2. AGENDA
• My thought process when building a unit from the ground up (3
minutes)
• Where to begin and what to think about (3 minutes)
• Independent/Pair Reading and Discussion (7 minutes)
• Content groups
• Cool (FREE) resources (2 minutes)

3. THOUGHT PROCESS
• Why is what I’m doing important for their
education?
• How is what I’m doing important to my students
individually?
• How can I use what my students already bring
to the table to supplement their
understandings?
• How can I incorporate socially relevant
discussion and writing into my unit?

4. WHERE TO BEGIN
• Common Core Alignment
• Enduring Understandings
• Authentic Performance Tasks

5. COMMON CORE ALIGNMENT
Reading:
1. Express an initial reaction to the reading of a section of text, citing references
(RL1, RI1)
2. Make personal, tet, and world connections (RL1)
3. Deepen and broaden initial thinking (RL1)
Writing:
1. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the student traces their development
of thinking as they interact with the text (W3, W4)
2. Write in a strong personal voice (W4)
Language:
1. Use commonly confused words correctly (L2)
2. Use previously unfamiliar words in their writing (L4)

6. ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Students reading The House on Mango
Street will walk away knowing how
important culture is to their identity
Students will understand why they should
embrace their culture and thrive in it.

7. FIND A PARTNER, IT’S TIME TO READ!
Take the next seven minutes to read
through the three short stories provided
in your handouts for today.
The House on Mango Street
• “The House on Mango Street”
• “The Family of Little Feet”
• “Sally”

8. AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCE TASKS
• Step by Step Guide (next 4 slides)
• Applicable (when tweaked) for grades 6-
12
• Good culture building mini lessons for
the beginning of the year

9. STEP 1
• If your photo is of a place………..reread “The House on
Mango Street.” Think about how the author uses details and
description to paint a vivid picture in your head
• If your photo is of a moment/memory……reread “The Monkey
Garden” or “The Family of Little Feet.” Think about how the
author uses details and dialogue to push the story forward.
• If your photo is of a person………………..reread “Sally.” Think
about how the author uses Sally’s words, actions and
thoughts, as well as others’ opinions of Sally, to create a
three-dimensional, complex character.

10. STEPS 2, 3, AND 4
Step 2: On a piece of scratch paper, make 3 webs to brainstorm descriptions of
your photo for each of the five senses (combining smell/taste). (Remember:
dialogue is something you would hear)
 When you’re writing about a person, you must also write down the STEAL
for the person.
Step 3: List/bullet any emotions that the photo evokes (makes you feel).
[NOTE: You may not use the words, “happy,” “sad,” or “mad.” – look these
up in the thesaurus, then look up the synonym in the dictionary to make sure
it is an exact fit!]
Step 4: Choose one sensory description from your webs and write it as a simile.
 Ex: Her hair was as dark as the night.

11. STEPS 5 & 6
Step 5: Write the opening (1st) sentence of your vignette, using the simile
you created above. Finish the paragraph (must be a minimum of 5
sentences) with description from your webs.
Step 6
 For your photo of a place……………….introduce a character (person) in that place
with the second paragraph. You should describe the character’s relationship to the
place or their feelings about the place.
 For your photo of a moment/memory….use dialogue to move the plot (the events)
of the story along. Remember to start a new paragraph (indent) every time you
switch speakers.
 For your photo of a person……………..use that person’s thoughts to help the
reader understand his or her characterization. Thoughts should be formatted
similarly to dialogue, using single quotation marks ‘like this.’

12. STEP 7
Write your closing paragraph. You should end with
description of the place or details about the character,
or, perhaps, the characters closing words/thoughts.
Include the emotions that the photo evokes (makes
you feel) that you brainstormed earlier. Remember to
SHOW rather than TELL. Think about what ideas or
images you want the reader to leave with. What is the
underlying message of your vignette?

13. END RESULTS
• Personal Results
• Closer Relationships
• Open Communication
• Reading and Writing Improvement
• Honesty
• An Insight into Their Personal
Lives.

14. FREE RESOURCES
Newsela
• www.newsela.com a free site that has
Lexile Leveled versions of the same current
event for your classroom. (grades 3-11 mostly)
Common Core State Standards
• http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
you can view all of the math and ELA
standards. ELA strands include literacy
strands that can be incorporated into all
content areas.

15. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONTACT
• Questions?
• Comments?
• For this unit plan, an example
of math, social studies, or
science, please talk to your
MTLD for more information