Grade 8 Unit 1 Living Without Page 1 of 18

Grade 8 Unit 1 Living Without

Common Core/Essential Standards

RL8.1 RL8.2 RL8.3

RL8.4 RL8.5

RL8.6 RI8.3 RI8.4

RI8.5 RI8.6 RI8.8

RI8.9 W8.9 SL8.2

Overarching Standards

RL6.10 RI6.10 W6.10 W6.4-6 SL6.1a-d SL6.6 L6.4a-d L6.5 L6.6

Learner Objective(s) Language Objective(s)

As a reader, how does textual analysis determine meaning (explicitly and implicitly)?

How is theme developed through character, plot and setting?

How does dialogue propel, reveal and provoke characters in action?

How are context clues used to determine meaning?

How does an author use story elements to create an effective piece of literature?

How is literature impacted through film?

Essential Questions

What kind of journeys are there and what are their purposes?

In what ways does a journey often require sacrifice and living without?

What is there to gain from sacrifice? How does the study of fiction and nonfiction text help

individuals construct their understanding of reality?

Evidence of Student Learning/Assessments

Students will write literary analyses and reflections with textual evidence relating the unit theme and guiding questions to the featured text and content.

Students will engage in small group discussion and/or Paideia/Socratic seminar to apply the unit theme and guiding questions to featured text.

Students will create a product based on text for independent reading.

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FOCUS CCSS Standards Grade 8 Unit 1 RL8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences

drawn from the text.

RL8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

RL8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RL8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

RL8.6 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

RI8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

RI8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RI8.5 Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.

RI8.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

RI8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

RI8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

W8.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes,

patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”).

b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).

SL8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

RL8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Vocabulary for Unit 1 annotate, connotative meaning, denotative meaning, dialect, dialogue, dramatic irony, figurative meaning, figurative language, first person, genre, humor, interference, mood, narrator, omniscient, plot, point of view, realistic fiction, second person, sensory language/imagery, sound devices, stereotype, textual analysis, theme, theme analysis, third person

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without

Plan with the end in mind. Consider what students will do to demonstrate their mastery of these standards by the end of the

unit, and make an incremental plan to get them there. Be strategic about instruction and pacing.

Part Suggested Instructional Sequence How does this help prepare students for the culminating task(s)?

1

What do I have?

Reading Interest Survey

Policies and Procedures in your class

Resources available

Independent Reading program at your school

Introduction of the theme

Characteristics of multiple genres

Work collaboratively in a group

Rules and procedures for ELA

2

The Journey

Coming to a new place

What it means to live without

What’s at the end of the journey?

Is it about the journey or the destination?

Analyze the differences between fiction and nonfiction

Evaluate information form a variety of sources, perspectives

3

Building a Culture

What was early America like for various groups?

Who were the heroes? How were they created?

What can be learned about early American culture from various genre of literature?

Analyze theme and tone in literature

Define culture

Analyze figurative language

Culminating Task Options for the Unit

Have students participate in a Paideia seminar discussion about the benefits of living without. What do we gain when we have “lived without”? How would our country be different if the colonists and early Americans had not lived without independence for so long?

Engage students in creating a product that summarizes what they have learned in this unit, “Living Without.” What do the pieces of this unit have in common? What does “living without” lead to?

Have students research and present their findings (in a format of their choice) about the roots of other revolutions around the world. What do revolutions have in common? How are they different? Based on the information, how was the American Revolution unique?

Using the Beatles song, “Revolution,” have students illustrate a story board that ties what they have learned about the American Revolution.

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 1 Introduction Learning Targets Students will…

…learn the policies and procedures for ELA class this year.

…gather information about multiple literary genres, discovering the specific characteristics of each.

…demonstrate an understanding of what it may mean to “live without.”

…demonstrate an understanding of multiple genres through comparison and contrast.

…work collaboratively in a group to create a product.

