garfield public schools october...characters or plot but for its theme, or message about life and...

Garfield Middle School Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts

ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21ST

CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS

Garfield Public Schools

Language Arts Department

Curriculum Committee:

Caryn Christiano

Anna D’Agostino

Anna Kalogeras

Lisa Fiduccia

Marie Marx

Regina Stellato

Amber Simpson-Sidler

Joanne LoIacono

Kristen Haftek

Kathy DelMauro

Allison Bugge

Final Revision Date: June 27, 2012

Garfield Board of Education Dr. Kenneth Conte- President

Mr. Tony Lio - Vice President

Mr. Anthony Barckett

Mr. Salvatore Benanti

Mr. Richard Giacomarro

Mr. Nikolce Milevski

Mr. Charles Nucifora

Mr. Edward Puzio

Mr. Jeffrey Stewart

Administration Mr. Nicholas Perrapato, Superintendent

Mr. Tom Egan, Business Administrator / Board Secretary

Curriculum Supervisor

Mrs. Alexandra Bellenger

Assistant Curriculum Supervisor Language Arts

Mrs. Diane Nunno

Board Adoption Date – August 27, 2012 Resolution # - 08-129-12




YAG Grade 8 ELA Literature

Benchmark Test: TBA

Unit 1: Reader’s Workshop: Theme and Symbol

Timeframe: 9/3-9/6 (4 Blocks)

Description: What's the best story you've ever read? Chances are you enjoyed the story not just for its

characters or plot but for its theme, or message about life and human nature. All great stories have a theme,

whether it's about the value of friendship, the bonds of a family's love, or the triumph of good over evil. A

story's characters grow and change because of what they learn through their experiences. As the characters

learn these life lessons, you as a reader grow, too

Unit 2: Myth- Pandora’s Box/Percy Jackson


Description: Respected translator Louis Untermeyer adapts this ever-popular Greek myth, which explores the

concept of curiosity: Is it a gift? A curse? Or simply human nature? The story examines the qualities of gods as

well as the behavior of humans, helping students to understand how the Greeks attempted to explain the world

around them through mythology. Students explore the key idea of curiosity by analyzing Pandora’s thoughts

and actions.

Unit 3: Symbols in Poetry: My Mother Pieced Quilts/quilting


Description: In the poems, the students will understand how simple things can have personal significance. In

My Mother Pieced Quilts, the speaker reflects on her mother’s quilts, the pieces which represent a tapestry of

the family’s life. The quilts will be passed down from generation to generation. In quilting, the speaker

compares two worlds. The world of art, where a mother and daughter quilt together, and the world of science,

where alchemists mumble over cold stone. The speaker wonders if these two worlds will ever meet. The

students are encouraged to think about what gives meaning to their lives, family, friends, special interests,

hobbies, etc. They will think about how our society values simple things, why, and is it important to value

simple things?

Unit 4: Reader’s Workshop: Plot and Conflict


Description: Students will be able to establish prior knowledge about plot, conflict, and setting. Students will

identify stages of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), and analyze plot

development in familiar stories (i.e. How do characters influence the development of the plot?). Students will

be able to identify internal and external conflict, as well as analyze and evaluate setting. Students will be able to

make connections, build vocabulary for reading/ writing, and improve fluency.




Unit 5: Narrative Short Story: Raymond’s Run


Description: This short story by award-winning author Toni Cade Bambara presents sympathetic and relevant

characters who deal with conflicts to which students can relate. The engaging plot provides opportunities to

examine the concepts of ambition and motivation. The narrator of this story experiences a shift in her

motivation. As students read the story, they are challenged to think about what fuels their ambitions. Emphasis

is placed on analyzing stages of plot, making inferences, and developing vocabulary skills.

Unit 6: Memoir: My First Free Summer/Spanish Heritage Month


Description: This memoir helps students relate to the difficulty of leaving someone or something behind.

Familiar people and places often provide us with a sense of safety and security. In the memoir, students will

read how Julia Alvarez faces the pain of leaving her homeland, even as she realizes the dangers of staying.

Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on times when they have had to leave a special person or place,

with an emphasis on the cause and effect relationship.

Unit 7: Reader’s Workshop: Setting and Mood


Description: Close your eyes and picture a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Maybe you’re diving down to

a sunken ship, swimming slowly through the murky waters. Maybe you’re in the locker room of your favoring

team on the night they won the world championship. Wherever you are, your imagination is what takes you

there. Good writers know how to spark your imagination and transport you to faraway places or times.

Unit 8: Setting, mood, character, plot and conflict: The Elevator


Description: “The Elevator” is about a boy named Martin who recently moved with his father to a new

apartment. Living on the 17th

floor, Martin has no choice but to take the elevator. The idea of the elevator

terrifies him. Students are faced with the question, “What exactly is Martin so afraid of?” They will use what

they have learned about plot and conflict to analyze this unsettling story.

Unit 9: Edgar Allen Poe-Mystery/Horror/ Mystery


Description: This classic tale of horror introduces students to one of the best-known works of Edgar Allan Poe

and provides an excellent example of the “unreliable narrator.” It lets students examine the way an author

creates suspense. This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of suspicion. The narrator is

extremely mistrustful, and his suspicions prompt him to plot the murder of an old man. As students read the

story and evaluate the narrator, they can reflect on the signs that arouse suspicion. Emphasis is placed on

exploring the idea of suspicion, identifying and analyzing suspense, evaluating the narrator, and vocabulary

development. Students will understand biographical information about the author through multiple resources.




Unit 10: Narrative Short Story: Monkey’s Paw


Description: “The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic example of a masterful horror story in which the fear comes

from the suspenseful buildup and the thought of what could happen. Emphasis is placed on identifying and

analyzing mood, making and adjusting predictions, and vocabulary development. Author's motivation is

understood through the reading of a short passage, as well as internet resources. This story offers students an

opportunity to explore the key idea of being superstitious. As students read the story and analyze its mood,

they will have a chance to consider the role of superstition in our lives.

Unit 11: Narrative Short Story: The Hitchhiker


Description: This radio play is a classic that belongs in every student’s repertoire. Its suspenseful plot keeps

readers on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out what will happen next. This play offers students an

opportunity to explore the key idea of proof. As Ronald Adams continues to see the mysterious presence of the

hitchhiker, he becomes increasingly desperate to prove that the man exists. As students read the play, they are

drawn into the character’s dilemma and challenged to find proof one way or the other too. Emphasis is placed

on foreshadowing, developing strategies for reading a radio play, and vocabulary development. Students will

be exposed to background information about Route 66 in order to enhance comprehension.

Unit 12: Reader’s Workshop: Character and Point of View


Description: A great character might start out as a few words jotted on a page or as a lump of clay squeezed

between an artist's fingers. How can these humble beginnings result in a person as your best friend? A skilled

creator knows how to add layers of details that make someone who doesn't even exist in real life seem like

someone you've known forever.

Unit 13: Narrative Short Story- The Treasure of Lemon Brown


Description: The characters in Walter Dean Myers’s stories often live in urban environments where they must

deal with social and economic hardships. “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” reaches out to readers with an

uplifting message about family relationships in the face of other difficulties. In “The Treasure of Lemon

Brown,” Greg learns that his father is a role model he should cherish. As students read the story, they can

reflect on the importance of a caring relationship in a person’s life. Emphasis is placed on identifying and

analyzing point of view, making inferences, and vocabulary development. Students will be exposed to various

musical selections from the time the story takes place. Author's motivation is understood through the reading of

a short passage, as well as internet resources.




Unit 14: Character and Point of View: Evolution of Blues/An American Art Form/Musicians Know the Blues

Firsthand


Description: The timeline places key events related to Blues music in the context of African American history.

