Honors English II
GRADE TEN
Adopted 9/2024
English II Curriculum Writers
Karen Harris – Executive Director of the Office of Humanities
Marcey Thomas – English Language Arts Supervisor Grades 9-12
Linda Denis – OHS English Language Arts Coach, General and Special Education Teacher
Rania Shair – English Language Arts Teacher (General Education)
Bermuda Jules — VILS Coach
Melissa Garcia (General Education)
Orange Township Public Schools Gerald Fitzhugh, II, Ed.D. Office of the Superintendent |
Subject Grade: 10th
Course Description: This Honors level English Language Arts course challenges students to critically examine the power and purpose of argumentation across a spectrum of genres, including fictional texts, poetry, and informational texts. Through rigorous textual analysis, students will explore how authors across time periods and cultures employ rhetorical strategies, literary devices, and persuasive techniques to shape meaning, influence audiences, and reflect or critique societal values. Students will craft sophisticated written responses that demonstrate a deep understanding of literary craft. These include analytical essays that evaluate how literary elements contribute to the development of an argument or theme, narrative compositions that creatively adapt or extend characters, plotlines, or thematic elements, while demonstrating purposeful stylistic choices, and argumentative essays that synthesize textual evidence and original insight to support complex, culturally aware positions on enduring issues. Throughout the course, students will engage with grade level and above grade level complex texts to deepen their ability to interpret, critique, and connect ideas across genres and global perspectives. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating claims, delineating arguments, and analyzing the nuances of language and rhetorical effect, especially as they relate to culture, identity, and the evolution of thought. Instruction will include collaborative discussions, Socratic seminars, peer review, and research based inquiry to support students’ development in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be expected to cite textual evidence with precision, articulate their analyses with clarity, and transfer skills across a range of academic and real-world contexts. Aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for English Language Arts, this course is designed to prepare students for college, careers, and civic life by refining their critical thinking, enhancing their literary fluency, and nurturing their ability to communicate with both intellectual rigor and cultural awareness. |
Scope and Sequence
Timeline | Major Works (Units of Study) | Outcomes of Major Works (Performance Outcomes) |
Module 1 Persuasion in Literature | “Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe “Prayer to the Masks” by Léopold Sédar Senghor “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats “The Third and Final Continent” by Jhumpa Lahiri | Performance Task 1 In this module, we have read “Marriage Is a Private Affair” and “Things Fall Apart” where characters respond to cultural and traditional norms. In both texts, Chinua Achebe presents characters who face deep generational and ideological divides brought on by shifting cultural values and the impact of colonial influence. These characters struggle not only to preserve their own beliefs, but also to understand or resist those of the next generation. Write an analytical essay in which you compare how each work portrays generational conflict as a reflection of the larger struggle to maintain cultural identity. How do the older generations in each text respond to the erosion or challenge of traditional values? What do their struggles reveal about the cost of cultural rigidity or adaptation?
(RL.CR.9–10.1.,RL.IT.9–10.3.,RL.TS.9–10.4.,RL.PP.9–10.5.,W.IW.9–10.2.,W.AW.9–10.1. W.WP.9–10.4. L.SS.11–12.1. ) |
Module 2 The Power of Argument | From “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter”“10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation” “Touchscreen”“The Flight from Conversation”From Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (Part One and Part Two)Nobel Lecture by Kofi Annan“Hope, Despair, and Memory”“There Will Come Soft Rains” | Performance Task 2 Social issues are concerns or problems that create negative conditions that impact a particular social group or individuals within that group. Social issues are typically far-reaching, eventually affecting large portions of society. Module 2 focuses on social issues in our society and the conversations that help us to define social issues, such as analyzing the history and causes, the significance and impact, or the solutions and policies surrounding the social issue. Write a research paper investigating a social issue. Be sure to meet the following criteria:
(RL.CR.9-10.1,RI.CR.9-10.1,W.AW.9-10,W.WR.9–10.5,W.SE.9–10.6) |
Module 3 | “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare (poem)“Sonnet 292” Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller“Ode to the Present” by Pablo Neruda“Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson | Performance Task Part 3 Performance Task (General Ed): In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller presents Willy Loman as a modern tragic figure. Throughout the play, Miller blends praise, mockery, and mourning to create a complex portrait of Willy both as an individual and as a symbol of larger societal pressures. Write a literary argument in which you analyze how Miller uses rhetorical choices (such as tone, diction, contrast, and irony) to shape the audience’s understanding of Willy Loman as a tragic hero. Your essay should:
(RL.CR.9–10.1., RL.IT.9–10.3., RL.PP. 9–10.5., W.IW.9–10.2., W.AW.9–10.1. W.WP.9–10.4. L.SS.11–12.1. ) |
Module I | Grade(s): 10 | ||
Unit Plan Title: | Persuasion in Literature | ||
Overview/Rationale | |||
In this advanced unit, students will engage in a critical examination of how literary works from around the world serve as vessels for conveying distinct cultural perspectives. Through close textual analysis, students will consider how a work can reflect a cultural perspective, as well as the value of making connections between works from those varied cultural perspectives. In analyzing the use of persuasive rhetoric and literary devices, students can evaluate how authors use strategically persuasive techniques to influence and shape audience perceptions regarding cultural identity, tradition, and change. Students will synthesize their understanding by composing original creative works that integrate persuasive elements and demonstrating mastery in crafting compelling narratives aimed at persuading an audience of particular cultural viewpoints. By the conclusion of this unit, students will be adept at identifying and articulating in an insightful analytical analysis how persuasive techniques are used within diverse cultural contexts to challenge, reaffirm, or complicate readers’ understanding of societal norms and cultural transformation. | |||
New Jersey Student Learning Standards: | |||
RL.CR.9-10.1. Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what a literary text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text; this may include determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.CI.9-10.2. Determine one or more themes of a literary text and analyze how it is developed and refined over the course of a text, including how it emerges and is shaped by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.IT.9-10.3. Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout a text, including how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. RI.CR.9-10.1. Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what an informational text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text. RI.IT.9-10.3. Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout the text, including how an idea or series of ideas or events develop, including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. L.VI.9-10.4. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including connotative meanings. RL.TS.9-10.4. Analyze in detail the author’s choices concerning the structure of a text, order of the events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulation of time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) to create specific effects (e.g. mystery, tension, or surprise). RL.MF.9-10.6. Analyze, integrate, and evaluate multiple interpretations (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry) of a single text or text/s presented in different formats (visually, quantitatively). RL.CT.9-10.8. Analyze and reflect on (e.g. practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) how an author draws on, develops, or transforms source material of historical and literary significance (e.g., how a modern author treats a theme or topic from mythology or a religious text) and how they relate in terms of themes and significant concepts. W.AW.9-10.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant sufficient textual and non-textual evidence. W.IW.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. W.NW.9–10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W.WP.9-10.4. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, trying a new approach; sustaining effort to complete complex writing tasks; seeking out feedback and reflecting on personal writing progress; consulting a style manual (such as MLA or APA Style), focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.WR.9–10.5. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. SL.PE.9–10.1. a-c. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with peers on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. L.SS.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking. L.KL.9-10.2 Apply knowledge of language to make effective choices for meaning, or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading, writing, speaking or listening.
L.VL.9-10.3. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.VI.9-10.4. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including connotative meanings. | |||
Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills | |||
The ability to assess external information is a necessary skill to make informed decisions aligned to one’s goals. There are strategies an individual can use to increase his/her value and make him/herself more marketable in the job marketplace. Career planning requires purposeful planning based on research, self-knowledge, and informed choices. Innovative ideas or innovation can lead to career opportunities. Collaboration with individuals with diverse experiences can aid in the problem-solving process, particularly for global issues where diverse solutions are needed. Laws govern the use of intellectual property and there are legal consequences to utilizing or sharing another’s original works without permission or appropriate credit. Laws govern many aspects of computing, such as privacy, data, property, information, and identity. These laws can have beneficial and harmful effects, such as expediting or delaying advancements in computing and protecting or infringing upon people’s rights. Cultivating online reputations for employers and academia requires separating private and professional digital identities. Digital communities influence many aspects of society, especially the workforce. The increased connectivity between people in different cultures and different career fields have changed the nature, content, and responsibilities of many careers | |||
Technology/Computer Science and Design Thinking | Interdisciplinary Standards | ||
Impacts of Computing: The design and use of computing technologies and artifacts can positively or negatively affect equitable access to information and opportunities. Data and Analysis: Individuals select digital tools and design automated processes to collect, transform, generalize, simplify, and present large data sets in different ways to influence how other people interpret and understand the underlying information. Interaction of Technology and Humans: Decisions to develop new technology are driven by societal and cultural opinions and demands that differ from culture to culture. | Social Studies Connections:
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21st Century Skills: E = Encouraged, T = Taught, A = Assessed | |||
E/T | Civic Literacy | E/T/A | Communication |
E/T/A | Global Awareness | E/T/A | Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
E/T | Health Literacy | E/T | Collaboration |
E | Financial, Economic, Business, & Entrepreneurial Literacy | E/T | Creativity and Innovation |
E | Environmental Literacy | Other: | |
Essential Question(s) | |||
How can a work of literature reflect a cultural perspective? How is there value in making connections between characters from different texts, time periods, or cultures? How can a character's use of persuasion reveal information to the reader? How does specific word choice persuade an audience? | |||
Enduring Understandings | |||
Specific textual details reveal the perspectives and motives that contribute to a nuanced understanding of characters and their relationships. A significant event or related set of events can serve in the development of plot and conflict in a text. Symbols, imagery, and allusions function in developing complexity and deepening meaning in a text. Specific words and phrases function uniquely based on their literal and figurative meanings. Text interpretation is strengthened through the development of defensible claims. Specific textual details that convey or reveal a setting can contribute to understanding of character complexity. |
Student Learning Targets/Objectives | |
I can analyze a character in conflict in literature I can analyze and examine reason and logic in literature. I can read and analyze world literature across literary periods. I can analyze how themes are developed through characterization, plot, and historical and cultural settings. I can write an analytical analysis of a novel. I can write a short story using genre characteristics and craft. | |
Assessments | |
Pre and Formative Assessments: Diagnostic Reading Assessment/Inventory Diagnostic Writing Assessment/Inventory Quizzes (Activity Quizzes) Quick-writes Teacher-created resources Authentic and Summative Assessments: Extended Writing 1: Module 1 opens with a reading of Chinua Achebe's “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” where Achebe explores the deep conflict between personal choice and cultural expectation through the strained relationship between Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke. While the story centers on this father-son conflict, much is left unsaid, especially from the perspectives of other characters affected by the rift. Write a narrative that reimagines the events of the story from the perspective of a different character, such as Nene or one of Nnaemeka’s sons. Through this new lens, explore how the conflict between tradition and change impacts those outside of the father-son relationship, and how private decisions echo within public and cultural spaces. Be sure to:
(RL.CR.9–10.1.,RL.IT.9–10.3.,RL.TS.9–10.4.,RL.PP.9–10.5.,W.NW.9–10.3.,W.WP.9–10.4.L.SS.11–12.1.) Benchmark 1 Performance Task 1: In this module, we have read “Marriage Is a Private Affair” and “Things Fall Apart” where characters respond to cultural and traditional norms. In both texts, Chinua Achebe presents characters who face deep generational and ideological divides brought on by shifting cultural values and the impact of colonial influence. These characters struggle not only to preserve their own beliefs, but also to understand or resist those of the next generation. Write an analytical essay in which you compare how each work portrays generational conflict as a reflection of the larger struggle to maintain cultural identity. How do the older generations in each text respond to the erosion or challenge of traditional values? What do their struggles reveal about the cost of cultural rigidity or adaptation?
