Francis Howell School District Curriculum Revision ......Compose well-developed pieces of writing,...

revised October 2012

Francis Howell School District Curriculum Revision & Approval Sequence

Curriculum: ELA 8 Content Leader: Erin Thurston Curriculum Revision Team: Suzan Wilson, Jessica Ferri, Alan Beeson Board of Education Curriculum Information:

1. Current Reality and Research ELA has new Common Core Standards, text complexity requirements, and national and state assessments. The team reviewed all of these components prior to beginning writing the new curriculum.

2. Curriculum and Assessment Development and Revision A. Curriculum Map/Pacing Guide – included in curriculum B. Curriculum Development Review Feedback:

Content Leader review - [1/13/14] Director of Student Learning review – [Jan. 2014] Teacher/Administrator review-- [Jan. 2014] Curriculum Advisory Council review – [1/28/14] Academic Strategic Planning Committee review – [2/3/14]

BOE First Reading – [2/2014] BOE Second Reading/Approval – [3/6/2014]

Summary of curriculum and revisions: Last Curriculum Revision – [2008]

Curriculum was designed to align with Common Core Standards and text complexity recommendations and now includes performance tasks and activities are aligned to rigor/relevance.

3. Professional Development and Implementation

Professional Development Plan Teacher training dates ___TBD 2014-15___ Administrator training dates ___TBD 2014-15___ Approximate Expense ___$3200______ ___

4. Evaluate Resources and Materials

Text Selection (if applicable)* 2015-16 Approximate Expense $100,000

5. Monitor Implementation

Projected Date – 2014-2015 school year 6. Program Evaluation*

Projected Date – 2018-2019 school year

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 8

Board Approved:

FHSD Academics ET Curriculum 2.0 Revised Winter 2014 Page 2

Curriculum Committee

Alan Beeson CF Hollenbeck Middle School Jessica Ferri Barnwell Middle School Suzan Wilson Saeger Middle School

Middle School Department Chairs Raquel Babb ME Bryan Middle School Alan Beeson Hollenbeck Middle School Patrice Feldmann Francis Howell Middle School Renee Rethemeyer Saeger Middle School Julie Peters Barnwell Middle School

Secondary Content Leader Erin Thurston Director of Student Learning Dr. Chris Greiner Chief Academic Officer Dr. Mary Hendricks-Harris Superintendent Dr. Pam Sloan


Francis Howell School District

Mission Statement

Francis Howell School District is a learning community where all students reach their full potential.

Vision Statement

Francis Howell School District is an educational leader that builds excellence through a collaborative culture that values students, parents, employees, and the community as partners in learning.

Values Francis Howell School District is committed to:

• Providing a consistent and comprehensive education that fosters high levels of academic achievement for all • Operating safe and well-maintained schools • Promoting parent, community, student, and business involvement in support of the school district • Ensuring fiscal responsibility • Developing character and leadership

Francis Howell School District Graduate Goals

Upon completion of their academic study in the Francis Howell School District, students will be able to: 1. Gather, analyze and apply information and ideas. 2. Communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom. 3. Recognize and solve problems. 4. Make decisions and act as responsible members of society.

Communication Arts Graduate Goals Upon completion of their Communication Arts study in the Francis Howell School District, students will be able to: 1. Speak and write standard English with fluency and facility using proper grammar usage, punctuation, spelling and capitalization. 2. Read a variety of genre with facility, fluency and comprehension and be able to analyze and evaluate what they read. 3. Develop a comprehensive research plan while evaluating resources for their reliability and validity. 4. Compose well-developed pieces of writing, both formally and informally, with clarity and awareness of audience and form. 5. Orally make presentations on issues and ideas. 6. Identify and evaluate relationships between language and cultures.


Communication Arts Rationale for English Language Arts 8

English Language Arts 8 builds on the literary analysis, reading comprehension, writing, and speaking and listening skills that students learned or were introduced to in previous grades ensuring that the students are prepared for high school ELA curriculum. The units provided include a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction text genres as well as a number of electronic and video media pieces intended to give students compelling pieces to practice their skills, provide a wider world view, and inspire them to think in new ways. The students will improve their writing and speaking skills as they respond to these pieces and convey their thoughts to their teachers and their peers. Over the course of the year, students will also develop technology literacy and consider the role of technology in their lives and its effect on communication and the written word.

Course Description for English Language Arts 8

This course is designed to ensure college and career readiness by providing students with the opportunity to explore enduring understandings that characterize the literature they read. Fiction categories will include short stories, novels, poetry, and drama. Non-fiction categories will include auto/biography, essays/speeches, newspapers/magazines, and print/electronic resources. They will also demonstrate their comprehension of these understandings by writing formally and informally – including argumentative, narrative, and informational writing - with an emphasis on the development of the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing, formats, and thesis development with support. Students will further develop active listening skills and practice effective speaking skills.


English Language Arts 8 Units & Standards Overview

Semester 1 Semester 2

Unit 1: Power of Words Unit 2: Great Power, Great Responsibility

Unit 3: Different Truths

Unit 4: Preserving the Power of Words

8-9 weeks 8-9 weeks 8-9 weeks 8-9 weeks PE Assessment:

RL1, RL2, W2, RL4 PE Assessment:

RI1, RI2, RI3, RI4, RI6, RI8, RI9, W2, W4, L2, L5

PE Assessment: RL1, RL2, W1, W2

PE Assessment: RL5, RI1, RI3, RI6, W1, W4, W7, W8, W9, SL4, SL5, L2, ISTE-S1b, ISTE-S2a, ISTE-S3b, ISTE-S3c, ISTE-S4b, ISTE-S6a, ISTE-S6b

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL6 RL9 W1 W2 W4 W9 W10 L1 L2 L3 L5 L6 ISTE-S 6b

RL1 RL2 RL5 RL6 RL7 RI1 RI2 RI3 RI4 RI6 RI7 RI8 RI9 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W8 W9 W10 SL1 SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5 SL6 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 ISTE-S 1b, 2b, 3b, 5a, 6a

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL5 RL6 RL7 RL9 RL10 RI1 RI2 RI6 RI8 RI9 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W9 W10 SL1 SL2 SL3 L1 L2 L3 L5 L6 ISTE-S 1b, 2a, 3b, 3c, 6a, 6b

RL5 RL9 RI1 RI2 RI3 RI4 RI6 RI7 RI8 RI9 RI10 W1 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5 SL6 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 ISTE-S 1b, 2a, 3b, 3c, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 6d

*Bolded standards are priority standards


English Language Arts 8 Course Map

Unit Description Unit Timeline PE Summary PE Standards Semester 1

The Power of Words: The purpose of this unit is for students to expand upon literary analysis skills, applying these skills to a variety of texts and expressing their ideas through various forms of writing and discussion.

8-9 weeks. The vocabulary, introduction to annotation, and practice with the first short story (suggested text “Flowers for Algernon”) and movie comparison.—2.5 weeks. Speeches—1 week Poetry—1 week Short stories— 2 weeks Novella—2.5 weeks Instruction in grammar and conventions should be ongoing through mentor sentences.

Students will read the short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer and demonstrate their literary analysis skills by writing an essay predicting the main character’s future actions based on the author’s use of literary devices and techniques including foreshadowing, flashback, symbolism, setting, dialogue, and characterization.

RL1, RL2, RL4, W2

Semester 1

Great Power, Great Responsibility: The purpose of this unit is to develop the skills to form and defend informed opinions; specifically as relates to social injustices. The teacher should select a novel that focuses on a great social injustice and includes a character whose actions force students to deeply consider the motives behind discrimination and prejudices. This unit provides activities for Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Diary of Anne Frank. While studying the behavior of fictional and nonfictional character(s), the unit should lead students to explore similar occurrences and connections, both historically and currently, and to form and defend their own opinions. Students will produce their own written argumentative essay and orally debate and defend both sides of an argument.

8-9 weeks. Novel – 3 weeks Literary Analysis Essay – 1 week 1st Amendment Debates – 1 week Reading Diary of Anne Frank – 1-2 weeks Media Comparisons – 1 week Performance Task – 3-4 days Instruction in grammar and conventions should be ongoing through mentor sentences.

Students will watch a video with background information then read excerpts from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Senator Obama's speech A More Perfect Union. Students will write an essay arguing whether or not the two men were addressing the same social issue.

RI1, RI2, RI3, RI4, RI6, RI8, RI9, W2, W4, L2, L5


Semester 2

Different Truths: Students will explore how different a story can be depending on the perspective it is told from. This unit will encourage students to explore the world through the eyes of another and grapple with the question of whether or not there can be one objective truth. Students will become familiar with both objective newspaper reporting and the various opinion pieces printed in newspapers through reading and writing both types of pieces.

8-9 weeks. Each of the shorter pieces will take 3 to 5 days. The novel will probably take around 3 weeks. After initially being assigned, students will complete the news article assignment over the course of the quarter. Each piece has a longer writing assignment associated with it, which may be used as either an in-class performance event or a long term, revised writing assignment. The former would take a day or two while the latter may take a week or so. Giving students experience with both is important. Instruction in grammar and conventions should be ongoing through mentor sentences.

Students will read “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry and, in order to demonstrate understanding of the story and characters as well as the ability to write to explain and to argue, write an objective newspaper report a letter to the editor addressing specified events in the story.

RL1, RL2 W1, W2

Semester 2

Preserving The Power Of Words: Students will examine how technology can facilitate and hinder communication. Students will assess the role of technology in preserving and/or redefining our language and our literary heritage.

8-9 weeks. It is suggested that this unit be completed in the following steps: 1. Read a series of short stories and articles to introduce the unit topic and complete class discussions. Approx. 1 week 2. Do a mini research project to begin to form an argument. 1-2 weeks 3. Read a full length novel or short literature pieces to explore. Fahrenheit 451 is a suggested text. 3-4 weeks 4. Synthesize ideas from research, literature, and class discussions into a project that represents a viewpoint on the impact of technology and censorship on language and literary heritage. 1 week 5. Listen to and critique oral presentations. 1 week Instruction in grammar and conventions should be ongoing through mentor sentences.

Students will read the introduction to Fahrenheit 451 and consider the following questions: What do you envision the role of technology should be in the future of our society? What part does censorship play in this? Students will then create a three minute presentation using a level of technology that corresponds with their answers to the first question.

RL5, RI1, RI3, RI6, W1, W4, W7, W8, W9, SL4, SL5, L2, ISTE-S 1b, 2a, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6a, 6b


Content Area: English Language Arts Course: 8th Grade UNIT: The Power of Words

Unit Description: The purpose of this unit is for students to expand upon literary analysis skills, applying these skills to a variety of texts and expressing their ideas through various forms of writing and discussion.

Unit Timeline: This until will take approximately 8 to 9 weeks and is designed to be taught first quarter.

• The vocabulary, introduction to annotation, and practice with the first short story (suggested text “Flowers for Algernon”) and movie comparison.—2.5 weeks.

• Speeches—1 week • Poetry—1 week • Short stories— 2 weeks • Novella—2.5 weeks

Instruction in grammar and conventions should be ongoing through mentor sentences.

DESIRED RESULTS

Transfer Goal - Students will effectively read, write, and speak English to clearly communicate, comprehend, analyze, and problem solve as culturally literate, collaborative members of society.

Understandings – 1. Students will be able to understand texts explicitly, make valid inferences, and draw accurate conclusions. 2. Students will be able to compose constructed responses to literary questions using a reliable strategy that guides the citation and explanation of textual

evidence. 3. Students will be able to understand how authors’ use of setting, characterization, plot, dialogue, and point of view to create theme, irony, and propel the

story. 4. Students will be able to interpret and analyze the denotative and connotative meanings of words, figures of speech, analogies, and allusions and their

impact tone. 5. Students will be able to form and use verbs and verbals effectively, including correct mood and voice. 6. Students will be able to use ellipses, commas, and dashes when appropriate. 7. Students will be able to produce a clear and coherent informative/expository essay in which they analyze the impact of author’s use of literary devices. Essential Questions: What is the purpose of literature?