Basic Blues provides a brief history of the Blues from its roots in African American slave songs to its adoption

by rock and roll groups in the 1960’s. Musicians Know the Blues Firsthand focuses on the problem of poverty

among elderly Blues musicians and describes one man’s efforts to help them.

Unit 15: Reader’s Workshop: Informational Text


Description: You don’t go a single day without needing to gather facts. With message boards, magazines,

books, and directories all offering you information, where do you turn when you need an answer you can count

on? It depends on what kind of facts you’re looking for, and what you need to know.

Unit 16: Informational Text- The Spider Man Behind Spiderman


Description: In “The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man,” Bijal Trivedi presents the story of Steven Kutcher, who

trains insects and arachnids to “perform” for the camera. Kutcher studies the behavior of insects and then adapts

that behavior for movies, television, commercials, and music videos. His goal is to educate the public about the

fascinating world of insects. Emphasis will be placed on elements of nonfiction. Students will use text features

to locate and comprehend information. This selection motivates students to think about what their perfect

career might be.

Unit 17: Informational Article- Over the Top


Description: Students will be able to identify the form and characteristics of autobiography. Students will also

be able to summarize text, build vocabulary for reading/ writing, and read for fluency.

******Midterms: Review & Test******


Unit 18: African Fable: A Blind Man Catches a Bird


Description: Students will focus on themes and symbols, and draw conclusions while reading this African

fable. They are encouraged to ask such questions as, “What is the major conflict?”, “In what ways it is




resolved?”, “What are the effects of the conflict and its resolution on the characters?”, and “What lessons do the

characters learn?”

Unit 19: Speech: Margaret Walker: I Want to Write/Sit-ins


Description:

Unit 20: Reader’s Workshop: Argument and Persuasion


Description: Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This

lesson encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom

game introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they

want) and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn

some of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used

in oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of

others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques.

Unit 21: Argument and Persuasion- Position on Dodge ball


Description: Students are exposed to two very different perspectives on what has become a controversial issue:

whether dodge ball should be played in schools. In its position statement, the National Association for Sport and

Physical Education presents an objective viewpoint, while veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly offers a totally

subjective piece he wrote for Sports Illustrated. By comparing the two arguments, students will gain experience

in detecting how persuasive techniques and tone can win—or lose—readers’ support. Students explore the key

idea of games. As they read the articles, they will have the opportunity to consider their own ideas of what

makes a game worthwhile or fair.

Unit 22: Argument and Persuasion: The Sanctuary of School


Description: Well-written persuasive texts that appeal to eighth-grade readers can be hard to find. Lynda

Barry’s essay “The Sanctuary of School” combines persuasive techniques with a subject that all eighth graders

can find accessible—school and the relationships formed there. Throughout this selection, students explore the

key idea of relationships. As students read and discuss “The Sanctuary of School,” they have the opportunity to

compare the relationships Barry has with her family to those she has with the adults in her school.




Unit 23: Reader’s Workshop: Style, Tone, and Voice


Description: Analyze the impact of specific word choices on tone. Analyze how structure contributes to style.

Determine meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including cognitive meanings; analyze the

impact of specific words on tone.

Unit 24: Style, Tone, and Voice: New York Day Women


Description: In this story, a young woman discovers a side of her mother she never knew existed. On her lunch

hour Suzette spots her mother, a Haitian immigrant, strolling through Manhattan. Suzette follows undetected as

her usually timid mother navigates the busy streets with ease, and ends up at a park where she has been hired as

a day woman to watch a child while her mother goes jogging. After an hour of surveillance, Suzette gains a new

appreciation of her mother. Student will realize that individual perceptions of the same person may be different,

and how everyone has different sides to themselves.

Unit 25: Style, Tone, and Voice: Roughing It/The Simple Commandments of Journalistic Ethics


Description: In this memoir, students will read how Mark Twain uses exaggeration, not only to make us laugh,

but to also make us think. In this humorous memoir, Twain relates his adventures in a variety of occupations,

from grocery clerk, to silver miner, before finding his niche as a city reporter with a small Virginia newspaper.

In this job he discovers he has a special talent for creating “stirring news” by embellishing the truth.

Benchmark Test: TBA

Unit 26: Reader's Workshop: Poetry


Description: Have you ever tried to write a poem? If so, you probably had to think about what a poem is. Is it

lines that rhyme? Pictures painted with words? Toe-tapping rhythms? A poem can be all of these things-or

none of them. In this unit, students will read and analyze poetry as well as sharing their experiences when

writing a poem.

Unit 27: Poetry: Simile: Willow and Ginkgo/Intro To Poetry


Description: Eve Merriam was a renowned children’s poet; Billy Collins is among the most popular poets of

his time. The poetry of both writers is accessible to students, while at the same time providing them with a rich

reading experience. The poems here show a creative use of figurative language and imagery.




These selections invite students to explore how poets use words to create vivid imagery. In “Simile: Willow

and Ginkgo,” Eve Merriam employs a series of similes and arresting visual imagery to contrast the two trees. In

“Introduction to Poetry,” the speaker uses simple language to create unusual images that encourage readers to

experience poetry, rather than simply analyzing it.

Unit 28: Review: NJ ASK Prep


Description: Students will review reading strategies and techniques in order to prepare them for NJ ASK.

Unit 29: Poetry: Figurative Language: Mother to Son


Description: This poem conveys the idea that one needs determination to face life’s obstacles. In Mother to

Son, the speaker is a mother who has persevered through a difficult life. She urges her son not to give up when

life becomes hard. Students will be encouraged to reflect back on advice they have received from adults they

know. Who gave the advice? What was the advice? Was it good enough to follow?

: In this memoir, students will read how Mark Twain uses exaggeration, not only to make us laugh, but to also

make us think. In this humorous memoir, Twain relates his adventures in a variety of occupations, from grocery

clerk, to silver miner, before finding his niche as a city reporter with a small Virginia newspaper. In this job he

discovers he has a special talent for creating “stirring news” by embellishing the truth.

Unit 30: Novel Study: Outsiders


Description: During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…

*Novels to be determined by teachers with the guidance of the Assistant Curriculum Supervisor for Language

Arts.

Final Exam: Review and Test





Unit Overview

Content Area: English Language Arts Literature

Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Theme and Symbol

Target Course/Grade Level: 8

Duration: 9/3-9/6 (4 Blocks)

Description: What's the best story you've ever read? Chances are you enjoyed the story not just for its characters or plot

but for its theme, or message about life and human nature. All great stories have a theme, whether it's about the value of

friendship, the bonds of a family's love, or the triumph of good over evil. A story's characters grow and change because

of what they learn through their experiences. As the character learns these life lessons, you as a reader grow, too.

Concepts & Understandings

Concepts

Symbol

Theme

Recurring Theme

Universal Theme

Understandings

Identify and interpret symbols

Determine and analyze theme

Determine, analyze, and compare universal themes

Learning Targets

CCSS:

RL.8.1; RL.8.2; RL.8.3; RL.8.4; RL8.5; RL.8.6; RL8.7; RL8.9

W8.3;W8.9; W8.10

SL8.1; SL8.2; SL8.3; SL8.4; SL8.5; SL8.6

21st Century Themes and Skills

Communication and Collaboration

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Creativity and Innovation

Guiding Questions

Is the theme of a story always interpreted in the same way?

How does a reader identify the theme in a piece of writing?

How does comparing and contrasting themes from various pieces of literature increase understanding?

Unit Results

Students will ...



Determine, analyze, and compare universal themes

Use story elements to identify theme

Use a story map to analyze plot development

Suggested Activities

The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:

You may not have given it much thought, but your favorite movies have probably offered you valuable

messages. Recall a movie that you love, and then answer these questions to help you identify its theme.

What lessons, if any, do the characters learn?

If there is a battle or struggle, who wins and who loses? Why?

What did you learn from this movie that you can apply to your own life?




CREATE AN ILLUSTRATION: EXPLORE SYMBOLISM

Explain to students that many ideas have symbols that represent them, such as a heart for love or a dove for peace.

Work with students to brainstorm a list of symbols.

Ask students to draw a symbol that they think best illustrates the idea of priceless.

Before they start sketching, encourage students to close their eyes and concentrate

on what they “see” in their minds when they hear the word priceless, and to use this

image as a starting point for the sketch. Once they complete their sketches, ask them

to present their work to the class and explain why they chose those symbols. Discuss

any common features found in the drawings.

ROLE PLAY: ANALYZE CHARACTER

Point out to students that the selection is told from the narrator’s point of view, so

readers do not know what the other characters are thinking or feeling. Also remind

them that the selection contains no dialogue. Invite students to work in groups of

three or four to write a script for the selection. Challenge groups to come up with

appropriate dialogue for each of the characters, as well as for a new, third-person point of view narrator.

Encourage groups to practice and then present their dramatizations to the class. Discuss the similarities and

differences among the various groups’ performances.

CREATE A COMIC STRIP: ANALYZE PLOT

Review with students the main parts of a story, including characters, setting, plot, and conflict. Talk about

whether students think “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold” includes all of these elements. Lead students to see that

even though the selection is very short, it does have the main elements found in longer stories and novels.

Point out to students that comic strips can also have similar plot elements.

If possible, bring in some comic strips for students to skim through while using

examples to illustrate how the plots are developed. Then have students work in pairs

or independently to turn “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold” into a comic strip. Students

should take two or three minutes to first jot down the sequence of events and the

details that they want to include in their comic strips. Remind them that since the

original selection contains no dialogue, they will have to invent some for their comics.

After students complete their work, invite them to share and compare with others.

Did everyone include the same basic sequence and details? Discuss.

EXPLORE VIEWPOINTS: POEM, LYRICS, OR LETTER

Write the following saying on the board: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Briefly discuss the saying. Then have students interpret this quote based on what

they have learned about “priceless” things from the selection. Questions might

include:

• Do you agree with this saying? Why or why not?

• How does this saying relate to the plot of “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold”?

• What would each character in the selection think about this saying?

• Has reflecting on this saying, as well as reading the selection and discussing its

key idea, changed your feelings about what makes something priceless? Explain.

Have students choose one or more of these questions to explore in a creative way,

such as writing a poem, song lyrics, or a letter to Sandra Cisneros. Invite students to

share their work with the class.





Unit Title: Myth-Pandora’s Box


Duration: 9/9-9/13 ( 5 Blocks)

Description: Respected translator Louis Untermeyer adapts this ever-popular Greek myth, which explores the concept of

curiosity: Is it a gift? A curse? Or simply human nature? The story examines the qualities of gods as well as the behavior

of humans, helping students to understand how the Greeks attempted to explain the world around them through

mythology. Students explore the key idea of curiosity by analyzing Pandora’s thoughts and actions.


Concepts

Theme

Symbols

Plot

Real world connections

Conflict

Genre

Language

Understandings

Message

Identify and interpret

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,

resolution

Current events

Internal and external

Anecdote, Greek myth

Flashback

Learning Targets

CCSS:

RL8.1; RL8.2; RL8.3; RL8.4; RL8.5; RL8.6; RL8.7; RL8.9

W8.3; W8.9; W8.10

SL8.1; SL8.2; SL8.3; SL8.4; SL8.5; SL8.6





Guiding Questions

Why do we want what we don’t have?

When you want what you don’t have, what problems might that cause?

What, if any, benefits might result?

Unit Results

Students will ...

explore the key idea of curiosity

identify and analyze theme

read a Greek myth

develop strategies for reading myths

build vocabulary for reading and writing



Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief-Write an essay connecting the book to yourself, other books, or world issues

CREATE A MURAL: ANALYZE CAUSE AND EFFEC

Ask students to imagine the sequence of events that begins with Prometheus’ theft of fire and ends with Hope flying out

into the world.

After dividing the class into three or four groups, instruct students to design a multiple-panel mural depicting the chain




of events. As students map out their chains of events, remind them that one event can have multiple effects. Suggest that

they use this idea to help them organize their murals.

INQUIRY AND RESEARCH

PANDORA’S BOX

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of these characters in the story: Prometheus, Pandora, Zeus,

Hephaestus, Hera, and Epimetheus. Have each group research their character to find out when and where the characters’

names have been used in the world of literature, art, science, business, or entertainment. They should also look for

information on what the significance or role of each figure was in ancient Greek society. Have each group create a poster

to present its findings to the class and share information about the references they are describing. Instruct them to explain

why the references are appropriate. They might also want to note instances where the reference is not appropriate—

showing that someone has misunderstood the myth.

WRITING

FORM AN OPINION: PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Tell students to decide whether, all in all, they think curiosity is a gift or a curse. Before they decide, suggest that they

think about what happened to Pandora as a result of her curiosity, as well as what has happened to themselves, people

they know, and people in history. Do they feel that the possible benefits of being curious outweigh the potential negative

consequences?

Have students express their opinions in a persuasive essay. Instruct them to support their opinions by providing at least

three examples from literature, their own lives, and/or the lives of others. Essays should follow the format of a persuasive

essay: introduction; opinion statement; supportive paragraphs; conclusion.

SUMMARIZE PLOT: HEADLINE NEWS STORY

Ask students to think about how Prometheus, Zeus, and Hera might have reacted to Pandora’s opening of the box. Then

suggest that they write a headline news story describing what happened to Pandora. Articles should identify the “5 Ws

and H” of journalism—who, what, when, where, why, and how—and include the reactions of the characters who were

involved, as well as the way the general public might have reacted. Suggest that students begin their news stories with a

clear summary of




Unit Overview


Unit Title: Theme & Symbol: My Mother Pieced Quilts/quilting



Description: In the poems, the students will understand how simple things can have personal significance. In My

Mother Pieced Quilts, the speaker reflects on her mother’s quilts, the pieces which represent a tapestry of the family’s life.

The quilts will be passed down from generation to generation. In quilting, the speaker compares two worlds. The world of

art, where a mother and daughter quilt together, and the world of science, where alchemists mumble over cold stone. The

speaker wonders if these two worlds will ever meet. The students are encouraged to think about what gives meaning to

their lives, family, friends, special interests, hobbies, etc. They will think about how our society values simple things,

why, and is it important to value simple things?


Concepts

Theme

Symbols

Meaning

Poetry

Reading Fluency

Understandings

Identify and interpret

Draw conclusions

Active voice

Analyze literature

Learning Targets

CCSS:


W8.3; W8.9; W8.10

SL8.1; SL8.2; SL8.3; SL8.4; SL8.5; SL8.6





Guiding Questions

What gives meaning to simple things?

What message about families, art, or other big topics is the poem communicating?

In what ways do quilts or quilting help convey the poem’s message?

What does it mean to draw conclusions?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Set a purpose for reading

Interpret poetic devices, word choices, and symbolism

Recognize universal theme by making inferences



Create a quilt to represent what is important in their life

Write a poem about what it important in life

Create a class quilt to represent every student





Unit Title: Reader's Workshop: Plot and Conflict



Description: Will the hero save the world and win the girl? Can the young soldier survive the war? How will the family

stay alive on the deserted island? Good stories are all around you-in novels and short stories, on television, and in

movies. How do they capture your imagination and keep you riveted?


Concepts

Plot

conflict

Understandings

Identify and analyze stages of plot (exposition,

rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)

Identify and analyze types of

conflict(internal/external) Identify and analyze conflicts and resolutions

Learning Targets

CCSS:


RI8.1; RI8.2; RI8.3; RI8.4; RI8.5; RI8.6; RI8.7; RI8.9

W8.3; W8.9; W8.10

SL8.1; SL8.2; SL8.3; SL8.4; SL8.5; SL8.6





Guiding Questions

What is conflict?

Is the problem emotional, physical or ethical?

What are the two sides of conflict concretely (character vs. character, character vs., self, character vs. nature)?

What conflicts are the most important to the theme?

What are the stages of plot and what is revealed in each stage?

How does each stage converge or run parallel?

How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the

plot of a story?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Identify and analyze types of conflict: internal and external

Identify and analyze the five stages of plot

Understand plot and conflict



Oral presentation based on 30-60 minute television show of the different types of conflict. Cite examples of

movies, television shows, and books that represent both external and internal conflict.

Graphic Organizer-Stages of Plot





Unit Title: Narrative Short Story-Raymond’s Run



Description: This short story by award-winning author Toni Cade Bambara presents sympathetic and relevant characters

who deal with conflicts to which students can relate. The engaging plot provides opportunities to examine the concepts of

ambition and motivation. The narrator of this story experiences a shift in her motivation. As students read the story, they

are challenged to think about what fuels their ambitions. Emphasis is placed on analyzing stages of plot, making

inferences, and developing vocabulary skills.


Concepts

Plot

Conflict

Making inferences

Genre


Language

Understandings

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,

resolution

Internal, external

Use from the story and your own knowledge to

guess about things the author doesn't say directly

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

What's worth the effort?

What motivates you to achieve a goal?

How do you make an inference?

When do we make inferences?

How does making inferences help us as a reader?

What are the 5 stages of plot?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Make inferences and analyze stages of plot.

Be evaluated on their knowledge of making inferences, stages of plot and selection vocabulary

Explore the key idea of motivation, analyze stages of plot, and make and support inferences



Preview selection-vocabulary, author background, set the purpose

Drawing inferences using the title, pictures, and first paragraph and record in inference chart

How to use and create an inference equation chart

Students will create a visual vocabulary for the words of the story.

Identify and record plot elements and inferences as we read.

Use internet to obtain images to create a visual vocabulary

PERFORMANCE TASK---ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: INTERPRET CHARACTER

Discuss what Squeaky might have said if she were asked to give an acceptance speech after winning the race.

Have students jot down ideas on note cards and compose a speech from Squeaky’s

perspective. They should keep in mind Squeaky’s character as presented throughout




the story. After students have written their speeches, have them practice in small

groups and give each other feedback on voice volume, pace, expression, and

articulation.

Ask students to present their speeches to the class. Have listening students fill

out a checklist evaluation on each one. ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS: VISUALIZE CHARACTER AND PLOT

Discuss with students how descriptive some of the passages in the story are. For

example, lines 193–209 paint a vivid picture of Squeaky’s thoughts and feelings as

she begins to run.

Ask students to skim the story and choose the passage that they can visualize most

clearly. Ask them to illustrate what they see, incorporating the details from the text.

Have students display their illustrations. Ask class members to match each picture

with the associated passage from the text and discuss how closely the drawings fit

their own mental images.

READERS THEATER: INTERPRET STORY ELEMENTS

Assign students to small groups and have them prepare a Readers Theater presentation of the story. Suggest that

they develop dialogue based on the parts of the story in which Squeaky encounters other characters. Encourage

them to adapt and abridge other segments as well in order to create a tightly woven dramatic reading. As the

students rehearse, suggest ways for them to incorporate gestures as well as voice and facial expression. Groups

may wish to practice together in order to give feedback to each other. Have groups present their Readers Theaters.

Ask students to discuss how hearing the story helps them to understand character and plot more clearly.

T-SHIRT DESIGN: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT

Suppose Squeaky has been asked to design a T-shirt for participants in the May Day

races to wear. Have students make inferences about what messages she might want

to send about running and competition. Then ask pairs of students to create one or two designs, complete with

graphics and text. Encourage them to use colors and symbols to convey a mood and their ideas. Give each pair an

opportunity to explain and display their T-shirts. Ask the class to vote on the one that they think most closely

expresses Squeaky’s perspective.

INQUIRY AND RESEARCH TRAINING MANUAL

Discuss with students how many different ways there are for runners to train.

Assign students to small groups to research different training techniques

and evaluate the merit of the ones they discover. Then ask them to put together

their own training manual, complete with daily and weekly schedules, explanations

of equipment, and diagrams showing how to perform various exercises. Students can introduce their workout

routines in a short presentation to the class.

Unit Overview





Unit Title: Plot & Conflict: My First Free Summer



Description: This memoir helps students relate to the difficulty of leaving someone or something behind. Familiar people

and places often provide us with a sense of safety and security. In the memoir, students will read how Julia Alvarez faces

the pain of leaving her homeland, even as she realizes the dangers of staying. Students will be given the opportunity to

reflect on times when they have had to leave a special person or place, with an emphasis on the cause and effect

relationship.


Concepts

Memoirs

Point of View

Conflict

Cause and Effect

Set a Purpose for Reading

Understandings

Identify the elements of a memoir

Recognize how the author’s feelings are effected

and incorporated into the memoir

Analyze the author’s personality traits as well as

those of others depicted in the memoir

Examine perspective and how it evolves over time

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Unit Results

Students will ...

Understand the characteristics of a memoir

Recognize cause and effect

Make connections to the text

Guiding Questions

Was there ever a time you were looking forward to moving on?

How does the author incorporate their feelings into the memoir?

What changes does the author go through in the memoir that drives the plot?

Were the cause and effect relationships in the memoir clear?



Write a memoir of a an experience

Chart commonly shared experiences that are similar to the author’s


Unit Title: Setting and Mood





Duration: 10/14-10/15 (2 Blocks) Description: Close your eyes and picture a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Maybe you’re diving down to a sunken

ship, swimming slowly through the murky waters. Maybe you’re in the locker room of your favoring team on the night

they won the world championship. Wherever you are, your imagination is what takes you there. Good writers know how

to spark your imagination and transport you to faraway places or times

Concepts

Setting

Mood

Imagery

Inferences

Understandings

Identify and analyze setting and its effect on plot

and characters

Identify and analyze mood

Understand how mood can be conveyed through

setting, imagery, and characters’ reactions

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

Where can imagination take you?

What makes a story a page turner?

How does setting affect mood?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Identify and analyze setting in fiction and nonfiction

Establish prior knowledge about setting and mood

Discuss how a writer can spark a reader’s imagination

Identify and analyze setting and its effect on plot


Understand how mood can be conveyed through setting, imagery and characters’ reactions



Have students brainstorm a list of stories with which they are familiar. Ask them to list the stories in a chart,

identifying key details about the setting of each story in a second column. Then have students discuss the role of

the setting in each story. They should ask themselves: Is the setting just a backdrop for the events of the story, or

does it play a larger role? Does the setting affect characters reactions

Unit Overview





Unit Title: Setting & Mood: The Elevator



Description: “The Elevator” is about a boy named Martin who recently moved with his father to a new apartment. Living

on the 17th floor, Martin has no choice but to take the elevator. The idea of the elevator terrifies him. Students are faced

with the question, “What exactly is Martin so afraid of?” They will use what they have learned about plot and conflict to

analyze this unsettling story.


Concepts

Plot elements

Setting and Mood

Analyze suspense

Writing Process

Understandings

Recall elements of plot

Indentify how setting & mood contribute to story

Finish story using details that are logical

Utilize the writing process

Learning Targets

CCSS:




Creativity and Innovation Unit Results

Students will ... Use their knowledge of plot to recognize where the story ends

Complete story by considering the characters, details, setting, and mood

Suggested Activities The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:

Use the game “telephone” with story starters and have students add a sentence after one another

Unit Overview





Unit Title: Mystery/Horror/Suspense- Edgar Allan Poe



Description: This classic tale of horror introduces students to one of the best-known works of Edgar Allan Poe and

provides an excellent example of the “unreliable narrator.” It lets students examine the way an author creates suspense.

This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of suspicion. The narrator is extremely mistrustful, and

his suspicions prompt him to plot the murder of an old man. As students read the story and evaluate the narrator, they can

reflect on the signs that arouse suspicion. Emphasis is placed on exploring the idea of suspicion, identifying and analyzing

suspense, evaluating the narrator, and vocabulary development. Students will understand biographical information about

the author through multiple resources.


Concepts

Literary Analysis

Conflict

Making Inferences

Reading

Real World Connections

Understandings

Suspense

Internal, External

Use from the story and your own knowledge to guess about

things the author doesn't say directly

Evaluating the narrator

Suspicion

Vocabulary/Multiple Meaning Words

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

What makes you suspicious?

Have you ever suspected someone was not telling you the truth?

How is suspense created?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Preview selection by setting a purpose. Formulate a question about the: 1. Title 2. First paragraph 3. Visual

(picture)

Explore the key idea of suspicion.

Identify and analyze suspense while reading a short story

Identify and evaluate the narrator

Evaluate their knowledge of selection vocabulary, elements of suspense, and narrator's reliability.

Use the movie adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" to compare and contrast it to the short story



Tea Party: Teacher passes out index cards from specific lines from the story and has students share their cards

with one another in order to make a prediction about the summary of the story.

Discuss the elements of suspense and evaluate the narrator by using a Narrator Reliability Chart.

A student dictionary- Use context clue to find definitions to multiple-meaning words as the story is being read.

Create a compare and contrast chart or a Venn diagram to find the similarities and differences between the written

text and the movie.

ILLUSTRATE TEXT: EXAMINE CHARACTER TRAITS




Poe provides no physical description of the narrator. A close reading reveals that this unnamed character is not identified

as male or female. Ask students to create a portrait of the narrator. Students may choose any medium, including paint,

charcoal, watercolors, or collage. Remind them that the appearance of this character is open to

interpretation and that the illustrations in the selection are only one version of the events. Provide time for students to

present and explain their portraits to the class.

Content Area: English Language Arts Literature Unit Title: Narrative Short Story- Monkey’s Paw Target Course/Grade Level: 8 Duration: 10/30-11/6 (5 Blocks)




Description: “The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic example of a masterful horror story in which the fear comes from the

suspenseful buildup and the thought of what could happen. Emphasis is placed on identifying and analyzing mood,

making and adjusting predictions, and vocabulary development. Author's motivation is understood through the reading of

a short passage, as well as internet resources. This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of being

superstitious. As students read the story and analyze its mood, they will have a chance to consider the role of superstition

in our lives.

Concepts

Superstition

Mood

Language

Prediction

Real World Connection

Theme

Inferences

Understandings

Explore the key idea of superstitious


Make and analyze predictions

Understand Atmosphere

Current Events

Identify and analyze theme

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

Are you superstitious?

What kind of superstitions do you or people you know believe in?

What might lead someone to become superstitious?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of superstitious


Make and analyze predictions

Read a short story

Build vocabulary for reading and writing



Prediction Chart (while reading)

Tagxedo- Create a word collage of vocabulary that creates the mood in the story


Unit Title: Narrative Short Story-The Hitchhiker






Description: This radio play is a classic that belongs in every student’s repertoire. Its suspenseful plot keeps readers on

the edge of their seats as they try to figure out what will happen next. This play offers students an opportunity to explore

the key idea of proof. As Ronald Adams continues to see the mysterious presence of the hitchhiker, he becomes

increasingly desperate to prove that the man exists. As students read the play, they are drawn into the character’s dilemma

and challenged to find proof one way or the other too. Emphasis is placed on foreshadowing, developing strategies for

reading a radio play, and vocabulary development. Students will be exposed to background information about Route 66

in order to enhance comprehension.


Concepts

Plot

Conflict

Central ideas

Making inferences


Foreshadowing

Understandings

exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,

resolution

internal, external

communicate that universal messages are not

specific to a particular time, place, or situation

use from the story and your own knowledge to

guess about things the author doesn't say directly

current events

hints that suggest future events

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

Is seeing believing?

Does everything have a logical explanation, or do some things happen that cannot be explained?

Have you seen something that you can’t explain?

Unit Results

Students will ...

explore the key idea of proof

identify and analyze foreshadowing

develop strategies for reading a radio play

use writing to analyze literature

Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or

provoke a decision

Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts

Use foreshadowing to predict future events



MAP ROUTE: EXPLORE SETTING Point out that several specific locations, such as Hollywood and the Brooklyn Bridge, are mentioned in the play. Divide

the class into small groups. Have students use the information about the places Adams passes through and the roads he

takes to create a road map of the route that someone might travel to get from New York City to Hollywood. Students can

use an atlas to estimate the number of miles he would cover and how long the journey might take him, including time

built in for stops.

Compare routes and talk about what a modern-day traveler could expect to find on these roads in contrast to Adams’s

experience. What kinds of different environments would a traveler on those routes pass through? In what ways might

those environments add to the atmosphere of the play?




MUSIC SELECTION: CONVEY MOOD Remind students that the music is an important element of this radio play. As a class, list all the lines in which a reference

to music appears. Divide the lines up and then have small groups of students work together to

choose musical selections that they think would fit the plot and mood of the play at each point. Tell students that they

need only a few bars in most cases and they might want to use the same piece more than once.

Have students perform the relevant parts of the play, incorporating their chosen music. Hold a class vote on the

effectiveness of each group’s choices. Discuss how hearing the music adds to the feeling conveyed by the dialogue.

POSTER: INTERPRET CHARACTER AND PLOT Have students imagine that The Hitchhiker is going to be presented on the school radio station and they are in charge of

publicity. Working in groups or alone, students should create a poster advertising the upcoming show. Remind students

that their posters need to excite interest in the program and represent what it is about without giving away the plot.

Encourage students to incorporate text and graphics into their posters and to use colors that effectively convey the mood

that they want the potential audience to feel. Ask students to display their posters and compare the elements of each

INQUIRY AND RESEARCH: GAS PRICES

At one point in the play, Adams pays one dollar and forty-nine cents to fill up his car after traveling most of the day.

Obviously in the 21st century, gas expenses would take a much greater part of his budget. Assign groups of students one

of these time periods: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,1980s, 1990s, and 2000 through the present year. Ask groups to track

the gas prices for their era. Students should collect their data in a table. They might find their information on the Internet

or ask a librarian for assistance with print resources. Have groups present their tables to the class. Then have the class

collaborate on a line graph that shows the changes in gas prices from the 1940s to today. As a class, draw conclusions

from the data, such as when gas prices were most stable and during which time period the cost rose the most.


Unit Title: Reader's Workshop: Character and Point of View

Target Course/Grade Level: 8 Communication Arts





Description: A great character might start out as a few words jotted on a page or as a lump of clay squeezed between an

artist's fingers. How can these humble beginnings result in a person as your best friend? A skilled creator knows how to

add layers of details that make someone who doesn't even exist in real life seem like someone you've known forever.


Concepts

Point of View

Characterization

Central Idea

Conclusions

Language

Real World Connections

Character traits

Motivation

Understandings

First, Third Omniscient, Third Limited

Physical Appearance, Speech, Thoughts, Actions,

Motivation

Theme

Use from the story and personal experiences to

guess things the author doesn't say directly

Vocabulary

Current Events

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

How do writers create characters that trigger different reactions?

How does who tells the story affect your feelings?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Analyze differences in points of view and the effects they create

Analyze how the dialogue or incidents in a story reveal aspects of a character

Determine the central idea of a text and its relationship to supporting ideas

Infer characters’ motivations

Identify and analyze character motivation

Identify and analyze methods of characterization



Can you bring a character to life? Follow these steps to give it a try:

1. Look through magazines and find a picture of someone or something that looks like he, she, or it could be an

interesting character.

2. Invent a life for that character. Think about things like where the character lives, what the character cares about most,

and how he, she, or it responds to triumphs and challenges.

3. Introduce your character to your group. Which of the details you provide most help your classmates feel like they know

the person or creature you've invented.


Unit Title: Narrative-The Treasure of Lemon Brown



Description: The characters in Walter Dean Myers’s stories often live in urban environments where they must deal with

social and economic hardships. “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” reaches out to readers with an uplifting message about




family relationships in the face of other difficulties. In “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” Greg learns that his father is a role

model he should cherish. As students read the story, they can reflect on the importance of a caring relationship in a person’s

life. Emphasis is placed on identifying and analyzing point of view, making inferences, and vocabulary development.

Students will be exposed to various musical selections from the time the story takes place. Author's motivation is understood

through the reading of a short passage, as well as internet resources.


Concepts

Point of View

Inferences

Language

Understandings

First Person, Third Person Omniscient, Third Person

Limited

Use the knowledge from the story and personal

experiences to make guesses about things that the

author doesn't say directly

Point of View, Traits, Inferences, Characterization,

Motives

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

What do you cherish?

To you, what is something that is “a chance of a lifetime?”

How do different people cherish different things?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of what people cherish

Identify and analyze third-person limited point of view

Make inferences



Before Reading- Make a list of things that are most valuable to them. After reading-decide if those items still have

the same value

Remind students that blues songs tell about the problems and miseries of a person’s life. As a class, listen to and

analyze two or three typical blues songs. Write out a verse or refrain from one of the songs on the board and discuss

the lyrics’ basic structure. Note that the songs are written in the first person, using I. Challenge students to write a

blues song that expresses Greg’s feelings at the beginning of the story. Tell them to put themselves in his place and

sing about how the “hard times” he is experiencing affect his outlook on life. Invite interested students to perform

their songs for a small group or the whole class.

CHART: EVALUATE STORY Have students work in pairs to design a chart for evaluating “The Treasure of Lemon

Brown.” Tell them that the chart should ask readers to rate different elements or aspects of the story. For example,

they might evaluate story for its believability, originality, and emotional power. The chart should also require readers

to give supporting evidence for each rating. Students may add brief notes to explain each element as needed. Instruct

pairs to exchange charts with one another and complete the evaluation. Once the evaluations are finished, students

may discuss why they chose the elements they did.




Unit Overview


Unit Title: Character & Point of View: Evolution of Blues/An American Art Form/The Musicians Know the Blues

Firsthand






Description: The timeline places key events related to Blues music in the context of African American history. Basic

Blues provides a brief history of the Blues from its roots in African American slave songs to its adoption by rock and roll

groups in the 1960’s. Musicians Know the Blues Firsthand focuses on the problem of poverty among elderly Blues

musicians and describes one man’s efforts to help them.


Concepts

Timeline

Scope

Point of View

African American History

Understandings

Reading for information

Identify how wide or narrow the scope of a

selection is

Compare & contrast a timeline, historical article,

and feature article

Evaluate sources for credibility

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Unit Results

Students will ...

Recall important events in history that contributed to the creation of blues

Evaluate how blues influenced music, people, and events

Recognize that there are different sources with varying scopes

Guiding Questions

What important event in the history of blues took place in 1923?

How did blues influence musicians in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s?

What is the benefit of presenting information in a timeline?

How did traditional blues music begin to reach a wider audience?

How did blues music evolve in Northern cities in the 1940s?

Why do you think white musicians in the 1960s were attracted to African American blues?



Compose a blues song about a conflict Listen to blues and discuss the meaning

Research and present findings on a blues musician or song


Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Informational Text



Description: You don’t go a single day without needing to gather facts. With message boards, magazines, books, and

directories all offering you information, where do you turn when you need an answer you can count on? It depends on

what kind of facts you’re looking for, and what you need to know.





Concepts

Main idea

Supporting details

Summarize

Text features

Graphic aids

Understandings

Identify main idea and supporting details

Summarize main ideas in an article

Use text features to comprehend and locate

information

Interpret and evaluate graphic aids

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Life and Career Skills

Guiding Questions

Where do you get your facts from?

How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and reread?

How and why do good readers of informational texts analyze central ideas?

How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions, make inferences, and predict events using

cause and effect?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Identify text features

Identify main ideas and supporting details

Take notes on a newspaper or magazine article



Create a poster of text features

Analyze an article using text features


Unit Title: Informational Article- The Spider Man Behind Spiderman



Description: In “The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man,” Bijal Trivedi presents the story of Steven Kutcher, who trains

insects and arachnids to “perform” for the camera. Kutcher studies the behavior of insects and then adapts that behavior

for movies, television, commercials, and music videos. His goal is to educate the public about the fascinating world of

insects. Emphasis will be placed on elements of nonfiction. Students will use text features to locate and comprehend




information. This selection motivates students to think about what their perfect career might be.


Concepts

Main idea

Supporting details

Summarize

Text features

Graphic aids

Understandings



Use text features to comprehend and locate

information


Learning Targets

CCSS:






Guiding Questions

What is your dream job?

How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?

How is main idea used to help readers summarize?

How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and reread?


How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions, make inferences, and predict events using

cause and effect?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of a career

Use text features to locate and comprehend information

Read a feature article




PERFORMANCE TASK------Career brochure


Unit Title: Informational Article –Over the Top


Duration: 1/2-1/13 8 Blocks

Description: A fascinating portrait of Carsten Peter, a “daredevil photographer,” this article gives students practice in

analyzing graphic aids and text features. This article describes two of his adventures in pursuit of spectacular

photographs: first, dropping into the rumbling crater of a volcano in the South Pacific; and second, exploring chambers

formed by erupting volcanoes under Iceland's glaciers. Some people actively seek out danger. They may thrive on the




excitement, or, as in the case of this article’s subject, have a purpose beyond the thrill of the experience itself. Throughout

the selection, students will have an opportunity to reflect on risks. Emphasis is placed on elements of nonfiction. Students

will interpret and evaluate graphic aids, and use the skills of skimming, scanning and rereading.


Concepts

Main idea

Supporting details

Summarize

Text features

Graphic aid

Understandings



Use text features to comprehend and locate information


Learning Targets

CCSS:






Guiding Questions

Why do people seek danger?

How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and

reread?


How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions,

make inferences, and predict events using cause and effect?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of danger


Adjust reading rate to purpose (skim, scan, reread)



CREATE EXHIBIT: EXPLORE GENRE OF PHOTOGRAPHY Review the photographs in the article. Tell students that

Carsten Peter has also taken spectacular photographs of tornadoes. Ask students to find examples of Carsten Peter’s

photographs online or in books and magazines and then create an exhibit of his photos. Remind them to include

background information, such as the location and subject details in their exhibit.

REPORT: ANALYZE ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION Have small groups look through several issues of National

Geographic in the school or public library, searching for stories that pique their interest. Are they most interested in

stories about places, individuals or groups, science, or other topics? Then have group members look for other work by the

author and present a brief overview of the author’s work to the group. Complete a y-chart: Compare and contrast Carsten

Peter and Steven Kutcher and their careers. Graphic Aid chart-list graphic aids and what it explains

****Midterm Review 1/14-1/28 (10 Blocks includes test days tentatively)****




Unit Overview


Unit Title: African Fable: A Blind Man Catches a Bird



Description: Students will focus on themes and symbols, and draw conclusions while reading this African fable. They are

encouraged to ask such questions as, “What is the major conflict?”, “In what ways it is resolved?”, “What are the effects

of the conflict and its resolution on the characters?”, and “What lessons do the characters learn?”