(RL.CR.9–10.1.,RL.IT.9–10.3.,RL.TS.9–10.4.,RL.PP.9–10.5.,W.IW.9–10.2.,W.AW.9–10.1. W.WP.9–10.4. L.SS.11–12.1. ) | |
Teaching and Learning Actions | |
Instructional Strategies | Academic Vocabulary - Create and keep current, a Language Arts Word Wall, for children to use and interact with. Important for all learners, academic vocabulary and language must be taught explicitly, particularly to second language learners. Accountable talk - Talking with others about ideas is fundamental to classroom learning. Classroom talk that promotes and sustains learning should be accountable to other learners, use accurate and appropriate knowledge, and adhere to rigor in thinking. Accountable talk responds to and further develops what others have said through relevant observations, ideas, opinions, or more information. Cognates-Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. 30-40% of all words in English have a related word in Spanish and this guide provides a helpful list of cognates in Spanish and English. Conferencing - A one-to-one teacher conference with a student about his or her work in progress is prevalent in teaching writing and speaking, but it is also useful in other areas. The purpose of the conference-- engaging in meaningful conversation about the student’s work in progress--will not be realized automatically. Preparation (on the part of both the teacher and the student) before the conference, careful listening during the conference, recordkeeping, and follow-up are essential components for a successful outcome. In student-to-student conferencing, participants require guidance, a focused protocol, and accountability. Video resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pad1eAcsHho Content Stations – Areas where students work on different tasks simultaneously. Can and should be leveled for review, challenge, and remediation at appropriate level. Teacher rotates and facilitates instruction and assistance. Activities reach various learning styles. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt leveled readers to assist in background knowledge, skills application, etc. Cues, questions, activating prior knowledge- Frequently assess your students for prior content knowledge to assist in planning your lessons. Use effective questioning to prompt students to recall and apply what they have already learned. Effective questioning - Teacher questioning and student response are common classroom learning activities. Research finds that teacher questions (and cues) are effective when they focus on what is important, require students to respond at higher levels, provide adequate wait time after a question is asked and establish an engaging introduction for the lesson. Effective questioning can also play a role in focusing students on unit learning goals or overarching themes throughout a longer period of study. Flexible Groupings- Teacher meets with groups to meet curricular goals, engage students, and respond to individual needs. Integration of content areas - There is a strong case to be made for integrating curriculum. It strengthens skills that students encounter in one content area, but also practice in another, such as reading and writing, and it can lead to the mastery of those skills. It provides meaningful instruction for students in multiple areas of standards in a single class or learning experience. It is also a more authentic way of learning because it reflects what we experience, both professionally and personally, in the world. It can be a way to engage students when introducing them to a challenging subject. STEM education is a current example of effective content integration. Research supports the integration of content areas. Intentional Use of Technology – whiteboard presentations and activities available and encouraged for use through SpringBoard. Leveled Instruction – Teacher gives introductory lesson to the entire class, then provides varying access points for students to practice skills. Teacher provides several assignments with different levels of difficulty- the student OR teacher chooses an assignment. Modeling - Modeling is an instructional strategy wherein the teacher or another student demonstrates a new concept or skill and students learn by observing and emulating. Modeling is an effective instructional strategy when it allows students to observe thought processes and imitate particular behaviors or steps in a process. Types and purposes of modeling can include approaches such as task and performance modeling (demonstrating a task), metacognitive modeling (thinking aloud), and disposition modeling (conveying one’s own enthusiasm, interest, or commitment). Modeling can be used across disciplines and in all grades and ability levels. Nonlinguistic representations- drawings, blocks, physical models, kinesthetic activities, graphic organizers, realia Read-aloud - Read-aloud is an instructional format, included formally in elementary reading programs and as an instructional activity in all areas and levels of the curriculum. A primary purpose of a read-aloud is to create a community of readers in the classroom and establish a known text as a basis for related literacy activities. Reading aloud allows teachers to model important components of literacy, such as fluency, expression, and interacting with texts while exposing students to vocabulary that is just beyond their instructional level and demonstrating how reading is a source of information and enjoyment. Semantic Mapping -The association of meanings and context for a given word that may include: origin, images, multiple meanings, word structure, synonyms, antonyms, descriptors, common contexts, examples, historical or cultural connotations and personal associations. When using a semantic map, it will assist students by building a meaningful network of associations around the words that must be learned which will be stored more deeply in memory and retrieved more easily. Share the Pen- Interactive writing strategy where teacher and students “share the pen” to create a written product such as a sentence, story, or list. SIoP Strategies - Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol consists of eight components; lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. Using these eight components teachers can design instruction that will help ELL’s to reach English language acquisition. Student goal setting - Teachers who set, define, and communicate learning objectives effectively with students employ research-based findings that say goal setting with students should: (1) be flexible and general because when a goal is too narrowly focused, it may limit learning (e.g., If the goal is to learn how a piston works, students may not learn its relationship to other parts of an engine), although too general goals may be unattainable; (2) encourage student ownership (e.g., creating own goals, personalizing teacher goals, committing to contracts, and providing feedback on their progress in journals, videos, etc.); (3) focus on understanding over accomplishing tasks; and (4) allow students enough time to adapt goals to their own interests, learning styles, and prior knowledge. Setting goals benefits from explicit instruction. Targeted feedback - Research and effective practice points to the following keys to using targeted feedback to improve student achievement and avoid negative effects: (1) link feedback to objectives; (2) use a formative evaluation approach over a summative approach; (3) make guidance specific (e.g.,proofing remarks or codes may not communicate well); (4) provide feedback in a timely manner (not long after assignment is forgotten); and (5) identify how students should use feedback to make improvements. Thumbs Up/Down, “Stop Light”, “Smiley Face”- for quick, formative assessment Think-Pair-Share– Turn & Talk with a neighbor to discuss/review various concepts/vocabulary/etc. Each child that is called on to share reports out their partner’s ideas/response; then switch. Word wall - A word wall is an organized collection of words prominently displayed in a classroom and frequently used as an interactive literacy tool for teaching vocabulary and spelling to children. There are many different types of word walls, such as high frequency words, word families, and story- or unit-related names. |
Activities: Including G/T, SE, and ELL Differentiation Differentiation examples: Students with a 504:
| Week 1: Focus: This week the focus is on introducing the unit and reading “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” a short story by Chinua Achebe before starting the novel Things Fall Apart. Reading: “Marriage Is a Private Affair” Activity: unpacking the Unit, the expectations of the extended writing task and performance task, and reading of “Marriage Is a Private Affair. Do Nows: Part 1: What do the words love and marriage mean to you? What do you think of when you think of marriage? Does marriage mean monogamy? Part 2: What is the difference between the following terms: subjective vs. objective? When answering text dependent questions, should students’ answers be subjective or objective? Explain. Part 3: What is tradition and its purpose? When can traditions become problematic? Pre-Planned Questions for Reflection and/or Discussion: “Marriage Is a Private Affair” (Part One) How does Achebe introduce the central conflict in the opening paragraphs, and what literary techniques does he use to signal tension between tradition and modernity? In line 4 of part 1 of the story, what does this line foreshadow about the emotional weight of Nnaemeka’s decision? How does Achebe use internal conflict to heighten the stakes? In what ways does Achebe present tradition as both a source of strength and a potential barrier to personal growth? How is persuasion used to uphold or challenge that tradition? How does Nene’s questioning in lines 7-11 highlight the contrast between urban and rural cultural norms? What assumptions is she making, and how do they reflect her environment? Throughout Part I, Achebe relies heavily on dialogue rather than exposition. How does this technique affect the way we learn about the characters’ cultural backgrounds and emotional struggles? Pre-Planned Questions for Reflection and/or Discussion: “Marriage Is a Private Affair (Part Two)” What central idea was introduced through cultural conflict in part 2? How does dialogue impact the development of the central idea? How is Nnaemeka developed as a character through the letter from his father? Why is this information significant? What is the significance of the cassia tree as a setting for the discussion between father and son? How does the author use imagery in paragraph 3, to represent Nnaemeka’s relationship with his father? Reflect on the essential question: How can a work of literature reflect a cultural perspective? Pre-Planned Questions for Reflection and/or Discussion: “Marriage Is a Private Affair (Part Three)” What theme in the introduction of part 3 is developed? Consider the significance of the story’s title. How does the phrase “Marriage is a Private Affair” function both literally and ironically in the context of the plot and cultural expectations? What makes the conversation “theological”? Okeke’s emotional shift at the end suggests an openness he previously resisted. What might Achebe be implying about the necessity of cultural adaptation and the consequences of cultural power? How does Part III of the story speak to ongoing issues in global societies—such as generational divides over marriage, tradition, and modernity? Can Okeke’s journey be seen as a metaphor for broader cultural reconciliation? Product: Exit Tickets: Part 1: What can you infer is going to happen in part 2 of the story based on what you read in part 1? Please explain why you made this inference. Part 1: What theme or message do you see beginning to emerge in Part I? How does Achebe start to build it? Part 2: If Nnaemeka lived in your community today, how might his conflict with his father look different—or stay the same? Part 3: What message do you think Achebe is communicating about family, tradition, or forgiveness through the ending? Focused Free Write: In “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” Okeke's neighbors mention native doctors and herbalists. What the native doctors and herbalists practice is what we in the United States call alternative medicine, or a way of treating and healing people that is outside traditional Western medicinal practices. Though the text suggests it is a superstitious aspect of the Ibo tribe, alternative medicine from different cultures is growing in popularity in the United States. However, not many people are familiar with its practices and effectiveness. How would you begin learning about alternative medicine practices? What types of information would you need to gather to justify a practice as valid and beneficial to a person's health? Discuss the risks and benefits with a partner. Then share your thoughts with the class, providing visuals to support your presentation. Quick Writes:
At the end of "Marriage is a Private Affair," Okeke begins to feel the weight of his past decisions and fears dying without making peace with his son and grandchildren. Achebe does not give us a clear resolution—only a shift in Okeke’s emotional state. In a well-developed free write, respond to the following:
Lumi Writing Extension: As we move through the unit, reflect on the literary works we explore and consider the challenges faced by the diverse individuals we encounter in each text. These challenges may include adapting to a new country, culture, life, feeling like a stranger in a place that once felt familiar, or deciding between tradition and change. Think about a time when you had to adjust to something new.
Create an original narrative, either personal or fictional, that addresses the questions above. Use Lumi to help you develop your ideas. This is an ongoing task. You will have opportunities throughout the module to address this task. Extended Writing: Module 1 opens with a reading of Chinua Achebe's “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” where Achebe explores the deep conflict between personal choice and cultural expectation through the strained relationship between Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke. While the story centers on this father-son conflict, much is left unsaid—especially from the perspectives of other characters affected by the rift. Write a narrative that reimagines the events of the story from the perspective of a different character—such as Nene or one of Nnaemeka’s sons. Through this new lens, explore how the conflict between tradition and change impacts those outside of the father-son relationship, and how private decisions echo within public and cultural spaces. Be sure to:
Language Dive: “So we are. But when it comes to marriage, well, it's not quite so simple. And this,” he added, “is not peculiar to the Ibos. If your father were alive and lived in the heart of Ibibio-land he would be exactly like my father.” Deconstruct/Reconstruct/Practice and Apply: Focus: Dialogue, interrupted dialogue Practice using quotation marks to indicate dialogue; practice using interrupted dialogue. Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: beneficial, fluently, homily, leave, obstinately, prejudiced, remorse, cosmopolitan, disposed, disconcerting, vehemently, homily, dissuasion, cassia tree, commiserate, theological, mutilated, desolate Tier 3: epiphany, plot, setting, theme, compare/contrast, persuasion, diction, perspective, attitude, misconceptions, conflict, logic Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the article will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students struggling with annotations will receive guided annotation questions. * Students who may need support in tracking their thinking as they read independently. Provide students with a copy of the Notes for Reading Independently graphic organizer. Encourage them to use this document to track their thinking and evaluate how challenging the text is. Consider having students share their responses in small groups. Week 2: Introducing Proverbs & Folktales and ”Things Fall Apart” Focus: This week students will be introduced to proverbs and folktales as they prepare to start reading the novel Things Fall Apart. Activity: Language dives: As you read the novel Things Fall Apart, you will encounter many proverbs and folktales that illustrate the beliefs of the Ibo people. One memorable Ibo proverb is “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.” Explain what you think this proverb means. How does the proverb help the reader's understanding? In your groups answer the following questions: (Introduction to Folktales and Proverbs) In small groups, read and discuss the following proverbs from the novel. Then explain each one in the graphic organizer.
Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion or Reflection: (chapters 1-4 of Things Fall Apart)
Character Analysis: With your group, discuss the first four chapters of Things Fall Apart. In those chapters, Achebe presents Okonkwo as a man of high status in his village despite some of his less admirable traits. Create a T-Chart listing out his admirable traits and negative traits. Quick Presentation: With your group, plan a presentation using digital media that illustrates Okonkwo's dual nature. You can use a digital drawing tool like Microsoft Paint or assemble clip art in a PowerPoint to create your visual interpretation. Make strategic use of digital media to enhance your interpretation and to add interest to your presentation. If digital media is not available, create illustrations to enhance the presentation. Present your visual interpretation to another group. Be sure to:
Focused Annotations: Characterization, Vocabulary, Ibo Culture/practices, Cultural Conflicts between characters Product: Quick Writes:
Explain how the proverbs and folktales you analyzed in this activity provide insight into the values of the cultures from which they come. Be sure to:
Based on your reading of chapters 1-4, explain how the two persuasive scenes you analyzed reveal the differences and similarities between Unoka and Okonkwo. Be sure to:
Take a position on the question: Is it common for powerful leaders to have flawed characters? Why? How might this affect the community? Write an argumentative response to support your position and explain how it relates to Okonkwo's character. Be sure to:
Vocabulary Tier 1: Address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: Achebe (Ah-chay-bay), Nwoye (Nuh-woh-yeh), Chinua (Chin-oo-ah), Ojiubo (Oh-jee-ooh-boh), Ekwefi (Eh-kweh-fee), Okonkwo (Oh-kawn-kwoh) Ezinma (Eh-zeen-mah), Umuofia (Oo-moo-oh-fee-ah), Ikemefuna (Ee-keh-meh-foo-nah) Unoka (Ooh-no-kah), Obierika (Oh-bee-air-ee-kah), wily, improvident, haggard, impending, plaintive, mirth, prowess, uncanny, imperious, emissary Tier 3: folktale, proverb, archetype, symbol, compare, contrast, persuasive technique Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students might need support identifying important character traits. In pairs or groups of three, assign students either the character of Okonkwo or his father. Provide each student with two copies of the Character Map graphic organizer. Have students complete one organizer for their assigned character as they read. After reading, students should collaborate with a partner from another group to complete the second Character Map and the Venn diagram. Students who struggle with the quick write will receive the following sentence frames to help students construct topic sentences and integrate quotes:
Students who struggle with vocabulary in the article will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. Students struggling with annotations will receive guided annotation questions. Week 3 Focus: This week students will focus on understanding family ties in the novel Things Fall Apart and developing the skill of analyzing characterization in the novel. Reading: Things Fall Apart 5-8 Activity: Focus Annotations: Characterization, vocabulary, Ibo Culture/practices, Cultural Conflicts between characters Pre-Planned Questions for Reading and/or Discussion (chapters 5-8 in Things Fall Apart)
Product: Socratic Seminar Quick Writes: Examine how Achebe uses Okonkwo’s interactions with either Nwoye or Ikemefuna to illuminate his psychological motivations and cultural insecurities. What do these relationships suggest about Okonkwo’s perception of masculinity, authority, and emotional restraint? How do they contribute to the nuanced characterization of a man torn between tradition and fear of weakness?
Explore how Achebe characterizes Ekwefi as a woman of quiet strength and emotional complexity. What does her behavior in these chapters, more specifically her defiance of Okonkwo or her care for Ezinma, reveal about the role of women and mothers in Igbo society? How does Achebe challenge or expand our understanding of familial roles through her perspective? In your response, refer to:
Activity: Carousal Debate: Students will engage in a silent debate with their peers in groups of 4 (based on tiers). Each student in the groups will be working on a worksheet following specific instructions. The students will be presented with 4 different claims as to the reasoning for why Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna after finishing chapter 7. Each student in their groups will then be given about 4 minutes to support the argument made whether they agree with the claim or not by referring to text evidence.. Afterwards, they will rotate their papers clockwise and read the new argument presented on the worksheet they just received. They will then be given 4 more minutes to now defend that argument with more evidence from the text. After the timer goes off, the students will rotate once again. After the third rotation, students will read over the argument presented on the new worksheet they were given and now counterargue the claim that was made with evidence to defend their counterargument. On the last rotation, students will read both the arguments that are both for and against the claim that was made and choose who has the strongest claim and explain why the claim they chose had the better argument. This will allow for students to develop an argument specific to a claim given and using test evidence and also serves as a form of test prep as they are being timed in their responses. Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: prophesied, harmattan, prowess, scalded, Dimaragana, suitor Tier 3: active voice, compare, contrast, foil, motif Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students struggling with annotations will receive guided annotation questions. *Some students may need help preparing for the socratic seminar. Those students who need help will be placed in one group and will work on the following preparation questions: Guide partners to answer literal yes/no questions about the characters, such as Has Nwoye changed?Guide partners to discuss questions about the characters, such as Why are the people happy about the locusts?Have small groups discuss literal and interpretive questions about the characters, such as How is the father/son motif illustrated in the novel? Week 4: Focus: The focus for this week is to have students read and analyze chapters 9 and 10 for how the introduction of the character Ikemefuna affects the themes and development of the plot. Students will write a short narrative about Ikemefuna's influence on the community. Activity: Reading discussion questions: Chapter #9 Things Fall Apart
Product: Character Tableau: Work with your group members to create a tableau (a freeze-frame snapshot) of characters from Things Fall Apart.
Quick Write chapter 9: Consider the impact of Ikemefuna's time in Umuofia. On a separate sheet of paper, write a short narrative from the point of view of either Okonkwo or Nwoye that reveals Ikemefuna's influence on the community (his arrival, presence, death). Be sure to:
Quick Write chapter 10: From your notes, write a paragraph to explain the values and norms of the Ibo culture. Be sure to:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: communal, defiance, guttural, pandemonium, quavering, esoteric, approbation, rebuke, brandish, inadvertent, Tier 3: narrative, theme, plot Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students who struggle with their tableau will receive guided help pointing out specific instances in the text where characters' traits are revealed. Then I’ll model for students how to pose and position characters in the tableau, taking care to explain your reasoning. Week 5: Focus: This week students will read Chapters 11–15 and use the RAFT strategy to create a narrative in the voice of a character from the novel. Activity: Reading Discussion Questions: Chapters 11&12 Analyzing Ekwefi's story about the Tortoise at the beginning of Chapter 11. What do you think is the purpose of this folktale in Ibo culture: What moral or lesson does it teach? What do you think Achebe's purpose is in including this story in the novel, and how does this story contribute to the success of the plot as a whole? Why do you think Achebe might have chosen an Ibo folktale rather than alluding to a text by a European author? As you reread the first three pages of Chapter 12, take notes in the following list to record textual evidence showing how Okonkwo, Ekwefi, and Ezinma act in response to the events of the previous evening. What inferences can you make from their thoughts, words, and actions? Reading Discussion Questions: chapters 13-15 Record textual evidence of what it means to be a man or woman in the Ibo culture. Examine the historical and cultural settings and how they influence Okonkwo's views. Reexamine the historical and cultural settings and how they influence Okonkwo's views. Then, as you reread Chapter 14, look for textual evidence that presents a different view of gender now that Okonkwo has been exiled to live with his mother's kinsmen for seven years. Discuss the following questions with the group: What motivates Okonkwo to commit the acts of violence? How and why do the views of gender shift from Part 1 of the novel to the first chapter of Part 2? Highlight textual evidence from each chart to support your responses. In Chapter 15, Uchendu says, “The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.” Part 2 of Things Fall Apart introduces the cultural conflict when white people come into contact with the Ibo. Predict what aspects of each culture might appear as an “abomination” to the other. Tragic Hero Activity: One archetype is the tragic hero, or a hero who experiences failure due to an internal flaw or external power. Read Aristotle's classical definition of a tragic hero, cited in the first column of the following table. Then provide examples and events from Okonkwo's life to analyze how the author develops him as a believable tragic hero. In addition, provide examples of heroic behavior using the lives of other characters from literature or film. Aristotle's Definition of a Tragic Hero: He has a mixture of good and bad in his personality. He has a fatal flaw, or hamartia, which leads to his downfall. He usually goes on a journey or participates in a quest. He has a large capacity for suffering. His downfall is often preceded bfy self-realization. Examples of Okonkwo's Heroic Behavior Examples of Heroic Behavior from Books/Film Group Discussion: Chapters 13-15 Prepare to discuss views on the two themes of violence and gender with a small group.
Writing/Product: Focused Free Write: In Chapter 15, Uchendu says, “The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.” Part 2 of Things Fall Apart introduces the cultural conflict when white people come into contact with the Ibo. Predict what aspects of each culture might appear as an “abomination” to the other. Exit Tickets: How do you believe Okonkwo's fate for the accidental killing of Ezeudu's son will impact his character? You must use text evidence to support your analysis.
Quick Writes: Chapters 11-12: Discuss your evidence and inferences in a small group from question #4 in the reading discussion questions. Have each group member choose the role of a different character and use the RAFT strategy to write about Chielo's abduction of Ezinma in Chapter 11. While in the role, each group member should write what his or her character is thinking, using the pronoun “I,” from the time Chielo, as Priestess of Agbala, comes for Ezinma until the end of the chapter. (The character's thoughts serve as the topic.) Example: Role: Okonkwo, Ekwefi, or Ezinma Audience: Another character, self, a god Format: Letter, monologue, diary entry, song, prayer Topic: Character's reaction to the events of Chapter 11 Remember to:
Chapters 13-15: How are the ideas of gender expressed in the novel similar to and different from those in your own culture?
To what degree does Okonkwo fit Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero? What flaws lead to his downfall? Be sure to:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: benumb, cunning, delectable, forsake, incipient, voluble, beckon, plumage, grievous, infirm, sickly, transfix Tier 3: novel, tragic hero, evidence, inference Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students who struggle with narrative writing may benefit from a review the concepts of voice, diction, imagery, syntax, and tone. If students have not mastered an understanding of these concepts, consider using a jigsaw discussion to help them to review the terms, find examples of each within the text, and then teach one another. Week 6: Focus: The focus of this week is to read chapter(s)16-19 and to apply Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero to Okonkwo while writing a literary analysis using genre characteristics to explain how Okonkwo fits Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero. Activity: Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: chapters 16-19 Uchendo and Okonkwo agree that the Abame were fools, but have different reasons. What do you think of their reasoning? Why do you think the efulefu are attracted to the church? What attributes might make them “worthless” to the clan but of value to another culture? What aspects of the Ibo culture cause Nwoye enough discomfort that he turns to the church? Do you think he will find comfort as a convert? Do you think Okonkwo beats Nwoye out of fear or anger? When has he shown these emotions before? To what extent can parents control their children's life choices? Why do you think the clan chooses a passive response (ostracizing the converts) over violent resistance (such as the previous beatings of converts who threatened shrines)? Is this wise? Product:
Quick Writes: (Ch. 15) To what degree does Okonkwo fit Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero? What flaws lead to his downfall? Be sure to:
Timed Writing chapters 16-19: choose one of the events discussed in chapters 16-19 and write an informational response in which you explore its significance. You will be timed as you write your response. Be sure to:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: efulefu, osu, umunna, derisive, callow, persevered, fetishes, imprudent, miscreant, degenerate, caste, emanation, ostracize Tier 3: tragic hero Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students who might need support analyzing themes and conflict in the novel will be provided with sentence frames: One important event is when Okonkwo beats Nwoye. Okonkwo and Nwoye fight because____________. This conflict is resolved when______________. I think one other way this conflict could have been resolved is by______________. This conflict connects to the theme of because_______________. Week 7: Focus: The focus for this week is students being able to read chapters 20–22 of Things Fall Apart and make connections to the cultural misunderstandings between the Ibo and the missionaries. Students will also be able to make connections with Things Fall Apart and ideas present in poetry. Activity: Do Now: Read the following excerpt from Chapter 20 of Things Fall Apart. Underline or highlight statements that illuminate the misunderstandings between the Ibo and the missionaries. “Does the white man understand our customs about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” Annotations Focus: characterization, vocabulary, literary devices, Ibo culture/practices, cultural conflicts between characters Poem Annotations: “Prayer to the Masks” Explication Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: Chapters 20-22 Analyze the persuasive techniques that Okonkwo (the first speaker) and Obierka (the second speaker) use in this excerpt. Then decide whether or not Obierika's assessment of the situation is accurate. Find textual evidence from the novel to support or refute your point of view. Compare and contrast the two missionaries, Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith. Identify Ibo beliefs and practices in Things Fall Apart that differ from those of modern Americans. Can one culture be “right” and another culture “wrong”? Explain. How did the two missionaries respond differently to cultural misunderstandings? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “Prayer to the Masks” What ideas do the masks represent in the poem? Why do you think the speaker greets the masks in silence? How does the speaker's use of the words they and we add an adversarial tone to the poem? Who is “they”? Who is “we”? What is the theme of the poem? What details does the speaker use to describe cultural conflicts? The speaker of the poem describes Africa as “the yeast which white flour needs.” What does this figure of speech mean, and what does its meaning have to do with rebirth? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “The Second Coming” What images and words does Yeats use to develop the theme that anarchy has overrun the world? Why do you think the poet chooses this language to describe conflicts? The term the “Second Coming” is a biblical allusion to the return of Christ from Heaven as described in the New Testament. In lines 11–17 of the poem, what other allusion does Yeats use? Why do you think he uses it? What is the author's message? Why does the author use the word beast to describe what “slouches towards Bethlehem to be born”? How does this add to the feeling of conflict throughout the poem? What do Léopold Sédar Senghor and William Butler Yeats say comes out of a cultural conflict? In both poems, what causes the conflict? Group Activity: After reading “Prayer to the Masks” and “The Second Coming,” reflect on the ways cultural conflicts can begin. Also, think about how we tend to describe conflicts. With a partner, make a t-chart with the heads “Positive” and “Negative.” Then brainstorm lists of positive and negative words that relate to the idea of conflict. After you have completed your chart, observe which column contains more words and think about why. Discuss: Why might someone view conflict as a negative thing? When might conflict yield a positive result? Product: Quick Write: Refer to your notes to write a response that determines your understanding of texts and makes connections between the poems you analyzed and the novel Things Fall Apart. What similarities in theme or central idea do you notice? Write a literary analysis answering these questions. Be sure to:
Read the following excerpt from Chapter 20 of Things Fall Apart. Underline or highlight statements that illuminate the misunderstandings between the Ibo and the missionaries. Then, explain how these statements help to highlight the misunderstandings. “Does the white man understand our customs about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” Consider the following three summarized events from the novel. What kind of irony does each represent? Explain. Event 1: At the end of Chapter 15, Okonkwo tells his good friend Obierka that he doesn't know how to thank him enough for tending his yam crop while Okonkwo is in exile. Obierka tells Okonkwo to kill himself. Event 2: Okonkwo's greatest fear is that he will appear weak and feminine. He appears to have little respect for women. Yet his favorite child, the one with whom he has the closest bond and understanding, is his daughter Ezinma. Event 3: In Chapter 7, when Ikemefuna thinks he is journeying with the clansmen to the home of his birth, he is worried about whether his mother is alive, but otherwise feels safe. The reader knows that he is actually about to be killed.
