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Unit 1 Instructional Support Guide

Teacher Guide varies

Unit at a Glance

This table provides a comprehensive overview of Unit 1's learning targets, aligned standards, cognitive complexity (DOK), and key assessments:

Unit 1 overview table showing learning targets, aligned standards, depth of knowledge levels, and key assessments for each major learning objective
Learning Target Standards DOK Key Assessments
Analyze how published authors use setting details to create mood and meaning RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5 DOK 2 – DOK 3 Mentor Text Analysis (1.2.1)
Write vivid setting descriptions using sensory details W.9-10.3d, W.9-10.4, L.9-10.5 DOK 2 – DOK 3 Hometown (1.3), Trading Post (1.5), Region (1.7)
Develop a fantasy setting with thoughtful cultural world-building W.9-10.3a, W.9-10.3b, W.9-10.3d DOK 3 – DOK 4 Trading Post (1.5), Region (1.7)
Use maps and geography to strengthen storytelling W.9-10.3a, W.9-10.5, WHST.9-10.7 DOK 2 – DOK 3 Geography Brainstorm (1.6.1), Region (1.7)
Give and receive constructive feedback on creative writing SL.9-10.1a, SL.9-10.1c, SL.9-10.1d, W.9-10.5 DOK 2 – DOK 3 Peer Review (1.5.1)
Evaluate AI-generated writing and explain why human creativity matters RI.9-10.8, W.9-10.5, SL.9-10.3 DOK 3 AI Evaluation (1.8)

DOK Distribution Summary

Unit DOK distribution: ~15% DOK 1 (formative checks), ~40% DOK 2 (analysis activities, quiz MC), ~35% DOK 3 (assignments, quiz short-answer), ~10% DOK 4 (Region Creation capstone). This meets the 9–12 grade band targets.

Lesson 1.1: What is D&D?

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: RL.9-10.6 (point of view, cultural experience), SL.9-10.2 (integrate information)

DOK: Lesson instruction DOK 1–2; Check Understanding DOK 2

Where Students May Struggle
Students unfamiliar with D&D or tabletop gaming may feel excluded.
Strategy: The lesson explicitly frames D&D as one of many storytelling traditions, not prerequisite knowledge. Point students who feel disconnected to the "D&D Beyond the Mainstream" section featuring Ryuutama, Nahual, and Coyote & Crow.
Students may not see the connection between gaming and "real" writing.
Strategy: Highlight the published author connections (Salvatore, Rothfuss, Jemisin) and emphasize that collaborative storytelling is the foundation of all fiction.
Multilingual Learner Supports
Translanguaging: Encourage students to connect TTRPG concepts to storytelling traditions in their home cultures and languages. The "D&D Beyond the Mainstream" section opens this door naturally.
Vocabulary: Key terms (Tier 2: collaborative storytelling, improvisation; Tier 3: tabletop RPG, Dungeon Master, NPC) are pre-taught on the student page. For ML students, provide visual anchors: screenshots from D&D actual-play videos showing collaborative storytelling in action.
Sentence frames: Three frames provided scaffold analytical writing about D&D–writing connections.
SEL Facilitation

The Self-Awareness moment asks students to reflect on storytelling preferences. Watch for students who feel they "don't know enough" about D&D — redirect to the broader storytelling frame.

Pacing Notes

If short on time: Skip D&D Beyond the Mainstream section (cultural breadth returns in later lessons).

If students need more: Assign a brief video of a D&D actual-play session (Critical Role, Dimension 20) to contextualize.

Connections Across Unit

Builds foundation for all subsequent lessons. Connects forward to Lesson 1.2 (setting analysis) and Assignment 1.3 (first writing task).

Lesson 1.2: The Power of Setting

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: RL.9-10.1 (textual evidence), RL.9-10.4 (word choice/tone), RL.9-10.5 (structure), W.9-10.9a (evidence from literary texts)

DOK: Lesson DOK 2; Mentor Text Analysis DOK 2–3; Check DOK 1–2

Where Students Struggle
Distinguishing mood from tone.
Strategy: Mood is what the reader feels; tone is what the author's attitude is. Use the analogy: mood is the weather in the room; tone is the DJ's playlist. One is what you experience; the other is what's being deliberately created.
Students may summarize the mentor text rather than analyze it.
Strategy: Redirect with the question: "You told me WHAT the author wrote. Now tell me WHY they chose those specific words."
Multilingual Learner Supports
Vocabulary: Tier 2: mood, tone, atmosphere, connotation (abstract literary terms that need concrete examples). Tier 3: mentor text (discipline-specific). For ML students, pair each term with a concrete example and visual when possible.
Translanguaging: The mentor text analysis is an excellent opportunity for students to notice how their home language describes mood differently. Some languages have specific words for atmospheres that English requires phrases to express (e.g., saudade, hygge, wabi-sabi ). Invite these connections during class discussion.
Sentence frames: Three frames on the lesson page and five on the activity page scaffold analytical writing.