Students Will Know… Standard Students Will Be Able to … Standard

READING LITERATURE: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from the text. The definition of theme/central idea, how it is conveyed through the elements of literature (characterization, plot, setting, point of view, etc.), the definition of summary (using appropriate details) and how to write a summary devoid of opinions and judgments. The definition of dialogue, the definition of plot (including parts of the plot), characterization, conflict (person vs. person, etc. internal & external), and setting. The definition of figurative and connotative meanings (including onomatopoeia, metaphor, simile, personification, imagery/sensory details, hyperbole), the definition of analogies, the definition of allusions, and how word choices impact the overall tone and meaning in a text. The definition of point of view, the definition of irony, and the reason why authors would use each of these things to support the overall message. The definition of theme and allusion. Authors draw upon past works to enhance their writing and to generate new perspectives. WRITING: How to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant evidence, how to find and use credible sources, when to provide evidence, appropriate use of transition words, understand both sides of an argument, write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL6 RL9 W1

READING LITERATURE: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 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. 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. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone including analogies or allusions to other texts. 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. 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. WRITING:

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL6 RL9 W1


section.

How to identify and include appropriate text features, research a variety of sources and use multiple ways to include appropriate evidence, correctly cite sources, appropriate use of transition words, use pertinent language (jargon), write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section.

Appropriate development, organization, and style for specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. How to assess information to determine if it supports or refutes an idea or answer.

W2 W4 W9

b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows

from and supports the argument presented. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and

convey ideas, concepts, and information through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, preview what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g. headings), graphics (e.g. figures, tables) and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

c. Use appropriate and varied transition to create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows

from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support

analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction

W2 W4 W9


How to adjust writing to task, purpose, audience, and time frame. LANGUAGE: The definitions of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives), active and passive voice, and verbal moods. The rules for using commas, ellipses, dashes, and spelling. The definitions for active/ passive voice and conditional/ subjunctive mood and how they affect writing, speaking, reading or listening. The definitions of denotation, connotation, and various figures of speech.

W10 L1 L2 L3 L5

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,

reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. LANGUAGE: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.

b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative,

interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice

and mood. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a

pause or break. b. Use ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing,

speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the

conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g. emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in

context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to

better understand each of the words.

W10 L1 L2 L3 L5


How to acquire and use vocabulary to aid comprehension and expression.

L6

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-

specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. ISTE-S: Select and use applications effectively and productively

L6 ISTE-S 6b

EVIDENCE of LEARNING Understanding

6

Standards

RL1 RL2 RL4 W2

Unit Performance Assessment: Description of Assessment Performance Task(s): Students will read the short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer and demonstrate their literary analysis skills by writing an essay predicting the main character’s future actions based on the author’s use of literary devices and techniques including foreshadowing, flashback, symbolism, setting, dialogue, and characterization. Appendix A1 Teacher will assess this literary analysis essay using the informative/explanatory writing rubric.

(Appendix A8)

R/R Quadrant

C


SAMPLE LEARNING PLAN

Understanding Standards Major Learning Activities: Instructional Strategy: R/R Quadrant:

1,2,3

RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4, RL6, RL9 W2 W4 W5

1. Activity: Vocabulary Review/Introduce literary vocabulary, having students take notes in either their vocabulary journals or word journals. Students should be given time to add their own examples that they pair and share out with a neighbor. See vocabulary list at the end of this unit; those with an asterisk should be covered.

2. Activity: Demonstrate annotating a text.

Explain to students the 3 voices in your head while reading. See Appendix A26. It should be noted that interacting with the text increases comprehension and minimizes the distracting, bad voice.

Read aloud Leo Tolstoy’s “The Old Grandfather and and His Little Grandson” and use electronic sticky notes to annotate. This story can also be found on page 72 of the Silver Prentice Hall Literature book. See Appendix A27. Explain that annotating text is the best way to encourage the good voice.

3. Activity: Read “Flowers for Algernon” Read “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes on page 182 of the Silver Prentice Hall Literature Book. Have students annotate the story, as they read, using sticky notes. During reading, students will practice using the RACE strategy by answering questions. See Appendix A3. Have students review examples and nonexamples of quality constructed responses. See Appendix A4. Daily warm-up writing assignments to accompany this story can be found in Appendix A5.

4. Activity: Compare and contrast different mediums. Watch the movie Flowers for Algernon, starring Matthew Modine. Have students identify 10 differences between the movie and novel. Then, of the 10, have students select 3 differences and explain why the director may have made these changes. In small groups, have students share out their 3 differences and have the group come up with alternate reasons for the changes.

Lastly, each member of the group will pick one of the changes and in a constructed response (one paragraph) describe the change, discuss possible reasons for it, and evaluate whether or not this was a good change to make. Use the argumentative writing scoring guide in Appendix A2.

Vocabulary Note Taking and

Summarizing Cooperative

Learning Note Taking and

Summarizing Questions and

Cues Vocabulary Note Taking and

Summarizing Homework and

Practice Examples and

nonexamples Compare and

contrast

A

A A, C


5,6 L2, L3 Activity: Mentor Sentences In order to give direct instruction in grammar that can then be practiced in writing, use mentor sentences as described by Jeff Anderson in Mechanically Inclined. Each day’s activity as listed below should be treated as a mini-lesson at the beginning of class. Appendix A28 contains SMART notebook slides for introducing comma use in a series and after an “opener.” The same basic format should be used to address comma use with “interrupters,” and “closers.” Over the course of the year, after showing the use of AAAWWUBBISes to create these sentence additions, this would be the best place to address verbals as well, showing how the participles can also begin “openers,” “interrupters,” and “closers.” Day 1: Put a sentence or sentences demonstrating the concept you are trying to teach on the board and ask students what they notice. Acknowledge all answers but focus on drawing out the concept you are trying to teach. Show the basic pattern the sentence is following after the kids have identified it on their own. (Appendix A29 contains the basic patterns from Anderson’s book) Day 2: If appropriate for the concept, show students the same sentence without internal punctuation (commas) and ask what they notice. Use this when it will be obvious to the student that the sentence is hard to understand without the punctuation. Day 3: Write your own sentence that mimics one of the mentor sentences and display them both together. Ask students what is the same, what is different, and why the similarities are important. Day 4: Show both the mentor sentence and your imitation of it. Have students write their own imitations. Have them share their sentences with a partner and discuss these questions: What did each change? What didn’t change? Why did each keep the parts that he or she kept? Then have some or all of the pairs share out. Sometime after Day 1 (It could be already during day 2, or it could be after the students have written their own sentences) Prepare a wall chart depicting the pattern of the sentence you are teaching. Encourage students to bring examples of sentences that fit the pattern from books they are reading.

Similarities and Differences, Questions and cues Homework /Practice Cooperative learning

C

1,2,3 RL1 RL2 RL4 W2 W4

Activity: Speeches

Introduce the PAPA (Purpose, Audience, Persona, Argument) graphic organizer and review the concepts it includes (Appendix A9).

Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers

A, C


W9 L1

Show students “Jimmy’s 1993 ESPY Speech” (this can be found by searching Jim Valvano ESPY Speech on YouTube or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E). Have students begin to take notes and fill out the graphic organizer Hand out the full text of the speech (Appendix A10). Have students annotate the text and take additional notes to complete the graphic organizer. Students will then complete the post reading/viewing constructed response questions (Appendix A11). This could be done as a jigsaw activity, in small groups, or individually. Post questions around the room for a Carousel (use 5-6 questions total). These could be the constructed response questions that students have answered or other more specific critical thinking questions related to the speech. See Appendix A12 for additional ideas. Put students into small groups with each group receiving a different colored marker. Have each group start at a different question. Groups have a few minutes to discuss and write one answer to the question before rotating clockwise to the next question. Once each group has made it to each of the questions, have students return to their seats. They can either do a Gallery Walk around the room to go over all of the answers, or answers can be debated and discussed as a whole group. *Instead of a Carousel, this activity could also be done as a Round Table in small groups. Each group member would start with a different question to answer. Every few minutes, group members rotate the questions clockwise until everyone in the group has answered all questions. This could also be a variation to use to practice in a different way when going through other speeches. Repeat any or all steps with other speeches. Other suggested texts may include the following: JFK’s Address on Civil Rights (6/11/63) MLK “I Have a Dream” Sojourner Truth “Ain’t I a Woman?” Malala Yousafzai United Nations Speech 2013 Nelson Mandela “I Am Prepared to Die” Commencement speeches

Summarizing and Note Taking Compare & Contrast Carousel Gallery Walk or Discussion Cooperative Learning

1, 2, 3, 4, 7 RL1 RL2

Poetry Using the poetry packet (Appendix A7), review sound devices and figurative language

Homework &

A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E


RL3 RL4 W1 W2 W9 L5

vocabulary before your begin analyzing poetry. After the vocabulary review, model highlighting symbolism, imagery, figurative language, tone woods, theme, and sound devices in a poem. Then, model completing a SIFTTS chart. After modeling, allow students to cooperatively work with a partner to highlight the next poem and complete the SIFTTS chart. Have students share out with the class what they highlighted and noted on the SIFTTS chart. Continue to allow students to work cooperative through the packet, stopping at the writing prompts to produce individual constructed responses. Use the informational expository writing score guide to grade constructed responses (Appendix A8). Have students construct their own poem, as outlined on page 19 of the poetry packet, about someone the admire. Allow students the latitude to select their own form and rhyme-scheme. Explain that students will need to include all the elements of a SIFTTS chart in their poem. Once their poem is complete, students should complete a SIFFTS chart for their own poem. Teachers should publish student poems in school newsletter, school paper, school or class website, or other school-related media.

Practice Compare & Contrast Cooperative Learning Questions & Cues

C D

1, 2, 3 RL1 RL2 RL3 W9 L5

“Charles” by Shirley Jackson Students will read “Charles” (page 22 in Prentice Hall Silver) using sticky-notes to annotate and answer MC and CR questions (Appendix A13). Discuss story and answers to MC. Use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. CRs can be assessed using the generic constructed response scoring guide (Appendix A14) When discussing the story, ask students to share some of what they wrote on their post-its. Reinforce annotating and point out where what they wrote helped them understand the story or answer some of the question. When discussing question 8, explain that the sentences are examples of foreshadowing. Ask the students why these hints were important for this story in particular. Introduce Theme Worksheet (Appendix A15) to students. Fill it out as a class to determine the main theme or themes of the story.

Note-taking and summarizing Questioning and cues Advanced Organizer

A,C

1, 2, 3, 4 RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4

“The Story-Teller” by Saki Students will read “The Story-Teller” (page 576 in Prentice Hall Silver) using sticky-notes to annotate and answer MC and CR questions (Appendix A16). CRs can be assessed using the

Summarizing and note-taking

A,C


W9 L5

generic constructed response scoring guide (Appendix A14) Discuss story and answers to MC. Use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. As a class starter, have the students journal on what it means to be good. After discussing the story, ask if Bertha really WAS good. Point out that two of her medals were for punctuality and obedience, if the students don’t bring it up on their own. Also bring up some of her other less noble characteristics if the students don’t on their own. Have students practice the Theme Worksheet (Appendix A15) in pairs and then share out. The story actually gives two stories in one to practice on. They can identify the theme of the story as a whole or the theme of the bachelor’s story.

Questions and Cues Advanced Organizer

C

1, 2, 3, 4 RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 W2 W4 W9 L5

“Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes

Students will read “Thank You, M’am” (page 172 in Prentice Hall Silver) using sticky-notes to annotate and answer MC and CR questions (Appendix A17). Discuss story and answers to MC. Use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. CRs can be assessed using the generic constructed response scoring guide (Appendix A14) When discussing the story, ask students to share some of what they wrote on their post-its. Reinforce annotating and point out where what they wrote helped them understand the story or answer some of the question. Have students fill out Theme Worksheet (Appendix A15) as individual practice this time and then write a constructed response paragraph using passages for support identifying the theme. The final assignment (Appendix A18) is a RAFT letter written from Roger’s point of view. Use the RAFT rubric (Appendix A19) to assess.

