Unit Planning Organizer
Grade: 11-12
Unit: 3
Created By:
Stacy Peterson, Louisa-Muscatine CSD
Angela Reeves, Andrea Stewart and Chanda Hassett,
Muscatine CSD
Melia Larson, West Liberty CSD
Helen Duranleau-Brennan, MBAEA 9
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Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Note: Teachers are strongly encouraged to look at the UPO for the context of assessments
Table of Contents
Step 1: Unit Standards …………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………… p. 3
Iowa Core Standards- Priority Standards ……………………………………………….………………………………………. p. 3
Iowa Core Standards- Support Standards ……………………………………………………………………………..……….. p. 3
Reading Standards Unwrapped and Depth of Knowledge ……………………………………………………………... p. 4
Writing Standards Unwrapped and Depth of Knowledge ………………………………………………………………. p. 5
Speaking/Listening Standards Unwrapped and Depth of Knowledge …………………………………………….. p. 5
Language Standards Unwrapped and Depth of Knowledge …………………………………………………………… p. 6
Unit Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings ………………………………………………………………... p. 7
Step 2: Standards-Based Unit Assessments ……………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 9
Assessment and Performance Task Alignment of Unit Standards ………………………………………………….. p. 9
Standards-Based Common Formative Post-Assessment (CFA)
Teacher Directions, Student Directions and Answers ..……………………………………………………. p. 9
Standards-Based Common Formative Pre-Assessment (CFA)
Teacher Directions, Student Directions and Answers ……………………………………………………… p. 11
Step 3: Standards-Based Performance Tasks …………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 13
Performance Task Synopses ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….... p. 13
Performance Task 1- In Detail ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 13
Performance Task 2- In Detail ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 15
Performance Task 3- In Detail …………………………….………………………………………………………………………… p. 16
Performance Task 4- In Detail ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… p. 18
Student Materials …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 22
Performance Task 1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. p. 23
Performance Task 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. p. 25
Performance Task 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. p. 32
Performance Task 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. p. 34
Notes:
 Supporting standards may be embedded in performance tasks. If they are not embedded, they must
be assessed through teacher-designed classroom measure.
 Supporting standards will not be embedded in common formative pre/post assessments.
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Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Unit Planning Organizer
Mississippi Bend AEA
Note: All supporting documents for Standards-Based CFAs and Performance Tasks are located at the end of
the Unit Planning Organizer.
Subject(s)
Grade/Course
Title of StandardsBased Unit
Estimated Duration of
Unit
ELA
11th and 12th grades
Determining Themes & Central Ideas with Informative Writing/ Speaking
Pacing may vary according to course and class structure (grading period) but sequence
listed remains consistent.
Unit Placement in
Scope & Sequence
1
2
3
4
5
6
Step 1: Unit Standards
Iowa Core Standards- Priority Standards (to be instructed and assessed)
RL.11-12.1,
RI.11-12.1
RL.11-12.2,
RI.11-12.2
RL.11-12.5
RI.11-12.5
RI.11-12.6
W.11-12.2
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex
account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the
choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution)
contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or
argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly
effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of
the text.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new
element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the
audience’s knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
coherence, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
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W.11-12.4
W.11-12.7
SL.11-12.1
SL.11-12.4
L.11-12.3
L.11-12.4
d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile,
and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a selfgenerated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw
on that preparation by referring to evidence from the texts; and other research on the topic or
issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals
and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and
evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made
on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible, and determine what additional
information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective,
such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences), for guidance as
needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study or complex texts when reading.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or
function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of
speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. Consult general or specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
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L.11-12.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the
text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Iowa Core Standards- Support Standards (to be instructed and assessed)
Note: Not all supporting standards will be measured through Standards-Based CFA or Performance Tasks listed
below.
N/A
Reading Standards
Priority
Standard
RL.11-12.1,
RI.11-12.1
RL.11-12.2,
RI.11-12.2
RL.11-12.5
RI.11-12.5
RI.11-12.6
“Unwrapped” Skills
(students need to be
able to do)
(verbs and verb
phrases)
 Cite
“Unwrapped” Concepts
(students need to know)
(noun/noun phrases)


Determine





determine
analyze
provide
analyze





evaluate





analyze
evaluate
determine
analyze




strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well inferences drawn from the text
strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of where the text leaves
matters uncertain
two or more themes or central ideas of a text
their development over the course of a text
objective summary
how an author’s choices to structure specific
parts of a text contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as aesthetic
impact
how an author’s choices to structure specific
parts of a text contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as aesthetic
impact
effectiveness of structure an author uses
effectiveness of structures an author uses
author’s point of view or purpose
how style and content contribute to power,
persuasiveness or beauty of text
Depth of
Knowledge
1, 2, 3
2, 3, 4
3, 4
3,4
2, 3, 4
2, 3, 4
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Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Writing Standards
Priority
Standard
W.11-12.2
“Unwrapped” Skills
(students need to be
able to do)
(verbs and verb
phrases)
 write
“Unwrapped” Concepts
(students need to know)
(noun/noun phrases)

W.11-12.4

produce

W.11-12.7

conduct





narrow
broaden
synthesize
demonstrate




informative/explanatory texts to examine and
convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through effective selection,
organization and analysis of content
clear and coherent writing in which development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose and audience.
short and sustained research to answer a question
or solve a problem
inquiry
inquiry
multiple sources
understanding of the subject
Depth of
Knowledge
3, 4
3, 4
2, 3, 4
Speaking/ Listening Standards
Priority
Standard
SL.11-12.1
SL.11-12.4
“Unwrapped”
Skills
(students need to
be able to do)
(verbs and verb
phrases)
 initiate
 participate
 build
 express
 present
 convey
 convey
“Unwrapped” Concepts
(students need to know)
(noun/noun phrases)

a range of collaborative discussions with diverse
partners on grade 11-12 topics, texts, and issues
 on other’s ideas
 own ideas clearly and persuasively
 information, findings, supporting evidence
 clear and distinct perspective
 appropriate organization, development, substance, and
style
Depth of
Knowledge
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
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Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Language Standards
Priority
Standard
L.11-12.3
L.11-12.4
L.11-12.5
“Unwrapped” Skills
(students need to
be able to do)
(verbs and verb
phrases)
 apply









