Unit Title: The Boy in Striped Pajamas
Name: Sydney Mason
Course: English Literature
Grade level: 8th Grade, Level 3 EL’s
Context for Learning:
1. What do you know about your students’ characteristics, learning styles, skills, prior knowledge,
interests, dispositions, habits, etc.? What implications do they have for planning and
assessment?
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My classroom consists of 15 boys and 10 girls, 5 of which are ELL’s, labeled level 3
learners. The students in my classroom have bonded and are very close, this has led me to
do many discussion activities in my lesson plans. The discussion groups are based on ability
levels and comfort level of the students who are put together. I have gotten to know my
ESL students and have learned their stories. Two EL’s come from the Burma refugee camps
(Burmese students), and the other three EL’s are Latinos, who traveled to the USA within
the past five years. Overall, the students in my classroom have low reading interests, thus I
have chosen to read a book that they can connect with and be engaged in. With the variety
of learning styles and characteristics that make up my classroom, it impacts my day-to-day
instruction and planning. I will take on the UDL model and consider each student’s needs as
I make my plan, while I differentiate as needed day by day.
2. List instructional materials and other resources (e.g., texts, SmartBoard, online resources) you
use for instruction in this class.
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Guided Vocabulary Sheets
Literature Circle Worksheets
Ipads (White boards)
The Boy in Striped Pajamas (Audio book available to students)
Academic Language:
1. How do your plans support your students’ learning of the content area academic language
related to the central objectives of the unit?
a. Explain how key learning tasks are sequenced in the learning segment to build
connections from prior knowledge to new knowledge. Include how you will help
students make connections between and among prior and new strategies for
understanding, interpreting and responding to texts to deepen student learning
throughout the learning segment. As needed, reference the instructional materials you
have included.
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The key learning tasks I designed in my unit plan help build on prior knowledge to new
knowledge by starting simple and gradually increasing the amount of thought and work the
students are producing. For example, the first couple days of the unit I have students work on
a worksheet that asks questions such as: “I was surprised that…” “When this happened…. I
thought…”, etc. These questions helped the students begin to increase their level of thinking
(from prior and basic knowledge) to higher level thinking activities such as group discussion
after this activity. This theme of scaffolding a student’s learning is also present in my day-byday lesson plan. For instance, I begin each day by having students develop opinions about the
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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previous night’s reading; this also helps students gather thoughts into their mind that will
increase further contributions to their group later on. In one of my activities towards the end
of the two-week unit, I help student’s further make connections through interpreting the texts
to deepen thinking levels. In this activity example, students gather into small groups to make
a list of themes present in the novel. Then, they pull textual examples from the story to show
they have evidence of the thematic elements.
b. Identify the language functions/demands embedded in the learning segment. Be sure
to address key vocabulary or phrases for the concepts being taught and linguistic
features that enable students to understand or produce the oral and/or written texts in
the learning segment.
*This list is an accumulation of key learning objectives, key vocabulary throughout the book
(organized by chapter throughout my daily plan), as well as key vocabulary I am teaching for
students to be able to produce
- Respond
- Defend
- Analyze
- Reflect
- Discuss
- List
- Illustrate
- Describe
- Connectors
- Holocaust
- Plaque
- Conviction
- Countered
- Fable
- Lacquer
- Puckish
- Obliged
- Escapade
- Bravery
- Diversion
- Coincide
- Forlorn
- Despair
- Enunciate
- Distain
- Contradict
- Catastrophe
- Incumbent
- Perspective
- Dilemma
- Sophistication
- Inconsolable
- Dwindle
- Venn diagram
- Reluctant
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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Unaccustomed
Complexity
c. Explain how the learning tasks help students at different academic and language
proficiency levels develop this academic language.
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Each day I incorporate a section for differentiation for my students at different levels
(especially my ESL level 3 students). I allow for students to use supplementary worksheets
and guided notes to support them in their language acquisition, additionally, I allow students
to preform different activities in unique ways (they will still show me that they met the
standard, only in a diverse manner). For example, on the second Monday of my unit plan, I
am asking my students to turn in a journal entry, but for my IEP/504 and/or ESL students, I
allow them to take the journal home for extra time. I also make it a note to tell them that the
journal entry does not need to be in paragraph form (it can be pictures, words, a graphic
organizer comparing and contrasting a piece of the book, etc.) I only ask that what they
produce is something that shows me they are understanding what is going on in the book and
that they are able to make connections from it to the real world.