Summarizing/

Notetaking Questioning and

Cues Advanced

Organizers

A,C

C

D


1, 2, 3, 4, 5 RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL6 W2 W4 W9 L5

ISTE-S 6b

“The Call of the Wild” Reading of novella, answering questions, and discussing. For background, have students read “The Klondike Gold Rush” (Appendix A20) and answer the constructed response questions (Appendix A21). Assign students novels and hand out packets (Appendix A22). Students will be given one day to read a portion of the novel and answer questions regarding it. The next day will be a discussion day in class. Encourage the use of sticky notes to annotate as they read. In addition to the reading questions, the packets also contain vocab words for students to look up on their own, back ground information in explanatory notes and chapter summaries that explain the basic occurrences of each chapter in plain English. More advanced students may want to read the summaries after the book, while struggling readers will find them useful to read before. On discussion days, first go over the vocabulary words and the meanings of the sentences they come from. As dictionaries are different, students might have a variety of definitions for a word. Talk about the importance of finding a definition that they themselves understand and that is correct for the word’s usage in the novel. Discuss the course of the novel as you discuss the correct answers to the MC questions. Use examples and non-examples to discuss the constructed response. CRs can be assessed using the generic constructed response scoring guide (Appendix A14) The following are suggestions for discussion topics: After Chapter 1: This novel is more difficult than most students are used to. Discuss problems they had while reading and possible solutions. Have them share out their sticky note annotations. Point out the usefulness of the chapter summary to help them understand what they read. After Chapter 2: Using Google Maps or Google Earth, show Buck’s journey—from Santa Clara to Washington State to finally Alaska, then from Dyea Beach to Dawson. Google Maps will tell the time and mileage it takes now. Let students explain why it took Buck and the crew so much longer. After Chapter 3: Ask students to answer the question “Does might make right?” And then as a whole group

Homework and practice Summarizing and note-taking Homework and practice Questions and

cues


discussion follow up with “Are we better off with more laws than the Law of Club and Fang?” and “Was Buck justified in causing Spitz’s death?” After Chapter 4: Ask students to journal on “What do you enjoy more than anything else? Why?” After some students share, ask why Dave lived to pull a sled. After Chapter 5: Ask students the following discussion question—insist they back up their answer with sound reasoning. Who is a bigger villain in the story—Spitz or Hal? After Chapter 6: Have students journal on the following questions and share. Describe someone who is as important to you as John is to Buck. Why is he or she so important to you? After Chapter 7: Have the students journal on whether Buck would have been happier or more fulfilled if he had never been kidnapped. Part of the discussion may be talking about the relationship between happiness and fulfillment. The following strategies can be used to facilitate more inclusive and productive discussions: Think (or Write)/Pair/Share: After students think or write about the discussion topic, they pair up with someone near them and discuss what each has come up with so far. Then all or some of the pairs can share what they have come up with together. Snowball fight: After students write a short response to the question, have everyone crumple up their papers into balls and throw them around the room. This can be repeated a couple of time so that no one has any idea whose paper they have. Make sure everyone picks up one at the end, then uncrumples and reads it. Depending on time, either have everyone share or ask for volunteers. One Sentence: Go around the room and have each student share one sentence from their response to the question. Depending on the question, you may be able to ask for one word or one phrase of 5 words or less. After everyone shares, you can go back and ask for elaboration. Pass Around: Have each student respond to the question in one sentence on a piece of loose leaf. Then have them pass the paper to the person behind them and respond to the previous person’s response. This can be repeated as many times as seems productive. At


the end, have them pass it to one last person. Instead of responding, the last person can summarize the discussion. Have some students share the summaries. Informational/Explanatory Writing Assignment Introduce/ review the five part essay format. (Appendix—A23) Have students read prompt (Appendix—A24) and fill out the graphic organizer for prewriting. After their rough drafts, go over the Information Writing Scoring Guide (Appendix –A8) with them. Have them trade papers and grade each other’s in one category; then trade and grade the next category etc. After this feedback, students should revise and write a second draft. Then they can use the second draft instructions (Appendix—A25) to revise and write a third draft. The final draft will be assessed using the Informational Writing Scoring Guide. (Appendix—A)

Cooperative Learning Homework and practice


UNIT RESOURCES

Resources: • Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes—Silver • Call of the Wild by Jack London • The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (Alternative to The Call of the Wild) • The Pearl by John Steinbeck (Alternative to The Call of the Wild) • Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson • www.youtube.com

Vocabulary:

• Active voice -writing in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb

• Affix- a word element (e.g., prefix or suffix) that can only be used when attached to a root or base word

• Allusion -a reference to a person, place, event or thing in history, myth, or another work of literature

• Analogy- an expression showing similarities between two things. (Analogies show relationships. For example, “Explain how the relationship between thermometer and temperature is similar to the relationship between odometer and distance.” Analogies take the printed form A:B :: C:D and are read “A is to B as C is to D.”)

• Argument- a claim supported by reasons, facts and details; arguments have various structures, but all are based in an initial claim developed through logic

• Audience- the persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast, etc.; public: Some works of music have a wide and varied audience.

• Cause and effect-connection or relationship between a precipitating event or reason and its effects or results o cause: makes something occur


o effect: outcome of the cause -

• Central idea- a main idea in an informational text

• Character traits- characterization developed by describing various aspects of the character: physical appearance, personality, speech, behavior/actions, thoughts and/or feelings, interactions with other characters, etc.

• Citation- a reference which documents the source of a quote, fact, or idea: o parenthetical citations are used internally in texts following the information o bibliographic citations are used at the end of texts in lists of works cited

- • Cite- to identify the source of information, including quotes, facts, statistics, and ideas included in a text

• Claim- an assertion of the truth of something, typically considered as disputed or in doubt

• Cohesive devices-elements that bind writing together as a whole; cohesive devices include transitional words and phrases as well as repetition of key words and the use of “reference words” that “point back” to ideas in the text

• Compare- to tell how things are alike; to examine both points of similarity and difference, but generally with the greater emphasis on similarities

• Conflict-struggle or clash between opposing characters or opposing forces • external conflict: a struggle between a character and an outside force

o person versus person

o person versus society

o person versus nature

o person versus “fate”

• internal conflict: a struggle within a character

o person versus self

• Connotation- attitude and emotional feelings associated with a word or idea

• Conditional mood-involving or expressing a condition, as the first clause in the sentence If it rains, he won't go.

• Contrast- to explain how things are different


• Denotation- a word’s literal or dictionary meaning

• Evidence- facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims or an analysis and that can be evaluated by others; should appear in a form and be derived from a source widely accepted as appropriate to a particular discipline, as in details or quotations from a text in the study of literature and experimental results in the study of science.

• Figurative language- word or phrase not intended literally; it is used for comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness of thought which may include, but are not limited to: • adage • euphemism • hyperbole • idiom • metaphor • oxymoron • paradox • personification • pun • simile • symbol

- • Flashback-literary technique in which the author presents information that happened before the events currently taking place

• Foreshadowing-literary technique in which the author provides clues to coming events in a narrative

• Hyperbole- literary technique in which exaggeration is used to convey meaning (e.g., “I’ve told you a million times.”)

• Idiom-term or phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definition and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use (e.g., “I am pulling your leg.” or “You’re skating on thin ice.”)

• Inference- a conclusion about the unknown, based on the known

• Irony- literary technique that compares expectations and reality dramatic irony exists contrast or discrepancy when information is known to the reader or audience but unknown to the characters

o situational irony involves an occurrence that contradicts the expectations of the reader or audience o verbal irony occurs when a writer or speaker says one thing but means the opposite

• Letter-

o a formal business letter has a prescribed form (full block, block, semi-block) and contains a return address/heading, inside address, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature

o a friendly letter (informal or personal letter) has five parts: date/heading, greeting/salutation, body, closing, and signature

• Main idea- what a nonfiction text is mostly about

• Metaphor- literary technique that makes a direct comparison between two things in different classes, such as love and a rose or happiness and a blue sky; a comparison that does not use the connective words “like” or “as” (e.g.,”Love is a rose.”)

• Mood- how the author intends a text to feel to the reader.

• Parallel structure- deliberate repetition of similar or identical words and phrases, or of patterns of words in neighboring lines, sentences, or


paragraphs

• Paraphrase-using one’s own words to express the main ideas in what has been read, seen, or heard

• Passive voice- writing in which the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb

• Personification- literary technique in which a nonliving or nonhuman thing (e.g., animal, plant, object, natural force, emotion, idea) is endowed with human senses, characteristics, and qualities

• Perspective- position from which something is considered or evaluated; standpoint

• Point of view- perspective from which a story is told

• first person point of view: the narrator participating in the action and referring to himself/herself as “I”

• second person point of view: the “you” in directions, explanations or arguments (not frequently used)

• third person point of view: the narrator generally not a character in the story (although this is not always the case), and referring to the characters as “he” or “she” as the events are told

o limited or limited omniscient point of view: the narrator relating the inner thoughts and feelings of just one character

o omniscient point of view: the narrator as all-knowing and relating the inner thoughts and feelings of all the characters

o objective or fly-on-the-wall point of view: the narrator relates the thoughts and feelings of none of the characters and instead describes scenes as he or she were a fly on the wall observing all the action without affecting it.

• Plagiarism- presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own

• Purpose- the reason for which something is presented: to explain or inform, to entertain, to describe, or to argue

• Satire-literary technique that combines a critical attitude with humor, often with the intent of correcting or changing the subject of the satire

• Setting- when and where a story takes place.

• Simile- literary technique in which two unlike things in different classes are compared, using the words “like” or “as” (e.g., “Ice is smooth as glass.”)

• Subjunctive mood- a mood that represents an act or state (not as a fact but) as contingent or possible


• Summary- an objective restatement of the essential ideas or major points in a text

• Theme- the abstract concept explored in a literary work; underlying or implicit meaning, concept, or message in a text. In the CCSS at lower grades, central message refers to main point or essence of the text.

• Tone- a writer or speaker’s attitude toward the material or audience

• Viewpoint-an attitude of mind, or the circumstances of an individual that conduce to such an attitude


Content Area: English Language Arts Course: 8th Grade UNIT: Great Power, Great Responsibility

Unit Description: The purpose of this unit is to develop the skills to form and defend informed opinions; specifically as relates to social injustices. The teacher should select a novel that focuses on a great social injustice and includes a character whose actions force students to deeply consider the motives behind discrimination and prejudices. This unit provides activities for Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Diary of Anne Frank. While studying the behavior of fictional and nonfictional character(s), the unit should lead students to explore similar occurrences and connections, both historically and currently, and to form and defend their own opinions. Students will produce their own written argumentative essay and orally debate and defend both sides of an argument.

Unit Timeline: This unit should take approximately 8-9 weeks. It should be noted that this unit plan does not specifically outline mentor sentences that should be used on an on-going basis, at the start of every class, to provide students with necessary instruction in grammar and conventions. The curriculum outlined below should be broken out roughly as follows:

• Reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – 3 weeks • Literary Analysis Essay – 1 week • 1st Amendment Debates – 1 week • Reading Diary of Anne Frank – 1-2 weeks • Media Comparisons – 1 week • Performance Task – 3-4 days

DESIRED RESULTS Transfer Goal - Students will effectively read, write, and speak English to clearly communicate, comprehend, analyze, and problem solve as cultural literate, collaborative members of society. Understandings –

1. Students will be able to cite evidence from literature and informational texts to support an analysis, make an inference, and draw a conclusion. 2. Students will be able to analyze character behavior and how it relates to their own human behavior. 3. Students will be able to determine a theme or central idea from a text and provide an objective summary of the text. 4. Students will be able to identify and then connect a literary theme to today’s world. 5. Students will be able to evaluate an argument and specific claims, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and

sufficient. 6. Students will be able to analyze the impact of specific figurative language and word choices on meaning, tone, theme, including analogies or

allusions to other texts. 7. Students will be able to form and use verbs and verbals effectively, including correct mood and voice. 8. Students will be able to use ellipses, commas, and dashes when appropriate.