Mentor Text Selection

The student page includes a placeholder for teacher-selected text. Choose a 300–500 word excerpt from published fantasy/speculative fiction. Recommended options: Le Guin ( A Wizard of Earthsea ), Jemisin ( The Fifth Season ), Adeyemi ( Children of Blood and Bone ), Roanhorse ( Trail of Lightning ). Select texts reflecting diverse cultural traditions in fantasy.

Pacing Notes

If short: Focus on 2 of the 4 analysis questions rather than all 4.

If extending: Add a brief annotation activity where students highlight specific word choices.

Assignment 1.3: Hometown Fantasy Setting

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: W.9-10.3a (engage reader), W.9-10.3d (precise words/sensory language), W.9-10.4 (clear/coherent writing), L.9-10.5 (figurative language/nuance)

DOK: DOK 3 (analysis and creation)

Where Students Struggle
Students may struggle to find the "fantasy" in their real hometown.
Strategy: Suggest they start with one concrete detail and ask "What if?" What if the water tower was actually a watchtower? What if the bus stop was a portal? The transformation comes from "What if," not from inventing from scratch.
Some students may not feel their hometown is "interesting enough."
Strategy: This is a deficit framing trap. Every place has story. A parking lot, a laundromat, a highway overpass — all of these can become extraordinary settings. Validate students' real experiences.
Students from unstable housing or difficult home situations may find this emotionally charged.
Strategy: The assignment says "a place you know well," not necessarily "home." A park, a school, a relative's house, a favorite restaurant all work. Do not require disclosure of personal circumstances.
Multilingual Learner Supports
Translanguaging: Students describing places meaningful to them may find their home language more natural for expressing emotional and cultural details. Encourage brainstorming in any language. The final draft should be in English, but planning/brainstorming in home language strengthens the connection.
Vocabulary: Tier 2: reimagine, transform, fantasy lens. These abstract process words may need explicit modeling.
SEL Facilitation

Self-Awareness prompt connects personal identity to creative choices. Some students may share deeply personal material about their hometown. Respond with genuine care; do not push for more disclosure than offered.

Lesson 1.4: Sensory World-Building

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: W.9-10.3d (sensory language), L.9-10.5a (interpret figures of speech), L.9-10.5b (analyze nuances)

DOK: Lesson DOK 2; Practice DOK 2; Check DOK 1–3

Where Students Struggle
Students default to visual descriptions only.
Strategy: Exercise 1 in the Practice activity forces non-visual senses. If students are stuck, ask: "Close your eyes. What do you hear? What do you smell? What does the chair feel like?" Sensory awareness improves with practice.
Purple prose / overwriting.
Strategy: The Common Pitfalls section addresses this directly. Good sensory writing is SELECTIVE, not exhaustive. Model the difference between "the room smelled like cinnamon" and a paragraph-long description of every scent.
Multilingual Learner Supports
Vocabulary awareness: Sensory vocabulary varies significantly across languages. Some languages have far more specific texture, taste, or smell vocabularies than English. Invite students to notice these differences.
Tier 2 vocabulary: imagery, connotation, atmosphere (abstract literary concepts).
Tier 3 vocabulary: purple prose (discipline-specific writing critique term).

Assignment 1.5: Trading Post Description

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: W.9-10.3 (narrative writing), W.9-10.3a–d (all narrative elements), W.9-10.5 (writing process), SL.9-10.1a–d (collaborative discussions)

DOK: Assignment DOK 3 ; Peer Review DOK 2 – DOK 3

Where Students Struggle
Generic fantasy clichés (smoky trading post, mysterious stranger in the corner).
Strategy: The assignment context explicitly names this challenge. If students submit cliché-heavy drafts, use the TAG feedback to point to specific moments where details could be more original.
Peer feedback that's too vague ("I liked it") or too harsh.
Strategy: The TAG protocol with sentence frames scaffolds specific, constructive feedback. Model an example TAG response before students begin.
Discussion Facilitation (Peer Review)

Quality peer feedback looks like: Specific detail references, genuine questions about the world, and suggestions tied to techniques from Lesson 1.4.