Background to Begin the Year in ELA Time is provided during the first part of this unit for you to equip your classes with your expectations for the year. During this week, you have the opportunity to share your expectations with students. What do you expect of them? These may come in the form of “I Can” or “I Will” statements regarding the practice of English Language Arts in your classroom. The time is also available for you to review standards for behavior and standards for their work for the year. This would include your policies and procedures regarding homework, classwork, projects, essays, etc. Do not forget to cover make-up work, location of supplies that students will need in the classroom, etc. Providing time for students to tell you about themselves is also critical. In order to optimize your instruction, you need to know what your students know about how they learn best, their reading habits, what they enjoy/dislike reading, and their reading fluency. Here are some surveys that might be useful as students seek to express information about themselves as readers.

http://secondaryela.jppss.k12.la.us/secondaryela-msreading/ (this one has surveys for reading and learning)

http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/62976134/Interest%20Survey.pdf

http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/62976336/2%20%20Reading%20Interest%20Survey.docx

Time is also available for you to familiarize your students with ELA processes that will happen with frequency in your classroom. Here are a few ideas that are referenced throughout the eighth grade units which you might want to use.

Learner Notebook http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/52382750/Interactive%20Notebooks Plan to begin the routine for Article of the Week as students are given (or choose for themselves) rich informational text to read, annotate, and reflect by the end of the week. You will want to facilitate sharing student annotations and reflections on Fridays such as small group sharing focusing on text-based questions from the text. Be sure to cover all the items that students will include in the notebook such as journal entries, notes, reader responses, texts to annotate, etc.

Article of the Week (see button on MS ELA wiki) http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/49339837/Article%20of%20the%20Week

Annotating Text (see button on MS ELA wiki) http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/51837371/Close%20Reading%20and%20Annotation

Word Wall (see button on MS ELA wiki) http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/55146614/Vocabulary%20Instruction

Vocabulary (see button on MS ELA wiki) http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/55146614/Vocabulary%20Instruction

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 1 Introduction Writing Reminders

To teach writing, students need to read strong writing as well as watch a writer grapple with the craft. Beyond watching the classroom teacher model writing and think aloud about the experience, students benefit from closely examining writing from the real world. Students need “mentor texts” so they can see how other writers compose. They need to not only comprehend the featured text, but also begin to understand how the text is constructed and ultimately, what choices the author made and why. These mentor texts become templates for students to learn the various modes and styles of writing. To access mentor texts, pull from real-world writing in magazines, books, and online sources. When students read a real-world, relevant text, they become engaged. When they analyze its patterns through annotation, they begin to discover how to become writers themselves. Adapted from Kelly Gallagher’s Write Like This page 20.

Narrative Writing: The focus of the first two units and the culminating task involve a narrative. There is tool called “Reading a Narrative” that takes the rubric for writing narratives, and breaks it down so that students can analyze a narrative they are reading based on qualities of an effective narrative. This experience offers teachable moments for students to see—over time and through several texts—how narratives are developed.

Resources for Narrative Writing:

SAS Curriculum Pathways Writing Reviser

Online overviews of narrative writing: o http://teacher.scholastic.com/writeit/memoir/teacher/ o http://www.brighthubeducation.com/middle-school-english-lessons/19419-write-

your-memoir-characteristics-planning-and-final-copy/ o http://www.personalhistorians.org/resources/memoir_writing_memory_prompts

.php

Writing Prompts: page 89 is Narrative Writing http://www.misd.net/languageart/GrammarInAction/501WritingPrompts.pdf

Literary analysis is a type of informative/explanatory writing and is explained in standard W7.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Apply Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”).

Apply Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).

For writing tasks, ideas, and rubric, see “Reader Response.” The Writing Process Standard W 7.5 states that students will be able to, with some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Resources for the writing process: http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/writproc.html http://www.dailywritingtips.com/write-first-edit-later/ Revision student handout Editing and Proofreading student handout

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 1 Introduction Evaluating Sources: As student gather information from sources to include in their writing, it is important that they consider the credibility of the source. Students need the process for evaluating a resource modeled and then have the opportunity to practice the process. Checklist for evaluating web resources http://usm.maine.edu/library/checklist-evaluating-web-resources.