Essential Questions: Students will keep considering…

• How absolute should freedom of speech be? • Who is ultimately responsible for social injustices?

Students Will Know… Standard Students Will Be Able to … Standard

READING LITERATURE: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from the text. The definition of theme/central idea, how it is conveyed through the elements of literature (characterization, plot, setting, point of view, etc.), the definition of summary (using appropriate details) and how to write a summary devoid of opinions and judgments. Authors make deliberate choices regarding text structure to hold readers’ attention, create meaning, and convey overall meaning in a text. The definition of point of view, the definition of irony, and the reason why authors would use each of these things to support the overall message. Stories, dramas, and poems are from one person’s perspective and can vary depending on the perspective. Readers must actively analyze and evaluate the choices made by authors, directors, and actors, as well as the impact these choice have and how effective they are. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from

RL1 RL2 RL5 RL6 RL7 RI1

READING LITERATURE: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

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. 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. 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. 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. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences

RL1 RL2 RL5 RL7 RI1


the text. The definitions of central idea, supporting ideas, and summary and how the central idea is supported by other ideas. The meaning of comparisons, analogies, and categories. Students need to understand text-to-world, text-to-self and text-text connections from a variety of texts. The definitions of figurative language, including simile, metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. The difference between connotative and technical (denotative) meanings of words and how word choice affects meaning and tone. The definitions of tone, analogy, and illusion. How paragraphs are structured and organized, and how one sentence affects the overall paragraph. The definitions of the terms perspective, viewpoints, and evidence and how those items affect a text. The characteristics of different mediums (e.g. print or digital text, video, multimedia), as well as the definitions of medium, print, digital text, and video. The definitions of the following terms: argument, claims, evidence, and irrelevant evidence. Author credibility is important when evaluating a text and its evidence. The difference between fact and opinion and how factors (historical, cultural, socioeconomic, etc.) influence an author’s viewpoint.

RI2 RI3 RI4 RI5 RI6 RI7 RI8 RI9

drawn from the text. 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. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories). 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. 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. 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. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea. 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. 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.

RI2 RI3 RI4 RI RI6 RI7 RI8 RI9


WRITING: How to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant evidence, how to find and use credible sources, when to provide evidence, appropriate use of transition words, understand both sides of an argument, write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section. How to identify and include appropriate text features, research a variety of sources and use multiple ways to include appropriate evidence, correctly cite sources, appropriate use of transition words, use pertinent language (jargon), write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section.

W1 W2

WRITING: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

W1 W2


Authors need to be aware of audience. The definitions of story elements (plot, character, point of view, setting, conflict, author’s perspective). Use and purpose of dialogue; transition words, phrases, and clauses; adjectives, adverbs, and sensory details. Appropriate development, organization, and style for specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. The steps of the writing process.

W3 W4 W5

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) 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. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 here.)

W3 W4 W5

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/8


How to use technology for interaction, collaboration, idea production, and publication. Brainstorm and develop critical questions to direct and focus research, making use of who, what, when, where, and how questions, while analyzing a topic from different perspectives, using a variety of research materials. The definition of plagiarism and the proper format for citations. An evaluation process to determine the credibility of digital, print, and other sources. The definitions of primary and secondary sources. Use of key words. How to assess information to determine if it supports or refutes an idea or answer. How to adjust writing to task, purpose, audience, and time frame. SPEAKING AND LISTENING: How to respectfully participate in a meaningful discussion, with a clear purpose, to develop and refine questions to come

W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 SL 1

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. 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. 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. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “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”). b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “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”). Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade

W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 SL 1


to a conclusion or consensus. The use of a protocol to actively listen and process ideas. The use of verbal strategies to clarify and expand on ideas. Understand and analyze the concept of motive and author's purpose. How to assess information presented in a variety of different formats. How to understand and sort relevant and irrelevant information. How to assess specific claims to determine the soundness of logic and reason. How to understand, identify, and assess propaganda and persuasive techniques. How to present information to an audience in a coherent and concise manner. How to integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations. Multimedia products are beneficial in clarifying information, strengthening claims, engaging audience interest.

SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5

8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. 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. 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. 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. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5


How to identify and use formal or informal language based on the context, task, or situation. LANGUAGE: The rules for using commas, ellipses, dashes, and spelling. The definitions for active/ passive voice and conditional/ subjunctive mood and how they affect writing, speaking, reading or listening. How to use context clues, affixes, reference materials, and inferred meanings to clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple- meaning word and phrases.

SL6 L2 L3 L4

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.) LANGUAGE: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). 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. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to

SL6 L2 L3 L4


The definitions of denotation, connotation, and various figures of speech. How to acquire and use vocabulary to aid comprehension and expression.

L5 L6

find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. 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. ISTE-S: Create original works as a means of personal or group expression Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology Understand and use technology systems Select and use applications effectively and productively

L5 L6 ISTE-S1b ISTE-S2b ISTE-S3b ISTE-S5a ISTE-S6a ISTE-S6b


EVIDENCE of LEARNING

Understanding

1, 3, 4, 5, 6

Standards

RI1 RI2 RI3 RI4 RI6 RI8

W1 W4

L5

Unit Performance Assessment: Description of Assessment Performance Task(s): Day #1 Students will watch a video from the evening ABC News that explains the controversy surrounding Reverend Wright comments about the United States. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObH7ZgmQm5A Then, students will read an excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Senator Obama's speech A More Perfect Union. Day#2 Students will construct a written, argumentative response to the following writing prompt: Douglass published his narrative in 1845, and Obama wrote this speech in 2008, 163 years later. Are both men essentially addressing the same social issue? Yes or no? Explain your response, citing evidence from both texts. Consider the tone, theme, and diction used in each selection in your analysis. Day#3 Students will complete the multiple choice assessment. See Appendix B10 for Performance Event Assessment and Appendix B12 for Scoring Rubric. See Appendix B14 for Multiple Choice Assessment.

R/R Quadrant

C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObH7ZgmQm5A


SAMPLE LEARNING PLANS

Understanding Standards Major Learning Activities: Instructional

Strategy R/R Quadrant:

7, 8 L2, L3 Ongoing Activity- Mentor Sentences Continue using mentor sentences for instruction in comma use and verbs as described in Unit 1.


C

1, 6

RI4 SL1 SL4

RL5 SL1 SL4

1. Pre-Reading Activities for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Due to the nature of the content of this novel, consider sending home a parent permission slip explaining the intent and purpose of reading a novel with historically accurate dialogue. See Appendix B1 for a sample permission slip). Provide students with background information about Depression-era racial segregation in the United States and the origin and use of the N-word. In small groups, ask students to reflect upon the connotation of the N-Word. Does the connotation change based upon who is saying the word, the setting, and/or the context? Share out findings with entire class. See Appendix B2. Provide students an excerpt of Huckleberry Finn, as it was originally published. Then, provide students with the censored version of Huckleberry. In small group discussions, have students compare and contrast the diction, tone, and author's purpose of each excerpt. Ask students to draw conclusions about the power of diction in historically accurate dialogue. Share out each group's conclusions with the entire class. See Appendix B3.

• Objectives: The learner will understand the impact of word choice on meaning, tone, author's

purpose, and theme. The learner will understand connotation and context. Appendices: B1, B2, B3

Summarize & Note Taking

Cooperative Learning

Identify Similarities and Differences

A

C


1, 3, 6

1, 2, 3,4,5

2

4,6

RL1 RL2 W3 W4 W9 L2 L3 L5

L2 L3 L6 W2 W4 W9 W10

ISTE-S1b

ISTE-S2b

ISTE-S5a

ISTE-S6b

RL6 W6 L2 L3

W6 SL1

2. Reading Activities for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry During reading, use guided reading questions to analyze story elements and figurative language. See Resources: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry AP Guide During reading, use timed writing prompts, making certain students use of a prewriting strategy See Appendix B4.

Use real-time blogging, such as Real-Time, have students blog thoughts as if they were Cassie. Students may comment on each other’s blog posts from the point of view of another character, other than Cassie.

After reading a chapter, have students blog in a one word response to the events in the chapter. Using Woordle, display these words to have a group discussion about the chapter. Which words have the same meaning and connotation? Which words are at odds? Which words evoke emotion and relate to mood? Which words relate to tone? Which words tie to author’s purpose? Which words relate to a theme?

• Objectives: The learner will write from a perspective other than their own. The learner will analyze character motives. The learner will construct a timed essay, defending their ideas with cited evidence. The learner will analyze story elements and the impact of figurative language.

• Appendices: Appendix B4

Homework & Practice Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers Technology Integration Technology Integration

A,B,C

C

B

B

1,2,3,6

RL1

3. Post Reading Activities: Students will write a literary analysis paper, see Appendix B5, over an excerpt of this novel,

C


1,2,4,5

1, 5

1,4,5

RL2 W2 W4 W5 W10 L2 L3 L6

RL1 RI5 W2 W4 W5 W10 L2 L3

RI1 SL1 SL4 W7 W8

ISTE-S1b

ISTE-S3b

ISTE-S5a

ISTE-S6a

RI1

RI3 RI8 RI9 SL1 SL4

citing relevant evidence from the text. Students will complete a concluding timed writing assignment. See Appendix B6. 4. Show students the HATE map at this link: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map Working in small groups, have students draw conclusions based on their knowledge and the map. Share out these conclusions with the whole class. Have students read article(s) published by current hate-groups in the United States. Discuss the structure and organization of these articles. What key sentences and pictures develop and convey theme? Provide students a copy of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. Ask the question, how absolute should freedom of speech be? Assign students to take either a pro or con side to the right of hate groups to publish their material. Students will need to conduct independent research, using multiple print and digital credible resources on this topic, generating their own self-guiding questions for their research. Students will need to access the accuracy of resources, use proper citations, and avoid plagiarism. Students will prepare a final speech based on research. Students should defend their position to the entire class. See Appendix B13

• Objectives: The learner will compose a well-written literary analysis. The learner will compose a well-written, timed essay. The learner will draw conclusions from visual graphic. The learner will compare two texts to develop an argument based on sound reasoning and evidence. Appendices: B5, B6, B13

Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers Summarize & note taking. Cooperative learning. Identify similarities & differences. Cooperative learning

C

C

D


3

RI2 RI3

1. Pre-Reading Activities for Diary of Anne Frank Provide students with background information about the Holocaust. See Appendix B7. Ask students to write a paragraph objectively summarizing what they have learned.

• Objective: The learner will be able to determine a theme or central idea from a text and provide

an objective summary of the text. Appendices: B7

Summarize &

note taking.

A

1, 2, 3 6

RL1 RL4 W3 W4 W9 L2 L4 L5

ISTE-S1b

RL6 W6 L2 L3

2. Reading Activities for Diary of Anne Frank During reading, use guided reading questions to analyze story elements and figurative language. See Appendix B8 Use real-time blogging, such as RealTime, to have students blog thoughts as if they were characters from the attic, such a Peter, Mrs. Van Daan, Mr. Van Daan, Mr. Dussell or Mrs. Frank.

• Objectives: The learner will be able to cite evidence from literature and informational texts to support an analysis, make an inference, and draw a conclusion. The learner will be able to analyze character behavior and how it relates to their own human behavior. The learner will be able to determine a theme or central idea from a text and provide an objective summary of the text. The learner will be able to analyze the impact of specific figurative language and word choices on meaning, tone, theme, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Appendices: B8

Homework & Practice Technology Integration

A, B, C

B

1, 5

RL1 RL7

RI1 RI2 RI10 RI7

W1 W4 W8

3. Post Reading Activities:

Provide students copies of pages from the actual diary. How do these compare with the the play version? Does the structure affect the meaning? Show the 2001 movie Anne Frank

Classroom Edition. How does the movie compare with the play and actual diary? Does the structure of the movie affect the meaning? Discuss the use of dramatic license, tone, and theme of each rendition. Use the graphic organizer in Appendix B9 Have students complete the following timed writing assignment found in Appendix B11: Anne Frank’s actual diary has interpreted many different ways over time, as a play and

Identify Similarities & Differences Cues,

C


W9 W10

as a movie. Which version, the play or the movie, is a the best representation of Anne’s original writings? Defend your position using examples from each interpretation to support your position. Use the FHSD argumentative scoring rubric found in Appendix B12.

