CURRICULUM FOR HONORS LANGUAGE ARTS …...Tangerine by Edward Bloor Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change by Garth Sundem Informational Texts News stories about modern day heroes, e.g.,

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This curriculum is part of the Educational Program of Studies of the Rahway Public Schools.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Christine H. Salcito, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Tiffany Lynch, Program Supervisor of Literacy

The Board acknowledges the following who contributed to the preparation of this curriculum.

Robyn Larche Marsha Garay

Subject/Course Title: Date of Board Adoptions:

Honors Language Arts September 18, 2012 Grade 8

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM

UNIT OVERVIEW

Content Area: Language Arts

Unit Title: Heroes and Villains - Summer Reading

Target Course/Grade Level: Grade 8 - Honors

Unit Summary: During the summer break students will read one of three teacher-recommended books and respond to short-answer comprehension and critical thinking questions. The books will serve as a reference point for reviewing character and conflict. Students will begin to examine the roles and characteristics of heroes and villains and how the struggle between the two contributes to conflict in literature and in life. This topic will be developed further during the short story unit.

Approximate Length of Unit: 2 weeks

Primary interdisciplinary connections: N/A

LEARNING TARGETS

Standards: Reading: Literature, 6-12 Reading: Informational Text, 6-12 Writing, 6-12 Speaking & Listening, 6-12 Language, 6-12

Content Strand:

RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.8.3. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories). RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities.

9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities.

Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • reading is a worthwhile activity which can be interesting, entertaining, stimulating, relaxing, or all of the above. • reading strengthens one’s vocabulary, deepens one’s understanding of human nature, and broadens one’s world view. • in fiction there can be several types of conflicts (character vs. self, character, nature, and society). • non-fiction texts employ elements of fiction, e.g., plot structure and conflict, to engage the reader. • authors employ heroes and villains in fiction to create conflict; heroes and villains are symbolic of the struggle between good and evil. • there are similarities and differences between character traits of heroes and villains.

Unit Essential Questions

• Are heroes perfectly good and are villains perfectly bad? • Can individuals be perfectly good or bad? • Are heroes born or made? Is heroism a matter of fate? • Can anyone be a hero given the right set of circumstances? • Why are heroes and villains appealing to the reader? • How do heroes and villains deal with conflict? • What motivates individuals in today’s society to act heroically? • Can you think of a situation in which you might be willing to act heroically?

Knowledge and Skills

Students will know… • conflict is essential to plot and can be categorized as a character’s struggle with himself, another character, nature, or society. • the struggle between heroes and villains is a source of conflict in literature and in life. • fate tests the morality of the hero or villain and exposes the character’s/individual’s strengths and weaknesses. • authors of non-fiction use conflict to engage the reader. • in works of fiction, heroes and villains often, though not always, are the protagonists and antagonists, respectively.

Students will be able to… • develop a vocabulary of character traits relating to heroes and villains. • identify the heroes and villains in the summer reading and ascribe character traits to them based on their words, thoughts, and actions. • analyze the types of conflicts found in summer reading and support that analysis by citing specific evidence from the text. • explain how heroes and villains contribute to the development of conflict by citing specific evidence from the text. • compare and contrast the qualities of fictional and real life heroes and villains.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING

Assessment

What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”? Performance Task:

• Open-Ended – Compose responses about character and conflict incorporating vocabulary specific to heroes and villains and types of conflict.

• Persuasive – Compose a persuasive essay in response to the following essential questions: Are heroes born or made? Is heroism a matter of fate? Can anyone be a hero given the right set of circumstances? Cite fictional and real-life examples to support your argument.

Other Activities:

• HW - Responses to short-answer comprehension and critical thinking questions about plot • Quiz – Character trait vocabulary • Quiz – Types of conflict

Learning Activities

What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? • Students will choose a summer reading book based on their reading and interest level. • Students will read and answer questions independently and at their own pace.

• Teacher will review unit essential questions and assessments. • Students will be grouped according to their summer reading book choices to analyze and discuss conflict. • Students will read about modern day heroes, such as first responders to disasters, and relate their circumstances and choices to summer

reading characters. Students will do likewise for villains. • Students will draw character sketches of fictional and real-life heroes and villains and make comparisons. • Students will create and maintain a dictionary of character traits to which they can refer throughout the year. • Socratic Seminar Introduction:

Students will be introduced to the Socratic Seminar and will discuss the following essential questions: Are heroes born or made? Is heroism a matter of fate? Can anyone be a hero given the right set of circumstances? Compose a reflection about these essential questions based on discussion and the texts read.

RESOURCES Teacher Resources:

Summer Reading Books Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Tangerine by Edward Bloor Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change by Garth Sundem Informational Texts News stories about modern day heroes, e.g., lifeguards, first responders to disasters such as Haiti and Katrina, Hudson River hero Sullenberger Excerpts from Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer News stories about modern day villains, e.g., the terrorists of 9/11 Drawing supplies: paper, colored pencils Equipment Needed:

Projector


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: Isn’t It Ironic?


Unit Summary: Students will read a variety of short stories to examine how authors of fiction use literary elements, such as character, setting, plot, and theme, to structure their narratives. In addition, students will learn how to perform a close reading of text to discover how devices such as irony, figurative language, point of view, and word choice contribute to meaning and tone.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: N/A

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • competent readers engage with the text, i.e., think, as they read. • all works of fiction share structural elements, such as character, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, and theme, the recognition of which

bolsters the reader’s comprehension. • short stories share common elements with longer works of fiction, but they often have a narrow focus and can be read in one sitting. • fictional plots follow a pattern: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. • literary devices are used intentionally by a writer to allow a reader to more clearly visualize or become emotionally attached to a story. • author’s purpose and meaning must be inferred by the reader through analysis of literary elements and devices, i.e., they are not explicitly

stated by the writer.


• Why should one journal while reading? • Must all fictional pieces follow the same format, i.e., the plot pyramid? • How does point of view affect a story? • How do authors develop theme, mood, and tone in a story? • How do authors use irony to create emotion or tension in a story? • Are heroes perfectly good and are villains perfectly bad?


Students will know… • structural elements of a fictional story are: character, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, and theme. • author’s employ literary devices purposefully to engage the reader and convey meaning. Examples explored in this unit include: word

choice, figurative language, dialogue, irony, mood, and tone. • an author’s technique is determined by how he or she develops structural elements and employs literary devices. • in stories told from the first-person point of view, the narrator is biased, and the reader’s view of characters and events is limited. • setting contributes to the development of the characters, plot, mood, and theme. • theme, mood, and tone must be inferred through a combination of what the text says explicitly and an interpretation of the author’s use of

language and literary elements. • the protagonist is not always a “classic” hero, e.g., the protagonist in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” feels like a villain because he is crazy.

