Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
Common Core/Essential Standards
RL6.3
RL6.6
RI6.2
RI6.3
RI6.5
RI6.6
RI6.7
RI6.8
RI6.9
SL6.2
SL6.3
SL6.5
W6.1
W6.9
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)
 How do authors develop points of view?
 How does word choice affect tone, meaning and mood?
 How does text structure impact the development of ideas
and meaning?
 How are effective arguments with sound reasoning and
sufficient evidence developed and delivered?
 How does media impact the way in which ideas are
clarified, perceived, or understood?
Essential Questions



What does it take to be a survivor?
What causes people to take risks? What makes some take risks and
others not?
What are some unexpected outcomes of being a survivor?
Evidence of Student Learning/Assessments

Students will engage in the writing process to produce an argumentative piece of writing guided
by a rubric that explores who is to blame for the Titanic disaster. Students will develop their
writing with strategic formatting and graphics and utilize technology by publishing their writing via
Glogster, Voicethread, or other application. The teacher will determine the topic(s) based on
classroom instruction and content.

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.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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FOCUS CCSS Standards  Grade 6  Unit 3
RL6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
RL6.3
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the
characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
RL6.7
Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an
audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the
text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
RL6.9
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.
RI6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a
summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RI6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g.,
through examples or anecdotes).
RI6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and
contributes to the development of the ideas.
RI6.6
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
RI6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in
words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
RI6.8
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.
RI6.9
Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by
and a biography on the same person).
W6.1
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
W6.9
SL6.2
SL6.3
SL6.5
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 6 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”).
b. Apply grade 6 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”).
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and
explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations
to clarify information.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
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.
Suggested Instructional Sequence
Part
The Plot Thickens: Tales of Survival
1




Tone and Mood
Connotation
Point of View
Excerpt from Zlata’s Diary-character development, point of view, tone
and mood
Survival of the Fittest: Literary and Poetic Survival Tales
2
 Poetry: Tone and Mood, text structure, poetry conventions
 Informational Text: annotation, text structure, point of view, author’s
purpose,
How does this help prepare students for the
culminating task(s)?
Explores the theme of survival and how
characters/people develop and change.
Students understand tone, mood, and
point of view in order to analyze how
those elements affect a text.
Explores the theme of survival and text
structure of poetry, informational text,
and short fiction.
Survival of the Fittest: Society’s Quest to Endure
3
 Pop culture music: analysis of lyrics, structure, tone and mood
 Historical speeches: structure of argument, evaluating a speech,
annotation, close reading,
 Historical memoir: author’s style and text structure
 Comparing and contrasting various text
Survival of Disasters
4
 Explore the sinking of Titanic through informational text, poetry,
primary sources including photographs and survivor’s testimonies.
 Photo analysis, biography, annotation, evidence to support claims,
summarizing
Surviving Adversity: Who is to blame?
5
 Using informational text for research and evidence
 Gleaning details and evidence to form arguments
 Writing an argument based on evidence from the text
Analysis of text structure and author’s
style of various genres.
Evaluating claims and arguments.
Comparing and contrasting text.
Gleaning information from various
sources and comparing information and
accounts.
Analyzing primary sources.
Research
Developing an argument
Writing Process
Surviving a Challenge: The Great Debate of Who is to Blame?
6
 Using media to explore argument
 Socratic seminar
 The art of argument and persuasion
Culminating Tasks:

Students will engage in the writing process to produce an argumentative piece of writing guided by a rubric that
explores who is to blame for the Titanic disaster. Students will develop their writing with strategic formatting and
graphics and utilize technology by publishing their writing via Glogster, Voicethread, or other application. The
teacher will determine the topic(s) based on classroom instruction and content.

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.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 1 The Plot Thickens: Tales of Survival
Learning Targets:
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



Students will be able to engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
cite textual evidence to support analysis of the text.
trace how the characters respond or change.
identify point of view and explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker.
determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.
draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Introduction/anticipatory Activities
Suggested Warm-Ups or activating tasks
Daily Assessments for Learning
Quotations for periodic reflections on the unit theme to be written in the Learner Notebook. Students will capture the
quotation and the speaker as well as their own thoughts on what they think the quotation means and how it relates
to the featured theme. Students may refer back to their notebook entry later when asked to write literary analyses.
Survivors get to tell the story. –author unknown
“Your fear is 100% dependent on you for its survival.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
“Survivors aren't always the strongest; sometimes they're the smartest, but more often simply the luckiest.”
