Learning from Play (Grades 8-9)

In this unit, students explore the relationship between video games and learning, as well as extend their understanding of methods for comprehending, interpreting, analyzing, and synthesizing the ideas from complex texts. The unit’s culminating task asks students to use evidence from the unit texts to write an essay that explains the relationship between games and learning. Three informational texts 4-6 weeks instruction Explanation writing What is this unit about? A primary focus of this unit is learning how to comprehend and synthesize complex texts. Through engaging in this unit, students learn how to analyze complex text. Students will begin by working at a comprehension level and moving to more interpretive and analytical work, such as analyzing the author’s structure and analyzing how an author develops and supports a claim. The texts in this unit present information on the features and characteristics of games and how learning and problem-solving can result from game pl