Benchmark-Language Arts Unit Plan

In the first part of the practicum, spend 3 hours each in three reading classrooms (9 hours total), grades 4-8. It is suggested that these initial observations occur during Topics 2-4. Analyze how instructors use strategies to ensure students’ understanding in the reading and writing components of the reading lessons. Determine how these strategies will influence the second part of the practicum.

1. Include both mainstream and language minority students.
2. Two observations must be in different grade levels and one observation must be in a Title 1 school.
3. Choose a specific grade and concept from the Arizona language arts academic standards.

In the second part of the practicum (between Topics 5 and 6), select one of the classrooms you observed and spend an additional 6 hours designing and teaching a week-long (5 day) unit.  For this unit use a single piece of text that is appropriate for the grade level and language arts academic standards. A poem, short story, newspaper article, or content area piece may serve as a single text selection.

Create a mini-lesson (15-30 minutes) to address each of the following areas related to literacy development:

1. Monday: Oral language and vocabulary
2. Tuesday: Phonics, word patterns, and word analysis
3. Wednesday: Fluency
4. Thursday: Reading Comprehension
5. Friday:  Writing

Each day’s mini-lesson should address an evaluation of learning that is objective and measurable, and directly assesses the students’ achievement of the targeted academic standards. Every lesson should have the following structure at a minimum:

1. Objective (linked to academic standards)
2. Materials (include copies of all materials to teach lesson)
3. Procedure (a step-by-step description of the lesson from beginning to end)
4. Assessment (a concrete, measurable way to assess the objective)

Each mini-lesson should be a piece of the larger whole, not individual or unconnected lessons. That is, lessons later in the week should build on lessons from earlier in the week, and they should all reinforce and integrate skills from the prior lessons in the weekly sequence.

The remaining 5 hours of the practicum should be used for conferring with your mentor teacher regarding your teaching, management, and engagement strategies, as well as conducting an analysis of student learning. Use your assessment data to formulate a plan to adjust your teaching to meet student needs. Utilize this data and mentor teacher feedback to adjust your unit plan before submitting it to the instructor and to LoudCloud.

Write a 1,500-1,750-word proacticum reflection that includes the following:

1. A synopsis of your observations in the reading classrooms, and how they influenced your Language Arts Unit Plan.
2. A reflection on the language arts unit plan after you taught it. What were its strengths and weaknesses? What would you change and why? What did you learn about teaching from your mentor teacher? Include this reflection with your unit plan.

Ask the classroom teacher to complete the Classroom Teacher Evaluation Form. Include it, your Language Arts Unit Plan, and the Practicum Reflection as the benchmark assignment submission to the instructor. Attach the Practicum Placement Form and Observation Record.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.