Teaching Text Structure of Informational Text Readers of all ages must be aware of text structures if they are to be most successful (Meyer, 2003). The structure or organization of the text is the arrangement of ideas and the relationships among the ideas. Readers who are unaware of the text structures are at a disadvantage because they do not approach reading with any type of reading plan. However, readers who are familiar with text structures expect the information to unfold in certain ways. Teachers may find teaching text structure for expository texts an effective technique to improve reading achievement averages. Most expository texts are structured to facilitate the study process for prospective readers. These texts contain structural elements that help guide students through their reading. Authors of expository texts use these structures to arrange and connect ideas. Students who understand the idea of text structure and how to analyze it are likely to learn more than students who lack this understanding. Students' reading comprehension skills improve when they acquire knowledge of texts' structural development and use them properly. Text features can help readers locate and organize information in the text. For example, headings help introduce students to specific bits of information. Structural elements in expository texts vary; therefore, it is important to introduce students to the components of various texts throughout the school year. It is also important to teach and model the use of these components properly at the beginning of the school year. The recognition and use of text organization are essential processes underlying comprehension and retention.

For instructional resources on teaching text structure, go to http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/51837371/Close%20Reading%20and%20Annotation.

adapted from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/52251/

Please make a note of the following web sites. They outline digital resources for both you and your students.

http://informationandtechnologytoolkit.weebly.com/web-resources-a-z.html http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=74910 http://lunchandlearn.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Tools+and+Resources+to+Facilitate+Digital+Teaching+and+Learning

Instructional Resources

During the first part of the unit, students need to focus on what it means to live without. To start that conversation, the first part of the unit is about What do I Have? This establishes a basis for the teacher to talk about where students are in eighth grade and what they have at this point in their eighth grade journey. This creates a platform

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 1 Introduction to introduce the Common Core Standards ( link for standards materials: http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/52418505/Resources%20for%20ELA%20Common%20Core%20State%20Standards ) and allow students to think about what they are living without at this point relative to their ELA skills. Teachers might also emphasize how much students need to learn socially, emotionally, and intellectually before they are ready to start high school. The theme also provides a backdrop for the exploration topics that students will discuss in social studies so that everyone is focusing on a common area.

Creating a chart for students to explore what they have in their educational toolkit now and what they would like have might be a good springboard for discussion. This is also a good opportunity to use some of the learning inventories to help students understand how they learn best so that they can maximize their time. Here are some links to student learning inventories. Be sure to preview and take the assessments yourself to ensure that they are appropriate for your students.

http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/LearningInventories.html http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp319-01.shtml https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/tutoringservices/lsi.aspx

Questions for Brainstorming, Journaling, Dyad/Triad Discussions to Use during Part 1

What does it mean to live without?

What does living without mean to me?

Living without what?

What things in your life would you not want to live without?

What things could you live without?

What groups of people can you think of who are living without?

What historical groups can you think of who have lived without?

The internet shows over 1.3 billion references to a search for “living without.” Brainstorm a list of things that people might be living without.

Suggested Instructional Sequence Adding to “What I Have:” an Exploration of Fiction and Non-fiction Providing Background Knowledge

To explore various genres and their components, teachers may use pages 1-5 in the Prentice-Hall text where author Patricia McKissick discusses this information.

Supplement that information with a Genre Type Power Point (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821090/CCSS.Genre%20Power%20Point.pptx). OR

Here is an activity that allows students to define genres and then confirm/correct their original information.

Place students in pairs or groups. Ask them to develop a definition for the word genre. Students should record their definition on paper so that it can be shared/read to the class. Have each pair/group share the definition with the class by writing their definition on a sticky note and standing and reading their final written definition to the class. Ask each group to display their sticky note on the board. Look for similarities and differences within each group's definition. The teacher should lead the class through a discussion of their definitions. After discussion - teacher will guide the class to compose a single definition that they feel best represents the definition of "Genre."