determine
clarify
choose
demonstrate
demonstrate
demonstrate
interpret
use
distinguish
“Unwrapped” Concepts
(students need to know)
(noun/noun phrases)

knowledge of language to understand how
language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to
comprehend more fully when reading or listening
 meaning of unknown words and phrases
 meaning of unknown words and phrases
 from range of strategies
 understanding of figurative language
 understanding of word relationships
 understanding of nuances in word meanings
 figures of speech
 relationship between words to understand words
 among connotations of words with similar
denotations
Depth of
Knowledge/
Bloom’s Levels
1, 2, 3
1, 2
2, 3
Unit Essential Question and Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Why might a text leave matters uncertain?
Why do readers organize and communicate
their analysis of ambiguous text?
What do authors do to produce a complex
account?
How do the choices an author makes contribute
to structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact of
texts?
How are the choices an author makes in
structure important in understanding the text?
How does an author contribute to power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text?
Why is it important to effectively select,
organize, and analyze ideas, information and
concepts so that each new element builds on
that which precedes it?
Enduring Understandings
Authors employ ambiguity in order to evoke emotions and to
connect with readers on multiple levels.
When readers must infer meaning, they connect experiences
across texts and develop a more comprehensive understanding
of the work.
Authors’ themes or central ideas of a text interact and build on
one another over the course of a text.
 The specific parts of a text work together to create its
overall structure, meaning, and impact.
 The overall impact of a text is determined by how
effectively its specific parts work together.
An author’s choices of structures and features help a reader to
make meaning from text.
The author’s style and content reveal author’s purpose.
Effective selection, organization and analysis of ideas,
information and concepts create a clear, accurate and unified
whole.
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Why do writers need to consider task, purpose
and audience when writing?
Why is it important to be able to adjust the
scope and synthesize multiple sources in an
inquiry based on a research question or
problem?
Why do individuals engage in collaborative
discussions?
Why must speakers present information in a
clear and distinct perspective?
How do speakers determine the organization
and style of a presentation?
How does varying the syntax contribute to the
meaning or style?
How does language influence readers’
comprehension of texts?
Why does a reader understand how to choose
a reading strategy when encountering
unfamiliar words or phrases? Is “why” the
word you meant? It seems like a “how” to me
Why is it important to be able to understand
language devices?
Authors craft their writing with task, purpose and audience in
mind so that they can clearly and coherently convey meaning
and elicit a response.
To demonstrate thorough understanding of a subject, writers
read and synthesize multiple sources and understand inquiry
can change as research progresses.
Individuals engage in collaborative discussions to share diverse
beliefs and ideas with others.
Listeners should be able to follow the speaker’s organization
and line of reasoning.
Information is presented in a way that is appropriate to
purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Language functions vary according to context.
Syntax choices contribute to meaning or style of texts by
influencing readers’ understanding of the text.
Good readers choose flexibly from a range of strategies to make
meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases.
Authors use devices such as figurative language, word
relationships and nuances to create meaning.
Step 2: Standards-Based Unit Assessments
Assessment and Performance Task Alignment of Unit Standards
Assessment/Performance Task
Pre CFA
Performance Task #1
Performance Task #2
Performance Task #3
Post CFA
Assessed Standards
RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2; RI.11-12.5, RI.11-12.6; L.11-12.3, L.11-12.4, L.1112.5
SL.11-12.1
RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2
W.11-12.2, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.7; L.11-12.1, L.11-12.2
RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.5; W.11.12.4; SL.11-12.4
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Updated: August 11, 2014
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Standards-Based Common Formative Post-Assessment (CFA)
Standards: RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.5; W.11.12.4; SL.11-12.4
Teacher Directions: Possible texts could include The Things They Carried, In the Time of the Butterflies, The Help,
A Thousand Splendid Suns, or Time Traveler’s Wife).
Example post assessment draws from House on Mango Street. This novel will be read as a whole class with
large group discussion focused on chapter themes and structures in relation to overall meaning and aesthetic
impact in preparation for post assessment. Select texts with varied structures.
1. Based on the number of students in the class, determine chapters from the selected text, The House on Mango
Street, which will be divided up among students for post assessment.
2. The class will read the selected text, The House on Mango Street, determining themes in chapters not part of
the student project; identifying structure of chapters; recognizing overall structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact
of chapter structures in relation to novel (RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.5 will be touched on in class).
3. As a class, analyze Ch. 1 “The House on Mango Street”
(http://facultyfiles.deanza.edu/gems/pesanojulie/Houseonmango.pdf) in relation to structure and author’s
choices (i.e. title, narrator, multi-layer description, background, vignette, point-of-view).
4. Students will read entire text, with whole class analysis of teacher selected chapters (multiple examples of
analyzing texts focused on chapter themes and structures in relation to overall meaning and aesthetic impact).
5. After completion of text, students will select or be assigned a chapter from the book for individual analysis (see
student instructions below).
Student Instructions and Possible Answers:
GRADES 11-12, Unit #3/Focus on Determining Themes & Central Ideas with Informative Writing/ Speaking
Using information from class discussions, create a presentation identifying and analyzing the structural choices of
the author in the chapter you were assigned. Be sure to include how the author’s choices contribute to the overall
structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact of the novella. (RL.11-12.5) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support your analysis. (RL.11-12.1)
A proficient presentation will use supporting evidence to demonstrate clear and coherent organization and
development, formal style and objective tone which is specific to task, purpose, and audience. Listeners will be
able to follow speaker’s line of reasoning. (W.11-12.4; SL.11-12.4)
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Scoring Guide SL.11-12.4
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS
one of the following:

Analyzes and compares
assigned chapter with that of
multiple chapters in relation to
how the author’s choices of
structure contribute to a text’s
overall structure, meaning, and
aesthetic impact

