Tips for Using the QualityCore® English Benchmark Assessments
Each QualityCore® course has its own set of Benchmark Assessments based on the
QualityCore Formative Item Pool. There are four to five multiple-choice assessments,
consisting of 15 to 25 items (and associated passages) organized by genre. There is
also a separate 45-minute constructed-response assessment, consisting of a single
prompt, similar to what students might take as part of a QualityCore End-of-Course
Assessment.
The assessments are presented as a PDF file to maintain the visual consistency of
graphics, special characters, and symbols. Each assessment is “bookmarked” for easy
navigation through the PDF file.
Each Benchmark Assessment is introduced by a cover page that lists the item
Identification Number (ID), the correct answer (Key), the cognitive level, and the
alphanumeric code for the ACT Course Standard measured by that item. (See the
applicable ACT Course Standards document.) The scoring criteria and a scoring rubric
(when applicable) follow the constructed-response prompt.
©2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 1 – Fiction
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00133-00
00133-01
Key
Cognitive
Level
D
L2
00133-02
C
L2
00133-03
00133-04
D
A
L2
L3
00133-05
D
L3
00133-06
B
L3
00111-00
00111-01
C
L2
00111-02
00111-03
A
D
L2
L2
00111-04
A
L2
00111-05
B
L3
00111-06
D
L3
00139-00
00139-01
B
L2
Standard
A.5.c
A.6.b
A.6.c
A.5.c
A.5.h
A.6.b
A.5.e
A.3.a
A.5.a
B.2.a
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
B.3.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.5.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.5.c
A.5.e
A.5.h
A.6.c
A.5.a
A.5.e
A.8.d
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
00139-02
D
L2
00139-03
B
L3
00139-04
B
L2
00139-05
00139-06
D
C
L2
L3
A.5.h
A.6.b
B.3.b
B.3.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.5.f
A.5.c
A.5.h
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
Date:
Class/Period:
Trespass
The day the Garcías were one
American year old, they had a
celebration at dinner. Mami had baked a
nice flan and stuck a candle in the
5 center. “Guess what day it is today?” She
looked around the table at her daughters’
baffled faces. “One year ago today,” Papi
began orating, “we came to the shores of
this great country.” When he was done
10 misquoting the poem on the Statue of
Liberty, the youngest, Fifi, asked if she
could blow out the candle, and Mami said
only after everyone had made a wish.
40
45
50
What do you wish for on the first
15 celebration of the day you lost
20
25
30
35
everything? Carla wondered. Everyone
else around the table had their eyes
closed as if they had no trouble deciding.
Carla closed her eyes too. She should
make an effort and not wish for what she
always wished for in her homesickness.
But just this last time, she would let
herself. “Dear God,” she began. She
could not get used to this American wishmaking without bringing God into it. “Let
us please go back home, please,” she
half prayed and half wished. It seemed a
less and less likely prospect. In fact, her
parents were sinking roots here. Only a
month ago, they had moved out of the
city to a neighborhood on Long Island so
that the girls could have a yard to play in,
so Mami said. The little green squares
around each look-alike house seemed
more like carpeting that had to be kept
clean than yards to play in.
55
Down the block the neighborhood
dead-ended in abandoned farmland that
Mami read in the local paper the
developers were negotiating to buy.
Grasses and real trees and real bushes
still grew beyond the barbed-wire fence
posted with a big sign: PRIVATE, NO
TRESPASSING. The sign had surprised
Carla since “forgive us our trespasses”
was the only other context in which she
had heard the word. She pointed the sign
out to Mami on one of their first walks to
the bus stop. “Isn’t that funny, Mami? A
sign that you have to be good.” Her
mother did not understand at first until
Carla explained about the Lord’s Prayer.
Mami laughed. Words sometimes meant
two things in English too. This trespass
meant that no one must go inside the
property because it was not public like a
park, but private. Carla nodded,
disappointed. She would never get the
hang of this new country.
Adapted from Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls
Lost Their Accents. © 1991 by Julia Alvarez.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
About the Rabbits
Lennie spoke craftily, “Tell me—like
you done before.”
“Tell you what?”
“About the rabbits.”
5
George snapped, “You ain’t gonna
put nothing over on me.”
Lennie pleaded, “Come on, George.
Tell me. Please George. Like you done
before.”
10
“You get a kick outta that, don’t you?
Awright, I’ll tell you, and then we’ll eat
our supper . . . .”
George’s voice became deeper. He
repeated his words rhythmically as
15 though he had said them many times
before. “Guys like us, that work on
ranches, are the loneliest guys in the
world. They got no family. They don’t
belong no place. They come to a ranch
1
20 an’ work up a stake and then they go
inta town and blow their stake, and the
first thing you know they’re on some
other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to
look ahead to.”
25
Lennie was delighted. “That’s it—
that’s it. Now tell how it is with us.”
George went on. “With us it ain’t like
that. We got a future. We got somebody
to talk to that cares about us. If them
30 other guys gets in jail they can rot for all
anybody cares. But not us.”
Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why?
Because . . . because I got you to look
after me, and you got me to look after
35 you, and that’s why.” He laughed
delightedly. “Go on now, George!”
“You got it by heart. You can do it
yourself.”
“No, you. I forget some a’ the things.
40 Tell about how it’s gonna be.”
“O.K. Someday—we’re gonna have a
little house and a couple of acres an’ a
cow and some pigs and—”
“An’ live off the fatta the lan’,” Lennie
45 shouted. “An’ have rabbits. Go on,
George! Tell about what we’re gonna
have in the garden and about the rabbits
in the cages and about the rain in the
winter and the stove, and how thick the
50 cream is on the milk like you can hardly
cut it. Tell about that, George.”
“Why’n’t you do it yourself? You know
all of it.”
“No . . . you tell it. It ain’t the same if I
55 tell it. Go on . . . George. How I get to
tend the rabbits.”
“Well,” said George, “we’ll have a big
vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and
chickens. And when it rains in the winter,
60 we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set
around it an’ listen to the rain comin’
down on the roof—Nuts!” He took out his
pocket knife. “I ain’t got time for no
more.” He drove his knife through the top
65 of one of the bean cans, sawed out the
top and passed the can to Lennie.
1
money used to purchase a piece of land
Adapted from John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men.
© 1965 by John Steinbeck.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
Seventeen Syllables
The first Rosie knew that her mother
had taken to writing poems was one
evening when she finished one and read
it aloud for her daughter’s approval. It
5 was about cats, and Rosie pretended to
understand it thoroughly and appreciate
it no end, partly because she hesitated to
disillusion her mother about the quantity
and quality of Japanese she had learned
10 in all the years now that she had been
going to Japanese school every Saturday
(and Wednesday, too, in the summer).
Even so, her mother must have been
skeptical about the depth of Rosie’s
15 understanding, because she explained
afterwards about the kind of poem she
was trying to write.
See, Rosie, she said, it was a haiku,
a poem in which she must pack all her
20 meaning into seventeen syllables only,
which were divided into three lines of
five, seven, and five syllables. In the one
she had just read, she had tried to
capture the charm of a kitten, as well as
25 comment on the superstition that owning
a cat of three colors meant good luck.
“Yes, yes, I understand. How utterly
lovely,” Rosie said, and her mother,
either satisfied or seeing through the
30 deception and resigned, went back to
composing.
The truth was that Rosie was lazy;
English lay ready on the tongue but
Japanese had to be searched for and
35 examined, and even then put forth
tentatively (probably to meet with
laughter). It was so much easier to say
yes, yes, even when one meant no, no.
Besides, this was what was in her mind
40 to say: I was looking through one of your
magazines from Japan last night, Mother,
and towards the back I found some haiku
in English that delighted me. There was
one that made me giggle off and on until
45 I fell asleep—
It is morning, and lo!
I lie awake, comme il faut,1
sighing for some dough.
Now, how to reach her mother, how to
50 communicate the melancholy song?
Rosie knew formal Japanese by fits and
starts, her mother had even less English,
no French. It was much more possible to
say yes, yes.
1
properly, as is necessary
Adapted from “Seventeen Syllables” by Hisaye
Yamamoto. © 1988 by Hisaye Yamamoto
DeSoto.
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 2 – Nonfiction
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00138-00
00138-01
00138-02
Key
Cognitive
Level
D
A
L2
L2
00138-03
B
L2
00138-04
00138-05
B
A
L2
L3
00138-06
C
L3
00089-00
00089-01
00089-02
00089-03
00089-04
B
D
C
C
L2
L2
L2
L3
00089-05
A
L2
00089-06
D
L3
00090-00
00090-01
D
L2
00090-02
00090-03
C
B
L3
L2
00090-04
A
L3
Standard
A.5.e
A.5.a
A.5.e
A.5.b
A.5.c
A.5.e
A.6.c
B.3.c
A.5.f
A.6.b
B.3.a
A.8.d
A.8.d
A.5.e
A.5.h
A.6.c
A.5.h
A.6.c
A.5.h
B.3.a
A.6.a
A.6.c
B.3.d
A.5.h
A.6.a
A.6.c
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
00090-05
B
L2
00090-06
C
L3
A.5.f
A.6.b
A.5.h
B.3.a
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
Date:
Class/Period:
Fast Food Nation
5
10
15
20
Over the last three decades, fast food
has infiltrated every nook and cranny of
American society. An industry that began
with a handful of modest hot dog and
hamburger stands in southern California
has spread to every corner of the nation,
selling a broad range of foods wherever
paying customers may be found. Fast
food is now served at restaurants and
drive-throughs, at stadiums, airports,
zoos, high schools, elementary schools,
and universities, on cruise ships, trains,
and airplanes, at gas stations, and even
at hospital cafeterias. Americans now
spend more money on fast food than on
higher education, personal computers,
computer software, or new cars. They
spend more on fast food than on movies,
books, magazines, newspapers, videos,
and recorded music—combined.
Pull open the glass door, feel the rush
of cool air, walk in, get in line, study the
backlit color photographs above the
counter, place your order, hand over a
25 few dollars, watch teenagers in uniforms
pushing various buttons, and moments
later take hold of a plastic tray full of food
wrapped in colored paper and cardboard.
The whole experience of buying fast food
30 has become so routine, like brushing
your teeth or stopping for a red light. It
has become a social custom as
American as a small, rectangular, handheld, frozen, and reheated apple pie.
Hundreds of millions of people buy
fast food every day without giving it much
thought, unaware of the subtle and not
so subtle ramifications of their
purchases. They rarely consider where
40 this food came from, how it was made,
what it is doing to the community around
them. They just grab their tray off the
counter, find a table, take a seat, unwrap
the paper, and dig in. The whole
45 experience is transitory and soon
forgotten. People should know what lies
behind the shiny, happy surface of every
fast food transaction. They should know
what really lurks between those sesame50 seed buns. As the old saying goes: You
are what you eat.
35
Adapted from Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation.
© 2002 by Eric Schlosser.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
What I’ve Missed With My Camcorder
I am a card-carrying parent of this
generation—a memory-card-carrying
member, that is. My husband and I
started early: as soon as we found out I
5 was pregnant, we began poring over
ratings of video cameras alongside cribs
and changing tables. And while the
furniture gathered dust in the nursery as
we waited for the baby, the video camera
10 was pressed into action.
As our family has grown, we’ve
continued documenting it. Whatever our
children’s roles have been in holiday
programs, recitals and sporting events,
15 our roles have been as recorders of
these experiences. We are part of the
herd in the back of the auditorium,
holding devices aloft, alternately
beaming smiles from the side of the
20 camera and glancing into the viewfinder
to keep our kids in frame. Some of our
tapes are labeled—FIRST STEPS,
EATING PEAS, DANCING AT
GRANDPA’S HOUSE, DEER IN
25 YOSEMITE—but recent tapes are simply
dated.
Recently I hit a rough patch with my
11-year-old daughter. I forgot to bring the
video camera to a performance at her
30 school—not entirely accidentally, given
the resentful air between us—and felt no
imperative to stop to buy a disposable
camera.
Late in the program, her class took
35 the stage—my daughter at the center,
with her own microphone. They began to
sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At
the conclusion of the first, grand operatic
chorus, my daughter stepped forward.
40 With a small grin, bright eyes and a
quality of self-possession that I had
never seen in her before, she focused
into the darkened audience and began to
sing the solo part. She sang in a high,
45 clear soprano voice that stunned me. I
don’t recall taking a breath. She didn’t
waver. She didn’t rush. She didn’t make
any embarrassed-looking, apologetic
gestures for taking ownership of the
50 stage—of herself—in those moments. At
the conclusion, I was crying. I felt as if I
were vibrating. This was not because her
voice had been so good. It was because
it had been so much her own.
I could have kicked myself for not
bringing the video camera, but a friend
suggested otherwise: that not filming was
what allowed me to have the
unadulterated joy of this experience.
60 Freed from the demand to document
what was happening, I could live it. I
think of other instances when I’ve caught
glimpses of the people my children are
developing into—moments that come
65 when I don’t expect them and haven’t
prepared myself to receive them. When I
found my daughter sobbing on the sofa
at 4 years old, watching the film “Benji,”
and she tearfully explained, “He doesn’t
70 have anyone to love him,” there was no
video to capture it, but my memory of it is
indelible, and recalling it still makes me
catch my breath.
55
Adapted from Dana Chidekel, “What I’ve Missed
With My Camcorder.” © 2007 by Newsweek, Inc.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
Light Pollution
This week Mars was closer to Earth
than it had been for 60,000 years. But if
you ventured out at night to look for ice
caps and canals, chances are you saw
5 only a slightly brighter and more pinkish
smudge than usual. That’s because
99 percent of Americans (and
Europeans) live in places tainted by light
pollution, according to NASA. Two-thirds
10 of American homes no longer have a
view of silky strands of the Milky Way—
we’ve “lost” 2,000 stars.
Light pollution comes in three basic
types: skyglow, light trespass, and glare.
15 Skyglow is the one that drowns out the
stars. It is caused by poorly designed,
unshielded and improperly aimed
fixtures, like street lamps and billboards
with bottom-mounted lights that “uplight”
20 the advertisement. As the light floods
upward, it reflects off airborne dust and
moisture particles, obscuring the
heavens.
Light trespass hits closer to home: it
25 is light that crosses property lines, like a
neighbor’s security floodlight that
illuminates your backyard. Glare is
caused by too much illumination applied
to one area, like overly bright retail signs
30 or high-wattage floodlights along
highways. The American Automobile
Association has cited glare as a
contributing factor in traffic accidents.
Why has America gone night-light
35 crazy? In part, because fear of the dark
is as old as humanity. Now, thanks to Mr.
Edison and the brothers Klieg, the fear of
evening crime is leading us to replace
the night with an orange-ish twilight
40 zone. But do these bright lights make us
safer? Only in our imaginations. The
“more light is better” myth has been shot
down in a number of studies.
Overlighting does not reduce crime; it
45 merely alleviates fear of crime, possibly
creating a false sense of security.
Excessive lighting can actually increase
danger because it creates deep shadows
where criminals can lurk.
Light pollution is also linked to sleep
disorders, and it can disrupt plant and
animal life, including the nesting and
hatching patterns of endangered
loggerhead turtles on Florida’s beaches.
55 And it is a terrible waste of energy and
money.
50
A generation ago, few Americans
thought about excess noise or fertilizer
runoff; most communities today have
60 rules to fight those types of pollution.
Now it’s time to recognize light pollution
as a danger to our quality of life and our
pocketbooks. I’d like to see the Milky
Way again, wouldn’t you?
Adapted from Charles Lockwood, “Heavens
Above, Parking Lot Below.” © 2003 by The New
York Times Company.
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 3 – Poetry
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00141-00
00141-01
00141-02
Key
Cognitive
Level
A
C
L1
L3
00141-03
C
L3
00141-04
00141-05
00141-06
D
A
B
L2
L2
L3
00141-07
D
L2
00128-00
00128-01
D
L2
00128-02
00128-03
B
A
L2
L2
00128-04
C
L2
00128-05
A
L3
00128-06
C
L3
00143-00
00143-01
00143-02
B
C
L2
L2
00143-03
C
L3
Standard
A.8.b
A.3.d
A.5.e
A.5.f
A.5.h
A.3.d
A.8.d
A.5.f
A.6.b
A.5.a
A.6.b
A.3.d
A.5.e
A.5.a
A.5.c
A.5.f
A.6.b
A.3.d
A.5.e
A.3.d
A.5.e
A.5.f
A.5.h
A.3.d
A.5.h
A.6.c
A.5.e
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
00143-04
00143-05
C
A
L2
L2
00143-06
B
L3
A.6.b
A.3.d
B.2.a
A.3.d
A.5.e
B.3.e
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
Date:
Class/Period:
Countee Cullen was an African American
poet who wrote in the first decades of the
twentieth century, a time when African
Americans had little social power.
From the Dark Tower
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting fruit,
Not always countenance, abject and mute,
That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;
5 Not everlastingly while others sleep
Shall we beguile1 their limbs with mellow flute,
Not always bend to some more subtle brute;
We were not made eternally to weep.
The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
10 White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot bloom at all
In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.
1
to soothe or charm
Countee Cullen, “From the Dark Tower.” © by the Amistad
Research Center.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Nelson, My Dog
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Like the cat he scratches the flea camping in fur.
Unlike the cat he delights in water up to his ears.
He frolics. He catches a crooked stick—
On his back he naps with legs straight up in the air.
Nelson shudders awake. He responds to love
From head to tail. In happiness
His front legs march in place
And his back legs spark when they push off.
On a leash he knows his geography.
For your sake he looks both ways before crossing,
He sniffs at the sight of a poodle trimmed like a hedge,
And he trots the street with you second in command.
In the park, he ponders a squirrel attached to a tree
And he shovels a paper cup on his nose.
He sweeps after himself with his tail,
And there is no hand that doesn’t deserve a lick.
Note this now, my friends:
Nelson can account the heritage of heroic dogs:
One, canines lead the blind,
Two, they enter fire to rescue the child and the child’s toy,
Three, they swim for the drowning,
Four, they spring at the thief,
Five, they paddle ponds for the ball that got away,
Six, for the elderly they walk side by side to the very end,
Seven, they search for bones but stop when called,
Eight, they bring mud to all parties,
Nine, they poke among the ruins of a burnt house,
Ten, they forgive what you dish out on a plate.
Nelson is a companion, this much we know,
And if he were a movie star, he would do his own stunts—
O, how he would fly, climb the pant legs of a scoundrel
And stand tall rafting on the white-water rivers!
He has befriended the kingdom of animals:
He once ran with wolves but admittedly not very far,
He stepped two paces into a cave and peeked at the bear,
He sheltered a kitten,
He righted the turtle pedaling its stumps on its back,
Under the wheeling stars he caravanned with the mule,
He steered sheep over a hill,
He wisely let the skunk pass,
He growled at the long-bearded miser,
He joined ducks quacking with laughter,
Once he leaped at a pheasant but later whined from guilt.
Nelson’s black nose is a compass in the wilds.
He knows nature. He has spied spires of summer smoke,
He circled cold campfires,
He howled at a gopher and scratched at the moon,
He doctored his wounds with his tongue,
He has pawed a star of blood left in the snow.
He regards the fireplace, the embers like blinking cats,
55
60
This too we know about Nelson.
True, he is sometimes tied to parking meters
And sometimes wears the cone of shame from the vet’s office.
But again, he is happiness.
He presents his belly for a friendly scratch.
If you call him, he will drop his tennis ball,
Look up, and come running,
This muddy friend for life. When you bring your nose
To his nose for something like a kiss,
You can find yourself in his eyes.
Gary Soto, “Nelson, My Dog.” © 2007 by Gary Soto.
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
The Fawn
5
10
There it was I saw what I shall never forget
And never retrieve.
Monstrous and beautiful to human eyes, hard to believe,
He lay, yet there he lay,
Asleep on the moss, his head on his polished cleft small ebony hooves,
The child of the doe, the dappled child of the deer.
Surely his mother had never said, “Lie here
Till I return,” so spotty and plain to see
On the green moss lay he.
His eyes had opened; he considered me.
I would have given more than I care to say
To thrifty ears, might I have had him for my friend
One moment only of that forest day:
15
20
Might I have had the acceptance, not the love
Of those clear eyes;
Might I have been for him the bough above
Or the root beneath his forest bed,
A part of the forest, seen without surprise.
Was it alarm, or was it the wind of my fear lest he depart
That jerked him to his jointy knees,
And sent him crashing off, leaping and stumbling
On his new legs, between the stems of the white trees?
Edna St. Vincent Millay, “The Fawn.” © 1956 by Norma Millay Ellis.
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 4 – Drama
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00101-00
00101-01
Key
Cognitive
Level
B
L2
00101-02
B
L3
00101-03
C
L2
00101-04
00101-05
D
A
L2
L3
00101-06
D
L3
00160-00
00160-01
C
L2
00160-02
A
L3
00160-03
C
L2
00160-04
00160-05
C
C
L2
L2
00160-06
B
L3
Standard
A.3.c
A.5.e
A.5.c
A.6.b
A.5.h
A.6.b
A.8.d
A.3.c
B.3.a
A.3.c
A.5.e
A.6.c
A.5.c
A.5.e
A.5.f
A.6.b
A.5.a
A.6.b
A.6.b
A.3.c
A.5.e
A.5.c
A.6.c
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
Date:
Class/Period:
In this passage, Roxane does not know
that Cyrano is the true author of the love
letters she thinks are from Christian.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano:
I’ve come to ask Roxane, as I do
every day whether her soulmate is
still a model of perfection.
5 Roxane [Coming out of the house]:
Oh, he’s so handsome! And such a
brilliant mind! I can’t tell you how
much I love him!
Cyrano [Smiling]:
You feel that Christian has a brilliant
10
mind?
Roxane:
Even more brilliant than yours!
15
Cyrano:
I won’t contest that.
Roxane:
I don’t believe there’s anyone in the
world who can match him in saying
those sweet nothings that mean
everything. Sometimes he seems
20
distracted and his inspiration falters,
then all at once he says exquisite
things to me!
25
Cyrano [Incredulously]:
Really?
Roxane:
Just like a man! Because he’s
handsome, you think he has to be
dull-witted!
30 Cyrano:
Does he speak well about matters of
the heart?
Roxane:
Not well—superbly!
35 Cyrano:
And how does he write?
Roxane:
Even better than he speaks! Just
listen to this! [Reading from the letter]
“The more you take of my heart, the
40
more I have!” [Triumphantly] There,
what do you think of that?
Cyrano [Unenthusiastically]:
Oh . . .
45 Roxane:
And this: “Since I need a heart with
which to suffer, if you keep mine,
send me yours!”
Cyrano:
First he has too much heart, then not
50
enough. He can’t seem to make up
his mind.
Roxane [Stamping her foot]:
You’re exasperating! You only talk
like that because you’re jealous . . .
55
Cyrano [Starting]:
What?
Roxane:
. . . of the way he writes! Listen to this
and tell me if you think anything could
60
be more tender: “Believe me when I
say that my heart cries out to you,
and that if kisses could be sent in
writing, you would read this letter with
your lips.”
65
Cyrano [Smiling with satisfaction in spite
of himself]:
Well, those lines are . . . [Catches
himself and continues in a disdainful
tone.] . . . rather affected.
70
Roxane:
And listen to this . . . .
Cyrano [Delighted]:
You know all his letters by heart?
75 Roxane:
Every one of them!
Cyrano [Twisting his mustache]:
That’s quite flattering.
80
Roxane:
He’s a master of eloquence!
Cyrano [Modestly]:
Let’s not exaggerate. . . .
Roxane:
A master!
85 Cyrano [Bowing]:
Very well, then, a master!
Adapted from Edmond de Rostand, Cyrano de
Bergerac [Lowell Bair, Trans.]. © 1972 by Lowell
Bair.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
In this scene, a new high school student
is introduced during gym class.
Cher:
If you make the decision to date a
high school boy, they are the only
acceptable ones.
Clueless
Principal:
Miss Stoeger? Got another one.
Ladies, we have a new student with
us. This is Tai Frasier.
45 Tai:
Cher, which one of them is your
boyfriend?
Cher:
As if!
5 Miss Stoeger:
Tai, you don’t have time to change,
but you could hit a few balls in those
clothes.
10
Amber:
She could be a farmer in those
clothes.
Cher:
Dee, my mission is clear. Would you
look at that girl? She is so adorably
15
clueless. We have got to adopt her.
Dionne:
Cher, she is toe-up. Our stock would
plummet.
20
50 Dionne:
Cher’s got attitude about high school
boys.
Cher:
It’s a personal choice every woman
has got to make for herself.
55
[Murray approaches the girls.]
Murray [To Dionne]:
Woman, lend me five dollars.
60
Cher [motions to Tai]:
C’mere. Yeah, c’mere. Hang with us.
Murray:
Excuse me, Miss Dionne.
Tai:
Oh, thank you.
[Scene changes to the girls walking
down the main path at the school.]
25 Cher [voice over]:
So, we decided to show Tai the ropes
at Bronson Alcott High School.
Cher:
That is Alana’s group over there.
30
They do the T.V. station. They think
that’s the most important thing on
Earth. And that’s the Preppie Mafia.
You can’t hang with them unless you
own a BMW. And there’s Elton in the
35
white vest, and all the most popular
boys in the school.
Dionne:
Including my boyfriend. Ain’t he cute?
40
Tai:
Yeah.
Dionne:
Murray, I have asked you repeatedly
not to call me Woman!
65
Dionne:
Thank you.
Murray:
OK, but street slang is an increasingly
valid form of expression. Most of the
feminine pronouns do have mocking,
but not necessarily misogynistic,1
70
undertones.
Tai:
Wow! You guys talk like grown-ups.
75
Cher:
Oh, well, this is a really good school.
Oooh, project! I’ve got an idea. Let’s
do a makeover!
Tai:
No, no.
80 Dionne:
Oh, c’mon! Let us! Cher’s main thrill
in life is a makeover, OK, it gives her
a sense of control in a world full of
chaos.
85 Cher:
Pleeeaaase?
Tai:
Sure. Why not?
1
having anti-woman qualities or purpose
Adapted from Amy Heckerling, Clueless. © 1995
by Amy Heckerling.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 5 – Usage and Mechanics
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00113
Key
C
Cognitive
Level
L3
00174
00126
00097
00095
00107
00165
00118
00163
00152
00120
00162
00157
00115
C
C
D
A
C
C
A
C
C
C
D
A
D
L3
L2
L3
L2
L2
L3
L2
L3
L3
L2
L2
L2
L2
00146
B
L3
00094
00105
C
D
L2
L3
00112
B
L3
Standard
B.6.a
B.6.b
B.6.b
B.6.b
B.6.b
B.6.c
B.4.f
B.4.f
B.4.c
B.4.a
B.4.a
B.4.a
B.5.e
B.5.d
B.5.d
B.5.f
B.5.e
B.5.d
B.5.f
B.5.c
B.5.c
B.5.d
B.5.b
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
1)
2)
3)
Date:
Class/Period:
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 9 – Benchmark 6 – Essay: Reflective Narrative
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. This particular
Benchmark Assessment is a 45-minute essay that mirrors the constructed-response portion of the
QualityCore End-of-Course Assessment. (For other, less demanding constructed-response
tasks, see the Formative Item Pool for this course.)
The scoring rubric appears at the end of this assessment. The scoring rubric can be included or
excluded at your discretion.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name:
Teacher:
Date:
Class/Period:
1)
Please use the space below to write your response(s) to the writing assignment provided by your
teacher. If there are multiple tasks to the question, please clearly label the number or letter of each
task in the column to the left of your answers. If you need additional pages for your response, your
teacher can provide them.
Please write the name of the writing assignment here: _____________________________________
Task
Answer Key
QualityCore® Analytic Scoring Rubric for English 9
Purpose: To Present a Reflective Narrative
Reflective Narrative
Development
Organization
Language
Score: 6
Responses
at this score
point
demonstrate
effective
skill in
writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates an
insightful and thorough
understanding of the reflective
narrative task and memorably
describes and critically analyzes an
experience of meaningful reflective
significance. Reflection in the
response is integrated, embedded in
a way that clearly leads the reader
from specific personal experience to
the abstraction that underlies it.
The response describes an
appropriate experience in
memorable detail. Reflective
ideas are thoroughly explained.
The response maintains an
effective balance between
describing the experience and
relating it to the abstract.
The response achieves
unity through a natural
progression of ideas,
sequenced through lines of
thought rather than
external organizational
patterns. The response
provides closure, leaving
the reader with something
to think about.
The writing is engaging, using
strong and expressive sentences
with varied structure. The
response uses precise,
imaginative, and metaphoric
language in addition to strong
verbs and sensory images.
Although there may be a few
minor errors in grammar, usage,
and mechanics, meaning is clear
throughout the response.
Score: 5
Responses
at this score
point
demonstrate
competent
skill in
writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates a
thoughtful understanding of the
reflective narrative task,
successfully describes and analyzes
an experience of meaningful
reflective significance, and clearly
expresses integral connections
between personal experience and
abstract ideas.
The response describes an
appropriate experience with
strong detail. Reflective ideas
are clearly explained. The
response maintains a balance
between describing the
experience and relating it to the
abstract.
The response offers a
well-sequenced beginning,
middle, and end, with a
logical progression of
ideas. The response
provides closure, leaving
the reader with something
to think about.
The writing is clear, and
sentences have varied structure.
Language is evocative, with
strong verbs, sensory images,
and figurative language. There
are a few errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics, but they
are rarely distracting and
meaning is clear.
Score: 4
Responses at
this score
point
demonstrate
adequate skill
in writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates
understanding of the reflective
narrative task, adequately describes
and analyzes an experience of
reflective significance, and
establishes a connection between
personal experience and more
general ideas.
The response describes an
appropriate experience with
some original detail.
Reflective ideas are adequately
explained. The response
mostly maintains a balance
between describing the
experience and relating it to the
abstract, although one may be
slightly underdeveloped.
The response offers a clear
beginning, middle, and
end, although it may seem
restricted by an
organizational formula.
Ideas are logically
grouped throughout the
response. The response
includes a clear and
adequate closing.
The writing is clear, with a little
sentence variety and some
successful use of sensory images
and figurative language.
There are some distracting
errors in grammar, usage, and
mechanics, but meaning is
usually clear.
Score: 3
Responses at
this score
point
demonstrate
some
developing
skill in
writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates limited
understanding of the reflective
narrative task, attempts to describe
and analyze an experience of
reflective significance with limited
success, and suggests a connection
between personal experience and
more general ideas, although
reflection is brief or unclear.
The response describes an
appropriate experience but
offers few and mostly mundane
details. Reflective ideas are
only somewhat explained. The
response is poorly balanced;
either the description of the
experience or the reflection is
significantly underdeveloped.
The response shows
evidence of organization
but tends to digress at
times. Most ideas in the
response are logically
grouped. The response
offers an underdeveloped
or unsuccessful closing.
The writing is clear, but general,
and lacks sentence variety.
Creative or descriptive language
use is minimal or ineffective.
Errors in grammar, usage, and
mechanics are distracting and
occasionally impede
understanding.
Score: 2
Responses at
this score
point
demonstrate
inconsistent
or weak skill
in writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates little
understanding of the reflective
narrative task. Any attempt at
description and analysis of an
experience of reflective significance
is inaccurate, confusing, or unclear.
The response lacks connection
between personal experience and
more general ideas.
The response reports rather
than describes an appropriate
experience. Explanations of
reflective ideas are incomplete
or unclear. The response is not
balanced; either the description
of the experience or the
reflection is significantly
underdeveloped or absent.
The response shows some
evidence of organization
but is somewhat
confusing. Only some
ideas are logically
grouped in the response.
The response offers a
weak closing.
The writing is generally
understandable, but sentence
structure and word use are basic.
Little or no creative or
descriptive language is
attempted. Errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics are
frequently distracting and
sometimes impede
understanding.
Score: 1
Responses at
this score
point
demonstrate
little or no
skill in
writing a
reflective
narrative.
The response demonstrates no
understanding of the reflective
narrative task, does not describe and
analyze an experience of reflective
significance, and offers no
connection between personal
experience and more general ideas.
The response may not describe
an appropriate experience, may
lack explanation of reflective
ideas, or may be comprised
entirely of a description of the
experience.
The response shows little
or no evidence of
organization and little or
no logical grouping of
ideas. The response is
missing a closing.
The writing is not clear and may
be confusing or hard to follow.
The descriptive nature of the
task is unacknowledged. Errors
in grammar, usage, and
mechanics are frequently
distracting and significantly
impede understanding.
Score: 0
Unscorable: response is blank, off-topic, illegible, or written in another language.
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 9
Course Description and Syllabus
Course Description and Syllabus
English 9
Description
“What does it mean to be an adolescent?” Learning focused on questions of this kind helps
students discover different perspectives about their lives and reminds them that the quality of a
question often matters more than knowing any one particular answer. Such questions provide
multiple avenues for exploration and instruction: students might learn more about themselves by
reading two articles about the adolescent brain—one from a popular newsmagazine and the
other from a more scientific source—or by reading stories of teens who make a difference in their
communities.
Asking and having students answer such questions is one way to guide learning in a rigorous
English 9 course. Other aspects of such a course include:
•
•
•
•
•
Reading that challenges students to approach texts with a questioning stance;
Writing that requires the synthesis of disparate pieces of information and the revision
of multiple drafts;
Varied assessments that are used to inform instruction;
Student discourse about print and nonprint texts;
Relevant projects that require students to take ownership of their learning.
Scaffolded strategies and interdisciplinary materials ensure that students become invested in
their work and thus involved in answering questions of importance to their lives.
A rigorous ninth-grade English course helps students find pleasure in reading, encourages them
to read and think critically, and helps them to see that reading can have relevance to their lives.
For example, students read stories in which adolescent characters make important decisions and
then compare these characters with themselves. As students read Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a
Mockingbird, they learn to ask critical questions about the points being made by the writer, about
how the writer is trying to influence them, and about which characters’ voices are privileged and
which go unheard. Incorporating songs such as “Strange Fruit” and paintings like Maggie
Taylor’s Southern Gothic into the study of literature allows students to make connections
between different art forms and disciplines and to gain a deeper sense of the historical context of
the novel. Similarly, when students read, study, and discuss Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,
popular songs might be paired with clips from Zefferelli’s film version of the play to help students
see the relevance of this drama to their lives and to encourage them to think about how attitudes
toward love, sex, and parental authority have and have not changed since Shakespeare’s time.
Finally, students might read all or parts of Ben Saenz’s Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, a love
story set in a barrio, and speculate about the different perspectives Romeo, Juliet, Sammy, and
Juliana would have about what it means to be an adolescent.
In a rigorous English 9 course, students write both formally and informally: personal narratives or
autobiographies, expository or informative essays, short journal entries, casual notes or memos,
persuasive columns, poetry, and essays that analyze literature. For example, while studying To
Kill a Mockingbird, students in small collaborative groups could create a newspaper for the
fictional citizens of Maycomb, writing fact- and opinion-based articles about the events described
in the book as well as attention-getting headlines. Other writing assignments could ask students
to compose memos that Atticus Finch might write to a fellow lawyer, to describe their own
personal histories, to write poems voicing teenage Eliezer’s thoughts about Moishe the Beadle in
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
Elie Wiesel’s short memoir Night, or to explain recent discoveries about the adolescent brain.
Informally, students might write quick responses to a piece the teacher reads aloud, take notes
on a lecture, or respond to a peer’s queries about a draft. In this manner, students will write with
more fluency and begin to master varied forms of writing.
As students write and talk about their writing with their teacher and peers, they revisit the
process of writing both conceptually and at the sentence level. Writer’s workshops help
students draft and revise essays. In this process, students learn to use varied methods of
organization, to formulate and refine thesis statements, and to write more sophisticated
sentences. They learn grammar in the context of their own writing by revising faulty sentences
from personal essays or by parsing and imitating a complex declarative sentence from Richard
Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” the story of an adolescent yearning to be treated
like an adult. Asking students to choose their favorite writings for inclusion in a portfolio leads
them to reflect on what they value in their work, and asking them to create class rubrics helps
them analyze what makes a piece of writing successful.
Assessments, both formal and informal, are used to guide instruction and monitor growth.
Assessments may occur throughout the class period, as when, after reading Robert Frost’s
“The Road Not Taken,” the teacher inquires which students can describe a time when they
themselves chose not to take a certain path, and then asks those students to begin the
discussion. In other cases, the teacher might require students to create two exam questions
about a just-studied section of The Odyssey and then use revisions of those questions on a
quiz. The teacher could ask students to identify and write about a compelling quotation in the
first chapter of Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John to see how well they focus on Kincaid’s rhythmic
language. These informal assessments work in tandem and build toward formal assessments,
such as tests, speeches, group presentations, and essays crafted to a specific rubric. Such
ongoing assessments ensure the teacher has sufficient information to successfully guide the
class and to revise instruction as necessary.
Throughout the rigorous English 9 course, students are encouraged to take increasing
ownership of their own and others’ learning. Discussions are scaffolded so that students first
write for themselves, then discuss in pairs, and finally share with a larger group. For example,
students reading James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” could write a quick, informal
evaluation of the narrator’s relationship to his brother Doodle to prepare for a group discussion.
Then, they might share those evaluations with a partner to gain confidence before contributing
to a class discussion. Students also begin to take leadership in discussions. They might watch
as the teacher models writing literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions about Julia Alvarez’s
novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Then, after responding to those questions in a
teacher-led discussion group, students could read Geeks, Jon Katz’s nonfiction tale of teenage
computer hackers, and practice asking literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions about that
text in a student-led discussion. Assignments that require independent reading challenge
students to choose appropriate reading materials based upon specific criteria, to read in their
free time, and to demonstrate their learning through presentations, reports, collages, or
discussions. Likewise, compiling and organizing notebooks for class notes and handouts helps
students meet deadlines and track their progress. In these and other ways, students take
responsibility for their learning.
By encouraging students to read critically, write recursively, discuss collaboratively, and create,
present, and view projects that are relevant to their lives, a rigorous English 9 course helps
students become active and responsible learners. Students will discover personal answers to
the question of what it means to be an adolescent, whether they find answers in the film version
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
of To Kill a Mockingbird, in peers’ dramatic reading of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “We Wear