Rationale for literature choice:
Please explain your choice of literature, considering reader interest, reading level, thematic
elements, book structure, etc.
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I chose The Boy in Striped Pajamas because I knew it held different challenges for a variety
of students in my classroom. For one, the language level of the book is a great level for my
language learners to challenge their vocabulary. This is also a chance for them to add more
words to their repertoire. Secondly, for the other subset of students in my classroom, I chose
this story because there are discussion related questions that will push my students to
develop critical thinking skills. Lastly, I believe the thematic elements in this book will
connect to my 8th grade students.
STAGE 1—GOALS/OBJECTIVES
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Are clear and manageable
Are written in measurable terms
Ask valid and important questions
Are connected to curriculum
Consider student ability, interests, and background
Established Goals:
What relevant goals (e.g., national or state content standards, course or program objectives,
learning outcomes) will this design address?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the
choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution)
contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Essential Question(s):
§ What essential questions will be considered?
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How can certain vocabulary that an author uses help reveal certain emotions and
fundamental characteristics in characters?
How can I understand how to read a text in between the lines?
Measurable Objectives:
§ What key skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? (Students will be able to…)
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Students will be able to decode a text using ‘reading in between the lines’ techniques that
they learned in specific lessons throughout the unit.
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Students will be able to use high levels of thinking to connect textual evidence to the
corresponding themes throughout a novel using their guided vocabulary sheets and group
discussion notes from throughout the unit.
STAGE 2—ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
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Links goals and objectives with corresponding assessment tools
Is an appropriate tool with valid results
Informs instruction
Uses differentiated forms of assessment
What evidence will show that students understand? How will you assess students at various points
in time?
Pre-Assessment(s): Students will take 10 minutes to write down everything they know about the
Holocaust. There will be key words on the board to spark students’ prior knowledge, EL’s will have
a translated sheet of these words and can write in short phrases, or bullet points
Formative Assessment(s): Observation during classroom discussion, review of literature circle
worksheets, collection of exit cards and journal responses, reflection essay response review
Summative Assessment(s): Students will be asked to read a passage (choice passage), describe 2
themes seen throughout the passage, and write a two-paragraph essay on how the author’s writing
contributes to the thematic elements seen inside the text.
STAGE 3—LEARNING PLAN
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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Includes activities related to goals/objectives
Includes activities that are engaging and purposeful
Includes activities that are differentiated based on students’ needs
Includes an appropriate time line that is linked to Pre-Assessment and
Formative Assessment
Learning Activities:
What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the goals/objectives?
Use the calendar below to outline your learning plan.
Mon
Objective: Students will be able to respond to connectors on the board (linking textual examples
with their Holocaust knowledge) using their book and notes taken during group time.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Pre-assessment (to determine prior knowledge of the
Holocaust)- written, book talk, KWL chart about the holocaust, read chapters 1-3 in class (look for
reading ability levels and where I can help students throughout the unit), in groups write down 3
examples in the text where you can see this book is set during the Holocaust- write down examples
on board and share with class.
Activities (differentiated): Pre assessment (conversation with partner), read chapters 1-3 in
partners, highlight textual examples and orally tell them to the class
Homework: Read chapter 4 (Guided vocabulary worksheet, key words: plaque: pg. 31, conviction:
pg. 34, countered: pg.34)
Tues
Objectives: Students will be able to defend arguments to support their claim from chapter four using
their guided homework sheet as a guide.
Students will be able to state the components of the literary story, fable, using their fable worksheet
and book as support.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Individuals work on a worksheet (“I was surprised that…”
“When this happened…. I thought…”, etc.), groups of four to discuss worksheet and reactions to
text, in partners students make a claim regarding what they saw outside the window and find textual
evidence to support their claim, class discussion, what makes a book a fable worksheet connecting to
examples from book,
Activities (differentiated): Work on worksheet with translated key words, when they make a claim
for the activity their written notes will not be collected, do what is easier for them to take notes,
students will work in pairs with the fable worksheet
Homework: Read chapter’s 5-7 (Guided vocabulary worksheet, key words: lacquer: pg 42, puckish:
pg. 60, obliged: pg.61, escapade: pg. 68)
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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Wed
Objective: Students will be able to analyze the author’s choice of writing around three specific
characters (Bruno, Maria and Lieutenant Kotler) using their book and guided journal notes
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Write down words they associate with bravery (large group)
all over the classroom, discuss words, fill out “statement worksheet” where students answer
questions with T or F (before reading section) “I feel brave when I stand up to a bully, etc.,” journal
time “Write about a time where you felt brave, can you connect your feelings to the three different
scenarios of bravery in these texts?” partners discuss the author’s use of language around each
scenario, move to large group discussion about the authors choice of language
Activities (differentiated): students can use their book and dictionary to search for words associated
with bravery, statement worksheet with have some key translated words, for journal time the
students can choose to journal in anyway that works for them (lists of words, small and short
sentences, etc)
Homework: Read chapter’s 7:10 and literature circle guides passed out to groups of 4 & (Guided
vocabulary worksheet, key words: diversion: pg. 69, coincide: pg. 87, forlorn: pg. 106, despair: pg.