Evaluates and justifies the
author’s choices of structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact
of assigned chapter
Provides an oral presentation that:
 Presents information, findings, and
supporting evidence
 Conveys a clear and distinct perspective
 Presents information with a clear line of
reasoning
 Addresses alternative or opposing
perspectives
 Adapts organization to purpose, audience,
and tasks
 Adapts development to purpose, audience,
and tasks
 Adapts substance to purpose, audience, and
tasks
 Adapts style to purpose, audience, and tasks
Close to
Proficient
 Meets six
of the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets
fewer
than six
of the
proficien
t criteria
Scoring Guide RL.11-12.1
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one of the
following:
 Analyzes and compares assigned chapter
with that of multiple chapters in relation to
how the author’s choices of structure
contribute to a text’s overall structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact
 Evaluates and justifies the author’s choices
of structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact
of assigned chapter
 Provides analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as
inferences, including where
the text leaves matters
uncertain
 Provides strong and
thorough text evidence to
support the student’s
analysis of the text
Close to
Proficient
Meets one of
the proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than one of
the proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
Meets two of
the proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than two of
the proficient
criteria
Scoring Guide RL.11-12.5
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one
of the following:
 Analyzes and compares assigned
chapter with that of multiple
chapters in relation to how the
author’s choices of structure
contribute to a text’s overall
structure, meaning, and aesthetic
 Provides analysis of how the author’s
choices concerning how to structure
specific parts of a text contribute to a
text’s overall structure
 Provides analysis of how the author’s
choices concerning how to structure
specific parts of a text contribute to a
text’s meaning
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impact
 Evaluates and justifies the
author’s choices of structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact of
assigned chapter
 Provides analysis of how the author’s
choices concerning how to structure
specific parts of a text contribute to a
text’s aesthetic impact (RL.11-12.5)
Scoring Guide W.11-12.4
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one
of the following:
 Analyzes and compares assigned
chapter with that of multiple
chapters in relation to how the
author’s choices of structure
contribute to a text’s overall
structure, meaning, and aesthetic
impact.
 Evaluates and justifies the
author’s choices of structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact of
assigned chapter
 Produces writing that is clear and
coherent
 Produces writing in which the
development is appropriate in
addressing the task, purpose, and
audience
 Produces writing in which the
organization is appropriate in
addressing the task, purpose, and
audience
 Produces writing in which the style is
appropriate in addressing the task,
purpose, and audience
Close to
Proficient
Meets three
of the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than three of
the
proficient
criteria
Standards-based Common Formative Pre-Assessment (CFA)
Standards: RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2; RI.11-12.5, RI.11-12.6; L.11-12.3, L.11-12.4, L.11-12.5
Teacher Directions: Distribute copies of text to students. Students will read text and answer questions that follow.
Student Directions: Read the following text, and the questions which follow.
Grades 11-12, Unit 3 Pre-Assessment, Determining Themes & Central Ideas with Informative Writing/Speaking PreAssessment
Using Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education,” please answer the following questions.
(http://campuses.fortbendisd.com/campuses/documents/teacher/2009/teacher_20090410_1731.pdf)
Answer these questions after reading Alexie’s text:
1. At the end of the Seventh Grade section (par. 49), Alexie writes that "no one spoke to me for another five
hundred years." What figure of speech is this an example of? (L.11-12.5)
A. Hyperbole
B. Paradox
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C. Metaphor
D. Personification
Interpret this figure of speech as it was used in this section and analyze its role in the text.
Possible response: In this section of the text, Alexie is recalling a particularly memorable account in which he makes
a decision that ultimately makes him feel as though he is turning his back against his tribe. The use of the
hyperbole at the end of this section emphasizes his perspective on the magnitude of his decision. In his seventhgrade mind he felt kissing the white girl meant he was saying “goodbye to my tribe, to all of the Indian girls and
women I could have loved, to all the Indian men who might have called me cousin, even brother.” It was only fitting
that he then ends this momentous decision with a statement that exaggerated the magnitude that one kiss could
have on his connection to his tribe.
2. Notice the similarities between each pair of sentences composing paragraphs 29 and 31 and paragraphs 70 and
72. How does this rhetoric contribute to the power of the text? (RI.11-12.6)
A.
B.
C.
D.
It underscores the choice each boy made to feel good about himself.
It serves to introduce a new character.
It demonstrates his physical abilities.
It emphasizes differences of perspective.
In a paragraph, explain how this rhetoric contributes to the author’s purpose.
Possible response: One way Alexie tries to convey his purpose in this text is through the use of rhetoric. In the set
of sentences composing paragraphs 29, 31 and 70, 72 he capitalizes on the use of ethos or ethical appeal as his
credibility in speaking to the different perspectives of others shines through. In both examples he is speaking to
what he has come to understand as being an Indian growing up in a white world. He uses these examples of
rhetoric to show how he must then portray himself as compared to the white world around him.
3. Determine two themes based on the sentences below. In a paragraph, discuss their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account. Cite
strong and thorough textual evidence to support your analysis. (RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2)

"Indians, indians, indians." She said it without capitalization. (Second Grade, par. 15)

“There is more than one way to starve.” (Eighth Grade, par. 55)

“Sharing dark skin doesn’t necessarily make two men brothers.” (Ninth Grade, par. 59)