Students will be able to…

• apply close reading strategies to decode the literal, inferential, and thematic meanings of short stories. • journal about interacting voice as they read silently; discuss their responses with their reading group. • identify literary elements and analyze the technique the author uses to develop them in each of the stories. • explain author’s purpose in using word choice, figurative language, dialogue, and irony by carefully analyzing specific sections of text. • infer the theme, mood, and tone in a story. • follow a standard format in composing an open-ended response. • identify the different types of irony (situational, verbal, dramatic) • compare and contrast the author’s technique in conveying irony. • develop a short narrative with a hero and a villain, follow a classic plot structure, and employ word choice, figurative language, and point

of view purposefully. Apply the five steps in the writing process in producing that narrative.


Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”?

Performance Tasks: • Literacy Centers - Rotate through literacy centers to complete culminating activities relating to literary elements, e.g., draw a plot pyramid

of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” illustrate the irony in “The Dinner Party,” compare and contrast the character traits of heroes in two short stories. Work produced in each center will be graded according to a rubric.

• Explanatory – Choose two stories from this unit and compare and contrast how the authors develop irony in each story. Consider the authors’ use of literary elements in creating irony.

Other Evidence:

• Open-Ended responses about the author’s use of literary elements, e.g., how does setting contribute to development of character and conflict in “The Treasure of Lemon Brown?”

• Open-Ended responses about the author’s technique. For example, how does Mona Gardner use irony in “The Dinner Party” to challenge gender stereotypes? How does Poe convey mood and tone in “The Tell-Tale Heart?”

• Quizzes – Literary elements and techniques • Quiz – types and examples of irony

Learning Activities:

• Teacher will review unit essential questions and assessments. • Students will journal independently about interacting voice: envisioning, questioning, predicting, connecting, and inferring while reading

silently. • Students will discuss journal responses in cooperative reading groups. • Students will view PowerPoint about literary elements and author’s technique and take notes on same. • Cooperative reading groups will employ jigsaw method to discuss the author’s technique in developing literary elements in each of the

short stories. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit. • Writer’s Workshop Introduction:

o Students will develop a fictional short story that follows a traditional plot structure and has a hero and a villain. They will follow the steps in the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage lessons. Students will be accountable for developing these traits to strengthen their writing across a range of tasks.

• Launch Outside Reading (See Outside Reading Unit): Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts.

o Any grade level texts with heroes and villains, including action and adventure. o Walter Dean Myers books o Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein o Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan o Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer o Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins o Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

RESOURCES

Teacher Resources:

• McDougal Littell The Language of Literature textbook “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” “The Million Pound Bank Note,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Dinner Party,” “The Lie”

• Common Core Clinics – Reading Literature • Literacy Center activities

http://www.inetteacher.com/Upload1/102670/docs/Tone-Mood%20Worksheet.pdf • “Ironic” by Alanis Morrisette, music and lyrics • Writer’s Workshop handouts and manipulatives for pre-writing narrative

http://www.writersstore.com/hero-is-a-4-letter-word • Audio recordings of literature book short stories can be used to differentiate for struggling readers • Plot Posters • Story Map Writer’s Craft • Character Card Bookmark or Reading Strategies Bookmarks

Equipment Needed:

• Projector

http://www.writersstore.com/hero-is-a-4-letter-word


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: Tapestry of Voices - Multiculturalism


Unit Summary: In this unit students will read literary works representing a variety of cultures in America. This unit will be anchored by Gary Soto’s novel, Buried Onions, the coming of age story of a young Mexican-American who struggles against negative community influences (cultural stereotyping, poverty, crime) and hopelessness as he tries to find a path out of poverty. Students will explore how certain emotions, values, and experiences transcend ethnic boundaries and allegiances. They will examine how Soto uses imperfect characters, rich language, and everyday conflicts to convey important themes such as the alienation of the powerless, discrimination against minorities, and the struggles of the poor. As a result of this unit, students should appreciate the benefits and challenges of living in a multicultural America.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.2. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.


9.1.8.A.1 Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9.1.8.A.2 Implement problem-solving strategies to solve a problem in school or the community. 9.1.8.B.2 Assess data gathered to solve a problem for which there are varying perspectives (e.g., cross-cultural, gender-specific, generational), and determine how the data can best be used to design multiple solutions. 9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.D.4 Compare and contrast nuances in verbal and nonverbal communication in different cultures that may result in misinterpretation and misunderstanding. 9.1.8.F.1 Demonstrate how productivity and accountability contribute to realizing individual or group work goals within or outside the classroom. Unit Understandings

Students will understand… • America is a multicultural country formed by waves of people from different continents, many of whom came here in search of a better

life. • authors give voice to a variety of cultural experiences through their prose and poetry. • certain emotions, values, and experiences transcend ethnic boundaries and allegiances. • ignorance of other people’s cultures leads to stereotyping and alienation. • authors have distinct voices that are conveyed through their use of structural and literary devices. • setting contributes to the development of characters, conflicts, mood, and theme over the course of a novel. • that in a coming of age novel, or bildungsroman, the main character progresses from adolescence to adulthood as a result of his or her

experiences in the story. • individuals can rise above challenging surroundings and circumstances by making the right choices.


• Where do you come from? Where are you going? • What is culture? • Is diversity a positive force? Why/why not? • Does where you grow up shape who you are? • What are the challenges to escaping poverty? • How does poverty affect one’s identity? • How does violence affect a community? • Does revenge solve problems? • How does family influence one’s identity? • To what extent should one be loyal to one’s family? • Why are heroes and villains appealing to the reader?


Students will know… • background information about the author of Buried Onions, Gary Soto, including his upbringing in a Mexican-American community. • authors use symbolism to appeal to the reader’s emotions and convey themes. • authors use imagery and figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification) to help the reader envision and to establish mood and

tone. • authors use dialect and foreign words to develop characters and convey aspects of their culture. • authors use first person point of view to allow the reader to experience the struggles and emotions of the narrator. • that conquering adversity leads to growth and maturity. • issues affecting migrant workers and their struggle for fair labor conditions. • demographics of America today.