― Carrie Ryan, The Dark and Hollow Places
“If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one's chances of survival increase with each book one
reads.” ― Sherman Alexie
“Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don’t seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving
is the hardest thing of all.” ― Richelle Mead, Last Sacrifice
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” ― Carl Sagan, The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of
the Search for God
“The strong survive, but the courageous triumph.” ― Michael Scott, The Warlock
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ― Charles Darwin
“Adventures are only interesting once you've lived to see the end of them. Before that, they are nothing but fear, and being
too cold or too hot or too wet or too hungry, and getting hurt.” ― Holly Lisle, The Silver Door
“A scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived.” ― Chris Cleave, Little Bee
“One thing you have to realize from now on is that it doesn't matter if this is a dream or not. Survival depends on what you
do, not what you think.”― Rebecca McKinsey, Anterria
“You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” ― Edwin Louis Cole
“You know, I once read an interesting book which said that, uh, most people lost in the wilds, they, they die of shame. Yeah,
see, they die of shame. 'What did I do wrong? How could I have gotten myself into this?' And so they sit there and
they... die. Because they didn't do the one thing that would save their lives. Thinking.” ― David Mamet
“Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of
it.” ― Robertson Davies
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor,
and some style” ― Maya Angelou
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 1 The Plot Thickens: Tales of Survival
Introduction to the Unit
Be sure to write the unit theme “Survival" on the board for easy reference. The activities in this unit will spiral back
to this fundamental question. The guiding questions include:
o What does it take to be a survivor?
o What causes people to take risks?
o What makes some take risks and others not?
o What are some unexpected outcomes of being a survivor?
These questions may be written somewhere in the room and students answer them based on the text with textual
references, or these questions may be recorded in their Learner Notebook with a page dedicated to each question
with space to record examples from the featured text.
What does it mean to survive? to continue to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult
circumstances.
A resource for cooperative groups to explore “What is Survival”?
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/1557346046_6.pdf
Continue with 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.
This unit lends itself to stories related to survival.
Continually return to the unit questions about surviving and allow students to relate what they have read to the
guiding questions. For example: What have we learned from the characters of the featured short stories about
surviving and thriving?
Tone and Mood
 T-chart: In the Learner Notebook, students will create a t-chart to record information, including examples, of
tone and mood. Review tone and mood and the difference between them.
 List of Words: Display a list of words relating to tone and mood: Tone: solemn, tense, sarcastic, serious,
enthusiastic, fearful, hostile, humorous/ Mood: happy, confused, unhappy, angry, anxious, scared, uncertain,
reassured, nervous, excited. Provide time for students to brainstorm other words.
 Connotation: Discuss positive and negative connotations of the words by allowing students to mark (+) or (-) or
(N) neutral. Students can review loaded words as preparation for positive and negative connotation. (See
resource regarding Loaded Words below this weekly guide.)
 Video Clips: Students will view an age-appropriate film and choose three words form the tone column and
three words from the mood column that describe the scene. Allow students to collaborate in small groups and
be prepared to share with the class.
Film Clip ideas:
 Jaws (2 min) http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/jaws/a-bigger-boat
 Backdraft (2.5 min) http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/backdraft/save-my-baby
 Defiance (3 min) http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/defiance/nothing-is-impossible
 Fireproof (3 min) http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/fireproof/train-rescue
Additional notes to discuss:
 Regarding tone/mood in poetry, think of it like a song. Ask yourself: if this poem was set to music, what
sort of music would it have? For instance, a poem about losing a friend would probably have sad,
emotional music, because this would fit its tone. On the other hand, a poem about a beautiful morning
would have a more energetic, positive tone.
 Mood, in the movies, is achieved by special lighting, music, or sound effects as well as the actor’s tone. In
poetry, it is conveyed with words and phrases, imagery, figurative language, rhyme and rhythm. No one
word describes the mood- it can be a feeling of doom, fear, pride, chaos, peace, or love, gloomy, imaginary,
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 1 The Plot Thickens: Tales of Survival
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
optimistic, pessimistic, silly, thought-provoking, sadness, courage…
Comparing movie trailers for tone and mood
Using movie trailers to identify tone and mood through pictures and music. The original Mary Poppins
theatrical trailer will be viewed first (released in 1964). As they view, students will choose two or three tone
words that convey the attitude of the piece as well as three mood words that describe their feelings about the
piece. After viewing we will discuss these words as well as how the makers chose certain scenes to convey the
mood, and included sound effects and music. We will then view the original scary Mary Poppins trailer and
repeat the same activities in order for students to understand how mood and tone can change depending on the
creator’s choices. These differences will be depicted with a large graphic organizer on the smart board.