Concepts

Theme

Symbol

Draw Conclusions

Using a thesaurus

Revising and editing

Understandings



Make inferences and draw conclusions

Synthesize information and make generalizations

Compose a short constructive response

Learning Targets

CCSS:




Unit Results Students will ...

Demonstrate comprehension by reading a fable and answering questions by looking back as well as make

inferences

Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues and word parts

Recognize conventions of standard English grammar

Guiding Questions

What objects appear repeatedly in the story?

How do characters relate to objects?

What is the conflict and how is it resolved?

What lessons do the characters learn?


Practice writing constructed responses to multiple choice questions

Create additional questions and ask one another




Unit Overview


Unit Title: Black History: Dreams From My Father/Out of Many One



Description: In this autobiography and poem, Barak Obama describes how as a child he began to take pride in his family

heritage. Of everything that made him feel different from most of his classmates. He related his family history to make the

point that the United States offers freedom and opportunity to all people.


Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:


Unit Results

Students will ...




Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Argument and Persuasion



Description: Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson

encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom game introduces

students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want) and making

persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn some of the definitions

associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used in oral arguments, they then apply

them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive

techniques.


Concepts

Elements of an argument

Persuasive techniques

Author’s purpose

Fact/opinion

Claim

Understandings

Compare arguments in persuasive texts

Identify and analyze persuasive techniques

Analyze reasoning for soundness

Determine an author’s purpose

Evaluate the argument in a text

Evaluate evidence for relevance




Identify the author’s claim

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

How do I recognize author's bias?

How do I recognize and use propaganda techniques?

How can persuasive techniques be utilized to generate essays of controversial

topics containing opinions and supporting facts and examples

Unit Results

Students will ...

Identify and analyze elements of an argument


Compare arguments in persuasive texts





State your position activity

Persuasion Map

Persuasive Graphic Organizer (Two Column Chart)


Unit Title: Argument and Persuasion-Position on Dodge ball



Description: Students are exposed to two very different perspectives on what has become a controversial issue: whether

dodge ball should be played in schools. In its position statement, the National Association for Sport and Physical

Education presents an objective viewpoint, while veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly offers a totally subjective piece he

wrote for Sports Illustrated. By comparing the two arguments, students will gain experience in detecting how persuasive

techniques and tone can win—or lose—readers’ support. Students explore the key idea of games. As they read the

articles, they will have the opportunity to consider their own ideas of what makes a game worthwhile or fair.


Concepts

Persuasive techniques

Author’s purpose

Argument

Fact/opinion

Claim

Understandings


Analyze reasoning for soundness



Evaluate evidence for relevance

Identify the author’s claim




Tone Identify and analyze tone

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

Are all games worth playing?

How do I recognize author's bias?

How do I recognize and use propaganda techniques?

How do authors communicate the tone of an article?

How can we recognize tone in an article?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of games


Identify and analyze tone

Read a position statement and an opinion piece




CONDUCT SURVEY: EXAMINE ARGUMENTS-Suggest that students conduct a survey of other students’

opinions of dodge ball.

RULE BOOK: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT

Have students work in groups to brainstorm ways dodge ball might be revised

MURAL: ILLUSTRATE THEME

Have students sketch an image that captures the essence of dodge ball for them, either

as described in the selections or from personal experience.

POSTER: SUMMARIZE MAIN IDEAS

Suggest that students write an analysis of sports writing as a career.


Unit Title: Argument and Persuasion-The Sanctuary of School



Description: Well-written persuasive texts that appeal to eighth-grade readers can be hard to find. Lynda Barry’s essay

“The Sanctuary of School” combines persuasive techniques with a subject that all eighth graders can find accessible—

school and the relationships formed there. Throughout this selection, students explore the key idea of relationships. As

students read and discuss “The Sanctuary of School,” they have the opportunity to compare the relationships Barry has

with her family to those she has with the adults in her school.


Concepts Understandings




Cause and effect

Relationships

Imagery

Inferences

Author’s purpose

Conclusion

Explore the key idea of relationships

Identify and analyze author's purpose

Read an essay

Identify and analyze cause-and-effect relationships


Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

Why do we need schools?

What makes a good relationship?

Why are relationships important?

How do the old “3 R’s” compare to the new “3R’s” (rigor, relevance and relationships)?

Where do you feel safe?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of relationships

Identify and analyze author's purpose

Read an essay

Identify and analyze cause-and-effect relationships




CARTOONS: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT

Lynda Barry’s cartoon on page 997 illustrates her relationship with her school. Hold a

brainstorming session with the class to come up with other important relationships in

students’ lives, such as their relationships with a special sport or place. Have students

choose one relationship to use as the basis for their own cartoon.

Next, have students reflect on their feelings about this relationship and the

message they want to send to their viewers about it. Then ask students to create a

cartoon, using Barry’s style as a model. Display cartoons around the classroom.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: EXPLORE TOPIC

Ask students to name books for children and young adults in which school is a major

focus, such as Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

VENN DIAGRAM: SUMMARIZE MAIN IDEAS

Have students review lists of a school’s three most important tasks from page 994.

BILL GATES AND THE NEW THREE “RS” OF SCHOOLS

Have students work in pairs or small groups to find out more about Bill Gates’

plan. Encourage students to present their findings in innovative ways, such as creating a brochure or poster

promoting the school project or role-playing a mock interview with Bill and Melinda Gates about their vision for

their specific project.

EVALUATE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Discuss with students how Lynda Barry’s main purpose for writing “The Sanctuary

of School” is to persuade her readers that schools should step in and nurture those

students who do not get the necessary nurturing from their own homes.




Unit Overview


Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Style, Tone, & Voice



Description: Analyze the impact of specific word choices on tone. Analyze how structure contributes to style. Determine

meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including cognitive meanings; analyze the impact of specific

words on tone.


Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:


Unit Results

Students will ...


Unit Overview


Unit Title: Style, Tone & Voice: New York Day Women



Description: In this story, a young woman discovers a side of her mother she never knew existed. On her lunch hour




Suzette spots her mother, a Haitian immigrant, strolling through Manhattan. Suzette follows undetected as her usually

timid mother navigates the busy streets with ease, and ends up at a park where she has been hired as a day woman to

watch a child while her mother goes jogging. After an hour of surveillance, Suzette gains a new appreciation of her

mother. Student will realize that individual perceptions of the same person may be different, and how everyone has

different sides to themselves.


Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:




Unit Overview


Unit Title: Style, Tone & Voice: Roughing It/The Commandments of Journalistic Ethics



Description: In this memoir, students will read how Mark Twain uses exaggeration, not only to make us laugh, but to

also make us think. In this humorous memoir, Twain relates his adventures in a variety of occupations, from grocery

clerk, to silver miner, before finding his niche as a city reporter with a small Virginia newspaper. In this job he discovers

he has a special talent for creating “stirring news” by embellishing the truth.


Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:


Unit Results

Students will ...







Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Poetry



Description: Have you ever tried to write a poem? If so, you probably had to think about what a poem is. Is it lines that

rhyme? Pictures painted with words? Toe-tapping rhythms? A poem can be all of these things-or none of them. In this

unit, students will read and analyze poetry as well as sharing their experiences when writing a poem.


