REVISED English 7GT Essential Curriculum.docx



English 7 Gifted and TalentedEssential CurriculumGenreThemeRealistic FictionPerserveranceAutoiographyFacing InjusticeSpeculative FictionThrills and ChillsOVERVIEW OF ENGLISH 7 GIFTED AND TALENTED (GT)The rigor of the English 7 Gifted and Talented curriculum fully meets and exceeds the expectations of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers use curriculum compacting, a process involving pre-testing or diagnosis, to identify which grade-level objectives students have mastered, in order to allow students to accelerate to a higher and deeper level of expectations and application. The curriculum reflects differentiation according to process, product, and content. The GT curriculum challenges students to apply concepts and skills, but also to employ metacognitive practices when responding to diverse texts. The curriculum is content-differentiated, departing from the English 7 curriculum to include GT-designated literary and literary nonfiction texts and or Advanced Placement objectives. Additionally, GT-designated informational, explanatory, argumentative, narrative, literary, and speaking and listening tasks are identified within respective menus.DIFFERENTIATED CONTENTThe Pearl John Steinbeck The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain“The Masque of Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe“The Pit and the Pendulum” Edgar Allan Poe“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Washington Irving “The Monkey’s Paw” W. W. JacobsThe differentiated content is but one area that distinguishes the English 7 GT curriculum from the English 7 curriculum. English 7 GT teachers employ a variety of differentiated strategies and approaches to instructional delivery and product expectations that address the needs of the high achieving student.DIFFERENTIATED STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES TO INSTRUCTIONInductive Approach- These approaches allow students to construct meaning through complex, abstract, and independent thinking. One inductive approach is Concept Attainment.Concept Attainment: The three essential attributes are 1) the thinking process; 2) over learning; and 3) extension.Shared Inquiry- Participants search for answers to fundamental questions raised by a text. The search is inherently student-active, and teachers do not impart information or present their own ideas, but guide students in reaching their own evidence-based interpretations. This approach is a staple for GT oral discourse.Creative Productions and Investigations- This approach fosters a deliberate and purposeful application-often grounded in independent research- of what students know about literary, literary nonfiction, and informational content and form to the development of an original work. Portfolios- Students regularly reflect on the metacognitive process regarding their own learning and progression towards the mastery of the material documented in the portfolio. In addition, GT language and writing expectations introduce students to the demands of the high school English GT program. The analysis of rhetoric and the understanding of how writers use argument foster understanding and appreciation of author’s craft and introduces students to the demands of the PSAT and College Board Advanced Placement exams.OverviewEnglish 7 students learn how to make purposeful and deliberate choices when responding to diverse media and formats. Students proficiently read grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts while further developing the ability to cite textual evidence to support analyses when responding to text in written and spoken modes. Students analyze both the structure and content of complex, grade-appropriate text. English 7 expand their understanding of argument by addressing counterclaims in written and spoken responses.PerseveranceThough this unit focuses on realistic fiction which presents a story which is plausible and relevant today, students make thematic connections to texts of diverse media and formats. Cross-curricular connections are encouraged as students encounter characters who persevere against great odds, learning their true capabilities in order to reach their full potentialFacing InjusticeStudents develop an understanding of historical fiction, while making thematic connections to literary and literary nonfiction texts in which an individual deals with both internal and external conflicts, while learning his or her true character. Students analyze, reflect, and make application to their own lives. Cross-curricular connections are encouraged.Thrills and ChillsStudents will examine poetry, plays, and short stories as the foundation for the unit, understanding how speculative topics addressed in the anchor texts share common themes: the good and bad in human nature, moral and ethical controversies, and the dichotomy of anxiety and pleasure in suspense. Furthermore, students will pair these fictional pieces with informational texts about suspense, horror, and the unknown in order to understand the validity of these themes in real world applications.READING LITERATUREKey Ideas and DetailsRL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.ObjectivesStudents will: Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters to grow.Explain the relationship between a biography, autobiography, or memoir and its historical and/or social context.Analyze words and phrases that create tone.Respond effectively to critical and analytical text-dependent questions.Draw conclusions or make generalizations about the text.Analyze relationships between and among characters, settings, and events. Analyze the author’s purposeful use of language. Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters and those that advance the plot.Analyze the events of the plot in various genres: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.Analyze details that provide information about the setting, the mood created by the setting, and ways in which the setting affects characters.Select multiple examples of evidence that confirms the important ideas and messages of a literary text. Identify multiple pieces of evidence to suggest logically what might be true about characters, setting, plot, etc. Use OPT-T-IC, a method for unlocking meaning in visuals—art, graphs, charts. Apply the SOAP-T-Tone, a tool for unlocking meaning of visuals, poetry, and nonfiction. Draw from connections a series of inferences leading to an interpretive conclusion about a piece of writing’s meaning and value. Respond to the following perspectives: Experience of literature – the subjective dimension of reading and responding to literary works, including pre-critical impressions and emotional responses. Interpretation of literature – analysis of literary works through close reading to arrive at an understanding of their multiple meanings.Read primary and secondary source material carefully, and synthesize material from these texts in student compositions. Evaluation of literature – an assessment of the quality and artistic achievement of literary works and a consideration of their social and cultural values. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating literature. RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.ObjectivesStudents will: Analyze how texts reflect genre-specific traits (autobiography, realistic fiction, speculative fiction).Analyze main ideas and universal themes:Experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in a text that give rise to the themeMessage, moral, or lesson learned from the text.Identify and explain personal connections to the text such as connections between personal experiences and the theme or main ideas.Employ effective note-taking strategies when identifying main ideas and supporting details in order to produce an objective summary of the text or portions of the text.Examine significant details of character and plot development, repeated words, ideas, and/or symbols through a text. Identify themes within the text that though they appear secondary are as major as the unit’s theme. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating literature.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact.ObjectivesStudents will: Understand elements of fiction.Understand elements of drama.Analyze how the actions of the character(s) affect the plot.Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters and those that advance the plot.Analyze the events of the plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.Make connections between or among elements of plot or drama structure and characters to determine their effect upon each other.Study, intensively, representative works concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating literature. Craft and StructureRL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.ObjectivesStudents will: Use context to determine the meaning of words.Examine the author’s purpose in using sound elements of words.Analyze specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning.Significant words and phrases (e.g., idioms, colloquialisms, etc.) with a specific effect on meaningDenotations of above-grade-level words used in contextConnotations of grade-appropriate words and phrases in contextAnalyze words and phrases that create tone.Demonstrate how figurative language contributes to meaning.Recognize how the author uses poetic devices to evoke response.Analyze how sensory language contributes to meaning.Analyze how repetition and exaggeration contribute to meaning.Practice responding to PSAT-type questions for determining the meaning of words.Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating language.RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaningObjectivesStudents will: Examine how parts of dramatic structure or poetic forms connect to other parts of the text to clarify meaning. Analyze how structural elements of poetry (stanza, sonnets, repetition, rhyme scheme) provide meaning.Examine how parts of dramatic structure help clarify or fulfill the author’s purpose. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating literature.RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.ObjectivesStudents will: Determine how characters response within a text (verbal and nonverbal) reflect the reader’s understanding of the character.Analyze how actions or dialogue of characters in a text reflect conflicting ideas or views about a particular situation or person.Integration of Knowledge and IdeasRL.7.