Exploring

childhood

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An Inquiry Based Unit on Exploring Childhood
Through Language
Leah Paul

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Table of Contents

Class Description Page 2

Unit Rationale Page 3

Unit Resources Page 7

Unit Organizer Page 8

Month at a Glance Calendar Page 9

Assignment sketch Page 11

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Class Description

My school is St. Patrick’s Elementary School located in Taber AB.

My class is a grade 4/5 multiage group with 24 students.
My students are an explorative, creative bunch who are interested in Harry Potter, animals (particularly horses)
and hockey.
Multiple students with IPPs, differentiated by behavioural and academic needs (cerebral palsy, ASD and bipolar
disorder)

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Unit Rationale

Unit Title: Exploring childhood experiences through literature

Course: Grades 4/5 multiage, English Language Arts
Unit length: 16 days

Overview:
This unit’s main purpose is to explore childhood by examining literature (movie, short-stories and poetry) and
will culminate in students authoring and illustrating their own children’s book which they will then have an
opportunity to share with a younger grade of students. This is an extremely important theme to explore because
students will ultimately gain an understanding of their own experience and explore their feelings and
imaginations. By engaging with multiple forms of media during this unit the students will have multiple
opportunities to engage with the theme. Students at this age are transitioning from childhood to adolescence and
therefore it is important to understand their thoughts about what childhood is, what it looks like, feels like and
how they can recognize and become in tune with our own sense of childhood.
Students will use multiple different strategies to explore literature in different forms, uncovering their own
thoughts and feelings towards different pieces of media. We will be exploring imagery and literary devices in
order to answer our essential unit questions. Students will engage in multiple different demonstrations of
learning to showcase their own thoughts, feelings and language skills. They will use their own imaginations and
creativity to share their ideas in whole class and individual settings, learning from each other and sharing their
thoughts and feelings with peers in an open, inclusive classroom setting. Students will have an opportunity to
act as role models for younger students and assist them in developing their own creativity and sense of self.

Essential question(s):
 Main Questions: What is childhood? Why is this important to understand in the context of
your life?
 Sub questions:
 How is childhood recognized? What does it look like?
 Does childhood last forever? Why or why not?

Focused Outcomes Grade 4

1.1.1 Express Ideas and develop understanding:

• compare new ideas, information and experiences to prior knowledge and experiences
• ask questions, paraphrase and discuss to explore ideas and understand new concepts
• share personal responses to explore and develop understanding of oral, print and other media texts
1.1.2 Experiment with language and forms:

• discuss and compare the ways similar topics are developed in different forms of oral, print and other
media texts

1.2.2 Combine ideas:

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• use talk, notes, personal writing and representing to record and reflect on ideas, information and
experiences

2.1.1 Use prior knowledge:

• use ideas and concepts, developed through personal interests, experiences and discussion, to understand
new ideas and information

2.2.2 Construct meaning from texts

• connect the thoughts and actions of characters portrayed in oral, print and other media texts to personal
and classroom experiences

• identify the main events in oral, print and other media texts; explain their causes, and describe how they
influence subsequent events

2.4.1 Generate Ideas

• use a variety of strategies for generating and organizing ideas and experiences in oral, print and other
media texts

2.4.2 Elaborate on the expression of ideas

• select and use visuals that enhance meaning of oral, print and other media texts

2.4.3 Structure texts

• produce oral, print and other media texts that follow a logical sequence, and demonstrate clear
relationships between character and plot

• produce narratives that describe experiences and reflect personal responses

4.1.2 Revise and edit

• revise to ensure an understandable progression of ideas and information

• identify and reduce fragments and run-on sentences

• edit for subject–verb agreement

4.3.1 Present information

• present to peers ideas and information on a topic of interest, in a well-organized form

Focused Outcomes Grade 5

1.1.1 Express Ideas and develop understanding:

• use appropriate prior knowledge and experiences to make sense of new ideas and information

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• read, write, represent and talk to explore personal understandings of new ideas and information

• use own experiences as a basis for exploring and expressing opinions and understanding

1.1.2: Experiment with language and forms:

• select from provided forms of oral, print and other media texts those that best organize ideas and
information and develop understanding of topics

1.2.2 Combine ideas:

• seek the viewpoints of others to build on personal responses and understanding

2.1.1 Use prior knowledge:

• describe ways that personal experiences and prior knowledge contribute to understanding new ideas and
information

2.2.2 Construct meaning from texts

• compare characters and situations portrayed in oral, print and other media texts to those encountered in
the classroom and community

• describe characters’ qualities based on what they say and do and how they are described in oral, print
and other media texts

2.4.1 Generate Ideas

• use texts from listening, reading and viewing experiences as models for producing own oral, print and
other media texts