Concepts

Traditional poetic form

Free verse

Narrative poetry

Couplet

Speaker

Stanza

Sound device

Rhythm

Rhyme

Repetition

Alliteration

Assonance

Figurative language

Theme

Understandings

Compare traditional poetic form with free verse

Identify characteristics of traditional forms (sonnet,

ode)

Analyze and evaluate free verse

Analyze and evaluate lyric poetry

Identify characteristics of narrative poetry

Identify and analyze couplets

Identify and analyze speaker

Identify and analyze stanzas in poetry

Identify and compare length and meaning of

stanzas

Identify and analyze sound devices, including

rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and

assonance

Identify and analyze sound devices

Identify and compare rhyme schemes

Identify and analyze rhythm and meter and its

effect

Analyze repetition in poetry

Identify and analyze figurative language (simile,

metaphor)

Identify and compare recurring theme

Analyze and compare word choice in poetry


Make inferences

Identify and analyze figurative language in order to

gain understanding

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Guiding Questions

How do good readers and writers identify, understand, and use

characteristics and elements of various types of poetry?




How do we recognize and understand different types of poetry?

How do we identify and understand characteristics of poetry?

How do we identify, understand, and use figurative language to enrich poetry?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Identify and compare rhyme schemes

Make inferences

Identify and analyze figurative language in order to gain understanding

Compare traditional poetic form with free verse

Identify and analyze stanzas in poetry

Identify and compare length and meaning of stanzas

Identify and analyze speaker

Identify and analyze sound devices, including rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and assonance



Poetry is everywhere-in our favorite songs, the nursery rhymes we read as children, and even is some television

commercials. With a partner, make a list of poems that you have read or heard. Then answer the following questions:

1. Did you find poetry in any unexpected places?

2. What do these poems have in common?

3. How do the words create mental pictures?

4. Do these poems rhyme, or have rhythm?

Once you've answered these questions, see if you can define a poem.


Unit Title: Poetry-Simile: Willow and Ginkgo/Intro. To Poetry



Description: Eve Merriam was a renowned children’s poet; Billy Collins is among the most popular poets of his time.

The poetry of both writers is accessible to students, while at the same time providing them with a rich reading experience.

The poems here show a creative use of figurative language and imagery.

These selections invite students to explore how poets use words to create vivid imagery. In “Simile: Willow and Ginkgo,”

Eve Merriam employs a series of similes and arresting visual imagery to contrast the two trees. In “Introduction to

Poetry,” the speaker uses simple language to create unusual images that encourage readers to experience poetry, rather

than simply analyzing it.


Concepts

Stanza

Metaphor

Simile

Understandings

Explore the key idea of using words to create

images

Identify similes an metaphors

Identify and compare length and meaning of

stanzas

Learning Targets




CCSS:





Guiding Questions

How can words create pictures?

How do good readers and writers identify, understand, and use

characteristics and elements of various types of poetry?

How do we recognize and understand different types of poetry?

How do we identify and understand characteristics of poetry?

How do we identify, understand, and use figurative language to enrich poetry?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Explore the key idea of using words to create images

Identify similes an metaphors

Identify and compare length and meaning of stanzas

Read poetry

Visualize



SKETCH NATURE SCENES: VISUALIZE

“Simile: Willow and Ginkgo” records the poet’s response to something in nature.

Ask students to recall a scene or object from nature that has affected them deeply.

GROUP DISCUSSION: ANALYZE SOUND DEVICES

Explain to students that poets use sound devices such as rhyme, rhythm, meter, and

alliteration to bring their poems to life. Have students work in small groups to analyze

each poem’s use of sound devices. Assign each group one kind of sound device to

examine in both poems. Encourage them to discuss how these devices add to the

richness, meaning, or tone of the poems.

POETRY READING: INTERPRET POEM

Demonstrate how to read a poem aloud, noting the importance of reading at a

comfortable rate, using appropriate volume, and paying close attention to punctuation

and line breaks. Then have students choose either the Merriam or Collins poem and

practice reading the poems aloud to themselves. Once students feel comfortable, have

them take turns reading their poem to the class, using the tone, rate, and volume

of their voice to help convey meaning.

DIALOGUE: EXPLORE PERSONIFICATION

Have students think about the way Eve Merriam personifies the willow and the

ginkgo. If each tree could talk, how might it respond to Merriam’s poem?

Ask students to work in pairs to script a dialogue between the two trees. Tell

students to keep in mind how each tree might express itself based on the details given

in the poem. Students might want to consider what kind of voice the tree would have,

and what kinds of words (formal, informal, poetic, and so forth) it would choose.

Have pairs present their dialogues to the class.

NATURE POETRY STUDY: EXPLORE GENRE

Ask students to locate another poem about nature. Have them familiarize themselves

with their poem, reflect on its meaning and language, and then rehearse an oral

reading. They may want to practice with a partner in order to work on expression

and fluency. Have students take turns reading their poems to the class. Have them




explain the setting and significance of their poem. Remind them to consider any

figurative language and its effects.

Unit Overview


Unit Title: NJ ASK Review



Description: Students will review reading strategies and techniques in order to prepare them for NJ ASK.


Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:





Unit Overview


Unit Title: Poetry: Mother to Son



Description: In this memoir, students will read how Mark Twain uses exaggeration, not only to make us laugh, but also

to make us think. In this humorous memoir, Twain relates his adventures in a variety of occupations, from grocery clerk,

to silver miner, before finding his niche as a city reporter with a small Virginia newspaper. In this job he discovers he has

a special talent for creating “stirring news” by embellishing the truth.





Concepts

Understandings

Learning Targets

CCSS:


Unit Results

Students will ...


Unit Overview


Unit Title: Drama: Diary of Anne Frank



Description: The students will learn that everyone makes an impact on the world in some way. National leaders or sports

heroes may inspire millions, while the rest of us can influence a smaller circle of friends and family through our actions,

our beliefs, or our commitments. Whether you make your mark quietly or boldly, a life well lived can be a guide to others.

In the play, you will read about a young girl who doesn’t realize that the thoughts she expresses in her diary will later

influence readers all around the world.


Concepts

Theme

Conflict

Subplot

Drama

Understandings

Read and comprehend dramas

Analyze actions, dialogue, plot structure, and

visuals

Learning Targets

CCSS:









Unit Title: Novel Study



Description: During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…


Concepts

Plot

Theme

Character

Setting

Mood

Conflict

Symbolism

Understandings

Identify and analyze stages of plot

Identify and analyze character traits and motives

Identify and analyze methods of characterization

Identify and analyze setting and how setting affects

plot

Identify, analyze and evaluate imagery

Identify and analyze types of conflict


Identify and interpret symbol

Use story elements to identify theme

Learning Targets

CCSS:


Global Awareness

Financial Literacy


Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

Leadership and Responsibility


Guiding Questions

How and why do good readers ask questions about the text while reading?

How is the main idea used to help readers summarize?

How and why do good readers draw conclusions/make inferences?

How and why do good readers make predictions?

How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?

How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the plot of a story?

How do good readers identify and use the elements of fiction?

Unit Results

Students will ...

Read and analyze the text

Analyze plot parallels and foreshadowing

Recognize themes as they emerge in specific passages

Discuss plot development and mood

Review important elements of a short story besides its theme (ie. plot, conflict, setting, point of view,




Write a short story while using basic elements of a short story and incorporate a theme seen in the novel

Read stories aloud and give each other commentary about what was done well and give suggestions about what

could have been done better

Analyze characters by looking at what the character says, does, and how other characters view that character

Connect a song with the same theme as the novel to the novel

Write an essay describing similarities



Compose a CD to follow along with the mood of each chapter

Create a movie poster for the book including: Title, based on the book by__, director, producer, starring actors,

rating

Reader’s Journal

Vocabulary Log

Novel Charts: can be used to identify major points in a novel

Character Map

Socio gram: takes the first character map one step further and shows the relationship between characters

garfield public schools october...characters or plot but for its theme, or message about life and...

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