Understanding You: Using Understood You in Fiction Writing

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

11

Overview

In this lesson students will review the use of understood "you" in writing and create their own creative nonfiction essay using understood "you" as the narrative technique.

This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.11.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R3

Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

UP:ELA21.11.R3

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Formal conversations
  • Informal conversations
  • Predetermined norms

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • Strategies to identify formal and informal settings.
  • Engage in formal and informal conversations.
  • Predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during formal and informal discussions.
  • Practice predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow predetermined norms which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

UP:ELA21.11.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.4

Analyze how an author uses characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

UP:ELA21.11.4

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to analyze characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.6

Analyze a text’s explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author’s purpose.

UP:ELA21.11.6

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Explicit
  • Implicit
  • Inferences
  • Theme
  • Author's purpose

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to comprehend explicit and implicit text meaning.
  • Inference skills.
  • Methods to identify the theme and purpose of a text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Making inferences about the theme and purpose of a text by analyzing a text's explicit and implicit meanings.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Text often has an explicitly stated meaning and an implied meaning.
  • They can combine their explicit and implicit understanding to infer the theme and the author's purpose for writing the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.11

Compose and edit both short and extended products in which the development and organization are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

UP:ELA21.11.11

Vocabulary

  • Compose
  • Edit
  • Short products
  • Extended products
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Writing products can be short, such as a paragraph, or extended, such as constructed responses and essays.
  • The skills required by the writing process.
  • The development and organization of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compose short and extended writing products.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development and organization of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development and organization of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Explain the purpose of understood you.

Identify the use of understood you.

Evaluate how the use of understood you impacts the tone and impact of essay writing.

Identify the use of understood you in complex nonfiction text.

Locate and correct pronoun usage errors involving the use of understood you.

Create an original narrative essay utilizing understood you.

Procedures/Activities

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

1.  Students should read "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.

2.  As the students read “Bread,” they should highlight each “you” they see in the selection.

3.  Review the concepts of understood you and imperative statements.

4.  Students will “turn and talk” discussing the rhetorical impact of addressing the reader and interacting with the reader.

5.  Students should share their thoughts/evaluation of Margaret Atwood’s use of you throughout her passage.

6.  Using Atwood’s “Bread” as a model, students should select an object and compose an essay exploring the significance of the object.

The student essay must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Must use 2nd person narration (you and understood you)
  • Each paragraph must introduce a new scene                    
  • The same item/object must be discussed in each paragraph.                               
  • At least one literary work must be discussed in connection with the object in one paragraph of the essay.

Assessment Strategies

Students will complete grammar warm-up.

Students will compose their own narrative essay using "you and understood you" as the narrative techique.

Students will revise and edit their own narrative essays elminating all pronoun shifts.

 

Acceleration

As an extension of this activity, students can create and publish an online creative writing journal featuring their "Understood You" essays.

Intervention

Students in need of extra support while completing this lesson can be paired up with stronger students.

Students can work in groups to create/compose group essays.

The teacher may spend additional time reviewing pronoun agreement (person) and unnecessary pronoun shifts in writing.

 

Total Duration

31 to 60 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Student should review common errors in pronoun usage.

Students should also review narrative techniques in writing.

 

Materials and Resources

Copy of Margaret Atwood's "Bread"

Pronoun Grammar Warm-up (focusing on understood you and pronoun shifts)

yellow highlighter

Notebook paper 

Pencil 

Pen

 

Technology Resources Needed

Interactive Whiteboard

 

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