(Original) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWf9fP-A-U
(Scary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic
NOTE: You can also use altered movie trailers from Toy Story and Lion King – both stories about
survival.
Writing Application
Students will be divided into small groups and each group will be given a card with one of the following words
on it: sadness, courage, tension, sympathy, love, sarcasm, excitement, fear. Students will write a description of
a person walking a dog in the park according to the tone word they have been given. They may use a thesaurus
as needed. When they have finished with their descriptions, they will read them to the class and the class will
try to guess what tone word they had. We will also discuss how they decided to write their descriptions and the
tools they used to convey the attitude of the description.
Lesson adapted from http://sites.google.com/site/christinaferberwebportfolio/lessons-and-activities
Point of View: Activate students’ prior knowledge by allowing them to define character, character traits, and mood,
tone and point of view. Direct students’ attention to the point of view handout. Go over the four types of point of view
listed on the handout. Students will practice identifying point of view from various reading selections or excerpts.
Excerpt from Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovik from Prentice Hall text page 351.
o
o
o
o
Clarify the definition of genocide and possible reasons why genocide occurs. Also introduce the term and
nature of war crimes. How do these words relate to the unit theme? The featured text relates to the
Bosnian War in the 1990s and students may need background information to fully understand the text. (See
related resources).
Reading Skills: character development; tone and mood; text structure of first-person narratives; how point
of view impacts the reader and the larger social context;
Writing Extensions: Reader Response
Related Resources:
 Video overview of Bosnian War (5 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae_cTGvxYGI
 Slideshow of graphic pictures about War in Bosnia—teacher discretion advised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9H8gkTvtHs&feature=related
 Recreated digital diary entries about Bosnian Genocide (4 min): companion piece to the featured
excerpt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSLQxwRBNkw
Differentiation
Anchor Activities
are ongoing assignments that students can work on independently throughout a unit.
They provide curriculum-based differentiation based on choice.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 1 The Plot Thickens: Tales of Survival
Examples of Loaded Words
Remind students of how background often shapes the author’s
message. Elaborate to explain that word choice is a powerful
tool used to influence a message. Many people use language to
convey what they mean, get what they want, and even hide true
intentions~authors, speakers, politicians, parents, teenagers,
etc.
Facilitate an analysis of word choice by sharing
examples of loaded words. Share one group of words at a
time. Explain that each group of words carries a similar basic
meaning (denotation), but that they are perceived in different
ways (connotation.) As you review each group, analyze how
each word can be used to achieve a particular meaning; when do
people employ these words to convey their message? Be sure to
emphasize that our experience gives us bias as to how some of
these words are used.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
Thin
Bony
Slim
Anorexic
Slender
Soldier
Guerilla
Freedom
Fighter
Mercenary
Terrorist
Activist
Student
Juvenile
Youth
Adolescent
Teen
Minor
Adult
Grown-up
Elderly
Mature
Old
Friends
Companions
Band
Gang
Crew
Team
Mob
Dense
Foolish
Ill-advised
Imprudent
Slow
Stupid
Clever
Intellectual
Bright
Talented
Skillful
Adroit
Expert
Lazy
Lethargic
Idle
Indolent
Sluggish
Slow
Page 7 of 18
Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 2 Survival of the Fittest: Literary and Poetic Survival Tales
Learning Targets:




Students will be able engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g.,
through examples or anecdotes).
analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and
contributes to the development of the ideas.
determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Tone and Mood



Students will view power point from http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/ttravis-57906-Mood-ToneMoods-Positive-or-Negative-Writer-Create-Images-Surro-Education-ppt-powerpoint which includes the poem
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and an analysis of the language used to express the tone and mood of
poem. Students can complete Expressing Mood Writing assignment.
Informational Text: Students will think-pair-share read article from
http://www.ehealing.us/article_costly_vets.html regarding the cost of pet care and discuss tone of article.
Students will read and annotate the article. In pairs or small groups, students will share findings from the article
and comments he/she may have. Students will identify words that reveal author’s tone and document.
Students, as a group or with partners, will be assigned, Jigsaw fashion, one paragraph of this article to re-write to
exhibit the opposite tone. Groups will share paragraph re-writes.