the Mask,” in the autobiographical essays they write, or in interviews with their elders about
what adolescence was like in the past. By setting a strong foundation for students’ future high
school work and refining their abilities as thinkers, readers, writers, viewers, and speakers, a
rigorous English 9 course makes it easier for students to feel successful as they learn what it
means to be an adolescent.
Model Course Syllabus
On Course for Success (2004) revealed that rigorous English 9 syllabi share several important
characteristics. Not only do they describe the course and identify the content it will cover, but
also they outline policies to which teachers and students are held accountable. This model
syllabus is a composite drawn from the syllabi studied in On Course for Success. As a model, it
is addressed to students and should be used as a general guideline, adapted according to the
policies of a particular district, school, or teacher.
Course Overview
Welcome to English 9! I feel privileged to journey with you as you enter your first year of high
school and venture into a more sophisticated study of literature and writing. I am also looking
forward to participating in rich discussions and engaging learning activities with you. In this
class, I will hold you to high standards of behavior and academic performance. If you put forth
your best effort in these areas, you will be successful.
The curriculum in this course is designed to broaden your literary knowledge, deepen your
thinking about important topics, develop your communication skills, connect your learning to
other classes, and give you multiple opportunities to work with a variety of people on different
tasks. I hope that you will approach this class with the same enthusiasm with which it was
designed.
Course Content
Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reading Across the Curriculum
Reading Strategies
Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
Influences on Texts
Author’s Voice and Method
Persuasive Language and Logic
Literary Criticism
Words and Their History
Writing
•
•
•
•
Writing Process
Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
Organization, Unity, and Coherence
Sentence-Level Constructions
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
•
•
Conventions of Usage
Conventions of Punctuation
Research
Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
•
•
Comprehension and Analysis
Application
Study Skills and Test Taking
Course Materials
•
•
•
•
Pen or pencil
The book and/or essays we’re reading
Independent reading book (for sustained silent reading)
Class notebook: You’ll need a three-ring binder to organize your class materials. Divide
your binder into the following sections:
 Class Notes
 Writing
 Grammar and Vocabulary
 Highlighted and Annotated Texts
 Graded Tests and Quizzes
Course Policies
Attendance/Absences/Makeup Work: Your presence (mind and body) in class is essential. If you
must miss class due to illness or other circumstances beyond your control, it is your responsibility
to find out which assignments you missed, to acquire the handouts, and to borrow and copy the
class notes for the day(s) you were absent. Because you will have at least a week’s lead time for
papers and other major assignments, the due date remains the same regardless of your absence.
If you are ill the day a paper is due, ask a friend to turn it in for you. If an emergency arises
(illness or otherwise) and you absolutely cannot complete an assignment, I will need a note from
your parent/guardian explaining the situation.
Late Assignments: Your responsibilities in this class include keeping your own up-to-date
assignment notebook, maintaining pace with the reading, and turning in all assignments on time.
If you do not understand an assignment, ask for help far enough in advance to have time to finish
the assignment. If you are having personal difficulties apart from class, talk to me before an
assigned due date so that we can make other arrangements. Otherwise, each day an assignment
is late, I will subtract 10% from the grade. Once I have graded and returned an assignment, you
cannot turn that assignment in for credit.
You will be given at least a week’s lead time for out-of-class papers and other major assignments,
so plan accordingly. If you spend most weeknights working on daily homework for other classes,
you will probably need to block out a significant amount of time on the weekend for prewriting,
writing, and revising your work.
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
Classroom Rules/Expectations: I expect you to be in class and ready to work when the bell
rings. Have your assignment ready to hand in if one is due. Finally, show as much respect
toward one another and toward me as I show for you.
Reading: Keeping up with reading assignments is crucial to your success in this class. If you have
not read the assignment, you cannot thoughtfully participate in class discussion. If you fall behind
in the reading, you will become overwhelmed and set yourself up for frustration when it comes
time to write a paper. Bear in mind that some of the reading will be difficult, and you may not
understand it all the first time. That’s OK; I want the reading to stretch your thinking. Do the best
you can to understand; meanwhile, write down questions in your notebook that we can address in
class. I am always happy to help anyone who asks for help.
Plagiarism/Cheating: I begin the year with complete trust and faith in each of you. Please do not
abuse that trust by being dishonest. Learning cooperatively is great, and I encourage you to get
together to brainstorm and discuss assignments. When you sit down to complete an individual
assignment, however, let the work be yours alone. Penalties for plagiarism—another word for
cheating—are stiff. If two papers resemble each other too closely, I will split the points. If a paper
is obviously copied, whether from a classmate’s work or from the Internet, it will receive no credit.
Grading Policy
Evaluation: For major assignments I will provide the rubrics or explain the expectations that I will
use to assess your work. For general reference, however, here are five similes to represent my
expectations for assignments:
A Like a banana split with all the toppings and some original ingredients, “A” work goes
above and beyond expectations. It not only demonstrates an understanding of concepts
discussed in class, but also takes risks and presents additional insights.
B Like homemade vanilla ice cream, “B” work demonstrates understanding of the concepts
presented in class and shows thought and effort, but it doesn’t take any risks or offer fresh
insight.
C Like yogurt or fat-free ice cream, “C” work is solid but doesn’t pack the punch of “A” or “B”
work. It’s competent but not dazzling.
D Like freezer-burned ice cream on a soggy cone, a “D” paper is there, but leaves a bad
taste. “D” work just doesn’t hang together and probably shows lack of thought and effort.
F Like a half-eaten ice-cream cone that has fallen on the floor, “F” work is definitely better
than zero, but it is clearly not up to snuff. It is the result of careless work and poor
planning.
Letter grades are based upon the percentage of points accumulated over the course of the
semester. While these grades are ultimately what will go on your transcript, I hope you will also
assess your own learning for each assignment by asking the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
How would I describe my effort on this assignment (e.g., tried my hardest, didn't really
try)?
What did I learn?
What am I still confused about?
What would I do differently to improve my work?
What resources, if any, did I use to aid me in completing the assignment?
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
•
•
Did I spend time polishing this assignment, or was it done in a hurry?
What can I do on my next assignment to perform at or above my current performance
level?
If you take the time to think these things through before you turn in an assignment, you should
be quite happy with your performance on a given task. Remember, I am looking for effort and
quality rather than perfection.
Extra Credit: Extra work, at times, merits extra points. I will offer various extra credit
opportunities throughout the year.
Freebies: I expect your work to be in on time. Still, I know I occasionally get bogged down in
work, or something unexpected comes up and I cannot get your papers back to you as quickly
as I’d like. I assume the same things happen to you, so each semester I’ll give you one
“Freebie”—i.e., a one-school-day extension without penalty.
Course Procedures
Format of Papers: I expect all papers written outside of class to be typed. Hand in to me the
final draft along with all previous drafts stapled to the back. Please adhere to the following
guidelines:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use white paper and black ink.
Use a sensible font (for example, 12-point Times New Roman).
Double-space all text.
Use one-inch page margins.
Include on the first page the title of your paper, your name, and your period number.
Include page numbers on the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Grammar: Good grammar is essential to your success in all classes throughout your high school
career. It will also serve you beyond high school, in the real world, where you will have to write
letters, memos, and other documents. Teaching grammar, however, always presents a
conundrum: out of context it seems artificial and pointless; in context it can seem punitive. In this
class we will compromise by studying grammar in context but without penalty. You will be held
especially responsible for correctly applying the grammatical conventions we review in class in all
your written work.
Personal Statement
It is very important that you review your notes and homework frequently! The homework I assign
will have one or more of the following aims:
•
•
•
•
Practice reinforces the learning of material presented in class and helps you
master specific skills.
Preparation provides supporting information—history, skills, definitions—for
what’s forthcoming; it will help when new material is covered in class.
Extension or elaboration involves the transfer of previously learned skills to new
situations.
Integration asks you to apply skills and concepts to produce a single product.
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
I will make every effort to communicate the purpose of homework assignments to you. If you are
having difficulties with anything covered in this course, see me as soon as possible. Times when
I am available for extra help are included on the next page.
I am excited and proud to be teaching this course. The nature of this course is to challenge and
to push you to stretch beyond what you already know and can do. Although I expect you to work
hard this year, I will never give you an assignment or expect you to do anything I haven’t already
done or wouldn’t/couldn’t have done myself when I was your age. I also want to say now that I
appreciate your effort and value each of you as important members of the class, regardless of
the grade you earn from me. Your grade does not equate to your value as a person. My wish is
to help you discover and cultivate your gifts for use in a meaningful life.
Additional Information
I prefer that you ask questions in class. If you do not want to ask a specific question in class,
please see me after class or after school. If questions come up outside of regular school hours
that cannot wait until the next day, please use the following guidelines:
•
•
E-mail—I prefer out-of-school questions be submitted by e-mail. My e-mail address
is: [email protected]. I will try to respond to an e-mailed question within
one school day.
Telephone—If you have a question that simply cannot wait, you may call me at home
(555-1234) no later than 9:00 p.m. Please do not abuse this privilege by waiting until the
last minute to start homework and then finding out you have questions.
Signature(s): Discuss this course syllabus with your parent(s) or guardian(s). The yellow copy is
for you to keep. Please sign and return the blue copy to me by next Friday. I am looking forward
to working with you this year.
I, _____________________ (Student), have read and understand the Geometry course
syllabus and the course expectations.
I, _____________________ (Parent/Guardian), have read and understand the Geometry
course syllabus and the course expectations.
Student Signature: ____________________________________Date: _____________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________Date: _____________
PLEASE PLACE THIS DOCUMENT IN YOUR CLASS NOTEBOOK FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE.
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
Suggested Texts for a Rigorous English 9 Course
Like the syllabus, the list of suggested texts was compiled through the On Course for Success
study. It is not intended to be a comprehensive booklist for any single English 9 course. Rather,
it represents a diverse collection of texts that have been taught in successful classrooms. It can
be used as a point of comparison to a particular district’s, school’s, or teacher’s current English
9 curriculum and as a means to prompt conversation and reflection among teachers within and
across school districts.
Author
Drama
William Gibson
William Shakespeare
Sophocles
Thornton Wilder
Fiction
Julia Alvarez
Jane Austen
James Baldwin
Pearl Buck
Albert Camus
Bill and Vera Cleaver
Charles Dickens
Ernest J. Gaines
Betty Greene
Rosa Guy
Ernest Hemingway
Victor Hugo
Harper Lee
Sinclair Lewis
Toni Morrison
Walter Dean Myers
George Orwell
Ann Petry
John Steinbeck
Mark Twain
Eudora Welty
T.H. White
Elie Wiesel
Richard Wright
Nonfiction
Peter Abrahams
Maya Angelou
Aristotle
Title
The Miracle Worker
Julius Caesar
Romeo and Juliet
Antigone
Our Town
How the García Girls Lost their Accent
Pride and Prejudice
Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Good Earth
The Stranger
Where the Lilies Bloom
David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Gathering of Old Men
Summer of My German Soldier
The Friends
The Old Man and the Sea
Les Misérables
To Kill A Mockingbird
Main Street
The Bluest Eye
The Glory Field
Animal Farm
The Street
Of Mice and Men
The Pearl
Pudd’nhead Wilson
Ponder Heart
The Robber Bridegroom
The Once and Future King
Night
Black Boy
Tell Freedom
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Theory of Tragedy
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
Author
Charles Dickens
Frederick Douglass
Olaudah Equiano
Jessie Fauset
Zora Neale Hurston
Ann Petry
Brian Piccolo
Plutarch
Sojourner Truth
Booker T. Washington
Title
Fragments of an Autobiography
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano
A Review of The Weary Blues
Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography
The Street
A Short Season
The Life of Caesar
Ain’t I a Woman?
Up From Slavery
Epic Poetry
Homer
Stephen Mitchell
D. T. Niane
The Odyssey
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
Sundiata
Poetry
Anonymous
Arna Bontemps
Sterling Brown
Countee Cullen
Emily Dickinson
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Robert Frost
Thom Gurin
Langston Hughes
James Weldon Johnson
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Claude McKay
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Llewelyn Powys
Dudley Randall
Theodore Roethke
Gary Soto
Stephen Spender
Jean Toomer
Paul Vesey
Margaret Walker
Phyllis Wheatley
Walt Whitman
“John Henry”
“A Black Man Talks of Reaping”
“Strange Legacies”
“From the Dark Tower”
“A Bird Came Down the Walk”
“I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose”
“Douglass”
“We Wear the Mask”
“When Malindy Sings”
“It Bids Pretty Fair”
“The Cat and the Wind”
“Dream Deferred”
“Harlem”
“I, Too”
“Mother to Son”
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers”
“The Weary Blues”
“The Creation”
“The Day Is Done”
“America”
“The Fawn”
“Black Laughter”
“Booker T. and W.E.B “
“The Meadow Mouse”
“Space”
“The Empty House”
“Song of the Son”
“To Satch”
“For My People”
“Lineage”
“On Being Brought from Africa to America”
“O Captain! My Captain!”
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
Author
Short Story
James Baldwin
Alice Childress
Richard Connell
Rudolph Fisher
Ernest Gaines
Chester Himes
Langston Hughes
Guy de Maupassant
John Steinbeck
Richard Wright
Song
James Weldon Johnson
Bessie Smith
Folk Tale
Zora Neale Hurston
Title
“The Rockpile”
“The Pocketbook Game”
“The Most Dangerous Game”
“Miss Cynthie”
“Robert Louis Stevenson Banks AKA Chimley”
“Black Laughter”
“Simple Speaks His Mind “
“The Necklace”
“The Pearl”
“The Man Who Was Almost A Man”
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”
“Back Water Blues”
Mules and Men
Spirituals
Fairy Tales and Myths
Olode the Hunter Becomes Oba
Osebo’s Drum (A Tale from Ghana)
Spider’s Bargain with God
Talk (tall tale)
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 9
References
ACT, Inc., & The Education Trust. (2004). On course for success: A close look at selected high
school courses that prepare all students for college. Iowa City, IA: Author.
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER-E9-CD.2.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 9
ACT Course Standards
ACT Course Standards
English 9
A set of empirically derived course standards is the heart of each QualityCore® English course.
The ACT Course Standards represent a solid evidence-based foundation in English. They were
developed from an intensive study of high-performing high schools with significant minority and
low-income enrollments that produced many graduates who met or exceeded ACT College
Readiness Benchmark Scores (See http://www.act.org/path/policy/reports/success.html).
This document contains a list of ACT Course Standards for a rigorous English 9 course—what
students should know and be able to do in the course—and a worksheet teachers can use to
compare their course content to these standards. The ACT standards encompass the following
overarching themes and/or foundational concepts:
A. Reading
B. Writing
C. Research
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Becoming well versed in the English language arts requires students to develop skills and
understandings that are closely intertwined; such connectedness helps students become
discerning and thoughtful readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and viewers of texts both inside and
outside of the classroom.
A. Reading
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading
level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and
nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
2. Reading Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading increasingly
challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading on, changing rate of
reading, subvocalizing)
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking and
answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other coursework
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 9
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems, plays,
biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of nonliterary forms (e.g., workplace and
technical documents)
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the life of Helen
Keller as presented in her autobiography The Story of My Life and in the play and movie The Miracle Worker)
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., Our Town, Romeo and Juliet) and analyze its conventions to identify how they
express a writer’s meaning
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g., meter,
rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices (e.g.,
metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
4. Influences on Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place in which it is set or in which it was written
(e.g., the Great Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and Dorothea Lange’s
photographs)
b. Describe archetypal images used in literature and film (e.g., the portrayal of Curley’s wife in John Steinbeck’s
novel Of Mice and Men as the biblical Eve)
5. Author’s Voice and Method
a. Use organization or structure of text (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) and writer’s
techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) to aid comprehension of increasingly challenging texts
b. Distinguish between author and narrator/speaker/persona in increasingly challenging texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as they are
used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery, tone,
sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in increasingly
challenging texts
f.
Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit argument, perspective, or viewpoint in a text (e.g., the role of social
position in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men)
g. Describe what makes an author’s style distinct from the styles of others
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
6. Persuasive Language and Logic
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of persuasive techniques (e.g., appeals to emotion, reason, or
authority; stereotyping) and the presence of bias in literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting
details, logical gaps, and omissions
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging texts,
and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of the text or in other
sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
7. Literary Criticism
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term epiphany
or symbolism appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye)
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support judgments by citing evidence from the text
8. Words and Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar words
and new subject area vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in science, mathematics, and
social studies)
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 9
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine the
definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly
challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English
f.
Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., Achilles’ heel) in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in increasingly
challenging texts
B. Writing
1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g., writing
a letter to a friend about a party versus writing a letter to your grandmother about the same party)
c. Revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate tools (e.g., checklists, writing
conferences, student-developed and professional rubrics or models), to find strengths and weaknesses and to
seek strategies for improvement
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design (e.g.,
margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs); use
electronic resources to enhance the final product
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on the
subject and support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that support arguments with detailed evidence, exclude irrelevant
information, and correctly cite sources
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several clear
ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original text
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., job applications, editorials, meeting
minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information, and use a format
appropriate to the task
f.
Craft first and final drafts of fictional, biographical, and autobiographical narratives that use specific settings,
sensory details, dialogue, and tone to develop plot and characters
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative
writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped
together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information to more clearly establish a central idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning and
maintain consistent style, tone, and voice
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points
or ideas in the writing
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 9
4. Sentence-Level Constructions
a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and to support meaning
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise
vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and purpose
f.
Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when there is some text between the subject and verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses
and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f.
Correctly use parts of speech
6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
C. Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and collect
reliable information from print and nonprint sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the project
to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
c. Evaluate source information (e.g., primary and secondary sources) for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility,
relevance, reliability, and perspective
d. Compile and organize the important information to support central ideas, concepts, and themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of the
paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual property
(i.e., plagiarism)
f.
Compose a short research report, oral or written, that includes a clear thesis statement, title page, outline, first
and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
1. Comprehension and Analysis
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence of
biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and Internet
advertisements
c. Identify types of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online news
sources) cover the same event
2. Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts,
literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
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© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 9
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture,
facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or adhere to
prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear, distinctive perspective on the subject and support
the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and details from a variety of sources
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; structured arguments;
and relevant evidence from a variety of sources
f.
Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting and
organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral
and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining key passages and writing
comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing strategies that address and analyze the question (prompt)
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and accuracy
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards Worksheet—English 9
This worksheet gives teachers an opportunity to compare their course content to ACT’s
QualityCore® program. Completing the worksheet also allows teachers who teach the same
course to ensure their courses have similar outcomes.
Gap Analysis 1—Individual Teacher Review
This analysis allows individual teachers to identify “gaps” between ACT Course Standards and
their course content. They should review the ACT standards on the following worksheet, then
determine whether the ACT standard is or is not included in the course as it is currently taught.
“Included” means the standard is taught and students are expected to demonstrate proficiency
by the end of the course. “Not Included” means the standard is not taught in the course, is
taught in another course, or is already mastered. In the “Gap 1” column on the worksheet, place
an “I” for “Included” or an “NI” for “Not Included.” Analyze any gaps between the current course
standards and the ACT Course Standards. Identify reasons the standards receiving a “Not
Included” designation are not included in the course.
Gap Analysis 2—Group Consensus
This analysis allows groups of teachers who teach the same course and who have completed
Gap Analysis 1 individually to identify differences in how they evaluated the gaps between ACT
Course Standards and current course standards. In the “Gap 2” column of the worksheet, place
an “X” where members of the group differed in their assessment of whether a particular ACT
standard is included in the course as it is currently taught.
The following questions can guide discussion of the gaps:
Overarching Questions
1. What should students know and be able to do before going to the next course?
2. Do all teachers teaching this course have a shared understanding of the intent or
meaning of each course standard and topic area?
Gap Analysis 1 Questions
1. Which ACT Course Standards were identified as not included in the course?
2. What is the level of agreement among the group of teachers about the skills and
knowledge that is or is not taught in the course?
3. Are there sound pedagogical reasons for not including specific ACT standards in the
course?
4. What implications will any decisions have on students’ future learning and academic
achievement?
Gap Analysis 2 Questions
1. Which of the ACT Course Standards elicited differences of opinion?
2. What are the possible reasons for different opinions about the standards that are or are
not included in the course?
3. Are there sound pedagogical reasons for including or not including these disputed
standards in the course?
4. What implications will any decisions have on students’ future learning and academic
achievement?
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards Worksheet—English 9
Finally, document the necessary steps to address the outcomes of the discussion. Be sure to
note whether course standards will be added, deleted, or modified; identify who will be
responsible for communicating any changes to other teachers; and note any other decisions.
Document responsibilities and establish a timetable for continuing the discussion and
implementing the decisions.
NOTE: This course content review is most effective as a continuous process that generates
feedback throughout the year. ACT recommends, at minimum, monthly status update meetings
for teachers and departments involved in the review.
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
A. Reading
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the
basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or
nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for
enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety
of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and
nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles,
memoranda) forms
2. Reading Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to
increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions,
comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and
orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most
appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading
on, changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly
challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by
asking and answering literal, interpretive, and
evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing,
annotating, questioning) in order to interpret
increasingly challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and
present events, and/or content learned in other
coursework
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of
literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems,
plays, biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from
various cultures and of nonliterary forms (e.g.,
workplace and technical documents)
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics
presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the
life of Helen Keller as presented in her autobiography
The Story of My Life and in the play and movie The
Miracle Worker)
9
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., Our Town, Romeo and
Juliet) and analyze its conventions to identify how
they express a writer’s meaning
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms
(e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound
(e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g.,
meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g.,
punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic
devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification,
tone, symbolism)
4. Influences on Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the
time and place in which it is set or in which it was
written (e.g., the Great Depression as represented in
John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and
Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
b. Describe archetypal images used in literature and film
(e.g., the portrayal of Curley’s wife in John
Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men as the biblical
Eve)
5. Author’s Voice and Method
a. Use organization or structure of text
(e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect,
problem/solution) and writer’s techniques (e.g.,
repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) to aid
comprehension of increasingly challenging texts
b. Distinguish between author and
narrator/speaker/persona in increasingly challenging
texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character
development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view
as they are used together to create meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of
parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging
texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the
devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism)
achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
f. Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit argument,
perspective, or viewpoint in a text (e.g., the role of
social position in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and
Men)
10
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
g. Describe what makes an author’s style distinct from
the styles of others
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in
increasingly challenging texts
6. Persuasive Language and Logic
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of
persuasive techniques (e.g., appeals to emotion,
reason, or authority; stereotyping) and the presence
of bias in literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in
increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas,
supporting details, logical gaps, and omissions
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas,
arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging
texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples
that may be in widely separated sections of the text or
in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing
judgments on evidence and reasoning
7. Literary Criticism
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to
increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term
epiphany or symbolism appropriately in a discussion
of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye)
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging
texts; support judgments by citing evidence from the
text
8. Words and Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon
affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar
words and new subject area vocabulary in
increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in science,
mathematics, and social studies)
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships
between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms,
metaphors, analogies) in increasingly challenging
texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries,
thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to
determine the definition, pronunciation, derivation,
spelling, and usage of words
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement,
example) to understand unfamiliar words in
increasingly challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that
are commonly used in English
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary,
classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., Achilles’ heel) in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and
present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to
determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
B. Writing
1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming,
webbing, note taking, interviewing, background
reading) to generate, focus, and organize ideas as
well as to gather information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and
audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g.,
writing a letter to a friend about a party versus writing
a letter to your grandmother about the same party)
c. Revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’
writing, using appropriate tools (e.g., checklists,
writing conferences, student-developed and
professional rubrics or models), to find strengths and
weaknesses and to seek strategies for improvement
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most
appropriate format, considering principles of design
(e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of
various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts,
graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final
product
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or
creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound
devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or
reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives
on the subject and support the main ideas with facts,
details, and examples
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that
support arguments with detailed evidence, exclude
irrelevant information, and correctly cite sources
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature
that organize an insightful interpretation around
several clear ideas, premises, or images and support
judgments with specific references to the original text
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other reallife writing (e.g., job applications, editorials, meeting
minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide
clear and purposeful information, and use a format
appropriate to the task
f. Craft first and final drafts of fictional, biographical, and
autobiographical narratives that use specific settings,
sensory details, dialogue, and tone to develop plot
and characters
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for
informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with
effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged
in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant
information to more clearly establish a central idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and
add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning
and maintain consistent style, tone, and voice
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a
conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
4. Sentence-Level Constructions
a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or
misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and
to support meaning
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and
items juxtaposed for emphasis
13
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
d. Use resources and reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and
precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style,
tone, and voice
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical
language effectively to meet the needs of audience
and purpose
f. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid
imagery, and precise words
5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice
(i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when
there is some text between the subject and verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case,
pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun
reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases,
adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and
adverb clauses and their forms for logical connection
to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech
6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices
create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
14
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
C. Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading,
online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint
sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a
hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during
the project to further narrow the focus or extend the
investigation
c. Evaluate source information (e.g., primary and
secondary sources) for accuracy, credibility, currency,
utility, relevance, reliability, and perspective
d. Compile and organize the important information to
support central ideas, concepts, and themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from
sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of
the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every
source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual
property (i.e., plagiarism)
f. Compose a short research report, oral or written, that
includes a clear thesis statement, title page, outline,
first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering
to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
1. Comprehension and Analysis
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral
presentations and draw valid conclusions
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies
(e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the
presence of biases and stereotypes in television and
print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and
Internet advertisements
c. Identify types of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy,
appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral
texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television
news, news magazines, documentaries, online news
sources) cover the same event
15
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 9 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
Comments
2. Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction,
transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use
of facts, literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or
references to authoritative sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume,
inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture,
facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g.,
debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present
a clear, distinctive perspective on the subject and
support the controlling idea with well-chosen and wellorganized facts and details from a variety of sources
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use
logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; structured
arguments; and relevant evidence from a variety of
sources
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies
(e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity,
selecting and organizing essential information, noting
change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group
discussions, assuming various roles
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing
techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions,
lectures, oral and/or video presentations, or assigned
at-home reading, and by underlining key passages
and writing comments in journals or in margins of
texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a
daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing
strategies that address and analyze the question
(prompt)
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test
administration procedures to increase speed and
accuracy
16
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E09-CS.1.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 9
Course Outline
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 9
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
b. Describe archetypal images used in literature and film (e.g., the portrayal of Curley’s wife in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men as the biblical Eve)