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 1 Introduction Create a display of the class's definition of Genre - word wall, posters, etc.

Give each student a copy of Handout 1 "List of Genre Types"

(http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821091/Intro.Handout%201.docx). In partner

groups or groups of three to four, have students brainstorm what they already know

about each genre type. They need to identify characteristics of the Genre's plot,

characters, setting, theme, and dialect (what sort of vocabulary or language would be

used in the genre). Using the Genre Type Power Point

(http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821090/CCSS.Genre%20Power%20Point.pptx), the

teacher will have students compare their characteristics to the definition projected.

Students should record any and all details that were unable to identify in the "Already

Know" column in "The What I Learned" column.

Once the class has reviewed and discussed the characteristics of each genre,

students will be given Handout 2

(http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821092/Intro.Handout%202.docx ).Students will

continue to work with a partner or their group to complete the handout using the class

textbook, novels within the classroom or media center, or any other anthologies made

available to the class. Students are being asked to use the index, table of contents, or

Destiny to find short stories that represent each genre. Skimming and flipping through

their chosen sources, students need to research, discover, and collect details from

their sources about each genre.

Suggested Writing Activities What do you know about students’ writing skills? This would be a great time to have

students construct a narrative (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/53232794/Narrative%20Writing) and to learn about how comfortable they are with the writing process. Beginning with a map and moving through drafting and editing, this activity would take about a week to complete. It might also be a good time to do some grammar pre-testing to find out what your students know about grammar and how to use it. You can find grammar information on the MS ELA wiki at http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/55145497/Grammar.

o Write a narrative about a time when you felt that you were living without something. Perhaps you were living without friends in a new school, trying to fit in without the right clothes, attempting to make a sports team without the right skills, or trying to understand something without enough information. Tell that story.

o Write a narrative in one of the genres discussed in this unit where the theme is living without. Be sure to use the characteristics of the genre.

Culminating Task for Part 1: Comparing and Contrasting Genres Students will be part of a class showcase where student groups work together to create a way to compare and contrast two genres for the class. Each group will choose two genres on which to focus their work. Through the use of technology and creativity, groups will make a 5-7 minute presentation to the class that highlights the similarities and differences between two genres. Here is a rubric that may be used to evaluate the projects of each group (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821094/Intro.Mini%20Project.docx).

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 2: The Journey

Learning Targets Students will…

…understand the hardships of journeying to a new place.

…be able to compare and contrast the experiences of immigrants from different time periods.

…analyze the differences and similarities of fiction and nonfiction accounts.

Essential Questions What kind of journeys are there and what are their purposes?

In what ways does a journey often require sacrifice and living without?

What is there to gain from sacrifice?

What is more important: the journey or the destination?

How does the study of fiction and nonfiction text help individuals construct their understanding of reality?

What differences exist between the first-hand accounts of the immigrant experience and the fictional versions?

Vocabulary to Consider adventure, crusade, destination, homeward wandering, journey, odyssey, passage, pilgrimage, quest, travels, trek, trip, voyage

Visual Prompts What does a journey look like? Here are some links to works of art and video that you may choose to use to help students visualize The Journey.

Other images o Original cover art from the science fiction novel A Journey to the Center of the

Earth by Jules Verne (http://jv.gilead.org.il/vt/c_earth/pics/title.gif)

o The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nGhPBAddwiE/TIZ6aUTtjCI/AAAAAAAABCI/_oavzweCrMA/s1600/1492-the-santa-maria-nina-and-pinta-find-the-new-world.jpg)

o The Mayflower (http://ushistoryimages.com/mayflower.shtm)

From the National Gallery of Art web site (www.nga.gov) o Seascape with Two Sailing Vessels o Armed Four-Master Sailing Towards a Port o The Voyage of Life: Youth 1842 o Pilgrimage to French Bucholz