2.4.2 Elaborate on the expression of ideas

• experiment with modeled forms of oral, print and other media texts to suit particular audiences and
purposes

2.4.3 Structure texts

• use structures encountered in texts to organize and present ideas in own oral, print and other media texts

• use own experience as a starting point and source of information for fictional oral, print and other media
texts

4.1.2 Revise and edit

• revise to add and organize details that support and clarify intended meaning

• edit for appropriate use of statements, questions and exclamations

4.3.1 Present information

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• organize ideas and information in presentations to maintain a clear focus and engage the audience

Language Arts
Reading Writing Speaking Listening Viewing Representing

Bold strands are focuses of the unit and italic strands are of particular emphasis in this unit

Demonstrations of Learning: See Assignment sketch for more details

Students will continuously engage with the overarching theme of childhood through group exploration,
individual journal writing and sharing ideas with partners. Students will be exposed to multi-media forms
surrounding the theme of childhood and its encapsulating elements. Students will finish the unit with a
summative activity where they will create their own picture book and present it to an elementary grade.
1.) Students will respond to the unit’s questions through an ongoing journal activity which will act as a
formative and summative assessment during the culmination of the unit.
2.) Students will work diligently to create their own children’s story book to share with younger students
that will function as a final, summative assessment.
3.) Students will complete multiple a written response test, by answering questions on our multimedia
forms in a short-answer style format.
4.) Students will have multiple opportunities to plan using ‘word-webs’, charts, graphs or visual
representations to formulate their ideas.

Meta-Concepts:
 Sentence structure
 Figurative language (metaphor, personification, simile, tone \ mood and mental images)
 Symbolism
 Theme
 Manage new ideas and information
 Express opinions
 Subject verb agreement
 Revise and edit

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Unit Resources

Student:
o The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
o I have chosen this very famous children’s book for students to explore because it uses
informative educational themes (counting, butterfly life cycle, correspondence between
images and numbers) and colorful images that are a great example for students. They
may choose to model their own children’s book off of this one and it will be a fun book
to explore, we will also be watching the animated film in class.
o Say Something by Mary Stolz
o I have chosen this picture book resource for students to explore because it includes great
imagery and usage of figurative language. Students will have an opportunity to respond
and demonstrate their understanding of this book and then attempt to ‘recreate’ its
message and theme using their own style children’s picture book.
o Inside Out: a Disney film directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie Dek Carmen
o I have chosen this film to show students because it has a great overarching message of
childhood and the feelings that come along with growing older and experiencing change.
Students may already be familiar with the film and therefore can dive a bit deeper into its
meaning and develop a better understanding of the films message.
o The Key of the Kingdom a poem by Ed Reed
o I have chosen this poem written by Ed Reed for students to engage with. The poem uses
multiple literary elements such as imagery, metaphor and heightened language which we
will explore together in order to understand the poem with an advanced literary lens.
Students will have time to respond and develop their feelings and thoughts about this
particular element of the unit.

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Unit Organizer

Age of Romance- Opening (3 days)

Activities Reading/Resources
- Childhood Mind Map - The Key of the Kingdom by Ed Reed
- First journal entry - Bao Pixar short film
- Class discussion - Personal journal example
- Exploration of poem - Mind map example
- Themes & Motifs mini lesson - Popular themes and symbols

Age of Precision- Development (14 days)

Activities Readings/ Resources
- Childhood is… writing period - The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Discussion - The very hungry caterpillar animated film
- Pair \ share peer editing - The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
- Exploration of children’s books - The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
- Workshops (writing children’s books, - Corduroy by Don Freeman
sentence structure) - Say Something by Mary Stolz
- Movie viewing - Inside Out (2015) Disney
- Short answer reading comprehension test - Personal response journal entry example
- Personal response Journals
- Planning of storybook
- Creation of children’s storybook

Age of Generalization- Culmination (3 days)

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Activities Readings/ Resources
- Wrap up discussion - Sample children’s book example made by me
- Schedule storybook period with Kindergarten
- Edit and Revise workshop
- Final personal journal