Poetry
o Discuss From the Author’s Desk, Gary Soto Talks About the Form, pg 506 Prentice Hall Literature. Review how
tone is expressed in poetry.
o Distribute copies of “I, Too, Sing America”, “I Hear America Singing” and “On the Pulse of Morning.” Students
will think pair share read each poem and annotate following procedures for both reading strategies.
Review/Discuss as a class the tone of both poems, citing specific references to words and lines that indicate the
tone. Discuss text structure and its impact on meaning of text. Review structure of each poem including how
many stanzas, elements of repetition, and use of metaphors.
o Create and complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting both poems on the elements of tone, mood,
and structure (such as a creative Venn Diagram or other form for comparing and contrasting).
Writing
At this point, students should respond to the guiding questions in writing “What does it take to be a survivor?
What causes people to take risks? What makes some take risks and others not?” Encourage students to use
textual evidence from their readings in and out of class. Students may share responses. This allows time to
connect back to the theme of the unit of study. This is also a way to connect from previous lessons to the
subsequent informational text and novel study activity.
Read Like a Reader/Read Like a Writer
Common Core Anchor Standards for Reading require that readers move beyond basic comprehension of the text
in order to analyze the text for structure, voice, syntax, and much more. For many teachers, this is a new way of
thinking about reading. We often read in order to understand what the author is trying to say—and this is reading
like a reader—but we also need to read in order to understand how the author said it. That is reading like a writer
and involves paying close attention to techniques and choices. Reading like a writer is an integral part of CCSS.
To engage in careful readings for comprehension and analysis, consider using the Read Like a Writer resources for
informational text (a placemat upon which text can be placed in the middle) and literary text (a bookmark for
Reading like a Writer on page 3.) Consider using these protocols for the upcoming informational text and
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 2 Survival of the Fittest: Literary and Poetic Survival Tales
novel excerpts.
Informational Text and Exploring Real-World Survival
 Create a collection of various stories of real-world survival (see resources below). Gather many stories in order for
students to have the ability to choose which stories they will read and analyze. (Consider using the Read Like a
Writer protocol!)
 Begin the activity by modeling using a selected “mentor text” and the Learner Notebook to capture ideas.
o Display the text and be sure students have a copy to annotate and refer to later.
o Model reading through the text once to get the gist.
o Read through it a second time to identify any unfamiliar words and try to use word attack strategies to help
clarify the meaning.
o Write a summary statement at the bottom of the article.
o Use the following questions to guide a close and careful reading of the featured text:
 How is the key event or individual introduced or explained (e.g. through examples or anecdotes)?
 Choose an important sentence, paragraph, or section that helps develop the story. How does this
important part fit into the overall structure of the story? What if it was in a different place or left out
altogether?
 What is the author’s point of view and purpose? How do we know that from the text?
 In small groups, students will choose featured stories to read and analyze. Students do not necessarily need to
write on the featured text; they can capture the ideas from the guiding questions in their Learner Notebook and use
the experience from the modeled text to guide their experience.
 Reading Skills: Analyze mentor texts for text structure, the development and elaboration of the story, and how the
text conveys the author’s point of view or purpose.
 Writing Extensions: Respond to the guiding question “What does it take to be a survivor?” or to featured quotation
(see anticipatory activities) citing evidence from multiple texts from this experience.
 Resources: Collections of survival stories (use teacher discretion when making selections)
o
http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/eight-incredible-survival-stories/
o
http://www.thesurvivorsclub.org/extreme/great-escapes-from-nature-the-most-amazing-survival-stories
o
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/outdoor-skills/survival/I-Will-Survive.html
Exploring Novels
 Students will review/read several excerpts from various novels. This can be done through independent
reading, partner reading or group reading. If group/partner reading is selected, students can
review/complete SEEDS for DISCUSSION work on each novel. (Consider using the Read Like a Writer
protocol!)

To begin this exercise, teachers will choose various novels for students to analyze for author’s style and,
for each novel, students can complete Reading a Novel’s cover, Mood, Author’s Style, and Connections.
o
o
o
o
o
The Other Side of Truth, Pages 23-24 and/or 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.
Crossing the Wire, Pages 46-48
Treasure Island
Hatchet, Chapter 1
Fever, 1793 Chapter 13 (p88-94) Mattie and her family are trying to survive in the woods and she
becomes ill.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 2 Survival of the Fittest: Literary and Poetic Survival Tales
o
o
Island of the Blue Dolphins Chapter 9 (47-55) Karana is alone on the island and must survive the
wilderness.
Jaguar Chapter 6. Jacob boards a boat in Brazil only to meet his dad’s girlfriend and experience a disaster.
Literature Circles
To introduce the protocol of Literature Circles, it is best to model each of the roles and have students complete
the expectations of each role as a whole class before they are placed in groups and expected to function
independently. For example, read a short story and engage in the responsibilities of the role Inquirer in which the
teacher models the process for engaging in the text and group collaboration as an Inquirer. Students will then
“see” the role in action and have the opportunity to practice the responsibilities and meet the expectations of
literature circles.
Grade 6  Unit 3  Survival
Page 10 of 18
Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 3 Survival of the Fittest: Society’s Quest to Endure
Learning Targets:




Students will be able to engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Compare and contrast texts including poetry, speeches, and historical memoir in terms of their approaches to
similar themes and topics.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
Study of Lyrics
Begin this lyrical study by asking the students if they can think of any songs that discuss history and times passed.
Explain that the class will critically listen to such a song that discusses historical events, discovering the meaning and the
history involved.
Music Lyric Study via “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
 Prepare to play the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. In terms of survival, this song captures the theme
using a historical perspective. (Other songs are recommended below.)
 Ask students to take out a piece of paper and fold it into fourths. The columns on the paper should be labeled with
the following headings: People, Places, Events, and Uncertain. Play the song.
 Play the song again. This time, ask students to jot down as many people, places and events as they are able while
they listen to the song.
 After the song concludes, invite students to share and discuss the items that they identified as they listened to the
lyrics.
 Distribute the song lyrics to the students and allow them time to read and think about the lyrics.
 Play the song a third time, with the students following along with the lyrics.
 Explain how Billy Joel used events, terms, and people associated with a certain time period in history to create the
lyrics for this song. Except for the chorus, the song is a collection of words and phrases focused on historical
events, people, and places.
 Invite students to share what they know about the information in the song as well as relating this topic to our
theme of survival. Help students connect the theme of survival with the week’s focus of Society’s Quest to
Endure.
 Ask the students if they know why the lyrics are divided where they are (this connects to text structure).
 Lead a discussion that includes the following questions: Why do you think these events were selected? How is the
song structured and how does that affect its mood? What is the tone of the author/songwriter/singer?
Resources
(Be mindful that Internet sources change advertisements and some may be inappropriate for younger viewers—preview!)
 Lyrics to be shared with students: http://www.metrolyrics.com/we-didnt-start-the-fire-lyrics-billy-joel.html
 Billy Joel’s actual music video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g
 Slide show with photos that complement the song’s lyrics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2SS0zqmzk.
Additional Songs
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100 Songs that Changed History http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/1488/100-songs-thatchanged-history-the-full-list
“Born in the USA” Bruce Springsteen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4
“American Pie” Don McLean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I87T1RNl2Io and
http://understandingamericanpie.com/
“You’re the best around” Joe Esposito from Karate Kid
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/karatekid/yourethebest.htm#.T8zkRrCm9Lc
“Eye of the Tiger” Survivor
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 3 Survival of the Fittest: Society’s Quest to Endure
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http://www.lyrics007.com/Survivor%20Lyrics/Eye%20Of%20The%20Tiger%20Lyrics.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEjgPh4SEmU
“The Happening” by The Supremes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVgC_qDSAI
“Hero” by Mariah Carey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ
“Don’t Give Up” Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVaK24LIDko
“I’m a Survivor” Destiny’s Child http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki97oF8LBFE
“Where is the Love” by Black-Eyed Peas
http://www.lyrics007.com/Black%20Eyed%20Peas%20Lyrics/Where%20Is%20The%20Love%20Lyrics
.html
“Eyes Open” by Taylor Swift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLeM10ZSP-A
Close Readings of Famous Historical Speeches that Argue
*This lesson may begin with the teacher modeling annotation and analysis with the first featured speech with
student pairs engaging in close reading and annotation of the second featured speech. Once students understand
the meaning and context of the speech(es), then the lesson will extend into analyzing the argument.
Short Speeches that Argue:
 “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King
 “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” by Winston Churchill
 In pairs, students will closely read and annotate each speech noting unfamiliar words, clever vocabulary,
repetition and patterns, main ideas, etc. Allow time for students to share comments from annotations.
 Working with one speech at a time, students will evaluate each speech for elements of argument.
 Connect the speeches to the theme of survival and what it takes to endure. What do these speeches reveal
about society’s quest to endure?