Students will be able to… • apply close reading strategies to decode the literal, inferential, and thematic meanings of the text. • identify figurative language, explain its meaning, and examine the author’s purpose in using same to develop setting, mood, and theme. • examine the development of characters, conflicts, and themes over the course of the novel. • explain the consequences of gang violence and its impact on neighborhood culture. • explain how poverty impacts individuals differently leading them to make right and wrong choices. • analyze the conflicts Eddie faces and how those experiences help him to grow. • read charts that show the ethnic make-up of America and New Jersey in this century. • read a variety of literary works about diverse cultural experiences in America. • research the multicultural aspects of their own community.


Assessment

What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”? Performance Tasks:

• “How Diverse is Your Community?” A local realtor has asked your design team to create a multimedia presentation persuading prospective residents who are seeking a diverse community to settle in Rahway. Because the realtor wants to promote Rahway as a vibrant multicultural area, the presentation must include both copy and illustrations that represent the diverse influences in the town (food, clothing, art, music, entertainment). Include additional items of interest that might convince the client to choose Rahway, such as proximity and access to cultural offerings outside of town. Remember, your final product must appeal to as many cultures as possible.

Other Evidence:

• Open-Ended responses throughout the reading will serve as a formative assessment of student understanding. • Quiz - figurative language • Quiz - recall important events in each chapter • Explanatory - symbolism (onion, mortuary, stolen truck) • Test - multi-part test on character, conflict, theme • NJASK – “Abuela Invents the Zero” (Multiple Choice and Open-Ended)

Learning Activities

• Teacher will review unit essential questions and assessments. • Students will reflect on essential questions before the unit and will revisit after completion. • Teacher will introduce the unit with a reading of a poem about multiculturalism in America. • Students will read literary works that give voice to multicultural experiences and will identify how the author’s use of language and

literary devices evokes particular cultures. • Students will journal independently about interacting voice: envisioning, questioning, predicting, connecting, and inferring while reading

silently. Students will discuss journal responses in cooperative reading groups. • Students will complete “Onion” graphic organizer identifying the layers of sadness that permeate the lives of Eddie and his community. • Students will complete a variety of immigration assignments found on the NY Times website. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit, e.g., figurative language. • Socratic Seminar: How is one responsible for friends, family, and community? How does one remain loyal to friends, family, and

community without sacrificing one’s own needs? Compose a reflection about these essential questions based on discussion and the texts read.

• Writer’s Workshop: o Students will create “Where I’m From” poems using figurative language or multicultural diamante poems using nouns, verbs,

adjectives. o After gathering symbols that represent student’s own experiences, students will describe those symbols and their significance to the

student’s life/family. o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage

lessons. Students will be accountable for developing these traits to strengthen their writing across a range of tasks. • Outside Reading:

Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. o Books and Poetry by Gary Soto o Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza o The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez o Eleven by Sandra Cisneros o Lupita Manana by Patricia Beatty o Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch o Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer o How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (The Tia Lola Stories) by Julia Alvarez o Trash by Andy Mulligan

RESOURCES

Teacher Resources:

• McDougal Littell The Language of Literature textbook - Multicultural short stories and poems • http://www.sydneyr.det.nsw.edu.au/equity/documents/Anti-Racism/MOSAICStudentWork2010/MoorefieldGHS/SR_Anthology-of-

Multicultural-Poems.pdf Going Where I’m Coming From: Memoirs of American Youth by Anne Mazer • News articles about successful politicians, business leaders, Olympic athletes, and other influential Americans from diverse backgrounds • Buried Onions Study Guide http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-buried-onions/topicsfordiscussion2.html

Equipment Needed:

• Projector

http://www.sydneyr.det.nsw.edu.au/equity/documents/Anti-Racism/MOSAICStudentWork2010/MoorefieldGHS/SR_Anthology-of-Multicultural-Poems.pdf

http://www.sydneyr.det.nsw.edu.au/equity/documents/Anti-Racism/MOSAICStudentWork2010/MoorefieldGHS/SR_Anthology-of-Multicultural-Poems.pdf


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: The Struggle for Freedom


Unit Summary: In this unit students will reflect on the journey of African-Americans who were brought to this country as slaves and had to struggle to achieve freedom and equality. This unit will be anchored by Walter Dean Myers’ novel, The Glory Field, an epic story about the Lewis family whose first ancestor was brought to America from Africa. In the course of reading the novel, students will examine how family values are passed down through generations and will consider how the choices and sacrifices of one generation affect their descendants. They will examine the merits of historical fiction as a literary genre and will analyze the choices Myers made in choosing the time periods in which to set each vignette. Instruction on the persuasive essay will be introduced as students consider the heroic qualities of the central characters in the novel.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies, African American Studies

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. RL.8.9. Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RI.8.5. Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept. RI.8.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints. RI.8.7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea. R.I. 8.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced. RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. W.8.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.2. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.A.1 Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9.1.8.A.2 Implement problem-solving strategies to solve a problem in school or the community.

9.1.8.B.2 Assess data gathered to solve a problem for which there are varying perspectives (e.g., cross-cultural, gender-specific, generational), and determine how the data can best be used to design multiple solutions. 9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.D.4 Compare and contrast nuances in verbal and nonverbal communication in different cultures that may result in misinterpretation and misunderstanding. 9.1.8.F.1 Demonstrate how productivity and accountability contribute to realizing individual or group work goals within or outside the classroom. Unit Understandings

Students will understand… • families pass on values through generations. • choices made by individuals impact not only their lives, but also the lives of generations to come. • the conflicts faced by characters in historical fiction convey the real struggles faced by individuals in different time periods. • historical fiction presents readers with a story about fictional characters that takes place during a notable period in history. • African Americans were not granted the same freedoms as other Americans; they had to struggle for them. • persuasive techniques are used in speaking and writing and both are ubiquitous in everyday life.


• What makes an individual free? • How are family values transmitted across generations? • What is the value of historical fiction? • How do decisions one makes today impact the future? • Do you think about how your choices affect others? • What motivates individuals in today’s society to act heroically? • How can persuasive writing be crafted so it motivates and influences a reaction from its audience?


Students will know… • historical events of the novel and their importance in the context of the African-American heritage. • the cause and effect of the characters’ decisions in each vignette. • the limited freedom the main characters endure and how the characters handle that injustice. • authors craft fictional stories to allow the reader to experience notable historical events. • authors choose third person narration to give readers a broad view of characters and events. • domain-specific vocabulary relating to debate, e.g., argument, affirmative, negative, opponent, and rebuttal. • consideration of task, purpose, and audience are essential to effective writing and speaking.

