Day 1 Week 1: Introduction to generative questions

Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Global Competence: Investigating
Materials
Informational Text about the Syrian
refugee crisis
Book Welcome to Nowhere
KWLH chart for introduction
Whiteboards, artwork pictures, printed
vocabulary words on card stock
Vocabulary notebooks
Skills
Skill 1: Understanding new vocabulary terms:
refugee, migrant, host country, asylum, asylum
seeker, internally displaced person (IDP),
refugee camp, and The United Nations Refugee
Agency (UNHCR). (Student Target 1 & 3)
Skill 2: Reading a fictional text about a Syrian
refugee family (Student Target 2 & 3)

Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): What is a global awareness? Introduction to Generative Question(s)
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-2)
Student Target 1: I can understand the meaning of new vocabulary words such as refugee,
migrant, host country, asylum, asylum seeker, internally displaced person (IDP), refugee camp,
and The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Student Target 2: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Student Target 3: I will question cultural investigations about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Presentation (25 min) (Skill 1)

Introduce the unit, generative question(s), and activities using KWLH chart
Students will take out their vocabulary notebooks and participate in Marzanos 6 step process
of vocabulary instruction to learn new definitions.

Apply/Independent Practice (15 min) (Skill 1)

Students will play vocabulary games in groups to retain their definitions (Charades, Heads Up,
Pictionary, and Busy Pictures)

Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 2)

Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book titled Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird. A chapter will be read
daily until the completion of the book.

Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-2)

 Days 2-5 Week 1: Introduction to the Syrian refugee crisis

Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Global Competence:
Investigating
Materials
Copies of Informational
Text(s) about the Syrian
refugee crisis for each student
Book Welcome to Nowhere
Skills
Skill 1: Engaging in reciprocal teaching to build reading
comprehension (determine importance, develop
ideas/questions, summarizing, and clarifying) (Student
Target 1)
Skill 2: Reading informational text on the reasons why
refugees leave their native countries (Student Target 2)
Skill 3: Reading fictional text written by youth refugees
(Student Target 2 & 3)
Skill 4: Investigating reasons why refugees leave their
native countries (Student Target 3)

Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): Introduction to the Syrian refugee crisis/Review Vocabulary
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-4)
Student Target 1: I can read in reciprocal teaching groups to improve my reading
comprehension (determine importance, develop ideas/questions, summarizing, and clarifying)

Student Target 2: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Student Target 3: I will question cultural investigations about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Presentation (10 min) (Skill 1, 2, & 4)

Students will participate in a whole group reciprocal teaching while reading informational text
about the Syrian refugee crisis. (Class Demonstration)

Apply/Independent Practice (30 min) (Skill 1, 2, & 4)

Students will participate in reciprocal teaching while reading informational text about the
Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 3 & 4)

Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book titled Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-4)

Days 6-8 Week 2: Reading fictional text written by Syrian youth refugees
Standards Skills
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2 Skill 1: Engaging in reciprocal teaching to build
Global Competence: Investigating reading comprehension (determine importance,
develop ideas/questions, summarizing, and
Materials clarifying) (Student Target 1)
Copies of fictional text(s) written Skill 2: Reading fictional text written by youth
by youth refugees for each refugees (Student Target 2 & 3)
student Skill 3: Investigating reasons why refugees leave
Book Welcome to Nowhere their native countries and the struggles youth
refugees face (Student Target 3)
Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): Reading fictional text written by Syrian refugee youth/Review readings from
previous lessons Syrian refugee crisis
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-3)
Student Target 1: I can read in reciprocal teaching groups to improve my reading
comprehension (determine importance, develop ideas/questions, summarizing, and clarifying)

Student Target 2: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Student Target 3: I will question cultural investigations about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Presentation (10 min) (Skills 1-3)

Students will participate in whole group reciprocal teaching while reading fictional text written
by refugee youth about the Syrian refugee crisis. (Class Demonstration)

Apply/Independent Practice (30 min) (Skills 1-3)

Students will participate in reciprocal teaching while reading informational text about the
Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 3)

Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book titled Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-3)

Days 9-10 Week 2: Introduction to pen pals (youth refugees) living in refugee camps

Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Global Competence: Investigating
Global Competence: Connecting
ISTE 2a. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 2b. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 4a. Critical Thinking, Problem
Solving, and Decision Making
Skills
Skill 1: Understanding the concept of online pen pals
(Student Target 1)
Skill 2: Logging in, brainstorming, posting, and
sharing questions on Google Docs (Student Target 2)
Skill 3: Providing feedback to another classmates
questions on Google Docs (Student Target 3)
Skill 4: Collaboration (Student Target 3)
Skill 5: Reading fictional text written by youth
refugees (Student Target 5)
Materials Skill 6: Investigating the reasons why refugees leave
Laptop/Computer or mobile their native countries (Student Target 6)
device for each student
Book Welcome to Nowhere

Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): Introduction to pen pals (youth refugees) living in refugee camps/ Review
reading fictional text written by Syrian refugee youth
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-6)
Student Target 1: I can understand the concept of online pen pals