 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place in which it is set or in which it was written (e.g., the Great Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of
Mice and Men and Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
4. Influences on Texts
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition,
alliteration), structure (e.g., meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone,
symbolism)
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., Our Town, Romeo and Juliet) and analyze its conventions to identify how they express a writer’s meaning
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the life of Helen Keller as presented in her autobiography The Story of My Life and in
the play and movie The Miracle Worker)
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems, plays, biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of
nonliterary forms (e.g., workplace and technical documents)
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms




d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other coursework


b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies
(e.g., rereading, reading on, changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)

c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions











Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads

Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change


Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird

Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring,
summarizing, using graphic organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
2. Reading Strategies
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
A. Reading
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 2 of 7

f. Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit argument, perspective, or viewpoint in a text (e.g., the role of social position in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men)

d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 9
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly challenging texts
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors, analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar words and new subject area vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts
(e.g., words in science, mathematics, and social studies)
8. Words and Their History
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support judgments by citing evidence from the text
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term epiphany or symbolism appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The
Bluest Eye)



c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging texts, and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely
separated sections of the text or in other sources
7. Literary Criticism


b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting details, logical gaps, and omissions
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of persuasive techniques (e.g., appeals to emotion, reason, or authority; stereotyping) and the presence of bias in literature, film,
advertising, and/or speeches
6. Persuasive Language and Logic
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts


e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery, tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and
shape meaning in increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe what makes an author’s style distinct from the styles of others

d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging texts







b. Distinguish between author and narrator/speaker/persona in increasingly challenging texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts



Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads




Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change






Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird

Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
a. Use organization or structure of text (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) and writer’s techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) to aid
comprehension of increasingly challenging texts
5. Author’s Voice and Method
A. Reading (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 3 of 7
Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan

d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning and maintain consistent style, tone, and voice
English 9




b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information to more clearly establish a central idea







a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
f. Craft first and final drafts of fictional, biographical, and autobiographical narratives that use specific settings, sensory details, dialogue, and tone to develop plot and characters
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., job applications, editorials, meeting minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful
information, and use a format appropriate to the task
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific
references to the original text
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that support arguments with detailed evidence, exclude irrelevant information, and correctly cite sources
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on the subject and support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to
convey a specific effect
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design (e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and
graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final product
c. Revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate tools (e.g., checklists, writing conferences, student-developed and professional rubrics or models), to find
strengths and weaknesses and to seek strategies for improvement
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g., writing a letter to a friend about a party versus writing a letter to your
grandmother about the same party)
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
1. Writing Process
B. Writing












g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological, scientific) have influenced the English language
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in increasingly challenging texts



Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change

Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird


Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., Achilles’ heel) in increasingly challenging texts
8. Words and Their History (continued)
A. Reading (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 4 of 7
6. Conventions of Punctuation
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 9
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent clauses in a variety of ways)
f. Correctly use parts of speech




























Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads

Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change

Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird

Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when there is some text between the subject and verb
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
5. Conventions of Usage
f. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and purpose
d. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and to support meaning
a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
4. Sentence-Level Constructions
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points or ideas in the writing
3. Organization, Unit, and Coherence (continued)
B. Writing (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 5 of 7

f. Compose a short research report, oral or written, that includes a clear thesis statement, title page, outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other
stylebook guidelines
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan

e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid
compromising others’ intellectual property (i.e., plagiarism)
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package

d. Compile and organize the important information to support central ideas, concepts, and themes
English 9

c. Evaluate source information (e.g., primary and secondary sources) for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and perspective
Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads

Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the project to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird


Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
C. Research
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 6 of 7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 9
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and accuracy
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing strategies that address and analyze the question (prompt)
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and maintaining a notebook of classwork


 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by
underlining key passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal
and informal settings




d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear, distinctive perspective on the subject and support the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and
details from a variety of sources



c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or adhere to prepared notes
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; structured arguments; and relevant evidence from a variety of sources


b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture, facial expression)






Unit 1
(18 days)
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads

Unit 2
(22 days)
Introduction to Research:
Living with Change

Unit 3
(21 days)
To Kill a Mockingbird

Unit 4
(15 days)
Poetry

Unit 5
(20 days)
Odyssey
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts, literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
2. Application
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online news sources) cover the same event
c. Identify types of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches,
newspaper articles, and Internet advertisements
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
1. Comprehension and Analysis
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
ACT Course Standards—English 9
Unit 7
(20 days)
Unit 6
(25 days)
Romeo and Juliet
English 9 Course Outline
Media
ER.E09-OU.1.3
Page 7 of 7
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 9
End-of-Course Test Blueprint
Test Blueprint
QualityCore End-of-Course Assessment
®
English 9
The QualityCore® End-of-Course (EOC) system is modular, consisting of either two 35–38 item
multiple-choice components or one 35–38 item multiple-choice component combined with a
constructed-response component. This approach to measuring achievement of ACT Course
Standards allows users to select the configuration that best meets their particular needs, while
still receiving scores on a standardized QualityCore scale.
The EOC Test Blueprint tables below show how the test items are distributed across reporting
categories and depth-of-knowledge levels. The tables display ranges of the percentages of
operational multiple-choice items and the number of operational constructed-response items per
test. Sample standards by reporting category are provided, along with definitions of the depthof-knowledge thinking processes covered by the assessment. The constructed-response
scoring guide is also presented.
Percent of
multiple-choice
items
Number of
constructedresponse items
Reading Comprehension
35–55
—
Critical Reading
25–45
—
Modes of Writing
0–10
—
Mechanics of Writing
10–20
—
—
1
100
1
Percent of
multiple-choice
items
Number of
constructedresponse items
Level 1 — Literal
15–25
—
Level 2 — Interpretive
50–70
—
Level 3 — Evaluative
15–25
1
100
1
Reporting category
Essay
Total
Depth of Knowledge
Total
Sample ACT Course Standards by Reporting Category
Reading Comprehension
• Identify key characteristics in various genres; interpret how form shapes meaning
• Identify elements of fiction; recognize how they shape meaning
• Summarize and paraphrase information
• Identify author’s purpose and basic elements of style
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
• Understand how organization and writer’s techniques shape meaning
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 9
Critical Reading
• Analyze various common literary devices
• Analyze various common poetic devices
• Analyze persuasive techniques and detect bias
• Make logical inferences
• Use important details and facts to support conclusions
Modes of Writing (only if second multiple-choice component is administered)
• Identify and analyze effective writing techniques in various modes
• Demonstrate understanding of effective organization
• Add important information and delete irrelevant information
• Use organizational strategies to clarify meaning and maintain consistency
Mechanics of Writing
• Correct errors in sentence construction; understand how sentence structure shapes
meaning
• Correct common usage and punctuation errors
• Use punctuation to clarify meaning and create variety
Essay (only if constructed-response component is administered)
• Craft a first draft of a personal essay that thoughtfully describes an experience relevant
to the subject or theme of a reading passage; demonstrate insightful understanding of
the significance of this experience
• Effectively convey a personal experience using literary writing techniques; elaborate on
the effect or influence of the experience on the writer and/or others; maintain clear focus
on critical ideas
• Effectively organize an essay using logical progression of ideas and effective transitions;
employ an engaging introduction and effective conclusion
• Demonstrate good command of language through well-constructed sentences and
precise word choice; maintain appropriate voice and tone; express ideas clearly with
correct grammar, usage, and mechanics
Thinking Processes
ACT uses the depth-of-knowledge (DOK) levels (Webb, 2002) to describe the thinking
processes assessed by the EOC tests. Webb developed labels and descriptions of the DOK
levels specifically for English Language Arts.†
Level 1: Recall (Literal) requires students to recite facts or to use simple skills or abilities.
Items require only a literal understanding of text and often consist of verbatim recall from text.
Level 1 items require students to:
• Support ideas by reference to details in a passage
• Identify figurative language in a passage
• Use appropriate grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
• Recall elements and details of passage structure, such as sequence of events,
character, plot, and setting
†
Webb, Norman L. (2002). Depth-of-Knowledge Levels for Four Content Areas. Retrieved from
http://facstaff.wcer.wisc.edu/normw/All%20content%20areas%20%20DOK%20levels%2032802.doc
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 9
Level 2: Skill/Concept (Interpretive) requires mental processing that goes beyond recalling or
reproducing an answer. It involves comprehension and subsequent processing of text;
intersentence analysis and inference are required. The cognitive demands are more complex
than in Level 1. Level 2 items require students to:
• Identify and summarize major events, main ideas, and pertinent details
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word
• Predict a logical outcome based on information in a passage
• Use organizational strategies to structure written work
Level 3: Strategic Thinking (Evaluative) requires planning, thinking, explaining, justifying,
using evidence, conjecturing, and postulating. The cognitive demands are complex and
abstract, going beyond Level 2. Level 3 items require students to:
• Evaluate writing and writing strategies
• Describe the author’s purpose and how it affects the interpretation of a passage
• Analyze and describe the characteristics of a passage
• Infer across an entire passage
• Identify abstract themes
• Use voice appropriate to the purpose and audience
• Edit writing to produce a logical progression of ideas
• Analyze and synthesize information
QualityCore English 9 Analytic Scoring Guide
Purpose of Task: To Present a Reflective Narrative
For each English constructed-response item, four separate analytic scores (ranging from 1 to 6)
are given: reflective narrative, development, organization, and language. These scores are
added together and are reported as the Essay subscore. No score is given to a response that is
blank, off-topic, illegible, or written in another language.
REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE SCORE
Score of 6: Responses at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates an insightful and thorough understanding of
the reflective narrative task and memorably describes and critically analyzes an experience of
meaningful reflective significance. Reflection in the response is integrated, embedded in a way
that clearly leads the reader from specific personal experience to the abstraction that underlies
it.
Score of 5: Responses at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the reflective
narrative task, successfully describes and analyzes an experience of meaningful reflective
significance, and clearly expresses integral connections between personal experience and
abstract ideas.
Score of 4: Responses at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates understanding of the reflective narrative task,
adequately describes and analyzes an experience of reflective significance, and establishes a
connection between personal experience and more general ideas.
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 9
Score of 3: Responses at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates limited understanding of the reflective
narrative task, attempts to describe and analyze an experience of reflective significance with
limited success, and suggests a connection between personal experience and more general
ideas, although reflection is brief or unclear.
Score of 2: Responses at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in
writing a reflective narrative. The response demonstrates little understanding of the reflective
narrative task. Any attempt at description and analysis of an experience of reflective significance
is inaccurate, confusing, or unclear. The response lacks connection between personal
experience and more general ideas.
Score of 1: Responses at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates no understanding of the reflective narrative
task, does not describe and analyze an experience of reflective significance, and offers no
connection between personal experience and more general ideas.
DEVELOPMENT SCORE
Score of 6: Responses at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response describes an appropriate experience in memorable detail.
Reflective ideas are thoroughly explained. The response maintains an effective balance
between describing the experience and relating it to the abstract.
Score of 5: Responses at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response describes an appropriate experience with strong detail.
Reflective ideas are clearly explained. The response maintains a balance between describing
the experience and relating it to the abstract.
Score of 4: Responses at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates an appropriate experience with some original
detail. Reflective ideas are adequately explained. The response mostly maintains a balance
between describing the experience and relating it to the abstract, although one may be slightly
underdeveloped.
Score of 3: Responses at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response demonstrates an appropriate experience but offers few and
mostly mundane details. Reflective ideas are only somewhat explained. The response is poorly
balanced; either the description of the experience or the reflection is significantly
underdeveloped.
Score of 2: Responses at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in
writing a reflective narrative. The response reports rather than describes an appropriate
experience. Explanations of reflective ideas are incomplete or unclear. The response is not
balanced; either the description of the experience or the reflection is significantly
underdeveloped or absent.
Score of 1: Responses at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response may not discuss an appropriate experience, may lack
explanation of reflective ideas, or may be comprised entirely of a description of the experience.
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 9
ORGANIZATION SCORE
Score of 6: Responses at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response achieves unity through a natural progression of ideas,
sequenced through lines of thought rather than external organizational patterns. The response
provides closure, leaving the reader with something to think about.
Score of 5: Responses at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response offers a well-sequenced beginning, middle, and end, with a
logical progression of ideas. The response provides closure, leaving the reader with something
to think about.
Score of 4: Responses at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response offers a clear beginning, middle, and end, although it may
seem restricted by an organizational formula. Ideas are logically grouped throughout the
response. The response includes a clear and adequate closing.
Score of 3: Responses at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response shows evidence of organization but tends to digress at
times. Most ideas in the response are logically grouped. The response offers an
underdeveloped or unsuccessful closing.
Score of 2: Responses at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in
writing a reflective narrative. The response shows some evidence of organization but is
somewhat confusing. Only some ideas are logically grouped in the response. The response
offers a weak closing.
Score of 1: Responses at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The response shows little or no evidence of organization and little or no
logical grouping of ideas. The response is missing a closing.
LANGUAGE SCORE
Score of 6: Responses at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The writing is engaging, using strong and expressive sentences with
varied structure. The response uses precise, imaginative, and metaphoric language in addition
to strong verbs and sensory images. Although there may be a few minor errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics, meaning is clear throughout the response.
Score of 5: Responses at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The writing is clear, and sentences have varied structure. Language is
evocative, with strong verbs, sensory images, and figurative language. There are a few errors in
grammar, usage, and mechanics, but they are rarely distracting and meaning is clear.
Score of 4: Responses at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The writing is clear, with a little sentence variety and some successful use
of sensory images and figurative language. There are some distracting errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics, but meaning is usually clear.
.
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 9
Score of 3: Responses at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The writing is clear, but general, and lacks sentence variety. Creative or
descriptive language use is minimal or ineffective. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are
distracting and occasionally impede understanding.
Score of 2: Responses at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in
writing a reflective narrative. The writing is generally understandable, but sentence structure
and word use are basic. Little or no creative or descriptive language is attempted. Errors in
grammar, usage, and mechanics are frequently distracting and sometimes impede
understanding.
Score of 1: Responses at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing a
reflective narrative. The writing is not clear and may be confusing or hard to follow. The
descriptive nature of the task is unacknowledged. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are
frequently distracting and significantly impede understanding.
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and the Code of Professional Responsibilities in
Educational Measurement, guides to the conduct of those involved in educational testing. ACT is committed to
ensuring that each of its testing programs upholds the guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be
obtained free of charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City, IA 52243-1008, 319/337-1429.
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E09-BP.3.2
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 9
Instructional Units Plan
Instructional Units Plan
English 9
This set of plans presents the topics and selected ACT Course Standards for ACT’s rigorous English 9 course.
The topics and standards are arranged in seven units by suggested instructional sequence. Unit 1 is a Model
Instructional Unit developed by ACT that illustrates exemplary practice and shows how the Course Standards are
best connected to classroom instruction. Teachers can use the Guidelines for Developing an Instructional Unit to
develop additional instructional units based on the topics listed in this document.
Unit No.
Unit Topic
1
Introduction to English 9: Life at the Crossroads
2
Introduction to Research: Living with Change
3
To Kill a Mockingbird
4
Poetry
5
Odyssey
6
Romeo and Juliet
7
Media
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 1
Introduction to English 9: Life at the Crossroads
ACT Course Standards
Unit 1 Introduction to English 9: Life at the Crossroads
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a
task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.2.
Reading
Strategies
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading
on, changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
A.3.
Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems,
plays, biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of nonliterary forms
(e.g., workplace and technical documents)
A.4.
Influences on
Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place in which it is set or in which it was
written (e.g., the Great Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and
Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
A.7.
Literary
Criticism
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term
epiphany or symbolism appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye)
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support judgments by citing evidence from
the text
A.8.
Words and
Their History
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly
challenging texts
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
B.1.
Writing
Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading)
to generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
c. Revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate tools (e.g., checklists,
writing conferences, student-developed and professional rubrics or models), to find strengths and
weaknesses and to seek strategies for improvement
B.2.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a
range of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a
specific effect
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., job applications, editorials,
meeting minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information, and
use a format appropriate to the task
f. Craft first and final drafts of fictional, biographical, and autobiographical narratives that use specific
settings, sensory details, dialogue, and tone to develop plot and characters
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 1 Introduction to English 9: Life at the Crossroads (continued)
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or
elaborates points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and to support meaning
f. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
B.6.
Conventions of b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
Punctuation
D.2.
Application
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
E.
Study Skills
and Test
Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions,
lectures, oral and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining key
passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and
accuracy
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 2
Introduction to Research: Living with Change
ACT Course Standards
Unit 2 Introduction to Research: Living with Change
A.1. Reading Across
the Curriculum
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.2. Reading
Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension
(e.g., adjusting purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing,
using graphic organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading on,
changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other
coursework
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning
A.3. Knowledge of
is conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure
Literary and
(e.g., meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic
Nonliterary Forms
devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
A.5. Author’s Voice
and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.6. Persuasive
Language and
Logic
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of persuasive techniques (e.g., appeals to emotion,
reason, or authority; stereotyping) and the presence of bias in literature, film, advertising, and/or
speeches
B.1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading)
to generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design
(e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings,
charts, graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final product
B.2. Modes of Writing
for Different
Purposes and
Audiences
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., job applications, editorials,
meeting minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information, and
use a format appropriate to the task
B.3. Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information to more clearly establish a central idea
B.4. Sentence-Level
Constructions
B.5. Conventions of
Usage
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and maintain consistent style, tone, and voice
a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when there is some text between the subject and verb
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 2 Introduction to Research: Living with Change (continued)
C.
Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the
project to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
c. Evaluate source information (e.g., primary and secondary sources) for accuracy, credibility, currency,
utility, relevance, reliability, and perspective
d. Compile and organize the important information to support central ideas, concepts, and themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of
the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual
property (i.e., plagiarism)
f. Compose a short research report, oral or written, that includes a clear thesis statement, title page,
outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D.1. Comprehension
and Analysis
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
D.2. Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of
facts, literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact,
posture, facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear, distinctive perspective on the subject and
support the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and details from a variety of
sources
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
E.
Study Skills and
Test Taking
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 3
To Kill a Mockingbird
ACT Course Standards
Unit 3 To Kill a Mockingbird
A.1. Reading Across c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
the Curriculum
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.2. Reading
Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g.,
adjusting purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing, using
graphic organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by
asking and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
A.3. Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the life
of Helen Keller as presented in her autobiography The Story of My Life and in the play and movie The
Miracle Worker)
A.4. Influences on
Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place in which it is set or in which it was
written (e.g., the Great Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and
Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
A.5. Author’s Voice
and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging
texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
f. Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit argument, perspective, or viewpoint in a text (e.g., the role of
social position in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men)
A.6. Persuasive
Language and
Logic
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas,
supporting details, logical gaps, and omissions
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly
challenging texts, and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated
sections of the text or in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
A.7. Literary Criticism a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term
epiphany or symbolism appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye)
A.8. Words and Their b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
History
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 3 To Kill a Mockingbird (continued)
B.1. Writing Process b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use
(e.g., writing a letter to a friend about a party versus writing a letter to your grandmother about the same
party)
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design
(e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings,
charts, graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final product
B.2. Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives
on the subject and support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples
B.3. Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
B.4. Sentence-Level c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
Constructions
B.5. Conventions of
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
B.6. Conventions of
Punctuation
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
D.1. Comprehension a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
and Analysis
c. Identify types of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral
texts
D.2. Application
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity,
selecting and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal
settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 4
Poetry
ACT Course Standards
Unit 4 Poetry
A.2. Reading
Strategies
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
A.3. Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems,
plays, biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of nonliterary forms
(e.g., workplace and technical documents)
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure
(e.g., meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic
devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
A.5. Author’s Voice a. Use organization or structure of text (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) and
and Method
writer’s techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) to aid comprehension of increasingly
challenging texts
b. Distinguish between author and narrator/speaker/persona in increasingly challenging texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe what makes an author’s style distinct from the styles of others
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.7. Literary
Criticism
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support judgments by citing evidence from the
text
A.8. Words and
Their History
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
B.2. Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range
of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
B.3. Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around
several clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original
text
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information to more clearly establish a central idea
B.4. Sentence-Level a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
Constructions
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and
precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
f. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
9
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 4 Poetry (continued)
B.5. Conventions of e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
Usage
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
B.6. Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
Punctuation
clauses in a variety of ways)
10
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 5
Odyssey
ACT Course Standards
Unit 5 Odyssey
A.2. Reading
Strategies
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
A.3. Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems,
plays, biographies, essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of nonliterary forms
(e.g., workplace and technical documents)
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the life
of Helen Keller as presented in her autobiography The Story of My Life and in the play and movie The
Miracle Worker)
A.4. Influences on
Texts
b. Describe archetypal images used in literature and film (e.g., the portrayal of Curley’s wife in John
Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men as the biblical Eve)
A.8. Words and
Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand
unfamiliar words and new subject area vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in
science, mathematics, and social studies)
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine
the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., Achilles’ heel) in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political,
technological, scientific) have influenced the English language
B.2. Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
B.3. Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives
on the subject and support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., job applications, editorials,
meeting minutes) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information, and
use a format appropriate to the task
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4. Sentence-Level a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
Constructions
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and to support meaning
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
B.5. Conventions of d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun
reference)
Usage
B.6. Conventions of b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
Punctuation
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
D.1. Comprehension b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the
presence of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles,
and Analysis
and Internet advertisements
E.
Study Skills and c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing strategies that address and analyze the question
(prompt)
Test Taking
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 6
Romeo and Juliet
ACT Course Standards
Unit 6 Romeo and Juliet
A.2. Reading
Strategies
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other
coursework
A.3. Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
b. Compare works with similar themes or topics presented in different media or literary forms (e.g., the life
of Helen Keller as presented in her autobiography The Story of My Life and in the play and movie
The Miracle Worker)
A.4. Influences on
Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place in which it is set or in which it was
written (e.g., the Great Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and
Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
A.6. Persuasive
Language and
Logic
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly
challenging texts, and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated
sections of the text or in other sources
A.7. Literary
Criticism
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly challenging texts (e.g., using the term
epiphany or symbolism appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye)
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., Our Town, Romeo and Juliet) and analyze its conventions to identify how
they express a writer’s meaning
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support judgments by citing evidence from the
text
A.8. Words and
Their History
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine
the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., Achilles’ heel) in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political,
technological, scientific) have influenced the English language
B.2. Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range
of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
B.3. Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that support arguments with detailed evidence, exclude
irrelevant information, and correctly cite sources
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information to more clearly establish a central idea
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4. Sentence-Level d. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and
precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
Constructions
B.5. Conventions of b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
Usage
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when there is some text between the subject and verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun
reference)
B.6. Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
Punctuation
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 6 Romeo and Juliet (continued)
D.2. Application
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; structured
arguments; and relevant evidence from a variety of sources
13
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 7
Media
ACT Course Standards
Unit 7 Media
A.1. Reading Across c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
the Curriculum
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.2. Reading
Strategies
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by
asking and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
A.5. Author’s Voice
and Method
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
f. Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit argument, perspective, or viewpoint in a text (e.g., the role of
social position in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men)
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.6. Persuasive
Language and
Logic
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of persuasive techniques (e.g., appeals to emotion,
reason, or authority; stereotyping) and the presence of bias in literature, film, advertising, and/or
speeches
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly
challenging texts, and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated
sections of the text or in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
A.8. Words and
Their History
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
B.2. Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range
of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
B.4. Sentence-Level a. Correct run-ons, fragments, and dangling and/or misplaced modifiers to improve clarity
Constructions
e. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
B.5. Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
B.6. Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
Punctuation
clauses in a variety of ways)
C.
Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
c. Evaluate source information (e.g., primary and secondary sources) for accuracy, credibility, currency,
utility, relevance, reliability, and perspective
D.1. Comprehension b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the
and Analysis
presence of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles,
and Internet advertisements
c. Identify types of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral
texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online
news sources) cover the same event
14
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 9
Unit 7 Media (continued)
D.2. Application
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact,
posture, facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity,
selecting and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal
settings
15
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER-E09-UP.2.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads
English 9
Model Instructional Unit 1
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and the Code of Professional
Responsibilities in Educational Measurement, guides to the conduct of those involved in
educational testing. ACT is committed to ensuring that each of its testing programs
upholds the guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be obtained free of
charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City, IA 52243-1008,
319/337-1429.
CONFIDENTIAL. This document is the confidential and proprietary property of
ACT, Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means without the express written permission of ACT, Inc.
“Dear Abby” is a registered trademark of Phillips-Van Buren Inc.
Corvette is a registered trademark of General Motors Company.
© 2010 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E09-1.2.1
iii
Note
QualityCore® Instructional Units illustrate how the rigorous, empirically
researched course standards can be incorporated into the classroom. You may
use this Instructional Unit as is, as a model to assess the quality of the units in
use at your school, or as a source of ideas to develop new units. For more
information about how the Instructional Units fit into the QualityCore
program, please see the Educator’s Guide included with the other QualityCore
materials.
ACT recognizes that, as you determine how best to serve your students,
you will take into consideration your teaching style as well as the academic
needs of your students; the standards and policies set by your state, district,
and school; and the curricular materials and resources that are available to you.
Contents
Unit 1 Introduction to English 9:
Life at the Crossroads
Purpose ............................................................................................................ vi
Overview ......................................................................................................... vi
Time Frame ..................................................................................................... vi
Prerequisite....................................................................................................... 1
Selected Course Standards ............................................................................... 1
Research-Based Strategies ............................................................................... 3
Essential Questions .......................................................................................... 3
Suggestions for Assessment ............................................................................. 3
Preassessment ............................................................................................ 3
Embedded Assessments............................................................................. 4
Unit Assessments....................................................................................... 5
Unit Description ............................................................................................... 5
Introduction................................................................................................ 5
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures................................................ 7
Enhancing Student Learning
Selected Course Standards....................................................................... 38
Unit Extension ......................................................................................... 38
Reteaching ............................................................................................... 38
Bibliography................................................................................................... 40
Appendix A: Record Keeping ......................................................................A-1
Appendix B: Days 1–3 ................................................................................. B-1
Appendix C: Days 4–9 ................................................................................. C-1
Appendix D: Day 10 ....................................................................................D-1
Appendix E: Days 11–12 ............................................................................. E-1
Appendix F: Days 13–18...............................................................................F-1
Appendix G: Days 19–20 .............................................................................G-1
Appendix H: Days 21–24 .............................................................................H-1
Appendix I: Secondary Course Standards..................................................... I-1
Appendix J: Course Standards Measured by Assessments ........................... J-1
v
vi
Purpose, Overview, Time Frame
Purpose
This unit introduces three goals for the year: to learn that writing is a
process, to learn ways of analyzing short stories, and to develop group
collaboration skills.
Overview
Many students enter the ninth-grade English classroom with apprehension
and excitement about the changes and choices the year will bring. Introduction
to English 9: Life at the Crossroads focuses on transitions occurring in
students’ lives. The common metaphor that life is a journey guides the unit.
Through essay and journal writing students will explore the metaphor of
coming to a crossroads on the journey of life. Through short story analysis and
discussion, they will see characters in short stories at their own crossroads,
making important decisions. Throughout, they will be encouraged to make
connections between the readings and their own experiences.
During the first half of the unit, students will review writing of thesis
statements and the structure of essays. Students will then be asked to write a
personal narrative about their lives, including their goals, hopes, and fears
about the future. This essay will provide an excellent diagnostic tool for
determining students’ writing abilities and instructional needs very early in the
school year.
In the second half of the unit, students will study short stories. Students
will read short stories that explore the metaphor of life as a journey on which
there are crossroads where decisions must be made. “The Most Dangerous
Game” by Richard Connell, “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” by W.D.
Wetherell, “Beauty is Truth” by Anna Guest, “Brothers Are the Same” by
Beryl Markham, “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, “Divine
Providence” by Sandra Cisneros, and “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst all
focus on some element of personal choice or an experience when a character
must make a decision. Most of the stories describe the complexities of the
teenage main characters’ friendships, love lives, home lives, and relationships
with adults and siblings. As they study the short stories, students will
strengthen their skills of literary analysis by becoming aware of the devices
authors use in the short story genre.
Through homework, rich discussions, journal responses, and formal
worksheets, students will further explore the metaphor of the crossroads.
Finally, students will synthesize all they have learned by working in small
groups to read and analyze short stories they choose for an activity that will
cover several days and foster metacognition, cooperative learning, and
creativity. As students share their projects with their classmates, they will
focus on the skills they have acquired in the short story unit and once again
consider ways in which the characters in the stories they have read make
decisions when they reach a crossroads in their journeys.
Time Frame
This unit requires approximately twenty-four 45–50 minute class periods.
1
The sentence is the mind, in language.
—Michael Clay Thompson (2003, p. 44)
Reading, as we use the word, involves using all of your knowledge and
experience as you work out interpretations of a story, poem, play, or
essay. There are many ways to read a book, just as there are many
ways to read the world. Reading involves more than understanding
words: We talk about reading the weather, reading other people’s
moods, reading a friend’s actions or a parent’s tone of voice. If you
find various angles from which to read a text, you’ll find multiple ways
of understanding it.
—Fran Claggett, Louann Reid, and Ruth Vinz (1996, p. 2)
An important insight from group dynamics is that groups, like individual
people, develop through a series of identifiable stages from the
beginning to the end of their life.
—Steven Zemelman and Harvey Daniels (1988, p. 58)
UNIT 1
INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH 9:
LIFE AT THE CROSSROADS
Prerequisite
„
Completed an eighth-grade English course
Selected Course Standards
The primary standards, which represent the central focus of this unit, are
listed below and highlight skills useful not only in English, but in other
disciplines as well. Secondary standards are listed in Appendix I.
A.1. Reading Across the Curriculum
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for
enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary
(e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and nonliterary
(e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the characteristics of literary
forms (e.g., short stories, novels, poems, plays, biographies,
essays, myths, speeches) from various cultures and of nonliterary
forms (e.g., workplace and technical documents)
2
A.4. Influences on Texts
a. Relate a literary work to the important ideas of the time and place
in which it is set or in which it was written (e.g., the Great
Depression as represented in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and
Men and Dorothea Lange’s photographs)
A.5. Author’s Voice and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development,
setting, theme, mood, and point of view as they are used together
to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
A.7. Literary Criticism
a. Learn appropriate literary terms and apply them to increasingly
challenging texts (e.g., using the term epiphany or symbolism
appropriately in a discussion of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest
Eye)
b. Generate interpretations of increasingly challenging texts; support
judgments by citing evidence from the text
A.8. Words and Their History
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to
understand unfamiliar words in increasingly challenging texts
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the
meanings of words and phrases in increasingly challenging texts
B.1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note
taking, interviewing, background reading) to generate, focus, and
organize ideas as well as to gather information
c. Revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’ writing, using
appropriate tools (e.g., checklists, writing conferences, studentdeveloped and professional rubrics or models), to find strengths
and weaknesses and to seek strategies for improvement
B.2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative
texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of literary devices
(e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to
convey a specific effect
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing
(e.g., job applications, editorials, meeting minutes) that are
appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful
information, and use a format appropriate to the task
f. Craft first and final drafts of fictional, biographical, and
autobiographical narratives that use specific settings, sensory
details, dialogue, and tone to develop plot and characters
3
B.3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational
writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully
developed paragraphs; similar ideas grouped together for unity;
and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion
that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points or ideas in the
B.4. Sentence-Level Constructions
b. Use a variety of sentence structures to vary pace and to support
meaning
f. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and
precise words
D.2. Application
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions,
assuming various roles
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking
notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral and/or video
presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining
key passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of
texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar
of assignments and activities and maintaining a notebook of
classwork
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration
procedures to increase speed and accuracy
Research-Based Strategies
„
„
„
„
„
Exposition and Questioning (p. 14)
Muddiest Point (p. 20)
Think-Pair-Share (pp. 26–27, 32)
Designing Exam Questions (p. 30)
Group Work (pp. 35–37)
Essential Questions
Tips for
Teachers
The essential questions and the primary course
standards for this unit should be prominently displayed in
the classroom.
1. How is ninth grade like a crossroads?
2. How can I use the writing process to become a better writer?
3. What tools are there to use to interpret literature?
Suggestions for Assessment
Preassessment
Worksheet—The Literary Terms Survey (pp. C-8–C-9) reveals students’
familiarity with literary terms to be studied during the short story unit. (Days 4
and 11)
4
Embedded Assessments
Journal Writing—The Journal Record (pp. D-7–D-8) tracks the
completion of each student’s journal responses. It is included for your
convenience. Frequent journal writing increases writing fluency. Journals,
including the Personal Response Journal prompt (pp. D-5–D-6), should be
scored based on completion and the depth of thought put into them.
(Days 2–10, 12–20)
Class Notebook—Keeping a well-organized notebook is an important part
of being an effective student. Use the Class Notebook Rubric (p. B-3) to assess
students’ notebooks. (Day 3)
Worksheet—Making a chart of the books they have read for Sustained
Silent Reading will keep students organized. (Day 3)
Worksheet—Use the Paragraph Practice worksheet (p. C-12) to help
students practice writing good paragraphs, to organize their My Life and Goals
essays, and to see the connection between the thesis statement of an essay and
the topic statement of a paragraph. (Day 5)
Worksheet—Work with students to help them understand how to construct
a focused thesis statement. This will help them organize their My Life and
Goals essays. Collect the Writing Thesis Statements worksheet
(pp. C-14–C-16) to determine whether or not reteaching is needed. Score the
worksheet on completion. (Day 6)
Transparency—Use the Combining Sentences transparency (p. C-13) to
help students see that they can combine sentences in a variety of ways. (Day 6)
Homework—For each short story, students complete a homework
assignment: Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game,”
(pp. E-5–E-6); Focus on Theme: “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant,”
(p. F-2), Focus on Character: “Beauty is Truth,” (p. F-5), Focus on Skills
Learned: “Brothers Are the Same,” (pp. F-9–F-10), Focus on Writing Style:
“Divine Providence,” (p. F-21), Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis,”
(pp. G-2–G-4). The “Focus On” worksheets emphasize specific skills the
students should master based upon the literary techniques each short story
includes. Use the homework to assess whether or not reteaching is necessary.
(Days 6, 8–13)
Quizzes—Use the quizzes to acquire feedback on reading comprehension
and the application of literary terms and techniques. “The Most Dangerous
Game” Plot quiz (p. E-9) is a comprehension-check quiz, while the Short
Story Quiz (pp. F-15–F-16) is more comprehensive, covering several stories at
a time. (Days 12, 17)
Exercise—As a wrap-up students create exam questions based on
QualityCore multiple-choice questions. (p. F-12–F-14) (Day 16)
Rubric—Use the Thank-You Letter Rubric (p. F-20) to assess the thankyou letters students write to a character in the story “Thank You, M’am.” In
addition, use the rubric to inform students of the elements they should use in
the letter, including proper letter-writing format and formal language.
(Day 17)
Creative Writing—Assist students in writing couplets to help them use
vocabulary words from “The Scarlet Ibis.” (Day 19)
5
Unit Assessments
Essay—To develop an understanding of students’ writing ability and to
learn about one another, students are assigned the My Life and Goals Essay
(p. C-17). The My Life and Goals Essay Rubric (pp. C-18–C-19) provides a
focused and specific way to evaluate student writing based upon
predetermined criteria. (Days 6–9)
Project—The Short Story Group Project Rubric (p. H-6–H-7) informs
students about expectations of them both as individuals and as a group for the
literature circle project. The group assessment portion is designed for quick
grading during the class presentations. (Days 21–24)
Unit Description
Introduction
Materials & Resources
‰ Unit Assignments and Assessments (pp. A-2–A-3)
According to Harry and Rosemary Wong (2004), “student achievement at
the end of the year is directly related to the degree to which the teacher
establishes good control of the classroom procedures in the very first week of
the school year” (p. 4). In other words, preparation for students before they
ever enter the classroom is critical—not just for a successful first week, but for
a successful school year.
Therefore, before class begins, identify the procedures that you expect in
your classroom, and be ready to model them for students. For instance, to
build classroom rapport and to demonstrate that students’ ideas matter, make a
point to acknowledge and talk to each student. Begin every class with a warmup, either written on the board or placed on students’ desks for them to work
on after entering the classroom. A warm-up establishes a routine that
reinforces the expectation that students should begin working when they enter
the classroom. As Wong and Wong (2004, p.) point out, students perform
better when they know what the teacher expects of them. Warm-ups also allow
you to take attendance without wasting valuable educational minutes. By
piquing students’ interest, focusing their attention, connecting to previous
learning, or introducing the topic of the day’s lesson, warm-up activities make
the most of the time you have and prepare students for the day’s learning, just
as runners prepare for a race. Begin using warm-ups on the first day, and
establish them as a procedure that can be adhered to throughout the school
year.
Before the first day of school, decide how you want to set up your
classroom. Display the rules, schedule, essential questions, a calendar for
assignments, and procedures to allow students to find needed information
conveniently and to encourage them to take responsibility for their learning.
Leave empty space on bulletin boards to post student work and projects,
thereby emphasizing that their work is important and that you value it and, by
extension, them. Finally, ensure that students will know they have come to the
right room by posting your name and room number clearly outside your door.
The first days of the school year set the tone for the entire year. Students
learn your expectations for them at this time, too. One way to set this tone and
6
to make your expectations clear is to show students that you are learning along
with them. Bring to class your excitement over what you have learned. For
example, during class describe a young adult novel you just read, and
summarize articles you discovered that are pertinent to the
day’s lesson. Part of what you demonstrate as a teacher is a
Tips for
way of living in the world, which includes the choices to be
Teachers
a literate person and a lifelong learner. These choices can
be demonstrated in class when you complete reading and
Prior to the first day of school, use the following
writing tasks along with the students, share perspectives
checklist (Wright, 1989) to identify tasks not yet
you have learned from students, and demonstrate literacy
accomplished or to spark new ways of starting off the new
skills you are continuing to develop.
year:
‰ Am I enthusiastic about this class?
‰ Is the classroom arranged properly for the day’s
activities?
‰ Are my name, course title, and room number on
the chalkboard?
‰ Do I have an icebreaker planned?
‰ Do I have a way to start learning names?
‰ Do I have a way to gather information on student
backgrounds, interests, course expectations,
questions, and concerns?
‰ Is the syllabus complete and clear?
‰ Have I outlined how students will be evaluated?
‰ Do I have announcements of needed information
for the day?
‰ Do I have a way of gathering student feedback?
‰ When the class is over, will students want to come
back? Will I want to come back?
Days 1–3
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Days 1–3
Students discuss ways in which beginning ninth grade is like coming to a
crossroads. They discuss the essential questions, then pair up, conduct
interviews with each other, and write and present a one-page essay
about their partners.
Materials & Resources
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
Life at a Crossroads transparency (p. B-2)
Seating chart transparency*
Overhead projector*
Notebook paper*
Class notebook example*
English 9 syllabus*
Class Notebook Rubric (p. B-3)
SSR Chart (p. B-4)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Prepare for class by creating a student seating chart transparency to place
on an overhead projector (Wong & Wong, 2004). Also make the Life at a
Crossroads transparency (p. B-2).
Greet each student at the door; this should become a daily ritual. Instruct
students to find their seats by referring to the seating chart transparency on the
overhead projector. Inform them that the purpose of the chart is primarily to
help you learn their names (Wong & Wong, 2004).
Welcome students to the first day of ninth-grade English. Introduce
yourself. Describe your interests, list your years of teaching or education, or
narrate a personal anecdote. This sharing is important because it models
introductions, a task students will be engaged in soon. It is also a way students
might describe their own lives in the first few paragraphs of the essays they
are soon to write.
Next, ask students if they know what essential
Tips for
questions are. If they do not, inform them that they are
Teachers
questions that will guide their learning in this unit and
throughout the course. Point out the essential questions
posted in the room. Essential questions draw attention to
When you ask questions in the classroom, make
the most important concepts of a unit and help teachers
thoughtful observations about students’ ideas such as, “I
avoid lessons that are little more than assortments of facts.
hadn’t considered that perspective before,” or “That’s an
According to Heidi Hayes Jacobs (1997), “An essential
interesting observation.” Ask questions that encourage
question is the heart of the curriculum. It is the essence of
discussion: “What do you think the author meant by this
what you believe students should examine and know in the
statement?” “Do you agree with the author of this quote?”
short time they have with you” (p. 26). Essential questions
“Do you think this is more or less true today?” or “How do
are not designed to have one single answer; instead, they
the two statements relate to each other?” Such questions
are intended to be explored by students and teachers alike.
help students clearly articulate their thoughts.
Nor are they questions with easy answers. They are
questions that students should be closer to understanding
by the end of a unit than they were at the beginning. Using
essential questions in the classroom will help students value
7
8
Days 1–3
the quality and depth of their questions more than the
correctness of their answers.
Introduce the idea that life can be considered a journey.
There are times on that journey when people stand at a
Remember to use wait-time. That means waiting after
crossroads, needing to make decisions that may change
asking a question, refraining from asking the same question
their journeys in important ways. This is the question asked
of another person, or from answering it yourself. Increasing
in Essential Question 1: “How is ninth grade like a
wait-time for responses beyond three seconds is positively
crossroads?” Place the Life at a Crossroads transparency on
correlated to improvements in student achievement and
an overhead projector. Ask students to study the image;
increases in the quality and amount of student contributions
wait as they consider the questions beneath it.
(Rowe, 1986). When increasing wait-time does not seem to
Once students have had a chance to consider the image,
work, or if the silence begins to feel deadly, rephrasing the
begin an informal class discussion about the questions.
question can help students understand what you are
Focus in particular on how appropriate the idea of standing
asking; in other cases, a metaphor or an example will make
at a crossroads might be for ninth graders. Inform students
your meaning clear.
that the idea of standing at a crossroads in life is a common
metaphor: people often describe life as a journey, and on
any journey there are choices to make. Metaphorical
thinking is frequently done unconsciously, but drawing students’ attention to it
now will be important for their poetic and reflective writing. Inform them that
many of the stories they will read in this unit explore the metaphor of the
crossroads.
Connect the concept of the crossroads to your own life to help deepen
students’ understanding of the metaphor. Describe decisions you had to make
at the beginning of your ninth-grade year and how they have affected your life,
or describe difficult choices you have watched your children or former
students make during early adolescence. Ask students to list some of the
decisions that they will make this year. Students might mention adjusting to a
different building, to more teachers, and to the fact that their grade point
averages count more this year than they did in the past. They may talk about
their need to set goals so that they can make good decisions about classes they
will take and volunteer work they might do. They might mention needing to
get a job to help a parent who is struggling to pay the bills or new
responsibilities they must take on now that both of their guardians work in the
evening. If the idea that ninth grade is similar to standing at a crossroads is not
apparent at first, making this list will invite them to consider changes that have
already occurred and will continue to occur during the school year. Ask again
how the idea of the crossroads might represent topics they listed and then
repeat the third question, “How might the drawing symbolize ninth grade?”
Explain that part of the reason they start the year with this metaphor is to help
them consciously ruminate on the decisions they face.
Because entering a new grade or school often means
Tips for
making
new friends, for the next two days students will be
Teachers
working through an activity that is based upon the process
of choosing friends. As a class, students will develop a set
At the same time that icebreakers let the students get
of questions. Using those questions, students will interview
to know each other and become more comfortable in class,
each other and take notes on what they learn. Each student
they also help the teacher get to know students. During
will then write a one-page essay about his or her partner.
icebreaker activities, it is a good idea to circulate about the
The interview and essay have multiple purposes. First,
classroom, changing your physical proximity to students,
students will get to know each other, which can help
which encourages their engagement in an activity. Record
develop a comfortable class atmosphere. Second, the
informal anecdotes about students as their personalities
activity helps you learn about each student’s interests.
begin to emerge.
Third, reading students’ essays provides a chance to assess
Tips for
Teachers
9
Days 1–3
their writing strengths and weaknesses early in the course.
It also focuses the class on writing immediately, thus
emphasizing its importance. Finally, you can refer back to
this assignment when, on Day 4, you walk students through
the writing process.
After introducing the assignment, ask students to
consider the qualities they look for in a friend and allow
them approximately three minutes to list such qualities.
Based on the qualities they have listed, students should
brainstorm questions they might ask to determine whether
an acquaintance has the qualities they look for in friends.
Tell students these questions should be both appropriate to
the setting and ones that could provoke rich responses. For
example, asking what your partner’s favorite color is most
likely will not provoke a significant response. However,
friendships often develop around neighborhoods, so the
questions, “Where do you live?” and “What aspects of your
neighborhood do you like?” might provoke rich answers.
Shared interests are another area of commonality, so
students might ask “What are your hobbies?” As students
come up with their own questions, list them on the board.
Ask each student to choose from the list on the board
ten questions to ask in an interview. If students have
trouble choosing questions, encourage them to rank the
qualities they want in a friend as a means of narrowing
which questions to select. Then, have students pair up with
someone they do not usually talk with; if they do this, the
interviews will be more meaningful. You can pair up
students easily if you have set up your room prior to class
so that students can just talk to the person in the row or seat
next to them. Students may also be grouped in threes. If
any student is not chosen or is without a partner, you
should partner up with him or her. Give students the rest of
the class to interview each other.
For homework, students should use the notes they took
during their interviews to write a one-page paper about
their partners. On Day 2, students will ask their partners to
read their papers for accuracy.
On Day 2, greet each student at the door. As before,
students should find their seats by referring to the seating
chart. As a warm-up, ask a student to describe his or her
interview experience from the day before. Encourage other
students to join in this conversation, describing what it felt
like to ask questions of and respond to questions from
someone they did not really know. Periodically asking
students to verbalize the learning they have done in the
class or an earlier class should become a regular classroom
activity (Wong & Wong, 2004).
The day’s activity is to engage in an abbreviated
writing workshop and peer review. Students should pair up
with their partners again and exchange the papers they
wrote on Day 1. Each student will read what his or her
Tips for
Teachers
Brainstorming is a useful way to get students to think of
new ideas. According to MindTools.com (1995–2009),
effective brainstorming has the following characteristics:
„ The problem or question you want addressed is
well-defined.
„ Students remain focused on the problem or
question.
„ No one (including you) is allowed to criticize or
evaluate the ideas that are offered.
„ Enthusiasm is encouraged.
„ No train of thought is allowed to go on too long.
„ Students are encouraged to build on each other’s
ideas or to use one idea to generate a new idea.
„ A student is appointed to write down ideas where
all can see them.
Tips for
Teachers
Randy Bomer (1995) recommends taking notes about
students on a clipboard while in class. For each student,
Bomer makes note of the situations in which he or she
seems comfortable or uncomfortable, areas of knowledge
he or she might bring to the class, reading or other interests
outside of school, anything the student says about school,
or anything else that may help him know the student better.
Even though these notes are imperfect and incomplete,
they nevertheless provide a running history of the students’
class experiences. Bomer explains to students that his
notes are a form of valuing what they say. At the end of
each week, Bomer places the notes into three-ring binders,
one binder for each class
Tips for
Teachers
Define your expectations and procedures for turning in
assignments. Is there an assignment basket in the room?
Should all papers be placed face-down in the basket?
What heading should all papers include? If students are not
finished with in-class work, should they complete it for
homework? Answers to such questions should be
communicated early in the school year.
10
Tips for
Teachers
Days 1–3
partner has written and critique the paper for accuracy. Inform
students that they can edit out anything they do not want the
whole class to know about them.
After students have critiqued the papers, have them
Marzano, Norford, Paynter, Pickering, and Gaddy
exchange papers again. Each pair should discuss the
(2001, p. 128) created this list of eight statements for
suggested changes. Writers should then revise their drafts in
guiding educators’ analysis of their homework practices.
response to their partners’ ideas. Once writers have revised
Using a scale from zero to four, with zero being “not at all”
the papers, have students exchange papers yet again. This
and four being “to a great extent,” respond to the following
time, partners should read the papers for grammatical or
statements. Your responses to these statements will identify
spelling mistakes. Writers should revise and edit their papers
whether your strategies are designed to make homework
again. This entire process should take about thirty minutes.
more effective or whether you need to improve in any of the
Finally, ask students to introduce their partners to the
eight areas.
class by reading their papers aloud. If not all students read
1. I have a clearly articulated homework policy that
their papers on Day 2, students should finish on Day 3.
describes my expectations for students and
Students should turn in all drafts of their papers before the end
parents.
of the class.
2. I clearly communicate my homework policy to
To reinforce their learning, ask students to tell you
students.
three things they know now about writing that they had not
3. I clearly communicate my homework policy to
known before they completed this exercise.
parents.
To wrap up class, distribute a sheet of paper to each
4. I clearly communicate to students the knowledge
student. Ask students to write one academic goal they have
they will be learning.
for the year. Since they will later write an essay on goals,
5. I have a specific purpose for the homework
deciding on an academic goal and musing on the topic now
assignment.
will prepare students for writing about it in more depth.
6. My students are aware of the purpose of the
Before students enter class on Day 3, create a class
homework assignment.
notebook example and place a copy of the English 9 syllabus
7. I provide feedback on the homework assignment.
on each student’s desk. As a warm-up, students should review
8. Over time, I collect evidence about the effect of
the syllabus. Answer any questions they have.
homework on my students’ learning.
Explain the grading scale and academic requirements
for the course, including your homework and makeup work
policies. If a textbook is being used, identify what makes it a good text. In
addition, tell students that homework will have three primary goals:
„ to prepare students for coming lessons,
„ to extend the skills they have or to transfer them to new situations, or
„ to synthesize the skills they are learning.
Then, inform students that they need to bring their class notebooks every
day. (You may wish to keep all class notebooks in the room. That way the
notebooks cannot be lost and students will not be able to plagiarize from each
other). All of a student’s notes and handouts should be organized into their
notebooks. Show the example notebook you have made to explain the
different sections. One method of organizing the notebook follows:
„ Class Notes: Keep daily class notes. Each day’s notes should be
titled and dated. Notes should also be legible, numbered, and
written on college-ruled paper.
„ Writing: Keep handouts, rubrics that pertain specifically to writing,
a writer’s log or journal, all drafts of essays, and other writing in
this section of the class notebook. When a new essay is assigned,
students will be expected to review past papers to avoid repeating
the same usage and mechanical mistakes.
„ Grammar and Vocabulary: Keep all grammar handouts, vocabulary
lists, and returned vocabulary quizzes in this section.
Days 1–3
Highlighted and Annotated Texts: Keep all highlighted and
annotated texts in this section. Students will be able to see how
their annotations change over the course of the year.
„ Graded Tests and Quizzes: Keep all tests and nonvocabulary
quizzes in this section to help students monitor their improvement
throughout the year.
„
Students should keep all of their in-class writing in their notebooks, which
will be helpful when putting together their portfolios. Students’ portfolios will
consist of two or three papers revised and submitted at the end of each grading
period. Their portfolios should showcase their best work because they will be
presented to parents or guardians at end-of-year meetings. Students should
imagine the portfolio as a final argument, presenting evidence of their progress
and accomplishments in class (Burke, 2003). Inform students that they will
learn more about how to choose what to put in their portfolios as the end of
each grading period approaches.
Finally, because the class notebook will be graded periodically, distribute
the Class Notebook Rubric (p. B-3). Students should keep it in their notebooks
and refer to it often.
Introduce Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). They may recall similar
programs from elementary, middle, or junior high school. During class,
students will often be engaged in SSR; they should always have a book
available in class. Tell students that research (McQuillan et al., 2001) shows
that students who have greater access to books tend to read more. Explain that
one purpose of the SSR program is to ensure that they have access to many
books. As part of the SSR program, they will:
„ receive suggestions of books to read,
„ go to the library as a class to check out books,
„ give book talks for the rest of the class about the books they read,
and
„ be monitored periodically to ensure that they have brought books
to read.
To facilitate a good SSR program, it is wise to develop a good relationship
with the media center specialist, who may be willing to come to your class
periodically to talk about books he or she recommends. It is also a good idea
to create a library in your classroom. This way you will have ample reading
material available on days when students forget their books. You can buy
books at very low prices at online bookstores; they can also be found cheaply
at garage sales and secondhand bookstores. Look for books you think your
students will find interesting, and include authors who write at different
reading levels. There are several types of books that make good classroom
libraries:
„ Young adult fiction and nonfiction by writers such as Lois
Duncan, Walter Dean Myers, Naomi Shihab Nye, Judith Ortiz
Cofer, and Angela Johnson
„ Popular books for adults by writers such as John Grisham, Walter
Mosley, Mark Bowden, Maya Angelou, and Faye Kellerman
„ Children’s books by writers such as Gary Soto, Francis Hodgson
Burnett, Francisco Jimenez, and Judy Blume
„ Nonfiction books on a variety of topics by writers such as David
Quaman, Charles Seife, Mary Roach, and Steven Johnson
„ Graphic novels by writers such as Art Spiegelman, Marianne
Satrapi, and B. K. Vaughan
11
12
Days 1–3
Fiction typically taught in high school classrooms by writers such
as Khaled Hosseini, Tim O’Brien, Rudolfo Anaya, Barbara
Tuchman, Brent Staples, Isabelle Allende, Jane Austen, and Ralph
Ellison
It is wise to add new texts periodically to your classroom library, and also to
ask students to suggest new books to buy.
Distribute SSR Chart worksheet (p. B-4) and tell
Tips for
students to place them in their class notebooks. They will be
Teachers
required to keep their book with them at all times because
any time they finish work early, they will be expected to be
McQuillan et al. (2001, p. 75) write that “a set amount
reading.
of time each day for student to read to themselves” is
As part of preparing students for the SSR program,
fundamental to any Sustained Silent Reading program.
introduce them to various ways to choose books to read.
Their research suggests that teachers begin slowly by
First, describe the ways you choose different books to read.
allotting ten minutes a day during the first few weeks of the
Perhaps you love mysteries and always check to see if there
semester, increasing up to 20 or 30 minutes as students
is a new Walter Mosley or Julie Smith novel in the library.
build stamina for reading. Teachers in the study reported
Maybe you belong to a book club where people read only
that when SSR is at least twenty minutes, the students find
biographies that they find by reading newspaper reviews, or
it hard to avoid reading.
perhaps you are fascinated by the history of the Civil War
Other hallmarks of successful SSR programs are:
and are currently reading Bruce Catton’s Army of the
„ The number of pages that students are required to
Potomac trilogy. Tell students what you are reading right
read per grading period must be high enough that
now, and describe ways that some of your friends choose
students must read both inside and outside of
the books they read. Then, encourage students to describe
class.
ways they choose books to read. Finally, suggest ways of
„ There must be a method to keep students
making choices that students might not have mentioned:
accountable for their reading
reading the description on the dust jacket, studying the
„ Teachers provide a model by silently reading
cover, or asking a librarian for ideas. Assure them that this
books of their choice—not grading papers—during
year they will learn more about themselves as readers and
SSR time.
that involves learning what type of reading materials they
enjoy.
If any students have not yet introduced their partners by
reading their one-page essays aloud, give them time to do so. Then wrap up
the day by asking students to write a paragraph about the best book they can
remember reading. The sentences should include the title of the book, an
explanation of the reason they liked it, and a brief description of the plot. If
students say that they cannot remember liking a book, ask them to write a
description of the kind of book—its topic, its plot—that they would like to
read. This writing provides information about students’ reading choices and
their prior knowledge of plot, the focus of Day 11.
For homework, students should review the syllabus and course policies
with their parents or guardians and return signed copies of both on Day 5.
Prior to Day 4, prepare the Writing Process transparencies. Also, write an
essay in response to the My Life and Goals prompt, preparing several drafts to
use as examples of the writing process. By writing your own essay on the topic
students will write on, you give yourself a sense of what the work will be like
for your students. They see you as a writer, and see that adults who are not in
school also write. Using this essay to describe your own writing process will
legitimize the assignment—it must be important if you bother to write it
yourself!—and hearing your essay will help students get to know you.
„
Days 4–9
Days 4–9
Students learn how the writing process works, they practice writing thesis
statements, begin drafting their My Life and Goals essays, and
conduct peer reviews using the praise, question, and polish format
(PQP).
Materials & Resources
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Sample My Life and Goals essay*
Why We Write transparency (p. C-2)
Prewriting transparency (p. C-3)
Writing a First Draft transparency (p. C-4)
Revising transparency (p. C-5)
Editing and Proofreading transparency (p. C-6)
Publishing transparency (p. C-7)
Literary Terms Survey (pp. C-8–C-9)
Structure of an Essay (p. C-10)
Professionally written essays* (optional)
What a Paragraph Is (p. C-11)
Paragraph Practice (p. C-12)
Combining Sentences transparency (p. C-13)
Writing Thesis Statements (pp. C-14–C-16)
My Life and Goals Essay prompt (p. C-17)
My Life and Goals Essay Rubric (pp. C-18–C-19)
Computer access*
Dictionaries, thesaurus, writing books*
My Life and Goals Essay Peer Evaluation (p. C-20)
Sample essay transparency*
Proofreader’s Marks (p. C-21)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
As you begin Day 4, preview the topic to be addressed: the writing
process. Explain that the content of the next few days will help students begin
to answer Essential Question 2: “How can I use the writing process to become
a better writer?”
Warm up with an informal discussion about writing. Ask students to
describe their experience writing the introductions of their partners. Then ask
them to describe other writing experiences they have had. Do they like to write
poems, short stories, or text messages?
Next, ask students to describe the process they used as they wrote their
introductions. Ask them whether they always write using the same process.
Some students may express frustration with the writing process—they want to
write one draft and be finished. Help them understand that in some cases
writing only one draft might be fine—writing a note to mom, texting a
message to a friend—but for the major essays of this class, you expect them to
write multiple drafts. Explain that you intend to help them establish some
habits that will help them think more critically and creatively about how they
build their classroom essay drafts. You might ask students to describe other
creative processes they have experienced. Do any of them design clothing or
write poetry? Do they create computer games, belong to a band, rebuild cars,
or cook for fun? Ask students how they approach each activity. Encourage
13
14
Days 4–9
students to compare those creative activities to writing. The frustration and
confusion they may experience during the writing process is not that different
from the feelings they may have when putting together a new recipe or playing
a computer game. A necessary part of the creative process is to become
comfortable with some discomfort.
When you conduct the presentation described below, use the Exposition
and Questioning teaching strategy. This is an activity in which the instructor
explains a point and then asks students questions to check their understanding.
While this activity is instructor-directed, there is a reciprocal flow of
questioning, both from the instructor to ensure student understanding and from
the students to gain clarification and help (ACT, Inc. & the Education Trust,
2004, p. 15).
Segue into a presentation using the Why We Write (p. C-2), Prewriting
(p. C-3), Writing a First Draft (p. C-4), Revising (p. C-5), Editing and
Proofreading (p. C-6), and Publishing (p. C-7) transparencies. At this point,
require students to take notes. Explain that taking notes is a skill that they will
need throughout high school, college, and work. Tell them that over the course
of the year they will learn several different methods of taking notes; for this
activity they should write down everything from the writing process
transparencies.
Throughout the presentation, remind students of the essays they wrote
introducing their partners. Encourage them to connect their writing experience
to the process you describe. Did they edit their papers for prose style in
addition to revising them for correctness? The process they used to write their
partners’ introduction was not as thorough as the one described by the
transparencies. Encourage students to ask questions to clarify or explain steps.
Invite students to speak up and make comparisons to their own writing
experiences.
As you discuss each transparency, describe your own drafting and revising
experiences. Be specific: You can describe your own writing in ways that will
be more helpful to students than reading a writing textbook would ever be.
After you place the Why We Write transparency on the overhead, for example,
describe the different reasons you write. Perhaps you e-mail your sister to
share personal experiences, and you are adding to your résumé because you
plan to apply for chair of the English department. Refrain from tying all of
your examples to the schoolroom so that you enforce the idea that writing has
many purposes and audiences. When you go through the Prewriting and
Writing a First Draft transparencies, read drafts of your My Life and Goals
essay.
Describe your prewriting process, inquire after the students’, and
introduce other prewriting strategies they might find useful. Tell them that
there are ways they can make the writing process less tedious. For example,
explain that using a word processing program to prepare a draft of their essays
can make writing easier. According to research conducted for the Carnegie
Foundation of New York in a report called Writing Next (Graham & Perin,
2007), using a word processor makes it easier for student writers to add,
delete, and move text. In comparison with composing by hand, “wordprocessing has a consistently positive impact on writing quality.” The report
states that using computers “may be especially effective in enhancing the
quality of text produced by low-achieving writers” (p. 17).
In addition to promoting use of computers, describe ways students can
make beginning to write easier. Share what Anne Lamott writes in her book
Days 4–9
15
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1994) about her process
of creating a first draft: “So I’d start writing without reigning myself in. It was
almost just typing, just making my fingers move. And the writing would be
terrible.”
As you discuss the Revising transparency, help students see how your
essay changes from first to second draft. Read aloud a paragraph that you have
tagged as terrible or in need of revision. Then read the revision. Explain the
difference between revising for content and revising for style, and demonstrate
the difference in your own essay. Illustrate how the changes you make to style
affect the content of the piece and vice versa. This is a concept that is
important for students to understand because it provides a clear rationale for
revision.
When you show the Editing and Proofreading transparency, explain the
difference between revising and editing. Explore with students the value and
limitation of using spell-check when they review their work. Remind students
of how helpful and important it can be to read their essays aloud. By reading
aloud to themselves, they are more apt to notice sentences that do not work
together logically, one idea that does not quite lead to the next one, or an
abrupt transition or conclusion. They are also more apt to notice misspellings,
incorrect punctuation placement, and omitted words when they read their
essays aloud. Remind students that it is always permissible to ask someone
else to review their work before they turn it in.
Finally, when you show students the Publishing transparency, describe the
particular style in which you, the English department, or the school requires all
formal essays be formatted. This information should also be included on your
syllabus. Explain that the Modern Language Association (MLA) style for
bibliographic entries will be explained in Unit 2, Introduction to Research:
Living with Change.
Tips for
Before the end of Day 4, gather data about students’
Teachers
literary vocabularies and their experiences as readers with
the Literary Terms Survey worksheet (pp. C-8–C-9).
English teacher Jim Burke (2003) calls the student
Students should review each term and indicate whether they
journal
(or personal writer’s log) “the petri dish of the mind.”
a) have never heard of it, b) have heard of it but do not
His
students
write every day when they first come into
know what it is, c) can identify it in a story but cannot
class,
responding
to a photograph on the board, a question,
define it, or d) can define it and teach it to others. Students
a quotation, or a text they read the day before. In this way,
should define or give an example of each term they know.
the journals become a record of students’ thinking and can
Finally, they should write a paragraph describing their
be used by them to provide ideas for papers that they will
personal reading history. Explain to students that this
write in class. Burke also recommends that teachers model
survey is a diagnostic tool, intended to give them and you
journal writing to students by periodically reading aloud from
insight into their prior knowledge or experience with
their own journals
literary terms and their feelings about reading. As students
Burke suggests that effective use of journals will
complete the Literary Terms Survey, circulate around the
„ Promote fluency of language
room to check for on-task behavior, clarify any questions,
„ Provide students a place to think out a subject or
help struggling students, and encourage advanced students
text to be discussed in class
to extend their answers. Allow students to finish the survey
„
Promote experimentation as students learn to write
for homework if necessary.
without fear of judgment
Wrap up by asking students to describe in their journals
„ Give student ts ownership of their thinking through
a writing process they have used in the past and to explain
personal expression
how they might modify it based on what they learned
„
Allow teachers to informally assess how well
today. This is one way of helping students muse upon
students are understanding a particular reading or
Essential Question 2: “How can I use the writing process to
topic
16
Days 4–9
become a better writer?” Near the end of class, tell students they will begin
writing their first formal essay for class on Day 6.
Before class on Day 5, place a copy of the Structure of an Essay handout
(p. C-10) on each student’s desk. Use what you have learned about your
students’ interests from their introductory papers to guide your choices of
essays by professional writers to bring into class. Find enough essays so each
student can have one paragraph from an essay and so when all the students put
their paragraphs together each essay is complete.
Some examples of essays students might find of interest include “Fish
Cheeks” by Amy Tan; “Celebrating the Pity of Brotherly Love” by Andrew
Krull; or “On Being Seventeen, Bright, and Unable to Read” by David
Raymond. Each is an informal narrative essay. You may wish to add essays
that are expository, too. Cut copies of the essays into parts that correspond
with the basic parts of the essay on the handout. If the essays do not fit the
traditional five-paragraph essay scheme, be sure to prepare students for this.
Shuffle the cut-up parts of the essay. As you greet students at the door, remind
them to turn in the signed back page of the syllabus and the survey, if they
have finished it for homework.
As a warm-up, ask students to write a journal entry in which they discuss
something about themselves that is essential to whom they are. Tell them that
this journal entry should be a page long. They may describe a life experience,
an essential principle or belief that is important to them, an interest or hobby,
or a skill or activity. In their response, students should be sure to describe the
aspect or characteristic they have chosen and to explain how it shapes who
they are. Tell students that this activity will help them prepare for questions
they will find on the constructed-response portion of theQualityCore® End-ofCourse exam. Give students ten minutes to write this response and require
them to turn it in.
Discuss the structure of a traditional five-paragraph essay using the
Structure of an Essay handout. While this may be review for some students,
others may need direct instruction about how to organize an essay. Explain the
importance of topic sentences, supporting details, and transitions. A metaphor
may help students grasp the organizational structure. The five-paragraph essay
is a triple hamburger, with the introduction and conclusion being the bread of
the sandwich, and the body paragraphs being the three hamburgers. Explain
that while the five-paragraph structure is useful as students begin learning
essay-organizing techniques, in time they will move beyond its formula and
write essays of increasing sophistication.
After this brief introduction, distribute the cut-up copies of the essays.
Ensure that each student has a paragraph. First, tell students to read the
paragraph they have been given and to determine its function and topic. This
task should take five minutes. Next, they should compare paragraphs with
their classmates, seeking others who have different parts of the same essay.
This should continue until essays are complete, though perhaps not yet in
order.
This activity serves several purposes. It reminds students of the parts of an
essay and encourages them to think about different ways those parts might fit
together. It provides a controlled chance for students to talk to each other, and
to talk to each other about writing. It also, quite simply, gets them up and
moving.
Extend the exercise and help students understand how topic sentences
create cohesiveness in paragraphs by asking them to highlight the topic
Days 4–9
sentence of their body paragraphs. Encourage them to confer with other
members of their group, if they need to, about this highlighting. Let students
know that some paragraphs have topic sentences that are implied, not explicit.
One student from each group should read aloud the topic sentence of his or her
paragraph and explain what evidence from the paragraph supports it. Gently
but firmly correct students who are wrong; write correct topic sentences on the
board, and talk, or have a student talk, about that sentence in relation to the
rest of the paragraph. Students with introductions should highlight and read
aloud the sentence in the introduction that they believe is the controlling idea,
or thesis statement. Students who have concluding paragraphs should explain
how that paragraph provides a sense of closure to the essay.
Address the fact that not all essays follow the same pattern. In some
essays, a thesis statement will be the first sentence of the first paragraph; in
others, it will be the last. Some essays, such as memoir essays, will be
organized as narratives, such that each paragraph may not have a topic
sentence. Other essays’ logic may be associative rather than formal. Many
essays have more than five paragraphs. Encourage students whose essays are
less traditional to describe the organizational patterns they see. After this
activity is concluded, ask students to place their cut-up paragraphs in their
class notebooks.
For efficiency’s sake, leave students in groups for the next activity and
talk to them about writing paragraphs. Explain that, by finding, connecting,
and reading paragraphs closely, they have discovered how good paragraphs
are constructed. Much can be learned about writing by analyzing other writers’
work. Now they will build on that reading by studying how paragraphs work
and then by writing paragraphs on their own.
Distribute the What a Paragraph Is handout (p. C-11). Inform students that
learning to write a cohesive paragraph is an important part of learning to write
an essay. Read, or have students read, the handout aloud. Describe how
paragraphs in expository or persuasive essays often have the following
organization:
„ Topic sentence
„ Explanation of the topic sentence (development by detail,
example, proof, anecdote, or comparison)
„ Example of topic sentence meaning (development by detail,
example, proof, anecdote, or comparison)
„ Completion of the paragraph’s main idea
Distribute one copy of the Paragraph Practice worksheet (p. C-12) to each
group. Inform students that, using the handout, each student in the group will
write one sentence of a paragraph on the worksheet and pass it to someone
else in the group. When each worksheet has been completed, one person from
each group will read the entire paragraph aloud, then turn it in to be graded.
Students should put the What a Paragraph Is handout into their notebooks. Let
students know that in the essays they will soon write, autobiographical
narratives, paragraphs will most likely be constructed chronologically.
Wrap up the day by asking students to write on an index card one thing
they learned on this day and one question they still have. They should turn in
these thoughts as they leave the room.
As a warm up on Day 6, address students’ questions from Day 5. After
you have taught this lesson for two or three years, you will know the kinds of
questions students most often have about the writing process. Consider
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Days 4–9
keeping a list of questions students ask most frequently. This should help you
answer their questions extemporaneously in the future.
Let students know that when they write an essay, it is important to
construct sentences so that the rhythm of the sentence serves a particular
purpose. For example, short sentences help speed the pace of an essay.
Longer, more complex sentences create a slower, more deliberate pace.
Students can decide what kind of a pace they want their essays to convey and
write their sentences to that purpose. Place the Combining Sentences
transparency (p. C-13) on the overhead projector. Explain that the purpose of
this exercise is to give students the opportunity to discover different ways of
combining short sentences. Direct students to write the sentences on a piece of
paper and combine them in at least two different ways. Help them see that this
is one way of varying sentences in writing. Collect students’ papers for
grading.
Next, ask students to contrast thesis statements and topic sentences. List
the differences on the board. For example, the topic sentence of the essay they
are about to write might be “Because of my experiences in junior high, I have
developed three goals for myself” but that will not be the essay’s thesis. “A
thesis states the main idea of a piece of writing.”(Lunsford & Connors, 1999)
Ask students to explain what they know about writing hypotheses from
science classes. Tell students that the type of thesis statement depends on the
purpose of the essay. Then, on the board, list the following characteristics of a
strong thesis:
„ Is debatable
„ Can withstand peer review
„ Is based on observation or a problem
„ Has convincing support from the text
„ Is clear
„ Is a statement, not a question
„ Can be divided into a subject—a single, limited topic—and a
predicate that says something meaningful and exact about the
subject (Martin & Kroitor, 1984).
However, in a personal essay such as the one students will write, the thesis
statement often tells the reader something about the writer and what he or she
has learned in life so far. Their thesis statements should be interesting both to
themselves and to their audience (in this case, you), broad enough so that there
is material to explore, yet defined enough to be easily covered in a short essay.
Essentially, the essay they are about to write must have a central idea.
Give students time to find the thesis statements in the
professional essays they reviewed on Day 5. Then a ask
Tips for
volunteer to come to the board and write one of them. Quiz
Teachers
students over the characteristics of a thesis. Ask them to
evaluate whether the thesis can withstand peer review,
whether it is debatable, and so forth through all the
Deepen and clarify students’ learning about thesis
characteristics.
statements by hosting a team competition. Split the class
Distribute the Writing Thesis Statements worksheet
into two teams and have teams work together to write solid
(pp. C-14–C-16). Ask a student to read What is a Thesis
thesis statements that are clear, limited, debatable, and
Statement? and Examples of Different Types of Thesis
convincingly supported. Once both teams have written a
Statements aloud. Then, ask students to complete Part I.
predetermined number of strong thesis statements on the
You might have the class continue practicing writing thesis
board, the other team could critique them. Award team
statements based on topics students choose. Then explain
points for each thesis statement that fulfills all of the criteria.
the concept of an extended thesis statement and have
Days 4–9
students practice writing them. Students should turn in the worksheet when
they are finished.
Distribute the My Life and Goals Essay prompt (p. C-17). Walk students
through the portions of the essay. Inform students that in the first portion of
the essay, after the introduction, they should describe their lives so far. They
should focus on aspects of their personal lives that are most memorable or
important to them. You might read this part of your essay at this point to
provide students with a model. The second part of the essay should focus on
students’ dreams or concerns about their freshman year of high school. This is
a question not often asked of ninth graders. The essay serves as a chance for
them to describe their dreams and concerns concretely. Inform them they may
include what they look forward to and what they fear. In the third part of the
essay, students should address their goals during and after high school,
including what they plan to do or learn during high school, their plans for
postsecondary education or work, and other, more personal, goals. Tell them
that their final drafts are due on Day 10. Remind them of how the paper should
be formatted.
Review the writing process discussed on Day 4. For prewriting exercises,
show students a two-part sentence such as “Once I was . . , [but] now I
am . . .” (Ponsot & Deen, 1982) to illustrate a structure that can be used to
begin the writing. In addition, provide students with the following prompt:
So far some of the most memorable events in my life have
been . . . because of this (or in reaction to, despite,
nevertheless) my goals for high school are to . . . after I
graduate I intend to . . .
Ask students to write nonstop for five minutes, making lists that fill in the
blanks in the prompt. This should provide them with ideas to work with as
well as the basic structure that they can expand on when they begin drafting
their essays. Finally, remind students of the academic goal they wrote as a
wrap-up on Day 2 and encourage them to develop that for this essay.
Before distributing the My Life and Goals Essay Rubric (pp. C-18–C-19),
ask students if they have ever used rubrics in their English classes. If they
have, ask them to describe the purposes of a rubric. If they have not, describe
the purpose of a rubric to them. Then, encourage students to develop their own
rubric by talking about what they think are the characteristics of a well-written
essay. Explain that the purpose of this discussion is to encourage them to
develop their own aesthetic requirements for writing. It should also help them
see that there are some attributes all well-written essays have in common.
Remind students of the essays they read on Day 4. Ask them to describe what
they liked about the essays. This conversation is personal—everyone has
different tastes in writing—but it is also evaluative. Distribute and discuss the
My Life and Goals Essay Rubric. Ask students to note if the characteristics
they listed are included on the rubric. Inform students that you are providing
them with the rubric before they begin writing so they understand your
expectations.
Give students the remainder of the class to begin writing. On Day 8, they
will revise their first drafts with help from their peers. If students are writing
their drafts by hand, they should be legible. If they are using a word processor,
they should bring printed copies to class. If you have a computer lab available,
students may prefer to draft electronically.
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Days 4–9
Because students may have trouble getting started, circulate around the
room during this initial drafting session. Prompt students by asking questions
such as:
„ What were some turning points in your life?
Tips for
„ If you could change one decision you have made in
Teachers
life (taken a different road on the journey so far), what
would it be?
Provide students with a list of reliable grammar Web
„ What challenges have you had in your life so far,
resources for use as they draft their essays at home. Some
and how have you met them?
excellent resources include:
„ Which person has influenced you the most?
„ The Purdue Online Writing Lab
„ What were the reasons for some of the big
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/)
decisions in your life?
„ Grammar Bites (http://www.chompchomp.com/)
Explain that these questions are of the sort that they
„ Grammar Slammer (http://englishplus.com/
may write about on college applications in a few years.
grammar/)
Wrap up by asking each student to write his or her
Muddiest Point—that is, the subject covered in class that
they are most concerned about—on a slip of paper. This
misconception check is used to provide information on what students find least
clear or most confusing about a particular lesson or topic (Angelo & Cross,
1993). As you collect the slips, reassure students that you will address the
most common Muddiest Points on Day 7.
The activities students have worked on since Day 1 address two of the
essential questions for the unit: “How is ninth grade like a crossroads?” and
“How can I use the writing process to become a better writer?” Inform
students that for homework, based on what they learned in class so far, they
should write answers to these questions in their journals.
Warm up on Day 7 by addressing students’ most commonly identified
Muddiest Points. If students did not list writing style—that is, how to phrase a
sentence and to attract a reader’s attention so that he or she will want to read
on—add it as your own Muddiest Point to segue into the next lesson.
Ask students to retrieve their cut-up professional essay paragraphs and
scan them for fresh words. As students call out words they find, write them on
the board. Then encourage students to list words that are too common and not
particularly fresh. Provide a few examples if necessary, like good, interesting,
and very. Students should be able to list quite a few overused words.
Students should write both lists of words in their class notebooks. Explain
that, in revising, they might find themselves exchanging bland words for fresh
ones. Remind them that refining diction is one purpose of revising, and
emphasize the difference between revising and editing. In general, revision
means reorganization or rethinking an entire essay. In contrast, editing
involves changing grammar or punctuation at the sentence level. However,
these aspects of writing are never completely separate. In the same way that
changes in style influence content, revising an entire essay will affect editing
choices.
For the remainder of the day, students should complete their first drafts.
Drafts will be due at the beginning of class on Day 8. Circulate around the
room while students work, responding to students’ work, answering questions,
and ensuring that students remain on task.
On Day 8, distribute the My Life and Goals Essay Peer Evaluation
worksheet (p. C-20) and have students review it as a warm-up. Inform students
that having someone other than yourself look at your writing can be helpful.
Even professional writers ask trusted friends to review their work. Reviewing
Days 4–9
classmates’ work can help the reviewer learn new writing techniques. Instruct
students to pair up. Students should read the first draft of their papers aloud to
their partners first. By reading their papers aloud, the writer may see errors or
hear inconsistencies that they have previously overlooked. Second, partners
should exchange essays to comment on them. They should use the PQP
formula (Lyons, 1981); first to find aspects of the essay to praise; second to
question their partner about unclear sentences, repetitions, or gaps; finally, the
essay writer should ask the peer reviewer what kinds of polishing the essay
needs before it is turned in. As students work, walk around the room and
record anecdotal data about students on your clipboard. Students should return
the papers to their partners with suggestions for revision and a completed Peer
Evaluation worksheet.
Make sure students know that they should turn in their first and second
drafts of the paper, as well as any checklists, drafts, and accompanying
comments, when they turn in their final drafts. Remind them that, as they
work, they should be aware of Essential Question 2: “How can I use the
writing process to become a better writer?”
For homework, students should review their partners’ ideas to make
revisions to their first draft, keeping parts of the essay their partner praised,
clarifying aspects of the essay their partner questioned, and making changes
that they realized were needed once they read their papers aloud. From this
exercise, students should be learning that revising is a regular and significant
part of the writing process
Prior to Day 9, make a transparency of a sample essay, such as your own
My Life and Goals essay. On Day 9, place the transparency on the overhead
projector. Distribute the Proofreader’s Marks handout (p. C-21). Ask students
to review the handout as a warm-up. Tell them to keep the Proofreader’s
Marks handout in their class notebooks.
Demonstrate how to edit a second draft by marking up the essay on the
overhead projector. As students become familiar with the marks, have them
suggest edits to mark on the essay, too. Encourage students to read aloud the
paragraphs that have been edited. Reinforce the difference between the
revision process, which they conducted on Day 8, and the editing process.
Have students pair up, exchange papers, and edit each other’s essays. As they
work, circulate around the room and help students as they mark up and discuss
each other’s work. Explain that they should make suggested changes as
homework. Students should plan to turn in their completed essays with all
drafts attached on Day 10.
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Day 10
Day 10
Students begin reading, discussing, and writing about short stories that
relate to the metaphor of the crossroads.
Materials & Resources
‰ “The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation (pp. D-2–D-4)
‰ Personal Response Journal (pp. D-5–D-6)
‰ Journal Record (pp. D-7–D-8)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Day 10 is a transition day. In addition to turning in their essays, students
move from writing about their own experiences and goals to reading literature
about characters who are at crossroads in their lives. Inform students that these
next days will focus on literature. They will address Essential Question 3:
“What tools are there to use to interpret literature?”
Warm up for the day. Extend students’ thinking and preview “The Seven
Ages of Man” by proposing that genres often share traits. Explain that
teachers, as well as standardized test writers, often use poetry to teach and test
literary traits because even though they are short pieces of literature, they
contain metaphors, rhythm, and sharp visual imagery to make their points, just
as longer pieces of writing such as personal and reflective essays often do.
“The Seven Ages of Man” is an especially good poem for teaching students
metaphor and visual imagery.
Distribute “The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation activity worksheet,
(pp. D-2–D-4). Introduce the poem, which is a monologue of the character
Jacques in As You Like It (II.vii.139–166). William Shakespeare recognized
that all human beings go through different stages in life. He divided those
stages into seven categories. Working in groups of seven or eight, students
should analyze and discuss each stage of life in Shakespeare’s poem, complete
the worksheet, and then create a Tableau Drama or living statues of each stage.
Each group can represent one stage of life either by posing as a group or by
choosing one student to stand as a statue singly. Students who do not feel
comfortable acting in front of the class can participate in the activity by
developing ideas, acting as directors, and staging each scene. As one group
poses, students in other groups should serve as an audience, asking questions,
interpreting what the statues represent, and making personal connections to
each stage, describing siblings who are “mewling and puking in the nurse’s
arms” or grandparents “with spectacles on nose, and pouch on sides.” This
activity helps students understand the poem kinesthetically and serves as an
additional icebreaker and relationship-building activity. It should take the
entire class period.
As students pose as human statues, collect anecdotal data about which
students enjoy performance-based activities and which do not. To conclude the
activity, ask students to identify the theme of Shakespeare’s poem.
End the day by distributing the Personal Response Journal prompt
(pp. D-5–D-6), which asks students to be reflective and make text-to-text, textto-self, and text-to-world connections, as well as connections to other learning
experiences. Students should write in their journals in response to the first
prompt for the remainder of the class period and complete the journal entry as
homework. Use the Journal Record (pp. D-7–D-8) to record their completion.
Days 11–12
Days 11–12
After an introduction to literary terms, students read the short story “The
Most Dangerous Game,” and then they take a quiz over it.
Materials & Resources
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Glossary of Writers’ Tools (pp. E-2–E-3)
Literary Terms Survey
Plot Structure (p. E-4)
“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell*
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game” (pp. E-5–E-6)
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game” Key (pp. E-7–E-8)
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz (p. E-9)
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz Key (p. E-10)
Personal Response Journal
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
As you greet students, distribute the Glossary of Writers’ Tools handout
(pp. E-2–E-3). Have students warm up by reviewing the glossary. Although
they should not be expected to memorize the definitions of all of the terms
during their study of this unit, they should develop a working knowledge of
several, both as they explore the short stories in the unit and as they try to
answer Essential Question 3: “What tools are there to use to interpret
literature?” Return each student’s Literary Terms Survey and ask them to
compare their definitions to those on the glossary. Explain that for each short
story students read, the class will focus on one characteristic of literary texts.
However, each story may contain many of the other elements found in the
glossary. For example, the study of plot will also encompass learning terms
such as dénouement and resolution.
Ask students to refer to the first section of the glossary, plot, while you
distribute the Plot Structure handout (p. E-4). Keeping the two handouts side
by side will give students both the written definition of plot and a graphic
image of plot structure. Illustrate each step with specific examples from a very
familiar story, such as “Cinderella.” For example, the inciting moment in
“Cinderella” occurs when she and her stepsisters learn about the prince’s ball.
Rising action occurs as Cinderella is dressed in beautiful clothes by her fairy
godmother and sent off to the ball in a coach, and the climax surely occurs
when the prince finds that the slipper fits the poor young woman’s foot. The
dénouement occurs afterwards, when Cinderella marries the prince.
After defining plot structure, distribute copies of “The Most Dangerous
Game” by Richard Connell. Next, explain that you will model one reading
strategy, visualization, which they should use as they read the story. First, ask
students to listen as you demonstrate visualization. Read the first page of “The
Most Dangerous Game” aloud. When you read the words “Ship-Trap Island,”
describe what you imagine such an island might look like. Next, when you
read about the “dank tropical night,” explain that you imagine a wet, steamy
night with, perhaps, “thick” air. Describe the feelings and pictures the phrase
“moonless Caribbean night” brings to your mind. Then, ask students to listen
for, and write down, words that might help them visualize the action and the
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Days 11–12
setting as you read the second page aloud. Have them tell you the words on
this page that they felt would help them visualize this story (Beers, 2003).
Since this is the first short story they will read for the unit and since it is
rather lengthy, students’ homework is to complete the Focus on Plot: “The
Most Dangerous Game” homework (p. E-5–E-6). “The Most Dangerous
Game” is a good story for teaching plot conventions for three reasons: first,
the long exposition of Richard Connell’s story builds suspense by a prolonged
delay of the revelation that General Zaroff’s “game” is in fact humans.
Second, the plot twist at the end creates an entertaining resolution that allows
students to explore irony in some detail. Finally, because the story has no
denouement, it affords the opportunity to contrast the story with others that do
wrap up the narrative action after the resolution. Students should complete the
story before class on Day 12. Let students know that there will be a quiz over
“The Most Dangerous Game” first thing on Day 12. Reassure them that if they
have understood the discussion of plot structure and can relate it to the story as
they read it, and if they complete the worksheet for homework, they should not
find the quiz difficult.
On Day 12, collect students’ homework. The warm-up for Day 12 is “The
Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz (p. E-9). The quiz has several purposes:
„ To check for understanding of the basic plot
„ To establish the expectation that students will complete their
reading assignments
„ To establish the expectation that students will be responsible for
their learning
„ To check for understanding of selected plot terms
Students who finish quickly should read for SSR.
After you have collected students’ quizzes, begin a discussion of “The
Most Dangerous Game” by having students share their answers on the quiz.
The questions students have responded to on both the quiz and the worksheet
have been literal, asking them to reproduce answers that are clearly in the text
and that do not require inference, analysis, or evaluation. Ensure, through the
discussion about the quiz, that all literal-level questions are completely
understood by students and that they understand how to describe plot events
using terms from the glossary. If you feel that students are comfortable with
these terms and with the plot of “The Most Dangerous Game,” consider
continuing with questions that require more depth of thinking, such as “Could
you argue that no one wins this game?” “If so, how would you defend this
idea?” or “Does this story have anything to say about perspective and
empathy?”
Wrap up by directing students to complete Personal Response Journals for
“The Most Dangerous Game.” The journal prompt focuses on Rainsford’s
feelings about hunting. Invite students to consider the metaphor of the
crossroads as they write about the decisions Rainsford made as well as the
decisions they might make under similar circumstances. If they do not finish
the journal assignment in class, they should complete it as homework.
Days 13–18
Days 13–18
Students read, discuss, and write about “The Bass, the River, and Sheila
Mant,” Beauty is Truth,” “Brothers Are the Same,” “Thank You,
M’am,” and “Divine Providence.”
Materials & Resources
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Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” (p. F-2)
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” Key (p. F-3)
Themes in Literature transparency (p. F-4)
“Glossary of Writers’ Tools”
Overhead projector*
“The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” by W. D. Wetherell*
Personal Response Journals
Harlem by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers*
“Beauty is Truth” by Anna Guest*
Focus on Character: “Beauty is Truth” (p. F-5)
Focus on Character: “Beauty is Truth” Key (pp. F-6–F-7)
Literary Terms Survey
The Maasai People (p. F-8)
“Brothers Are the Same” by Beryl Markham*
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same” (pp. F-9–F-10)
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same” Key (p. F-11)
Designing Exam Questions (p. F-12–F-13)
Designing Exam Questions transparency (p. F-14)
Short Story Quiz (pp. F-15–F-16)
Short Story Quiz Key (p. F-17)
Selections from Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes by David Roessel and
Arnold Rampersad*
Anticipation Guide (p. F-18)
“Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes*
“Thank You, M’am” Letter (p. F-19)
Thank-You Letter Rubric (p. F-20)
“Divine Providence” by Sandra Cisneros*
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence” worksheet (p. F-21)
Focus on: Writing Style “Divine Providence” Key (p. F-22)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Before class, place copies of Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and
Sheila Mant” (p. F-2) on students’ desks. After greeting students at the door,
instruct them to review the worksheet as a warm-up.
Invite volunteers to read aloud their journal responses from Day 12.
Indicate that one of the purposes of listening to others’ journal entries is to
help them continue to develop ideas for journals topics; hearing what others
have written might spark new ideas for their own writing. Another purpose is
to hear different perspectives about the texts they have read.
Begin the lesson on theme. The short story “The Bass, the River, and
Sheila Mant” is a good story to use for teaching theme because it has themes
that are easily identified and that students can relate to. First, have a student
read aloud the definitions on the Glossary of Writers’ Tools that are associated
with a story’s theme. A direct or indirect statement, the main conflict in the
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story, symbolism, tone, and character changes are all possible clues to the
theme. To connect this to prior learning, explain that a theme in a story is
similar to a thesis in an essay. Both provide a central idea that the writer
explores and provides support for. Place the Themes in Literature transparency
on an overhead projector (p. F-4). Instruct students that one way to identify the
theme of a story is to summarize the plot and then list the subjects or topics it
covers. By analyzing a story’s plot and its topics together, readers can begin to
develop ideas about the theme of the story. A statement of a story’s theme
should be written in a complete sentence. (“Death” is not a theme, but “Death
makes all persons equal” is a theme.) The theme of a work usually refers to
issues outside of the work, to experiences many people have in common.
Frequently, the theme is expressed or experienced by the protagonist and is
reflected in the way the major conflict is resolved. Sometimes the title of the
work provides a suggestion of what the writer considered the theme. Another
way students might think about the theme of a story is to ask themselves what
the writer was trying to tell them about life.
Further develop students’ understanding of theme by retelling the story of
“Cinderella.” Ask them to identify and defend different possible themes of that
story. Possible responses might be: Wait long enough and your prince will
come, good things happen to good people, or go to all the parties you possibly
can if you want to meet a man. Remind students that their own opinions and
experiences can play into their ideas about the meaning of any story, since the
meaning of a story is constructed between a reader and the text, not written
into the text by the author and then found by the reader. Instruct students that
this does not mean that everything anyone thinks is a theme can be defended.
Interpreting stories depends on education and the development of interpretive
tools (such as the ones you are providing in this class) as well as reading
strategies. Explain that, for example, if one knows that in many fairy tales the
bad characters (witches, stepmothers, stepsisters, giants) are ugly, one can
reject the interpretation that the meaning of “Cinderella” is that ugly people
are bad. A convention in fairy tales is that bad characters are ugly. The
ugliness of the bad characters is not, therefore, a statement on life outside of
fairy tales.
Ask students to ponder ways that “Cinderella” might be changed. This
kind of imaginative thinking can help develop critical readers and thinkers. If
the theme of the story were “a beautiful dress and a rich husband are all that
matters,” how might students rewrite the story? If Cinderella were a man and
the prince were a princess, how might the theme change, or would it change at
all? What about if Cinderella had made different choices at her crossroads?
Next, introduce the setting of the short story, “The Bass, the River, and
Sheila Mant” and distribute the reading. Students should read the story
silently, and afterwards respond to the prompt about the story in their Personal
Response Journals. Remind them that the theme of a story is often experienced
by the protagonist and the way he or she resolves a major conflict. Remind
them also that the title of the story often provides a clue to a possible theme.
Wrap up by having students complete the Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the
River, and Sheila Mant” worksheet.
Warm up on Day 14 by asking students to employ the Think-Pair-Share
strategy (Lyman, 1981) as they read their Personal Response Journals about
“The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” to each other. In the research-based
strategy Think-Pair-Share, students independently ponder a topic, sometimes
writing down their ideas (as they have in journal entries) before sharing them
Days 13–18
with a partner or small group. Finally, they report their ideas to the entire
class. Using the Think-Pair-Share strategy removes the pressure of being put
on the spot to share ideas that are only their own. Give students about ten
minutes to pair up and talk to each other. Then, ask students to share their
thoughts with the class.
Tell students that by determining what they think the possible themes of a
story are, they are interpreting that story. Encourage them to respond to
Wetherell’s story personally, as they did when writing in their journals.
Encourage this personal response by asking the following questions:
„ In what ways do you identify with the main characters in the
story?
„ What similar experiences have you had?
Continue encouraging discussion of this story until you feel all the major
aspects of it, in particular its themes and the personal connections students
have made to it, have been discussed.
On Day 15, preview Anna Guest’s story “Beauty is Truth” by writing on
the board the quotation from the poet John Keats:
Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know.
Students should respond to the quotation as a warm-up in their journals.
Tell them that the quotation is from Keats’s poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”
Inform them that this quotation, and the poem itself, is one that Jeanie, the
protagonist in the story students will read next, hears her teacher read and then
thinks about during the course of the story. Describe how one interesting thing
about reading is that texts often refer to and comment on other texts, as if they
were in conversation with each other. Having reacted to a part of the poem
Jeanie reacts to in the story should provide students with a different, more
nuanced, understanding of the story than they would have otherwise.
Next, introduce Harlem, which is the setting of “Beauty is Truth” by Anna
Guest. Ask students what they know about the place. After listening and
responding to their answers, read aloud all or parts of Harlem by Walter Dean
Myers and Christopher Myers (1997). This read-aloud should help students
learn about Harlem, which is an important, historic, complex, and largely
African American community.
Continue by explaining that “Beauty is Truth” is an excellent story to read
for learning about characterization—what it is and how it is developed. Share
with them that just as theme is not overtly stated within a piece of writing,
characterization is not always direct either. Ask them to explain the difference
between the words direct and indirect. They should provide examples of both.
Students should be able to list many examples from their lives. Ask a student
to list the examples on the board.
Distribute the “Beauty is Truth” reading and the Focus on Character:
“Beauty is Truth” worksheet (p. F-5). Ask students to read aloud from the
worksheet the definitions of direct and indirect characterization. As students
read the story, they should find examples of direct and indirect
characterization. Next, ask students to pair up and take turns reading the story
softly aloud to each other paragraph by paragraph. Ask students to use the
visualization strategy when they read. After each student reads a paragraph or
part of a paragraph, he or she should comment on what was just read. After
each paragraph, students should ask their partners a question about a confusing
part of the paragraph, predict what will happen next, describe how they
imagine (“visualize”) an action or place in the paragraph, make a guess about
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Days 13–18
what will happen next, or connect what they have just read to something they
know. This reading strategy, called Say Something, is described by Beers
(2003) and is particularly helpful for struggling or dependent readers who may
have trouble focusing on the story. As students read to each other, walk around
the classroom with your clipboard and record what you learn about your
students’ reading abilities. When students finish, they should complete the
worksheet.
After all students have finished the story, ask what they thought the theme
was. Reassure them that it is okay for their answers to differ from their
neighbor’s, but that they need to read the text closely to be able to support
their ideas. Remind students that some clues to the theme of the story may be
found by looking at the conflict in the story, the direct or indirect statements of
the major characters in the story, and the ways in which the main character, in
this case Jeanie, changes. Finally, ask students to tell you how they think the
title of the story provides a clue to its theme.
Wrap up by asking students to identify one sentence from the story that
they find particularly powerful. The purpose of this is to remind students that
reading stories is not all about defining literary elements. We read to gain a
different understanding of what it means to be human and to enjoy ourselves.
By finding a sentence that is powerful, they are reacting to the story in a
personal way, which is itself a tool for reading literature. Conclude by asking
students to stand and read aloud the sentence they identified, even if someone
has read that sentence before. This exercise should serve as a class comment
on “Beauty is Truth.”
Warm up on Day 16 by asking students to write for five minutes on one of
the following questions. How would their sense of the story “Beauty is Truth”
change if:
1. the main character, Jeanie, were a boy rather than a girl?
2. the main character’s sibling were a girl who was being treated
harshly by her father?
3. the story were told from Jeanie’s mother’s point of view?
4. the story were told from Jeanie’s brother’s point of view?
5. Jeanie had chosen not to turn in her assignment?
Writing about a topic to be discussed in class that day provides students
with time to explore their thoughts before they are called to contribute to the
discussion (Brewster & Klump, 2004). In their writing, and later in discussion,
students should discuss whether and how the meaning of the story would be
different in each of these five cases. They should explore reasons that the
writer might have chosen to tell the story from Jeanie’s point of view. (Ensure
that students remember what point of view means.) Recasting stories like this
provides students with a different angle from which to view the story. It also
allows them to uncover some of the writer’s persuasive intent in telling the
story. Students should speak with a neighbor briefly about what they wrote.
Finally, open the discussion to the full class. This conversation may touch on
both assumptions about gender roles within families and the decisions a writer
makes when determining point of view in a story.
Inform students that writers do not just place symbols into stories, but that
especially meaningful or resonant images come into a story in part because of
the common metaphors of a culture. For example, the metaphor of everyone
being like actors on a stage playing different roles was one that was popular
long before Shakespeare used it in “Seven Ages of Man” from As You Like It.
He used this metaphor partly because it was resonant with many people in
Days 13–18
British culture at the time he wrote, and the metaphor became resonant with
people in our culture and in our time in part because he used it. The idea of life
as a journey is a metaphor that is so common that we often do not even notice
when we are using it, as when we state that we are at a crossroads in our life.
Inform students that a writer develops images as she works with a text, in part
from the focus she decides upon as she writes and revises and refines her
story. There may be symbolic images in the next stories students read. Provide
examples to spark students’ interest. Remind them that titles are important to
muse over as they interpret stories. Finally, ask them why they think the
writer, Beryl Markham, might have named the next story they will read,
“Brothers Are the Same.”
Before students read “Brothers Are the Same,” have them gather in groups
of three to review the Glossary of Writers’ Tools and the Literary Terms
Survey to find and then redefine in their own words symbolism, conflict,
epiphany, tone, protagonist, and foreshadowing, all of which can be found in
“Brothers Are the Same.” This activity should help students solidify their
understanding of the terms. As the unit progresses, students will recognize
these techniques in every story they read. They will start to see patterns. Use
the exercise to help students establish a purpose for reading “Brothers Are the
Same”: to see how Beryl Markham uses the techniques these terms describe.
Provide students with background on the Maasai people to pique their
interest and to provide context for their reading of the short story. Use The
Maasai People background information (p. F-8) to develop and deliver a short
lecture on the tribe and their current experiences in Kenya. Connect students’
understanding by comparing problems that the Maasai face to those people in
the United States live with. Currently, for example, the Maasai are trying to
provide better education and better health care for their children. The Maasai
Village Clinic in the Kajiado District of Kenya is currently facing challenges
caused by child malnutrition, malaria, the HIV virus and tuberculosis. People
both in Kenya and the United States are working to develop funding to
alleviate some of these difficulties.
Distribute the “Brothers Are the Same” reading and the the Focus on
Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same” worksheet (pp. F-9–F-10). Direct
students to read the story, complete the worksheet, and write a Personal
Response Journal. Remind students of the visualization strategy that was
introduced previously. Ask if they have been using it and suggest that they
continue to work at this. Tell students that you are going to model how to
predict what will happen next in a story. Read the first page of “Brothers Are
the Same” aloud. Ask students to listen for words that help them visualize the
scene. Describe your own predictions as you read, particularly at the phrase
“He must meet in combat the only worthy enemy his people recognize—the
destroyer of their cattle, the marauding master of the plains—the lion.” Make a
prediction also when you read “He had dreamed of it and lived it in a dozen
ways—all of them glorious.” Encourage students to continue to make
predictions about what might happen next as they read. Because the story is
long and the worksheet is more comprehensive than others so far, students will
need to have assimilated all they have learned in the past few days, building
upon that knowledge to analyze a short story for more than one literary
technique at a time.
After students have finished reading “Brothers Are the Same” and have
completed the worksheet, discuss the point at which the protagonist comes to a
metaphorical crossroads. Ask students to describe a moment when they had to
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make an important decision under pressure. Have they ever had a rival become
a friend? Describe a time in your own adolescence that compares to “Brothers
Are the Same.” By telling them this anecdote you are showing them another
way to read personally. Even though students live in a culture very different
from the one described in this story, some aspects of being young are the same
everywhere.
Announce that there will be a quiz on Day 17. The quiz covers “The Bass,
the River, and Sheila Mant,” “Beauty is Truth,” and “Brothers Are the Same.”
Students should use their class notes, the Glossary of Writers’ Tools, and the
worksheets to review.
As a wrap up for the day, students should design two multiple-choice
exam questions over the three short stories they have just read and discussed
(Angelo & Cross, 1993). Display the Designing Exam Questions transparency
(p. F-14), which is a sample exam question from the QualityCore Formative
Item Pool. Read aloud, or have students read aloud, the passage. Ask students
to answer the question and to explain how they arrived at their answer. If
students are unclear about their reasoning, share the justifications provided on
the Background Information sheet (pp. F-12–F-13). Ask students to write
similar multiple-choice questions, the answers to the questions, and
explanations of how students should think through the question to find the
correct answer. They may finish writing the exam questions as homework.
On Day 17, after students have turned in their homework, warm up with
the Short Story quiz (pp. F-15–F-16). Students who finish the quiz quickly
should read silently for SSR. Collect the quiz and, if you like, review the
answers in class.
Introduce the next short story by first introducing its author, Langston
Hughes. Ask if any students remember his poems from past
Tips for
grades. Read, or have a student read, selections of Hughes’s
Teacher
poems. Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes by
Roessel and Rampersad (2006) is a good volume to use, in
In The New Read-Aloud Handbook (1989) Jim
part because it includes watercolor interpretations of
Trelease describes reading aloud to students as “the best
twenty-six poems. Read “Homesick Blues” or “I, Too,” and
advertisement for reading” in a culture where many do not
show the illustrations that go along with the poems. Ask
read anymore (p. 9). Reading aloud provides students with
students to describe their reactions, both to the poems and
a role model of a reader, fresh vocabulary, a broader
to the paintings. Describe Hughes’ life and work. Other
collection of texts than he or she would usually choose on
good accessible resources are Poetry for Young People:
his or her own, and a sense that reading might be
Langston Hughes (2002) and Langston Hughes: American
fun (p. 16).
Poet (2002). Tell students about Simple, a character who,
across a series of stories, comments on what life was like
for African Americans during the Great Depression. Inform
students that, just as “Beauty is Truth” shares some of the concerns of the
Keats poem it was titled for, readers can see that many of Langston Hughes’s
stories share concerns, images, and ideas with his poetry.
Prepare students for reading “Thank You, M’am” by distributing the
Anticipation Guide worksheet (p. F-18). The guide requires students to take a
stance or position on several statements based on their beliefs. When all
students have completed the worksheet, ask them how they responded.
Encourage them to defend their positions. This guide is a prereading strategy
to prepare them to read a short story by Langston Hughes.
Distribute the reading “Thank You, M’am,” and instruct students to read
the story. When they have finished completing the journal assignment related
to it, students should revisit the Anticipation Guide and respond to the
Days 13–18
statements as they think, based on their reading, Langston Hughes might
respond. Finally, ask students to form groups of three to share their responses
and analyses about Langston Hughes. As students share, circulate around the
room with your clipboard to learn about your students’ beliefs and values.
One way of responding to a short story is to write as if you were one of its
characters. Delineate for students how, in this next assignment, they will
respond to “Thank You, M’am” as they write in a practical and real-life form.
Distribute the “Thank-You, M’am” Letter prompt (p. F-19) and Thank-You
Letter Rubric (p. F-20). If students are unfamiliar with the form of a personal
letter, it may be necessary to teach a quick lesson introducing it. Remind
students that, though this is a personal letter, it is one to a person they (writing
as Roger) do not know well. Their language should be formal, include no
slang or abbreviations, and not be overly familiar.
Help students prepare to write their thank-you letters by inviting them to
write a class example of a poorly written personal letter. Encourage students to
do everything they should not do in a formal letter, such as using incorrect
grammar. When the class letter is complete, students should point out what is
incorrect about the punctuation, grammar, or form they used. Writing badly
intentionally while explaining mistakes may help students remember what to
avoid better than modeling the letter correctly would.
For homework, students should write their thank-you letters. Remind them
to use the rubric to guide their writing and to assess their work.
Before class on Day 18 put up around the room posters, paintings, and
other materials from Mexico. The art and other objects should provide texture
to students’ understanding of Sandra Cisneros’s story, “Divine Providence.”
Greet students as they enter the room and turn in their homework.
Distribute copies of Sandra Cisneros’s short story “Divine Providence.”
To help students focus their analysis on Cisneros’s style, ask them to count the
number of sentences in “Divine Providence” as you read it aloud to them.
They will find that the entire story is composed of only nine long sentences.
After you have read it aloud, ask students to gather in groups of three and
reread the story together. While students are still in groups, distribute the
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence” worksheet (p. F-21), and instruct
them to complete it together.
Ask one student from each group to share the group’s response to one of
the questions on the worksheet. If students seem inattentive, ask the questions
out of order. If students seem to have difficulty understanding voice, tell them
that what we call voice in writing includes word choice and detail, use of
imagery, figurative language, and tone. As an exercise in determining how
Cisneros creates Alma Alvarado’s voice, instruct students to rewrite the first
five sentences. Have students write the sentences using different words and in
a conventional manner. Students should break up the fifth sentence into many
sentences. When students have completed this exercise, ask them to read their
revisions aloud to hear how the voice changes.
Invite students to react to the story. How is it different from the other short
stories they have read? Because it is very different from the other stories in
this unit, ask questions that focus their attention on some of those differences,
such as, “Does this story have a beginning, middle, and an end?” Ask students
to identify those parts of the story. Can one student describe the action of the
plot? What would they say is the theme of this story? Remind students about
the idea of the crossroads as you discuss Alma’s difficult situation. Then, ask
students if they have ever read a Dear Abby®-type advice column. After a
31
32
Days 13–18
discussion of this type of letter, instruct students to write such a letter of