Students will be able to… • apply close reading strategies do decode the literal, inferential, and thematic meanings of the text. • determine a theme or central idea (i.e., prejudice, oppression, violence) of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,

including its relationship to the characters, setting, and conflict. • relate fictional events in the story to real events taking place in history, e.g., Harriet Tubman freeing slaves from southern plantations. • examine how one generation’s choices affect future generations. • analyze the causes and effects of the choices made by the main characters in each time period. • differentiate between non-fiction and historical fiction by watching Spike Lee’s documentary 4 Little Girls and comparing and contrasting

the subject matter to Myers’ vignette about the civil rights era. Evaluate the merits of each medium in conveying the themes of racial violence.

• analyze the modes of development in persuasive speeches and texts. • develop a persuasive essay in response to a question about heroism.


Assessment


• Persuasive Essay – Students will compose a five-paragraph persuasive essay about the heroism of a character from the novel. They must explain why the character is a hero and elaborate on the challenges the character faced and the choices they made during the time period in which they lived. They will be required to: follow an established framework for organizing ideas; employ persuasive techniques

effectively to convince the audience of their position; and cite the text to support reasonable arguments. Students will develop this piece following the five steps in the writing process.

Other Evidence:

• Open-Ended responses throughout the reading will serve as a formative assessment of student understanding. • Quiz - cause and effect • Quiz – recall important events in each chapter • Test – multi-part test after each section on character, setting, conflict, and plot.

Learning Activities

• Teacher will review essential questions and assessments stressing that the hero question must be considered and documented throughout the reading of the novel.

• Teacher will introduce the unit by reading the poem, “I, Too, Sing America,” by Langston Hughes. • Students will read The Glory Field silently and journal about interacting voice as they read. They will discuss their responses with their

reading group. • Students will illustrate the setting based on the descriptions given in the text. • Students will choose a character and rewrite a segment of the story from that character’s point of view using dialect appropriately. • Students will track the use of symbols, such as the shackles and the plantation, as the novel progresses through various time periods. • Students will analyze segments of The Great Debaters and notable speeches to identify persuasive techniques being used. • Students will watch 4 Little Girls and evaluate how Spike Lee conveys themes of racism, violence, and ignorance. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit. • Socratic Seminar: Do you think the main characters made the right choices given the challenges they faced? How would you have acted if

confronted with those same challenges? Compose a reflection about these essential questions based on discussion and the texts read. • Writer’s Workshop:

o Create African Praise poems using figurative language. o Generation Rap - Interview a relative from a previous generation about their experiences as an adolescent. Following the interview

compose a vignette about their experience. o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage


Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. o The Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park o The Legend of Buddy Bush, by Moses, Sheila P. o Days of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue, by Lester, Julius o Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl, by Bolden, Tonya o Dark Sons, by Grimes, Nikki o The Road to Paris, by Grimes, Nikki o Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, by Ben Carson o Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States, by McKissack, Patricia C. and Frederick L. o Locomotion, by Woodson, Jacqueline o The Battle of Jericho, by Draper, Sharon o The Red Rose Box, by Woods, Brenda o The Land, by Taylor, Mildred o Miracle's Boys, by Woodson, Jacqueline o Let It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, by Francie, Andrea Davis Pinkney, English, Karen o Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African American Whalers, by McKissack, Patricia C. & Frederick L. o Now is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom, by Myers, Walter Dean o The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Coretta Scott King o Forged by Fire, by Draper, Sharon M. o Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence: The Story of New York's African Burial Ground, by Hansen, Joyce and McGowan, Gary o I See the Rhythm, by Igus, Toyomi o The Other Side: Shorter Poems, by Johnson, Angela o Toning the Sweep, by Johnson, Angela o Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts, by McKissack, Patricia C. and Frederick L. o Soujourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?, by McKissack, Patricia C. and Frederick L. o Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World, by Walter, Mildred Pitts o Let the Circle Be Unbroken, by Taylor, Mildred D. o Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir, by Greenfield, Eloise and Little, Lessie Jones o Andrew Young: Young Man With a Mission, by Haskins, James o The Way a Door Closes, by Smith, Hope Anita o The Skin I'm In, by Flake, Sharon o Another Way to Dance, by Southgate, Martha o Elijah of Buxton, by Curtis, Christopher Paul o Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali, by Smith Jr., Charles R. o We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Nelson, Kadir o Keeping the Night Watch, by Smith, Hope Anita

o Maizon at Blue Hill, by Woodson, Jacqueline o My People, by Hughes, Langston, illustrated by Charles R. Smith, Jr. o 1001 Things People Should Know about African American History, by Steward, Jeffrey C. o To Be a Slave, by Lester, Julius o Chains, by Anderson, Laurie Halse o A Friendship for Today, by McKissack, Patricia C. o Never Forgotten, by McKissack, Patricia


• The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers • “I, Too, Sing America” and “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes • Lesson plans and assessments - http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/the-glory-field/funactivities.html • McDougal Littell The Language of Literature textbook – “Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad,” “Letter to Harriet

Tubman” • Common Core Clinics – Writing and Language – Persuasive Writing • Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches • The Great Debaters film segments • 4 Little Girls documentary by Spike Lee • http://www.middleschooldebate.com/topics/upcomingtopics.htm#badl • Excerpts from the literature of African-American authors: Maya Angelou, W.E. DuBois, Langston Hughes, John Lewis, Cornel West,

Melissa Harris-Perry, Christopher Paul Curtis, Nikki Giovanni, Nora Zeale Hurston

Equipment Needed:

• Projector


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: The Power of Memories


Unit Summary: In this unit students will explore the Holocaust through their reading of Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. This is a firsthand account of the brutality of the ghettos, the many cruelties endured by innocent people, and the atrocities of the concentration camps. Through this text and other resources, students should recognize the importance of never forgetting the mistakes of the past. Students will study Nazi propaganda and its impact on the German population using The Wave to recognize the efficacy of the Nazi’s methods. Students will reflect on crimes against humanity that have happened since the Holocaust and are still happening today and will appreciate that the individual has the power to make a difference in society.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies, Technology

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RL.8.7. Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors. RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.8.3. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories). RI.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RI.8.5. Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept. RI.8.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints. RI.8.7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea. RI.8.9. Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation. RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.A.1 Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.F.1 Demonstrate how productivity and accountability contribute to realizing individual or group work goals within or outside the classroom. Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • memoirs are a sub-genre of non-fiction written in the first person. When writers compose first person accounts of historical events, these

texts have an emotional impact on the reader. • the study of history, including the successes and failures of individuals and governments, should inform opinions and policies today. • historical events should be studied using a variety of sources (memoirs, novels, poems, newspapers) and mediums (print, video, art,

cartoons). • the power of the group mentality can be a danger to everyone because it subverts an individual’s humanity. • the Holocaust is a significant historical event that represents the darkest side of human nature. • propaganda is a persuasive technique/device used to influence the public. • individuals write memoirs of painful events in order to educate others and prevent future injustices. • human rights violations are prevalent in the world today and there are individuals who speak out against them.