• Objectives: The learner will construct a timed essay, defending their ideas with cited evidence. The learner will analyze story elements and the impact of figurative language. The learner will be able to cite evidence from literature and informational texts to support an analysis, make an inference, and draw a conclusion. Appendices: B9 and B11

Questions and Advanced Organizers

D


UNIT RESOURCES Resources:

• Prentice Hall Literature – Silver Edition • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Pre-AP* Resource Guide (AP-M-58) • Diary of Anne Frank Pre-AP Resource Guide (AP-M-56) • Alternate novels for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry:

o Amistad o The Slave Dancer

• Alternate novels for Diary of Anne Frank o Beyond the Burning Time o Farewell to Manzanar o Bad Boy – A Memoir

• Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Crime Blog: http://www.splcenter.org/blog/ • First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment • Segregated America website: http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/segregated-america.html • CBS News account of censored version of Huckleberry Finn: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/edited-huckleberry-finn-stirring-heated-debate/ • Anne Frank Center website: http://annefrank.com/about-anne-frank/diary-excerpts/ • Nazi Soldier accounts, such as http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/15330_Ex-Nazi-soldier-tells-his-story.html#ixzz2lIR8KOxf • Blogging sites: http://kidblog.org/home/ • Poem “The Cold Within” by James Patrick Kinney • Speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. • Citation maker: http://www.easybib.com/ • Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson

http://www.splcenter.org/blog/

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/segregated-america.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/edited-huckleberry-finn-stirring-heated-debate/

http://annefrank.com/about-anne-frank/diary-excerpts/

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/15330_Ex-Nazi-soldier-tells-his-story.html#ixzz2lIR8KOxf

http://kidblog.org/home/

http://www.easybib.com/


Vocabulary:

• Allusions - a reference to a person, place, event or thing in history, myth, or another work of literature

• Analogies - an expression showing similarities between two things. (Analogies show relationships. For example, ―Explain how the relationship between thermometer and temperature is similar to the relationship between odometer and distance.‖ Analogies take the printed form A:B :: C:D and are read ―A is to B as C is to D.”)

• Analysis - separating a text or structure into its parts to explain how the parts work together to create a specific effect or achieve a purpose

• Argument - a claim supported by reasons, facts and details; arguments have various structures, but all are based in an initial claim developed

through logic

• Blog - a web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.

• Cite - to identify the source of information, including quotes, facts, statistics, and ideas included in a text

• Compare - to tell how things are alike; to examine both points of similarity and difference, but generally with the greater emphasis on similarities

• Contrast – to explain how things are different

• Connotation - attitude and emotional feelings associated with a word or idea

• Context - the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect

• Dialogue - discussion between two or more people

• Diction – word choice

• Dramatic license – the difference between a writer’s interpretation and portrayal of events and the actual events

• Evidence - facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims or an analysis and that can be

evaluated by others; should appear in a form and be derived from a source widely accepted as appropriate to a particular discipline, as in details or quotations from a text in the study of literature and experimental results in the study of science.

• Figurative language - word or phrase not intended literally; it is used for comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness of thought which may include,

but are not limited to: • adage • euphemism • hyperbole • idiom • metaphor • oxymoron • paradox • personification • pun • simile • symbol


• Inference – a conclusion about the unknown, based on the known

• Mood - a feeling created in the reader which is evoked through the language of the text e.g., reflective, melancholy

• Purpose - the reason for which something is presented: to explain or inform, to entertain, to describe, or to argue

• Setting – geographic location and time period of a story

• Summary – an objective restatement of the essential ideas or major points in a text

• Theme – the abstract concept explored in a literary work; underlying or implicit meaning, concept, or message in a text

• Tone – a writer or speaker’s attitude toward the material or audience


Content Area: ELA Course: Communication Arts 8 UNIT: Different Truths

Unit Description: Students will explore how different a story can be depending on the perspective it is told from. This unit will encourage students to explore the world through the eyes of another and grapple with the question of whether or not there can be one objective truth. Students will become familiar with both objective newspaper reporting and the various opinion pieces printed in newspapers through reading and writing both types of pieces.

Unit Timeline: This unit will take approximately 8 or 9 weeks. Each of the shorter pieces will take 3 to 5 days. The novel will probably take around 3 weeks. Each piece has a longer writing assignment associated with it, which may be used as either an in-class performance event or a long term, revised writing assignment. The former would take a day or two while the latter may take a week or so. Giving students experience with both is important. It should be noted that this unit plan does not specifically outline mentor sentences that should be used on an on-going basis, at the start of every class, to provide students with necessary instruction in grammar and conventions

DESIRED RESULTS Transfer Goal - Students will effectively read, write, and speak English to clearly communicate, comprehend, analyze, and problem solve as culturally literate, collaborative members of society.

Understandings –

1. Students will understand that first person narrators can be unreliable. 2. Students will develop an understanding of how writers use different points of view for different effects. 3. Students will understand the importance of textual information to support a claim. 4. Students will be able to produce a clear, coherent and objective informative/expository essay in the manner of a newspaper article. 5. Students will be able to produce a clear, convincing argumentative essay in the manner of a newspaper editorial or letter to the editor. 6. Students will understand that everything written is not true, will be able to differentiate between fact and opinion, and will be able to make

judgments on the support authors use to justify opinions. 7. Students will be able to form and use verbs and verbals effectively, including correct mood and voice. 8. Students will be able to use ellipses, commas, and dashes when appropriate.


Essential Question: What is truth?

Students Will Know… Standard Students Will Be Able to … Standard READING LITERATURE: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from the text. The definition of theme/central idea, how it is conveyed through the elements of literature (characterization, plot, setting, point of view, etc.), the definition of summary (using appropriate details) and how to write a summary devoid of opinions and judgments. The definition of dialogue, the definition of plot (including parts of the plot), characterization, conflict (person vs. person, etc. internal & external), and setting. The definition of figurative and connotative meanings (including onomatopoeia, metaphor, simile, personification, imagery/sensory details, hyperbole), the definition of analogies, the definition of allusions, and how word choices impact the overall tone and meaning in a text. Authors make deliberate choices regarding text structure to hold readers’ attention, create meaning, and convey overall meaning in a text. The definition of point of view, the definition of irony, and the reason why authors would use each of these things to support the overall message. Stories, dramas, and poems are from one person’s perspective and can vary depending on the perspective. Readers must actively analyze and evaluate the choices made by authors, directors, and actors, as well as the impact these choice have and how effective they are. The definition of theme and allusion. Authors draw upon past

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL5 RL6 RL7 RL9

READING LITERATURE: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 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. 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. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone including analogies or allusions to other texts. 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. 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. 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. Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL5 RL6 RL7 RL9


works to enhance their writing and to generate new perspectives. Readers use a multitude of strategies to comprehend various genres of fiction including stories, dramas, and poems. Readers choose different strategies for different types of text. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from the text. The definitions of central idea, supporting ideas, and summary and how the central idea is supported by other ideas. The definitions of the terms perspective, viewpoints, and evidence and how those items affect a text. The definitions of the following terms: argument, claims, evidence, and irrelevant evidence. Author credibility is important when evaluating a text and its evidence. The difference between fact and opinion and how factors (historical, cultural, socioeconomic, etc.) influence an author’s viewpoint. WRITING: How to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant evidence, how to find and use credible sources, when to provide evidence, appropriate use of transition words, understand both sides of an argument, write in a formal

RL10 RI1 RI2 RI6 RI8 RI9 W1

of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new. 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 proficiently. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS:

Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its

development over the course of the text, including how its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and

analyze how an author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

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.

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. WRITING: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and

RL10 RI1 RI2 RI6 RI8 RI9 W1


style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section. How to identify and include appropriate text features, research a variety of sources and use multiple ways to include appropriate evidence, correctly cite sources, appropriate use of transition words, use pertinent language (jargon), write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section. How to assess information to determine if it supports or refutes an idea or answer.

W2 W3

organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant

evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.


d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows

from and supports the argument presented. . . Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and

convey ideas, concepts, and information through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, preview what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g. headings), graphics (e.g. figures, tables) and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

c. Use appropriate and varied transition to create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows

from and supports the information or explanation presented.

. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

W2 W3


Appropriate development, organization, and style for specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Authors need to be aware of audience. The definitions of story elements (plot, character, point of view, setting, conflict, author’s perspective). Use and purpose of dialogue; transition words, phrases, and clauses; adjectives, adverbs, and sensory details The steps of the writing process. How to adjust writing to task, purpose, audience, and time frame. SPEAKING AND LISTENING: How to respectfully participate in a meaningful discussion, with a clear purpose, to develop and refine questions to come to a conclusion or consensus. The use of a protocol to actively listen and process ideas. The use of verbal strategies to clarify and expand on ideas.

W4 W5 W9 W10 SL1

b. Use narratives techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts, from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationship among experiences and events.

d. Use precise words or phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey the experiences and events.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on narrated experiences or events.

. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

.

. 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 address.

.

.

. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction

.

. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. SPEAKING AND LISTENING:

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.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and

W4 W5 W9 W10 SL1


Understand and analyze the concept of motive and author's purpose. How to assess information presented in a variety of different formats. How to understand and sort relevant and irrelevant information. How to assess specific claims to determine the soundness of logic and reason. How to understand, identify, and assess propaganda and persuasive techniques. LANGUAGE: The definitions of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives), active and passive voice, and verbal moods. The rules for using commas, ellipses, dashes, and spelling.

SL2 SL3 L1 L2

researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse formats

and media (e.g. visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g. social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

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. LANGUAGE:

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.

b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative,

interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice

and mood. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a

SL2 SL3 L1 L2


The definitions for active/ passive voice and conditional/ subjunctive mood and how they affect writing, speaking, reading or listening. The definitions of denotation, connotation, and various figures of speech. How to acquire and use vocabulary to aid comprehension and expression.

L3 L5 L6

pause or break. b. Use ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly




Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in

context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to

better understand each of the words. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-

specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. ISTE-S: Create original works as a means of personal or group expression Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks Understand and use technology systems Select and use applications effectively and productively

L3 L5 L6 1b 2a 3b 3c 6a 6b



3, 4, 5

Standards

RL1 RL2 W1 W2

Unit Performance Assessment: Description of Assessment Performance Task(s): Unit 3 Final Assessment. After reading “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry on page 242 of Prentice Hall Literature

Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes Silver, students will Write an objective newspaper report for the Elmore Evening News describing Agatha’s ordeal and

rescue at the end of the story. They will need to decide for themselves whether Jimmy/Ralph stays or leaves and how much of his past is revealed in either case.

AND Write a letter to the editor as a citizen of Elmore responding to the article. Your letter should make a

claim either defending Jimmy/Ralph or demanding he leave town (if he stayed) or be pursued and prosecuted (if he left).

Both pieces should indicate an understanding of the story and the characters. A copy of the story and the actual assessment are Appendices C1 and C2

Teacher will assess:

Performance:

Mastery: Students will show that they really understand when they… Write a newspaper article reflecting the important story elements (who, what, when, where, how) from

the story objectively. Write a letter to the editor that makes a claim, uses evidence from the text to support the claim, and

acknowledges and defends against opposing claims. Shows an understanding of the story and the characters and the function of the lottery in the story. Scoring Guide:

8th grade Argumentative Scoring Guide (Appendix C3) 8th grade Informative/Explanatory Writing Guide(Appendix C4) RAFT Scoring Guide(Appendix C5)

R/R Quadrant D


SAMPLE LEARNING PLAN

Understanding Standards Major Learning Activities: Instructional Strategy: R/R Quadrant:

7,8 L1, L2 Ongoing Activity- Mentor Sentences Continue using mentor sentences for instruction in comma use and verbs as described in Unit 1.