“But when we look in the mirror, see the history of our tribe in our eyes, taste failure in the tap water, and shake
with old tears, we understand completely.” (Tenth Grade, par. 64)
Possible response:
Theme #1. The racism against Native Americans shapes their identity.
Textual evidence that supports theme development: Paragraph 1, 15, 30, 42, 43, 44, 53, 58, 67, 68, 71, 74.
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Theme # 2. Even though Native Americans share common racist experiences, there can still be a sense of isolation.
Textual evidence that supports theme development: Paragraph 26, 46, 47, 54, 65, 66, 71.
The author develops the themes through the structure of his yearly recollections. One or both themes is/are
evident in each recollection. In this way, the themes are intertwined throughout. An example is found in the
seventh grade excerpt, paragraphs 43-49. The racism that exists is targeted at the whole group but affects each
individual differently.
4. Alexie uses the structure of vignettes to make his point about his education. Does the choice to structure the
text using vignettes make his points clear, convincing and/or engaging? In a paragraph, evaluate the
effectiveness of his choice on clarity, convincement and engagement. (RI.11-12.5)
Possible response:
The personal experiences in the form of vignettes are engaging to readers because readers can identify with the
common experience of education. Readers become convinced as they begin to relate to what seems to be
schoolyard bullying even in first grade. However, as the narrator matures in chronological age, so does his
understanding about his race and the bias against it. His specific examples using quotations (which demonstrate the
bias) and italics (which show his own thinking) help to clarify the underlying themes.
5. Using context clues, which of the following best defines commodities in paragraph 53? (L.11-12.4a)
A. articles of trade
B. quantities of goods
C. things of profit
D. conveniences
6. Using context clues, which of the following best defines stoic in paragraph 70? (L.11-12.4a)
A. curious
B. involved
C. excited
D. unemotional
7. What meaning can be conveyed by the syntax variations in paragraphs 15 and 16? (L.11-12.3)
A. Looks can be deceiving.
B. Pride comes from within.
C. Not everyone is on equal ground.
D. Those that are smart persevere.
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Scoring Guide – Question 1
Exemplary
All proficient
criteria plus:
 Evaluates the
text and
author’s
choices when
possible
Proficient
Question 1 (L.11-12.5) Student demonstrates
understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings by:
 Interprets figures of speech in context
 Analyzes the role of figures of speech in the
text
 Analyzes nuances in the meanings of words
with similar denotations
Close to
Far From
Proficient
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
Meets fewer
proficient criteria. than 2 of the
proficient
criteria.
Scoring Guide - Question 2
Exemplary
All proficient
criteria plus:
 Evaluates the
text and
author’s
choices when
possible
Proficient
Question 2 (RI.11-12.6)
 Determines the author’s point of view or
purpose
 Analyzes how style and content contribute to
power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text
 Explains how the rhetoric contributes to the
author’s purpose
Close to
Far From
Proficient
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
Meets fewer
proficient criteria. than 2 of the
proficient
criteria.
Scoring Guide - Question 3
Exemplary
All proficient
criteria plus:
 Evaluates the
text and
author’s
choices when
possible
Proficient
Question 3 (RL.11-12.1 and 2)
 Determines two or more possible themes or
central ideas of a text
 Analyzes the development of the theme over
the course of the text
 Includes how the themes interact and build
upon one another to produce a complex
account
 Provides an objective summary of the text
Close to
Far From
Proficient
Proficient
Meets 3 of the
Meets fewer
proficient criteria. than 3 of the
proficient
criteria.
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Scoring Guide - Question 4
Exemplary
Proficient
All proficient criteria plus:
Question 4 (RI.11-12.5)
 Analyzes the effectiveness of the
 Compares and contrasts the
structure used in the text to
effectiveness of the text
develop the exposition or
and author’s choices of
argument
structure with another text
 Evaluates the effectiveness of the
structure used in the text to
develop the exposition or
argument
 Explains how the use of this
structure contributed to clarity,
convincement and/or
engagement
Close to
Far From
Proficient
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
Meets fewer
proficient criteria. than 2 of the
proficient
criteria.
Scoring Guide - Questions 5 & 6
Exemplary
N/A
Proficient
Questions 5 and 6 (L.11-12.4a)
 Uses context as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
Close to
Proficient
Meets zero of the
proficiency
criteria
Far From
Proficient
NA
Close to
Proficient
Meets zero of the
proficiency
criteria
Far From
Proficient
NA
Scoring Guide – Question 7
Exemplary
N/A
Proficient
Question 7 (L.11-12.3a)
 Applies understanding of syntax to determine the
meaning of a complex text.
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Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Step 3: Standards-based Performance Tasks
Performance Tasks Synopses
Task 1: (SL.11-12.1) How does a name shape identity? Part 1.
Using selected autobiographical texts, students work in groups to determine how an author’s identity was defined
in given situations.
Task 2: (RI.11-12-1, RI.11-12.2) How does a name shape identity? Part 2.
Based on findings in Task 1, students will construct a response, in any self-selected mode, to answer the question
“How does a name shape identity?”
Task 3: (W.11-12.2, W.11-12.7)Identity research project
Students will conduct independent research on how their identity has been shaped. Referring to Sherman Alexie’s
“Indian Education,” students will write an essay detailing significant moments that contributed to their
understanding of their identity.
Performance Task 1- In Detail
Priority Standards: SL.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2
Supporting Standards: N/A
Big Idea/s: Individuals engage in collaborative discussions to share diverse beliefs and ideas with others.
Essential Question/s: How does a name shape identity? I don’t see this in your list of EQ
DOK: 2,3,4
Synopsis: Historically, individuals are often defined by the dominant culture in which they live. Using selected
autobiographical texts, students will work in groups to determine how an author’s identity was defined in given
situations.
Teacher Directions:
1. Three suggested essays are provided. Each essay will be read by a group of students. Students choose or are
assigned one of the three essays:



“Names/Nombres” Julia Alvarez (http://jkriksciun.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/names-nombresreading.pdf)
“Finishing School” Maya Angelou
https://docs.google.com/a/mcsdonline.org/file/d/0B4zvghlHp7duSnpYSFNKY1VzNFk/edit?usp=drive_web
“What’s in a Name?” Henry Louis Gates Jr.
2. Students individually read and annotate their essay identifying central ideas. (RI.11-12.2)
3. Students divide into groups with peers who have read the same essay to prepare information to be shared in a
jigsaw:
 generate an objective summary of the essay, which
 determines the essay’s central ideas (at least 2),
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
identifies the development of the central ideas, and includes how these central ideas interact and build
on one another. (RI.11-12.2
4. Teacher will intentionally re-assign new groups that include readers of each essay.
5. In groups, each student will present the objective summary (see step 3) of his/her assigned essay and answer any
questions posed by group members. (RI.11-12.2, SL.11-12.1)
6. Students will receive The Chicago Tribune article “What’s in an ethnic-sounding name?” to read and discuss in
relation to previous essays, using specific details in Step 3 above.
(https://docs.google.com/a/mcsdonline.org/document/d/1H02sbPH2-V8DAw1GvhoEa9gT4LgwkxuZaZdn7WkD34/edit#) (RI.11-12.2, SL.11-12.1)
7. As a group, students will identify in writing each group member’s participation in relation to the 6 parts of SL.1112.1 (see scoring guide as checklist for student use).
Student Directions:
1. Your teacher will distribute three essays to be read by in your class. Students will choose or be assigned a specific
essay by the teacher.
2. You will individually read and annotate your assigned essay, identifying central ideas. (RI.11-12.2)
3. Then, your teacher will divide your class into groups who have read the same essay to prepare information to be
shared in a jigsaw. Your group goal is to generate an objective summary of the essay, which
 determines the essay’s central ideas (at least 2),
 identifies the development of the central ideas, and
 includes how these central ideas interact and build on one another. (RI.11-12.2)
4. Your teacher will intentionally re-assign new groups that include readers of each essay.
5. In your new groups, each student will present the objective summary (see step 3) of his/her assigned essay and
answer any questions posed by group members. (RI.11-12.2, SL.11-12.1)
6. Your teacher will then distribute The Chicago Tribune article “What’s in an ethnic-sounding name?” You will read
it in your group and discuss in relation to the previous essays you have read, using specific details in Step 3 above.
(https://docs.google.com/a/mcsdonline.org/document/d/1H02sbPH2-V8DAw1GvhoEa9gT4LgwkxuZaZdn7WkD34/edit#) (RI.11-12.2, SL.11-12.1)
7. At the end of your discussion, you will identify in writing each group member’s participation in relation to the 6
parts of SL.11-12.1 (Use the scoring guide as a checklist).
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Exemplary
ALL proficient
goal criteria
PLUS:
o Analyzes or
evaluates
their own
participation
in discussion
(provide a
written or
oral
justification
for scoring)
Scoring Guide – Question 7
Proficient
Question 7. Initiates and participates effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively (SL.11-12.1)
a. Comes to discussions prepared, having read
material under study
b. Draws on preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the topic or
issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned
exchange of ideas
c. Works with peers to promote civil, democratic
discussions and decision-making, setting clear
goals and deadlines, and establishing
individual roles as needed
d. Propels conversations by posing and
responding to questions that probe reasoning
and evidence
e. Responds thoughtfully to diverse perspectives
Close to
Proficient
 Meets 4 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets
fewer than
4 of the
proficient
criteria
Performance Task 2- In Detail
Priority Standards: SL.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2
Supporting Standards: N/A
Big Idea/s:
An author’s central ideas or themes develop over the course of a text.
Essential Question/s
How does a name shape identity? Again, I don’t see this on your list of EQs
DOK: 2,3,4
Synopsis: Based on findings in Task 1, students will construct a response, in any self-selected mode, to answer
the question “How does a name shape identity?”
Teacher Directions:
Thinking about the information presented from peers and articles read from Performance Task 1, students will
create an individual response to the question How does a name shape identity? Using text evidence from
multiple sources (assigned essays/editorials from Performance Task 1 or other teacher-selected texts), students
will construct a response in any of the following suggested modes:
 Write and submit an editorial for a local or national publication providing support or refutation of the
value associated with both given and surnames.
 Lead a classroom discussion in an ELL class regarding maintaining one’s identity amid an Americanized
society.
 Write an essay for publication in a magazine (online or print), taking a stand or encouraging action about
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Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.


this topic from an audience.
Write a letter to one of the authors affirming or disagreeing with her/his central ideas
Draft and deliver a public service announcement regarding how to honor heritage in a multicultural
society.
Student Directions:
Thinking about the information presented from your peers and the articles read in Performance Task 1, create an
individual response to the question How does a name shape identity?
1. Use text evidence from the multiple sources (assigned essays/editorials in Performance Task 1 or other texts
that your teacher has selected), and construct a response in any of the following suggested modes:
 Write and submit an editorial for a local or national publication providing support or refutation of the
value associated with both given and surnames.
 Lead a classroom discussion in an ELL class regarding maintaining one’s identity amid an Americanized
society.
 Write an essay for publication in a magazine (online or print), taking a stand or encouraging action about
this topic from an audience.
 Write a letter to one of the authors affirming or disagreeing with her/his central ideas.
 Draft and deliver a public service announcement regarding how to honor heritage in a multicultural
society.
Exemplary
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 2
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS Task 2. (RI.11-12.1)
one of the following:
 Provides strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what
 Evaluates development
the text says explicitly
(determines effectiveness)
of two or more central ideas  Provides strong and thorough textual
over the course of the text
evidence to support analysis of
inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text
leaves matters uncertain
Exemplary
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 2
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS Task 2. (RI.11-12.2)
one of the following:
 Analyzes the development of two or
 Evaluates development
more central ideas over the course of
the text
(determines effectiveness)
of two or more central ideas  Analyzes how they interact and build
over the course of the text
upon one another to produce a
complex account
Close to
Proficient
 Meets one
of the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets none
of the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
 Meets one
of the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets none
of the
proficient
criteria
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Performance Task 3- In Detail
Priority Standards: W.11-12.2, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.7; L.11-12.1, L.11-12.2
Supporting Standards: N/A
Big Idea/s:
1. Authors craft their writing with task, purpose and audience in mind so that they can clearly and
coherently convey meaning and elicit a response.
2. In order to understand a subject, a writer must conduct research, synthesize multiple sources and
understand the scope of the inquiry can narrow or broaden as research progresses.
Essential Question/s:
What factors or events have helped to shape my identity? Same question…
DOK: 2,3,4
Synopsis: Identity research project
Students will conduct independent research on how their identity has been shaped. Referring to Sherman
Alexie’s “Indian Education,” students will write an essay detailing significant moments that contributed to their
understanding of their identity.
Teacher Directions:
1. Tell students they will write an informative essay about significant and relevant moments that occurred in
their lives that helped to shape their identity. These moments should relate to a common theme.
2. Using Alexie’s model, students should incorporate various events that share a common theme (such as
challenge, struggle or, achievement that is or was important to them individually). They do not need to
organize according to school years, nor do the events need to be school related.
3. However, tell them that they must use appropriate and varied transitions to link major sections, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships of their ideas.
4. Tell students to make sure that the structure of their essay demonstrates the common theme in the
events they choose as well as the significance of each event. This structure should be clear to readers,
and the events should build on one another.
5. Tell students they must engage in short research from multiple sources to aid in their understanding of
their individual identity. They should interview others who know them, such as family members, friends,
coaches, etc., in order to incorporate and acknowledge the perspectives of others as they seek to
understand the formation of their identity.
6. Student Directions: Identity research project (focus on text structure)
7. 1. Write an informative essay about significant and relevant moments that occurred in your life to relate a
common theme in your life.
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8.
9. 2. Using Alexie’s model, be sure to incorporate various events that share a common theme (such as challenge,
struggle or, achievement that is or was important to you). You do not need to organize according to school years,
nor do the events need to be school related.
3. However, use appropriate and varied transitions to link major sections, create cohesion, and clarify
relationships.
4. Through your structure, make sure that the common theme in the events and the significance of each event is
clear to your readers and that the events build on one another.
5. In addition to your perspective, incorporate and acknowledge the perspectives of others. You should interview
others who know you, such as family members, friends, coaches, etc., in order to understand the factors, events,
etc. that aided in formation of your identity. (This will involve research as you interview others.)
Exemplary
ALL proficient goal criteria
PLUS one of the following:
 Compares own
experiences to Alexie’s
experiences in “Indian
Education.”
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 3
Proficient
 Task 3. (W.11-12.2) Writes an
informative/explanatory essay to examine
and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through
the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content
○ Introduces the topic (thesis statement)
while organizing complex ideas,
concepts, and information to make
important connections and distinctions
○ Develops the topic by selecting
significant facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to
the audience’s knowledge of the topic
○ Uses appropriate and varied transitions
and syntax to link the major sections of
the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships among complex ideas and
concepts
○ Uses precise language, domain-specific
vocabulary, and techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage
the complexity of the topic
○ Establishes and maintains a formal style
and objective tone while attending to the
norms and conventions of the discipline
Close to
Proficient
 Meets 8 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets fewer
than 8 of the
proficient
criteria
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in which they are writing
o Provides a conclusion that follows from
and supports the information or
explanation presented
Exemplary
ALL proficient goal criteria
PLUS one of the following:
 Compares own
experiences to Alexie’s
experiences in “Indian
Education”
Exemplary
ALL proficient goal criteria
PLUS one of the following:
 Compares own
experiences to Alexie’s
experiences in “Indian
Education”
Exemplary
NA
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 3
Proficient
Task #3. (W.11-12.4)
 Produces writing that is clear and
coherent
 Produces writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate in addressing the task,
purpose, and audience
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 3
Proficient
Task #3. (W.11-12.7)
 Conducts short research projects to
answer a question
 Narrows or broadens the topic when
appropriate
 Synthesizes multiple sources on the
subject (group text and an additional
example)
 Demonstrates understanding of the
subject under investigation
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 3
Proficient
Task #3. (L.11-12.1) Demonstrates command of the
conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing
Close to
Proficient
 Meets one
of the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets
fewer than
one of the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
 Meets 2 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets
fewer than
2 of the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
 Meets
none of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
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Exemplary
NA
Scoring Guide – Performance Task 3
Proficient
Task 3 ( L.11-12.2)
 Demonstrates command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization when writing

Demonstrates command of the conventions of
standard English punctuation when writing
 Demonstrates command of the conventions of
standard English spelling when writing
Close to
Proficient
 Meets 2 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
 Meets
fewer than
2 of the
proficient
criteria
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Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Student Documents and
Supplemental Materials
24
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Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
GRADES 11-12, Unit #3/Focus on Determining Themes & Central Ideas with Informative Writing/ Speaking
Post-Assessment
Using information from class discussions, create a presentation identifying and analyzing the structural choices
of the author in the chapter you were assigned. Be sure to include how the author’s choices contribute to the
overall structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact of the novella. (RL.11-12.5) Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support your analysis. (RL.11-12.1)
A proficient presentation will use supporting evidence to demonstrate clear and coherent organization and
development, formal style and objective tone which is specific to task, purpose, and audience. Listeners will be
able to follow speaker’s line of reasoning. (W.11-12.4; SL.11-12.4)
Scoring Guide SL.11-12.4
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one
of the following:
Provides an oral presentation that:
 Presents information, findings, and
supporting evidence
 Conveys a clear and distinct perspective
 Presents information with a clear line of
reasoning
 Addresses alternative or opposing
perspectives
 Adapts organization to purpose, audience,
and tasks
 Adapts development to purpose, audience,
and tasks
 Adapts substance to purpose, audience,
and tasks
 Adapts style to purpose, audience, and
tasks

Analyzes and compares assigned
chapter with that of multiple
chapters in relation to how the
author’s choices of structure
contribute to a text’s overall
structure, meaning, and aesthetic
impact