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: administer, irreparable, resilient, buoyant, arrogant, indignity Tier 3: symbol, speaker, persuasive techniques Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students who need support to analyze poetry and compare themes across multiple texts will be provided with a venn diagram for writing a comparison. Students will compare one of the poems to Things Fall Apart. This will be their prewriting activity for the writing prompt. Week 8: Focus: The focus of this week is students' ability to finish reading the novel Things Fall Apart and write a literary analysis essay. Activity: Do Now: Consider the following three summarized events from the novel. What kind of irony does each represent? Explain. Event 1: At the end of Chapter 15, Okonkwo tells his good friend Obierka that he doesn't know how to thank him enough for tending his yam crop while Okonkwo is in exile. Obierka tells Okonkwo to kill himself. Event 2: Okonkwo's greatest fear is that he will appear weak and feminine. He appears to have little respect for women. Yet his favorite child, the one with whom he has the closest bond and understanding, is his daughter Ezinma. Event 3: In Chapter 7, when Ikemefuna thinks he is journeying with the clansmen to the home of his birth, he is worried about whether his mother is alive, but otherwise feels safe. The reader knows that he is actually about to be killed. Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: Chapters 23-25 When Okonkwo dies and the mother spirit weeps over the death, it seems she is weeping more about the death of the clan rather than just Okonkwo. What's the significance that Achebe has made with Okonkwo's death as a symbol of the tribe "dying" as a whole? “It is against our custom,” said one of the men. “It is an abomination for a man to take his own life.” Due to the fact that Okonkwo was so proud and involved with his culture, how does the death of Okonkwo change the way we think of him? When Okonkwo dies, it is clearly a big part of the book mainly on how the other members of the tribe act and feel about the situation. Why does Achebe choose to use the strong emotions of sadness and anger towards Okonkwo’s death? During the last chapter, we get a different feel after we have learned that Okonkwo is dead. How do you think Achebe illustrates his feelings towards Okonkwo's death? The book has been represented in a view from the Ibo culture, except for the last chapter. How does Achebe use the last chapter to mourn the loss of the Ibo culture? In previous chapters, Achebe depicted the white man as a neutral force, perhaps encouraging some to join their ways, but never forcing anyone to do as they do. In the last chapters, it is apparent that they have changed for the worse. How did this change take place and why does Achebe tell the story this way? Writing/Product: Quick Write: How can a work of literature reflect a cultural perspective?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: Address Tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: akin, palavers, scuffles, pauper, sheathed, suppressed, vengeance, primitive Tier 3: tragic hero, literary analysis, summarize Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students struggling with writing their literary analysis essay will receive an outline to help them organize and gather their thoughts. Week 9: Focus:The focus for this week is to reflect on the novel Things Fall Apart and what students learned about the historical and cultural context that Achebe wrote the novel in, in conjunction to writings from different time periods and countries so that you can respond to an analytical essay prompt. Activity: Do now: What are the elements of short stories? How do they differ from novels? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: short story “The Third and Final Continent” What do you notice about the setting of this story? How would you describe the narrator of this story? What do you learn about the narrator at the beginning of the story? How would you describe him? In what ways does Lahiri use sensory or figurative language in this section to create a dramatic moment in the story? Consider the setting of the story. What are the three settings and how does each influence the narrator? How does the narrator weave information about his background into the narrative, and what effect does this structure have on the story? Specifically, does the information about the narrator's mother help the reader understand his relationship with Mrs. Croft? How does the narrator portray Mala and how does he respond to her letter? What does this reveal about the narrator's character? What character traits does the author's use of figurative language reveal about Helen? What do you notice about the narrator's perspective? What is the overarching significance of the moon landing as a motif? How does the author come back to it at the end of the story? Writing/Product: Quick Write: The characters in this story occupy a different cultural setting and time period from the characters in Things Fall Apart. Are there any connections you can draw between the characters in “The Third and Final Continent” and the characters in Things Fall Apart? How do the characters reflect the views of their culture? How do they react to new cultures?
Narrative Quick Write: Write an original short story that conveys a specific cultural perspective or historical moment. Conduct research into the time period and setting that you choose in order to convey the setting accurately. Performance Task 1: In this module, we have read “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” “Prayer to the Masks,” and “The Second Coming,” where characters respond to cultural and traditional norms. Write an analytical essay about how Things Fall Apart employs the cultural and historical settings of the novel to develop a central character. How does this character react to the cultural collision between Western ideas and Ibo culture, and how does this reaction affect the plot?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: Address Tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: revisit tier 1 vocabulary from module 1 as needed Tier 3: analysis, plot, central character Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students struggling with writing their short story will receive an outline to help them organize and gather their thoughts. |
Optional Experiences (virtual and live field trips) | Poetry or Writing Festival Author Visits Museum Visits Writing Workshops |
Resources | |
Foundational Reading Skills Screening Assessment Graphic Organizers (See Teacher Resources on Springboard) Snap and Read Group Discussion Modes Quill English II Foundational Skills Workshop | |
Pacing/ Time Frame: | 9 Weeks |
Module 2 | Grade(s) | 10 | |
Unit Plan Title: | The Power of Argument | ||
Overview/Rationale | |||
Module 2 Overview- In this unit students will consider how powerful words are through a study of argumentative texts. Students will develop the ability to identify and analyze how authors attempt to persuade their audiences. Students will also apply those same techniques to develop the skills needed to effectively analyze and support their claims using specific evidence from literary and informational text to strengthen their own writing. This unit challenges students to synthesize a wide range of views from a variety of sources and find their own voice among the crowd. Students will be introduced to synthesis writing and understand how to transition from writing for analysis to writing for synthesis which requires reading multiple texts to develop a greater idea. Students will be guided through the research process and ultimately will produce an annotated bibliography and a position paper. The topic explored in this unit—social issues— intended to spark students to carefully consider the views of others while also taking out a unique stance. | |||
New Jersey Student Learning Standards- | |||
RI.CR.9-10.1. Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what an informational text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text. RI.CI.9-10.2. Determine one or more central ideas of an informational text and analyze how it is developed and refined over the course of a text, including how it emerges and is shaped by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.IT.9-10.3. Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout the text, including how an idea or series of ideas or events develop, including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. L.VL.9-10.3. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. RI.TS.9-10.4. Analyze in detail the author’s choices concerning the structure of ideas or claims of a text, and how they are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter). RI.PP.9-10.5. Determine an author’s purpose in a text (including cultural experience and knowledge reflected in text originating outside the United States) and analyze how an author uses rhetorical devices to advance that purpose. RI.MF.9-10.6. Analyze, integrate, and evaluate multiple interpretations (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, videos) of a single text or text/s presented in different formats (visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. RI.AA.9-10.7. Describe and evaluate the argument and specific claims in an informational text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and reasoning. RI.CT.9-10.8. Analyze and reflect on (e.g. practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) seminal and informational text of historical and scientific significance, including how they relate in terms of themes and significant concepts. W.AW.9-10.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant sufficient textual and non-textual evidence. W.IW.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. W.NW.9–10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W.WP.9-10.4. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, trying a new approach; sustaining effort to complete complex writing tasks; seeking out feedback and reflecting on personal writing progress; consulting a style manual (such as MLA or APA Style), focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.WR.9–10.5. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. W.9-10.8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation (MLA or APA Style Manuals). W.RW.9–10.7. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. SL.PE.9–10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with peers on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. SL.II.9–10.2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, qualitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. SL.ES.9–10.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any false reasoning or distorted evidence. L.SS.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking. L.KL.9-10.2 Apply knowledge of language to make effective choices for meaning, or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading, writing, speaking or listening.
L.VL.9-10.3. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.VI.9-10.4. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including connotative meanings. | |||
Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills | |||
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Technology/Computer Science and Design Thinking Standards
| Interdisciplinary Standards Social Studies Connections:
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21st Century Skills: E = Encouraged, T = Taught, A = Assessed | |||
E | Civic Literacy | E | Communication |
E | Global Awareness | E | Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
E | Health Literacy | E | Collaboration |
E | Financial, Economic, Business, & Entrepreneurial Literacy | E | Creativity and Innovation |
E | Environmental Literacy | Other: | |
Essential Question(s) | |||
How do you identify social issues? How and why are we responsible for our fellow humans? How do we use evidence to create a persuasive argument? | |||
Enduring Understandings | |||
Writers make specific choices relative to components of the rhetorical situation. The deliberate consideration and address of alternative perspectives and counterarguments strengthen an argument. Addressing alternative perspectives by considering and responding to relevant evidence. A line of reasoning relates to a claim and ensures that commentary connects evidence and reasoning. In argumentative writing, evidence functions to support, refute, and/or qualify a claim. Analyzing text, infographics, and film supports differing claims or lines of reasoning about related subjects. Sources identified through readings and research can be synthesized to strengthen and support a sustained argument. A line of reasoning with supporting evidence and strategic language for developing the rhetorical situation is a strategic approach to fully developing a claim. Deliberate sentence-level writing helps build larger ideas and advance a writer’s argument. | |||
Student Learning Targets/Objectives | |
I can analyze the characteristics and structural elements of argumentative texts. I can examine the purpose and effect of language choices and rhetorical devices. I can defend or challenge an author's claims by analyzing text evidence. I can write a synthesis essay using claims, facts, statistics and quotes to support my position. I can collaborate within a team to present a stance. I can analyze the purpose and effect of language and rhetorical devices on audience and meaning. I can write argumentative texts by synthesizing sources. | |
Assessments | |
Pre and Formative Assessments: Diagnostic Reading Assessment/Inventory Diagnostic Writing Assessment/Inventory Quizzes (Activity Quizzes) Quick-writes Teacher-created resources Authentic and Summative Assessments: Extended Writing Task 2: In Sherry Turkle's article “The Flight from Conversation,” she makes the claim that we are allowing technology to have a negative effect on our personal lives and relationships. Write an explanatory essay analyzing how Turkle supports this claim.
Benchmark 2 Performance Task 2: Social issues are concerns or problems that create negative conditions that impact a particular social group or individuals within that group. Social issues are typically far-reaching, eventually affecting large portions of society. Module 2 focuses on social issues in our society and the conversations that help us to define social issues, such as analyzing the history and causes, the significance and impact, or the solutions and policies surrounding the social issue. Write a research paper investigating a social issue. Be sure to meet the following criteria:
(RL.CR.9-10.1,RI.CR.9-10.1,W.AW.9-10, W.WR.9–10.5,W.SE.9–10.6) | |
Teaching and Learning Actions | |
Instructional Strategies Differentiation examples: | Academic Vocabulary - Create and keep a current Word Wall consisting of words and terms used in the VPA content area, in which children can use and interact with. Important for all learners, academic vocabulary and language must be taught explicitly, particularly to second language learners. Accountable talk - Talking with others about ideas is fundamental to classroom learning. Classroom talk that promotes and sustains learning should be accountable to other learners, use accurate and appropriate knowledge, and adhere to rigor in thinking. Accountable talk responds to and further develops what others have said through relevant observations, ideas, opinions, or more information. Cognates-Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. 30-40% of all words in English have a related word in Spanish and this guide provides a helpful list of cognates in Spanish and English. Conferencing - A one-to-one teacher conference with a student about his or her work in progress is prevalent in teaching writing and speaking, but it is also useful in other areas. The purpose of the conference-- engaging in meaningful conversation about the student’s work in progress--will not be realized automatically. Preparation (on the part of both the teacher and the student) before the conference, careful listening during the conference, recordkeeping, and follow-up are essential components for a successful outcome. In student-to-student conferencing, participants require guidance, a focused protocol, and accountability. Video resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pad1eAcsHho Content Stations – Areas where students work on different tasks simultaneously. Can and should be leveled for review, challenge, and remediation at appropriate level. Teacher rotates and facilitates instruction and assistance. Activities reach various learning styles. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt leveled readers to assist in background knowledge, skills application, etc. Cues, questions, activating prior knowledge- Frequently assess your students for prior content knowledge to assist in planning your lessons. Use effective questioning to prompt students to recall and apply what they have already learned. Effective questioning - Teacher questioning and student response are common classroom learning activities. Research finds that teacher questions (and cues) are effective when they focus on what is important, require students to respond at higher levels, provide adequate wait time after a question is asked and establish an engaging introduction for the lesson. Effective questioning can also play a role in focusing students on unit learning goals or overarching themes throughout a longer period of study. Flexible Groupings- Teacher meets with groups to meet curricular goals, engage students, and respond to individual needs. Integration of content areas - There is a strong case to be made for integrating curriculum. It strengthens skills that students encounter in one content area, but also practice in another, such as reading and writing, and it can lead to the mastery of those skills. It provides meaningful instruction for students in multiple areas of standards in a single class or learning experience. It is also a more authentic way of learning because it reflects what we experience, both professionally and personally, in the world. It can be a way to engage students when introducing them to a challenging subject. STEM education is a current example of effective content integration. Research supports the integration of content areas. Intentional Use of Technology – whiteboard presentations and activities available and encouraged for use through SpringBoard. Leveled Instruction – Teacher gives introductory lesson to the entire class, then provides varying access points for students to practice skills. Teacher provides several assignments with different levels of difficulty- the student OR teacher chooses an assignment. Modeling - Modeling is an instructional strategy wherein the teacher or another student demonstrates a new concept or skill and students learn by observing and emulating. Modeling is an effective instructional strategy when it allows students to observe thought processes and imitate particular behaviors or steps in a process. Types and purposes of modeling can include approaches such as task and performance modeling (demonstrating a task), metacognitive modeling (thinking aloud), and disposition modeling (conveying one’s own enthusiasm, interest, or commitment). Modeling can be used across disciplines and in all grades and ability levels. Read-aloud - Read-aloud is an instructional format, included formally in elementary reading programs and as an instructional activity in all areas and levels of the curriculum. A primary purpose of a read-aloud is to create a community of readers in the classroom and establish a known text as a basis for related literacy activities. Reading aloud allows teachers to model important components of literacy, such as fluency, expression, and interacting with texts while exposing students to vocabulary that is just beyond their instructional level and demonstrating how reading is a source of information and enjoyment. SIOP Strategies - Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol consists of eight components; lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. Using these eight components teachers can design instruction that will help ELL’s to reach English language acquisition. Student goal setting - Teachers who set, define, and communicate learning objectives effectively with students employ research-based findings that say goal setting with students should: (1) be flexible and general because when a goal is too narrowly focused, it may limit learning (2) encourage student ownership (e.g., creating own goals, personalizing teacher goals, committing to contracts, and providing feedback on their progress in journals, videos, etc.); (3) focus on understanding over accomplishing tasks; and (4) allow students enough time to adapt goals to their own interests, learning styles, and prior knowledge. Setting goals benefits from explicit instruction. Targeted feedback - Research and effective practice points to the following keys to using targeted feedback to improve student achievement and avoid negative effects: (1) link feedback to objectives; (2) use a formative evaluation approach over a summative approach; (3) make guidance specific (e.g.,proofing remarks or codes may not communicate well); (4) provide feedback in a timely manner (not long after assignment is forgotten); and (5) identify how students should use feedback to make improvements. Thumbs Up/Down, “Stop Light”, “Smiley Face”- for quick, formative assessment Think-Pair-Share– Turn & Talk with a neighbor to discuss/review various concepts/vocabulary/etc. Each child that is called on to share reports out their partner’s ideas/response; then switch. Word wall - A word wall is an organized collection of words prominently displayed in a classroom and frequently used as an interactive literacy tool for teaching vocabulary and spelling to children. There are many different types of word walls, such as high frequency words, word families, and story- or unit-related names. |
Activities: Including G/T, SE, and ELL Differentiation Differentiation examples: Students with a 504:
| Module 2 Week 1: Introductions to the Unit Readings: from “Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (Part One)” by Jane McGonigal, PhD Focus: The focus for this week is establishing the foundations for the expectations of the unit. Activities: Focused freewrite: Students will participate in a focused free write based on The Essential questions and the title of the unit. (The Power of Argument) Students will be given 1-3 minutes to write on each essential question and Unit title. Gallery walk: gallery walk where they will examine different scores of argumentative essays. Students in their groups will score each essay based on the rubric. We will go over the scores as a class for each essay. Analyze the cartoon by Mike Towhy and draw conclusions as to what the literal meaning is and what the figurative meaning is of the cartoon. This will help to model to the students how to identify literal and figurative meanings in a text/media.What is the author’s message? Annotate part one and part two of the article “From Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World” by Jane McGonigal, PhD and analyze how the author develops her claims, arguments, and counterarguments. Reading Discussion: Draw a conclusion. What is literal about the cartoon? What is Figurative about the cartoon? Analyze the figurative and literal meaning of the cartoon. Make an inference. How does the political cartoon draw attention to a social issue in our society? Explain. Pre-Planned Questions for Reading and/or Discussion Part 1: Analyze the title of the text, What claim is the author making? How does the author develop their claim in paragraphs 1-3? How does the author develop the argument? How is the word abandoning different in tone than its near synonym leaving? Why might McGonigal have chosen to use the term abandoning in paragraph 2? Pre-Planned Questions for Reading and/or Discussion Part 2: McGonigal chooses to use the phrase engage in games instead of play games. How does each phrase communicate a different tone? Why might McGonigal have chosen the phrase engage in games? As part of McGonigal's counterargument, which groups does she identify as the opponents of her claim? How should we interact with the world around us? How do you think McGonigal would answer this question? How might Twohy answer the question? What is your answer? Writing/Product: Homework: Students are required to write in their writer's notebook to create an independent reading plan. Classwork: Students will individually provide feedback on each essay to help the authors of the essays reach the highest rubric score. Focused Free Writes: How do you identify social issues? How should we interact with the world around us? How and why are we responsible for our fellow humans? How do we use evidence to create a persuasive argument? Why is the use of expressive and precise language so important? Why do we analyze arguments? Quick Writes: Read paragraphs 12–14 individually, and write a paragraph explaining how McGonigal expands her initial claim in this section. What evidence has she provided so far to support this newly expanded version of the claim? Be sure to:
Read the following excerpt from Reality Is Broken: In the opening book of The Histories, Herodotus writes: When Atys was king of Lydia in Asia Minor some three thousand years ago, a great scarcity threatened his realm. For a while people accepted their lot without complaining, in the hope that times of plenty would return. But when things failed to get better, the Lydians devised a strange remedy for their problem. The plan adopted against the famine was to engage in games one day so entirely as not to feel any craving for food ... and the next day to eat and abstain from games. In this way they passed eighteen years, and along the way they invented the dice, knuckle-bones, the ball, and all the games which are common. Why might Jane McGonigal have included this excerpt in her argument? In your Reader/Writer Notebook, make a prediction and explain why you think McGonigal would include this in her argument.
Both the cartoon and the excerpt from Reality Is Broken contrast life within virtual environments and life in reality. Would McGonigal most likely agree or disagree with the claim that Twohy makes in his cartoon? What evidence from McGonigal's excerpt supports your response?
In the excerpt from Reality Is Broken, Jane McGonigal makes the claim that gamers are rejecting reality in favor of playing games that offer superior experiences and rewards. Select two of the ways McGonigal strengthens her argument, and write to explain how and why they serve to strengthen the argument and support the claim. Be sure to:
What potential social issue comes to mind after reading this selection? How might this issue be developed into a research question? Why or how is this question intriguing? How would you go about using research to help develop an answer to this research question?
Language Dive: “Gamers have had enough of Reality” Language dive focus: Connotative and Denotative use of a word, diction, tone Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2:devaluation, exodus Tier 3:synonym, claim, tone, evidence, reasoning Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Accountable talk: Students will examine the essential questions through class discussion. This gives an opportunity for students to hear various perspectives on the essential questions and develop ideas of their own. Students who struggle with vocabulary in the article will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. Week 2: Reading/annotating argumentative texts, participating in a socratic seminar, writing an explanatory essay, extended writing task Readings: “The Flight from Conversation” by Sherry Turkle, PhD and “Touchscreen” Focus: The focus for this week is being able to draft an explanatory essay analyzing how an author builds a persuasive argument. Activities : Think-pair-share: Consider “Touchscreen” as an argument with an implied claim, how would you summarize that claim? Annotate: Read and annotate: Op-Ed:The Flight from Conversation by Sherry Turkle, PhD Students will annotate for: text structure (analyzing specifically the use of punctuation and the purpose it has on the author’s claims), central idea, and claims and how they are developed. Language Dives: In paragraph 4, Turkle uses an oxymoron (contradictory words): alone together. What does Turkle mean by this phrase? As Turkle elaborates on this phrase throughout the paragraph, how does it influence the op-ed as a whole? Pre-Planned Questions for Reading and/or Discussion
Students participate in a Socratic Seminar. Writing/Product: Quick Writes: Although Jones has chosen to present his ideas in the form of a spoken word poem, is it possible to interpret the poem as an argument with an implied claim? What claim is implied? How would you evaluate Jone’s claim?
What potential social issue comes to mind after reading this selection? How might this issue be developed into a research question? Why or how is this question intriguing? How would you go about using research to help develop an answer to this research question?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: kinetic, nuance, velocity Tier 3: argument, claim, topic sentence, textual evidence, commentary, conclusion Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Guided text dependent questions will be added through annotations for SpED students to support comprehension of the text and the learning target. (Returning to the text questions) Week 3: Responding to an Extended Writing Task Focus: The focus for this week is drafting and producing a final product for the extended writing task. Students will put to test the skills they have learned regarding identifying an author’s argument and how the argument is developed through their writing. Activity: Pre-writing Questions:
Drafting an Essay Questions:
Product: Extended Writing Task 2: In Sherry Turkle's article “The Flight from Conversation,” she makes the claim that we are allowing technology to have a negative effect on our personal lives and relationships. Write an explanatory essay analyzing how Turkle supports this claim.
Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students who struggle with outlining and drafting their essays will receive outlines to help them. Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: kinetic, nuance, velocity Tier 3: claim, diction, rhetorical devices, persuasive strategy Week 4: Reading a dystopian short story, annotating for literary devices, connecting literary text with nonfiction argumentative texts. Reading: “We Need to Talk: Having Conversations That Matter” by Celeste Headlee, “There Will Come Soft Rain” by Ray Bradbury, “On Civil Disobedience” by Gandhi, Focus: The focus for this week is to read a fictional text and to have students compare dystopian fiction to informational argumentative writing. Students analyze how authors develop arguments through the use of literary devices and text structures. Activity: Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “We Need to Talk: Having Conversations that Matter”:
Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: Gandhi’s On Civil Disobedience
Writing/Product: Quick Writes: “There Will Come Soft Rain” was published in 1950. How well do you think Ray Bradbury predicted the way houses would look and function in the 21st century? Evaluate Bradbury’s predictions by comparing them to houses today. What would houses be like 20 years from now?
What claim does Celeste Headlee make about the importance of communication? Assess the evidence she cites to support the claim and identify any logical fallacies or faulty reasoning she uses in her argument.
In “There Will Come Soft Rain”, Bradbury explores the idea that technology can be both helpful and dangerous to human beings. Explain the ways in which the story shows these two sides of technology.
Explain how Gandhi builds an argument to persuade his audience that civil disobedience is more effective than violence. Analyze Gandhi's claim and how he uses parallelism to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument.
What potential social issue comes to mind after reading these selections? How might this issue be developed into a research question? Why or how is this question intriguing? How would you go about using research to help develop an answer to this research question?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: pivotal, transcript, brevity Tier 3: empirical evidence, logical evidence, and anecdotal evidence Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Accountable talk: Students will examine the essential questions through class discussion. This gives an opportunity for students to hear various perspectives on the essential questions and develop ideas of their own. Students who struggle with vocabulary in the article will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. Week 5: Analyzing a speech and editorial text to understand how authors develop their argument. Readings: Nobel Lecture by Kofi Anan. from “Hope, Despair, and Memory” by Elie Wiesel Focus: The focus for this week is to read a speech and to have students utilize the skills that they have been working on to write their own argumentative speech. Activity: Highlight text that suggests what Annan believes it means to speak truth in the face of adversity. Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary. Socratic Seminar: Review your notes and prepare for a Socratic Seminar about the responsibility of speaking the truth in the face of adversity and upholding significant memories. Socratic Seminars work best when all participants come to the discussion prepared with textual evidence and possible questions. Make sure you have three or four Level 2 or 3 questions, as well as evidence to support your thoughts on this issue, when you participate in the Socratic Seminar. Post-Seminar Questions Do you think that you have a better understanding of the texts? What questions do you still have about the texts? How would you rate your participation in the seminar? What would you do differently in your next seminar? Language Dives: What is the meaning of the comparison the author makes in paragraph 5 with the simile “Like the body, memory protects its wounds”? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: Eli Wiesel’s “Hope, Despair, and Memory” What experience is Wiesel describing in paragraphs 2–4? Which narrative techniques does he use? How does this contribute to his argument? Why do you think Wiesel speaks of the importance of truth and personal responsibility? Explain with evidence from the text. What is the meaning of the comparison the author makes in paragraph 5 with the simile “Like the body, memory protects its wounds”? Why do you think both Wiesel speaks of the importance of truth and personal responsibility? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing Nobel Lecture from Kofi Anan What images did you see in your mind as you read this speech? Are there any words or phrases in this speech that stand out to you? Who is Kofi Annan addressing in this speech? What clues in the text help identify that he is speaking not only to the people in the room, but to the world? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “Diners should pay attention to workers, not just the food” by Kathleen Kingsbury
Groups work for Diners should pay attention to workers, not just the food by Kathleen Kingsbury: Taking an editorial apart and looking at its details can help you determine how the author builds his or her argument. In your groups, create an outline of the main argument and details of the passage. What words and phrases does Annan use to describe the horrors of the twentieth century? How does this help shape the perception of readers? What conclusion does Annan draw about the future of the United Nations? What argument does he make about how the United Nations should change? Product: Focus free write:
Quick Writes: Provide one example of parallelism in Kofi Annan's “Nobel Lecture” and one example from “Hope, Despair, and Memory”. What are the effects of these choices?
How does Kathleen Kingsbury build an argument using evidence to persuade her audience to support her claim regarding better treatment for restaurant workers? You should not explain whether you agree with Kingsbury's claim, but rather should explain how the author builds an argument to persuade her audience.
What is the importance of memory? Use your reading of “Hope, Despair, and Memory” to respond.
What potential social issue comes to mind after reading this selection? How might this issue be developed into a research question? Why or how is this question intriguing? How would you go about using research to help develop an answer to this research question?
Write an argumentative speech supporting a deeply held belief of your own. Support your argument by including some narrative elements. Be sure to:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: paradox, propitious, testament, anemic Tier 3: empirical evidence, logical evidence, and anecdotal evidence Differentiation: ML Support and SpED word walls, using visual aids throughout class discussion and readings of the texts, repeat and rephrase directions, English-Spanish translations, small group instructions/flexible groups, text-to-speech programs, access to dictionaries, access to summaries, provide historical context of the texts, extended time for IEP and 504 students, grading modifications for IEP and 504 students, accept any work from IEP and 504 students. Week 6: Focus: The focus for this week, and the next few weeks is to have students learn how to use the last part of the unit to learn how to deliver their ideas orally by participating in a debate. This week specifically students will read “Lamb to Slaughter” by Roald Dahl and write a closing argument piece. Activity: Reading Discussion Questions: “Lamb to Slaughter”
Quick Write: Write a paragraph explaining 2 types of conflict present in “Lamb to Slaughter”. Use evidence from the text to support your claims. Product: Creative writing: Write a closing argument as either Mrs. Maloney’s defense lawyer or as the prosecution. Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students may be provided conversation cues to assist in entering and furthering discussion and debate. Week 7: Focus: The focus for this week, and the next few weeks is to have students learn how to use the last part of the unit to learn how to deliver their ideas orally by participating in a debate. This week specifically students will read two articles and participate in a quick write partner discussion. Activity: Pre-Planned Questions: Article: How video games affect the brain by Hannah Nichols
Pre-Planned Questions: Article:Video Games Are Good for Your Brain by Kevin Anderton
Think-Pair-Share: *Independent work: Look back at your marked-up text and the notes in the My Notes section for each text. Think back to the position that you were assigned for the topic, “Do video games make you smarter?” In the graphic organizer that follows, write the position that you were assigned in the form of a claim. Next, write down evidence and examples provided in the text that support your claim in the appropriate columns. Finally, write a sentence for each that explains your reasoning—why the evidence or example supports the claim. *Group Work: Form groups of 4–5 people all assigned the same position. Discuss the question: How does each author support the claim through evidence and examples? How and why does each piece of evidence or example support the claim? Compare and contrast charts with group members. Place a checkmark next to each piece of evidence or example that is confirmed by the group. Add any evidence or examples you are missing to complete your chart. Product: Quick Write/Partner Discussion: Write about how video games affect the brain and behavior. Then work with a partner to discuss whether you think time spent studying the effects of video games on the brain has value. Support your point of view with reasons and evidence from the texts you read, and listen openly to your partner's point of view. Then work with your partner to write a summary of your discussion that highlights points of agreement and disagreement and tells how you and your partner justified your points of view. Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: consensus, demonized, hippocampus, scrutinizing, adverse, allocated, stave, viable Tier 3: claim, evidence, examples, reasons, point of view Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students may be provided conversation cues to assist in entering and furthering discussion and debate. Week 8: Focus: The focus for this week is students preparing for a debate by participating in a Four Corners debate on the topic “Do video games make you smarter?” and evaluate a video debate on the same topic. Students will collaborate with peers to set rules for discussions and set clear goals. Students will participate in a debate. Activity: Four Corners debate on the topic “Do video games make you smarter?” and evaluate a video debate on the same topic. Students will collaborate with peers to set rules for discussions and set clear goals for this activity. Take notes as your teacher shows the video “Video Games Will Make Us Smarter.” As you watch, use the graphic organizer to organize your thoughts about how the speaker draws on text evidence to build an argument. Product: Each of the four groups should choose a representative to share the main points of the group's discussion and notes on the subject, concentrating on the evidence that backs up the position on the claim. Then write your answers to these questions.
Exit Ticket: How do the characteristics and structural elements of oral or visual arguments impact their effectiveness? Think specifically about characteristics that don't necessarily occur in written arguments, such as speaking skills or images. Debate reflection essay Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students may benefit from examples of discussion rules to lead them in developing their own additional rules. Students may be provided with conversation cues to assist them in entering and furthering the discussion. Week 8: Debate and Research Focus: The focus for this week is students preparing for a debate by participating in a Four Corners debate on the topic “Do video games make you smarter?” and evaluate a video debate on the same topic. Students will collaborate with peers to set rules for discussions and set clear goals. Students will participate in a debate. Students will also select and research a social issue for their research-based research task. Activity: Four Corners debate on the topic “Do video games make you smarter?” and evaluate a video debate on the same topic. Students will collaborate with peers to set rules for discussions and set clear goals for this activity. Take notes as your teacher shows the video “Video Games Will Make Us Smarter.” As you watch, use the graphic organizer to organize your thoughts about how the speaker draws on text evidence to build an argument. Big Ideas Topics from the Unit- Narrowing a Topic; Developing a Research Question; Unpacking the Prompt; Exploring the Databases; Evidence Collection, Outlining, Thesis/Claim Development, Integrating Evidence; Drafting; Revision Activities; Publication Product: Each of the four groups should choose a representative to share the main points of the group's discussion and notes on the subject, concentrating on the evidence that backs up the position on the claim. Then write your answers to these questions.
Quick Writes: How do the characteristics and structural elements of oral or visual arguments impact their effectiveness? Think specifically about characteristics that don't necessarily occur in written arguments, such as speaking skills or images. Debate reflection essay Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students may benefit from examples of discussion rules to lead them in developing their own additional rules. Students may be provided with conversation cues to assist them in entering and furthering the discussion. Week 9: Focus: This week, students will complete the Performance Task for Module 1. Activity: brainstorming, generating ideas, narrowing a topic, research, evidence collection, outlining, drafting, responding to Module 2 Performance Task, revision, publication Product: Performance Task 2: Social issues are concerns or problems that create negative conditions that impact a particular social group or individuals within that group. Social issues are typically far-reaching, eventually affecting large portions of society. Module 2 focuses on social issues in our society and the conversations that help us to define social issues, such as analyzing the history and causes, the significance and impact, or the solutions and policies surrounding the social issue. Write a research paper investigating a social issue. Be sure to meet the following criteria:
(RL.CR.9-10.1,RI.CR.9-10.1,W.AW.9-10, W.WR.9–10.5, W.SE.9–10.6) Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Struggling students may benefit from a scaffolded outlining process. Students should be provided an opportunity to revise their writing. |
Optional Experiences (virtual and live field trips) | Poetry or Writing Festival Author Visits Museum Visits Writing Workshops |
Resources | |
Foundational Reading Skills Screening Assessment Graphic Organizers (See Teacher Resources on Springboard) Snap and Read Group Discussion Modes Quill English II Foundational Skills Workshop | |
Pacing/ Time Frame: | 9 Weeks |
Module 3 | Grade(s) | 10 | ||
Unit Plan Title: | Praise, Mock, Mourn | |||
Overview/Rationale | ||||
Module 3 primarily contains poetry and drama, and it asks students to consider how authors use language to create an effect on their readers. It frames this question by focusing on three universal purposes that have inspired people to create art throughout history and across the world: to praise, to mock, and to mourn as well as the analysis of the tragic hero. Students will explore works that serve these three purposes and analyze how authors create their desired effects. They will compose creative assignments as well as literary analyses focusing on drama and poetry | ||||
New Jersey Student Learning Standards: | ||||
RL.CR.9-10.1. Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what a literary text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text; this may include determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.CI.9-10.2. Determine one or more themes of a literary text and analyze how it is developed and refined over the course of a text, including how it emerges and is shaped by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.IT.9-10.3. Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout a text, including how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. L.VI.9-10.4. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including connotative meanings. RL.TS.9-10.4. Analyze in detail the author’s choices concerning the structure of a text, order of the events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulation of time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) to create specific effects (e.g. mystery, tension, or surprise). RI.CR.9-10.1. Cite a range of thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what an informational text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text. RI.IT.9-10.3. Analyze how an author unfolds and develops ideas throughout the text, including how an idea or series of ideas or events develop, including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. L.VL.9-10.3. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. W.AW.9-10.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant sufficient textual and non-textual evidence.
W.IW.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.NW.9–10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.WP.9-10.4. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, trying a new approach; sustaining effort to complete complex writing tasks; seeking out feedback and reflecting on personal writing progress; consulting a style manual (such as MLA or APA Style), focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.WR.9–10.5. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. SL.PE.9–10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with peers on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. L.SS.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking.
L.KL.9-10.2 Apply knowledge of language to make effective choices for meaning, or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading, writing, speaking or listening. | ||||
Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills | ||||
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Technology/Computer Science and Design Thinking
| Interdisciplinary Standards Social Studies Connections:
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Essential Question(s) | ||||
Why are humans inclined to respond to people, objects, or events with praise, mockery, or mourning? How does literature convey messages about society, culture, humanity and self? How does the communication of ideas change us? How do we use body language to communicate? How can we change ourselves to be different characters? | ||||
Enduring Understandings | ||||
The examination of human and cultural diversity brings value to literature and discussion. Reading strategies aid in the construction of meaning and author’s purpose. Dramatic and poetic works often reflect the writer’s life and principles as well as the history, society, and moral codes and values from which they are created. Meaningful commentary establishes and explains relationships among textual evidence and claims, validating lines of reasoning. Point of view functions to describe details and reveal a narrator’s perspective in a text. | ||||
Student Learning Targets/Objectives | |
I can evaluate the impact of language in relation to audience and purpose I can use context to distinguish among denotative, connotative, and figurative meanings of words. I can analyze the effects of meter and rhyme schemes in poetry. I can analyze satire as a literary device. I can analyze how the author's use of language informs and shapes the perception of readers. I can examine coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. I can write literary texts such as fiction and poetry using genre characteristics and craft. | |
Assessments | |
Pre and Formative Assessments: Diagnostic Reading Assessment/Inventory Diagnostic Writing Assessment/Inventory Quizzes (Activity Quizzes) Quick-writes Teacher-created resources Extended Writing 3: Write an essay that analyzes Shakespeare's use of satire in achieving the purpose of Sonnet 130. Be sure to:
RL.CR.9–10.1., RL.IT.9–10.3. RL.PP. 9–10.5., W.IW.9–10.2., W.AW.9–10.1., W.WP.9–10.4.L.SS.11–12.1. Benchmark 3 Performance Task 3: Arthur Miller’s drama, Death of a Salesman, examines Willy Loman as a “tragic hero”. Write a literary analysis essay examining how Arthur Miller develops Willy Loman as a tragic hero through praise, mockery and mourning.
