I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Personal Communication

Essential Question:

Why is it important to know your audience when presenting?

Bridge:

Communication Connections

Content:

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To create an experience to raise students' awareness of the importance of audience in communication.

Activity: Teacher conducts guided imagery. Students remember a time when they wanted a special favor from parents. Students recall which parent they approached, what time of day it was, where they were, what their tone of voice was, what kinds of words they used, what promises they made.

Assessment: Involvement of students in the experience.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To analyze the experience of communication with parents.

Activity: Teacher leads class discussion of experience and charts students' responses on the chalkboard. Teacher extends discussion by asking why students selected the particular parent, time of day, etc. Teacher guides students to discover that their knowledge influenced their choices.

Assessment: Quality of discussion and relevance of student contributions.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To extend the students' concept of audience to a broader context.

Activity: Students view teacher-prepared videoclip exemplifying interpersonal communication from TV program that appeals to their age group. Students reflect on their feelings. Students create a visual metaphor of the communication connections.

Assessment: Quality of students' discussion of feelings elicited by TV program.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To apply checklist to written communications.

Activity: The teacher provides each group with four written advertisements intended for different audiences. In pairs, students analyze and evaluate the advertisements according to the checklist.

Assessment: Quality of students' evaluations of advertisements.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

bjective: To apply checklist to written communications.

Activity: The teacher provides each group with four written advertisements intended for different audiences. In pairs, students analyze and evaluate the advertisements according to the checklist.

Assessment: Quality of students' evaluations of advertisements.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To develop an advertisement for a specific audience to whom they want to "sell" something.

Activity: In groups of four, students develop an "advertisement" (a rap, a poster, a letter, or other medium of students' choice) about their school for fifth grade students.

Assessment: Quality of advertisements.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To critique advertisements.

Activity: Student groups share advertisements with one another. Using audience checklist, viewing/listening groups critique presentations and make suggestions for improvement.

Assessment: Quality of effort put into activity.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To present advertisements to fifth grade students.

Activity: Students visit fifth grade classrooms and present advertisements to the students.

Assessment: Response of fifth grade students.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: