Performance Task: Create an Ebook (Lessons 10-11) | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA 2019 Grade 7 › ELA 2019 G7:M1 › ELA 2019 G7:M1:U3 ›

ELA 2019 G7:M1:U3:L10

Performance Task: Create an Ebook (Lessons 10-11)

In this Lesson

You are here:

Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.10

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • W.7.9b, SL.7.1, L.7.6
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use technology to create an ebook. (W.7.5, W.7.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 10-11
  • Work Time A: Narrative children's ebook about a Lost Child of Sudan (W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.10)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Create Ebook - W.7.6 (60 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Partner Share - W.7.5 (25 minutes)

4. Homework

None for this lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • Repeated routines occur in the following:
    • Opening A: In the entrance ticket activity, students reflect on the different devices on which they’ve read different kinds of texts and how that has affected their reading.
    • Opening A: Students review the learning target.
  • New skills are introduced in the following:
    • W.7.6 – Work Time A: Students use technology to create their ebook of their narrative about a Lost Child of Sudan.
    • W.7.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share their ebooks with a partner to develop and strengthen their writing, noting successes and challenges with technology and practicing to share their ebooks with third-grade students.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to contribute to a better world, using their strengths to help others grow in their use of technology.
  • The Performance Task anchor chart and all other performance task materials are included in the Performance Task download on this page.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Encourage students who demonstrate proficiency with creating their ebooks to search for pictures or graphical elements to add to the ebooks (if they haven’t already done so in art class or for homework). These students can also record themselves reading their ebooks using basic voice-memo software on their devices (see Technology and Multimedia for more options).

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Throughout this unit, students have planned and written their narratives in preparation for the performance task.

Support All Students

  • Students may have different experiences and varying levels of exposure to ebooks and tablet computers. To provide context for all students, display a real example of a device on which ebooks are read. When comparing and contrasting, display an example of a physical book next to the ebook device. Invite students to hold and explore the objects side by side. ▲
  • If technology is not available or a barrier for students, they can handwrite their children’s book. However, if possible, students should create a digital ebook as suggested in these notes.
  • Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this lesson that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually.
  • If students need more time to complete their ebook, establish an ebook working station with devices and dictionaries that students can visit when they have finished other class work.

Assessment Guidance

  • Review student work during and after the lesson either to provide specific feedback and suggestions or to identify common issues that could be used as whole-group teaching points.

Down the Road

  • This is the final lesson of Module 1.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 10-11 at each student's workspace.
  • Prepare the necessary technology for ebook creation (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Post the learning target and Performance Task anchor chart (see Performance Task download on this page).
  • Consider how to engage and sustain effort and persistence throughout the lesson, as students will not be formally assessed on their performance task presentations. Remind students of the many real-world applications of learning technology, being persistent, and taking responsibility for and pride in one's work. Focus students on the joy of learning for learning's sake.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Prepare technology for students to create their ebook—for example, My Story Book. Be sure to model for the group how to use it, and be prepared to support students with the technology as they use it. Students could alternatively handwrite their children’s book if ebook software is unavailable. Students could also create their ebook in a Word or Google Doc template, which is then converted into an ebook format. Choose the level of technology that is appropriate for the class, and guide students accordingly.
  • If time allows, students can add images to their ebooks using the following means: ▲
    • Students could create their images without technology and scan them in.
    • Students could create their own images using an online drawing tool like Sketchpad.
    • Students could search for images from free online sources such as Pixabay or Flickr.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.A.3, 7.I.A.4, 7.I.B.6, 7.I.C.10, 7.I.C.12, 7.II.B.4, 7.II.C.6, and 7.II.C.7.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson provides opportunities to share students' reflections on the process of making their ebook with a partner. This chance for ELLs to discuss their work with a peer extends and develops their oral language skills in a way that is meaningfully connected to their own work and ideas.
  • ELLs may find following the directions for making the ebook challenging if they are not familiar with the English words for the steps described. Therefore, additional supports such as the ones below may be useful when introducing the directions for the ebook.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Performance Task anchor chart (one for display; see Teaching Notes) (from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Nasreen's Secret School (ebook example to display and read aloud) (from Unit 3, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Device with which to display the ebook
  • Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 3, Lesson 5, Work Time B)
  • Brothers in Hope by Mary Williams (model narrative for teacher reference) (from Unit 3, Lesson 8)
  • Student response to End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write a Narrative about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan (one per student; from Unit 3, Lesson 8, Work Time A)
  • Student-generated author's note (one per student; from Unit 3, Lesson 9, Work Time B)
  • Visuals or illustrations students developed outside of class (several per student; begun in Unit 3, Lesson 4, Homework A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 10-11 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 10-11 (one per student)
  • Devices and software for students to create their ebooks (one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Download this Performance Task