(RL.CR.9–10.1., RL.IT.9–10.3., RL.PP. 9–10.5., W.IW.9–10.2., W.AW.9–10.1. W.WP.9–10.4. L.SS.11–12.1. ) | |
Teaching and Learning Actions | |
Instructional Strategies | Academic Vocabulary - Create and keep current, a Language Arts Word Wall, for children to use and interact with. Important for all learners, academic vocabulary and language must be taught explicitly, particularly to second language learners. Accountable talk - Talking with others about ideas is fundamental to classroom learning. Classroom talk that promotes and sustains learning should be accountable to other learners, use accurate and appropriate knowledge, and adhere to rigor in thinking. Accountable talk responds to and further develops what others have said through relevant observations, ideas, opinions, or more information. Adapting to learning styles/multiple intelligences – Allow movement, choice, linguistics, visual, and other methods of teaching/learning to foster different interests, providing variety and differentiation in instruction, and developing the whole child. Cognates-Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. 30-40% of all words in English have a related word in Spanish and this guide provides a helpful list of cognates in Spanish and English. Conferencing - A one-to-one teacher conference with a student about his or her work in progress is prevalent in teaching writing and speaking, but it is also useful in other areas. The purpose of the conference-- engaging in meaningful conversation about the student’s work in progress--will not be realized automatically. Preparation (on the part of both the teacher and the student) before the conference, careful listening during the conference, recordkeeping, and follow-up are essential components for a successful outcome. In student-to-student conferencing, participants require guidance, a focused protocol, and accountability. Video resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pad1eAcsHho Content Stations – Areas where students work on different tasks simultaneously. Can and should be leveled for review, challenge, and remediation at appropriate level. Teacher rotates and facilitates instruction and assistance. Activities reach various learning styles. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt leveled readers to assist in background knowledge, skills application, etc. Cues, questions, activating prior knowledge- Frequently assess your students for prior content knowledge to assist in planning your lessons. Use effective questioning to prompt students to recall and apply what they have already learned. Effective questioning - Teacher questioning and student response are common classroom learning activities. Research finds that teacher questions (and cues) are effective when they focus on what is important, require students to respond at higher levels, provide adequate wait time after a question is asked and establish an engaging introduction for the lesson. Effective questioning can also play a role in focusing students on unit learning goals or overarching themes throughout a longer period of study. Flexible Groupings- Teacher meets with groups to meet curricular goals, engage students, and respond to individual needs. Integration of content areas - There is a strong case to be made for integrating curriculum. It strengthens skills that students encounter in one content area, but also practice in another, such as reading and writing, and it can lead to the mastery of those skills. It provides meaningful instruction for students in multiple areas of standards in a single class or learning experience. It is also a more authentic way of learning because it reflects what we experience, both professionally and personally, in the world. It can be a way to engage students when introducing them to a challenging subject. STEM education is a current example of effective content integration. Research supports the integration of content areas. Intentional Use of Technology – whiteboard presentations and activities available and encouraged for use through SpringBoard. Leveled Instruction – Teacher gives introductory lesson to the entire class, then provides varying access points for students to practice skills. Teacher provides several assignments with different levels of difficulty- the student OR teacher chooses an assignment. Modeling - Modeling is an instructional strategy wherein the teacher or another student demonstrates a new concept or skill and students learn by observing and emulating. Modeling is an effective instructional strategy when it allows students to observe thought processes and imitate particular behaviors or steps in a process. Types and purposes of modeling can include approaches such as task and performance modeling (demonstrating a task), metacognitive modeling (thinking aloud), and disposition modeling (conveying one’s own enthusiasm, interest, or commitment). Modeling can be used across disciplines and in all grades and ability levels. Read-aloud - Read-aloud is an instructional format, included formally in elementary reading programs and as an instructional activity in all areas and levels of the curriculum. A primary purpose of a read-aloud is to create a community of readers in the classroom and establish a known text as a basis for related literacy activities. Reading aloud allows teachers to model important components of literacy, such as fluency, expression, and interacting with texts while exposing students to vocabulary that is just beyond their instructional level and demonstrating how reading is a source of information and enjoyment. Semantic Mapping -The association of meanings and context for a given word that may include: origin, images, multiple meanings, word structure, synonyms, antonyms, descriptors, common contexts, examples, historical or cultural connotations and personal associations. When using a semantic map, it will assist students by building a meaningful network of associations around the words that must be learned which will be stored more deeply in memory and retrieved more easily. Share the Pen- Interactive writing strategy where teacher and students “share the pen” to create a written product such as a sentence, story, or list. SIoP Strategies - Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol consists of eight components; lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. Using these eight components teachers can design instruction that will help ELL’s to reach English language acquisition. Student goal setting - Teachers who set, define, and communicate learning objectives effectively with students employ research-based findings that say goal setting with students should: (1) be flexible and general because when a goal is too narrowly focused, it may limit learning (e.g., If the goal is to learn how a piston works, students may not learn its relationship to other parts of an engine), although too general goals may be unattainable; (2) encourage student ownership (e.g., creating own goals, personalizing teacher goals, committing to contracts, and providing feedback on their progress in journals, videos, etc.); (3) focus on understanding over accomplishing tasks; and (4) allow students enough time to adapt goals to their own interests, learning styles, and prior knowledge. Setting goals benefits from explicit instruction. Targeted feedback - Research and effective practice points to the following keys to using targeted feedback to improve student achievement and avoid negative effects: (1) link feedback to objectives; (2) use a formative evaluation approach over a summative approach; (3) make guidance specific (e.g.,proofing remarks or codes may not communicate well); (4) provide feedback in a timely manner (not long after assignment is forgotten); and (5) identify how students should use feedback to make improvements. Thumbs Up/Down, “Stop Light”, “Smiley Face”- for quick, formative assessment Think-Pair-Share– Turn & Talk with a neighbor to discuss/review various concepts/vocabulary/etc. Each child that is called on to share reports out their partner’s ideas/response; then switch. Word wall - A word wall is an organized collection of words prominently displayed in a classroom and frequently used as an interactive literacy tool for teaching vocabulary and spelling to children. There are many different types of word walls, such as high frequency words, word families, and story- or unit-related names. |
Activities: Including G/T, SE, and ELL Differentiation Differentiation examples: Students with a 504:
| Week 1: Readings: “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare and “Sonnet 292” Focus:The focus for this week is to explore the essential questions, tasks for this unit and the techniques used to communicate the universal purposes of praise, mockery and mourning through sensory detail and understanding the purpose of the ode. Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.CI.9-10.2,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4, RL.TS.9-10.4 Activities: Do Now/ Reading Discussion/ Analyzing the structure of an Ode in relation to praise/ Language dive Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/Or Writing: “Ode to Kool-Aid” Analyze the opening of the poem, how does it contribute to a powerful opening? What is the culture of the poem? How does the change in POV impact the reader throughout the poem? How does the author use imagery in lines 17-19 to contribute to tone and mood? What contrast takes place in the poem? What is the author’s purpose for this contrast? What emotions do you feel while reading the poem? What images catch your attention? What does the narrator compare Kool-Aid to in lines 20–24? What is the effect of this contrast? What is the impact of the image in the final two lines of the poem? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “Ode to the Cat” by Pablo Neruda How does Neruda’s mention of other animals in the poem show that the cat is celebrated? How does Neruda describe the cat's eyes throughout the poem? What effect does his choice of words have? How would you describe the structure of the poem? What effect does this create? What do you notice about the length of the lines in this poem? What effect does this create? Product: Focused Free Writes: Make a list of words and activities that you associate with the word praise, including synonyms and figures of speech. Select one of your words or activities and elaborate on why it encapsulates the idea of praise. Choose an object or person and generate a list of descriptive words for that subject. Be sure to also include things that are like your subject, and things that your subject is not like. Write down these words and phrases in your Reader/Writer Notebook in preparation for the writing prompt. Why are humans inclined to respond to people, objects, or events with praise, mockery, or mourning? How does poetry convey messages about society, humanity and self? How does the communication of ideas change us? How do we use body language to communicate? How can we change ourselves to be different characters? Quick Writes: Analyze the central idea of the poem. How does the poem “Ode to Kool-aid” convey a message of society and self?
What message does the Ode to Kool-Aid convey about culture? What details reveal audience and purpose in the poem?
Based on what you've read, what do the genre characteristics of odes seem to be? Do you have any observations about the structure or the language? What are some ways that poets communicate praise in an ode?
Write an ode on the subject you selected. Use the descriptive words you generated. Be sure to:
Language Dive: “Ode to Kool-Aid” “You turn the kitchen / tap’s metallic stream / into tropical drink, / extra sugar whirlpooling / to the pitcher-bottom / like gypsum sand. Focus: circumlocution as a method or renaming, kenning as a specific form of circumlocution, simile as a form of comparison Deconstruct: What is “the kitchen tap’s metallic stream”? Why doesn’t the author just use the word water? How does the author’s use of circumlocution add to the power, beauty, or impact of the text? Specifically, a kenning is a two-word renaming of a person, place or thing. What is the “tropical drink” Jackson is referring to? Why not just say Kool-Aid? How does this example of circumlocution reveal Jackson’s choices as an author? What does Jackson compare the whirlpooling extra sugar to? How does the simile “like gypsum sand” add to the power, beauty or impact of the text? Reconstruct: Students will revisit Jackson’s lines, adhering to the author’s decision to implement the techniques above. Students will rewrite the lines from the poem with new ideas of renaming and comparison. Practice and Apply: Student may attempt other examples of circumlocution, kennings, and/or similes to describe an object of praise. Language Dive: “Ode to the Cat” “O Freelance household beast, arrogant vestige of night, lazy, agile and strange” Focus: apostrophe (literary vs. grammatical), circumlocution, commas in a series Deconstruct: Who or what is Neruda addressing when he states: “O Freelance household beast”? What is the difference between the literary apostrophe above and the grammatical apostrophe we see more often? A literary apostrophe is a direct address, often of someone or something that is not-present or non-human, in a way that makes it seem as if they are present. How does Neruda rename the cat? “...Freelance beast” “arrogant vestige of night” Reconstruct: Students will revisit Neruda’s lines, adhering to the author’s decision to implement the techniques above. Students will rewrite the lines from the poem with new ideas that demonstrate: apostrophe, circumlocution, and commas in a series. Practice and Apply: Students will attempt other examples of apostrophe, circumlocution, and description in a series. Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: metallic, whirlpooling, Purplesaurus Rex, elemental, burgundy, trendy, health-market, unpronounceable, logo, unnaturally, glorify, arrogant, vestige Tier 3: ode, stanza, structure, rhyme, sensory language, word choice, praise, circumlocution, simile, kenning Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Support through graphic organizers to support outlining of the characteristics of an ode Checking for understanding: In the poem_________, the poet uses words such as _____ and _____ to create a mood (or tone) of ________. Week 2: Readings: “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare and “America” by Claude McKay Focus: The focus for this week in on the universal purpose of mockery by examining the sonnet. Students will examine author’s purpose while analyzing meter and structure. Students will also explore satire as a literary device Readings: “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare, “America” by Claude McKay’s Activities: Do Now: What do you think of when you hear the word mock?. What connotations does mock have? Does the act of mockery benefit society? Why or Why not? Pre-Reading Questions: Pre reading questions will address vocabulary and convention in a Sonnet What is a sonnet? What are the characteristics of a sonnet? What was the purpose of sonnets during the 1590’s-1600’s? What is the difference between an Elizabethan(Shakespearean) and a Petrarchan sonnet? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “Sonnet 130” What is the poem about and what is the tone of the speaker in the sonnet? What is the author mocking? How does the author invoke mockery through word choice? How is imagery used to reveal satire? What can you infer about society and beauty based on the speaker’s attitude? What purpose may Shakespeare have had for using satire? Language Dive: “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.” Deconstruct/Reconstruct/Practice and Apply: simile (“like the sun”), negation (“nothing like the sun”) How does this line help us understand the perspective of the speaker? What is the meaning of this line and why do we think that? Can any words be changed in the sentence? Can this sentence be interpreted as praise? How does Shakespeare use a simile to share the speaker’s feelings? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “America” What does the title reveal about the setting of the poem? How is figurative language used to identify the topic of the poem? What conflict does the speaker have with humanity and self? What message to the reader does the author communicate? Language dive: Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there, Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand, Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand. Deconstruct/Reconstruct/Practice and Apply: assonance (gaze/days), alliteration (touch/Time, sinking/sand), impact of proper noun for (Time), consonance (priceless/treasures), simile (like priceless treasures sinking in the sand), prepositional phrase (there, / Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand) Focus on the Sentence: In preparation for your analysis of Shakespeare's use of satire, you will need to craft a thesis statement. Answer the following questions and then put them together into a sentence to create your thesis. Who? (author): Does what? (employs what literary device) In order to do what? Now combine what you wrote into a thesis statement. Writing/Product: Quick Writes: “Sonnet 130” How does Shakespeare use satire as a literary device to communicate praise? What connection does the author make between mockery and praise?
Analyze the development of Shakespeare’s sonnet. How is irony developed throughout the poem?
“America” How does McKay use imagery to reflect history, values and moral codes?
