UNIT+2+-+Community+Voices+Through+Reading++and+Writing

​Unit Description
Students broaden their focus from reading and writing for personal purposes, to understanding the many ways that reading and writing help to create and maintain vital communities. Students define community, and start by examining the variety of reading and writing forms used in their school to create a school community. They apply reading strategies to understand a variety of community publications, including news reports, and write their own new reports that reflect community concerns and interests. Students find and discuss the stories that are important to their community, and use their understanding of narrative texts and demonstrate their understanding of the community issues and values reflected in these. They also examine the relationship between language and power, reflect upon “new” language forms, (e.g., text messaging) and their audiences, and make choices about appropriate language for different cultural and social situations.

2.1.1 **Student Activity:** Define "stereotype" in your glossary.

2.1.2 **Student Activity:** Create a graphic organizer to record findings: characters’ names; positive or negative stereotype according to age, gender, culture, socio-economic status and occupation; physical appearance and personality (traits)

2.1.3 **Student Activity:** Identification and viewing of a sitcom with work-related characters and obvious stereotypes Discussion of observations and findings Preparation of a short report answering questions such as:
 * Why do most sitcoms have stereotypical characters? (stock characters, not enough time)
 * What are these sitcoms revealing about the attitudes of the North American worker?
 * Where do these stereotypes come from?
 * Why are these stereotypes potentially harmful?

2.1.4 **Student Activity:** Create a storyboard for a new sitcom, which dispels one of the stereotypes

Activity 2.2
2.2.1 **Student Activity:** Go to [|The Ottawa Sun] For the story you find there, locate answers to the five journalistic questions: who, what where, when, why. 2.2.2 **Student Activity:** Go to [|The Toronto Sun] and examine the news reports to identify the headline, the lead, the five journalistic questions, quotations from witnesses or bystanders. Use – [|The Newspaper] (found on the CHECKLISTS page) to prompt your observations and to make notes. 2.2.3 **Student Activity:** Write a news report based on a video about stereotypes. Look for answers to the five journalistic questions as you view the video.
 * Use -- __**[|Brainstorming Ideas for a News Report.pdf]**__ (found on the CHECKLISTS page), to make notes from your viewing.
 * Answer the following questions: Where is this occur? When does this take place? What is the problem? Who experiences the problem and why? How did they solve the problem? Who is included in the solution? Who is left out of the solution?
 * Independently write the first draft of the news report. (See "[|Writing a News Report from a Snapshot]” found on the CHECKLISTS page)
 * Work with a partner to provide each other with feedback on completeness and structure (contains headline, lead, quotations by witnesses, develops the journalistic questions).
 * In your learning journal, make connections between the situation in the video and your experiences and observations about your own communities.

2.3 Gender-Based Stereotypes
 2.3.1 **Student Activity:** Define the following terms in your own words in the glossary section of your blog: gender specific stereotypes, target audience, demographics, social values, advertising techniques. 
 * Create a problem and solutions chart that looks like this:


 * Go to [|http://ottawasun.com] or [] (Don’t worry which one you’re going to do both .)
 *  Notice the header to the main page. Starting at the top left, go through each section of the website. Analyse the portrayal of the sexes in each section of the newspaper by reading a 3 news reports from each section. Make notes on each article as you read. Compare and contrast these stories in terms of their content, form, audience, purpose, and appeal. Note how some stories use such elements as characterization, suspense, conflict, and chronological order in their construction.
 * Record your findings in the problems and solutions char t

2.3.4 **Student Activity:** Look the photograph (by using the link below) and using the photograph and the headline: "**//Sanitation strike enters second week//**", make predictions, based on the photograph, headline, and context, to suggest a possible story. Use -- __**[|Brainstorming Ideas for a News Report.pdf]**__ (found on the CHECKLISTS page), to create an outline for your story. What is the problem? What is the likely solution? Who is involved? Where is this happening? Why? Include details relating to the five journalistic questions. [|pic-0250.jpg]

2.3.5 **Student Activity**: Write a news report based on this photograph and headline
 * Use your outline from 2.3.4
 * Write a draft of your news story.
 * Use the Peer Editing Checklist to have your story edited by someone else ([|Peer Editing Checklist.doc])
 * Revise your draft, focus on the content including the five journalistic questions and story elements, and to use colourful language to enhance the story.
 * **Post the good copy of your news report to your portfolio** for evaluation.

2.3.6 **Student Activity:** Rewrite a fairy tale changing the sex of the main character for a children’s audience. . 2.3.7 **Student Activity:** Convert your fairy tale into either a powerpoint presentation using appropriate pictures and sound OR convert your fairy tale into a ToonDoo comic.
 * Find a fairy tale
 * Read it
 * Write a rough draft of your version changing the sex of the main character (make sure the tone of the story is appropriate for young children!)
 * Use the Peer Editing Checklist to have your story edited by someone else ([|Peer Editing Checklist.doc])
 * Revise your rough draft to create a good copy for evaluation
 * **Post your good copy in the portfolio** section of your blog

Activity 2.4
2.4.1 **Student Activity:** Define idiom in your glossary. Create a list of the idioms you have encountered in your reading. This semester. Make sure you've entered your novel and newspaper readings into your reading log on your blog. I will be checking on 24 November

2.4.2 **Student Activity:** Define "urban legend" in your glossary. Answer the following question using one paragraph in your blog (under general): What kinds of stories become urban legends? Go to []. Find an urban legend. Each of you must do a different one. Read: [|elements of a story.pdf]. Take notes on your reading. Identifythe elements of story contained in the urban legend you've chosend. 2.4.3: **Student Activity:** Compare two urban legends. Note your conclusions on the [|Comparison Chart of Two Publications.pdf](found on the CHECKLISTS page). **Post your conclusions on your blog**. Make sure you **enter your readings in your Reading Log**.

