Standard 6 - Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication – The competent teacher has foundational knowledge of reading, writing, and oral communication within the content area and recognizes and addresses student reading, writing, and oral communication needs to facilitate the acquisition of content knowledge.

Picture Book Unit

Picture Book Unit Rationale

My artifact consists of a picture book unit that I created for a third-grade literacy class. This product is based off Jason Chin’s children’s book, Coral Reefs. This picture book unit provides students with an opportunity to learn information regarding Corals, introduction of new vocabulary terms, the showcasing of imaginative exploration theme, and a focus on comprehension to address the author’s purpose of the story. These key elements that make up the unit are correlated to many different learning objectives, Illinois state standards, pre-, during, and post assessments, and activities such as a KWL Chart, written responses, collaborative work, fun games, and re-tell activities. This unit demonstrates skills related to auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learning. This artifact appears on standard six of my educational portfolio, because my picture book unit is an literacy and language lesson that ties in written communication, as well as, reading and oral communication. These skills are represented by the teacher and the children.

My reasoning behind the creation of this picture book unit is to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 6 regarding the Illinois State Teaching Standards. The knowledge indicator 6B states, “understands that the reading process involves the construction of meaning through the interactions of the reader's background knowledge and experiences, the information in the text, and the purpose of the reading situation”. This indicator applies to my unit in several ways, but essentially, it particularly stems from my implementation of the KWL Chart in my post-reading activity.

The knowledge indicator 6C states, “understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning”. In my picture book unit, I have included a vocabulary lesson that demonstrates tiered words. I focus on five general terms that are crucial for the student to be able to identify and understand in the text. The idea behind the understanding of new terms, correlates to enhancing literacy skills such as comprehension, decoding, and vocabulary. Developing new vocabulary, will help to further the child’s intelligence and help them excel in several areas among the different contents. In this unit plan, I assess my students with the use of formal and informal assessments. These variety of assessments tie to the 6H knowledge indicator. This indicator states, “understands how to use a variety of formal and informal assessments to recognize and address the reading, writing, and oral communication needs of each student”. Assessments are essential in every unit or lesson plan.

Lastly, my unit has a variety of differentiated instruction for the sake of a diverse classroom with a variety of learners. My lessons incorporate differentiation for students who are struggling readers, ELL, students with speech impairment, gifted individuals, and the whole class. These accommodations refer to IEP and 504 plans as well. The 6I indicator relates to this genre when it reads, “selects, modifies, and uses a wide range of printed, visual, or auditory materials, and online resources appropriate to the content areas and the reading needs and levels of each student (including ELLs, and struggling and advanced readers)”. This indicator is crucial in teaching, because every child has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning, and it will be my role to ensure that they are supported in every area to better their knowledge and their future.

The creation of this picture book unit has provided me with a thorough understanding of the intricate role as an educator. The valuable knowledge and skills that I am taking away from this assignment will add to my foundation as a teacher. I know that the creation of these developmental skills will assist me in my future classroom.