This document outlines a unit plan for teaching 7th grade students about parts of speech and sentence structure, culminating in an ability to perform a four-level analysis of sentences. The unit goals are to review parts of speech and sentence components in order to examine sentences for their analysis. Students will learn about parts of speech, clauses, phrases and sentence types through visuals and activities. Formative and summative assessments will evaluate students' understanding and ability to independently complete each level of the four-level analysis. The unit aims to provide students with foundational grammar skills aligned to state standards.

1. Unit of Instruction
Completing the Four Level Analysis
Afton Thompson
EDTECH 506
Fall 2013
1. Unit Goals
Knowing the eight parts of speech, components of sentences, their function, and being able to
identify each in a sentence is an essential component of 7th grade Language Arts. These are
skills that provide students with a strong foundation in grammar, and assist them in learning
other grammatical concepts such as Michael Clay Thompson’s Four Level Analysis, an extensive
grammatical review of a sentence and its parts.
During this unit of instruction, students will review parts of speech and specific sentence
components in order to closely examine sentences for analysis of parts of speech, subjects and
predicates, phrases and clauses, and type. At the end of the unit, students will be able to
complete each level of the Four Level Analysis independently.
2. Specific ways to relate goals to curriculum
Departmental Level
Demonstrating knowledge of the parts of speech and their functions, as well understanding and
analyzing the make-up of sentences is a fundamental skill necessary furthering grammatical
concepts in the next grade level where the Four Level Analysis gets more extensive and
increases in complexity. Students will not be able to demonstrate proficiency in completing the
Four Level Analysis without knowing the aforementioned concepts.
Idaho State Standards addressed
1.8. Vocabulary and Concept Development
7.LA.1.8.4. The student will be able to clarify pronunciations, meanings, alternate word choices,
parts of speech, and etymology of words using the dictionary, thesaurus, glossary and
technology sources.
2.1. Acquire Strategies and Skills for Comprehending Text
7.LA.2.2.4. The student will be able to follow multi-step written directions.
3.2. Acquire Skills for Writing a Draft
7.LA.3.3.4. The student will be able to apply a variety of sentence structures to improve
sentence fluency and enhance writing style.
5.3. Acquire Skills for Sentence Structure
7.LA.5.3.1. The student will be able to use four types of sentences correctly (exclamatory,
declarative, interrogative and imperative).
7.LA.5.3.2. The student will be able to use correctly future verb tenses, adjectives, personal
pronouns, conjunctions, and adverbs. (735.02.a)
Thompson p. 1

2. 5.4. Acquire Skills for Using Conventions
7.LA.5.4.1. The student will be able to apply capitalization correctly in writing.
7.LA.5.4.2. The student will be able to use commas, including in appositives. Use parentheses
and semicolon in writing. (735.02.a)
6.3. Acquire Viewing Skills
7.LA.6.3.2. The student will be able to demonstrate understanding of graphics, pictures, and
charts appropriate to grade level. (738.01.a; 738.01.b)
State Level (Common Core State Standards Initiative)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1a Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their
function in specific sentences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1c Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and
correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.
Without a strong foundation in the parts of speech, students would not be able to demonstrate
proficiency in Common Core Literacy Standards.
3. Student Characteristics
Cognitive
This unit will be created for three groups of students whose language usage skills were defined
at the basic, proficient, and advanced levels on their Spring 2013 ISAT.
Affective
About 20% of my students are on 504s or IEPs. Approximately half of these students scored at
the proficient level on their Spring 2013 Language Usage ISAT. The remaining percentage of
students scored at the basic level and will need accommodations in order to achieve the
learning goals of this unit.
Physical
There aren’t any students within my groups that will need physical accommodations--other
than preferential seating or group arrangement--to successfully participate in this unit.
Social
Seventh graders are very social in nature, and thrive on social interactions during structured
activities such as group work. Students will work with peers to review basic part of speech
concepts. As they maneuver through the parts of speech, they will work together to complete
the Four Level Analysis. Students will be able to draw upon each others knowledge as they work
to complete each stage of the Four Level Analysis.
4. Student Present Level of Performance
Thompson p. 2

3. About 80% of 7th grade students are equipped with a basic background knowledge of the eight
parts of speech. The remaining 20% of students have a limited recall of what they are or do not
fully understand their function.
5. Classroom Layout
My classroom is set up with seven groups of tables, each seating up to four people. The tables
are set up throughout the room with the projector and whiteboard at the front. The SMART
projector and its related software programs and technology will assist with my instruction.
Student groups will be assigned according to ability and proficiency level. Some instruction will
be whole group that will later require small group or paired activities.
6. Introductory Procedures
The unit will be introduced with a short PowerPoint presentation designed to review the parts
of speech. After the presentation students will complete a short, multiple choice pre-test on
the parts of speech. This will help me gage their current knowledge of the concepts. After the
pre-test, students will complete an activity that requires them to label the parts of speech in an
excerpt from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Before beginning this
activity, students will be informed to complete the worksheet to the best of their ability, and
that at the end of the unit the same worksheet will be returned to them so that they can make
corrections and assess their learning on the parts of speech. This activity will also be used as
part of their learning reflections of the unit.
7. Materials and Media
• Microsoft PowerPoint to make lectures for instruction and student presentations
• Classroom Moodle page
• Student Chromebooks
• YouTube & TeacherTube for viewing short video clips on the parts of speech
• Michael Clay Thompson’s Practice Voyage for introductory activities on the Four Level
Analysis
• Houghton Mifflin’s Language Network book for student practice and activities
• Microsoft Publisher to make student media collages
• Internet to find pictures and media to make collages
8. Visuals
The visuals created for this unit of instruction were designed to assist students in learning and
recalling the functions of parts of speech and the structure of sentences.
1. Four Level Analysis flowchart showing the required elements of each stage of the process
2. Four Level Analysis example for students to become familiar with its components and
processes
3. Parts of Speech Graphic introducing the topic of the lesson
4. Color coded parts of speech graphic showing each part of speech in a sentence
5. Parts of a Sentence informational graphic depicting the simple and complete subjects and
predicates that make up sentences
6. Prepositional Phrases informational graphic depicting the make-up of a prepositional phrase
7. Appositive Phrase informational graphic depicting the make-up of an appositive phrase
8. Verb Phrase informational graphic depicting the make-up a verb phrase
9. Clause informational graphic depicting the elements of dependent and independent clauses
Thompson p. 3

4. 10. Types of Sentences informational flowchart showing the four types of sentences and the
clauses that they are comprised of
11. Lesson 5 graphic “Putting it All Together” introducing the topic of the lesson
12. Completed example of the Four Level Analysis for students to use to check their work
throughout each lesson.
9. Assessment & Evaluation
Aside from the introductory assessments listed above in the introductory procedures, students
will have formative and summative assessments throughout the unit. Formative assessments
will be given via student assignments in each lesson. A summative assessment will be given in
Lesson 5; students need to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on the concepts relayed in
Lessons 1-4 with a 70% proficiency or higher. This summative assessment will to measure
student knowledge and application of concepts. Lessons and activities throughout the unit will
aid in the evaluation process. Students will be required to submit a learning reflection at the
end of the unit in which they will evaluate their own learning and achievement.
10. Assessments in relation to unit goal
At the end of the unit, students will be able to complete each level of the Four Level Analysis
independently. A formative assessment will be given at the end of the unit to determine
student achievement. In the assessment, students will be required to each level of the Four
Level Analysis as well as demonstrate knowledge of concepts necessary to complete the
process.
* Adapted from Unit Plan at http://edtech.tennessee.edu/~bobannon/unit_plans.html
Thompson p. 4