This unit plan introduces students to the genre of fantasy literature. Students will analyze elements of fantasy found in novels and movies to understand how fantasy mirrors reality. Formative assessments include identifying fantasy elements, comparing novels, and keeping a movie journal. The summative assessment tasks students with writing an essay identifying important fantasy elements and a short story incorporating these elements. The unit aims to develop skills in structure, organization, collaboration, and information literacy while addressing MYP objectives and assessment criteria. A variety of teaching methods and resources will be used including class discussions, group work, and film studies.
![MYP unit planner<br />Unit titleThe World of FantasyTeacher(s)LPYSubject and grade levelYear 7 Language BTime frame and duration8 weeks, 4 lessons per week<br />Stage 1: Integrate significant concept, area of interaction and unit question<br />Area of interaction focusWhich area of interaction will be our focus?Why have we chosen this?Significant concept(s)What are the big ideas? What do we want our students to retain for years into the future?Environments – students will understand that we create alternate/virtual environments which mirror our own in many key ways in order to entertain.The worlds of fantasy mirror reality in many ways<br />MYP unit questionHow is fantasy linked to reality?<br />AssessmentWhat task(s) will allow students the opportunity to respond to the unit question?What will constitute acceptable evidence of understanding? How will students show what they have understood?FORMATIVE: Introductory assignment - what is fantasy, identify key elements, develop a working definition, identify fantasy novels and characters; Excel spreadsheet comparing what elements of fantasy are present in 10 novels; responses to 4 movies (note taking, comprehension; keeping a movie journal; develop a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences between the moviesSUMMATIVE: Essay - Write an essay about 3 important elements of fantasy literature. State why you feel these are important elements and use specific examples to support your beliefs. Short Story Writing – Write a short fantasy story that incorporates the elements of fantasy identified,Which specific MYP objectives will be addressed during this unit?• communicate information, ideas and opinions• demonstrate comprehension of specific factual information and attitudes, expressed in spoken andwritten contexts• identify main ideas and supporting details and draw conclusions from spoken and written texts• understand and appropriately use structures and vocabularyWhich MYP assessment criteria will be used?C, D, E<br />Stage 2: Backward planning: from the assessment to the learning activities through inquiry<br />,[object Object],Ongoing reflections and evaluation<br />In keeping an ongoing record, consider the following questions. There are further stimulus questions at the end of the “Planning for teaching and learning” section of MYP: From principles into practice.Students and teachersWhat did we find compelling? Were our disciplinary knowledge/skills challenged in any way?What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, extension activities arose?How did we reflect—both on the unit and on our own learning?Which attributes of the learner profile were encouraged through this unit? What opportunities were there for student-initiated action?Possible connections How successful was the collaboration with other teachers within my subject group and from other subject groups?What interdisciplinary understandings were or could be forged through collaboration with other subjects?AssessmentWere students able to demonstrate their learning?How did the assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this unit? How did I make sure students were invited to achieve at all levels of the criteria descriptors?Are we prepared for the next stage?Data collection How did we decide on the data to collect? Was it useful?Overall this was a successful and engaging unit. It was an excellent way of teaching some concepts of literary analysis in a way that was easy for students to understand. The initial planner was a little too short on literacy, so by looking at a range of written folk tales and searching for the elements that would put them in or out of the genre, I was able to build an appropriate amount of reading into the unit.<br />](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mypunittheworldsoffantasy32-110110205110-phpapp01/85/myp-unit-the-worlds-of-fantasy-3-2-1-320.jpg)