advice to Alma. After they have written their journal entries, complete a
Think-Pair-Share by asking students to pair up and share their ideas. Finally,
ask if students want to share their letters with the class.
Wrap up by having students respond to the assignment in their Personal
Response Journals.
Days 19–20
Days 19–20
Students work on vocabulary from the story “The Scarlet Ibis,” and then
read the story.
Materials & Resources
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
Photographs of scarlet ibises*
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” (pp. G-2–G-4)
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” Key (pp. G-5–G-7)
Dictionaries*
Blank transparencies *
Overhead projector*
“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Before class, place photographs of scarlet ibises around the room for
students to inspect when they arrive. As a warm-up, have them write three
sentences describing the photographs. Research has shown that the more
students are asked to write short, informal texts, the more comfortable they
will become with the act of writing and the more proficient they are apt to
become at all kinds of writing (Mayher, Lester, & Pradl, 1983). Reassure
students that this viewing and writing pertains to a short story they will soon
read.
Distribute the Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” worksheet
(pp. G-2–G-4). Assign students to groups of two to four students each. Have
them split up the list of words in Part I first and define the words using
classroom dictionaries. Next, have students work together to write couplets
using the words in context. Use an example, such as the following couplet
Shakespeare used in the fifth stage of “The Seven Ages of Man”:
With spectacles on his nose, and pouch on side
His youthful hose well sav’d, a world too wide.
Couplets can be enjoyable to write and say, and they may help students
remember the words as well (Hardwick-Ivey, 2008, p. 58). The couplets may
be silly, but they must rhyme and include a clear definition of the word in
question. For example, using a word from “The Scarlet Ibis”:
The poor old invalid stayed abed
With sickness and sadness he lay down his head.
Students who wish to may write their couplets on a transparency and place
it on an overhead projector to be read aloud by the class. Because their
understanding of vocabulary will be assessed based on these couplets, students
should turn them in.
Students should spend the rest of the class reading “The Scarlet Ibis”
and completing Parts II and III of the worksheet. For homework, they should
each write their Personal Journal Responses about the story and write four
questions about the story. These can be any kind of question, focused on plot,
character, title, theme, symbols, or simply points of confusion. They should be
genuine questions, not ones students already have formulated answers to.
Students should bring their questions into the classroom the next day.
Reassure them that, after the discussion, you will collect these questions along
with their completed worksheets. They will work in four circles asking and
answering each other’s questions and, in this way, discussing the story.
33
34
Days 19–20
When students return to class on Day 20, you may want to check their
journal assignments to assess their comprehension of “The Scarlet Ibis,”
knowing that some comprehension questions will be answered during student
discussion.
Count off by fours and group students in four circles in the room. Each
group should conduct a discussion using the questions they have brought in.
Inform students before they begin discussing that you will ask two students
from each group to share the most interesting questions their group developed.
This promise of assessment should help keep students on task. Circulate
around the room as students discuss, listening to the conversation, clarifying
questions for students and asking questions of your own. Once students’
conversations seem to be losing steam or moving off topic, call on students to
share their group’s most interesting questions. Students will discover that
many of them asked similar questions about the story.
Before students leave on Day 20, ask them whether they feel they have
addressed Essential Question 3: “What tools are there to use to interpret
literature?” Students should be able to describe the importance of various
literary techniques that have been discussed in class. They should also be able
to explain the importance of the title of a story. They should discuss ways to
decide upon possible themes of a story. Finally, they should be able to
compare events in their own lives to the experiences of characters in the
stories. If students are unable to respond to Essential Question 3, remind them
of the various ways they have begun to address it.
Days 21–24
Days 21–24
Students analyze a short story of their choosing. They also work on and
present a final project that expresses the theme or themes of the story
and demonstrates what they have learned about literary analysis.
Materials & Resources
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
Short Story Group Project (p. H-2)
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide (pp. H-3–H-5)
Short Story Group Project Rubric (p. H-6–H-7)
Suggested short stories*
Computer access*
Art supplies* (such as scissors, glue, and construction paper)
Costumes, props, and rehearsal space* (as needed)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Describe how, as a culminating project to the short story unit, students will
work in groups of three or four to read a new short story and analyze it for
various elements of fiction. Distribute the Short Story Group Project prompt
(p. H-2), the Short Story Literary Analysis Guide worksheet (pp. H-3–H-5),
and the Short Story Group Project Rubric (p. H-6–H-7). Tell students that they
will have the opportunity to create a unique project and develop a presentation
that demonstrates their cooperative understanding of the story and its literary
techniques. They can choose from the possibilities below. You may add other
possibilities if you like; students may add possibilities if approved by you.
Some project or presentation ideas include:
„ skit
„ song
„ PowerPoint® slideshow
„ cartoon storyboards
„ collage
„ mobile
„ diorama
„ poster
„ panel discussion
„ talk show
Each group will choose a different story. Suggested titles include:
„ James Baldwin, “The Rockpile”
„ Alice Childress, “The Pocketbook Game”
„ Ruby Dee, “Aunt Zurletha”
„ Ernest Gaines, “Robert Louis Stevenson Banks AKA Chimley”
„ Daniel Garza, “Everybody Knows Tobie”
„ Jamake Highwater, “Snake Boy”
„ Chester Himes, “Black Laughter”
„ Toshio Mori, “Say it with Flowers”
„ Alice Munro, “Red Dress—1946”
„ Marta Salinas, “The Scholarship Jacket”
35
36
Days 21–24
Any of the following are good ways to help students choose stories:
„ Assign a story to predetermined groups based on your
perception of the students’ reading ability.
„ Place on the board or around the room large, laminated strips,
each representing an enticing sentence from one of the stories
students may choose. Create four strips per story. Invite
students to walk around the room and read the strips, choosing
one they find interesting. Groups will be determined based on
the strips students choose.
„ Allow students to choose based on the title and writer’s name
alone.
Each group member should be responsible for completing the following
tasks:
1. Reading and understanding the story
2. Completing the Short Story Literary Analysis Guide
3. Contributing actively and creatively to the group project
4. Participating in the presentation
Evaluate each group member with the Group Project Rubric. Finally, use
the following timetable to keep students on track with their daily tasks.
Day 21: Students form groups, then they read their chosen
Tips for
short stories. If they do not finish reading the story
Teachers
in class, they should complete the rest of the reading
and the Short Story Analysis Guide individually for
The roles below are developed based on Harvey
homework. Each student should complete his or her
Daniels’s (1994) work, but are specifically written to help
own guide. Check their work for completion when
students who are creating projects. Students may be
students enter class the next day.
familiar with Daniels’ literature circles and participant
Day 22: As students meet with their group, they should
roles from elementary school.
discuss the plot and compare homework answers.
„ Time Keeper: A student who keeps track of the
They should also decide upon their group project
allotted time available during each class period
and create a plan for working on it. Have computers
and helps others stay on task.
or art supplies available for students to use. The
„ Recorder: A student who takes notes for the
project should be based on what they perceive to be
group, writing down ideas, recording
the theme of the story they are reading. By the end
suggestions and questions.
of the class period, group members should have
„ Materials Handler: A student who is in charge of
determined goals for completing the project and
distributing handouts, markers, scissors, glue,
assigned tasks to group members.
and any other necessary project materials.
Day 23: This day should be a work day. The classroom will
„ Literary Master: A student who is in charge of
no doubt be busy as students act out skits, practice
verifying information or quotations from the text.
songs, set up slide shows, and work with art
If literature circles are used more than once, roles should
supplies. Circulate about the room, offering
be rotated so students are provided with varied
guidance and assistance. Some students may need to
experience.
be reminded that the purpose of the assignment is to
demonstrate what they have learned about literary
analysis. While their project may entertain the class,
the main focus should be their interpretation of the
story. The hardest part of the literary analysis for
any group will probably be thinking and talking
through their understandings of the story’s theme or
themes and communicating those ideas to the class.
Day 24: Students should present their projects. It is important to
establish some basic ground rules, time limits, and expectations
during each group’s presentation:
Days 21–24
Students who are presenting should stand in front of
the class, speak loudly and clearly, hold up visual aids
for all to see, and give each group member the chance
to speak.
„ Audience members should not be placing last-minute
touches on their own projects while others are
presenting. They should be quiet, attentive listeners
and should offer appreciation for others’ presentations
when they are finished.
Students should turn in their Short Story Analysis Guides. Then, as
students present their projects, evaluate each project with the rubric and record
anecdotal data to use for evaluation later on. Even if a group created a visual
aid such as a mobile, students still need to present their project to the class and
explain the literary connections. Students should feel a great sense of
accomplishment upon completion of this project and this unit.
„
37
38
Enhancing Student Learning
ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING
Selected Course Standards
A.2. Reading Strategies
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts
(both print and nonprint sources) by asking and answering literal,
interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating,
questioning) in order to interpret increasingly challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events,
and/or content learned in other coursework
Unit Extension
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Materials & Resources
‰ Automat by Edward Hopper*
‰ Nighthawks by Edward Hopper*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
To connect with the metaphor of the crossroads, invite students to view,
write about, and research stories behind paintings that show people who
appear to be at a crossroads in their lives. Edward Hopper’s paintings Automat
(1927) and Nighthawks (1942) both show people who appear to be involved in
making important decisions. Ask students to write journal entries or short
stories imagining the situation of the woman in Automat or the people in
Nighthawk. Students should learn more about the concepts of tone and mood
simply by describing the tones of each painting. To encourage students to
engage the paintings on multiple levels, ask them to create their own drawings
of people coming to a crossroads.
Another way to extend students’ learning is by reading other literature by
the authors studied in the unit. Encourage students to read The House on
Mango Street or Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros, Simple Speaks
His Mind or Something in Common, by Langston Hughes, or The Beggar Maid
by Alice Munro. For a greater challenge, they might choose to read the
memoir West with the Night by Beryl Markham.
Reteaching
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Materials & Resources
‰ Sticky notes*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
If students are having difficulty understanding the short stories, provide
each with approximately ten sticky notes to use as an active reading strategy.
Enhancing Student Learning
Any time a student is confused about a text or wants to comment on a personal
connection, he or she should write on the sticky note and place it near that
point in the text they want to comment on. This allows students to mark things
without actually marking the page. Another possible use for this technique is
to give the students sticky notes that are already labeled with literary
techniques, such as indirect characterization or denouement. Then, as the
students find examples of these techniques in the story, they simply stick the
note in the text and keep it there to help them during class discussion.
Encourage students who are having difficulty with writing to use any
number of online writing tools, such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu) or Grammar Bytes (http://chompchomp.com)
for grammar tips and exercises.
Finally, some students may need one-on-one instruction to help them
understand writing or the stories. Arrange individual meetings with students
during your free or tutorial period.
Reflecting on Classroom Practice
How have you explained to students strategies for success in your
classroom?
„ Which skills for understanding and interpreting literary texts do
you feel students can use confidently at this point?
„ How can you best provide extra help and create extra challenge
for those who need it?
„
39
40
Bibliography
Bibliography
Readings
Cisneros, S. (1992). Divine providence. In C. M. Tatum (Series Ed). New
chicana/chicano writing: Vol 1 (pp. 76–78). Tucson: University of
Arizona Press.
Connell, R. (2008). The most dangerous game. Rockville, MD: TARK Classic
Fiction.
Hughes, L. (1963). Thank you m’am. In Something in common (pp. 1–4). New
York: Hill and Wang.
Hurst, J. (1960). The scarlet ibis. The Atlantic, 260(1), 48–53.
Markham, B. (1987). Brothers are the same. In The splendid outcast (pp. 52–
66). New York: Dell Publishing.
Shakespeare, W. (1599/2008). As you like it. A. Brissenden (Ed.). New York:
Oxford University Press.
Wetherell, W. D. (1985). The bass, the river, and Sheila Mant. In The man
who loved Levittown (pp. 57–64). Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh
Press.
References
ACT, Inc., & The Education Trust. (2004). On course for success: A close
look at selected high school courses that prepare all students for college.
Iowa City, IA: Author.
Angelo, T., & Cross, K. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A
handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read what teachers can do: A guide for
teachers 6–12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Bomer, R. (1995). Time for meaning: Crafting literate lives in middle and high
school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Brewster, C., & Klump, J. (2004). Writing to learn, learning to write:
Revisiting writing across the curriculum in Northwest secondary schools.
Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Available
from http://www.nwrel.org/request/2004dec/writing.pdf
Burke, J. (2003). The English teacher’s companion: A complete guide to
classroom, curriculum, and the profession (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Bibliography
Claggett, F., Reid, L., & Vinz, R. (1996). Learning the landscape: Inquirybased activities for comprehending and composing. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Daniels, H. (1994). Literature circles: Voice and choice in the studentcentered classroom. Stenhouse Publishers.
Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve
writing of adolescents in middle and high school. A Report to the
Carnegie Foundation of New York. Retrieved from www.carnegie.org/
literary/pdf/writingnext/pdf
Hardwick-Ivey, A. R. (2008). Vocabulary in action: Strategies for turning
students into wordsmiths. English Journal. 97(4).
Jacobs, H. H. (1997). Mapping the big picture. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Jago, C. (2000). With rigor for all: Teaching the classics to contemporary
students. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by bird: Some instructions on writing and life. New
York: Pantheon Books.
Lunsford, A., & Connors, R. (1999). The new St. Martin’s handbook. Boston:
St. Martin’s.
Lyman, F. (1981). The responsive classroom discussion. In A. S. Anderson
(Ed.), Mainstreaming digest (pp. 109–113). College Park: University of
Maryland College of Education.
Lyons, B. (1981). The PQP method of responding to writing. English Journal,
70(3), 42–43.
Martin, L. J., & Kroitor, H. P. (1984). The five-hundred-word theme (4th ed.).
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., Paynter, D. E., Pickering, D. J., & Gaddy, B. B.
(2001). A handbook for classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Mayher, J.S., Lester, N., & Pradl, G. (1983). Learning to write/writing to
learn. Upper Montclair, NJ: Boynton/Cook.
McQuillan, J., Beckett, J., Gutierrez, L., Rippon, M., Snyder, S., Wager, D.,
et al. (2001). If you build it, they will come: A book flood program for
struggling readers in an urban high school. In B. O. Ericson (Ed.),
Teaching reading in high school English classes (pp. 69–83). Urbana, IL:
National Council of Teachers of English.
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Bibliography
Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory. (2006). Making connections/
questioning: ACT. Available from ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box
168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168.
MindTools.com (1995–2009). Brainstorming: Generating many radical,
creative ideas. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html
Ponsot-M., & Deen, R. (1982). Beat not the poor desk: Writing: What to
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Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., Cziko, C., & Hurwitz, L. (1999). Reading for
understanding: A guide to improving reading in middle and high school
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Thompson, M. C. (2003). The magic lens. Vol. 2. Unionville, NY: Royal
Fireworks Press.
Trelease, J. (1989). The new read-aloud handbook. New York: Penguin.
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Wright, D. L. (1989). The most important day: Starting well. Teaching at
UNL, 11(1), 1–3.
Zemelman, S., & Daniels, H. (1988). A community of writers: Teaching
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Resources
Hopper, E. (1927). Automat. [Oil painting]. Retrieved from http://
www.uwm.edu/Course/448-192-001/art14.html
Hopper, E. (1942). Nighthawks. [Oil painting]. Retrieved from http://
www.artic.edu/artacess/AA_Modern/pages/MOD_7.shtml#
Lakoff, G., & Turner, M. (1989). More than cool reason: A field guide to
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Langston Hughes. New York: Sterling Press.
Walker, A. (2002). Langston Hughes: American poet. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers.
Appendix A: Record Keeping
Contents
Unit Assignments and Assessments ................................................................................................................A-2
Example
Unit Assignments and Assessments ................................................................................................................A-3
Record Keeping
A-1
Example
A-2
Unit Assignments and Assessments
Name: _____________________________ Period:
Unit 1: Introduction to English 9
Directions: Prior to starting the unit, complete the log on the next page
according to the example below and distribute it to students as an
organizational tool.
Day
Assigned
1
Assignment/Assessment
In
Class
Introduction Paper
2, 3, 10, 12,
Journal Writing
13, 15, 18, 19
X
X
4
Literary Terms Survey
X
5
Paragraph Practice
X
Sentence Combining
X
Writing Thesis Statements
X
My Life and Goals Essay
X
6
6
8, 10, 15, 17 Peer Evaluation
Proofreading Practice
11
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game”
12
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz
X
13
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and
Sheila Mant”
X
14
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth”
X
16
Quick-Write
X
Short Story Quiz
X
18
19
21–24
21
X
X
X
Thank-You Letter
X
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence”
X
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis”
X
Writing Couplets
X
Short Story Group Project
X
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide
X
X
9
17
Homework
X
X
Date Due
Feedback
(Completed/
Points)
Record Keeping
A-3
Unit Assignments and Assessments
Name: _____________________________ Period:
Day
Assigned
Assignment/Assessment
Unit 1: Introduction to English 9
In
Class
Homework
Date Due
Feedback
(Completed/
Points)
Appendix B: Days 1–3
Contents
Life at a Crossroads ........................................................................................................................................ B-2
Transparency
Class Notebook Rubric.................................................................................................................................... B-3
Rubric
SSR Chart ........................................................................................................................................................ B-4
Worksheet
B-1
Transparency
B-2
Life at a Crossroads
1. What does this drawing make you think of?
2. Have you ever been at a crossroads in your life?
3. How might the drawing symbolize ninth grade?
Rubric
B-3
Class Notebook Rubric
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Keep this rubric to guide you as you build your notebook. At the
end of each quarter, your notebook will be collected and then graded based on
this rubric.
Points
Possible
Earned
Criteria
Class Notes
35
Quality
Is legible and coherent
„
25
„
Shows conscientious effort toward recording course material
„
Shows evidence of understanding by creating or exploring new ideas learned
„
Uses good note-taking strategies
Format
„ Includes date of notes
„
Includes title of notes
„
Has numbered pages
Organization
Required sections with appropriately filed materials
5
Writing—handouts, rubrics, and writer’s log
10
Writer’s log completed for all writing assignments
5
Grammar and Vocabulary—grammar handouts, vocabulary lists, returned quizzes
5
Highlighted and Annotated Essays—record growing facility with annotation
5
Graded Papers, Tests, and Quizzes
10
Evidence that effort goes above and beyond (e.g., notes on reading beyond those required)
100
Total
Additional Comments
Worksheet
B-4
SSR Chart
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Example
Directions: For each book you read for SSR, record its title, author,
publication date, and the number of pages you read over the total pages (you
might choose not to read all of a book that does not capture your interest). In
addition, write a brief plot synopsis and evaluation of the book.
Title
A Northern Light
Author
Jennifer Donnelly
Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Mattie works at a hotel in the Adirondacks. She
learns about the disappearance of a young girl on a rowboat and tries to
solve the mystery.
Title
Author
Synopsis
Year of Publication
2005
Pages
408/408
Evaluation
Good! Kept my interest.
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Title
Author
Synopsis
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Title
Synopsis
Author
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Appendix C: Days 4–9
Contents
Why We Write .................................................................................................................................................C-2
Transparency
Prewriting ........................................................................................................................................................C-3
Transparency
Writing a First Draft ........................................................................................................................................C-4
Transparency
Revising ...........................................................................................................................................................C-5
Transparency
Editing and Proofreading .................................................................................................................................C-6
Transparency
Publishing ........................................................................................................................................................C-7
Transparency
Literary Terms Survey .....................................................................................................................................C-8
Worksheet
Structure of an Essay ....................................................................................................................................C-10
Handout
What a Paragraph Is.......................................................................................................................................C-11
Handout
Paragraph Practice .........................................................................................................................................C-12
Worksheet
Combining Sentences ....................................................................................................................................C-13
Transparency
Writing Thesis Statements .............................................................................................................................C-14
Worksheet
My Life and Goals Essay...............................................................................................................................C-17
Prompt
My Life and Goals Essay Rubric...................................................................................................................C-18
Rubric
My Life and Goals Essay Peer Evaluation ....................................................................................................C-20
Worksheet
Proofreader’s Marks .....................................................................................................................................C-21
Handout
C-1
Transparency
C-2
Why We Write
„ To become better thinkers and learners
„ To share ideas or personal experiences
„ To improve performance and writing in all classes
„ To prepare for the future
„ To learn about ourselves or specific issues or topics
Transparency
C-3
Prewriting
Getting started in the writing process can sometimes be the hardest part of writing. To
generate ideas:
„ Review your writer’s notebook for interesting topics.
„ Freewrite on the topic.
„ Fill a page with random possibilities to write about.
„ Reread stories, articles, poems, or essays for inspiration.
„ Talk to a friend or neighbor about your ideas.
„ Create a web, list, outline, or cluster.
„ Generate questions.
„ Conduct research.
„ Reread what you have so far.
Once you have decided upon your topic, focus your writing on it.
„ Write a thesis statement.
„ Gather supporting details.
„ Decide upon a structure that suits your topic.
„ Remind yourself of your purpose for writing.
„ Plan the possible organization of your essay.
Transparency
C-4
Writing a First Draft
„ Try to capture the reader’s attention.
„ Determine your thesis or main point.
„ Set the tone with word choice, details, sentence length, and literary devices.
„ Ask yourself whether your audience would keep reading.
„ Ignore the desire to be perfect—just write!
„ Follow or refine your prewriting plan.
Transparency
C-5
Revising
„ Reread the first draft.
„ Add necessary details.
„ Cut repeated thoughts. Eliminate details that stray too far from the message.
„ Reorganize paragraphs for effective presentation.
„ Ask someone reliable to read the draft and help with revisions.
„ Assess the effectiveness of the introduction and conclusion.
„ Reword paragraphs to make them as interesting as possible by:
9 Imitating writers you like to read.
9
Copying dialogue exactly as you heard it.
9
Using strong, active verbs.
9
Using exact, concrete nouns (taste, touch, sight, sound, smell).
9
Using adjectives sparingly.
9
Choosing the exact word to describe the experience.
Transparency
C-6
Editing and Proofreading
„ Edit the revised draft for style and word choice.
„ Check for errors in usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization.
„ Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and spell-check.
„ Ask a reliable person to read the draft.
„ Read the draft aloud.
Transparency
C-7
Publishing
„ Read the final draft one last time to check for errors.
„ Format the final draft correctly.
„ Use a clear and simple font (Helvetica, Courier, or Times).
„ Make sure any graphics are clear and simple.
„ Use MLA style for bibliographic citations.
„ Save and print the final draft.
„ Share the final draft with your teacher, friends, and family.
„ After the final draft is evaluated, place it in your class notebook.
Worksheet
C-8
Literary Terms Survey
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Indicate by letter the phrase that best describes your knowledge
of each literary term. Define or give an example of each term that you know.
a. I have never heard of it.
b. I have heard of it, but do not know what it is.
c. I can identify it in a story, but cannot define it.
d. I can define it and teach it to others.
Literary Term
________ 1. Plot
________ 2. Conflict
________ 3. Suspense
________ 4. Foreshadowing
________ 5. Flashback
________ 6. Direct characterization
________ 7. Indirect characterization
________ 8. Flat character
________ 9. Round character
________ 10. Static character
________ 11. Dynamic character
________ 12. Protagonist
________ 13. Antagonist
________ 14. Foil
________ 15. Epiphany
Definition or Example
Literary Terms Survey
Worksheet
C-9
________ 16. Point of view
________ 17. Setting
________ 18. Mood
________ 19. Symbolism
________ 20. Tone
________ 21. Irony
________ 22. Short story
________ 23. Novel
________ 24. Poem
________ 25. Play
Part II
Directions: Write a paragraph describing your experience with reading.
Support your ideas with specific details. In your paragraph, respond to any of
the following questions—or to your own! Do you enjoy reading? How would
you describe your reading habits and tastes? How many books do you read
per year? What kinds of books do you like best? Who is your favorite writer?
What magazines, graphic novels, newspapers, websites, or books did you
read this summer?
Handout
C-10
Structure of an Essay
Introductory Paragraph
„
Begin with a catchy, big-picture idea.
„
Narrow to a THESIS (topic + direction/opinion).
Body Paragraph 1
„
Begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE.
„
Use specific details or quotations to support topic sentence.
Body Paragraph 2
„
Begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE.
„
Use specific details or quotations to support topic sentence.
Body Paragraph 3
„
Begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE.
„
Use specific details or quotations to support topic sentence.
Concluding Paragraph
„
Wrap up the essay.
„
End with a broad idea that reflects the thesis.
Handout
C-11
What a Paragraph Is
Mere length does not determine whether a group of sentences is a paragraph. Rather, a paragraph is a group of
unified, coherent, and well-developed sentences about a single topic. A paragraph’s sentences should all relate to an
essay thesis statement, which determines the content of your paper. A paragraph’s sentences should also follow a
logical organization and an explicit plan of development. Finally, every idea in a paragraph should be explained and
supported through evidence or examples, all of which are (again) relevant to the essay’s thesis statement.
Each paragraph should include its own controlling idea, that is, a topic sentence. A topic sentence strengthens or
supports the essay’s thesis statement, unifies the content of a paragraph, and controls the ordering of the paragraph’s
sentences. A strong topic sentence provides the reader with an idea of what will be discussed in the paragraph and how
it will be discussed.
Each paragraph should also contain an explanation of the topic sentence or a clarification of the paragraph’s main
idea in a particular way. The explanation of a topic sentence should communicate how readers should interpret or
understand the topic sentence.
Paragraphs should then provide examples that connect the topic sentence to its explanation. Stating reasons for
particular examples helps make the relationship between a topic sentence and its explanation explicit.
Finally, a paragraph should include a summary of the topic sentence. A restatement of the paragraph’s main idea
allows readers to revisit the information provided in the paragraph. Some sort of transition prepares them to move on to
your next topic.
Worksheet
C-12
Paragraph Practice
Names: ______________________________________________________________________________
Period: ________________________________ Date: _________________________________________
Directions: Read the thesis statement about school uniforms, then write the
topic sentence for a related paragraph and your initials in the space provided.
Then, pass the worksheet to the person on your right. That person should write
an explanation of the topic sentence, initial it, and pass the worksheet again.
Continue this process until the worksheet is complete and your group has
written a fully developed paragraph.
Thesis Statement
Public schools should require that students wear uniforms because they encourage solidarity, reduce clothing
expenses, and help schools identify visitors.
Topic sentence (Initials ______ )
Explanation of the topic sentence (Initials ______ )
Example (Initials ______ )
Explanation of the example (Initials ______ )
Summary of the paragraph’s idea (Initials ______ )
Transition (Initials ______ )
Transparency
C-13
Combining Sentences
Directions: Combine the following sentences in at least
two ways: by changing punctuation; deleting redundant
words, or connecting sentences with conjunctions—and, but,
so, or yet—or with other words, such as because or while.
1. A tall man held a crushed Stetson hat under his arm.
He combed his long, black, damp hair back.
2. When he had finished, he moved into the room.
He moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.
3. Brett’s hat was off.
Her head was back.
4. My voice stuck in my throat.
I had always hated to take part in lies.
Worksheet
C-14
Writing Thesis Statements
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is a sentence that controls and focuses an essay. It states the topic of the essay and the direction
of the paper OR the opinion the essay will support. Often, the thesis statement is found near or at the end
of the introduction.
Think of a thesis statement as a formula for the essay.
Thesis Statement = Topic + Direction
OR
Thesis Statement = Topic + Opinion
Just as there are different types of essays, there are different types of thesis statements. In general, expository
essays have thesis statements that inform readers about the direction of the essay. Persuasive essays, on the other hand,
reveal the writer’s opinion.
Examples of Different Types of Thesis Statements
Topic + Direction
My life so far has been full of a lot of adventure, but I have only just begun to find out who I really am.
Topic + Opinion
The best breed of dog to have as a pet is the Labrador retriever.
Part I
Directions:
Practice writing thesis statements.
Topic + Direction Thesis Statements
Assume you must write a personal essay describing a childhood memory. First, identify a specific incident from
your childhood. Second, write a thesis statement that indicates the direction the essay will take based upon that
memory.
Topic
Direction
Thesis Statement
Writing Thesis Statements
Worksheet
C-15
Topic + Opinion Thesis Statements
Suppose you must write a persuasive essay on lowering the speed limit on interstate highways. Although the topic
has been determined, you must explain your opinion about that topic. Write a persuasive thesis statement. Remember:
when you write persuasively, you want to convince others to think like you do.
Topic
Your Opinion
Thesis Statement
Extended Thesis Statements
An extended thesis statement identifies the topics that will be discussed in each body paragraph of the essay. The
extended thesis statement organizes its essay in the first paragraph and previews the entire essay.
If you are writing a five-paragraph essay, the thesis should consist of your Topic plus the direction/opinion of the
essay and three main points.
Examples:
My summer vacation was spent on the water and consisted of swimming, boating, and fishing.
Topic:
Direction:
Main Points:
My summer vacation
was spent on the water
1. swimming
2. boating
3. fishing
School uniforms are a great idea because they create school spirit, eliminate conflicts with teachers over
appropriate school attire, and reduce the cost of expensive clothing purchased just to “fit in.”
Topic:
Opinion:
Main Points:
School uniforms
are a great idea (because they)
1. create school spirit
2. eliminate conflicts
3. cut costs and peer pressure
The points of an extended thesis can be reworked into topic sentences for each of the body paragraphs.
Writing Thesis Statements
Worksheet
C-16
Part II
Directions: Write an extended thesis statement for a persuasive essay on a
topic of your choice.
Topic
Opinion
Main Points
1.
2.
3.
Extended Thesis Statement
Prompt
C-17
My Life and Goals Essay
Directions: Write a five-paragraph personal essay describing your life, your
dreams or worries about ninth grade or high school, and your goals for ninth
grade and the future.
In the first body paragraph of the essay, make assertions about yourself and provide personal details about your life
on any of the following topics:
„
Physical or personality traits
„
Vacation spots
„
Family members
„
Places you have lived
„
Pets
„
Attitude about school
„
Interests/hobbies
„
Learning style
„
Favorite books, movies or music
In the second body paragraph of the essay, address your dreams or worries about ninth grade or high school:
„
Things you wish for
„
Aspects of your life you hope to improve since last year
„
Concerns/fears about ninth grade or high school
„
Thoughts about what ninth grade or high school will be like (a typical day)
In the third body paragraph of the essay, describe your goals:
„
Academic goals for ninth grade or high school
„
Personal goals for ninth grade or high school
„
Physical, spiritual, or social goals for ninth grade or high school
„
Goals for the rest of high school and after
Good planning and organization are the key to writing an effective essay. Be sure to use a prewriting strategy to
plan your first draft. Follow the “Structure of an Essay” handout to incorporate a catchy introduction with a clear thesis
statement, three well-developed body paragraphs, and a thoughtful conclusion that gives the essay a finished feel. As
you revise and edit your first draft, reconsider your content and message, try to write smooth transitions, correct
spelling and usage, and use sharp, specific verbs and nouns.
Your essay will be evaluated based upon the “My Life and Goals Essay Rubric.” Refer to the rubric often during
the writing process. You will be held to high standards for all of your essays. This does not mean, however, that you
must be a perfect writer. Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts and much fine-tuning.
Have fun with this essay and let me know all about YOU!
Due date:___________________________
Points: 30
Rubric
C-18
My Life and Goals Essay Rubric
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions:
assessed.
Writing
Characteristics
Ideas and
Content
Refer to this rubric often to see how your essay will be
1 Point
Ideas are unclear
or illogical.
Thesis and topic
sentences are
missing or do not
support focus of
essay.
Little or no support is given for
ideas.
Organization
Organization of
ideas is not clear,
with little evidence, if any, of
the logical grouping of ideas.
The essay has a
very brief, unfocused introduction
and lacks a
conclusion.
Body paragraphs
are disorganized,
jumping from topic
to topic.
Conventions
There are frequent distracting
errors in grammar,
usage, spelling,
and punctuation
that may significantly impede
understanding.
Sentence
Fluency
Sentences may
be incomplete
thoughts or may
run on
incoherently.
There are many
fragments or runons.
2 Points
Some ideas are
generally clear,
while others are
unclear or
unfocused.
Thesis and some
topic sentences
are present but
most lack clarity.
Few details help
to support the
main idea.
Organization is
basic, with ideas
that are often
grouped illogically.
The essay includes a brief introduction; however, it does not
help to focus the
essay. A brief,
unfocused conclusion may be
present.
Some body paragraphs generally
remain on topic,
while others jump
from topic to topic.
There are multiple
distracting errors
in grammar, usage, spelling, and
punctuation that
may sometimes
impede
understanding.
Sentences are
short and simple.
There are some
fragments or runons.
3 Points
4 Points
5 Points
Ideas are generally
clear and focused.
Ideas are clear and
focused.
Thesis and topic
sentences are present but some lack
clarity.
Thesis and topic
sentences are clear.
Ideas are clear,
focused, and hold
the reader’s interest
throughout.
Some details help
to support the main
idea while other
details are
extraneous.
Organization is
simple, with some
ideas logically
grouped.
The essay includes
a brief introduction
and conclusion.
Most details are
relevant and help to
support the main
idea.
Organization is apparent with ideas
logically grouped.
he essay includes
a clear, somewhat
developed introduction and conclusion.
Body paragraphs
are somewhat
disorganized but
generally remain
on topic.
Body paragraphs
mostly contain information that supports the topic sentence but occasionally strays from the
topic.
There are some
distracting errors in
grammar, usage,
spelling, and
punctuation that
may occasionally
impede
understanding.
There may be a few
distracting errors in
grammar, usage,
spelling, and punctuation, but the
meaning remains
clear.
Sentences may
vary in length but
are simple in structure.
Sentences may
vary in length but
are not purposefully
chosen for effect.
There are a few
fragments or runons.
There may be a few
fragments or runons.
Thesis and topic
sentences are
effective.
Specific and relevant details support
the main idea.
Organization is unified and coherent,
with a logical progression of ideas.
The essay includes
a clear and engaging introduction and
an effective
conclusion.
Body paragraphs
contain information
that supports the
topic sentence and
does not stray from
the topic.
There may be a few
minor errors in
grammar, usage,
spelling, and punctuation; however,
the essay demonstrates a near mastery of conventions
of English.
Sentences are varied in length and
complexity.
There are no fragments or run-ons.
My Life and Goals Essay Rubric
Rubric
Writing
Characteristics
Voice
C-19
1 Point
Writing tends to
be flat or stiff,
lacking voice.
There is little or no
hint of the writer
behind the words.
2 Points
Voice may be inappropriate for the
topic or
nonexistent.
The writing may
seem mechanical.
3 Points
4 Points
5 Points
Voice portrays an
evident commitment to the topic.
Voice is appropriate
to audience and
purpose.
Voice is expressive,
engaging, and sincere.
The writing is inconsistent or has a
dull personality.
The writer behind
the words comes
through.
The writing shows a
strong sense of
audience.
The essay is personal, yet
appropriate.
Word Choice
Words are extremely vague,
failing to
communicate.
The essay uses
extremely limited
vocabulary.
Words are monotonous or
misused.
The essay uses
words that are flat
or imprecise.
Words are ordinary, lacking interest and variety, or
may be inappropriate to audience
and purpose.
Words effectively
convey the intended
message in a functional way, appropriate to audience and
purpose.
The essay uses
expressions that
seem mundane
and general.
The essay attempts
descriptive language but it may
seem overdone.
Total
Words convey the
intended massage
in an interesting,
precise, and natural
way appropriate to
audience and
purpose.
The essay includes
fresh, unusual
words, in context:
verbs, sensory
nouns, and vivid
language, and distinctly expresses
what the writer is
trying to say.
Worksheet
C-20
My Life and Goals Essay Peer Evaluation
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: First, review the list below. Second, read your partner’s essay
and circle sections that you want to praise. Question your partner about
sentences that are unclear or redundant. Finally, complete this evaluation form
and explain your comments.
Writing Characteristics
Ideas are clear and logical.
Introduction makes a thesis statement.
Ideas
Body paragraphs include topic
sentences.
Essay includes supporting details.
Essay is focused.
Essay has an introduction, body, and
conclusion.
Organization
Introduction draws reader into the
body.
Paragraphs do not stray from topic
sentences.
Conclusion wraps up essay.
Grammar is correct.
Conventions
Usage is correct.
Spelling is correct.
Punctuation is correct.
Sentences flow smoothly.
Sentence
Fluency
Sentences vary in length.
Sentence introductions vary.
Voice
Writer’s voice shines through.
Sentences vary in length.
Words used are interesting.
Word Choice
Words accurately express what the
writer is trying to say.
– Means “This could be better.”
+ Means “This is well done.”
–
+
Comments
Handout
C-21
Proofreader’s Marks
Directions: Use this handout as a reference guide for making common
marks on writing.
Inline Mark
Marginal Note
Delete
Use thistle handout
Use ^his handout
Use handout this
this handout
^t
tr
()
()
Use
#
Usethis handout
Use
Use this handout
stet
Use this handout
D
Use this handout^
caps
.
^,
Use this handout^
^;
^
^
Use this handout
^^
Use this handout^
Insert
Transpose
Close up space
Insert space
Run-on/no new paragraph
this handout
use this handout
What It Means
“ “
Let it stand (ignore marked changes)
New paragraph
Capitalize
Insert period
Insert comma
Insert semicolon
Insert quotation marks
Appendix D: Day 10
Contents
“The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation........................................................................................................D-2
Worksheet
Personal Response Journal...............................................................................................................................D-5
Prompt
Journal Record .................................................................................................................................................D-7
Record Keeping
D-1
Worksheet
D-2
“The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: “The Seven Ages of Man” is one of William Shakespeare’s
most famous poems. First, in groups of seven, interpret the meaning of each
section of the poem. Second, describe the overall theme of the poem,
supporting your ideas with sound reasoning and evidence from the text.
Then create “freeze-frame” poses or human statues of each of the scenes. Do
not use your voices to act out this poem. Instead, use posture and motion to
demonstrate each of “seven ages.”
Lines
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.
Interpretation