C

3, 5, 6 RI1 RI2 RI6 RI8 RI9 W1 ISTE-S 1b ISTE-S 2a ISTE-S 6a

Skateboarding Article and Letters to the Editor Objectives: • Students will be familiar with the qualities of newspaper articles and letters to the editor. • Be able to compose an informed, effective argumentative letter to the editor. • Students will continue to develop an understanding of the difference between subjective

and objective statements and truths. • Students will be able to identify claims,

Reading literature, answering questions and discussing: Students will read and annotate “Skateboarders on Notice” and the accompanying letters to the editor (Appendix C6 ) Teacher will lead students in a discussion of articles and MC. Teacher will use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. CRs requiring passages will be evaluated the Generic Constructed Response Scoring Guide (Appendix C7) As a free write journal topic, have students write on the following question: What is the truth about the skateboarders? Are they fine, upstanding young citizens being persecuted as Randy Miles contends or disrespectful juvenile delinquents as Chris Whitson? Explain. When discussing the topic, ask if one is definitely correct and the other definitely wrong? Does that make one of them a liar? Can they both be correct? Would this make them both truthful even though they are saying opposite things? Etc.

Summarizing/ Note-taking Examples/Non-examples Questions and cues

A,C


Teacher will explain the differences in purpose between a newspaper article, editorials, letters to the editor and op/ed commentaries and lead students through making A difference matrix(see Marzano strategies) of similarities and differences between the three. Will introduce the concepts of subjective versus objective. Argumentative Writing Assignment Hand out copy of the Post-Dispatch’s “How to write a letter to the editor.” (Appendix C8) Discuss the reasons for the different guidelines. Students will write a RAFT assignment- Role: Either a close family member of a fallen police officer or one of the skateboarders that was arrested. Audience: Newspaper readers Format: Letter to the editor Task: Respond to one or both of the letters to the editor regarding “Skateboarders on Alert” An actual copy of the assignment to handout is Appendix C9 After students have written a rough draft and revised it, they should type it up as an e-mail as if they were going to actually send it to the Post-Dispatch, but they should send it to the teacher instead to turn it in. Will grade with RAFT scoring guide (Appendix C5) and argumentative essay scoring guide (Appendix C3).

Similarities and Differences Questions and Cues Technology Integration

D

3,5,6 RI1 RI2 RI6 RI8 W1 W4 W5 W9 W10

Read Your Own News Articles and Letters to the Editor. Objective: • Students will be familiar with the qualities of newspaper articles and letters to the editor. • Be able to compose an informed, effective argumentative letter to the editor.

Reading Informational Texts Over the course of a month, students will read at least four newspaper articles and/or editorials that they find interesting. They should read the articles from an established newspapers website. Show students the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s site (www.stltoday.com) and how to find other acceptable sites. For each article or editorial they will fill out a newspaper article 5 W or editorial graphic organizer.(Appendix C10)

Technology Integration Homework/

A,C

http://www.stltoday.com/


ISTE-S1b ISTE-S2a ISTE-S3b ISTE-S3c ISTE-S6a ISTE-S6b

Argumentative Writing Assignment Students will pick one article that they have something to say about and write a letter to the editor regarding it. They will use textual evidence from the article to support their position. They will follow the Post-Dispatch’s letter to the editor guidelines they were introduced to during the Skateboarding Article lesson. They should write the e-mail in their school e-mail and send it to the teacher to turn it in. Assess using the argumentative essay rubric (Appendix C3) and the RAFT scoring guide (Appendix C5)Assess using the argumentative essay rubric (Appendix C3) and the RAFT scoring guide (Appendix C5)

practice Technology Integration

D

2, 4, 5

RL1 RL2 RL3 RL6 RL9 W2 W4 W5 W9 W10 SL2 SL3

“The Secret” by Arthur C. Clarke Objective:

• Students will continue developing lit analysis skills including an awareness of point of view.

• Students will be able to write an objective expository news articles. Reading literature, answering questions, and discussing Students will read “The Secret” (page 118 in Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes Silver) using sticky-notes to annotate and answer MC and CR questions (Appendix C11). Discuss story and answers to MC. Use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. Show the following video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeaeslnOIL4 and have kids answer questions regarding similarities and differences between real life and the story. (Last page of Appendix C11) Informative/explanatory writing assignment Review parts of news article. Have students prewrite and write rough draft of a news article breaking the news. (Appendix C12) Assess using expository/informational scoring guide and RAFT scoring guide.

Summarizing/

note-taking Examples/ Non-examples Summarizing

note-taking

A,C

D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeaeslnOIL4


1, 2, 3

RL1 RL3 RL4 RL5 RL7 RL9 RL10 W3 W4 W5 W9 W10

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe Objective: Students will continue developing lit analysis skills Students will develop an understanding of an unreliable narrator Students will write a narrative from a different point of view Students will continue to develop an understanding of the difference between subjective and objective statements and truths. Reading story, answering questions and discussing: Read “The Tell-Tale Heart” (page 522 of Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes Silver) together as a group, stopping often to discuss and check for understanding. Either as a group, individually, or in small groups using the MC and CR collaborative learning protocol (Appendix 13) answer MC and CR questions (Appendix 14)

Discuss story and answers to MC. Use examples/non-examples to discuss CRs. During discussion, point out some of the impossible or unlikely statements of the narrator. (e.g. How he thrust his head slowly. How his behavior toward the old man would have been suspicious rather than sneaky as he claims—he bursts into the old man’s room every morning to ask how he slept.) And have students find others. Explain the concept of an unreliable narrator and ask students if it’s important to know what actually happened. Narrative writing assignment: Have students rewrite a short scene from the story from the point of view of the old man or one of the policemen. Students will need to decide how the scene would look to that character. (Appendix 15) Share some or all of the rewritten scenes and discuss whether these versions are more or less true than the narrator’s subjective version. Assessed the rewritten scenes using the RAFT Scoring Guide (Appendix C5) and the narrative writing scoring guide (Appendix C20)

Movie adaptation analysis: Show students a film version of the story. (One option is Columbia

Summarizing and note-taking

Collaborative Learning Examples/non-examples Questions and cues Similarities and differences Similarities and differences

A,C

C

C


Pictures 1953 animated version narrated by James Mason. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c&safe=active ) Have students list differences between the two. Then, using the graphic organizer (Appendix C16), they should pick three of their changes and write down one reason the change may have been made. Then, in small groups of 3 or 4, they should share their changes and reasons. The other members of each group should help them come up with a second possible reason for the changes.

Each member of the group will pick one of the changes and in a short essay (one paragraph) describe the change, discuss possible reasons for it, and evaluate whether or not this was a good change to make. Use informational/expository writing scoring guide (Appendix C4) to evaluate.

Cooperative learning

1, 2, 3, 4, 6 RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL6 W2 W4 W5 W9

Nothing But The Truth by Avi Objectives: Students will continue developing lit analysis skills Students will develop an understanding of an unreliable narrator Students will write a narrative from a different point of view Students will continue to develop an understanding of the difference between subjective and objective statements and truths. Reading of novel, answering questions, and discussing. Assign students novels. Students will be given one day to read a portion of the novel and answer questions regarding it. The next day will be a discussion day in class. Encourage the use of sticky notes to annotate as they read. Reading schedule and questions/activities are Appendix 17. Discussion topics: After pages 1-30: Nothing but the Truth is described in its subtitle as “a documentary novel,” but most would categorize it as an epistolary novel. Explain what an epistolary novel is and what a documentary is. Discuss why Avi called it this. Discuss what point of view it is written in. (As a whole, third person objective—the first person pieces are diary, letter, and memo fragments that are reported without commentary—they are the equivalent of dialogue. The reader never really sees inside any characters’ head.) Are the pieces written in first person reliable? How can we decide? What effect does the reporting of dialogue without any description have? After pages 31-60: Have students journal then discuss: What is a lie? What is a half-truth? Can there be different versions of the truth? Is a lie of omission a lie? If a person believes what he is saying but what he

Note-taking/ summarizing Questions and Cues Questions and

A,C

A

B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c&safe=active


is saying is untrue, is it a lie? After pages 61-90: How does Miss Narwin claim she feels about Phillip? How does Phillip claim Miss Narwin feels about him? How do you account for the discrepancy? Identify other misunderstandings/false assumptions of the characters in the novel. What is Avi’s point by revealing these things. After pages 91-120 Have students reread Jennifer Stewart’s article on page 99. What was the purpose of her article? What should the purpose of a news article be? Why do you believe she wrote the article the way she did? Should you take all articles in the newspaper at face value? After pages 121-150 Ask students if they think the sort of situation described in Nothing But The Truth happens in real life. Then read the news story “Kearney student suspended for painting flag on bare chest for school video” (Appendix C18) and the comments following it. A news report including clips of the video can be seen at http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/education/kearney-students-paint-flag-on-bare-chest-for-school-video#ixzz2poo5BHOk Ask kids what parallels they see between the book and this story. (In both cases, the real reason for the suspension—direct disobedience—is obscured by the patriotism issue. Even the headline misstates the facts. Also, reading a little into the article, we can assume that the students’ attitudes as well as the administrator’s pride lead to the suspension. It was a power struggle that had absolutely nothing to do with the flags. A similar power struggle was at the core of the original problem in the novel. Also, in both cases, administrators and teachers add to the problem by interpreting rules differently but then trying to present an undivided front.) After pages 151-177 What was Avi’s theme? Have students fill out the theme worksheet (Appendix C21) in pairs or groups of three, then share out what they believe the theme of the novel is. The following strategies can be used to facilitate more inclusive and productive discussions: Think (or Write)/Pair/Share: After students think or write about the discussion topic, they

Cues Questions and Cues Questions and Cues Questions and Cues

Cooperative Learning Advance Organizers

C

B

C C

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/education/kearney-students-paint-flag-on-bare-chest-for-school-video#ixzz2poo5BHOk

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/education/kearney-students-paint-flag-on-bare-chest-for-school-video#ixzz2poo5BHOk


pair up with someone near them and discuss what each has come up with so far. Then all or some of the pairs can share what they have come up with together. Snowball fight: After students write a short response to the question, have everyone crumple up their papers into balls and throw them around the room. This can be repeated a couple of time so that no one has any idea whose paper they have. Make sure everyone picks up one at the end, then un-crumples and reads it. Depending on time, either have everyone share or ask for volunteers. One Sentence: Go around the room and have each student share one sentence from their response to the question. Depending on the question, you may be able to ask for one word or one phrase of 5 words or less. After everyone shares, you can go back and ask for elaboration. Pass Around: Have each student respond to the question in one sentence on a piece of loose leaf. Then have them pass the paper to the person behind them and respond to the previous person’s response. This can be repeated as many times as seems productive. At the end, have them pass it to one last person. Instead of responding, the last person can summarize the discussion. Have some students share the summaries. Explanatory/Informative Writing Assignment Review the difference between a news article and an opinion piece. Students will be writing a news article. The assignment (Appendix C19) asks them to write objectively, but also to restore Miss Narwin’s reputation and to identify another character as “the villain” whose selfishness caused all of the problems. This assignment will work best as one that is revised and goes through a few drafts with feedback from the teacher and fellow students as well as self-analysis rather than an in-class writing assignment. Grade using the 8th grade Informative/Explanatory Writing Guide (Appendix C4) and the RAFT scoring guide (Appendix C5).