104)
Thurs
Objective: Students will be able to reflect on the similarities and differences they begin to see
between Bruno and Shmuel from chapter 10 using their discussion notes from the literature circle
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Opener activity: students will respond to 3 prompts on the
board (“I am different from ____ because …” “One time I felt different from someone, I thought…”
“Bruno and Shmuel seemed to come from two different worlds because…”, students will gather into
literature circles and begin discussing using their directed roles, if time, come back into large group
and discuss activity and thoughts from the book
Activities (differentiated): Students can free write about being different while making connections
to the book
Homework: Read chapter’s 11-13, (Guided vocabulary worksheet, key words: enunciate: pg. 119,
disdain: pg. 122, contradict pg. 128, catastrophe: pg. 142, incumbent: pg. 146)
Fri
Objective: students will be able to discuss the differences between the two perspectives from the
holocaust (a solider and a prisoner) using guided homework sheet and notes from class discussion.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Open in pairs of two talking about the guided note sheet:
respond to questions related to perspectives of a prisoner and that of a solider, make a venn diagram
showing the differences of both and the similarities of their experience, present to class as a whole
and use textual evidence
Activities (differentiated): Students can use book to spur conversation during beginning pair
activity, Venn diagram can include pictures, words, etc. (page numbers written instead of the text
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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written out)
Homework: Read chapter’s 14-16 (Guided vocabulary worksheet, key words: dilemma: pg. 153,
sophistication: pg. 158, inconsolable: pg. 178, dwindle: pg. 185)
Mon
Objective: Students will be able to make a list of descriptions that illustrate each key figure from the
story thus far using the book, their classmates, and notes from previous classes.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Begin class as a large group having them brainstorm the key
figures that have been introduced thus far (why are they important?), students gather into groups of
two or three to brainstorm key words that describe each of these characters, write on the board, share
with class and give explications as to why, end of class journal entry to turn in by the end of class:
“Why do you think the author uses these descriptions to describe the characters? Use one or two
characters to discuss this question.
Activities (differentiated): For journal entry, students can take this assignment home for extra time,
they can display their information in unique ways- it does not need to be in paragraph form.
Homework: Read chapter’s 17-18 (Guided vocabulary worksheet, key words: reluctant: pg. 190,
unaccustomed: pg. 206), literature circle worksheet
Tues
Objective: Students will be able to illustrate the pros and cons regarding Bruno’s situation using
higher level thinking and comparing his situation to a real life situation, students can use their book
notes and group notes to illustrate these pros and cons.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Students will begin class by answering questions on the
board “Have you ever experience a move in your life? How did you feel? Why?” “Did anyone you
know move away? How did you feel? How did they feel? Why?” Then, students will move into
literature circles to discuss their particular part for last night’s reading, to conclude, students will
gather in large group to make predictions regarding the ending
Activities (differentiated): Students can discuss in small groups of two or three to answer the
questions on the board, during literature circle, students will have the opportunity to use a guided
chapter worksheet to take notes
Homework: Read chapter’s 19-20 (Guided vocabulary worksheet), 1 paragraph response to the
story, Brainstorm a short list (5 items) of your favorite hobby, activity, sport, country, culture, food,
etc…
Wed
Objective: Students will be able to orally reflect on the complexity of a story using textual
examples, past notes and worksheets.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): At the start of class students will gather in a large group,
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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teacher reads her 1 paragraph response to the story, move into pairs to read their paragraphs to each
other, gather back into a large group, go around circle and read response paragraphs, discussion
regarding the book in it’s entirety
Activities (differentiated): Students will have the option to pass on reading their paragraphs in front
of their classmates
Thurs
Objective: Students will be able to orally describe one theme present throughout the story A Boy in
Striped Pajamas using textual evidence with their book and notes in hand.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Students will gather into their small groups and come up
with a list of themes, discuss as a whole class, small groups of two sift through the book and notes to
find examples showing these themes, students will research a short 3-5 page story on one of their
favorite things (from the list they brainstormed the other night)
Activities (differentiated): Students can use a sheet of “common themes” to help them develop
ideas of themes present inside this story, teacher will provide a list of websites and stories the
students could use for their research
Homework: Read the story you chose, take notes, highlight, underline important pieces
Fri
Objective: Students will be able to use high levels of thinking to connect textual evidence from their
particular story to the corresponding themes throughout that story using notes taken during their
reading of the story.