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).ObjectivesStudents will: Demonstrate knowledge of elements of fiction.Demonstrate knowledge of elements of drama.Determine areas of differences and provide supporting details.Demonstrate knowledge of elements of poetry.Employ effective note-taking strategies when viewing or listening to text.Demonstrate the behaviors of a strategic reader, viewer, or listener to a given literary text.Demonstrate knowledge of techniques available to produce an audio, filmed, or staged version of a literary text. Explain the effects produced through audio, filmed, or staged versions of a literary text. Use details presented in diverse media and formats. Study, intensively, representative works, concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating literature.RL.7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. ObjectivesStudents will: Distinguish between historical fiction and an historical account.Apply knowledge of the time period and the author’s perspective.Apply knowledge of the time period and the author’s purpose.Range of Reading and Text ComplexityRL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.ObjectivesStudents will: Adjust strategies as necessary for reading a self-selected and assigned range of grade-appropriate literary texts representing diverse cultures, perspectives, ethnicities, and time periods while self-monitoring for comprehension. Comprehend literary texts of steadily increasing complexity with scaffolding, as necessary. Set challenging personal goals and conference regularly with adults to improve reading. READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTKey Ideas and DetailsRI.7.1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.ObjectivesStudents will: Analyze words and phrases that create tone.Respond effectively to critical and analytical text-dependent questions.Draw conclusions or make generalizations about the text.Analyze the author’s purposeful use of language. Practice responding to PSAT-type questions regarding reasoning and inferencing.Analyze the author’s use of rhetoric to develop argument. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating language.RI.7.2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.ObjectivesStudents will:Synthesize main ideas to determine a central idea. Analyze main ideas and universal themes:Experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in a text that give rise to the themeMessage, moral, or lesson learned from the text.Determine the relevancy of the theme to society. Determine how transitional words and phrases are used to convey sequential detail. Demonstrate understanding of elements of objectivity when conveying meaning. Employ effective note-taking strategies when identifying main ideas and supporting details in order to produce an objective summary of the text or portions of the text.Examine a variety of writers to examine the wealth of approaches to subject and audience that such writers display. Analyze the author’s use of rhetoric to develop argument. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating language.RI.7.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).ObjectivesStudents will: Determine the purpose of an individual, event, or idea within an informational text. Determine the relationships between or among individuals, events or ideas within a text. Draw conclusions about the relationships among individuals, events, or ideas within a text. Examine the effect created by the relationships between or among individuals, events or ideas within a text. Apply knowledge of organizational patterns by identification of strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast and cause/effect.Craft and StructureRI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.ObjectivesStudents will: Use context to determine the meaning of words.Analyze specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning.Significant words and phrases (e.g., idioms, colloquialisms, etc.) with a specific effect on meaningDenotations of above-grade-level words used in contextConnotations of grade-appropriate words and phrases in contextAnalyze words and phrases that create tone.Demonstrate how figurative language contributes to meaning.Recognize how the author uses poetic devices to evoke response.Analyze how sensory language contributes to meaning.Analyze how repetition and exaggeration contribute to meaning.Practice responding to PSAT-type questions about determining word meaning in context.Respond to AP-type questions analyzing the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.ObjectivesStudents will:Analyze the author’s use of organizational aids contributes to meaning.Determine the general organizational pattern of a grade-appropriate informational text, e.g., transition words and phrases indicating chronological order, cause/effect, problem solution, etc. Examine how the identified important sections of the text add to the development of ideas in the text. RI.7.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.ObjectivesStudents will: Analyze how the author develops his point of view.Analyze evidence used to support the author’s point of view.Evaluate the author’s credibility.Determine how the author uses counterarguments to elevate/validate his/her assertion.Integration of Knowledge and IdeasRI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).ObjectivesStudents will: Employ effective note-taking strategies when viewing or listening to text.Demonstrate knowledge of various media capabilities when listening to or viewing dramatization of a literary text. Draw conclusions about the positive and negative aspects of a text, audio, or visual version of the same text. RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.ObjectivesStudents will: Demonstrate knowledge of the organizational pattern of an argument. Assess the value of the argument based upon supported claims. Assess the credibility and accuracy of evidence. Analyze the author’s use of rhetoric to develop argument. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating language.RI.7.9 Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.ObjectivesStudents will: Analyze text for how the author develops main ideas and supporting details.Explain how the focus on different information alters a reader’s understanding of a topic.Explain how conclusions drawn about information alters a reader’s understanding of a topic. Use knowledge of point of view and bias. Analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques. Read to become aware of how stylistic effects are achieved by writers’ linguistic choices. Range of Reading and Text Complexity RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.ObjectivesStudents will: Adjust strategies as necessary for reading a self-selected and assigned range of grade-appropriate literary texts representing diverse cultures, perspectives, ethnicities, and time periods while self-monitoring for comprehension. Comprehend literary texts of steadily increasing complexity with scaffolding, as necessary. Set challenging personal goals and conference regularly with adults to improve reading. WRITINGW.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.ObjectivesStudents will: Develop claims that represents a specific stand.Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.Use clear reasons and relevant evidence from the text to support claims.Use clear reasons and relevant evidence when using outside resources to develop and support claims.Evaluate the credibility of outside resources when using outside resources.Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. Establish and maintain a formal style.Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument pose a logically organized response to an in-class 40-minute timed prompt.Document sources using MLA format.Analyze the author’s use of rhetoric to develop argument. Practice responding to AP-type stems for analyzing and evaluating language.W.7.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.ObjectivesStudents will: Adapt planning and prewriting to address the demands of an informative text, including an informative text, including: refining the focus of a topic gathering information on a specific topic examining information to determine the ideas and concepts effectively organizing of information within an established structure including appropriate text features to aid understanding. Production and Distribution of Writing W.7.4. 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.)W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.ObjectivesStudents will:Demonstrate an understanding of different types of writing and the implications for the writing process.Reflect on personal prewriting, drafting, revising and editing strategies while engaging in metacognitive exercises throughout all stages of the writing process.Analyze growth in strategies of prewriting, drafting, revising and editing using selected evidence from the student folders (hardcopy or electronic files).W.7.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.ObjectivesStudents will: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information. Apply computer literacy and keyboarding skills at the Intermediate level as defined in “A Companion to the Maryland Technology Literacy Standards for Students.” Use keyboard and mouse effectively and efficiently. Use technology responsibly. Use technology to enhance learning and collaboration. Use technology for communication. Use technology to locate, evaluate, and organize information. Use technology to solve problems by strategizing, analyzing and communicating data, and examining solutions.Research to Build and Present KnowledgeW.7.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.ObjectivesStudents will: Follow an inquiry process. Define a problem, formulate questions, and refine a problem and/or question. Locate and evaluate resources. Find data and/or information within a variety of print or digital sources. Use a variety of formats to prepare the findings/conclusions for sharing. Employ the Big6 process model for research.Share findings and/or conclusions through a variety of print and multimedia venues. W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. ObjectivesStudents will:Locate and evaluate resources. Develop search terms vocabulary and searching strategies. Take purposeful notes by direct quoting, paraphrasing, or drawing conclusions. Evaluate and analyze the quality, accuracy, and sufficiency of notes. Use appropriate bibliographic information. W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.ObjectivesStudents will: Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.”).Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.”).Locate and evaluate resources. Develop search terms vocabulary and searching strategies. Take purposeful notes by direct quoting, paraphrasing, or drawing conclusions. Evaluate and analyze the quality, accuracy, and sufficiency of notes. Use appropriate bibliographic information. Range of WritingW.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.ObjectivesStudents will: Adjust strategies as necessary for reading a self-selected and assigned range of grade-appropriate literary texts representing diverse cultures, perspectives, ethnicities, and time periods while self-monitoring for comprehension. Comprehend literary texts of steadily increasing complexity with scaffolding, as necessary. Set personal goals and conference regularly with adults to improve reading. SPEAKING AND LISTENINGComprehension and CollaborationSL.7.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.ObjectivesStudents will: Probe and reflect on ideas , topics , or issues within the text, drawing explicitly from evidence in the text.Demonstrate rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.SL.7.2. Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study. (Reading Standard ~ Craft and Structure)SL.7.3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. (Writing Standard 1 connection)Presentation of Knowledge and IdeasSL.7.4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.ObjectivesStudents will: Adopt the behaviors of effective speakers as appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Apply an organizational pattern that most effectively emphasizes the main ideas or themes of the presentation. Include support (e.g., descriptions, facts, and details) that most effectively emphasizes main ideas or themes of the presentation. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. SL.7.5. Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.ObjectivesStudents will: Select or create multimedia and visual displays that enhance presentations and/or clarify ideas.Follow fair use policies when incorporating multimedia components from other sources.SL.7.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.ObjectivesStudents will:Demonstrate control of spoken language by adjusting speech to varying contexts and tasks. LANGUAGEConventions of Standard EnglishL.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.ObjectivesStudents will:Apply an understanding of the formation and the function of phrases and clauses (i.e., verb, prepositional, and appositive phrases independent versus dependent (noun, adjective, and adverb) clauses).Describe the use of a phrase or clause in a specific sentence.Analyze professional, peer, and their own writing for their use of phrases and clauses.Apply an understanding of how clauses create relationships between and among ideas in a sentence. Apply an understanding of how sentence types create relationships between and among ideas. Use clauses to clarify the relationships among claims, reason, and evidence. Use a variety of clauses to convey sequence. Analyze the use of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences in professional, peer, and their own writing. Apply an understanding of the relationship between the placement of phrases and clauses and clarity of meaning. Strengthen writing by editing for correct punctuation to separate coordinate adjectives. L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.ObjectivesStudents will:Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.Spell correctly.L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.ObjectivesStudents will:Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.Practice responding to PSAT-type questions on recognizing correctly formed sentences and paragraphs.Vocabulary Acquisition and UseL.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.ObjectivesStudents will:Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.Consult general and specialized reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.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).L.7.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.ObjectivesStudents will:Interpret figures of speech in context.Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations (definitions).L.7.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.ObjectivesStudents will:Practice responding to PSAT-type questions on determining the meaning of words.English 7 Unit PlanThematic Focus: PerseveranceGenre Focus: Realistic Fiction (Literature)OverviewAs young adolescents face surmounting challenges and obstacles physically, socially, academically, ethically, and morally, they will need to persevere to overcome. It is essential for them to feel empowered and capable of working through such challenges. The unit’s focus is realistic fiction in which individuals persevere against great odds, learning their true capabilities in order to reach their full potential. Students explore the role of conflict in this process and determine the character traits that are necessary for overcoming adversity. Students examine perseverance through first-person accounts of a real person’s struggles and triumphs over physical disability, prejudice, and other difficult life experiences. The anchor texts offer a range of conflicts from the individual vs. nature to the individual vs. society. A wide variety of supplemental texts, reflecting a range of text complexity, provide extension opportunities. Through close reading of texts and instruction, students will develop an appreciation of realistic fiction and its relevance to the theme. Students study Two Old Women, The Call of the Wild, or Before We Were Free. Through these challenging texts, students explore insights about the human condition and human experiences. They examine conflict and change as unavoidable parts of life, and how they affect and reflect a person’s character. The students analyze the human condition as characterized as one of joy, hope, terror, struggle and make connections to the role perseverance plays in the sense of self. Furthermore, students pair these fictional pieces with informational texts about perseverance in order to understand the validity of the themes not just in fictional pieces, but in real-world applications.Students engage in the writing process and routinely reflect on their development as writers. They learn to construct a clear and purposeful thesis and provide well-developed ideas in a deliberate organized manner, while addressing the needs of audience and purpose. Additionally, students apply knowledge of grammar and mechanics to their writing. Students will complete specific short and long writing tasks, often inclusive of ?research, while addressing the demands of argument and explanatory writing and the writing process. In addition, using close reading skills, research skills, and technology, students will respond to a thematically relevant performance-based task.Teachers will make deliberate choices for students to read on-grade-level texts so that students continue to develop their ability to understand “high quality and increasingly challenging literary and informational texts.” (CCSI/ELA, page 10)Enduring UnderstandingsStudents will analyze how perseverance in the face of adversity builds character.Students will evaluate how an individual’s attitude and response to conflict and change impact his or her ability to prevail.Students will understand that realistic fiction allows the reader to make personal connections to universal themes. Accomplished readers comprehend texts by reading fluently, strategically, and critically.Speakers and writers control or personalize messages through word choices, voice, and style.Strategic writers spend time ensuring grammar and punctuation is accurate to ensure clarity.Strategic readers question the text, consider various perspectives, and look for author’s bias in order to think, live, and act differently.Accomplished researchers employ strategies to assist with research.Essential QuestionsHow do individuals, real and fictional, use words and actions to demonstrate perseverance?In the face of adversity, what causes some to prevail and some to fail?Why is it important to persevere through difficult and sometimes insurmountable odds?How does reading about the struggles and triumphs of others impact us?How does real-world determination inform the depiction of determined literary characters?Anchor Texts: (select one)Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis The Call of the Wild by Jack LondonThe Pearl by John Steinbeck (GT)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (GT) Informational Texts (choose at least one of the following)Essays:“Hunger” by Richard WrightIn this excerpt from Wright’s autobiography, Black Boy, he chronicles several times in his young life when he was forced to persevere: riding on a boat with his parents to Memphis, being hungry in Memphis and defending himself on the streets of Memphis. Readers draw conclusions about Wright’s experience and how perseverance can toughen and prepare a child for adult life. Students respond to Wright’s language or word choice, noting how he makes hunger and poverty come alive for the reader. “Harriet Tubman” by Ann PetryThis passage describes Tubman’s journey with eleven fugitive slaves throughout Maryland to Delaware and, eventually, to Rochester, New York and Canada, their goal. Petry makes Tubman come alive in her determination to get the slaves to freedom. Students trace Tubman’s journey, recounting how she showed perseverance in her journey and in motivating the fugitives. “No Gumption” by Russell Baker--can be found in several anthologies. Baker uses humor to compare his mother’s perception of his sister’s and his diligence at selling “The Saturday Evening Post.” Student focus of literary techniques the author uses (such as satire) to highlight his lack of success as a magazine seller, compared to his success as a writer. Biographical information on Christopher Reeve--Reeve, most famously known as the actor who played Superman, fell from a horse in a competition and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His determination to lead as “normal” a life was remarkable. Speeches:“Commencement Address” by Cal Ripken, Jr., University of Delaware, May 31, 2008Ripken, known for his records in baseball, and a celebrity in the Baltimore area, spoke to students at graduation about passion and perseverance. What