Red flags: One-sentence responses, only positive feedback with no questions or suggestions, feedback that critiques the person rather than the writing.

Intervention: If a student receives unhelpful feedback, provide your own TAG response as a model and ask them to try again.

Multilingual Learner Supports
Translanguaging: The peer review activity can be challenging for ML students who may feel less confident giving writing feedback in English. Sentence frames are critical scaffolds here. Consider pairing ML students with supportive partners.

Lesson 1.6 & Assignment 1.7: Maps and Storytelling / Region Creation

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: W.9-10.3a–d (narrative techniques), W.9-10.4 (production/purpose), W.9-10.5 (writing process), WHST.9-10.7 (research/project)

DOK: Lesson DOK 2; Brainstorm DOK 2; Region Creation DOK 3 – DOK 4

Where Students Struggle
Map-making anxiety ("I can't draw").
Strategy: Emphasize that maps are communication tools, not art. Rough sketches, labeled diagrams, and digital tools (Google Drawings, Inkarnate free tier) all work. The map needs to be readable, not beautiful.
Scope management on the Region Creation.
Strategy: The assignment provides a clear structure (4 sections with word counts). If students are overwhelmed, suggest they complete one section per day. The Geography Brainstorm (1.6.1) front-loads the planning.
Multilingual Learner Supports
Vocabulary: Geographic terms (terrain, topography, cartography) are Tier 3. Provide visual examples (actual maps) alongside definitions.
Translanguaging: Many geographic and cultural terms exist only in specific languages. Encourage students to use place names and cultural terms from their heritage languages in their world-building.

Activity 1.8: AI Evaluation / Unit 1 Reflection

Standards and Cognitive Complexity

Standards: RI.9-10.8 (evaluate reasoning/evidence), W.9-10.5 (writing process), SL.9-10.3 (evaluate point of view)

DOK: AI Evaluation DOK 3 ; Reflection DOK 2 – DOK 3

Where Students Struggle
Students may struggle to articulate WHY the AI description feels generic.
Strategy: Redirect to specificity: "Can you name one detail in the AI version that could ONLY exist in this specific trading post? Can you name one in the student version?"
Some students may believe AI writing is "good enough."
Strategy: Don't argue. Let the analysis speak. If students still feel AI is equivalent, that's honest critical engagement — discuss what "good enough" means and when it matters.

Differentiation Strategies

Enrichment

Students who finish early can:

  • Create additional settings for their region
  • Develop an NPC character sheet for a trading post visitor
  • Write a "travel guide" entry for their world

Support

Students needing additional scaffolding can:

  • Use the sentence frames more extensively
  • Have word count requirements reduced by 25% while maintaining the same craft expectations
  • Submit audio recordings instead of written work

Challenge

Advanced students can:

  • Attempt Description B's voice quality across all three major assignments
  • Tackle multi-perspective narration (describe the same place from two characters' viewpoints)
  • Research a real-world cultural tradition and incorporate it respectfully

Assessment Guidance

Grading the Major Assignments (Hometown, Trading Post, Region)

When grading the three major assignments, look for GROWTH across the arc: Hometown → Trading Post → Region. The Hometown assignment is where students learn; the Trading Post is where they practice deliberately; the Region is where they demonstrate mastery.

Use the rubrics provided on each assignment page. For calibration: a '3' (Proficient) represents solid craft work that meets all requirements with specific, intentional details. A '4' (Exemplary) represents work that surprises you — original voice, unexpected choices, craft mastery beyond expectations.

Grading the Quiz

The quiz includes 3 short-answer questions. Grade these on depth of thinking, not length. A strong 3-sentence response can demonstrate more understanding than a weak paragraph.

Technology Troubleshooting

Map Creation Tools

If students have trouble with digital tools, hand-drawn maps photographed and uploaded work perfectly. Inkarnate (free tier) is accessible but has a learning curve; Google Drawings is simpler.

Discussion Boards and Peer Review

Ensure peer review assignments are set up with proper visibility: students should only see their partner's work, not all submissions.