D


UNIT RESOURCES

Resources: • Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes—Silver • Nothing but the Truth by AVI • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (alternate novel to Nothing but the Truth) • A Break with Charity by Anne Rinaldi (alternate novel to Nothing but the Truth) • The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (alternate novel to Nothing but the Truth.) • www.stltoday.com • http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/how-to-write-a-letter-to-the-editor/article_22c547ec-4cca-11df-b22d-0017a4a78c22.html • Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson

Vocabulary:

• Active voice -writing in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb

• Affix- a word element (e.g., prefix or suffix) that can only be used when attached to a root or base word

• Allusion -a reference to a person, place, event or thing in history, myth, or another work of literature

• Analogy- an expression showing similarities between two things. (Analogies show relationships. For example, “Explain how the relationship between thermometer and temperature is similar to the relationship between odometer and distance.” Analogies take the printed form A:B :: C:D and are read “A is to B as C is to D.”)


• Audience- the persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast, etc.; public: Some works of music have a wide and varied audience.

• Cause and effect-connection or relationship between a precipitating event or reason and its effects or results o cause: makes something occur o effect: outcome of the cause

• Central idea- a main idea in an informational text

• Character traits- characterization developed by describing various aspects of the character: physical appearance, personality, speech, behavior/actions, thoughts and/or feelings, interactions with other characters, etc.

http://www.stltoday.com/

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/how-to-write-a-letter-to-the-editor/article_22c547ec-4cca-11df-b22d-0017a4a78c22.html


• Citation- a reference which documents the source of a quote, fact, or idea: o parenthetical citations are used internally in texts following the information o bibliographic citations are used at the end of texts in lists of works cited

- • Cite- to identify the source of information, including quotes, facts, statistics, and ideas included in a text

• Claim- an assertion of the truth of something, typically considered as disputed or in doubt

• Cohesive devices-elements that bind writing together as a whole; cohesive devices include transitional words and phrases as well as repetition of key words and the use of “reference words” that “point back” to ideas in the text

• Compare- to tell how things are alike; to examine both points of similarity and difference, but generally with the greater emphasis on similarities

• Conflict-struggle or clash between opposing characters or opposing forces • external conflict: a struggle between a character and an outside force

o person versus person

o person versus society

o person versus nature

o person versus “fate”

• internal conflict: a struggle within a character

o person versus self

• Connotation- attitude and emotional feelings associated with a word or idea

• Conditional mood-involving or expressing a condition, as the first clause in the sentence If it rains, he won't go.

• Contrast- to explain how things are different

• Denotation- a word’s literal or dictionary meaning

• Evidence- facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims or an analysis and that can be evaluated by others; should appear in a form and be derived from a source widely accepted as appropriate to a particular discipline, as in details or quotations from a text in the study of literature and experimental results in the study of science.

• Figurative language- word or phrase not intended literally; it is used for comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness of thought which may include,


but are not limited to: • adage • euphemism • hyperbole • idiom • metaphor • oxymoron • paradox • personification • pun • simile • symbol -

• Flashback-literary technique in which the author presents information that happened before the events currently taking place

• Foreshadowing-literary technique in which the author provides clues to coming events in a narrative

• Hyperbole- literary technique in which exaggeration is used to convey meaning (e.g., “I’ve told you a million times.”)

• Idiom-term or phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definition and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use (e.g., “I am pulling your leg.” or “You’re skating on thin ice.”)

• Inference- a conclusion about the unknown, based on the known

• Irony- literary technique that compares expectations and reality dramatic irony exists contrast or discrepancy when information is known to the reader or audience but unknown to the characters

o situational irony involves an occurrence that contradicts the expectations of the reader or audience o verbal irony occurs when a writer or speaker says one thing but means the opposite

• Letter-

o a formal business letter has a prescribed form (full block, block, semi-block) and contains a return address/heading, inside address, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature

o a friendly letter (informal or personal letter) has five parts: date/heading, greeting/salutation, body, closing, and signature

• Main idea- what a nonfiction text is mostly about

• Metaphor- literary technique that makes a direct comparison between two things in different classes, such as love and a rose or happiness and a blue sky; a comparison that does not use the connective words “like” or “as” (e.g., “Love is a rose.”)

• Mood- how the author intends a text to feel to the reader.

• Parallel structure- deliberate repetition of similar or identical words and phrases, or of patterns of words in neighboring lines, sentences, or paragraphs

• Paraphrase-using one’s own words to express the main ideas in what has been read, seen, or heard

• Passive voice- writing in which the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb

• Personification- literary technique in which a nonliving or nonhuman thing (e.g., animal, plant, object, natural force, emotion, idea) is endowed


with human senses, characteristics, and qualities

• Perspective- position from which something is considered or evaluated; standpoint

• Point of view- perspective from which a story is told

• first person point of view: the narrator participating in the action and referring to himself/herself as “I”

• second person point of view: the “you” in directions, explanations or arguments (not frequently used)

• third person point of view: the narrator generally not a character in the story (although this is not always the case), and referring to the characters as “he” or “she” as the events are told

o limited or limited omniscient point of view: the narrator relating the inner thoughts and feelings of just one character

o omniscient point of view: the narrator as all-knowing and relating the inner thoughts and feelings of all the characters

o objective or fly-on-the-wall point of view: the narrator relates the thoughts and feelings of none of the characters and instead describes scenes as he or she were a fly on the wall observing all the action without affecting it.

• Plagiarism- presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own

• Purpose- the reason for which something is presented: to explain or inform, to entertain, to describe, or to argue

• Satire-literary technique that combines a critical attitude with humor, often with the intent of correcting or changing the subject of the satire

• Setting- when and where a story takes place.

• Simile- literary technique in which two unlike things in different classes are compared, using the words “like” or “as” (e.g., “Ice is smooth as glass.”)

• Subjunctive mood- a mood that represents an act or state (not as a fact but) as contingent or possible

• Summary- an objective restatement of the essential ideas or major points in a text

• Theme- the abstract concept explored in a literary work; underlying or implicit meaning, concept, or message in a text. In the CCSS at lower grades, central message refers to main point or essence of the text.

• Tone- a writer or speaker’s attitude toward the material or audience

• Viewpoint-an attitude of mind, or the circumstances of an individual that conduce to such an attitude


Content Area: ELA Course: Communication Arts 8 UNIT: Preserving the Power of Words

Unit Description: Students will examine how technology can facilitate and hinder communication. Students will assess the role of technology in preserving and/or redefining our language and our literary heritage.

Unit Timeline: One Quarter It is suggested that this unit be completed in the following steps:

1. Read a series of short stories and articles to introduce the unit topic and complete class discussions. Approx. 1 week

2. Do a mini research project to begin to form an argument. 1-2 weeks 3. Read a full length novel or short literature pieces to explore.

Fahrenheit 451 is a suggested text. 3-4 weeks 4. Synthesize ideas from research, literature, and class discussions into

a project that represents a viewpoint on the impact of technology and censorship on language and literary heritage. 1 week

5. Listen to and critique oral presentations. 1 week

DESIRED RESULTS

Transfer Goal - Students will effectively read, write, and speak English to clearly communicate, comprehend, analyze, and problem solve as culturally literate, collaborative members of society.

Understandings –

1. Students will be able to understand texts explicitly, make valid inferences, draw comparisons between texts, and form accurate conclusions. 2. Students will be able to interpret and analyze the denotative and connotative meanings of words, figures of speech, analogies, and allusions and their

impact on tone. 3. Students will be able to find reliable resources about a topic while avoiding plagiarism and will be able to work to compile information to enrich the

reading of a text and support an argument. 4. Students will be able to produce clear and coherent writing to introduce and support claims with relevant evidence. 5. Students will be able to produce, actively listen to, and work to synthesize their own and their classmates’ interpretations of the text. 6. Students will be able to compose and deliver a clear, concise, informative, and student-friendly presentation while making use of digital media. 7. Students will be able to form and use verbs and verbals effectively, including correct mood and voice. 8. Students will be able to use ellipses, commas, and dashes when appropriate.


Essential Questions: How does technology diminish and augment our lives? What role does censorship play in the redefining of our language and our literary heritage?

Students Will Know… Standard Students Will Be Able to … Standard READING LITERATURE: Authors make deliberate choices regarding text structure to hold readers’ attention, create meaning, and convey overall meaning in a text. The definition of theme and allusion. Authors draw upon past works to enhance their writing and to generate new perspectives. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS: The definition of inference and how to think beyond the text. Inferences need to be supported with evidence from the text. The definitions of central idea, supporting ideas, and summary and how the central idea is supported by other ideas. The meaning of comparisons, analogies, and categories. Students need to understand text-to-world, text-to-self and text-text connections from a variety of texts. The definitions of figurative language, including simile, metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. The difference between connotative and technical (denotative) meanings of words and how word choice affects meaning and tone. The definitions of tone, analogy, and allusion. The definitions of the terms perspective, viewpoints, and evidence and how those items affect a text.

RL5

RL9

RI1

RI2

RI3

RI4

RI6

READING LITERATURE: 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. 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. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS:

. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

.

. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

.

. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g. through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

.

. 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.

.

. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

RL5

RL9

RI1

RI2

RI3

RI4

RI6


The characteristics of different mediums (e.g. print or digital text, video, multimedia), as well as the definitions of medium, print, digital text, and video. The definitions of the following terms: argument, claims, evidence, and irrelevant evidence. Author credibility is important when evaluating a text and its evidence. The difference between fact and opinion and how factors (historical, cultural, socioeconomic, etc.) influence an author’s viewpoint. The definition of nonfiction and its characteristics. How literary techniques affect the comprehension of nonfiction. WRITING: How to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant evidence, how to find and use credible sources, when to provide evidence, appropriate use of transition words, understand both sides of an argument, write in a formal style, and provide a supportive concluding statement or section. Appropriate development, organization, and style for specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. The steps of the writing process.

RI7

RI8

RI9

RI10

W1

W4

W5

. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g. print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

.

. 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.

.

. 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.

.

.

. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently. WRITING:

. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.


d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that

follows from and supports the argument presented. . . Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

.

. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop

RI7

RI8

RI9

RI10

W1

W4

W5


How to use technology for interaction, collaboration, idea production, and publication. Brainstorm and develop critical questions to direct and focus research, making use of who, what, when, where, and how questions, while analyzing a topic from different perspectives, using a variety of research materials. The definition of plagiarism and the proper format for citations. An evaluation process to determine the credibility of digital, print, and other sources. The definitions of primary and secondary sources. Use of key words. How to assess information to determine if it supports or refutes an idea or answer. How to adjust writing to task, purpose, audience, and time frame. SPEAKING AND LISTENING Understand and analyze the concept of motive and author's purpose. How to assess information presented in a variety of different formats. How to understand and sort relevant and irrelevant information. How to assess specific claims to determine the soundness of logic and reason. How to understand,

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

SL2

SL3

and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been address.

.

. 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.

.

. 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.

.

. 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.

.

. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction

.

. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. SPEAKING AND LISTENING:

Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g. visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g. social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

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

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

SL2

SL3


identify, and assess propaganda and persuasive techniques. How to present information to an audience in a coherent and concise manner. How to integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations. Multimedia products are beneficial in clarifying information, strengthening claims, engaging audience interest. How to identify and use formal or informal language based on the context, task, or situation. LANGUAGE: The rules for using commas, ellipses, dashes, and spelling. The definitions for active/ passive voice and conditional/ subjunctive mood and how they affect writing, speaking, reading or listening. How to use context clues, affixes, reference materials, and inferred meanings to clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple- meaning word and phrases.

SL4

SL5

SL6

L2

L3

L4

evidence is introduced. . 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.

.

. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence and add interest.

.

. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. LANGUAGE:

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.

b. Use ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly




Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 8 reading content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g. the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word(e.g. precede, recede).

SL4

SL5

SL6

L2

L3

L4


The definitions of denotation, connotation, and various figures of speech. How to acquire and use vocabulary to aid comprehension and expression.