is notable about his address is that he emphasizes repeatedly that working hard and being a good person are the keys to success. “Votes for Women” by Mark TwainTwain uses humor and analogy to press his point that women deserve the vote. Students might consider the manner in which he makes his point, and what he is suggesting might happen if the vote takes too long for women. “First Inaugural Address” by President Franklin Delano RooseveltRoosevelt’s inspirational words outlined his plan to bring prosperity and economic health back to the US after the Depression. He uses analogies and diction to inspire the nation, and his famous words, “ So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance” appear in paragraph one. He attempts to inspire the citizens of the, then, downtrodden, nation. Students analyze the speaker’s use rhetoric to inspire the audience. Autobiographical short story:“The Noble Experiment” by Jackie RobinsonBranch Rickey did not like segregated baseball. In fact, he did not like segregated anything. He began a plan that would integrate the leagues and allow athletes of all colors and races to become professional players. This chapter recounts his plan and how he choose Jackie Robinson to be his “test case.” It not only shows perseverance and courage in the face of insurmountable odds, it allows insight into just what kind of man Rickey was. It is a good example of perseverance in a topic that has wide appeal to students. Excerpts from Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson MandelaOne excerpt, which appears in Elements of Literature (HRW, held by many HCPSS schools), discusses Mandela’s fight for freedom and his long confinement in jail. Yet, he never gave up hope and did not resort to violence. Students can compare Mandela’s fight for freedom with the Jackie Robinson excerpt, or the Rosa Park’s excerpt in Elements of Literature. Literature (choose at least one of the following)Short Stories:“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry (in the public domain)This classic story by O. Henry tells of two struggling women artists who lived in a drafty attic in New York. One of the women contracts pneumonia and seems to give up hope, saying she will only keep fighting until the last leaf on the tree outside her garret window falls. A kindly neighbor, an old gentleman, learns of her illness and unbeknownst to her keeps painting the lone leaf at the cost of his health. As he perseveres and finally succumbs, she recovers, he falls victim to pneumonia and dies, an example of perseverance and self-sacrifice. The vocabulary in O. Henry’s works is difficult, but once students become accustomed to his style, they enjoy the irony in his plot. In a time when self sacrifice often loses out to selfishness this tale is a testament to human kindness and the value of life. “The Circuit” by Francesco Jimenez (excerpts appear in many anthologies)The stories, autobiographical in nature, tell of a young Mexican boy and his family and their trials as illegal migrant workers, searching for a better existence in America. As soon as one crop is picked, the family must pack up and move on. The boy has to begin again in school and must persevere to succeed. In the face of the current immigration battle, this is a timely resource and could lead to lively debate about immigration. “Rikki Tikki Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling (appears in many anthologies)Who better to protray perseverance than Kipling’s brave mongoose? Against the most severe odds, he fights and rids the colonial official’s garden of devious cobras. This is a good story to use to teach story elements, since the climax appears to be in several places. Poetry:“Invictus” by William Ernest HenleyWhat makes man continue to get up after being forced down? This poem reveals the importance of will and soul in the fight for freedom. It could be paired with any one of the other poems listed here in terms of poetic devices and word choice. “The Angry Man” by Phyllis McGinleyThis poem’s message of tolerance, can be used to teach the ideas of perseverance if the teacher takes the stance that tolerance of each other contributes to perseverance. It uses irony in its language to emphasize the theme, including the title. “Old Mary” by Gwendolyn BrooksGwendolyn Brooks, a Pulitzer Prize winner for her terse and complete poems, wrote this little gem of six lines about a woman who has come to terms with her limitations. On the surface it is about acceptance, tinged with bitterness. Acceptance is part of perseverance, and students could study the tone of the poem to see if it only reflected acceptance. “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes The use of dialogue in this poem by Hughes makes it accessible and meaningful to its readers. Students can think about the advice the mother is giving to her son and how if it were written without dialogue, it might be different. Diverse Media and Formats (choose at least two of the following in different categories)Music: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom PettyLyrics relate to standing one’s ground. “IT’s Been A Long Time Coming” by Sam CookeFamous lyrics by the iconic Sam Cooke which can be interpreted to represent the struggle for racial equality for African Americans in the US.ttp://whww.its-been-a-long-time-coming-lyrics-sam-cooke.html “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana RossSong about staying the distance in love. “Stand” by Rascal FlattsLyrics are uplifting in terms of facing adversity. “Change” by Taylor SwiftLyrics stress the importance of believing in one’s self. Video Clips:Derek Redmond, Olympic runnerThis is a powerful clip that stresses the importance of finishing something you started, a great lesson on perseverance that has application to today’s kids. John Orozco: 2012 AT&T American CupAn inspirational video about a world class gymnast from the Bronx and his family and how they persevere through illness, financial problems and injury. “Diamond in the Rough” CBS story on Michael OherThe story of The Raven’s offensive tackle and the obstacles he has overcome. “Eve of St. Crispin’s Day Speech” from Henry V (5:41) The inspirational Kenneth Branagh scene in Henry V in which he inspires the British Army to persevere and enter battle facing insurmountable odds. It is a moving speech and could be used in teaching speech delivery to students. Reading with Thematic and/or Genre ConnectionsTeachers are encouraged to have students independently read additional selections that are thematically connected to the unit. It is important to offer a range of text complexity for students. The school Media Specialist will be able to provide suggestions.● The Cay by Theodore Taylor● Tangerine by Edward Bloor● Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan● Hero by S.L. Rottman● Self-selected poems and essaysWriting Tasks and ResearchWritings tasks that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned will be completed routinely from a range of discipline specific tasks. Students will have opportunities to compose explanatory, argument and narrative writing tasks. These tasks include on-demand writing, fully-developed written responses, timed-writing, and brief responses to texts such as journal writing and warm-ups. In addition students will draw on evidence to compose analysis, reflection, and research. Speaking and ListeningStudents will have multiple opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions, in small groups, as part of a whole class and with a partner. In addition, they will also interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and include these diverse formats in their own presentations. LanguageIn order to write and speak effectively students must have command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage. Students will prepare by studying these conventions, while also strengthening their understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meaning. This knowledge of language will allow students to vary sentence patterns for meaning, purpose and style. AssessmentsPre-assessment (diagnostic)Pre-assess students’ understanding of language and key literary terms such as biography, autobiography, conflict, theme, and tone.Formative/SummativeThroughout the unit, teachers will measure student progress by creating assessments that demonstrate growth in reading, writing, and language development.Performance Based TasksTeachers will measure student progress with Performance-based tasks that demonstrate growth in reading comprehension, writing, and language development.English 7 Unit PlanThematic Focus: Facing InjusticeGenre Focus: Literary NonfictionOverview Students explore the theme of injustice as it affects both individuals and society as a whole. The extended anchor texts (literary nonfiction) focus on either the persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, or the oppression of the people of the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. In addition, shorter texts in other genres allow students to explore both historical and contemporary examples of individuals and groups who struggle against prejudice and discrimination. In our world today, both in and out of school, students encounter situations that show how different people cope or react to acts of injustice, whether as a passive bystander, a perpetrator, a victim, or an “upstander” who stands up and speaks out. Therefore, they will have the opportunity within this unit to reflect on what their role may be when facing an injustice and developing an awareness of injustices in our history and our modern world. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with their social studies colleagues, guidance counselors, and school psychologists to identify additional resources (including primary source documents) on this theme.Students will study Farewell to Manzanar, Before We Were Free, Upon the Head of the Goat, or The Diary of a Young Girl. Students closely examine memoirs and autobiographies as the foundation for the unit, but will also explore articles, speeches, essays, poems, short stories that deal with themes of facing injustice. In addition, visual and other non-print media allow students opportunities to learn about the many ways that individuals record past experiences in order to provide accounts for future generations.The students will develop an understanding of how concepts addressed in the anchor texts, as well as the supplemental readings and non-print media share common themes: history repeats itself unless we truly reflect upon our mistakes; the choices we make when confronted with injustice and cruelty have a lasting impact on ourselves, our families and society; each individual must decide which role he/she will take when facing injustices. Students will engage in the writing process and routinely reflect on their development as writers. They learn to construct a clear and purposeful thesis and provide well-developed ideas in a deliberate organized manner, while addressing the needs of audience and purpose. Additionally, students will apply knowledge of grammar and mechanics to their writing. Students will complete specific short and long writing tasks, often inclusive of research, while addressing the demands of argument and explanatory writing and the writing process. In addition, using close reading skills, research skills, and technology, students will respond to a thematically relevant performance-based task, when crafting effective written pieces.Teachers will make deliberate choices for students to read on-grade-level texts so that students continue to develop their ability to understand “high quality and increasingly challenging literary and informational texts.” (CCSI/ELA, page 10)Enduring Understandings Injustice is often instigated by groups in power; however, it is often supported consciously or unconsciously by the silence of the citizenry.Injustice can be fueled by prejudices which are based on inaccurate or incomplete information about others.Ordinary citizens can make a societal difference.Great works of literature illustrate human struggles, expose social flaws, and inspire social reform.Accomplished readers comprehend texts by reading fluently, strategically, and critically.Speakers and writers control or personalize messages through word choices, voice, and style.Strategic writers spend time ensuring grammar and punctuation is accurate to ensure clarity.Strategic readers question the text, consider various perspectives, and look for author’s bias in order to think, live, and act differently.Accomplished researchers employ strategies to assist with research.Essential QuestionsWhat are the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice?How does an individual’s response to prejudice and injustice reveal his or her true character?What is the value of learning about injustice from the point of view of someone who has experienced it?How can we ensure that all groups are treated equally under the laws of a country?What options does an individual have when faced with injustice on a large or small scale?Anchor Texts: (Select One)● The Diary of a Young Girl, diary by Anne Frank● Farewell to Manzanar, memoir by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston● Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944, memoir by Aranka Siegel● Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez Support TextsInformational Texts: (choose at least one of the following)For Farewell to Manzanar:Speech: Declaration of War With Japan by Franklin Roosevelt -On December 8, 1941 the United States Congress declared war upon the Empire of Japan in response to that country's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the prior day. It was formulated an hour after the Infamy Speech presidential address of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Following the declaration, Japan's allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States, definitively bringing the United States into World War II.Students will analyze word choice, mood, and tone in this declarationHow did President Roosevelt use his voice to add to the effect of his written words? Consider pitch, volume, pace, and pauses.Interview: Telling Their Stories: Japanese Americans Interned During WWII school (10-12th grade) students complete background research and conduct interviews of Bay Area residents who directly experienced key historical events of the mid-20th century. The current topics include the stories of Holocaust survivors, concentration camp liberator/witnesses, and Japanese American camp internees.Students will examine the messages of those who faced internment and discuss the overarching question: what is the value of learning about injustice from the point of view of someone who has experienced it? Government Document: Executive Order No. 9066 States Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones. Eventually, EO 9066 cleared the way for the deportation of Japanese Americans to internment camps. The executive order was spurred by a combination of war hysteria.Students will debate whether this government document was justified.Do you think this type of order could be carried out in today’s society if the United States were attacked by a foreign military? Court Document: Gordon HIRABAYASHI v.UNITED STATES No. 870 defendant, Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi, was a University of Washington student, who was accused of violating the curfew order, a misdemeanor based upon Executive Order 9066. Hirabayashi was convicted of violating a curfew and relocation order, and his appeal of this conviction reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court heard both the Hirabayashi case and Yasui v. United States during the 1942-1943 term, and released the opinions as companion cases on June 21, 1943. The Court upheld the curfew order in both the Hirabayashi and Yasui cases, and the defendants were sent to internment camps.Students will debate on the individual Supreme Court judges’ written answers to the case. Court Document: Gordon KOREMATSU v.UNITED STATES No. 22 v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II regardless of citizenship.The opinion, written by Supreme Court justice Hugo Black, held that the need to protect against espionage outweighed Fred Korematsu's individual rights, and the rights of Americans of Japanese descent. Students will debate on the individual Supreme Court judges’ written answers to the case. Government Document: Presidential Apology In 1993, more than fifty years after the opening of Japanese Internment Camps in the United States, then-President Bill Clinton sent letters to each survivor of those camps, asking forgiveness on behalf of the American people. This letter was the result of a piece of legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 which apologized for these internment camps on behalf of the United States government. The government distributed more than $1.6 billion in damages and reparations to Japanese Americans who were afflicted by this internment and their children, totaling about $20,000 per person.Student will debate if they believe the apology and the monetary reparations to be appropriate.For Anne Frank and Goat:Speech: “First They Came For the Jews” by Martin Niem?ller “First they came…” is a famous statement and provocative poem attributed to pastor Martin Niem?ller (1892–1984) about the sloth of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Even today, Niemo?ller’s lines have meaning. They are often altered to fit differing political or social agendas, but they stand as a universal call for social action and solidarity and vigilance in the face of oppression and injustice.Students will analyze the theme of the poem and relate it to injustice of current times.Students will consider the following questions: Were the German people as a whole guilty for the Holocaust, or just those actively supporting the Nazis? If someone does nothing to stop a crime, is he guilty of a crime himself? Can someone who commits war crimes or crimes against humanity be forgiven by claiming he was just following orders? Speech: Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech by Elie Weisel (video)(text)Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel spent two years at the Birkenau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald concentration camps while he was a teenager. He has written many novels, including his most famous work, Night, an autobiographical chronicle of his experiences in the death camps with his father, who died weeks before the liberation. He is an orator and a social activist who advocates on behalf of Jews and people throughout the world suffering from genocide and persecution. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his work, and his acceptance speech speaks out against genocide, oppression and persecution.The purpose of acceptance speeches such as this is usually to express a statement of purpose, or to impart some kind of wisdom or lesson to an audience. With this in mind, students will identify Wiesel's purpose. Students will examine what lesson he trying to impart to his audience. Students will evaluate whether the speech conveys his purpose and his message effectively and successfully. Interview: “Telling Their Stories: Holocaust Survivors and Refugees” school (10-12th grade) students complete background research and conduct interviews of Bay Area residents who directly experienced key historical events of the mid-20th century. The current topics include the stories of Holocaust survivors, concentration camp liberator/witnesses, and Japanese American camp internees. Students will examine the messages of those who faced internment and discuss the overarching question: what is the value of learning about injustice from the point of view of someone who has experienced it? For Before We Were FreeNewspaper Article: “I Shot the Cruelest Dictator in the Americas” Trujillo's dictatorship is considered one of the bloodiest in the AmericasBefore his assassination on a dark highway on 30 May 1961, the Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo, ruled with an iron fist for almost 30 years. Tim Mansel meets one of the men who shot him. Students will use this article to analyze how much of the novel connected to the real life details in the assassination of Trujillo. Newspaper Article: “DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Gaudiest Dictator (1945): will be able to read an article that comes directly from the time the dictator held power over the Dominican Republic. Students will be able to investigate how Trujillo’s self-perception correlated with his regime. Literature: (choose at least one of the following that connects to the anchor text)Short StoriesStudents use the short story to explore the overarching questions:What options does an individual have when faced with injustice on a large or small scale?How does an individual’s response to prejudice and injustice reveal his or her true character? “Thank You M’am” by Langston HughesRoger is a fifteen year old African-American boy with a dirty face. He desperately desires a pair of blue suede shoes that he cannot afford. He runs into Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and tries to steal her purse. Jones. Mrs. Jones teaches Roger that he doesn’t always have to steal to get what he wants. “The Necklace” by Guy deMaupassant“The Necklace" tells the story of Madame Mathilde Loisel and her husband. Mathilde always imagined herself in a high social position with wonderful jewels. However, she has nothing and marries a low-paid clerk who tries his best to make her happy. She ends up enduring a very difficult situation due to a misunderstanding. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut“Harrison Bergeron’’ is set in the future, when Constitutional Amendments have made everyone equal. The agents of the Handicapper General (H-G men, an allusion to the practice in the 1940s and 1950s of referring to Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service officers as G-men, the G standing for government) enforce the equality laws. People are made equal by devices that bring them down to the normalcy level in the story, which is actually below-average in intelligence, strength, and ability. Harrison is a genetic superman that breaks his handicaps on television and for a brief time shows the world the beauty of human beings. He rebels against the injustices of the dystopian world. “Home” by Gwendolyn Brooks'Home' by Gwendolyn Brooks is a story of a family who is facing the possibility of losing their house due to a lack of money. PoetryFor Farewell:“Silence No More” by Kiku Funabiki poem was written after a public hearing in 1982 held by the Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in ten cities. Many ex-detainees spoke out for the first time. The incidents are taken from actual testimonies at hearings the author attended in San Francisco and Seattle. The author later read her poem with her testimony at a Congressional hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary in Washington D.C. in 1984.Students will explain how the author’s tone supports themes, and explain how the author uses words and phrases to create mood.What the words deference/obligation/endurance (deeply entrenched cultural values) have in common. What does this tell you about the people of Japanese ancestry? How does this connect to the views of Japanese culture in the novel?For Anne Frank and Upon the Head of a Goat:“A Wagon of Shoes” by Abraham Sutzkever the war, Sutzkever witnessed horrific scenes of cruelty and suffering. “A Wagon of Shoes” describes a common sight in the ghetto: a wagon rumbling through the street filled with shoes belonging to murdered Jews. "To the Little Polish Boy Standing with His Arms Up" by Peter L. Fischl Fischl was a young boy when Hungarian Jews were being rounded up and killed during World War II. Unlike his father, and millions of others, Fischl survived.In the 1960s, now living in the United States, he saw a powerful picture in Life Magazine, taken of a young boy in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. The boy epitomized fear, as a German soldier stood behind him, rifle at-the-ready. The photograph haunted Fischl for years, reminding him of what his fate could have been, when he was about the same age as the boy in Poland. Students will study the word choice, repetition, and figurative language used in the poem to identify the mood and tone of the poem. Students will also evaluate the effectiveness of these literary devices in conveying the intended message to the audience effectively.For all anchor textsStudents will examine how the themes in these poems relate to those in their novel. Students will also analyze poetic elements and how they affect mood and tone.“Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall 15, 1963, was not a typical Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama; it was a day of devastation. Sunday school had just ended at the Seventeenth Street Baptist Church when nineteen sticks of dynamite, stashed under a stairwell, exploded. Twenty-two of the black congregation’s adults and children, although injured, survived the bombing. Four little girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, did not. The bombing was a horrific reminder of the dangers of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar Laurence Dunbar's poem 'Sympathy' relates to the effects of racism on a person. The bird represents black Americans and other oppressed people with the visual description of a caged bird. The poem expresses sympathy for the bird and its longing to be free.Diverse Media and Formats (choose at least two of the following in different categories)Music“Seek Up” and “Cry Freedom” by Dave Matthews“Civil War” by Guns N’ Roses“Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Peter, Paul, and Mary “Imagine” by John Lennon Video ClipsFor Farewell to Manzanar“Time of Fear: The Japanese Internment will explore how Americans viewed people of Japanese descent prior to Pearl Harbor as well as how the bombing of Pearl Harbor impacted the feelings towards Japanese Americans in the US. “United States War Relocation Authority: Japanese Relocation will explore how bias and propaganda affected the way the American public thought about life in the internment camps. For Diary and Upon the Head:The Devil’s Arithmetic (television movie) Dir. Donna DietchThe Devil's Arithmetic is a historical fiction novel written by Jane Yolen which was later made into a Showtime movie. Hannah is a Jewish girl who lives in New Rochelle, New York. During a Passover Seder, Hannah Stern is transported back in time to 1942 Poland, during World War II, where she is sent to a Nazi concentration camp and learns the importance of knowing about the past.One Survivor Remembers (documentary) Teaching Tolerance free kit Produced by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Research Institute, this Academy Award-winning documentary relates the harrowing story of Gerda Weissmann Klein and her journey of survival and remembering both before and after the war.Paper Clips (documentary) As a part of their study of the Holocaust, the children of the Whitwell, TN middle school try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis.The Holocaust: In Memory of Millions (documentary)Walter Cronkite chronicles the most important aspects of the Holocaust from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This Discovery Channel film combines historical records, original footage, and personal photographs in an effort to help viewers understand how Hitler and the Nazi Party assumed power in Germany. Elie Wiesel and other survivors share their painful stories, while those who liberated prisoners from the death camps talk about what they saw upon their arrival. For all anchor texts:Understanding the Salem Witch Trials by Discovery Education Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. It was one of the most notorious cases of mass hysteria, and has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a cautionary tale about the dangers of isolationism, religious extremism, false accusations and lapses in due process.Students will examine how the causes and effects of this event can be compared to the event they are studying in their novel. Art/PhotographsFor Farewell to Manzanar: Home by Estelle Ishigo, 1942 the American citizens forced out of California was artist Estelle Ishigo. As the European American wife of a Japanese American, Ishigo and her husband Arthur were sent to Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in a remote area of Wyoming. There, Estelle Ishigo continued her work as a painter. Estelle Ishigo's artwork gives us a rare look, from within, at the conditions in these bleak, roughly constructed camps. The individual experience of these innocent prisoners differs by age, gender, place of incarceration and what their prewar life had been. Ishigo was able to capture the spirit of Heart Mountain by showing the courage and dignity of the internees in their attempt to make a home under incredibly constrained circumstances.Students will analyze the painting and compare and contrast what you see to Jeanne’s living conditions. JARDA: Japanese Relocation Digital Archives images show the faces of Japanese Americans before, during, and after incarceration. Most of the photographs were taken by War Relocation Authority (WRA) photographers for publicity purposes and tend to show people who are smiling or stoic. Students will analyze how bias and propaganda affected the way Americans thought about life in the internment camps. For Upon the Head of a Goat and Diary of a Young Girl:A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust – Galleries of Holocaust Images wealth of photographs taken during the time period. For All Novels:The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell, 1964Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Problem We All Live With” about Ruby Bridges and her attendance at a white school in New Orleans, LA in 1960 is an iconic piece. Student will explore the meaning of the title as well as the theme of the piece and how it connects to the text they are working with. Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces on 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace.Students will analyze how this painting corresponds and connects to the themes in their novel? Norman Rockwell’s depictions of the Four Freedoms January 6, 1941, President Roosevelt addressed Congress, delivering the historic "Four Freedoms" speech. At a time when Western Europe lay under Nazi domination, Roosevelt presented a vision in which the American ideals of individual liberties were extended throughout the world. Alerting Congress and the nation to the necessity of war, Roosevelt articulated the ideological aims of the conflict. Eloquently, he appealed to Americans` most profound beliefs about freedom. The speech so inspired illustrator Norman Rockwell that he created a series of paintings on the "Four Freedoms" theme. In the series, he translated abstract concepts of freedom into four scenes of everyday American life.Students will analyze the paintings and examine the freedoms of the people of the United States of America in contrast to the characters in their novel.Independent Reading Extensions with Thematic and Genre ConnectionsTeachers are encouraged to have students independently read additional selections that are thematically connected to the unit. Several possibilities are given, but they are not the only texts that may be used. It is important to offer a range of text complexity for students. The school Media Specialist will be able to provide suggestions.