Thematic units are incorporated in the Readers' Workshop where book selection and content are planned accordingly and in the Writers' Workshop where responses and reflections are used. The purpose of thematic units is to help students explore concepts and make connections among books used in the units.

Click on the buttons to the left to visit some of the thematic units created by Ka Lama students. These units were taught by the student teachers in Leeward coast schools and cover many different subject ares.

Developing a Thematic Unit
Not all thematic units follow a common theme: Some thematic units follow a literary theme, such as, family traditions. Some units are integrated with other subject areas, such as, math and science. Once a theme is selected, the next steps are as follows:

• Develop objectives for the unit to guide planning, discussion, activities, and assessments.
• Compose a weekly/monthly plan of lessons, beginning with an introductory event and ending with a culminating event. Include the Hawai'i Content and Performance Standards addressed in these lessons.
• Plan Readers' Workshop and Writers' worshop lessons accordingly with the thematic unit.
• Integrate lessons with other subject areas, art, math, and music to name a few.
• Consider the use of technology - Web sites students may access, interactive CD-ROMs that coincide with the thematic unit, or using PowerPoint as an assessment for the students to complete.
• Design learning centers that relate to the thematic unit as an extension for students to explore, experiment, and expand on the key concepts of the thematic unit.
• Use a variety of authentic assessments, for example, journals, portfolios, PowerPoint presentation, dramatic interpretation, and graphic organizers.
• List books, videos, Web sites, CD-ROMs, and other resources as a bibliography component for future reference.
  

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