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 10-11. Students will share their responses to the entrance ticket at the end of Opening A.
  • Repeated routine: follow the same routine as in previous lessons to review the learning target and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any similarities between this learning target and those from previous lessons.
  • Focus students on the Performance Task anchor chart, and remind them of the criteria for an effective ebook. Remind students that in this lesson, they will create their ebooks from their narratives and their author's note (and illustrations that they may have developed outside of class).
  • Also remind students of the goal for the work they are doing with their ebook: creating a story that displays the habits of character of the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan in order to share with third-grade students what they learned.
  • Display Nasreen's Secret School (via technology) while using cues and prompts to emphasize critical features that show how the ebook is effective. At this time, have students Turn and Talk about their responses to the questions they answered in the entrance ticket activity.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Create Ebook - W.7.6 (60 minutes)

  • Review the learning target:

"I can use technology to create an ebook."

  • Model for students the process of copying their text into the ebook format. Remind students that in books for third-grade students, the number of words per page is limited.
  • Focus students on the Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, specifically on the habit of using strengths to help others grow. Remind students that some of them have strengths in working with technology, and some need help growing in their use of technology. Invite students to offer themselves as experts in technology and other students to partner with these students as necessary to grow.
  • Have students retrieve their Student response to End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write a Narrative about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan, their Student-generated author's note drafted in the previous lesson, and any visuals or illustrations they created for their narratives. Invite students to begin transferring their author's note, narrative, and illustrations to ebook format.
  • Depending on time, students can also work on designing a cover for their ebooks. If they were able to create images in art class or for homework, students can work on transferring them (by scanning them). If not, consider guiding students through an image search using a free online source. If not, consider guiding students through an image search using a free online source (see Technology and Multimedia for suggestions). 
  • If there is no time to find pictures or illustrations, have students generate ideas for what kinds of pictures would add to the story and why.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time A, after modeling the process for making the ebook, invite students to paraphrase and explain the directions in their own words. This strategy of paraphrasing directions supports ELLs and gives them a second chance to hear the language associated with the directions, as well as a chance to use their own speaking skills to express what they have just heard.
  • Carefully, define or point out the meanings of any linking words, such as also, since, while, etc., in the directions given for making the ebooks, as such linking words can seem particularly elusive to ELLs, who may have trouble understanding precisely what words and concepts they connect.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, strategically group newcomers with bilingual partners, if possible, so that the more fluent English speakers can support the newcomers with the ebook-making process. Simultaneously doing the task themselves and explaining it to a partner extends their own language skills as well.

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Partner Share - W.7.5 (25 minutes)

  • If time allows, have students share their ebooks with a partner, each reading their stories aloud and showing their illustrations.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Give students one minute to think before inviting volunteers to share with the whole group:

"What was a highlight of this activity for you? Why?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Display, repeat, and invite students to rephrase the question. If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example:

"Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their ebooks, and encourage them to celebrate this accomplishment (e.g., "I saw a lot of you choosing which text to put on each individual page and deciding what kinds of font to use").
  • Focus students on the Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, specifically on the habit of applying their learning to help in their school or communities.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"How did this task give you a chance to apply your learning to helping your school or community?" (Responses will vary. Possible response: By learning how to publish this ebook, I was able to spread the message of the Lost Children. This will help others learn from their story and habits of character.)

Homework

Homework

  • None for this lesson.

Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

Leave feedback