints.
● Students will need to identify an audience for their portfolio
and design accordingly.
● Once students have submitted their portfolios and they have
been reviewed by the teacher, the portfolios will be shared,
with student permission, to various audiences using social
networking tools.
Technology Level: Extend
All resources mentioned within this portion of the lesson plan can be
found on the following content curation:
https://padlet.com/lt09225/qqzos8g3cqucr98q