Resources
 Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lessonplans/analyzing-famous-speeches-arguments-30526.html?tab=4
 Guiding Questions for Speech Research
 Famous Short Speeches http://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-short-speeches.html
 Famous MLK speeches http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkspeeches.html
Reading Historical Text
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Using Prentice Hall Literature Text, page 476, students will read “Letters From a Concentration Camp” by
Yoshiko Uchida about the internment of the Japanese in America during World War II. Take time to guide
students through the process of analyzing author’s style. (Consider using the Read Like a Writer Protocol.)
Students will create a Venn Diagram or other graphic representation comparing and contrasting one of songs
evaluated, one of the speeches and the story from the literature text. Ultimately, students should connect all
the text to the unit theme and to other text that explores elements of survival.
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 4 Survival of Disasters
Learning Targets:
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Students will be able to engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and
a biography on the same person).
draw evidence from texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Titanic: Ship of Dreams
“Ship of Dreams” Informational Text
 In pairs, students will read the article using reading strategies (boxing title, tracing around paragraphs,
numbering paragraphs, highlighting while reading).
 Students will annotate article noting:
 I already knew this part…
 New word or concept/idea…
 I would like more information about this…
 This part is confusing because…
 Wow! This part is interesting…
 Students will complete One-Pager on “Ship of Dreams” text.
 Read about the Titanic’s first officer William Murdoch and analyze bias in an historical sense.
Primary Sources
 Distribute/display various reproductions of newspaper articles from immediately after the sinking of the
Titanic.
o Resource for text:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/t/titanic/index.html
o Multimedia sources: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/sinking-ofthe-titanic/?ar_a=2
 Discuss findings and incorrect information reported at the time of the sinking – students could chalk talk
why they think the information was not accurate. This is where class discussion of sources of information
would be most appropriate. Discuss/review primary vs. secondary sources of information.
o Document Analysis
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/pdfs/documentanalysisworksheet.pdf
o Image Analysis
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/pdfs/imageanalysisworksheet.pdf
o Primary Source analysis www.histrygeek.com/students/primary%20source%20worksheet.doc
 Distribute article on ship safety and the lifeboats. Students will follow reading strategies to complete reading
of article. Discuss findings on safety regulations and connect to issues with the sinking of the Titanic.
 “Could the Titanic Disaster Happen Again?” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=titanicsafety-rescue
o Safety and Shipping text with graphics
http://www.agcs.allianz.com/assets/PDFs/Reports/AGCS_Safety_and_Shipping_Executive_Summary.pdf
 Read “The Magnificent Titanic” poem. Enlarging and printing this poem on large paper may help engage
reading partners. Students will read and identify poetic elements from poem. Note poetry elements of
rhyme, personification, similes, etc…
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 4 Survival of Disasters
Film Clips
Based on the unit theme of survival, discuss how often disasters are depicted in movies and how many movies
were released on the Titanic including the James Cameron version; show a film clip of the sinking of the
Titanic from James Cameron. Make connections to text previously read. Show clips from other
disaster/survival films which can include:
 Swiss Family Robinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAB0FwBu0W4
 Cast Away http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOu9xCNMK0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv_LfXcjWew
 Twister
Students will complete film viewing guide comparing/contrasting film clips (CLVG).
Pictures from the Titanic - discuss how students will be viewing copies of actual photos/documents from
the Titanic disaster. Photo Analysis Guide
 To model effective analyzing of photographs/documents, select a vivid photograph, picture, artwork, or
image that will introduce or extend the concepts related to the particular area of study. Your textbook,
reference books, newspapers, and magazines are excellent resources.
 Share the picture with students by using an overhead projector or large poster.
 Ask students to write down their individual reactions to the picture.
 Model how to make personal connections by using a think-aloud strategy, then encourage students to
examine the picture again for further details. After students have completed their responses, ask for
volunteers to share their entries with the rest of the class allowing time for comments from other students.
 Use student responses to help introduce the new concepts to be studied.
 Distribute copies of documents/photos from Titanic. For each photo/document, students will
independently analyze and write one, “I wonder” statement based on details noted in the source. During
viewing of documents, play music from time period and from movie. Distribute questions on document
packet – these questions will have students analyzing the source of information and validity. Students
should complete questions independently.
Biography: Survivors are the ones who get to tell the story.