Reading Resources The Letter of Columbus to Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery http://www.ushistory.org/documents/columbus.htm Columbus, Letter from the Fourth Voyage http://mith.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=columbus_4thvoyage.xml&action=show

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 2: The Journey

Columbus’ Letter to the King and Queen of Spain, 1494 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus2.asp The Mayflower Compact http://www.ushistory.org/documents/mayflower.htm Information and Text of the Mayflower Compact http://www.allabouthistory.org/mayflower-compact.htm Information on Plimouth Plantation http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help/mayflower-and-mayflower-compact William Bradford’s Diary http://missabelesclasssite.weebly.com/uploads/8/5/4/2/8542973/william_bradford-of_plymouth_plantationl.pdf http://mith.umd.edu//eada/html/display.php?docs=bradford_history.xml “The Courtship of Miles Standish” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow http://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=191 http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/hwlongfellow/bl-hwl-miless.htm The Lost Colony http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/collateral/articles/lost.colony.pdf http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Virginia_Dare.html http://thelostcolony.org/education/colony-roster/ http://thelostcolony.org/roanoke-voyages/ http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-worldwar/5898 Excepts of Paul Green’s book http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-6155.html “Raleigh’s First Roanoke Colony: The Account by Ralph Lane” http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lane/lane.html http://www.nationalcenter.org/ColonyofRoanoke.html Novel Excerpts:

Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney: Chapter 3 (pages 29-46) African

refugees arrive in America and experience culture shock. This realistic fiction excerpt

is rich in description and encourages inference as to what has happened before the

family arrives in America.

The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo: Chapter 4 (pages 23-30) Sade and Femi flee

their home in the middle of the night and go to the airport to flee to England. This

excerpt is rich in similes and metaphors and explores the first person point of view of an

adolescent in peril.

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 2: The Journey

Instructional Resources Have students brainstorm journeys that they know. What are those journeys like? What

were people journeying toward? Does a journey always have a destination? What is more important: the journey or the destination?

Begin with information on voyages and journeys of exploration. This should be an easy tie to what students are studying in social studies.

Chronologically, the sequence is reflected in the literature choices. It may be useful to review the types of sources that are available to us from this time period.

Tie these journeys back to the overall theme of “Living Without.” Not only were the journeys arduous but the conditions upon arrival caused great loss of human life in every case. How were these early settlers “living without”?

Use the models for Text-Dependent questions to create experiences with any of the reading resources listed.

Sample Instructional Sequences William Bradford’s Diary

o Read biographical information about William Bradford and gather information from students about the voyage over on the Mayflower.

o Use the excerpt from the Diary entitled “Their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod” or the actual text from the Diary below. “Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembred by that which vente before), they had now no freinds to wellcome them, )for inns to entertaine or refresh their weatherbeaten bodys, no houses or much less townes to repaire too, to seeke for succoure. It is recorded in scriptureas, a mercie to the apostle and his shipwraked company, that the barbarians shewed them no smale kindnes in refreshing them, but these savage barbarians, when they mette with them (as after will appeare) were readier to fill their sids full of arrows then otherwise. And for the season it vas winter, and they that know the winters of that cuntrie know them to be sharp and violent, and subjecte to cruell and feirce stormes, deangerous to travill to known places, much more to serch an unknown coast. Besids, what could they see but a hidious and desolate wildernes, full of wild beasts and willd men? and what multituds ther might be of them they knew not. Nether could they, as it were, goe up to the tope of Pisgah, to vew from this willdernes a more goodly cuntrie to feed their hops; for which way soever they turnd their eys (save upward to the heavens) they could have litle solace or content in respecte of any outward objects. `For summer being done, all things stand upon them with a wetherbeaten face; and the whole countrie, full of woods and thickets, represented a wild and savage heiw.”

Project and read the excerpt with students to acquaint them with the odd spellings. Do the first few sentences.

Then, break students into small groups to conquer the remainder of the excerpt.

Use the Bradford Diary worksheet (contains the poem) to assist students in their reading of the text.