● The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen● Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas● The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss● Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli● Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare● Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson● Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen Writing Tasks and ResearchWritings tasks that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned will be completed routinely from a range of discipline specific tasks. Students will have opportunities to compose explanatory, argument and narrative writing tasks. These tasks include on-demand writing, fully-developed written responses, timed-writing, and brief responses to texts such as journal writing and warm-ups. In addition students will draw on evidence to compose analysis, reflection and research. Speaking and ListeningStudents will have multiple opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions, in small groups, as part of a whole class and with a partner. In addition, they will also interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and include these diverse formats in their own presentations. LanguageIn order to write and speak effectively students must have command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage. Students will prepare by studying these conventions, while also strengthening their understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meaning. This knowledge of language will allow students to vary sentence patterns for meaning, purpose and style. AssessmentsPre-assessment (diagnostic)Pre-assess students’ understanding of language and key literary terms such as biography, autobiography, conflict, theme, and tone.Formative/SummativeThroughout the unit, teachers will measure student progress by creating assessments that demonstrate growth in reading, writing, and language development.Performance Based TasksTeachers will measure student progress with Performance-based tasks that demonstrate growth in reading comprehension, writing, and language development.English 7 Unit PlanThematic Focus: Thrills and ChillsGenre Focus: Speculative fictionOverviewThe speculative story, a story which embodies the notion “just suppose” or “what would happen if,” allows students to imagine situations that are different from their own and contrary to known history or nature. It tells a story that is pleasing to the reader and at the same time opens disturbing questions, questions that readers may not be able to frame on their own or even accept as valid questions in the context of their daily life. Speculative fiction asks the questions that need to be asked, “What is it to be human? Why does that even matter? What is good? What is bad and why?” This genre also allows students to begin to question which information can be trusted. How does one know something to be true or right? This type of fiction exemplifies our weaknesses and our strengths at the same time. It illustrates the perversity and virtue that dwell inside every human being. Speculative fiction allows students to reflect and engage with cultural and social morals and ethics. Speculative fiction allows students to analyze what makes a story (whether written, spoken, displayed on television or in the movies) engaging, exciting, and imaginative. Additionally, it allows one to look deeply at the human craving for and response to suspense and trepidation. Why do we ride rickety roller coasters when we fear they may plunge us to an unknown depth or assume a noise in the night must be a threat? There is an intrinsic enjoyment of fear and anxiety because it creates curiosity or anticipation - feelings that are embodied in basic human nature. Students will be able to understand how writers manipulate that anxiety through mood, tone, craft, and setting.Students will study “The Raven” and selections from Mysterious Circumstances, as well as other classical and contemporary literature. Students deeply examine poetry, plays, and short stories as the foundation for the unit, understanding how speculative topics addressed in the anchor texts share common themes: the good and bad in human nature, moral and ethical controversies, and the dichotomy of anxiety and pleasure in suspense. Furthermore, students pair these fictional pieces with informational texts about suspense, horror, and the unknown in order to understand the validity of these themes not just in fictional pieces, but in real-world applications. Students will engage in the writing process and routinely reflect on their development as writers. They learn to construct a clear and purposeful thesis and provide well-developed ideas in a deliberate organized manner, while addressing the needs of audience and purpose. Additionally, students will apply knowledge of grammar and mechanics to their writing. Students will complete specific short and long writing tasks, often inclusive of research, while addressing the demands of argument and explanatory writing and the writing process. In addition, using close reading skills, research skills, and technology, students will respond to a thematically relevant performance-based task, when crafting effective written pieces.Teachers will make deliberate choices for students to read on-grade-level texts so that students continue to develop their ability to understand “high quality and increasingly challenging literary and informational texts” (CCSI/ELA, page 10). Enduring Understandings ● Speculative literature allows individuals to respond to life’s uncertainty withanxiety and fear, as well as excitement.Effective authors manipulate the basic needs and fears of people in the writing of mystery and horror stories.Writers manipulate anxiety and anticipation through mood, tone, imagery, irony, setting, diction, point of view, word choice, style and craft.Accomplished readers comprehend texts by reading fluently, strategically, and critically.Speakers and writers control or personalize messages through word choices, voice, and style.Strategic writers spend time ensuring grammar and punctuation is accurate to ensure clarity.Strategic readers question the text, consider various perspectives, and look for author’s bias in order to think, live, and act differently.Accomplished researchers employ strategies to assist with research. Essential QuestionsHow does fear shape our view of the world and blind us to other perspectives?Which techniques do writers and authors use to develop suspense in literature?How are literary elements used to convey the author’s purpose?How can themes in speculative literature be identified?How are real-world tensions and concerns reflected in works of speculative fiction?How does one’s response to conflict in literature inform our understanding of social and moral issues in society?How does character motivation drive the plot, while shaping the reader’s understanding of human psychology? Anchor Texts● “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe● Mysterious Circumstances / Perfection Learning ISBN-13: 978-0-7891-5051-6 Support TextsShort Stories“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs The theme of this famous short story has to do with tempting fate and is a good example of speculative literature. Students could apply the definition to the story for a short writing.(GT)“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irvin This tale, from post Revolutionary America, tells of Ichabod Crane, the unfortunate schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow. Smitten with love at the thought of the largest landowner’s daughter, delicious food, and riches, he attends a ball and courts Katrina Von Tassel. He was a superstitious man and was frightened out of the district by the headless horseman, who may have been a pumpkin head on top of a local swain, who wished the fair Katrina for himself. The language of the chase is quite suspenseful and archaic, hence the GT designation. Students could look at the 300 year old story and find similarities with tales of terror from contemporary literature. (GT) “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThis is “locked room mystery” has the famous detective using careful observation and logical deduction to solve the crime of the death of Julia Stoner. Her sister contacts Holmes because she is suspicious of her wild stepfather, Dr. Roylott, who is a memorable sketch of evil. Students could examine the clues and find instances of Holmes expertise, while defining a locked room mystery. Most schools have printed copies of this story from “The Tin Box Society,” a local Sherlock Holmes society. “Three Skeleton Key” by George G. Toudouze (Note: There is also a radio play version) frightening story tells of three lighthouse keepers and their onslaught/attack by rats. Students could examine diction as well as the use of suspense techniques in both the play and story. This also appears in many anthologies. “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe Poe’s famous work, told in first person narrator, set during the Inquisition, and in a dark pit. The narrator is facing certain death in a prison and the story explores his psyche as he tries to survive death. The setting is a key player in the story, so students could study the importance of setting on plot. The narrator’s reliability is also another path students could take in the analysis of the story.(GT) “The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan PoePoe’s famous narrator kills an old man because he can not abide the old man’s eye. He disposes of the body by dismembering it and burying under the floor boards. What makes the story even more macabre is that he hears the old man’s heart beating after death, or is it the narrator’s heart? This eventually leads to his capture by the police. Students can look at the reliability of the narrator and how Poe creates suspense. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan PoeThe tale of Montresor and Fortunato has to do with the strong emotion of revenge. Montresor can not forgive a slight by Fortunato and leads him on a journey for a delicious wine, which ends in Fortunato’s being buried alive. Students can examine the text for foreshadowing, the unreliability of Montresor and how revenge leads men to commit crimes. “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan PoeDeath is unavoidable, unless you are Prince Prospero, and you are sure you can trick death. This example of Gothic fiction traces Prospero’s desperate attempt to avoid the red plague, also known as tuberculosis, the disease that robbed Poe of many of the women in his life. Students can study the story for examples of the similaries between the red death and tuberculosis and also the elements of Gothic fiction.