Student Target 2: I can log in, brainstorm, post, and share questions on Google Docs

Student Target 3: I can collaborate with my classmates by providing feedback to their

questions

Student Target 4: I can collaborate with my classmates by providing feedback to their

questions

Student Target 5: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Student Target 6: I will question cultural investigations about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Whole Group Presentation (15 min) (Skills 1-2, 6)

Students will be introduced to online pen pals
Students will use Google Docs to brainstorm questions

Apply/Independent Practice (15 min) (Skill 2-4, 6)

Students will log in, brainstorm, post, share questions on Google Docs

Students will provide feedback on classmates questions on Google Docs

Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 5)

Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book titled Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-6)

Days 11-40 Week 3-8: Writing emails to pen pals

Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Global Competence: Investigating
Global Competence: Connecting
ISTE 2a. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 2b. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 4a. Critical Thinking, Problem
Solving, and Decision Making
Materials
Laptop/Computer or mobile device for
each student
Technology Requirements: Google
email address and password
Book Welcome to Nowhere
Skills
Skill 1: Logging in, composing rough drafts of
letter on Google Docs (Student Target 1)
Skill 2: Incorporating feedback on rough draft
letters from classmates and teacher (Student
Target 2)
Skill 3: Logging in email, composing a final draft,
and sending letters to pen pals (Student Target
3)
Skill 4: Communicating with pen pals by reading
and responding to letters to learn about each
others (e.g. families, hobbies, and goals)
(Student Target 4 & 5)
Skill 5: Investigating the reasons why refugees
leave their native countries (Student Target 5)
Skill 6: Reading fictional text written by youth
refugees (Student Target 6)

Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): Writing emails to pen pals/Review Introduction to pen pals (youth refugees)
living in refugee camps
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-6)
Student Target 1: I can log in and compose rough drafts of a letter on Google Docs

Student Target 2: I can use feedback received from my classmates to edit my letters

Student Target 3: I can log in, compose, and send letters to my pen pal using email

Student Target 4: I can talk with my pan pal by reading and responding to letters to learn
about their life.

Student Target 5: I can learn the reasons why refugees leave their native country

Student Target 6: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Whole Group Presentation (5min) (Skill 3)

Students will watch teacher demonstrate how to log into email, compose a draft, and send
final drafts to pen pals

Apply/Independent Practice (35 min) (Skills 1, 3, 4, 5)

Students will log in, compose rough drafts of letters on Google Docs and send/receive
feedback on rough draft letters from classmates and teacher
Students will log in email, compose a final draft, and send letters to pen pals

Students will read and respond back to pen pals using email.
Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 3)
Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-6)

Days 40-44 Week 9: Composing and presenting digital web stories using Adobe Spark

Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Global Competence: Investigating
Global Competence: Connecting
ISTE 2a. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 2b. Communication and
Collaboration
ISTE 4a. Critical Thinking, Problem
Solving, and Decision Making
Materials
Laptop/Computer or mobile device for
each student
Technology Requirements: Google email
address and password; Adobe Spark
username and password
Book Welcome to Nowhere
Skills
Skill 1: Logging in, creating, and saving a
web story page on Adobe Spark (Student
Target 1)
Skill 2: Writing a web story illustrating
students pen pal experience by comparing
and contrasting their lives to their pen pals
life (Student Target 3)
Skill 3: Investigating the reasons why
refugees leave their native countries (Student
Target 2)
Skill 4: Using Adobe Spark to create original
works to write a web story uploading
pictures, videos, and text (Student Target 5)
Skill 5: Sharing and presenting web stories
with pen pals and classmates (Student Target
3)
Skill 6: Reading fictional text written by youth
refugees (Student Target 4)

Implementation
Inquire/Review (2 min): Composing digital web stories using Adobe Spark/Review writing emails to
pen pals
Objectives (3 min): Review student targets (Skills 1-6)
Student Target 1: I can log in, create, and save a web story page on Adobe Spark

Student Target 2: I can learn the reasons why refugees leave their native country

Student Target 3: I can write, create and present a digital web story using Adobe Spark about
my pen pals life

Student Target 4: I can find the main idea of a story from details from the text.

Student Target 5: I can upload pictures, videos, and text to my web story.

Whole Group Presentation (15 min) (Skills 1, 2, & 4)

Teacher will review with students how to use Adobe Spark
Teacher will pass out pen pal story rubric to set clear expectations on the project
Apply/Independent Practice (15 min) (Skills 1-5)
Students will create digital web stories about their pen pal experience. Students will write:
(1) their pen pals story about leaving their country;
(2) the reasons why they left their native country;
(3) comparing and contrasting their lives.
Students will incorporate digital literacy skills such as adding images, videos, and text to their
Adobe Spark page.
Students will present and share their web stories with their pen pals and classmates.
Whole Group Guided Practice (15 min) (Skill 6)
Students will listen to a childrens chapter book aloud in whole group reading about a Syrian
refugee family in a book Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.
Closing (5 min): Objective Review (Skills 1-6)