Students should work in groups as this is particularly difficult reading. However, with repeated exposure to the text, students should also annotate and make their own notes regarding the content.

Work with students through discussion groups to tie this excerpt to the theme of The Journey and the overall theme of Living Without.

Have students write their own diary entry from the point of view of a teenager who was on the Mayflower. What did this strange, new world look

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 2: The Journey

like to him/her?

"Ellis Island" (Prentice Hall page 992)

Read the author's biographical information. (See article on the author: Joseph Bruchac Website) or p. 991 in Prentice Hall text.) Be sure to provide the background for the change in time period.

Students will read the poem silently once through. Then, the poem can be read aloud (in pairs or with teacher modeling.) Instruct students to re-read the poem silently. Have them record their thoughts into their Learner Notebook.

Discuss the following items: What is going on while the poem is occurring? What is the theme or central message of the work? Has the author's past influenced writing? Does the work relate to the author's personal experiences?

Work with students through discussion groups to tie this excerpt to the theme of The Journey and the overall theme of Living Without.

The Immigration Experience

Split students into groups one last time, to read biographical information about the author and read the poem/selection(s). Students should look for what theme(s) are apparent in the work. How does the work relate to the author's personal experiences? What is the character experiencing? (reference lines/context from the poem) Bring students back to their original groups to share from their own small ground discussion.

Suggested texts include: o “I Hear America Singing” by Walt

Whitman (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15752) o “Europe and America” by David Ignatow

(http://asuddenline.tumblr.com/post/33240936648/europe-and-america-david-ignatow)

o “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15615)

Have students think about all of the different types of immigrants that came to America. (This should be apparent from the variety of poems, short stories, etc. they just read.) Would this poem be the same for someone from China? Mexico? Africa?

Write poem about America from an immigrant's point of view.

Be sure to include: precise words and phrases, descriptive details, and sensory language.

Take your poem and change the point of view.

Answer questions about the reading. These can be answered aloud, in the Learner Notebook, or the questions can be collected by the teacher. Questions could include.

1. What was the main character's job in the poem? 2. How is setting a critical part of the poem? 3. How would the outcome be changed if the main character had not completed his

or her mission? 4. Create a text specific question about a specific line, quote, etc. from the reading.

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Grade 8 Unit 1: Living Without Part 2: The Journey

Culminating Task Options for Part 2 Write an essay which compares and contrasts the experiences of the Pilgrims based on

William Bradford’s diary and the immigrants in “Ellis Island. Be sure to use evidence from the texts to support your claims.

Compare the experiences of immigrants from history to those of today using the texts from class as well as a current news article. Be sure to use evidence from the texts to support your claims.

Choose any of the texts listed in the resources sections. Using evidence from the text, analyze how the author’s choice impacts the information provided in the resource.

Using evidence from multiple texts, answer this question: Is it the journey or the destination that is the most important?

Write an opinion essay that answers this question: Which immigrants had the most difficult transition? Be sure to use evidence from the texts in the unit to support your answer.

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Learning Targets Students will…

…learn to discriminate between the information presented in different sources about a single event.

…identify the effect of figurative language on the theme and tone of a poem.

…identify and understand the difference between first, second, and third person narratives.

…find the elements of a culture as portrayed in the literature of the time.

Essential Questions What is culture? How is culture built over time?

How is culture built through adversity?

Who drives the creation of social and political culture in a developing nation?

What are the roots of American culture that are still evident today?

What were colonists in American living without before and during the Revolutionary War period?

How have other countries built their cultural roots?