(GT) “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell (GT)Rainsford, a big game hunter from New York, finds himself the “game” hunted by General Zaroff, a Russian aristocrat on a remote island in the southern Atlantic. He must survive for three days with a small amount of food, a knife, and his wits. Students could trace the effect the game has on Rainsford, as he sharpens his wits in the game of his life.(GT) “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando TellezTold by a first person narrator, this very short story is set in a Latin American country that is in a revolution. The barber is part of the rebel force and tension and suspense develop when he is forced to shave the ruling party’s military leader with a long, sharp blade. The conflict is man vs. self and man vs. man and this would be a focus for students. How Tellez builds suspense could be another tact on which to direct students. Poetry“The Highwayman” by Alfred NoyesNoyes use of metaphor and setting make this narrative poem realistic and a bit frightening. It is the tale of a woman who sacrifices herself for her lover, a thief, and their love goes on forever, as their ghosts meet at midnight at the scene of the crime. Students can analyze each stanza by chunking and summarizing, taking into consideration poetic devices and how they contribute to meaning. “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert ServiceAnother narrative poem that tells of supernatural experiences, this one is set in the Arctic during the Gold Rush on a steamer. Sam McGee is a miner who freezes to death, but comes back to life and begs to be kept warm. Scary! Students can memorize different stanzas and recite them using dramatic emphasis. Johnny Cash reading the poem Plays“Sorry, Wrong Number” by Louise FletcherMrs. Stevenson, a self proclaimed invalid, is alone in her New York City apartment and overhears a phone conversation plotting a woman’s murder. As suspense builds, the reader gradually understands that she is the intended victim. Students can do Reader’s Theater with the script and use a plot diagram after reading for comprehension and understanding of the climax. “Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” (screenplay) by Rod SerlingFear strikes the heart of an average American neighborhood in the 50s when it seems that aliens have made all the mod cons go awry. Panic sets in and soon those who were once good friends are accusing each other of being alien. (We have met the enemy and they are us.) It turns out that the aliens knew that humans would turn on each other with little provocation. There are some interesting things that could be compared with this frightening take on fear. The McCarthy hearings were taking place and students could read non fiction accounts of the witch hunt that occurred in Washington and then apply symbolism to the screenplay. The Dying Detective (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleHolmes, using a ruse that he has contracted a rare tropical illness, tricks a murderer into confessing to a previous murder. Students could use the script for Reader’s Theater and track the plot action using a plot diagram to determine the climax.(found in Mysterious Circumstances/Perfection Learning ISBN-13: 978-0-7891-5051-6) Essays“Suspense” by Mary Higgins ClarkClark discusses how she builds suspense in a short story. This is a good piece to use in the definition of suspense. Students could take notes on the essay and then apply the concepts to another piece of literature read in the unit.(found in Mysterious Circumstances/Perfection Learning ISBN-13: 978-0-7891-5051-6)Informational Text“Arsenic and Old Rough and Ready” by William MaplesBased on current forensic science practice, the author revisits the death of President Zachary Taylor to see if he had been poisoned. The article chronicles the possibilities of Taylor’s death being caused by arsenic in light of the benefits his death would have delivered by the opposing political party. It is a long article that requires a reading strategy and a teacher could pull a modern account of a murder being solved by forensic science and compare the two studies.(found in Mysterious Circumstances/Perfection Learning ISBN-13: 978-0-7891-5051-6) Diverse MediaSongs“Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon LightfootThis song tells the tale of the mysterious shipwreck on the Great Lakes of a steamer in which 29 men died. It is based on a Newsweek article, “The Cruelest Month.” Students could compare the lyrics with the article and discuss the writer’s choice and artistic license. “Hotel California” by The EaglesThe lyrics in this song are surreal and describe a traveller staying at a high end hotel, where you can “check out at any time, but you can’t ever leave.” Teachers could pair this with a description of a setting from another story or poem and students could discuss/write about how the setting creates suspense. “The Highwayman” by Loreena MckennittSong puts the lyrics of the above poem to music. Students can compare the written with the sung and discuss which version creates a more suspenseful mood. “The Pit and the Pendulum” rap by FlocabularySets the story to rap and is quite accessible for students. Word choice and poetic devices can be examined to see if they add more suspense to the story than the original version. Soundtrack clip: Vertigo (Hitchock): score to Hitchcock’s famous movie has been noted to be one of the most suspenseful. This clip is from the bell tower scene when the music rushes to crescendo and creates a frightening mood. Students can listen to the interview in the podcast below and then watch the video clip and then write, perhaps in a timed writing, about how the music creates suspense. with author of a book on Hitchcock’s soundtracks and suspense: Resource BooksInterpretation of “The Highwayman” by Murray Kimber VideosClips from Sorry, Wrong Number, movieThe movie version of the play is truly a film noir version and students could be taught about film noir and how it creates suspense. The movie version, which was written by the original author, Louise Fletcher, adds back stories to the plot of the play and gives insight into why Mrs. Stevenson was being murdered. Students could discuss how suspense is created by just hearing a scene, reading a scene, and viewing a scene. Sorry, Wrong Number - the actual radio play Highwayman (Song and Animation) from “Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (Twilight Zone episode) Legend of Sleepy Hollow, audio with text Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Disney Animation Simpson’s version of “The Raven” presentation about the human brain and survival (Students could view this and then compare how the brain works to create suspense and how seeing and reading about frightening events creates suspense.)“Lamb to the Slaughter” (Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode)Video of the story,(found in Mysterious Circumstances/Perfection Learning ISBN-13: 978-0-7891-5051-6), that chronicles the story of a woman who murders her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and then servces the murder weapon to the police when they come to investigate. Students can compare the suspense created in this version, the version below, and the text to see which is more successful. “Lamb to the Slaughter” (Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected episode) Art--all of the artworks below create suspense in the viewer. Students should be schooled on how to “read” a painting and then perhaps compare one of the works of art with a non fiction account of a murder or suspenseful occurrence.“Scream” by Edvard MunchGustave Dore’s Illustrations to “The Raven”Works by Edward Gorey and Rene Magritte Independent Reading Extensions with Thematic and Genre ConnectionsTeachers are encouraged to have students independently read additional selections that are thematically connected to the unit. Several possibilities are given, but they are not the only texts that may be used. It is important to offer a range of text complexity for students. The school Media Specialist will be able to provide suggestions.And Then There Were None by Agatha ChristieThe House of Dies Drear by Virginia HamiltonAmong the Hidden by Margaret Peterson HaddixThe Westing Game by Ellen RaskinWriting Tasks and ResearchWritings tasks that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned will be completed routinely from a range of discipline specific tasks. Students will have opportunities to compose explanatory, argument and narrative writing tasks. These tasks include on-demand writing, fully-developed written responses, timed-writing, and brief responses to texts such as journal writing and warm-ups. In addition students will draw on evidence to compose analysis, reflection and research. Speaking and ListeningStudents will have multiple opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions, in small groups, as part of a whole class and with a partner. In addition, they will also interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and include these diverse formats in their own presentations. LanguageIn order to write and speak effectively students must have command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage. Students will prepare by studying these conventions, while also strengthening their understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meaning. This knowledge of language will allow students to vary sentence patterns for meaning, purpose and style. AssessmentsPre-assessment (diagnostic)Pre-assess students’ understanding of language and key literary terms such as biography, autobiography, conflict, theme, and tone.Formative/SummativeThroughout the unit, teachers will measure student progress by creating assessments that demonstrate growth in reading, writing, and language development.Performance Based TasksTeachers will measure student progress with Performance-based tasks that demonstrate growth in reading comprehension, writing, and language development. ................
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