Activities (engaging and purposeful): Students will read their story when they come into the
classroom, then they will write a two paragraph essay describing the two themes they see throughout
the story using textual evidence, when finished students can watch the movie, A Boy in Striped
Pajamas
Activities (differentiated): Students with IEP/504 and my ESL students will have time slots to meet
with the teacher throughout the class period to have a conversation about the themes in their story.
They will be able to point to examples in the story (depending on their writing skills) that represent
the theme they took away. English subtitles will be turned on during the movie.
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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Reading Instruction Summary:
For this specific reading unit I wanted to combine some of the ideas from the common core
state standards with the Minnesota language arts standards. To do this, I took the idea of immersing
students in stories to show them the joy that reading has to offer with one of the components behind
common core; a deep focus on critical thinking.
On the first day of my instruction, I have the students read chapter’s 1-3 in class (some
students read it to each other, and others read it silently to themselves, I bring students to my desk to
have them read given sections-so I can see where they are at). This is important for me to do,
especially on the first day, so that I can see where my ‘good readers’ are and which students will
need extra support throughout the two-week unit. Some key reading skills I will be looking for are:
recognizing words immediately and automatically without using context, pronouncing infrequent
and irregular words, and the ability to read text accurately and smoothly with little conscious
attention to the mechanics of reading (i.e., speed, accuracy, intonation, and expression).
One important piece of information I will try to keep in mind throughout my lessons is
making this aesthetic experience an efferent experience can be problematic. Though, I believe that
using fun reading for educational reading can be beneficial, too. For one, it gives students enjoyable
homework for the night, and in turn, will help them be more interested in engaging in classroom
lessons, activities, and discussions. Like Nancy Atwell says, “It is appropriate to ask students to read
in an efferent way for class reading, not reading in the reading zone.” I will not be asking my
students to get into the reading zone for their reading of A Boy in Striped Pajamas.
In discussing A Boy in Striped Pajamas I am instructing my students through chapter-bychapter reading support and providing them with encouragement. Some of these support techniques
include: writing on sticky notes to remember a thought you had to share with the class, questioning
yourself while reading- “How did ____ compare with last chapter’s event with Bruno’s conversation
with his father?” and even modeling how students can read a text with inflection (suggesting that it
can make a text even more interesting to read and more memorable). I believe these two skills in
particular will help my students travel through this book with ease. One other technique I provide all
students, but especially for my ESL students, is the guided vocabulary worksheet. This worksheet
provides students with a vocabulary word seen somewhere in the chapter, with a definition and the
word used in an alternate sentence. Over time, I see their vocabulary develop because of the gradual
addition of new words. By adding new language to the students’ repertoires ever so slowly, they can
use these words more frequently and in their daily conversations.
While I use scaffolding to support my students’ reading abilities, I do see their development
enhancing throughout this unit. The reading skills I want to support my students achieve are seen in
my objectives and standards for the unit. A couple of the most prominent skills I focus on are:
supporting a student’s analysis of a text compared with outside real world examples and other
textual examples, and help students highlight specific components of text and determine why and
how it contributes to it’s overall meaning and impact on the storyline, themselves, and the world.
To conclude, I want to comment on my use of differentiation throughout my unit. At the
beginning of my unit plan I discuss how I want to use both the UDL model as well as individual
differentiations throughout the unit, and this is exactly what I planned. I made sure each of my
activities had the ability to be differentiated and for each day I included examples of how I could
differentiate those activities.
I believe my instructional support will provide my students with unique and engaging
methods to achieve the reading skills they need to graduate into the high school. The key focus on
higher-level thinking, analysis of texts, and ability to apply what they learn to the real world is a
fundamental part of their high school experience. Thus, I know my instructional design and support
with carry with them far beyond A Boy in Striped Pajamas.
Adopted from: Understanding by Design by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
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