Vocabulary to Consider pamphlet, almanac, revolution, culture

Visual Prompts Washington Crossing the Delaware http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/history/whatswrong.htm 140 Pieces of Art pertaining to the Revolutionary War Period http://www.archives.gov/research/military/american-revolution/pictures/index.html Images of the Battle of Lexington and Concord http://www.britishbattles.com/concord-lexington.htm

Reading Resources

April Morning by Howard Fast: This novel, whether studied in whole or in part, provides students a first person, historical fiction account from the point of view of a teenager who fights in the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The novel also contains a wealth of information regarding cultural norms of the time period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Morning http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/April_Morning_Howard_Fast/April_Morning_Study_Guide01.html http://www.novelguide.com/April-Morning/index.html

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Study Guide for April Morning Quiz and Test-Teacher Web http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/monkeynote/pmAprilMorningSample.pdf

Poor Richard’s Almanac http://archive.org/details/poorrichardsalm01frangoog

North Carolina State Constitution http://www.ncleg.net/Legislation/constitution/article1.html http://www.archives.ncdcr.gov/news/bill_of_rights1.htm

Halifax Resolves http://ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/halifax-resolves

The State Flag of North Carolina http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/North_Carolina/stateFLAG.html http://www.doa.nc.gov/facility/documents/flagbrochure.pdf

“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine http://www.ushistory.org/paine/commonsense/singlehtml.htm http://www.constitution.org/tp/comsense.htm

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/59/CCLSH.pdf http://www.planetpdf.com/ebookarticle.asp?ContentID=6168 http://www.biography.com/people/washington-irving-9350087 http://www.bartleby.com/310/2/2.html

Revolutionary War and Literature Ideas http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/ushistory/revolution.html

Famous Quotes from the Revolutionary Period http://www.pleasantridge.k12.ca.us/magnolia/studentlinks/websites78/social_studies/revolutionary_war/quotes.html http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/quotes.htm

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/nchistory/mar2010/index.html

Songs and Ballads http://www.americanrevolution.org/warsongs.htmlhttp://www.americanrevolution.org/warsongs.html

“Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Prentice Hall, p. 666) o Film versions of the poem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1El-guPeEo http://www.earlyamerica.com/paul_revere.htm

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o Images http://www.paulreverehouse.org/ride/

o A version of April 18, 1775 in Revere’s own words http://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=99&img_step=

1&mode=transcript#page1

“Ring Out, Wild Bells” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (Prentice Hall, p. 611)

Instructional Resources Follow the flow for students and talk about how living without connects with how a

culture is built.

Using the questions below, help students focus on how culture was built during the formative years of the US.

Articles of the Week that would be appropriate would cover culture, creation of culture, what culture means, or the clash of cultures. Resources for Article of the Week can be found on the MS ELA wiki at http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/49339837/Article%20of%20the%20Week.

Use the literature resources provided to ensure that students understand the differences in first, second, and third person point of view as well as a historical document, historical fiction, and primary and secondary sources. Be sure to coordinate with your social studies teacher as the curriculum there is covering the same topics.

Use the models for Text-Dependent questions to create experiences with any of the reading resources listed.

Sample Instructional Sequence These experiences use all of the materials listed above under Paul Revere’s Ride.

Begin by having students examine the poem, Revere’s account of that night, the images of the event, and one of the films. This could be accomplished by breaking students into rotating centers where they have exposure in small, deliberately chosen groups to each piece of media.

You may choose to have two groups working on the poem, the account, and the images and just show one of the films for background. Collaboration with your social studies teacher may also be a good point for background knowledge.

Students should have guiding materials that provide multiple and deep exposures to the media available. For samples see Analysis of “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Longfellow (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821097/Text%20Dependent%20Questions%20for%20Longfellow%27s%20Paul%20Revere%27s%20Ride.docx), Viewing Guide for Images of Paul Revere’s Ride (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821098/Viewing%20Guide%20for%20Images%20of%20Paul%20Revere.docx), and Analysis of Revere’s Account of April 18, 1775 (http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/65821089/Analysis%20of%20Revere%27s%20Account%20of%2018%20April%201775.docx).

