Education Commons^™

Sharing Stories: An Introduction To Literary Writing And Analysis (9th Grade), Talia Howard

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The purpose and intent of this unit is to provide 9th grade English students (in either Pre-AP or Grade-Level placements) with the foundational skills and understandings needed for English, particularly for literary analysis, at the high school level as well as to help students build an appreciation for literature and narrative forms. The framework and context in which the unit is designed is based on longer, ~9-week-long learning blocks based on skills-development in reading and writing, and the unit is intended to be implemented either at the beginning of the year or as the students’ introduction to literary analysis, to …

The Story Of Periodicity: An Exploration Of Sam Kean’S The Disappearing Spoon For Chemistry And English, Elizabeth Muire, Kay Newsome

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This unit incorporates knowledge of chemistry and English. Students will read and analyze, write persuasively, and explore the possibilities of storytelling to convey scientific ideas. They explore how the form and function of the periodic table is organized by the form and function of the elements on it, and extrapolate how the table could be continued. Students will design the potential next row of the table, once they have a clear understanding of how the current rows were discovered.

Who Is Texas? Exploring Dominant And Overlooked Stories About The Lone Star State, Zachary Wilson

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The state of Texas has an image problem. For some reason, Hollywood and the news media are telling one dominant story about Texas, and leaving out other stories about our state -- important ones! In this 7th grade humanities unit, students will brush up on social studies skills, and develop in such areas as: reading maps, making graphs, detecting bias, analyzing primary sources, and identifying different perspectives. In order to answer the question, "Who is Texas, really?" students will engage in research and use an expository organizational structure of their choice (compare & contrast, problem-solution, etc.) to communicate their findings. …

Market Pbl: A Cross-Curricular Exploration Of Technological Innovation In Pre-Modern Civilizations, Elizabeth Muire, M. Melendy Jacobie, Kay Newsome, Lisa Stuckey, Blake Keeling

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This project-based learning unit incorporates knowledge from history, English, math and science courses. Students explore how geography and available resources, coupled with technological advancements, shape a civilization’s industry and therefore the quality of life of the inhabitants. Students design a product that could be made from the natural resources of their civilization and attempt to sell their product in a simulated market.

Ib Language And Literature Introduction: The Foundations Of Western Culture (11th Grade), Savannah Mcdonough

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IB Language and Literature Introduction: The Foundations of Western Culture is an introductory International Baccalaureate unit focused on building a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding through the origins of the western cannon. Many students face difficulty making complex connections across various text forms and miss a wealth of deeper meaning due to their limited exposure to literature. This unit aims to bridge the gap in understanding and knowledge so that students begin to see that all literature in the west is rooted in these ancient texts in one way or another, whether it is through the use of biblical …

Dante's Inferno: Allegory, Hero's Journey, Or Epic Poem? Yes! (12th Grade), Sherry Brown

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This unit is designed to explore three aspects of Dante's Inferno. We will look at the cautionary and didactic aspects of this work as an allegory; we will look at the way in which it functions as an epic poem elucidating the way it reflects national identify and nostalgia for a Golden Age; and we will look at the universality of the work through its identification with the archetypal Hero's Journey.

Dystopian Literature [10th Grade], Valerie Vied

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In this unit students examine three dystopian short stories, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin, and one dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This unit is scheduled as the first unit of the year to peak interest in authentic learning and real-world problems, and get students thinking critically from the first day of school. In preparation for the STAAR exam, the writing focus for the unit is expository. Students will practice the various expository organizational structures (description, sequence, comparison and contrast, cause …

The Individual And Group Dynamics In Alexie’S The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, Kat Aylesworth

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This unit was designed to be the second unit of the school year which means that the students will have had ample practice on writing body paragraphs but will need a lot of work on organizing ideas, building writing stamina, and formatting a complete paper. This unit places a heavy emphasis on finding and using textual evidence to support wider claims. It is the first step in the process and will serve as a foundation for the rest of the year.

Students will learn these skills while coming to an understanding about group dynamics and the place of the individual …

Grammar Is A Source Of Power: Bridging The Gap To Empower The Writer, Tina Harper, Monica Gonzalez

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Helping students tap into the power of grammar as a tool to empower their writing is the central goal of this unit. Students often see grammar as a list of rules and regulations that must be followed to avoid losing points on an assignment. It is our goal to help them see grammar as an avenue to communicate effectively and gain credibility from their audience.

Furthermore, students often struggle when transitioning from middle school to high schools. This unit is written to be taught and modified by an eighth grade and ninth grade English teacher. Because we teach at an …

Finding The Right Fit, Norton Reihner

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No abstract provided.

Bamboo People—An Interdisciplinary Unit For High School, Mitzi Moore

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A summer assignment asks students to read the book Bamboo People, by Mitali Perkins, and complete assignments in every class that are connected to the book. At the beginning of the school year, teachers use the assignments to extend the learning and help students understand the major themes of the book (child soldiers, landmines, literacy, and service to others). A video conference with the author is planned, as well as interactions with people familiar with modern-day Myanmar/Burma. The culminating activity is to bring all the assignments together in one place by publishing a blog post.

Global Environmental Problems, The Isa Way, Mitzi Moore, Kathleen Pedder

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This unit asks freshmen to verbally advocate for an assigned policy option from an assigned roll, during a simulation in which they work in teams to influence a mock Presidential Advisory Panel on Environmental Issues. Learning the content (global environmental problems), researching, and collaborating to establish a position will take one month and be taught primarily through Biology and World Geography classes, with support from Math and Multimedia. They will also read Ishmael in English class, and extend their understanding of sustainability issues by taking a week-long field trip immediately following the simulation.

Framing Poetry, Sherry Brown

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This is an elective, semester-long creative writing class. In developing a poetry unit, I wanted to provide examples of highly structured forms of poetry and have the students practice using those forms. Through the focus on the essential questions and discussions about the use of structure, I want the students to come to an understanding that structure serves purpose, and that the meaning of a poem is derived from structure, as well as content. In a well-written poem, structure and content work together as a cohesive whole to effectively communicate meaning and emotion.

Romanticism: Past And Present [10th Grade], Amy Anderson

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Exploring the Romantic Movement and its influence on our culture today, this unit focuses on identifying and explaining how the characteristics of a literary genre are reflected in a work of art or piece of literature. Students will refine their explication skills and learn to make connections between literature, art and music.

The unit culminates in a differentiated multimedia project, which allows students to show what they know about Romanticism and its connections to our lives today.

Julius Caesar: The Power Of Persuasion [10th Grade], Devon Erlich

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As we approach the Shakespearean tragedy, we are going to not only study the dramatic terms utilized, but also the ways in which characters are persuaded. The essential question, “What makes a person persuasive?” will lead us through the reading of Julius Caesar when looking at the actions of all of the characters. We will discuss their use of ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade others, and we will also look at each character’s understanding of his audience. While we will study and practice persuasive techniques in advertising, writing, and speech, we will also focus on the audience’s perception of …

Loss In Joyce’S Dubliners [11th-12th Grade], Lauren Lee

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This unit, written for a primarily senior college preparatory English Literature class, uses several short stories from James Joyce’s Dubliners to focus on the thematic idea of loss, grief, and coping to build on students’ understanding of research, creative writing, discussion, reading, making connections, and literary terms. At the unit’s conclusion, students will demonstrate their mastery of these skills and understandings in a Wikispace in which they conduct first-person research on a culture, as Joyce did, and emulate some of his creative writing skills to develop vignettes about that culture working independently or in groups. Some activities that will lead …

In The Space Between Action And Reaction Individuals Have Choice: Romeo And Juliet And The Consequences Of Choice [8th-9th Grade], Monica Gonzalez, Tina Harper

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Middle school students struggle with the internalization that choices have consequences. Adolescence is a time in their life when, perhaps for the first time, their choices have lasting ramifications. At the same time, students are acutely aware that life is full of contradiction; certain events in life are indeed beyond their control. The choices they make in these situations may determine their direction into adulthood.

The purpose of this unit is to allow students to examine the consequences of choices made in a world that is controlled by adults. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet serves as the vehicle toward understanding the …

The Play Is A Mirror: Looking At Human Nature In Romeo And Juliet [9th Grade], Melissa Manny

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Since reading Shakespeare for the first time often causes students to doubt themselves or quit from frustration, the purpose of this unit is to support students throughout the reading process so that they learn to appreciate drama as a means for better understanding themselves, rather than letting it defeat them from the beginning. Through an examination of character motivations, in addition to the language and dramatic conventions Shakespeare uses to bring their stories to life on stage, students will experience theatre as a mirror that reflects their own struggles and desires back to them. The relationship between the audience’s reaction …

Photographic Eye: Capturing The Moment Through Personal Narrative [8th-9th Grade], Amy Anderson

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Students will explore the connections between the writing process, art and memory. Through the lens of photography and art, they will refine and publish a “moment in time” personal narrative. This unit was created for the beginning of the school year, and serves the dual purpose of reviewing the writing process and helping students create meaningful connections with each other. Learning culminates as students produce and present a literary magazine celebrating their work.

The Nature Of Narratives [10th Grade], Devon Erlich

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In this unit students will read five narratives (both fiction and nonfiction) that have a common theme of sacrifice. The readings will provide them with the opportunity to uncover the understandings that sacrifices occur on a daily basis in our world, in our lives, and in our literature. Additionally, the students will have the opportunity to understand that authors write narratives with a message in mind, and effectively conveying this message requires a purposeful use of literary elements, organization, and diction. As the unit progresses, students will be able to answer the question, “What is a narrative?” And “How do …

Making Writing Personal [6th Grade], Kathleen Fenske

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In this unit, students will view nonfiction and fiction as a commentary on an author’s personal life and on society, particularly the life of a migrant worker. Students will also begin to view writing as a process and as a reflection of self. Students will begin the unit by delving into the following questions: How does literature reflect a culture or time period? What can we learn from the past? To what extent can fiction reveal truth? Should a story teach you something? Why write? Why share personal experiences in writing? What makes writing worth reading? Through these questions, students …

Reflexive Writing And Literature [7th Grade], Kara Dougherty

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The goal of this unit is for students to write their own reflexive piece of writing--a memoir. While students have had previous exposure to this in the past, their focus should be more on narrowing down their topic to the important facts and use vivid descriptions and sensory details to create imagery in their writing. We will read published examples of reflexive writing from both essay collections and the literature book, Elements of Literature: First Course published by Holt in order to analyse and understand how other writers make their literature interesting to the reader. We will also explore strategies …

Exploring Media [6th Grade], Kathleen Fenske

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In this unit, students will explore media and will focus on how media has different forms based on its purposes, how it can persuade viewers or readers using a variety of elements and tools, and how it reflects a society's values. Students will begin the unit by delving into it with the following questions: What is media? Why do we use different forms of media? Newspapers? Magazine? Internet? Television? Radio? How do effective advertisements hook the consumers? How do we "read" media? Should we believe everything we see and hear? Does media reflect a society or does it shape how …

A Lesson Before Dying [12th Grade], Devon Erlich

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Students will focus on the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines which outlines the emotional and intellectual journey of a wrongfully convicted black man and his teacher before the convicted’s execution in a Cajun community in the 1940’s. The themes presented in the book will raise questions for the students such as What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be educated? And Is justice always just? They will explore the idea that many issues surrounding justice, racism, and human responsibility are just as prevalent today as for the characters presented in the …

What Is Poetry? [6th Grade], Kathleen Fenske

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This unit focuses on the definition of poetry, its elements, and the types of poetry. The unit explores 4 essential questions: What is poetry? What is the difference between poetry and prose? How do you read a poem? What makes a poem great? Since poetry is an abstract term for most students, students will explore how poetry is different from prose. They will come to understand that it is written with a specific structure and that each aspect of a poem has a purpose. Students will read, analyze, and write poetry. They will begin the unit by responding to the …

Compare And Contrast Your Way To Better Judgment [7th Grade], Salena Gonzales

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We should evaluate of both sides of a story (or situation) before choosing which is better or worse. Fact and opinion are both vital to choosing preference. The choices we make have significant effects on our lives. (cause and effect) Fables are genre of short fiction stories with inferred morals to learn from.

I Didn’T Know That Was Poetry [8th Grade], Kara Dougherty

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In this unit students will study poetry and its relationship to prose. Students will gain an appreciation of poetry as an art form because they will understand that poetry surrounds us in our everyday life. It is not an outdated form of communication, but, rather, a form of communication which is present everywhere in our lives such as in song, nursery rhymes, advertisements, and brand names. The students will explore different types of poems and the specific rules for each type. In exploring poetry, students will learn to extract meaning not just from the words of the poem but also …

Great Gatsby [11th Grade], Kathleen Fenske

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This unit focuses on exploring The Great Gatsby and how the time period and culture in which the novel is written plays a vital part in the author s overall message in the novel. One of the key understandings to this unit is how good literature makes a statement on culture, but great literature is timeless and universal and provides a lens to view our own lives and society. Through an examination of the 1920s culture, the students will be able to understand Fitzgerald s message about the 1920s. They will further examine this through a group project where they …

Holocaust [8th Grade], Allison Grant

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In this unit students will read Night by Elie Wiesel as a means for discovering the atrocities of the Holocaust. Our study will provide them with the opportunity to uncover the following understandings: prejudice generates powerful feelings which can lead to violent consequences and human suffering, suffering produces significant change in humans, and effective communication of the change in an individual can promote the growth of human society. As students read the nonfiction book and conduct research on the historical events surrounding the Holocaust they will answer the questions why does different matter? and can hope and despair coexist? Through …

Genre (And The Category Is...) [9th Grade], Kristen Dylla

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Making sense of the world and its complexities looms a difficult task for students in the ninth grade. This unit focuses on the understanding that one way to do so is to categorize information and ideas. The discipline-specific part of the unit will utilize the idea of genre as a category for organization, an essential understanding for the study of any text. The unit is done at the start of the year so that for the rest of the year, students have their ideas of genre to help them make sense of texts read. It would be preceded by an …