L5

L6

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or to determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g. by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns)

in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to

better understand each of the words. 6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-

specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. ISTE-S: Create original works as a means of personal or group expression Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media

Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

L5

L6

ISTE-S1b ISTE-S2a ISTE-S3b ISTE-S3c


Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity Understand and use technology systems Select and use applications effectively and productively Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies

ISTE-S4b ISTE-S4c ISTE-S5a ISTE-S5b ISTE-S6a ISTE-S6b ISTE-S6d



1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Standards

RL5 RI1 RI3 RI6 W1 W4 W7 W8 W9 SL4 SL5 L2 ISTE-S1b ISTE-S2a ISTE-S3b ISTE-S3c ISTE-S4b ISTE-S6a ISTE-S6b

Unit Performance Assessment: Description of Assessment Performance Task(s): Students will read the introduction to Fahrenheit 451. What do you envision the role of technology should be in the future of our society? What part does censorship play in this? Using the “Communication Spectrum” provided, choose the medium of communication that best represents your viewpoint to share and argue your ideas. You will need to use this to create a presentation that cites evidence from the introduction of the novel and your own research to support your claims. The three minute presentation should explain your perspective and your choice of medium to be shared with your classmates online. See Appendix D1 and D1a (Directions), D2 (Mediums of Communication Spectrum), and D3 (Scoring Guide)

R/R Quadrant

D

SAMPLE LEARNING PLAN Understanding Standards Major Learning Activities: Instructional Strategy: R/R

Quadrant: 7, 8 L2, L3 Ongoing Activity- Mentor Sentences

Continue using mentor sentences for instruction in comma use and verbs as described in Unit 1.

Similarities and Differences, Questions and cues Homework /Practice

C


Cooperative learning

1, 5

RL5 RI2 RI3 RI6 RI9

1. Introduction • Students will read “The Trouble with Television” pg. 668 by Robert MacNeil and an

excerpt from “A Painted House” pg. 678 by John Grisham from the literature book. • Students can use the “Jot Thoughts” cooperative learning strategy to record their thoughts

about the role technology plays during reading and to engage in a post-reading discussion in small groups.

• After reading and discussing, students will fill out a graphic organizer and questions (Appendix D4) noting the advantages and disadvantages of technology as they are presented in the texts.

• The teacher will lead a whole group discussion for students to share their findings and arguments for each side.

Similarities and

Differences Graphic Organizer

Cooperative

Learning Whole Group

Discussion

A

1, 5

RI1 RI6 SL2 SL4

ISTE-S4c

2. Pre-reading and Discussion • Use “Paying Attention to Technology: Exploring a Fictional Technology” from

readwritethink.org. Complete Session One. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/paying-attention-technology-exploring-323.html?tab=4#tabs

• Distribute the “Technology Survey” (Appendix D5) and have students fill it out completely. Use polleverywhere.com or another survey tool to complete this online and compile data more easily.

• After all students have had a chance to respond, compile all of their results. This should be done in a place where students will be able to refer back to it.

• Discuss their class results, especially the areas of greatest disagreement. • Share the NPR survey results (Appendix D7) and talk about how the views students

expressed compare. • From readwritethink.org: “Be sure to challenge students’ views of technology as you

discuss the responses to the survey. Many students have an oversimplified view of technology. They readily accept the notion in the first statement on the survey that technology makes life better for everyone. Urge students to think about the ways that technology can be defined. Encourage students to consider the ways that technology has influenced their lives. As students discuss the survey results, invite them to share any personal experiences that have shaped their opinions.”

Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers Technology Integration Whole Group Discussion

C

RI1 RI2

3. Short Research Project • Pose the question “Is technology in our current society more harmful or helpful?” Instruct

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/paying-attention-technology-exploring-323.html?tab=4#tabs

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/paying-attention-technology-exploring-323.html?tab=4#tabs


1,2,3,4,5,6 RI4 RI6 RI8 RI9 RI10 W1 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5 SL6 L2 L3 L6 ISTE-S1b ISTE-S2a ISTE-S2b ISTE-S3b ISTE-S3c ISTE-S4b ISTE-S4c

students that they will be doing a short research project in which they will need to pick a side.

• Give students a variety of texts to choose from that present both viewpoints on technology.

• Possible resources - “Information Technology: Boon or Bane?” (Appendix D8) - “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families” (Appendix

D9) - Opposing Viewpoints series (on social media) - Articles or videos on Malala Yousafzai and Anne Frank to compare the spread of

information - Articles on cyberbullying - Articles on social media as a way to stay connected or as a way to become

disconnected with society

• Schedule a lesson in with your Library Media Specialist. Have him/her talk students through how to effectively use the library databases and research resources. Include tutorials on technology resources for the small group presentations and EasyBib.

• Have students read through at least two preselected resources and do article reviews on each. (Appendix D10)

• Students should do research to find at least two more sources that support the viewpoint they wish to express and complete article reviews on any they intend to use in the project.

• Students will complete the short research and technology project. (Appendix D11) • Students will review group members’ projects.

Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers Guided Research Summarizing and Note Taking Technology Integration

D


ISTE-S5a ISTE-S5b ISTE-S6a ISTE-S6b ISTE-S6d

1,2,3,4,5

RL1 RL2 RL4 RI1 RI2 RI3 RI6 RI10 W1 W4 W5 W6 W8 W9 W10 SL4 SL6 L3 L4 L5 L6 ISTE-

4. During Reading Activities (Suggested text Fahrenheit 451) While students are reading, they should complete the following activities:

• Keep a vocabulary notebook of unfamiliar words. This should include definitions (in the students’ own words), example sentences, and nonlinguistic representations. See Appendix D12 (sample vocabulary page).

• Complete the technology activities and post these to the class blog. You may decide to have students respond /comment to each other as part of the assignment. (Appendix D13)

• Students will use http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/ to explore the role of technology in the story in more detail. They should print off their work after each session.

- From “read write think”- If students need additional help with the questions in the tool, you might provide the following tips: Character: Think about technology (however it is defined) as the main character, or focus on the reaction of a key character in your story who is affected by technology.

- Conflict: Look for conflicts that involve science and/or technology and their possible effects on specific people or on society as a whole.

- Resolution: The resolution may be a disaster or catastrophe, or it may be a realization on the part of one of the characters. The story doesn’t have to work out to a “happily ever after” conclusion.

- Setting: Realize that there can be more than one setting in the story. Pay particular attention to the information about the setting that influences the main conflict.

• Complete reading questions. (Appendix D14) These can be broken apart and used as constructed response questions, essay questions, and for cooperative learning activities like Fan ‘n’ Pick. (Appendix D15)

• Use the Fahrenheit 451 Unit Packet to pull materials to practice figurative language,

Summarizing and Note Taking Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers Nonlinguistic Representations Cooperative Learning

D

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/


S1b ISTE-S2a ISTE-S2b ISTE-S5a ISTE-S5b ISTE-S6a

symbolism, and analysis. (Appendix D16)

1,2,3,4, 5, 6

RL5 RL9 RI1 RI3 RI6 W1 W4 W7 W8 W9 SL4 SL5 L2

6. Post- Reading Activities

• Technology in Fiction (Session Three of the readwritethink.org plan) 1. Divide students into small groups and give each group a new copy of the Technology

Survey. 2. Ask students to use their printouts from the Literary Elements Map and additional

evidence from the story to determine how the story’s author would respond to the survey questions.

3. In addition, ask students to review all their findings and answer the question, “What is the author of this story saying about technology?”

4. After students have worked out responses to the questions, reassemble the class to discuss and debate their findings.

5. As groups report their answers, encourage them to compare the responses that characters in the story would give to the Technology Survey to the response that the author would give to the statement. Ask students to draw conclusions about the role of technology in the story and the author’s message about technology based on their class discussion.

6. When students have explored the survey in relationship to the story, post the students’ own answers to the survey from the first session.

7. Ask students to compare their own responses to those for the story’s author. Often their opinions will have changed. Encourage students to explain how the story has affected their own opinions.

8. Encourage students to draw conclusions about the influence of the description and use of technology in the story on their own understanding of and opinions of technologies in the survey and in their daily lives.

• Have students review the film version of the novel and compare and contrast the two. Have them explain why they believe changes were made in the film. Focus on the

Whole Group Discussion Cooperative Learning

D


following: - Read “Dover Beach” and watch this scene with students. Why did Bradbury

choose to include this poem specifically? What is the significance of this allusion?

- Show major scenes including Clarisse. How is she different as a character? Why is she kept alive? Why would the director have made these choices? What might be behind the decision to have the same actress portray Clarisse and Linda?

- Show scenes that will allow students to discover the three main differences between the novel and the film: the changes in Clarisse’s character (mentioned above), the elimination of most science fiction elements, and the brief line in the film that takes place of the entire war mentioned in the novel. Discuss why these choices were made.

• Complete the Performance Event and Peer Critiques.

UNIT RESOURCES

Resources: Texts Prentice Hall Silver Level Literature Book “The Trouble with Television” by Robert MacNeil Excerpt from “A Painted House” by John Grisham Fahrenheit 451 “Dover Beach”

Websites Readwritethink.org Easybib.com http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/ blogger.com kidblog.com Technology PowerPoint, Prezi, VoiceThread, Google Docs

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/


Vocabulary:

• Active voice– writing in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb • Affix- a word element (e.g., prefix or suffix) that can only be used when attached to a root or base word • Alliteration– the repetition of an initial sound in a line of poetry or in a sentence in prose • Allusion– a reference to a person, place, event or thing in history, myth, or another work of literature • Analogy- an expression showing similarities between two things. (analogies show relationships. For example, “explain how the relationship

between thermometer and temperature is similar to the relationship between odometer and distance.” Analogies take the printed form a:b :: c:d and are read “a is to b as c is to d.”)


• Audience- the persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast, etc.; public: some works of music have a wide and varied audience. • Central idea- a main idea in an informational text • Citation- a reference which documents the source of a quote, fact, or idea:

- parenthetical citations are used internally in texts following the information -bibliographic citations are used at the end of texts in lists of works cited

• Cite- to identify the source of information, including quotes, facts, statistics, and ideas included in a text • Claim- an assertion of the truth of something, typically considered as disputed or in doubt • Connotation- attitude and emotional feelings associated with a word or idea • Conditional mood- involving or expressing a condition, as the first clause in the sentence “if it rains, he won't go.” • Denotation- a word’s literal or dictionary meaning • Evidence- facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims or an analysis and that can be

evaluated by others; should appear in a form and be derived from a source widely accepted as appropriate to a particular discipline, as in details or quotations from a text in the study of literature and experimental results in the study of science.

• Figurative Language- word or phrase not intended literally; it is used for comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness of thought which may include, but are not limited to: • adage • euphemism • hyperbole • idiom • metaphor • oxymoron • paradox • personification • pun • simile • symbol

• Hyperbole- literary technique in which exaggeration is used to convey meaning (e.g., “i’ve told you a million times.”) • Inference- a conclusion about the unknown, based on the known • Metaphor- literary technique that makes a direct comparison between two things in different classes, such as love and a rose or happiness and a

blue sky; a comparison that does not use the connective words “like” or “as” (e.g.,”love is a rose.”) • Nonfiction- the branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or

conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay (opposed tofiction and distinguished from poetry and drama ) • Onomatopoeia- the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss) • Passive voice- writing in which the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb • Personification- literary technique in which a non-living or non-human thing (e.g., animal, plant, object, natural force, emotion, idea) is endowed

with human senses, characteristics, and qualities (e.g., “a happy home”) • Perspective- position from which something is considered or evaluated; standpoint

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fiction

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poetry

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/drama

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imitation%5b1%5d


• Plagiarism- presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own • Propaganda- information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc. • Purpose- the reason for which something is presented: to explain or inform, to entertain, to describe, or to argue • Simile- literary technique in which two unlike things in different classes are compared, using the words “like” or “as” (e.g., “ice is smooth as

glass.”) • Subjunctive mood- a mood that represents an act or state (not as a fact but) as contingent or possible • Summary- an objective restatement of the essential ideas or major points in a text • Theme- the abstract concept explored in a literary work; underlying or implicit meaning, concept, or message in a text. In the ccss at lower grades,

central message refers to main point or essence of the text. • Tone- a writer or speaker’s attitude toward the material or audience • Viewpoint-an attitude of mind, or the circumstances of an individual that conduce to such an attitude

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/movement

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