 Review numbers of survivors and non-survivors from the Titanic disaster.
http://historyonthenet.com/Titanic/passengers.htm
 Featured text:
o “I Survived the Titanic” about Ruth Becker
o Ruth Becker’s biography http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/ruth-elizabethbecker.html
o Video clip on survivors of the Titanic with Ruth Becker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lywYIF2EdOY
 Resources for teaching biography
o Various Biography Tools (scroll to the bottom)
http://msela.pbworks.com/w/page/51653457/During%20Reading%20Strategies
o Graphic Organizers http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/biography/
o Biography discussion tool
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson398/discussion-ques.pdf
 Discuss information gained from all three sources.
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 5 Surviving Adversity: Who is to Blame?
Learning Targets:
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Students will be able to engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or
issue under study.
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) to clarify information.
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.
Informational Text: Who is to Blame?
 Students will read three separate texts offering information on those who played some role in the Titanic
disaster. It may be best to model the critical reading and annotation of the first article (Bruce Ismay) and then
allow students to work in pairs or small groups to read and annotate the other text.
o Bruce Ismay
o Captain Edward John Smith http://www.sfmuseum.net/hist6/carpathia.html
o The Moon http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/currentevents/titanicmoon.htm
The following instructions are recommended to facilitate the critical reading and annotation of each text:
o Each student receives an article
o Students will box the title, trace the paragraphs and number paragraphs
o Students will decide who will be reader number one, two, three, etc…
o Each reader will read one paragraph from the selection
o While reader is reading, all other participants should be underlining unfamiliar words and big
ideas
o After the reader completes reading of his/her paragraph, the group will talk about the
annotations for the featured paragraph. Then the reader will summarize the text in his/her own
words.
o This process continues until entire passage has been read.
o After reading groups will discuss findings from article/text
 When all three articles have been read by class, students should annotate each article to enhance
comprehension and critical thinking. Students should annotate all three articles according to instructions.
 Provide a model of ways to compare, contrast, and document findings from the featured text (Venn Diagram,
graphic organizer, or columned chart). Students will begin to record similarities and differences among the
articles using specific textual evidence (based on the numbering of paragraphs in the annotation process.)
Writing: Argument on who is to blame
 Brainstorming: Students will write about their individual interpretations of who/what is to blame for the
sinking of the Titanic—in essence, students will be writing an argumentative paper evaluating the crew’s
actions on the ship and ship safety. Students should be instructed to select excerpts from at least one article
read thus far to support their interpretation. Encourage students to use evidence from more than one article.
Students should write these excerpts on graphic organizers to ensure these pieces are embedded into their
writing. Allow students class time to complete graphic organizers on their topic. Also, you may want to allow
students to convene in small groups based on their topics to share the evidence they glean for their argument.
 Planning and Drafting: The next step is for students to begin to draft their argument in paragraph form. It
may be best to model writing opening paragraphs for this paper. In each class, you could solicit class input on
how to write an introductory paragraph and write one in front of the class while thinking aloud. By the end of
the day, you will have several models of opening paragraphs that can be shared the next day with all classes.
 For the body paragraphs, you will want to model how to outline and organize the argument (with a logical
order for the argument and evidence—which can be done in various ways), and more importantly, how to
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Part 5 Surviving Adversity: Who is to Blame?
embed the textual evidence in the argument.
 Writing Skills that students need to see, understand, and practice in order to write an argumentative
essay:
Students need to know how to:
o begin each body paragraph in appropriate and varied ways (with simple and/or complex transitions
for cohesion).
o lead into textual evidence with a position or stance in their own words.
o include the textual evidence (via paraphrasing, directly quoting, properly citing).
o then explain how that embedded textual evidence relates to the position or stance. Students often
neglect to connect the quotation or evidence back to their original argument in a blatant way and in
their own words.
o tie their ideas in each paragraph together and provide a concluding sentence that wraps up the
paragraph.
o write a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes the argument, yet leaves the reader with a
compelling thought beyond what has already been mentioned in the argument.
 Editing and Revision: Guide students through the process of engaging in meaningful peer editing and actual
revision. You will want to model this process using the resources provided and an essay from a student who is
willing to go through the process with the teacher in front of the class.
Resources:
ReadWriteThink:
o Peer Edit with Perfection tutorial: a step-by-step practice session on peer editing strategies:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/peer-edit-with-perfection-786.html
o Peer Edit with Perfection worksheet:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson786/worksheet.pdf
Revision
Editing and Proofreading
Writing Extensions:
Students can craft their argument in essay form, but then transform it with technology using
VoiceThread, Glogster, Weebly, or other Web 2.0 application. Via technology, students can embed photos, graphics, and
even links to help support their argument of who is to blame for the Titanic disaster.