Evaluates and justifies the
author’s choices of structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact of
assigned chapter
Close to
Proficient
Meets 6 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets
fewer
than 6 of
the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
Meets 1 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets
fewer
than 1 of
the
proficient
criteria
Scoring Guide RL.11-12.1
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one of the following:  Provides analysis of what
 Analyzes and compares assigned chapter with
the text says explicitly as
that of multiple chapters in relation to how the
well as inferences, including
author’s choices of structure contribute to a text’s
where the text leaves
overall structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact
matters uncertain
 Evaluates and justifies the author’s choices of
 Provides strong and
structure, meaning, and aesthetic impact of
thorough text evidence to
assigned chapter
support the student’s
analysis of the text
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Scoring Guide W.11-12.4
Exemplary
Proficient
ALL proficient goal criteria PLUS one
of the following:
 Analyzes and compares assigned
chapter with that of multiple
chapters in relation to how the
author’s choices of structure
contribute to a text’s overall
structure, meaning, and aesthetic
impact.
 Evaluates and justifies the
author’s choices of structure,
meaning, and aesthetic impact of
assigned chapter
 Produces writing that is clear and
coherent
 Produces writing in which the
development is appropriate in
addressing the task, purpose, and
audience
 Produces writing in which the
organization is appropriate in
addressing the task, purpose, and
audience
 Produces writing in which the style is
appropriate in addressing the task,
purpose, and audience
Close to
Proficient
Meets 3 of
the
proficient
criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than 3 of the
proficient
criteria
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Grades 11-12, Unit 3 Pre-Assessment, Determining Themes & Central Ideas with Informative
Writing/Speaking Pre-Assessment
Using Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education,” please answer the following questions.
1. At the end of the Seventh Grade section (par. 49), Alexie writes that "no one spoke to me for another five
hundred years." What figure of speech is this an example of? (L.11-12.5)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hyperbole
Paradox
Metaphor
Personification
Interpret this figure of speech as it was used in this section and analyze its role in the text.
2. Notice the similarities between each pair of sentences composing paragraphs 29 and 31 and paragraphs 70
and 72. How does this rhetoric contribute to the power of the text? (RI.11-12.6)
A.
B.
C.
D.
It underscores the choice each boy made to feel good about himself.
It serves to introduce a new character.
It demonstrates his physical abilities.
It emphasizes differences of perspective.
In a paragraph, explain how this rhetoric contributes to the author’s purpose.
3. Determine two themes based on the sentences below. In a paragraph, discuss their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support your analysis. (RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2)
o
"Indians, indians, indians." She said it without capitalization. (Second Grade, par. 15)
o
“There is more than one way to starve.” (Eighth Grade, par. 55)
o
“Sharing dark skin doesn’t necessarily make two men brothers.” (Ninth Grade, par. 59)
o
“But when we look in the mirror, see the history of our tribe in our eyes, taste failure in the tap
water, and shake with old tears, we understand completely.” (Tenth Grade, par. 64)
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4. Alexie uses the structure of vignettes to make his point about his education. Does the choice to structure
the text using vignettes make his points clear, convincing and/or engaging? In a paragraph, evaluate the
effectiveness of his choice on clarity, convincement and engagement. (RI.11-12.5)
5. Using context clues, which of the following best defines commodities in paragraph 53? (L.11-12.4a)
A. articles of trade
B. quantities of goods
C. things of profit
D. conveniences
6. Using context clues, which of the following best defines stoic in paragraph 70? (L.11-12.4a)
A. curious
B. involved
C. excited
D. unemotional
7. What meaning can be conveyed by the syntax variations in paragraphs 15 and 16? (L.11-12.3)
A. Looks can be deceiving.
B. Pride comes from within.
C. Not everyone is on equal ground.
D. Those that are smart persevere.
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Scoring Guide – Question 1
Exemplary
Proficient
All proficient
criteria plus:
 Evaluates
the text and
author’s
choices
when
possible
Question 1 (L.11-12.5) Demonstrates understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings by:
 Interprets figures of speech in context
 Analyzes the role of figures of speech in the text
 Analyzes nuances in the meanings of words with
similar denotations
Close to
Far From
Proficient
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
Meets fewer
proficient criteria. than 2 of the
proficient
criteria
Scoring Guide - Question 2
Exemplary
All proficient
criteria plus:
 Evaluates the
text and
author’s
choices when
possible
Proficient
Question 2 (RI.11-12.6)
 Determines the author’s point of view or
purpose
 Analyzes how style and content contribute to
power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text
 Explains how the rhetoric contributes to the
author’s purpose
Close to
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
proficient criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than 2 of the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
Meets 3 of the
proficient criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than 3 of the
proficient
criteria
Scoring Guide - Question 3
Exemplary
Proficient
All proficient criteria
plus:
 Evaluates the text
and author’s choices
when possible
Question 3 (RL.11-12.1 and 2)
 Determines two or more possible
themes or central ideas of a text
 Analyzes the development of the theme
over the course of the text
 Includes how the themes interact and
build upon one another to produce a
complex account
 Provides an objective summary of the
text
29
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Scoring Guide - Question 4
Exemplary
All proficient criteria
plus:
 Compares and
contrasts the
effectiveness of the
text and author’s
choices of structure
with another text
Proficient
Question 4 (RI.11-12.5)
 Analyzes the effectiveness of the
structure used in the text to develop
the exposition or argument
 Evaluates the effectiveness of the
structure used in the text to develop
the exposition or argument
 Explains how the use of this structure
contributed to clarity, convincement
and/or engagement
Close to
Proficient
Meets 2 of the
proficient criteria
Far From
Proficient
Meets fewer
than 2 of the
proficient
criteria
Close to
Proficient
Meets zero of the
proficiency
criteria
Far From
Proficient
NA
Close to
Proficient
Meets zero of the
proficiency
criteria
Far From
Proficient
NA
Scoring Guide - Questions 5 & 6
Exemplary
NA
Proficient
Questions 5 and 6 (L.11-12.4a)
 Uses context as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase
Scoring Guide – Question 7
Exemplary
NA
Proficient
Question 7 (L.11-12.3a)
 Applies understanding of syntax to
determine the meaning of a complex text
30
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
Excerpts from Alexie’s text:
FIRST GRADE
1.
My hair was too short and my U.S. Government glasses were horn-rimmed, ugly, and all that first winter
in school, the other Indian boys chased me from one corner of the playground to the other. They
pushed me down, buried me in the snow until I couldn't breathe, thought I'd never breathe again.
2.
They stole my glasses and threw them over my head, around my outstretched hands, just beyond my
reach, until someone tripped me and sent me falling again, face down in the snow.
3.
I was always falling down; my Indian name was Junior Falls Down. Sometimes it was Bloody Nose or
Steal-His-Lunch. Once, it was Cries-Like-a-White-Boy, even though none of us had seen a white boy cry.
4.
Then it was a Friday morning recess and Frenchy St. John threw snowballs at me while the rest of the
Indian boys tortured some other top-yogh-yaught kid, another weakling. But Frenchy was confident
enough to torment me all by himself, and most days I would have let him.
5.
But the little warrior in me roared to life that day and knocked Frenchy to the ground, held his head
against the now, and punched him so hard that my knuckles and the snow made symmetrical bruises on
his face. He almost looked like he was wearing war paint.
6.
But he wasn't the warrior. I was. And I chanted It's a good day to die, it's a good day to die, all the way
down to the principal's office.
SECOND GRADE