• Which is more dangerous and destructive: the brutality of an insane dictator or the silence of a sane public? • How does silence perpetuate violence? Why was the world silent when Hitler was slaughtering a race of people? • Why is it important to study historical events like the Holocaust? • Does history repeat itself?

• Has the world learned a lesson from the Holocaust? • How does one survive when stripped of basic needs and rights? • How do memoirs teach, heal, and unite? • What are the best ways to remember? • Do individuals have a responsibility to fight social injustices? • Are heroes born or made? Is heroism a matter of fate?


Students will know… • Wiesel’s memoir is an example of literary non-fiction, which is structured like a narrative. Through the author’s use of figurative

language, imagery, and symbolism, literary non-fiction appeals to the reader’s emotions and conveys a theme. • Night is a primary source recounting the horrific events of the Holocaust, including the ghettos and concentration camps. Wiesel believed

in the importance of “never forgetting” as a means of preventing future atrocities such as genocide. • Hitler used propaganda to persuade individuals and governments to turn against the Jews. He appealed to the youth because they were

easily swayed and vulnerable; they lacked experience, wanted acceptance into a group, were willing to try new things, and were not afraid of the unknown.

• peer pressure and group dynamics impact the choices of individuals. • Anti-Semitism is the prejudice and discrimination against the Jewish population which still exists today. • genocide is the destruction of groups of people based on their race, religion, etc., and it continues to happen around the world today. • the history and purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize, including past winners.

Students will be able to… • read Night by Elie Wiesel and determine key events in each chapter. • explain author’s purpose in using word choice, imagery, biblical allusion, and symbolism to strengthen message and appeal to reader. • read The Wave by Todd Strasser to recognize how the human need to be part of a group can make one susceptible to peer pressure and

manipulation; draw parallels to the indoctrination of the Hitler youth. • research aspects of the Holocaust to broaden their understanding of this event. • study roots of words and use same to analyze meaning of domain specific vocabulary: Holocaust, ghetto, genocide, concentration camp,

anti-Semitism, stereotyping, scapegoat. • research the history of the Nobel Prize and its previous winners. • compose an explanatory essay in response to a quote or poem. • compose a personal narrative incorporating elements of literary non-fiction.


Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”? Performance Tasks:

• Students will complete a Webquest that will require them to tour the Internet, including the Holocaust Museum Website, to gather information about the Holocaust. When their research is complete, they will demonstrate an understanding of Nazi propaganda, Nazi war criminals, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the perpetration of genocide in the world today. Their research must also culminate in an understanding of why it is important to remember the Holocaust and how the task of remembrance has been carried out up until now.

• Students will prepare a multimedia presentation about an event they want to remember. • Students will prepare arguments to prosecute a Nazi war criminal or an individual responsible for genocide in the world today.

Other Evidence:

• Open-Ended responses throughout the reading will serve as a formative assessment of student understanding. • Quiz – vocabulary relating to the Holocaust • Quiz – recall important events in each chapter • Test – Explain the author’s purpose in using figurative language, imagery, symbolism • Explanatory essay – Explain the meaning of quotes about indifference to injustice using textual evidence from Night and from Holocaust

research to support opinions and ideas. • Explanatory – Compare and contrast the print and video versions of The Wave.

Learning Activities

• Teacher will review essential questions and assessments. • Teacher will introduce the unit by reading the picture book Terrible Things. • Teacher will guide students through a close reading of the preface by Elie Wiesel to examine how the author uses metaphor and repetition

to convey his message. • Students will read Night and The Wave silently and journal about interacting voice as they read. They will discuss their responses with

their reading group.

• Students will research different aspects of the Holocaust (history of ghettos, the Hitler Youth, significance of the Star of David, non-Jews in the camps, anti-Semitism, Zionism) and present findings to reading groups using Jigsaw method.

• Students will engage in Socratic Seminars about topics such as the indoctrination of youth, the struggle for survival, the power of the group mentality, and the power of memories.

• Students will examine the meaning of quotations by Rev. Martin Niemoller and Martin Luther King, Jr. and relate them to the Holocaust. Students will create a Holocaust dictionary.

• Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit, e.g., roots and affixes. • Students will view segments of movies to help visualize aspects of the Holocaust, e.g., how the Jews were forced into ghettos, and

compare the experience of viewing to reading. • Students will watch The Wave and compare the movie to the book. • Students will watch Paper Clips documentary and examine the project’s evolution and its success in conveying the horrors of genocide. • Writer’s Workshop:

o Publish a personal narrative incorporating elements of literary nonfiction. o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage


Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. o The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne o The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak o The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett o Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas o Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay o Memoirs o Books about Holocaust http://www.waltham.lib.ma.us/Young%20Adult%20Services/worldwarii.pdf o Books about genocide


• Night by Elie Wiesel • The Wave by Todd Strasser (book and movie) • “The Enchanted Street” by Monika Kotowska • Terrible Things (allegory) by Eve Bunting • Paper Clips Documentary • Schindler’s List - opening scene of Jews being removed from their homes and taken to ghettos • The Holocaust Museum Website • Holocaust Power Points in faculty shared • http://tezak-nightunit.weebly.com/essential-questionsthemes.html

Equipment Needed:

• Projector • Computer Lab access 2-3 days

http://www.waltham.lib.ma.us/Young%20Adult%20Services/worldwarii.pdf

http://tezak-nightunit.weebly.com/essential-questionsthemes.html


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: Look It Up


Unit Summary: In this unit students will revisit the concept of the hero that was introduced with summer reading. They will continue to develop their understanding of heroism by writing about a modern-day hero. Students may choose their own subject as long as their research proves why this person is a hero based on criteria that defines a hero. In choosing their topic students may consider some aspect of a literary unit that arouses their curiosity, e.g., a crusader against genocide, a successful immigrant who has overcome obstacles. To demonstrate proficiency in applying the steps of the research and the writing processes, students should produce a lengthy piece of scholarly writing.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Technology, Social Studies

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RI.8.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced. RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. W.8.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. W.8.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two).

SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.D.3 Use effective communication skills in face-to-face and online interactions with peers and adults from home and from diverse cultures.

Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • research broadens and strengthens one’s understanding about a topic. • completing a sequence of steps according to an established timeline is an efficient approach to compiling a research paper. • in-text citations and a Works Cited page are necessary in order for the writer to avoid plagiarism and for the reader to confirm that the

sources are credible. • paraphrasing not only avoids plagiarism, but also ensures that the writer grasps the source material. • the concept of the hero is reflected in life and in literature.


• Are heroes born or made? Is heroism a matter of fate or choice? • Can anyone be a hero given the right set of circumstances? • What motivates individuals in today’s society to act heroically? • How have the events of the past influenced the heroes of today? • Why is it important to write about research? Isn’t reading good enough? • How can one differentiate between reliable and unreliable source material, especially when searching the Internet? • Why must research be paraphrased? • Why is it important to cite source material? • What makes a research paper interesting and engaging for the reader?


Students will know… • there are a number of sequential steps in the research process. • the meaning of research paper terminology, e.g., citation, plagiarism, thesis statement, MLA. • how to differentiate between credible and non-credible sources based on a set of objective criteria. • a thesis statement evolves over the course of the research.


• choose a research topic which piques their interest and which satisfies an objective criteria about heroes and heroism. • read a variety of print and Internet material and identify credible sources. • prepare notecards or maintain a research journal. • create an outline which organizes the research into a logical format. • develop a thesis statement which clearly introduces the writer’s main idea about a topic. • incorporate a combination of direct quotes and paraphrased information and cite appropriately. • create a Works Cited page following MLA conventions. • revise and edit their paper before publishing.


Assessment


• Students will publish a five-page typed, double-spaced report using Times Roman 12pt font, plus title and Works Cited pages. The final product will be graded according to a rubric that measures organization, content, grammar, and mechanics.

Other Evidence:

• Quizzes – research paper terminology, criteria for judging credible sources • Outline of research paper • Research notecards • Peer editing worksheet • NJASK “Hero Paper Boy” (Multiple Choice and Open-Ended)

Learning Activities

What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? • Teacher will review requirements of the research paper beginning with essential questions and ending with the assessment rubric. • Teacher will review steps in the research process and a schedule of deadlines for thesis statement, outline, first draft, etc. • Teacher will review the conventions for in-text citations and the Works Cited page, as well as research paper terminology. • Students will view “Wading through the Web” PowerPoint about navigating Internet sources and will complete accompanying study

guide. • Students will visit library and/or computer lab to research topic. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit, e.g., k., l., and m., which relate to sources, citations, and

plagiarism. • Students will peer-edit drafts for content and organization.


• http://www.fcboe.org/files/curriculum/survival_guide.pdfResearch paper rubric. • McDougal Littell The Language of Literature textbook – “Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad,” “Letter to Harriet

Tubman” • Martin Luther King, Jr. speech • Suggestions for possible subjects: recent Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists such as author Gary Soto, Doctors without Borders • http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/ • http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/scaffolding-methods-research-paper-1155.html • http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/wading-through-teaching-internet-983.html?tab=4#tabs • http://pearsonfoundation.org/jumpstart/servicelearningprogram/downloads/RFTR09_SLP_Pub_HSLes1.pdf

Equipment Needed:

• Access to computers in lab or library • Projector


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: The American Dream


Unit Summary: In this unit students will read John Steinbeck’s powerful novel, Of Mice and Men. They will broaden their understanding of the challenges of the Great Depression, especially the conditions for migrant workers in California. Through the characters they encounter, they will examine the enduring nature of discrimination and prejudice in society. They will also discover the human capacity to care unselfishly for another despite adverse economic conditions. Persuasive essays will be also be analyzed and developed in this unit.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. R.I. 8.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.A.1 Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.F.1 Demonstrate how productivity and accountability contribute to realizing individual or group work goals within or outside the classroom.

Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • literature gives voice to human issues and social themes that not only relate to specific time periods in history but also transcend both time

and place. • judgments about others are based on criteria that come from a variety of perspectives and experiences. • discrimination towards others can be based on a variety of factors, such as race, gender, class, intelligence, and age. • literature allows individuals to reflect on the people, events, and places in their own lives. • friendship often involves difficult commitments and sacrifices that test one’s strength of character. • the achievement of the American Dream can be a key motivator in an individual’s life choices. • authors use idiomatic speech and dialect as a method of characterization that also reinforces setting. • persuasive techniques are used in speaking and writing and both are ubiquitous in everyday life.


• What are the human issues and social themes that transcend time and place? • What are the criteria for forming judgments about others, and do they change according to circumstance? • In what ways does one’s race, gender, class, intelligence, or age affect one’s experience and situation in life? • What are the responsibilities, expectations, and realities regarding friendship? • What is the American Dream, and what purpose does it serve in an individual’s life? • How does an author use characterization to develop theme? • Can anyone be a hero given the right set of circumstances? • How can persuasive writing be crafted so it motivates and influences a reaction from its audience?


Students will know… • background information about the Great Depression in general, about migrant workers in California specifically, and about the influence

of Steinbeck. • authors use literature as a means of social commentary, e.g., Steinbeck’s characters and their conflicts attempt to raise awareness about the

harsh realities of the Depression. • Steinbeck’s choice of characters and their various circumstances suggest that the American Dream is elusive for some members of society. • an author’s technique is determined by how he or she develops structural elements and employs literary devices. • authors use idioms and dialect to develop character, establish setting, and set tone in literature. • theme, mood, and tone must be inferred through a combination of what the text says explicitly and an interpretation of the author’s use of

language and literary elements. • domain-specific vocabulary relating to persuasive essay, e.g., rhetoric, thesis statement, and rebuttal. • consideration of task, purpose, and audience are essential to effective persuasive writing.


• apply close reading strategies to decode the literal, inferential, and thematic meanings of the text. • draw parallels to the characters’ experiences during the Depression and the challenges people confront today.

