Coming of Age Novels



Coming of Age Novels

Creator Name: Chelsea K. Nilsson

Suitable for: Grades 7 – 8

Subject Area: Reading

Weeks: 3

|Narrative Description: |

| |

|In this unit, we delve into characterization and theme while also examining two other key reading strategies: asking questions and making |

|inferences. Students will continue to work in literature circles. |

| |

|Selection of literature circle novels: |

|Curtis, Christopher Paul: The Watsons Go to Birmingham (U, 1000L) |

|Angelou, Maya: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1070L) |

|Smith, Betty: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (810L) |

|Spinelli, Jerry: Stargirl (V, 590L) and Love, Stargirl |

|Blume, Judy: Forever and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (T, 590L) |

|Spinelli, Jerry: Crash (V, 560L) |

|Cushman, Karen: The Midwife’s Apprentice (X, 1240L) |

|Fleischman, Sid: The Whipping Boy (R, 570L) |

|Fleischman, Paul: Whirligig (W, 760L) |

|Meyer, Stephanie: Twilight (720L) |

|Meyer, Stephanie: New Moon |

|Meyer, Stephanie: Eclipse |

|Meyer, Stephanie: Breaking Dawn |

|Draper, Sharon: Romiette and Julio (610L) |

|Picoult, Jodi: The Pact (820L) |

|Established Goals: |

| |

|New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard 3.1.E.1: Monitor reading for understanding by automatically setting a purpose for reading, making |

|and adjusting predictions, asking essential questions, and relating new learning to background experiences. |

|New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard 3.1.G.4: Locate and analyze the elements of setting, characterization, and plot to construct |

|understanding of how characters influence the progression and resolution of the plot. |

| |

|Note to the Instructor: You will want to customize these goals according to habits of mind, dispositions and/or state standards you wish to |

|address in your unit. |

|Stage One: Desired Results |

| |

|Enduring Understandings |

|Students will understand that… |

|Asking questions helps us on our journey to become thoughtful critics, “envelope pushers,” and challengers of the status-quo. |

|Drawing conclusions about the character or characters in our novels will help us to better judge the character of real people in our lives. |

|A novel’s theme is the message an author gives us about life or the human condition. |

|When we infer, we are combining our prior knowledge with what the author tells us so that we can come to our own conclusion about an aspect of |

|the text. |

| | |

|(Knowledge) Students will know… |(Skills) Students will be able to… |

|Inference |Ask questions that deepen our understanding of the text |

|Theme |Code text with a “Q” and jot down the questions we ask as we read |

|Characterization |Explain why asking questions is an effective and important reading |

| |strategy |

| |Explore characterization through use of a graphic organizer |

| |Ask questions pertaining to characterization that deepen our |

| |understanding of the text |

| |Make inferences about the text with the aid of a graphic organizer |

| |Explain why it is important to us as readers to be able to make |

| |inferences |

| |Code text with an “I” and jot down the inferences we made while we read|

| | |

| |Code the text to show comments, confusion, questions, inferences, |

| |predictions, connections and important information |

| |Define theme |

| |Identify indicators of themes |

| |Identify evidence of a given theme using a graphic organizer |

| |Explain why readers should work to uncover themes |

| |Identify additional themes in literature circle books and record |

| |evidence of those themes |

| |

|Essential Questions: |

|What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood? |

|How can we learn about ourselves by studying the lives of others? |

|Stage Two: Assessment |

| |

|Graphic Organizers: Completing graphic organizers will help students to scaffold strategies like questioning and making inferences and |

|support them as they begin to identify theme. |

|Coding the Text: Students will code the text with a “Q” and explain their questions; they will code the text with an “I” and explain their |

|inferences; and they will code the text with “Th” where they think they see evidence of an emergent theme. |

|Exit Slips: Students will frequently complete exit slips to demonstrate their understanding of the daily objectives. |

|Unit Assessment: Students will demonstrate mastery of all unit objectives. |

|Reflection/Self-Assessment: Students will explain the effects of asking questions, making inferences and identifying themes on their |

|understanding of what they read. |

Stage 3: Lesson Planning

|MONDAY |TUESDAY |WEDNESDAY |THURSDAY |FRIDAY |

| | | | | |

|Mini-Lesson 1: Good readers ask questions.|Mini-Lesson 2: Good readers ask questions.|Mini-Lesson 3: Good readers code |Mini-Lesson 4: Good readers notice |Mini-Lesson 5: Good readers notice |

|(Standards) |(Standards) |questions. (Standards) |characterization. (Standards) |characterization. (Standards) |

|Ask questions that deepen our |Ask questions that deepen our |Ask questions that deepen our |Explore aspects of characterization |Ask questions pertaining to |

|understanding of the text (Standards) |understanding of the text (Standards) |understanding of the text (Standards) |through use of a graphic organizer |characterization that deepen our |

| |Explain why asking questions is an |Code the text with a “Q” and jot down the |(Standards) |understanding of the text (Standards) |

|Strategy: Asking Questions |effective and important reading strategy |questions we ask as we read (Standards) | |Code the text with a “Q” and jot down the |

| |(Standards) | |Concept: Characterization |questions we ask as we read (Standards) |

| |: |Strategy: Asking Questions | | |

| |Strategy: Asking Questions | | |Concept: Characterization |

| | | | |Strategy: Asking Questions |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

|MONDAY |TUESDAY |WEDNESDAY |THURSDAY |FRIDAY |

| | | | | |

|Mini-Lesson 6: Good readers make |Mini-Lesson 7: Good readers make |Mini-Lesson 8: Good readers make |Mini-Lesson 9: Good readers code |Mini-Lesson 10: Good readers practice all|

|inferences. (Standards) |inferences. (Standards) |inferences. (Standards) |inferences. (Standards) |of their strategies as they read. |

|Make inferences about the text with the |Make inferences about the text with the |Make inferences about the text with the |Make inferences as they read (Standards) |(Standards) |

|aid of a graphic organizer (Standards) |aid of a graphic organizer (Standards) |aid of a graphic organizer (Standards) |Code the text with an “I” and jot down the|Code the text to show comments, confusion,|

| |Explain why it is important to us as | |inferences they make as they read |questions, inferences, predictions, |

|Strategy: Making inferences |readers to be able to make inferences |Strategy: Making inferences |(Standards) |connections and important information |

| |(Standards) | | |(Standards) |

| | | |Strategy: Making inferences | |

| |Strategy: Making inferences | | |Note to the Instructor: You will want to |

| | | | |customize today’s objective to reflect the|

| | | | |ways your students know to code the text. |

| | | | | |

|Mini-Lesson 11: Good readers notice |Mini-Lesson 12: Good readers notice |Mini-Lesson 13: Good readers notice | |Unit Assessment |

|themes. (Standards) |themes. (Standards) |themes. (Standards) |Mini-Lesson 14: Good readers code themes.|Study: |

|Identify evidence of a given theme using a|Identify evidence of a given theme using a|Identify evidence of a given theme using a|(Standards) |Coding the text, especially coding |

|graphic organizer (Standards) |graphic organizer (Standards) |graphic organizer (Standards) |Code the text with “Th” and jot down ideas|questions and inferences, and themes |

| | | |about emergent themes as they read. |(Standards) |

|Concepts: Theme |Concept: Theme |Concept: Theme | |Characterization (Standards) |

| | | |Concept: Theme |Theme (Standards) |

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