7.
Betty Towle, missionary teacher, redheaded and so ugly that no one ever had a puppy crush on her,
made me stay in for recess fourteen days straight.
8.
"Tell me you're sorry," she said.
9.
"Sorry for what?" I asked.
10. "Everything," she said and made me stand straight for fifteen minutes, eagle-armed with books in each
hand. One was a math book; the other was English. But all I learned was that gravity can be painful.
11. For Halloween I drew a picture of her riding a broom with a scrawny cat on the back. She said that her
God would never forgive me for that.
12.
Once, she gave the class a spelling test but set me aside and gave me a test designed for junior high
students. When I spelled all the words right, she crumpled up the paper and made me eat it.
13.
"You’ll learn respect," she said.
14.
She sent a letter home with me that told my parents to either cut my braids or keep me home from
class. My parents came in the next day and dragged their braids across Betty Towle's desk.
15.
"Indians, indians, indians." She said it without capitalization. She called me "indian, indian, indian."
31
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
16.
And I said, Yes, I am. I am Indian. Indian, I am.
THIRD GRADE
17.
My traditional Native American art career began and ended with my very first portrait: Stick Indian
Taking a Piss in My Backyard.
18.
As I circulated the original print around the classroom, Mrs. Schluter intercepted and confiscated my
art.
19.
Censorship, I might cry now. Freedom of expression, I would write in editorials to the tribal newspaper.
20.
In third grade, though, I stood alone in the corner, faced the wall, and waited for the punishment to
end.
21.
I'm still waiting.
FOURTH GRADE
22.
"You should be a doctor when you grow up," Mr. Schluter told me, even though his wife, the third grade
teacher, thought I was crazy beyond my years. My eyes always looked like I had just hit-and-run
someone.
23.
"Guilty," she said. "You always look guilty."
24.
"Why should I be a doctor?" I asked Mr. Schluter.
25.
"So you can come back and help the tribe. So you can heal people."
26.
That was the year my father drank a gallon of vodka a day and the same year that my mother started
two hundred different quilts but never finished any. They sat in separate, dark places in our HUD*
house and wept savagely.
27.
I ran home after school, heard their Indian tears, and looked in the mirror. Doctor Victor, I called myself,
invented an education, talked to my reflection. Doctor Victor to the emergency room.
FIFTH GRADE
28.
I picked up a basketball for the first time and made my first shot. No. I missed my first shot, missed the
basket completely, and the ball landed in the dirt and sawdust, sat there just like I had sat there only
minutes before.
29.
But it felt good, that ball in my hands, all those possibilities and angles. It was mathematics, geometry. It
was beautiful.
30.
At that same moment, my cousin Steven Ford sniffed rubber cement from a paper bag and leaned back
on the merry-go round. His ears rang, his mouth was dry, and everyone seemed so far away.
32
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
31. But it felt good, that buzz in his head, all those colors and noises. It was chemistry, biology. It was
beautiful.
32.
Oh, do you remember those sweet, almost innocent choices that the Indian boys were forced to make?
SIXTH GRADE
33.
Randy, the new Indian kid from the white town of Springdale, got into a fight an hour after he first
walked into the reservation school.
34.
Stevie Flett called him out, called him a squawman, called him a pussy, and called him a punk.
35.
Randy and Stevie, and the rest of the Indian boys, walked out into the playground.
36.
"Throw the first punch," Stevie said as they squared off.
37.
"No," Randy said.
38.
"Throw the first punch," Stevie said again.
39.
"No," Randy said again.
40.
"Throw the first punch!" Stevie said for the third time, and Randy reared back and pitched a knuckle
fastball that broke Stevie's nose.
41.
We all stood there in silence, in awe.
42.
That was Randy, my soon-to-be first and best friend, who taught me the most valuable lesson about
living in the white world: Always throw the first punch.
SEVENTH GRADE
43.
44.
I leaned through the basement window of the HUD house and kissed the white girl who would later be
raped by her foster-parent father, who was also white. They both lived on the reservation, though, and
when the headlines and stories filled the papers later, not one word was made of their color.
Just Indians being Indians, someone must have said somewhere and they were wrong.
45.
But on the day I leaned through the basement window of the HUD house and kissed the white girl, I felt
the goodbyes I was saying to my entire tribe. I held my lips tight against her lips, a dry, clumsy, and
ultimately stupid kiss.
46.
But I was saying goodbye to my tribe, to all the Indian girls and women I might have loved, to all the
Indian men who might have called me cousin, even brother.
47.
I kissed that white girl and when I opened my eyes, she was gone from the reservation, and when I
opened my eyes, I was gone from the reservation, living in a farm town where a beautiful white girl
asked my name.
48.
"Junior Polatkin," I said, and she laughed.
49.
After that, no one spoke to me for another five hundred years.
33
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
EIGHTH GRADE
50.
At the farm town junior high, in the boys' bathroom, I could hear voices from the girls' bathroom,
nervous whispers of anorexia and bulimia. I could hear the white girls' forced vomiting, a sound so
familiar and natural to me after years of listening to my father's hangovers.
51.
"Give me your lunch if you're just going to throw it up," I said to one of those girls once.
52.
I sat back and watched them grow skinny from self-pity.
53.
Back on the reservation, my mother stood in line to get us commodities. We carried them home,
happy to have food, and opened the canned beef that even the dogs wouldn't eat.
54.
But we ate it day after day and grew skinny from self-pity.
55.
There is more than one way to starve.
NINTH GRADE
56.
At the farm town high school dance, after a basketball game in an overheated gym where I had scored
twenty-seven points and pulled down thirteen rebounds, I passed out during a slow song.
57.
As my white friends revived me and prepared to take me to the emergency room where doctors would
later diagnose my diabetes, the Chicano teacher ran up to us.
58.
"Hey," he said. "What's that boy been drinking? I know all about these Indian kids. They start drinking
real young."
59.
Sharing dark skin doesn't necessarily make two men brothers.
TENTH GRADE
60.
I passed the written test easily and nearly flunked the driving, but still received my Washington State
driver's license on the same day that Wally Jim killed himself by driving his car into a pine tree.
61.
No traces of alcohol in his blood, good job, wife and two kids.
62.
"Why'd he do it?" asked a white Washington state trooper.
63.
All the Indians shrugged their shoulders, looked down at the ground.
64.
"Don't know," we all said, but when we look in the mirror, see the history of our tribe in our eyes,
taste failure in the tap water, and shake with old tears, we understand completely.
65.
Believe me, everything looks like a noose if you stare at it long enough.
34
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.
ELEVENTH GRADE
66.
Last night I missed two free throws which would have won the game against the best team in the state.
The farm town high school I play for is nicknamed the "Indians," and I'm probably the only actual
Indian ever to play for a team with such a mascot.
67.
This morning I pick up the sports page and read the headline: INDIANS LOSE AGAIN.
68.
Go ahead and tell me none of this is supposed to hurt me very much.
TWELFTH GRADE
69.
I walk down the aisle, valedictorian of this farm town high school, and my cap doesn't fit because I've
grown my hair longer than it's ever been. Later, I stand as the school board chairman recites my
awards, accomplishments, and scholarships.
70.
I try to remain stoic for the photographers as I look toward the future.
71.
Back home on the reservation, my former classmates graduate: a few can't read, one or two are just
given attendance diplomas, most look forward to the parties. The bright students are shaken,
frightened, because they don't know what comes next.
72.
They smile for the photographer as they look back toward tradition.
73.
The tribal newspaper runs my photograph and the photograph of my former classmates side by side.
POSTSCRIPT: CLASS REUNION
74.
Victor said, "Why should we organize a reservation high school reunion? My graduating class has a
reunion every weekend at the Powwow Tavern."
* HUD: Housing and Urban Development, a US Government Department
35
Updated: August 11, 2014
Created by a team of Mississippi Bend AEA 9 teachers and Quality Learning Reading Consultants.