What do the words and phrases tell you about how the speaker in the poem feels about America? Does the way the speaker feels change over the course of the poem, or does it seem to stay the same?
Extended Writing: In a multi-paragraph response analyze Shakespeare's use of satire in achieving the sonnet's purpose. Be sure to:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: granite, unerring, dun, coral Tier 3: irony, mockery, praise, assonance, alliteration Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 3: Focus: The focus this week is to examine the structure of an elegy and the connection to the universal purpose of mourning. Students will examine irony as a literary device . Students will analyze word choice, diction and how the author shapes the perception of the reader. Readings:The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail and Grape Sherbet by Rita Dove Activity: Do Now/ Pre-reading questions /Reading discussion/ Language Dive Do Now: How can an author use language to create an effect on their readers? Pre-reading: Literary understanding of the elegy, diction and syntax. Analysis of tone/ mood Connotative and Denotative understanding of Memorial Day Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “The War Works Hard” by Dunya Mikhail
Language Dive: The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail: Look at the punctuation used in the poem. In a group, discuss the author's use of exclamation points. How does the punctuation contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing: “Grape Sherbet” by Rita Dove
Writing/Product: Quick Writes: How does the author develop the literary device of irony throughout the poem? What message is conveyed about society?
Analyze the title of the poem Grape Sherbet, What is the author’s purpose in tis title? How does it reveal irony in relation to the context of Memorial Day?
In “The War Works Hard,” war lives on by producing “questions / in the minds of children.” What kinds of questions did war produce in the mind of the speaker of “Grape Sherbet” when she was a child? Why might her questions have been different from those of the children in “The War Works Hard”?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: emigrate, diligence, tyrant, invigorates, milk tooth Tier 3: purpose, irony, mood, syntax Week 4: Focus: Students have examined poems that deal with praise, mock, and mourn. The focus for this week is to have students think about the effects that praising, mocking, and mourning has on the media around us. Students will then pick a poem from the prior weeks to analyze for praise, mock, and mourn. Readings:Article about Praise Article about Mock Article about Mourn Activity: Annotating: students will read and annotate the 3 articles for text structure and how praise, mocking, and mourning affect the human brain. This will provide students with a purpose in analyzing praise, mock, and mourn in literature. Writing/Product: Quick Write: Select one poem to analyze (from the many that we have read during these past 2 weeks) for the literary elements used to evoke praise, mock, and mourn. Analyze how the author evokes praise, mockery, and mourning in the poem through language, rhyme, meter, and structure. Be sure to:
Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. *Students may need support with key elements of literary analysis.Support students by scaffolding a thesis statement with them. Week 5 Focus: This week's focus is to learn about the American playwright Arthur Miller and examine the characteristics of the tragic hero and how the play develops this characterization through praise, mock and mourning. Students will view film portions of the play for analysis Death of a Salesman Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4,RL.TS.9-10.4,RL.PP.9-10.5,RL.MF.9-10.6,SL.AS.9–10.6, L.SS.9-10.1a Readings: Death of a Salesman Activity: Annotation focus will include character development, imagery, mood and Tone Pre-Reading questions: Background, Traveling salesman, symbolism Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Reading Death of a Salesman : How is Willy introduced as a character? How is imagery used to set the mood and tone? What emotional setting is created? What does Willy’s view of “life on a farm” tell you about society during the time period the play was written? Examine the dialogue of Biff and Happy, How does their conversation develop their characters? What conflict is introduced between Biff and Willy's career choices? Examine Happy’s “success” what makes him successful? What does Biff realize each time he returns home?
Film: Death of a Salesman Starting at 19:00- 30:00 Students will view flashback scene to analyze plot and characterization of Willy Loman as a Tragic Hero Films Flashback: (pg.27-41) Students are required to use text evidence to answer the following questions after the viewing of the film: What does the flashback reveal about Willy? What idea does the flashback support (Praise, mockery or mourning) What is Willy’s relationship with Biff and Happy? How does the dialogue and actions in the flashback connect to the family’s mentality about life and work? Death of a Salesman Starting at 32:00-40:00 Students will view flashback scene to analyze Willy’s relationship with Ben and his character’s connection to the purpose of mourning (pg.41- 47) Analyze how Willy introduces the concept of “mourning” What is Willy’s mourning in relation to? Charley states in relation to Biff “When a deposit bottle is broken you don’t get your nickel back” what does this statement mean in connection with Biff’s attitude and success? Where is the Irony in Ben’s success? How does it contrast from Willy’s interpretation of success? In the flashback scene Biff is stealing again, Compare and Contrast the stealing of the football to the stealing of the lumber;What inferences can you make? Product: Flashback Analysis: (19:00-30:00) What is Willy’s philosophy toward success? How does the following Flashback advance the plot and further develop Willy’s character as a tragic hero? How does it advance the conflict of the play? What does the flashback of “The Woman” foreshadow? (30:00-40:00) What does “Ben” represent in the play? How does he showcase “morales and values” absent in the Lowman household? Why does Willy find torment and joy in his memories of Ben? Quick Writes: Analyze the characterization of Willy Loman. How is he introduced as a character? How is he developed throughout part one?
How are Happy and Biff introduced as characters?
How does Happy’s success contradict and connect to Willy and Biff’s failure?
What elements of praise, mockery or mourning can be found in the first few pages of text? How is this effect created and developed? (Literary Device)
Analyze the use of Flashback in the play, How does it contribute to the author's purpose?
Who is the intended audience of “Death of a Salesman” How does it relate to plot and the fact that Miller lets us know in advance that Willy will die?
Vocabulary: Tier 1: address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: dormer, jovial, mercurial, turbulent, crestfallen, bashful, idealist, enthralled, pompous, insinuate Tier 3: praise, mock, mourn, flashback, characterization Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 6 Focus: This week’s focus is examining tragedy and the tragic hero. Examining stage directions, motivations and conflicts of a drama. Analyzing character development and interaction. Examining the importance of the Foil character. Readings: Death of a Salesman Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4,RL.TS.9-10.4,RL.PP.9-10.5,RL.MF.9-10.6,SL.AS.9–10.6, L.SS.9-10.1a Activity: Reading discussion/ Pre-Reading questions/ Focused Annotations Annotations: Students will be required to annotate during the masterful reading of the play. The focused annotations will include the development of praise, mockery and mourning, character development, satire and irony Reading Discussion Questions Death of a Salesman (GenEd):
Language Dive: Willy: The Supreme Court! And he didn’t even mention it! Charlie: He don’t have to – he’s gonna do it. Film Death of a Salesman 1985 (1:11:07-1:47:00) Flashback Analysis: Students will view the following scene to analyze Willy as a tragic hero. The film clip examines Willy’s tragic flaws . Writing/Product: Free Write: Write about any character/relationship that you find interesting in the play. Explain. Quick Writes: What is important about the flashback scenes in the play? Explain.
Analyze the language used by Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman.
Death of a Salesman is set in Brooklyn. How might this play be different if Willy Loman and his family lived in the Midwest or Alaska?
In literature, the most common types of conflict are those listed below:
Death of a Salesman is filled with conflicts of self (Willy Loman’s internal struggles), conflicts between characters (Willy’s conflict with his son, Biff), and conflicts with society (Willy’s inability to achieve his dreams). Examine Willy Loman’s internal struggles and how they affect his attitude, his ambitions, and his ultimate destiny.
Vocabulary: Tier 1: Address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: solidify, premium, saccharine, dictation, yearning, gratitude, recitation, proposition, incredulously, carte blanche Tier 3: conflict, setting, flashback Differentiation: ML Support and SpED Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 7 Focus: This week's focus is hamartia, syntax and the characteristics of a tragic hero. Reflection on the unit’s essential questions and author’s purpose. Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4,RL.TS.9-10.4,RL.PP.9-10.5,RL.MF.9-10.6,SL.AS.9–10.6, L.SS.9-10.1.a Readings: Death of a Salesman Activity: Reading discussion/ Film Analysis/ Focused Annotations Annotations: Students will be required to annotate during the masterful reading of the play. The focused annotations will include the development of praise, mockery and mourning, character development, satire and irony Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Writing (Death of a Salesman): Charley says: “No man only needs a little salary.” To what is he referring? What else does a man need? What is he inferring that Willy was lacking? What is the meaning of Happy's comments at Willy's funeral? How about Linda's final words, "We're free ... We're free ..." Do the characters in the play respond to Willy’s death with Praise, Mockery or mourning? What lines from the text support this assumption? What is Willy’s dream? How does the pursuit of his dream solidify his status as a tragic hero? What would you say are the false values which the play reveals? What are the true values which the play upholds? How does Miller communicate the idea of the “American Dream” Writing/Product: Focused Free Writes: Discuss the importance of dreams in Death of a Salesman. ‘Willy Loman is too naive and superficial a character to be the hero of a tragedy.’ Discuss. ‘He had all the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.’ Discuss in relation to Willy in Death of a Salesman. To what extent is Death of a Salesman about ‘the inside of a man’s head’? Quick Writes: Discuss Miller’s use of symbols and motifs in Death of a Salesman. Miller has said that Death of a Salesman is ‘really a love story between a man and his son, and in a crazy way between both of them and America.’ Do you agree with this statement? Explain.
What do you think Arthur Miller is trying to say about ‘success’ and the American Dream in Death of a Salesman? Is he using the story of Willy to put across a message?
Discuss the significance of the title of the play. What is the importance of selling in the play?
Write a commentary on the Requiem showing what it adds to the play and discussing what you feel about it as an ending.
What is interesting about Miller’s handling of time and memory in the play? What does this add to your understanding of the characters?
Vocabulary Tier 1: revisit tier 1 vocabulary from the module as needed Tier 2: revisit tier 2 vocabulary from the module as needed Tier 3: motif, requiem Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 8 : “Ode to the Present” by Pablo Neruda Focus: The focus for this week is to examine the graphic novel Persepolis and understand the elements of graphic novels. Reflect on understanding of essential questions. Examine subordinating and coordinating conjunctions. Analyze characterization, plot, and theme. Examine cultural perspective. Readings: Graphic Novel: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.CI.9-10.2,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4,RL.TS.9-10.4, W.RW.9–10.7 Activity: Do now/ Pre-Reading questions /Annotations / Reading discussion/ Language Dive Do Now: How are stereotypes constructed or deconstructed? What are the positive and negative connotations associated with the construction and deconstruction? Pre-reading: Background information, the introduction and geographical, political, historical as well as social aspects of Iranian life and Iran's relationship with America. Examine what is the purpose of the graphic novel and how do the words and format of the graphic novel relate to that purpose. Introduction Language Dive: Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Pre-Planned Questions for Discussion and/or Reflection:
Exit Ticket: What does the present feel like to you right now—in your life, in your generation, in the world? Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 9: “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dicklinson Focus: Themes/Graphic Novel Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.CI.9-10.2,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4RL.TS.9-10, W.RW.9–10.7 Readings: Graphic Novel: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Activity: Students will re-read the excerpt from the graphic novel and they will reconsider the essential questions from the unit for deeper understanding. This will help students with the final product which is to create their own short illustrated story. Product: Creative Writing: Create a short illustrated story examining themes present in the novel using a series of panel drawings Themes Explored in Persepolis
Use at least one of the visual techniques you listed in step 10 to convey praise, mockery, or mourning. Be sure to:
Pre Planned Questions:
Vocabulary: Tier 1: please address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: obligatory, decadence, avant-garde, prophet, predecessor, disciple, celestial, tyranny Tier 3: narrative elements, setting, character, point of view, sequencing, theme, dialogue balloons, captions, coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations. Week 10 Focus: Performance Task Standards:RL.CR.9-10.1,RL.IT.9-10.3,L.VI.9-10.4,RL.TS.9-10.4, W.IW.9-10.2, W.RW.9–10.7 Readings: “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller Activity: Students will respond to the Performance Task for Module 3. Writing/Product: Performance Task 3: Arthur Miller’s drama, Death of a Salesman, examines Willy Loman as a “tragic hero”. Write a literary analysis essay examining how Arthur Miller develops Willy Loman as a tragic hero through praise, mockery and mourning.
Vocabulary: Tier 1: please address tier 1 vocabulary as needed Tier 2: please revisit tier 2 vocabulary as needed Tier 3: praise, mockery, mourning, evidence, analysis Differentiation: ML Support and SpED *Students who struggle with vocabulary in the text will be provided with a definitions reference sheet with anticipated unknown words and definitions. *Students who struggle with annotating will receive guided annotations.
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Optional Experiences (virtual and live field trips) | Poetry or Writing Festival Author Visits Museum Visits Writing Workshops |
Resources | |
Foundational Reading Skills Screening Assessment Graphic Organizers (See Teacher Resources on Springboard) Snap and Read Group Discussion Modes Quill English II Foundational Skills Workshop | |
Pacing/ Time Frame: | 9 weeks |