• describe the American Dream and the path to making that dream a reality. • interpret the characters’ dialect and idioms, e.g., “fatta the lan.” • examine how Steinbeck uses imagery and figurative language to help the reader envision and establish mood and tone. • identify examples of foreshadowing and make predictions as a result. • determine a theme or central idea (i.e., alienation, prejudice, dreams, and friendship) of a text and analyze its development over the course

of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and conflict. • analyze the modes of development in persuasive speeches and texts. • compose a persuasive essay in response to a question about heroism.


Assessment

What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”? Performance:

• George has been arrested and is on trial for the murder of Lennie. 1. One group of students will defend George. Their task is to write and present their opening and closing arguments to the jury

convincing them that George should not be convicted of the murder of his friend. 2. Another group of students will prosecute George for killing Lennie. Their task is to write and present opening and closing arguments

to the jury convincing them that George should be convicted of the murder of his friend.

• Explanatory Essay - Steinbeck often describes Lennie using words associated with animals. In what ways is Lennie like an animal? Other Assessments:

• Open-Ended responses throughout the reading will serve as a formative assessment of student understanding. • Quiz – dialect and idioms • Quiz – chapter vocabulary • Quiz – recall important events in each chapter • Quiz – persuasive vocabulary • Test - multi-part test on character, conflict, theme • NJASK - Persuasive Text Modes of Development – Capital Punishment Editorials (Multiple Choice and Open-Ended) • NJASK – “The Circuit” (Multiple Choice and Open-Ended)

Learning Activities

What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? • Teacher will review essential questions and assessments stressing that the question of George’s status as a hero must be considered and

documented throughout the reading of the novel. • Teacher will introduce the unit by letting students watch segments of Seabiscuit and study photos of the Great Depression. • Teacher will guide students through a close reading of the first chapter to examine how the author develops an idyllic setting into which he

brings the troubled main characters. Students will recognize Steinbeck’s distinct style beginning with this chapter. • Students will read Of Mice and Men silently and journal about interacting voice as they read. They will discuss their responses with their

reading group. • Students will identify examples of idioms and dialect and rewrite in modern language. • Students will create character sketches that visually represent the characters based on the descriptions given in the text. • Students will read “Flowers for Algernon” and “Raymond’s Run” and compare and contrast the characters in each. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit. • Writer’s Workshop:

o What is your American Dream? How do you plan to realize it? Compose essays and poems that address these questions. o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage


Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. o Other books by Steinbeck: The Pearl, The Red Pony, The Grapes of Wrath o Books set during the Great Depression: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand o Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick o Books about migrant workers: The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez


• McDougal Littell The Language of Literature textbook – “Flowers for Algernon,” “Raymond’s Run” • “This Land is Your Land” – song by Woody Guthrie • Photos of Great Depression • Opening scene of the film Seabiscuit • Student Survival Guide - http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/mice/ • Levels of Understanding - http://www.prestwickhouse.com/PDF/SAMPLE/308199.pdf • Assessments - http://s3.amazonaws.com/engrade-myfiles/4087525877955907/Sec-OfMiceAndMen.pdf

Equipment Needed:

• Projector, DVDs


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: Fighting for Survival


Unit Summary: This unit will introduce students to William Golding’s seminal text, Lord of the Flies. Students will explore the themes of power, control, abuse, and respect between the characters in the novel. Students will consider how individuals respond when traditional power structures such as school are absent. To appreciate Golding’s message, students will recognize various literary devices including allegory, figurative language, imagery, and symbolism and understand the author’s purpose in using these tools. To conclude the unit, students will participate in a project-based learning activity that requires them to work in groups to design an anti-bullying campaign.


Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies, Art, Media

LEARNING TARGETS

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/mice/

http://www.prestwickhouse.com/PDF/SAMPLE/308199.pdf


Content Strand: RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. RL.8.9. Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new. RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.


9.1.8.A.1 Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9.1.8.A.2 Implement problem-solving strategies to solve a problem in school or the community. 9.1.8.B.2 Assess data gathered to solve a problem for which there are varying perspectives (e.g., cross-cultural, gender-specific, generational), and determine how the data can best be used to design multiple solutions. 9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.F.1 Demonstrate how productivity and accountability contribute to realizing individual or group work goals within or outside the classroom. Unit Understandings

Students will understand… • Golding believed that individual immorality compromises a well-ordered society and that civilized people revert to savagery when the

structures of civilization disappear. • individuals have a natural tendency to seek group acceptance and approval. • the terms “power” and “control” refer to how power in an intimate relationship or between peers can be used, either positively or

negatively, to control or influence another person. • authors use allegory to communicate their philosophy about human behavior; allegory is a literary device in which characters or events of

the story symbolize ideas and concepts. • complex texts require readers to elicit meaning from a number of literary elements such as characters, symbols, conflicts, etc. • setting contributes to the development of characters, conflict, mood, and theme over the course of a novel.


• What makes an individual powerful? • Do individuals control groups, or do groups control individuals? • How does a society maintain order? Are laws necessary? • What does it mean to be a civilized society? • How do fear and desire for acceptance influence human behavior? • What qualities and/or characteristics give us advantages to succeed in life? • Why do some individuals survive while others suffer? • How do heroes and villains deal with conflict?


Students will know… • authors use symbolism and foreshadowing purposefully to set tone and communicate important themes. • authors use dramatic irony to create tension. • the allegory of Lord of the Flies is that a savage instinct resides within man, i.e., man can be his own worst enemy. • power and control can be used positively or negatively in relationships. • authors use setting to create conflicts that expose the strengths and weaknesses of characters. • theme, mood, and tone must be inferred through a combination of what the text says explicitly and an interpretation of the author’s use of

language and literary elements. • authors use point of view purposefully in crafting a narrative. • the protagonist is not always a “classic” hero and the antagonist is not always a “classic” villain.

Students will be able to… • apply close reading strategies to decode the literal, inferential, and thematic meanings of the text. • explain the multiple layers of meaning present in Lord of the Flies. • identify allegory, explain its meaning, and determine the author’s purpose in using this device. • examine the development of characters and themes over the course of the novel. • identify and describe power and control dynamics between the characters and how their circumstances influence their behavior. • identify and explain the consequences of physical and verbal abuse. • evaluate the leadership qualities of Ralph and Jack supporting with textual evidence. • examine how gender affects behavior in this scenario. • explain how fear of the unknown motivates individuals and groups to act in different ways. • evaluate the author’s use of foreshadowing to create suspense or convey information that helps readers understand what comes later. • analyze the effect of third person point of view in the telling of the story.