2.5 Cultural Stereotypes
2.5.1 **Student Activity:** Define the terms: **racism, ethnic, assumption, bias, prejudice, and perception in your glossary.**

2.5.2 **Student Activity:** Think about an online publication from a specific culture or group that you are interested in or curious about. Go online and find such a publication.

2.5.3 **Student Activity:** Read it and answer the following questions: Using the criteria found in [|Comparison Chart of Two Publications.pdf] (found on the CHECKLISTS page), choose an appropriate reading approach to read the entire publication and make notes on your observations.
 * how is it structured (headings, subpages, etc.)?
 * who is the target audience?
 * describe the content and purpose of the site.

2.5.4 **Student Activity:** Use your point-form notes to create a **__summary paragraph__** of the important ideas about the publication’s structure, audience, content, and purpose.

2.5.5 **Student Activity:** Revise your summary for completeness, accuracy, and logical order. Use connecting words to create coherence in your draft. Edit the pieces -- peer-editing followed by self-editing, with a focus on correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation for clear written communication. Polish and format the final copy and **Post It to Your Portfolio** for assessment along with a link to the site you analysed. (See the [|Summary Rubric.pdf].)

2.6 Stereotypes in Advertising
2.6.1 **Student Activity:** Go online and locate a number of display advertisements (the sort found in magazines or billboards as opposed to video or TV ads). Remember that all advertisements are constructed for specific purposes, and targeted to specific audiences. Examine the display ads and complete __**[|Advertisers and their Audience.pdf]**__ (found on the CHECKLISTS page).

2.6.2 **Student Activity:** Examine the ads to determine common features of layout, design, and print. Summarize your findings in point form. Think about these things: balance between white space and copy, format of the print, use of headings, font/typeface, colour, illustrations, and graphics/logos.

2.6.3 **Student Activity:** Scan the print for words and phrases that capture your attention, such as jargon or specialized words, conventions (when to call, an appeal to economy, and descriptions of the product), references to buyer benefits, prominent indication of price, and simple, clear word choice. Focus particularly on words with emotional impact and words that reflect community values. Describe the word choice in the ad and to make inferences about the target audience.

2.6.4 **Student Activity:**There are three types of display advertisements: //image// (reinforce the concept of the company, product, or service); //sale// (make sales, reduce inventory, and attract customers); and //promotional// (advertise special activities or events). Identify the type of display ad shown and to comment on its purpose.

2.6.5 **Student Activity:** Using – [|Analysis of Display Advertisements.pdf] (found on the CHECKLISTS page). Complete the analysis handout.

2.6.6 **Student Activity:** Individually write an information paragraph to a peer about how to read and understand display ads (a particular type of graphic text.) Remember that an information paragraph is an objective presentation of facts and information, and uses the third person point of view.
 * Here are the minimum content requirements for the paragraph: state a main idea in a topic sentence, support it with details which explain reading strategies and reading skills used and a concluding sentence. Use connecting words to link ideas.
 * Revise your drafts based on peer or self-assessment. Use – __**[|Checklist for an Information Paragraph.pdf]**__ (found on the CHECKLISTS page)
 * **Submit the polished copy for evaluation by posting to your portfolio**.. (See – [|Information Paragraph Rubric.pdf].)

Activity 2.7 Culminating Activity
2.7.1 **Student Activity:** Create a KWL chart. It looks like this:


 * What I Know || What I Want to Know || What I Learned ||

2.7.2 **Student Activity:** Choose a partner. One partner reads aloud the first paragraph of the following story: [|Jorinda and Jorindel]. Make 5 predictions about things which will happen in the story. Fill in the first two columns of the KWL chart. 2.7.3 **Student Activity:** Between you, decide on a focus question - a question which will help you determine what facts are important and what aren't - based on column two of the KWL chart. Read the rest of the story with the focus question in mind. Discuss the answer to the focus question. 2.7.4 **Student Activity:** After reading, add to column three of your KWL chart.Use the writing process to draft a news report focusing on sequencing of events in the story.Revise and edit your draft to produce a polished copy. **Post to your portfolio** 2.7.5 **Student Activity:** Now, make another KWL chart and individually read the following story: [|Hans in Luck] 2.7.6 **Student Activity:** Use the writing process to draft a news report focusing on sequencing of events in the story. 2.7.7 **Student Activity:** Revise and edit your draft to produce a polished copy. **Post to your portfolio**.

=Activity 2.7b= 2.7.8 **Student Activity:** Demonstrate your comprehension of an independently-selected and read narrative text. You may demonstrate your comprehension in a variety of ways, e.g., respond orally to interview questions, in a storyboard (using toondoo), in a retelling. I will evaluate your reading skills. 2.7.9 **Student Activity:** Create of a product to inform a target audience of positive and negative stereotypes and to recommend solutions. Choose your culminating project from the following: series of posters, pamphlet, story board for a commercial, informational page, newsletter, website, interactive display, visual essay or collage, but NOT the same product completed in Unit 1 display, visual essay or collage, but NOT the same product completed in Unit 1