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Month at a Glance

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Day 1 Lesson focus: Themes Day 2 Lesson focus: Symbolism Day 3 Lesson focus: Themes & Symbols Day 4 Lesson focus: Writing Day 5 Lesson focus: Peer editing
SLOs: 1.1.1 SLOs: 1.2.2 SLOs: Workshop
SLOs: 2.4.3 / 1.2.2
Activities: Activities: SLOs: 2.4.3 Activities:
Activities:
- Mini lesson on Activities:
- Introduction to unit - Dissection of poem - Finish reflective
through visual themes and - Model of teacher writing piece
and theme
mind map symbols writing process - Share with a peer
- Reflection journal
- Small group Resources: - Practice reflective
& class discussion: - Peer editing
discussion - Visuals: light \ dark writing (childhood
what is childhood? - Self-reflection
Resources: - Traffic lights is…)
Resources: Resources:
- Heart Resources:
- ‘Bao’ Pixar short - The Key of the - Self-reflection tool
Kingdom by Ed - Our personal names - Personal writing
film
Reed examples
- Personal journal
response
Day 6 Lesson focus: Book Talk Day 7 Lesson focus: Children’s Day 8 Lesson focus: Writing Day 9 Lesson focus: Edit & Revise Day 10 Lesson focus: Writing workshop
Literature
SLOs: 1.1.1 Workshop
SLOs: 1.2.2 / 4.1.2 SLOs: 2.4.1
SLOs: 2.4.1 SLOs: 1.2.2 Activities:
Activities: Activities:
Activities: Activities: - Sentence structure
- Exploration of - Edit and revise
- ‘Write your own’ - Model of teacher workshop
various children’s their mock picture
activity based on writing process - Practice writing
books books and share
picture book - Plan and practice proper sentences
- Visual response to with a peer
Resources: writing a picture Resources:
text Resources:
- The very hungry book (group work) - Sentence structure
Resources: - Personal journal
caterpillar Resources: stems
- The very hungry response
animated film - Personal writing - Writing prompts
caterpillar by Eric - The very hungry examples for sentence
Carle caterpillar by Eric
- The Dot by Peter response
Carle
H. Reynolds
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- The Little Engine
That Could by
Watty Piper
- Corduroy by Don
Freeman
- Say Something by
Mary Stolz
Day 11 Lesson focus: Visual literacy Day 12 Lesson focus: Visual Literacy Day 13 Lesson focus: Comprehension Day 14 Lesson focus: Children’s Literature Day 15 Lesson focus: Planning
SLOs: 1.1.2 SLOs: 2.1.1 SLOs: 1.1.1 / 1.1.1 /2.1.1 / SLOs: 2.4.1 SLOs: 1.2.2
Activities: Activities: 2.2.2 Activities: Activities:
- Movie viewing - Finish movie Activities: - Teacher modelling - Students will use
(popcorn included) viewing - Students complete - ‘Write your own’ concept maps to
- Visual ‘note taking’ - Discussion of written activity based on plan their
Resources: movie comprehension test picture book children’s book
- Inside Out (2015) - Preparation for Resources: Resources: - Pair / share among
comprehension test - Comprehension test - Say Something by peers
through personal Mary Stolz Resources:
journal response - Concept planning
Resources: maps
- Inside Out (2015)
Day 16 Lesson focus: Writing Day 17 Lesson focus: Revise Day 18 Lesson focus: Polish / Present Day 19 Lesson focus: Day 20 Lesson focus:
SLOs: 2.4.3 SLOs: 4.1.2 SLOs: 2.4.2 Present Kindergarten presentation day
Activities: Activities: Activities: SLOs: 4.3 SLOs: 4.3
- Students write their - Students work with - Students will add Activities: Activities:
children’s a partner to edit visuals and polish - Students will - Students will be
storybooks their storybooks their storybooks present their paired up with a
Resources: Resources: - Teacher models storybooks in front kindergarten buddy
- Finished - Finished effective of class and to read and present
storybooks for storybooks for presentation to complete a self- their storybooks
student reference student reference class assessment - They will complete
Resources: following their their final journal
- Personal written presentation entries
children’s Resources: Resources:
storybook - Self-assessment - Personal journal
tool response

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Assignment Assessment FOR Assessment OF
Brief Description learning Learning
Sketch
Students will respond to the unit’s questions
through an ongoing journal activity which will
Reflective act as a formative assessment to guide lesson X
journaling planning based on student response to media.
We will complete ‘morning pages’ each ELA
period to engage students in their writing.

Students will have multiple opportunities to plan

using ‘word-webs’ or visual representations to
Planning help formulate their ideas based on initial X
thoughts & ideas responses to media. This will be used to assist
them in planning their storybooks and in
planning future writing pieces.

Students will complete a self-reflection tool to

Self-reflection engage with their individual work and guide X
tool their opinions on their work to assist with proof-
reading and editing in the future.
Students will complete a written response test,
by answering questions on our multimedia
forms in a short-answer style format. Within
Multimedia this assessment they will engage in all 6 of the X
response test language arts to show their skills. This will be
used to ensure students understood the
outcomes of the unit.

Students will engage with multiple forms of

Children’s language to create their own children’s
storybook storybook. This will assist them with their X
construction writing skills, planning and act as a final,
summative activity for the unit.
Student’s will practice their public speaking and
Children’s presentation skills by sharing their storybooks
storybook with their peers. This will be used to instill X
presentation confidence within the students and will act as a
final, exciting activity for their hard work.