Assessment


• Create a survival game which promotes group problem solving and requires students to incorporate themes, characters, setting, and symbols of Lord of the Flies.

• Design a multimedia anti-bullying campaign for an elementary school audience. Include posters, a PowerPoint, video, theme songs, slogans, and an audience activity that reinforces positive behaviors.

Other Evidence:

• Open-Ended responses throughout the reading will serve as a formative assessment of student understanding. • Quiz – chapter vocabulary • Quiz – recall important events in each chapter

Learning Activities

• Teacher will review essential questions and assessments. • Students will role play a situation in which teams are formed and individuals are included/excluded. • Student will compare and contrast the behavior of characters in Lord of the Flies to that of the Nazis during the Holocaust. • Groups will compare and contrast the culture of an established institution, such as school, to the culture that is evolving on the island.

Groups will consider aspects of culture (authority, rewards/consequences, responsibilities, symbols) and will present their comparisons to the class.

• Students will root for team Jack or team Ralph: make a roster of each team, keep track of trades, keep a scorecard of victories and defeats. • Students will maintain a symbolism log about key symbols and note how their meaning evolves over the course of the novel. • Students will analyze both physical and character traits of the boys and what those traits symbolize. • Students will create a poster to promote Jack or Ralph as leader of the island. The poster should include a slogan, eye catching visuals, a

symbol or logo, and persuasive copy. • Students will compare and contrast the destructive forces in Lord of the Flies and “The Veldt” and analyze the themes conveyed in both. • Students will complete relevant Study Island assignments throughout the unit. • Socratic Seminar:

Students will discuss how gender affects the behavior and outcomes on the island. What would happen with a mixed group or girls and boys or a group of girls only?

• Writer’s Workshop: o Message in a Bottle – Students will write letters and/or poems from the point of view of the boys on the island. Decide on an

audience of family members or potential rescuers. o Persuasive Essay – Students will compose a letter to convince others to join either Jack’s or Ralph’s group, citing evidence from the

story to support their argument. o Throughout the year teacher will present mini-lessons on the six traits of effective writing including specific grammar and usage


Students will compare and contrast outside reading books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. o Adventure and survival books o Alive by Piers Paul Read o Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins o Call of the Wild by Jack London o The King of Dragons by Carol Fenner


• Lord of the Flies by William Golding • Short Story - “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury • http://www.onread.com/fbreader/191116/

Equipment Needed:

• Projector

http://www.onread.com/fbreader/191116/


UNIT OVERVIEW


Unit Title: Outside Reading


Unit Summary: Students will read a minimum of four books independent of the in-class novels. These books may be loosely connected in terms of their subject matter or theme to the units being studied in the classroom. The outside reading books should be enjoyable and interesting to the students; however, they must also be at or above grade level.

Approximate Length of Unit: 3-4 weeks per book

Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies - For certain units, students will be encouraged to choose non-fiction or historical fiction books to broaden their perspective on significant historical events, e.g., The Great Depression, WWII. Technology - Use computer and Internet to generate performance tasks.

LEARNING TARGETS


Content Strand: RI.8.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced. RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. W.8.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. W.8.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.8.4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

SL.8.5. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. L.8.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.8.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 21st Century Life & Career Skills

9.1.8.C.1 Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities. 9.1.8.C.2 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects. 9.1.8.C.3 Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular activities. 9.1.8.D.3 Use effective communication skills in face-to-face and online interactions with peers and adults from home and from diverse cultures.

Unit Understandings

Students will understand that… • reading is a worthwhile activity which can be interesting, entertaining, stimulating, relaxing or all of the above. • reading strengthens one’s vocabulary, deepens one’s understanding of human nature, and broadens one’s world view. • competent readers can communicate their understanding of literary elements and textual meaning through a variety of creative mediums. • readers often develop preferences with regard to genre, author, and topic; competent readers challenge themselves with quality literature

that is outside of their comfort zone. Unit Essential Questions

• How does reading outside the classroom make one a better reader? • How does an independent reading book influence the reader’s perspective on a topic or theme being studied in class? • How can an independent reading book be both entertaining and challenging?


Students will know… • fiction and non-fiction genres and sub-genres, how to recognize those genres, and their individual genre preferences. • how to choose books that are appropriate to their reading and interest levels. • all works of fiction share structural elements such as character, setting, plot, and point of view, the recognition of which bolsters the

reader’s comprehension. • there can be numerous perspectives on a single historical event. • written and oral presentations about literature help deepen one’s understanding of the text • art and technology are creative mediums through which understanding can be communicated.


• read for an average of twenty minutes each day outside of the classroom. • choose books that share a topic or theme with the core text in order to broaden their perspective and foster critical thinking about an event

or issue. • discuss the literary aspects of independent reading with their in-class reading groups. • compare and contrast the structure and literary elements of outside and in-class reading. • evaluate outside reading and make recommendations supported by references to text. • develop a variety of creative and engaging “book reports” to demonstrate understanding of outside reading.


Assessment

What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly “understand”? Performance Tasks (one for each book):

• Compose a persuasive essay about the book making recommendations to fellow students, librarians. • Create and present a “book report in a box.” Choose five items that represent character, conflict, or setting, and compose a one paragraph

description of the significance of each. Students will use each symbol as a prop for their oral presentation. • Create a book report in the form of a newspaper. • Design and produce a multimedia presentation.

Other Evidence: • Quizzes – One quiz per book on literary elements. • Explanatory - Compare and contrast outside books to core texts based on character development, setting, plot structure, and/or conflicts. • Persuasive - make recommendations about the book to fellow students, librarian.

Learning Activities

What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? • Teacher will review essential questions and assessments. • Students will visit that RMS library or the classroom library to select their outside reading book. They may refer to a teacher-suggested list

that offers a range of difficulty levels or they may choose their own. • Students will choose the form of their assessment from a teacher-approved list that offers a range of creative tasks catering to multiple

intelligences. • Students will present their performance tasks to their groups or to the class.


• Book recommendations for students • Differentiated “book report” activities • Compare and Contrast outline and template • Classroom library • 7th & 8th Grade Academy library

Equipment Needed:

• Book display cases • Classroom library books to complement new curriculum.

Documents

CURRICULUM FOR HONORS LANGUAGE ARTS …...Tangerine by Edward Bloor Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change by Garth Sundem Informational Texts News stories about modern day heroes, e.g.,