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Grade 6  Unit 3: Survival
Part 6 Surviving a Challenge: The Great Debate of Who is to Blame?
Learning Targets:
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Students will be able to engage in the following tasks using textual evidence:
Engage in discussion by being prepared and participating.
Interpret information in order to develop an argument and consider other sides of the argument.
Exploring Argument via Media
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Students can use the CLVG note-taking tool.
The Moon is blamed for Titanic Disaster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya0zez53KVM
Who is to Blame? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywU3cahF9Uc
Titanic’s Bruce Ismay: From Disaster to Irish Refuge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOEeRXhMHyE
Titanic Artifact Exhibition Captain Edward J Smith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaLYk0EBibE
Original newsreel shown to the public in 1912 regarding the Titanic disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93bf8ITtiVI
2012 animation of the sinking of Titanic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnuHD3sme2s
Socratic Seminar
Begin preparing students for participating in a debate-style discussion related to their essay on “Who is to Blame
for the Sinking of the Titanic.” Students will practice Socratic Seminar using the instructions below.
Modeling a Socratic Seminar:
For optimal participation and performance, it is best to model the process of a Socratic seminar. Distribute an
article/poem not related to Titanic that can be used as practice. Possibly a good topic for debate may be the
debate topic of downloading music or other relevant topic for your class (perhaps even an Article of the Week
featured article). Model a seminar by walking students step-by-step through the process from annotation to
discussion. Coach students through the participation piece by modeling responses (see response frames
below—you may want to have them displayed in the class.) Guide students through a self-reflection based on
the seminar rubric by evaluating a student who is willing to have their participation measured against the
rubric.
Engaging in a Socratic Seminar on the featured Titanic arguments based on text featured in this unit. Review
instructions for Socratic Seminar. Distribute articles used for argumentative paper from week five. Allow
students class time to review notations made from previous annotation. Allow time for students to review
his/her interpretation of blame for the accident.
Socratic Seminar Process
BEFORE
1. Read through your assigned reading very carefully at least two times.
2. Underline, highlight, and/or circle important parts in the passage.
Mark + beside things you find interesting
Mark ? beside things you don’t understand
Mark – beside things you don’t like
3. In writing, complete the following responses:
Write a quote that stood out to you from the reading
Write a one-sentence interpretation of the passage
Write a question about the reading
DURING
1. Facilitator (teacher) chooses one participant to begin the discussion. Participant can start with
one of their responses from above.
2. Students can make their own comments about other questions, and/or respond to someone
else’s comments, and should acknowledge having heard the speaker before them by using a
transitional phrase such as:
I agree with __________ because ___________
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Part 6 Surviving a Challenge: The Great Debate of Who is to Blame?
I disagree with ____________ because ______________
I’m not sure what ______________ meant by _____________
I understand your point, ___________, but I want to add/disagree/give another opinion:
_______________
This is what I think __________ means
That’s a good point, ________. Now I’d like to move on to: _________
3. Rules for discussion:
Take turns—don’t talk over each other
Everyone participates
No raising your voice, even if you disagree
Disagree politely and respectfully
Don’t need to raise hands, but don’t interrupt
Don’t speak to the teacher, speak to the group as a whole
Make notes on your paper on what others are saying
Listen very carefully to others
Speak up so others can hear you
Don’t dominate the discussion
Encourage others to participate
Listen with an open mind
Respond thoughtfully
AFTER
1. Reflect on the experience with a brief class discussion, if time allows. What did you learn that
you did not know before? How has your thinking changed because of the discussion?
2. Turn in marked reading passages at the end of class.
Teaching Persuasion Skills
Guide students through the process of developing strong arguments with elements of persuasion using
the following resources:
Check the Strategies from ReadWriteThink
Persuasive Strategies power point from ReadWriteThink
Vote with their Feet
Another discussion strategy is to allow students to “Vote with their Feet” to explore all sides to the debate
on “Who is to Blame for the Sinking of the Titanic”. This can be done by placing signs in the four corners of
the room that read:
o Captain John Edward Smith
o Joseph Bruce Ismay
o The Moon
o Another Theory
Given direction, students will move to the corner of the room with the sign representing their
interpretation/opinion/stance. Students from each group should get together and spend time analyzing
arguments selected from the articles above both to support their interpretations/opinions/stance AND to
refute arguments from other groups. (Perhaps guide students through the process of how to organize such
information such as the creation of a chart or graphic organizer.) Students should develop opening
arguments to their positions. Allow time for debate. Students should write reflection on the experience.
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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.
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