Once all groups in the class have had exposure to all the forms of media, a class discussion or seminar needs to address some overarching questions. Once students have had an opportunity to share their information, the questions may also be used for essay topics or projects that allow students to show what they have learned about the

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use of different media to tell the same information. o How do all of these accounts of Revere’s famous ride differ? How are they alike? o Which accounts might be most accurate? Cite evidence that compares your

choice of media to the facts learned in the film. o Many people showed great bravery during the Revolutionary period. Why is

there so much focus on Revere? o What can you infer about the culture of the colonies from these accounts? o Is Revere a hero? o What was more important: Revere’s journey or his destination? o What was Revere living without?

Sample Instructional Sequence Using information about the flag of the state of North Carolina, have students the questions for reading like a reader and a writer for informational text. You can find those questions at http://msela.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/64439723/Place%20mats.pdf.

Sample Instructional Sequence “Ring Out, Wild Bells” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (Prentice Hall, p. 611)

Have students read the poem silently to themselves. As they read, have them make a chart with three columns: Words I Don’t Know, Pictures that I See, and Questions I Have. Students should complete the chart as they read (or use any other first read strategies that you commonly use in class).

Students should work with a partner to address the Words I Don’t Know column. To do this, students may use electronic devices, other books, and their conversation to determine the contextual meanings of those words.

Read the poem aloud to the class. This time, students should focus on the words that they have defined and see if hearing the poem read by a fluent reader and knowing those words changes any of the items from their Questions column.

Have students move into small groups. There students can share and discuss their questions about the poem. As you circulate, encourage students to dig deeper and search for textual evidence to assist them answering their questions. Debrief by having groups choose their top three questions and answers for the class.

Working individually, students should go back and review the images that they drew about the poem. They should decide if the images still fit their perception of the poem or not. Allow students time to adjust their images or make them more detailed based on their new understandings and insights about the poem. Have students choose one image, draw it on a plain piece of paper, and use these to construct a gallery walk so that everyone in the class can see the images. If possible, have students put up their images in the order of the poem.

Debrief the images as a class. What connections do they have to the poem? What do they tell us about the poem?

Now students will study the literary structure of the poem. Break students into small groups to analyze the following parts of the poem: rhyme scheme; rhythm; approximate or near rhymes, and personification. Other small groups may also analyze the poem’s meaning based on the information about Tennyson on page 608; appropriate events where this poem might be read, and the author’s tone.

Group Discussion Questions

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o Would this poem be appropriate for April 18, 1775? Why or why not? What evidence in the poem supports your point?

o What things in the poem could the poet live without? What things that he mentions were things that the early colonists sought to live without?

o Many people use this poem on New Year’s Eve. Is that appropriate? What evidence from the poem would support that use?

Sample Instructional Sequence This is a good time to go back to your routines and have students do a book talk about what they have reading in your school’s independent reading program. Students could focus their talk about the topic of living without, journey, culture, or hero. To see resources for book talks refer to the MS ELA Wiki under Independent Reading.

Culminating Task Options for the Unit Have students participate in a Paideia seminar discussion about the benefits of living

without. What do we gain when we have “lived without”? How would our country be different if the colonists and early Americans had not lived without independence for so long?

What does “living without” lead to? Using specific textual evidence, have students create a project that ties the ways that immigrants were “living without” to their solutions for various problems that they encountered.

Have students research and present their findings (in a format of their choice) about the roots of other revolutions around the world. What do revolutions have in common? How are they different? Based on the information, how was the American Revolution unique?

Using the Beatles song, “Revolution,” have students illustrate a story board that ties what they have learned about the American Revolution.

Other ideas for formats for students’ work can be found on the following sites: http://informationandtechnologytoolkit.weebly.com/web-resources-a-z.html

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=74910

Films or film clips other than those from the school library media center must have prior approval from the principal or designee before broadcast for student viewing. Use the Film Request for Prior Approval form.

WCPSS believes that students should read from a variety of texts and encourages strong instructional decisions at the school level. Texts other than those from the district reading lists must have prior approval from the principal or designee before assigning. WCPSS defines assigned reading as any text used by the student or by the teacher in a whole class, a group within the class, a literature circle, and/or an assigned summer reading experience. Use the Text Request for Prior Approval form.