Ideas for Improvisation
No one assigned to this part
NARRATOR will read
“The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation
Worksheet
D-3
Lines
And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.
Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth.
And then the justice
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws, and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,
His youthful hose well saved, a world too wide,
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.
Interpretation
Ideas for Improvisation
“The Seven Ages of Man” Improvisation
Worksheet
D-4
Lines
Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history.
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing.
*sans = without
Theme of the poem:
Interpretation
Ideas for Improvisation
Prompt
D-5
Personal Response Journal
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: After you read each poem or short story, record your own
thoughts and reactions in your journal. You may respond to a specific prompt
provided below or generate your own response. In either case, remember to
support your ideas with evidence from personal experience or the text.
Please use legible handwriting. Your journal will be read by me, but it will not
be graded in the same way as formal writing. This is your journal. Personalize
it and make it your own.
The Seven Ages of Man
† I am writing about one of the following prompts:
Do you agree with Shakespeare’s choices for representing each stage of life? Which stage are you in right now?
Which is the best stage in life?
What are your thoughts about the concept that “all the world’s a stage” and we are merely playing different roles
at different times in our lives?
Write an imaginary letter from yourself when you are old describing the best stages of your life. Or, write a letter
to a person in a nursing home describing the Shakespeare poem and asking the person to choose a favorite stage of
life.
† I choose to write my own response.
The Most Dangerous Game
† I am writing about the following prompt:
What is your view of hunting after reading this story? What do you believe Rainsford’s view of hunting is after
playing the game? What decisions might you have made under similar circumstances?
† I choose to write my own response.
The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant
† I am writing about the following prompt:
How do you feel about the narrator’s choice to cut the line so that he doesn’t offend Sheila? What would you have
done in that situation?
† I choose to write my own response.
Personal Response Journal
Prompt
D-6
Beauty Is Truth
† I am writing about the following prompt:
If you were Jeanie, how might you feel about having your story read aloud in class? Do you think you would have
written an essay like Jeanie’s? Why is the title of the story symbolic? Write a letter about these topics from Jeanie
to Dear Abby®. What advice would you ask for?
† I choose to write my own response.
Brothers are the Same
† I am writing about the following prompt:
What do you think of the rite of passage Temas and Medoto had to go through to prove they were adults? Why do
you think Kileghen was smiling at the end of the story? Compare the Maasai rite of passage of facing the lion to a
rite of passage from your own culture, such as Bar Mitzvah, the prom, obtaining your driver’s license, or church
confirmation. How are they similar and different from each other?
† I choose to write my own response.
Thank You, M’am
† I am writing about the following prompt:
How do you think Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’s treatment of the young man affected his life? Why do you
think Mrs. Jones went out of her way to help someone who was trying to steal from her?
† I choose to write my own response.
Divine Providence
† I am writing about the following prompt:
What do you think of Sandra Cisneros’s writing style? Write a letter to Cisneros describing what you thought of
her story and asking any questions you have about it.
† I choose to write my own response.
The Scarlet Ibis
I am writing about the following prompt:
Should the narrator be blamed for Doodle’s death? Did Doodle have a better life as a result of learning to walk, or
would it have been better if he had remained safe and lived longer?
† I choose to write my own response.
Record Keeping
D-7
Journal Record
Directions for Teachers:
Fill in the “Student Names” column. Mark the
appropriate column when students complete a journal entry about each
reading.
Student Names
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
The Bass,
The
Brothers
The Most the River,
Seven
Ages of Dangerous and Sheila Beauty Are the
Mant
Is Truth Same
Game
Man
Thank
You,
M’am
The
Scarlet
Divine
Ibis
Providence
Journal Record
Record Keeping
Student Names
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
D-8
The Bass,
The
Brothers
The Most the River,
Seven
Ages of Dangerous and Sheila Beauty Are the
Mant
Is Truth Same
Game
Man
Thank
You,
M’am
The
Scarlet
Divine
Ibis
Providence
Appendix E: Days 11–12
Contents
Glossary of Writers’ Tools .............................................................................................................................. E-2
Handout
Plot Structure ................................................................................................................................................... E-4
Handout
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game”.................................................................................................. E-5
Homework
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game” Key .......................................................................................... E-7
Key
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz ......................................................................................................... E-9
Quiz
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz Key................................................................................................ E-10
Key
E-1
Handout
E-2
Glossary of Writers’ Tools
Plot
The sequence of events in a story:
„ Exposition: The basic introduction to a story; may find out characters, setting, etc.
„
Inciting Moment: The main conflict of the story is introduced
„
Rising Action: Events leading up to the climax
„
Complications: Problems that add to the main conflict in the story
„
Climax: The highest point of tension or the turning point in the story
„
Falling Action: Events after the climax that lead to resolution
„
Resolution: The point in the story when the main conflict is resolved
„
Dénouement: After the resolution, when all “loose ends” are tied up
Conflict
Tension or problems in a story:
„ Internal: A struggle a character has within his or her own mind
Example: person versus self
„
External: Struggles a character must deal with outside of himself or herself
Example: person versus nature, person versus society, person versus person
„
Suspense: The tension a reader feels as conflicts and complications grow in a story
„
Foreshadowing: Clues given in a story that may indicate the outcome of the plot
„
Flashback: When the sequence of events in a story is interrupted to return to an earlier event
Character
„
Direct Characterization: A character’s personality traits are directly stated in the story
„
Indirect Characterization: The author gives clues to the character’s personality by including what they say,
do, or how other characters respond to them
„
Flat: A character who is one-dimensional
„
Round: A multi-faceted character—you see more than one side of their personality
„
Static: A character who stays the same throughout the entire story
„
Dynamic: A character who changes throughout the story
„
Protagonist: The hero of the story
„
Antagonist: The character in opposition to the hero of the story
„
Foil: A character who contrasts with the main character
„
Epiphany: A sudden realization for a character that may help them resolve the conflict
Glossary of Writers’ Tools
Handout
E-3
Point of View
The perspective from which a story is told, that is, the narrator:
„ First Person: The narrator is a character in the story
„
Third Person, Limited: The narrator, who is not a character, tells the story from the outside, from the
perspective of one character.
„
Third Person, Omniscient: The narrator, who is not a character in the story, tells the story from the
perspective of several characters. This narrator is “all-knowing.”
Setting
The time and place of the story:
„ Mood: The atmosphere or feeling of the story created by the author
„
Time: Time of day, day of the week, year, or era of the story
„
Location: The building, region, country—generally, the place—of the story
„
Atmosphere: The weather or psychological feeling of the story
„
Historical Setting: The historical events that happened when the story was set or the social context of the
story
Theme
A central idea or message of a story. The following may provide clues to the theme:
„ Direct Statements: A statement by a character or narrator that directly states the theme
„
Indirect Statements: A statement by a character or narrator that is not direct, but philosophical or profound.
The reader must interpret the comment to discover the theme.
„
Nature of the Conflict: The type of conflict itself may indicate the theme
„
Character Changes: As characters change and grow, the theme may become apparent
„
Symbol: Something that represents something else (colors, numbers, names)
„
Tone: An author’s attitude toward the subject
Irony
When the opposite of what you expect happens:
„ Verbal Irony: Characters say one thing, but mean another
„
Situational Irony: Neither reader nor characters know the outcome of the story
„
Dramatic Irony: A reader knows what is going on in the story, but the characters do not
Literary Forms
Different types of literature:
„ Short Story: A short fiction meant to be read in one sitting
„
Novel: A long fiction, usually with well-developed plot and characters
„
Poetry: “Writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen
and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.” (2003,
Merriam-Webster, 11th Edition.)
„
Drama: A story that is meant to be performed by actors on a stage. Includes dialogue and stage directions.
Handout
E-4
Plot Structure
Resolution
tio
Ac
n
Ris
ing
A
ling
F al
Complications
ctio
n
Climax
Dénouement
Exposition
Inciting Moment
Homework
E-5
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: After reading “The Most Dangerous Game,” respond to the
questions. Use the “Glossary of Writers’ Tools” to help you analyze the story.
1. What is Sanger Rainsford’s profession?
2. At the beginning of the story, how does Rainsford feel about the animals he hunts?
3. What does Whitney, the other hunter, say in response to Rainsford’s comments about hunting?
4. What is the setting of the story? How does the setting of the story affect the mood?
5. Give an example of what happens in the exposition of the story.
6. How does Rainsford fall off the boat?
7. Describe General Zaroff physically and mentally.
8. Who is Ivan, and how is he Zaroff’s foil?
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game”
Homework
9. What is Rainsford’s epiphany about General Zaroff’s game?
10. How well does Rainsford play the game?
11. Why did General Zaroff not end the game after the first day?
12. Describe the three traps Rainsford devised to trick General Zaroff.
a.
b.
c.
13. What losses does Zaroff suffer in the game on the island?
14. Who won the game in the end? How do you know?
15. Describe the resolution of the story.
16. Explain the double meaning of the title.
E-6
Key
E-7
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game” Key
1. Rainsford is a big game hunter.
2. Rainsford believes that the animals have no feelings; it is their lot in life to be hunted, and he has no sympathy for
them.
3. Whitney believes that animals understand the fear of pain and the fear of death.
4. The story is set on a deserted tropical island off the coast of Brazil. General Zaroff’s well-appointed chateau starkly
contrasts with the dense, untamed jungle that surrounds it. The setting lends the story a mysterious, creepy mood.
5. In the exposition of the story, readers learn that Rainsford is sailing on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
He is going to Rio de Janeiro to go big game hunting.
6. Rainsford hears a noise and climbs up on the edge of the boat to investigate. His pipe falls out of his mouth and as
he lunges for it, he falls off the boat.
7. General Zaroff is described by the author as a handsome, strong, and smart Russian Cossack who is also a rich and
passionate hunter. He is an erect, slender “singularly handsome man” with a “cultivated voice marked by a slight
accent.” He is tall and white-haired, with heavy black eyebrows, a pointed moustache, and very bright, black eyes.
He has a strange quality in his commanding, spare, dark, aristocratic face. His cheekbones are high and his nose is
sharp-cut. Zaroff is multi-lingual, widely-travelled, and he is used to the amenities of an aristocratic life such as
linen, crystal, silver, china, champagne, and filet mignon. In terms of his strength, he tells Rainsford that he was
able to kill a huge Cape buffalo even after it had thrown him against a tree and fractured his skull. As the story progresses, Zaroff’s ability to contend with Rainsford as long as he does, and anticipate his moves is evidence of his
mental prowess.
8. Ivan contrasts with Zaroff (is Zaroff’s foil) by being depicted as his physical and mental opposite. He is described
as the “largest man Rainsford had ever seen—a gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist.” He
has two small, menacing eyes and gives no indication that he can understand Rainsford’s words. He dresses in a
black uniform trimmed with Russian sheep wool and obeys as a soldier would. He was once the official flogger for
the Great White Czar. Zaroff says that “Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow . . . but he has the misfortune to be deaf
and dumb. A simple fellow, but I’m afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage.” He ends up being killed by a knife in
one of Rainsford’s traps, even though Zaroff was the intended victim.
9. Rainsford has an epiphany when he discovers that Zaroff does not want to hunt alongside him, but that Rainsford
will be the prey while Zaroff hunts him.
10. At first, Rainsford makes many mistakes as he reacts with fear. Later, his expert hunting skills kick in and Rainsford actually wins the game with his wit.
11. General Zaroff did not want to end the game the first day because he knew Rainsford could do better. He wanted
more of a challenge although he did enjoy toying with Rainsford.
12. a. Malay man-catcher—a dead tree propped against a live one will fall on passersby
b. Burmese tiger pit—a covered hole houses spikes that impale victims
c. Ugandan knife trick—a knife tied to a sapling springs forward when triggered
Focus on Plot: “The Most Dangerous Game” Key
Key
E-8
13. Ivan and one of his hounds were killed, and in the end, Zaroff ultimately loses the game and his own life.
14. Rainsford won the game. We know this because he slept in Zaroff’s bed that night.
15. The conflict is resolved when Rainsford wins the game. The story ends with Rainsford sleeping in Zaroff’s bed, so
we know that Zaroff is dead. This provides resolution to the story.
16. Hunting is a dangerous game. At the same time, game can also mean animals; the most dangerous animal is the
human.
Quiz
E-9
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions:
sentences.
Write a response to each question. Be sure to write in complete
1. In the exposition of the story, why is Sanger Rainsford sailing on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean Sea?
2. Rainsford becomes stranded on an island. Describe the island and its inhabitants.
3. Why did General Zaroff say he invented a new animal?
4. How did General Zaroff get people to come to his island?
5. Is there a resolution to the story? Give evidence to support your answer.
Key
E-10
“The Most Dangerous Game” Plot Quiz Key
1. Rainsford is on the way to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to go big game hunting.
2. Ship Trap Island is a wild tropical jungle, except for an unusual chateau that has modern amenities. General Zaroff
and his enforcer, Ivan, live on the island.
3. General Zaroff was so skillful at hunting that it no longer was a challenge for him. He called it ennui or boredom.
He began hunting humans as his animals because he thought they would provide a greater challenge.
4. Zaroff shipwrecked sailors with a light trick by showing a false channel where there were really jagged rocks.
When the sailors swam to shore, they were captured and forced to play his deadly game.
5. Yes, there is a resolution. The conflict is resolved when Rainsford wins the game. The story ends with Rainsford
sleeping in Zaroff’s bed, so we know that Zaroff is dead. This provides resolution to this story, although there is no
dénouement.
Appendix F: Days 13–18
Contents
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” ............................................................................. F-2
Worksheet
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” Key...................................................................... F-3
Key
Themes in Literature........................................................................................................................................ F-4
Transparency
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth”............................................................................................................ F-5
Worksheet
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth” Key .................................................................................................... F-6
Key
The Maasai People........................................................................................................................................... F-8
Background Information
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same”......................................................................................... F-9
Worksheet
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same” Key ............................................................................... F-11
Key
Designing Exam Questions............................................................................................................................ F-12
Background Information
Short Story Quiz ............................................................................................................................................ F-15
Quiz
Short Story Quiz Key..................................................................................................................................... F-17
Key
Anticipation Guide......................................................................................................................................... F-18
Worksheet
“Thank You, M’am” Letter .......................................................................................................................... F-19
Prompt
Thank-You Letter Rubric............................................................................................................................... F-20
Rubric
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence”............................................................................................... F-21
Worksheet
Focus On Writing Style: “Divine Providence” Key ...................................................................................... F-22
Key
F-1
Worksheet
F-2
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Determine possible themes of “The Bass, the River, and Sheila
Mant” and explain what writers’ tools helped you determine the themes.
Remember that the theme is not just a topic like “fishing” or “young love.”
Instead, it is a statement about a lesson learned or central idea of the story.
Brief Summary of the Story
Possible Theme(s)
Support
1.
2.
3.
Writers’ Tools
Key
F-3
Focus on Theme: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” Key
Answers will vary. Students need to be able to support their answers with evidence from the text.
Brief Summary of the Story
The narrator tells of a date he went on, at fourteen, with Sheila Mant, a local beauty. As Sheila and the boy float to
a party in a canoe, the boy snags a large bass. He has to choose between cutting the fish loose or reeling it in and letting
Sheila think he is childish for liking fishing. He decides to let the fish go, and years later, is not sure he made the right
decision.
Possible Theme
Infatuation is fleeting compared to true commitment.
Support
1. When remembering the disappointing night of his “date” with Sheila, he says, “The rest of the night is much
foggier” and Sheila went home “in Eric Caswell’s Corvette.”
2. “Before the month was over, the spell she cast over me was gone, but the memory of that lost bass haunted me all
summer and haunts me still.”
3. “There would be other Sheila Mants in my life, other fish, and though I came close once or twice, it was these
secret, hidden tuggings in the night that claimed me, and I never made the same mistake again.”
Possible Theme
Adolescence can be a time of confusion, insecurity, and self-discovery.
Support
1. “It was late August by the time I got up the nerve to ask her out.”
2. “She didn’t seem surprised to see me—as a matter of fact, she didn’t seem to see me at all.”
3. “It doesn’t matter. What does is that at that fragile moment in time I would have given anything not to appear
dumb in Sheila’s severe and unforgiving eyes.”
Writers’ Tools
Students should list different Writers’ Tools that gave them clues to the theme. Some possibilities include:
„ In the title, the bass is given a more prominent place than Sheila Mant.
„
Protagonist’s conflict: Between getting the fish and impressing the girl.
„
Characterization: Sheila: As the narrator remembers her, she has nothing in common with the narrator.
„
Direct statement: “I never made the same mistake again.”
Transparency
F-4
Themes in Literature
Themes are controlling ideas or central insights of a piece of fictional work. A theme:
„ Takes a stand. (It should be stated as a position.)
„ Appears throughout the work, not just in one or two chapters.
„ Is relevant to the major character and his or her conflicts.
„ Is reflected in the ending by the way major conflicts are resolved.
When identifying a theme, state it in terms exterior to the text: “Man is on a search for
meaning” not “Siddhartha is on a search for meaning.”
Worksheet
F-5
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Use the definitions below to help you answer the questions about
Jeanie’s character as portrayed in the story “Beauty Is Truth.”
Direct Characterization
A character’s personality traits are directly stated by themselves or a narrator. The
audience does not have to try to “figure out” the character because the information is
obvious.
Indirect Characterization
This is a more subtle type of characterization. Instead of directly stating what type of
person the character is, the reader must infer things about the character based on
appearance, thoughts, speech, actions, or opinions of others.
1. How do you learn that Jeanie is embarrassed with her life? Find a passage in which this aspect of her character is
indirectly shown.
2. Provide examples of other character traits Jeanie has.
3. Think about what you have learned about Jeanie. How does the title relate to her life? How does the title relate to
the theme of the story? Remember to support your ideas with evidence.
Key
F-6
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth” Key
Possible answers to the short-answer questions are provided. As with many questions about literature, there may be
several answers that are acceptable as long as they are supported by the text.
1. “A poignancy of remembrance swept over Jeanie, then shame and regret. It was not business of theirs, these
strange white people.”
2. Aware of what others think: “Through the train window, Jeanie thought she saw the remaining passengers look at
them with relief and disdain.”
Embarrassed when attention focused on her: “Jeanie bit her lip. Frowning, she pulled her coat closer and
shrugged.”
“Jeanie’s heart beat painfully. She picked up a pencil but dropped it, so unsteady were her fingers.”
Attractive to a boy her age and is liked by others, although her behavior is strange: “I told you he liked you,” she
whispered. “Look, he’s waiting.” and “She was an odd girl, but Barbara liked her anyway.”
An able, but irresponsible, student who knows her situation in school is tenuous: “I’m so far behind in my
homework, I’d better try to do some before they decide to throw me out.”
“She was so far behind in social studies.”
“She would probably fail.”
“And gym, all those cuts in gym.” and “‘I know you can do it,’ she had said.”
“She heard Miss Lowy say it was good enough to be sent in to Scholastic. It showed talent; it showed promise.”
Considerate of others’ feelings: “She stepped over them, careful not to disturb their arrangements.”
“Jeanie rose and silently put her mother’s hat on the shelf. She held out her hand for her mother’s coat and hung it
up.”
Lacks confidence in herself and appears negative: “Slip her composition in under the others, sit in the last seat.
Don’t bother me. I am in a bad mood.”
“Sullen, Mr. MacIver had called her last week.”
“They would laugh if they knew.”
“No danger, though, that her story would be read. Only the best manuscripts were read.”
“She slipped out ahead of the pushing, jostling boys and girls.”
Focus on Character: “Beauty Is Truth” Key
Key
F-7
3. The title, “Beauty Is Truth,” comes from Keats’ poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” which Jeanie was studying in her
English class. It relates to her life because Jeanie was concerned with her appearance, having a shape which she
described as “big and chesty.” She was also concerned about how her essay looked when she handed it in. “She
remembered keenly the blotched appearance of the paper, the lines crossed out, and the words whose spelling she
could never be sure of.” When she hears and sees that the true story she has written about her brother being beaten
for lying is accepted and appreciated so well, she begins to understand that even though the handwritten story may
not have an attractive appearance, is about a negative event, and is not correctly spelled and punctuated, it is still
beautiful because of its truth and sincerity. It is also beautiful because it tells the story of a mother who loves her
children, even though her means of disciplining for lying are questionable. One possible theme is that beauty often
lies within a person or situation and is not always on the surface. Another possible theme is that a person can be
loved for who he is, not what he does. Students will have other themes that should be accepted as long as there is
support from the text.
Background Information
F-8
The Maasai People
The Maasai people of East Africa live in Kenya and Tanzania on arid and semi-arid lands. They are a seminomadic people who live under a communal system. They move their livestock in a seasonal system so that resources
are used well. These cattle are the sources of Maasai’s primary economy.
The Maasai live in kraals arranged in a circular fashion, with fences around the kraals which prevent lions from
attacking their cattle. Men create the kraals and women build the homes, which are made of mud, sticks, and grass.
Warriors take care of security and boys herd livestock. Older people are directors and advisors. Kraals are usually
shared by the extended family.
Maasai Ceremonies and Rituals
There are many ceremonies in Maasai society including the senior boy ceremony, circumcision, marriage, the
warrior-shaving ceremony, the milk-drinking ceremony, and the meat-eating ceremony. For boys and girls, there are
the earlobe ceremony and the leg-marking ceremony.
Facing the Lion
Maasai view lion hunting as a practice of bravery and an act of achievement. In the past, when the lion population
was high, the community encouraged lion hunting. Over the past ten years, because of the decline in the lion population
and the increased incidence of rabies, the community has discouraged solo lion hunting: ten or more men hunt one lion
now. Also, Maasai warriors are not allowed to hunt a lion that is suffering from drought or poison. They are not
allowed to hunt female lions.
At the end of each decade, the Maasai warriors of each age range count all their lions and then compare them with
those hunted by those in that same age range in the past. In this way, Maasai warriors measure their accomplishments.
This information is from the Maasai Association website (http://www.maasai-association.org). Its focus is to
preserve and celebrate Maasai cultural heritage. For more information, consult the following websites:
„ The Destiny of the Maasai (http://www.maasai.com)
„
The Maasai Environmental Resource Coalition (http://www.maasaierc.org)
Worksheet
F-9
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Use the “Glossary of Writers’ Tools” to analyze “Brothers Are
the Same.” Complete the worksheet with specific details from the story.
Setting
(time, location, historical setting, atmosphere)
Characters
(protagonist, antagonist, foil, flat, round, static, dynamic)
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same”
Worksheet
Plot
(exposition, inciting moment)
Conflict
(internal or external—give specific examples)
Other Literary Techniques
(symbolism, tone, epiphany, foreshadowing, suspense, irony)
F-10
Key
F-11
Focus on Skills Learned: “Brothers Are the Same” Key
Setting
The story is set amidst the Maasai tribe on the Serengeti Plain, near Mount Kilimanjaro.
Characters
„
Temas: Protagonist. A young warrior who must prove that he is a man. Round, dynamic character.
„
Medoto: Antagonist. An archenemy of Temas who has already proven he is a man. Round, dynamic character.
„
Kileghen: The girl both boys like. Round, static character.
„
Casaro: Another warrior. Flat, static character.
Plot
„
Exposition: Temas fears failure in fighting the lion that day.
„
Inciting Moment: The young men of the village surround the lion that Temas must kill as a rite of passage to
manhood.
„
Complications: Temas has self-doubt; Medoto watches as the lion chooses another warrior to charge.
„
Climax: Medoto throws a pebble at the lion to help Temas; Temas kills the lion and confronts Medoto.
„
Resolution: The boys become “brothers” and cut the belt in half.
„
Dénouement: None found. We don’t know who Kileghen chooses.
„
Rising Action: All events leading up to killing the lion.
„
Falling Action: All events after killing the lion.
Conflict
„
Person vs. Self: Temas doubts his own abilities and fears failure.
„
Person vs. Person: Temas and Medoto have a rivalry as warriors and are in competition for the same girl.
„
Person vs. Nature: Temas must fight and kill a lion; the lion must sense that the warrior is a worthy opponent.
„
Person vs. Society: Boys in the Maasai culture must prove their manhood by killing lions.
Other Literary Techniques
„
Suspense: The reader feels tension as the match with the lion begins, when Temas confronts Medoto, and when the
two boys go back to the village.
„
Irony: Medoto, who was Temas’s archenemy, becomes his “brother.”
„
Epiphany: Temas has an epiphany when he learns that Medoto was scared when he had to fight a lion and when he
learns that Medoto helped him in the end. Kileghen has an epiphany when she sees her belt cut in half and worn by
both boys.
„
Symbolism: The halved belt symbolizes the boys’ equality and solidarity.
Background Information
F-12
Designing Exam Questions
Directions: Read the excerpt from How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
aloud. Discuss the multiple-choice question. Ask students to explain why they
chose a given answer as the correct answer. Provide the students with the correct answer (D). Discuss the rationale for what makes this the correct answer
and the other choices plausible yet incorrect. Then have students write their
own multiple-choice questions for “Brothers Are the Same,” Beauty Is Truth,”
or “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant.”
The following passage and question are excerpted from the English 9
QualityCore Formative Item Pool. The reading is adapted from How
the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez. © 1991 by Julia
Alvarez.
Only a month ago, they had moved out of the city to a
neighborhood on Long Island so the girls could have a yard to
play in, so Mami said. The little green squares around each
look-alike house seemed more like carpeting that had to be
kept clean than yards to play in.
Down the block the neighborhood dead-ended in abandoned
farmland that Mami read in the local paper the developers
were negotiating to buy. Grasses and real trees and real
bushes still grew beyond the barbed-wire fence posted with a
big sign: PRIVATE, NO TRASPASSING. The sign had
surprised Carla since “forgive us our trespasses” was the only
other context in which she had heard the word. She pointed
the sign out to Mami on one of their first walks to the bus stop.
“Isn’t that funny, Mami? A sign that you have to be good.” Her
mother did not understand at first until Carla explained about
the Lord’s Prayer. Mami laughed. Words sometimes meant two
things in English too. This trespass meant that no one must go
inside the property because it was not public like a park, but
private. Carla nodded, disappointed. She would never get the
hang of this new country.
Test Question
What is the reason for Carla’s disappointment at the end of the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
She does not like walking with her mother.
She is tired of walking to the bus stop.
She feels bad for not understanding the sign on the fence.
She cannot enter the nicest place in the neighborhood.
Rationale
Choice A: Incorrect. Carla is walking with her mother, and she is feeling confused and somewhat frustrated. Students
may connect Carla’s feelings with the walk; however, there is no evidence supporting the inference that Carla’s
feelings are directed toward her mother. If students choose this answer, they are most likely making illogical and/or
disconnected inferences.
Background Information
F-13
Choice B: Incorrect. Carla is reflecting on a time she and her mother walked to the bus stop; however, there is no
evidence to support the assumption that Carla is tired of this activity. If students choose this answer, they are most
likely focusing on one detail instead of the passage as a whole for context.
Choice C: Incorrect. Carla does not understand the sign is a true fact; however, the final sentence of the passage, “She
would never get the hang of this new country,” provides the reader with contextual evidence that her disappointment
involves far more than just the misunderstanding of the words on a sign. If students choose this answer, they are most
likely focusing on one detail instead of the passage as a whole for context.
Choice D: Correct. Carla admires this land because it is still “real” unlike the square manicured lawns of her new
neighborhood. The last sentence of the passage implies that Carla is disappointed by the country itself, which is
exemplified by the country’s decision to ban people from open land. Students need to absorb the content of the entire
passage, “The little green squares around each look-alike house seemed more like carpeting that had to be kept clean
than yards to play in,” “Grasses and real trees and real bushes still grew beyond the barbed-wire fence . . . ,” and “This
trespass meant that no one must go inside the property because it was not public like a park, but private. Carla nodded,
disappointed. She would never get the hang of this new country” to understand a correct inference.
Transparency
F-14
Designing Exam Questions
The following passage and question are excerpted from the English 9 QualityCore
Formative Item Pool. The reading is adapted from How the Garcia Girls Lost Their
Accents by Julia Alvarez. © 1991 by Julia Alvarez.
Only a month ago, they had moved out of the city to a neighborhood on Long Island so
the girls could have a yard to play in, so Mami said. The little green squares around
each look-alike house seemed more like carpeting that had to be kept clean than yards
to play in.
Down the block the neighborhood dead-ended in abandoned farmland that Mami read
in the local paper the developers were negotiating to buy. Grasses and real trees and
real bushes still grew beyond the barbed-wire fence posted with a big sign: PRIVATE,
NO TRASPASSING. The sign had surprised Carla since “forgive us our trespasses”
was the only other context in which she had heard the word. She pointed the sign out to
Mami on one of their first walks to the bus stop. “Isn’t that funny, Mami? A sign that
you have to be good.” Her mother did not understand at first until Carla explained
about the Lord’s Prayer. Mami laughed. Words sometimes meant two things in English
too. This trespass meant that no one must go inside the property because it was not
public like a park, but private. Carla nodded, disappointed. She would never get the
hang of this new country.
Test Question
What is the reason for Carla’s disappointment at the end of the passage?
A. She does not like walking with her mother.
B. She is tired of walking to the bus stop.
C. She feels bad for not understanding the sign on the fence.
D. She cannot enter the nicest place in the neighborhood.
Quiz
F-15
Short Story Quiz
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions:
Choose the best answer for each question.
The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant
Mark each statement as True (T) or False (F).
______ 1. The author uses indirect characterization for Sheila Mant as we read about her views on fishing and see
how she treats the narrator in the end.
______ 2. A dénouement is found in The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant.
______ 3. The narrator of the story does not regret letting his fish go because he believes Sheila was worth all of his
admiration and sacrifice.
______ 4. The tone of this story is humorous.
______ 5. The moment the narrator catches the bass and knows “four things at once” is the climax of the story, or the
highest point of tension.
Beauty Is Truth
Match the event to the appropriate part of plot structure.
______ 6. Miss Lowy says to write about beauty and truth.
a. Exposition
______ 7. Miss Lowy reads Jeanie’s story aloud.
b. Inciting Moment
______ 8. Jeanie hears her mom beat Billy.
c. Complications
______ 9. Jeanie comes home from school.
d. Climax
______ 10. Jeanie calls Billy after hearing her story read aloud.
e. Resolution
Brothers Are the Same
Choose the most appropriate response.
______ 11. Who does Temas believe to be his antagonist at the beginning of the story?
A. Kileghen
B. the lion
C. Casaro
D. Medoto
Short Story Quiz
Quiz
F-16
______ 12. The line, “yet in his mind Temas now trembled. Fear of battle was a nonexistent thing—but fear of failure
could be real, and was” is an example of what literary element?
A. tone
B. internal conflict
C. external conflict
D. symbolism
______ 13. What is the setting of the story?
A. South Africa
B. Liberia
C. Serengeti Plain
D. Brazil
______ 14. From where does Temas’s primary motivation come?
A. Desire to impress Kileghen
B. Rivalry with Medoto
C. Fear of the lion
D. Need to defend his family name
______ 15. What is the best statement of the theme of this story?
A. To be a man you must fight a lion.
B. A man should demonstrate his bravery to his future bride.
C. Even your greatest adversaries may possess good qualities.
D. Brotherhood should always come before romance.
Short Essay
Consider the title of the short story, “Brothers Are the Same.” Write one paragraph discussing what the title means.
Give specific examples from the story to support your interpretation. Write on the back of this sheet, if necessary.
Key
F-17
Short Story Quiz Key
The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant
True/False
1. T
2. T
3. F
4. F
5. T
Beauty Is Truth
Matching
6. B
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. E
Brothers Are the Same
Multiple Choice
11. D
12. B
13. C
14. A
15. C
Short Essay
Paragraphs may include discussion of the idea that Temas and Medoto are not biological brothers but are brothers
in spirit. Both have gone through a rite of passage or crossroads, binding them together as part of the same tribe. Their
decision to cut the belt in half sends a clear signal to Kileghen that she will have to choose between them based upon
something other than their hunting abilities. They are no longer adversaries.
Worksheet
F-18
Anticipation Guide
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Place an X on the continuum beside each statement to indicate
your stance in regard to it. Be prepared to defend your opinion and support it
with specific examples. After you read “Thank you, M’am,” compare your
opinion with Langston Hughes’s implied or stated opinions on the same topics.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1. People who attempt to steal
should be punished.
|——————|——————|—–—————|———————|
2. Old women are generally afraid
of thieves.
|——————|——————|—–—————|———————|
3. It is all right to steal if you
really need the money.
|——————|——————|—–—————|———————|
4. Young people who commit
crimes need guidance.
|——————|——————|—–—————|———————|
5. Small acts of kindness from
strangers can change a young
person’s life.
|——————|——————|—–—————|———————|
Prompt
F-19
“Thank You, M’am” Letter
Directions: In the short story “Thank You, M’am,” instead of running away
from him or calling the police, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones decides to
help Roger, the young man who was trying to snatch her purse. At the end of
the story, he stated that he wished he had said “Thank you, m’am,” but was
unable to voice the words.
Suppose you are Roger. Write a one-page thank-you letter to Mrs. Jones.
Imagine how your life may have changed for the better based upon her
intervention, and include these fictitious events in your letter. Use your journal
entry as a starting point for this text. Use formal language and the proper form
for a personal letter. (See formatting sample below.)
Sample Letter Form
[Date]
[Return address]
[Recipient’s name and address]
[Greeting]:
Block style paragraph #1: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Block style paragraph #2: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Block style paragraph #3: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
[Closing]
Signature
[Typed name]
Rubric
F-20
Thank-You Letter Rubric
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: Circle the box that best describes the way each student’s letter addresses that particular domain. Write
comments to explain the same.
Objectives
Formal Letter Format
1
The letter is not written in proper form.
Language and tone
are overly casual for
the intended audience.
2
The letter is written in
mostly proper form,
but a few details are
incorrect or missing.
Language and tone
are somewhat casual
for the intended
audience.
3
The letter is written
entirely in the proper
letter form.
Formal language and
tone are appropriate
for the intended
audience.
Conventions
There are frequent
distracting errors in
grammar, usage,
spelling, and
punctuation that may
significantly impede
understanding.
There are some
distracting errors in
grammar, usage,
spelling, and
punctuation that may
occasionally impede
understanding.
There may be a few
minor errors in grammar, usage, spelling,
and punctuation;
however, the essay
demonstrates a near
mastery of conventions of English.
Organization
Paragraphs are disorganized, jumping
from topic to topic.
Paragraphs are somewhat disorganized but
generally remain on
topic.
Paragraphs contain
information that
supports the topic
sentence and does not
stray from the topic.
Sentences may be
incomplete thoughts
or may run on
incoherently.
Sentences may vary
in length but are
simple in structure.
Sentences are varied
in length and
complexity.
Story Knowledge
The letter demonstrates little or no
knowledge of the
story. Details are
inaccurate or not
included.
The letter demonstrates some knowledge of the story. A
few details may be
inaccurate.
The letter demonstrates a thorough
knowledge of the
story with accurate
details.
Creativity
The letter demonstrates little or no
creativity by not
attempting to recreate
events or characters’
emotions.
The letter demonstrates some creativity
by attempting to
recreate events or
characters’ emotions
The letter demonstrates creativity by
successfully recreating events and/or
characters’ emotions.
Total
Worksheet
F-21
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: After reading “Divine Providence,” respond to the questions,
supporting your answers with sound reasons. An author’s writing style is the
unique way in which the writer uses language to tell a story. An author’s style
may vary in the use of word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, dialogue,
dialect specific to a region, and foreign language words.
1. Why do you think Cisneros chose to write her story in a few, long sentences?
2. How does the cataloguing of events in Alma Alvarado’s life emphasize tension in her family life?
3. How does the author capture the voice of Alma Alvarado? Are these techniques effective?
4. What word choices seem most effective?
5. What phrases or images help you visualize the setting?
Key
F-22
Focus on Writing Style: “Divine Providence” Key
1. She captures the voice of a child and all thoughts running through her head in light of this very serious event of
losing her mother’s wedding ring.
2. Just as the story layers one event on top of another, we see that the problems in Alma’s home life are piling up as
well: for example, the grandmother is losing her mental health and her parents are on the verge of divorce.
3. Italics are used to denote dialogue and things that Alma has heard before. Diction is chosen to sound like a little
girl’s way of thinking rather than an adult’s. Long sentences are used to capture Alma’s stream of consciousness.
4. Answers will vary. Some possible answers may include:
„ Detachable collar
„
Rainbow stone
„
Fatties
„
“The child her mama hopes will anchor her papa home nights”
„
“Swooped and tumbled and somersaulted into the eddies”
„
Supplications
5. “The sky was blue and smelled of fresh bread and oatmeal.”
“She would save a spear of the breakfast papaya for the parrot in the garden of la Señora Cuca.”
“Sing the Himno Nacional”
“Read a Familia Barron comic book”
Appendix G: Days 19–20
G-1
Contents
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” ........................................................................................................G-2
Worksheet
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” Key ................................................................................................G-5
Key
Worksheet
G-2
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Part I
Directions: Before reading “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, use a
dictionary to define the vocabulary words found in the story.
1. clove
2. rank
3. untenanted
4. grindstone
5. caul
6. invalid
7. careen
8. bedeck
9. imminent
10. vortex
11. infallibile
12. unfurled
13. entrails
14. blighted
15. wrenched
16. reiterated
17. precariously
18. ibis
19. solder
20. heresy
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis”
Worksheet
G-3
Part II
Directions:
questions.
After reading “the Scarlet Ibis,” answer each of the following
1. What is the setting of “The Scarlet Ibis”? Distinguish between the geographic setting, the cultural setting, and the
historical setting of the story. What clues helped you determine each?
2. What was Doodle’s condition when he was born?
3. Explain the statement, “They named him William Armstrong, which was like tying a big tail on a small kite.” Why
was renaming him Doodle “the kindest thing” the narrator ever did for his brother?
4. What motivated the narrator to teach Doodle to walk? Would Doodle have been just as happy not walking?
5. Explain the following statement: “Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.”
How can pride be both good and bad?
6. What did Doodle’s “lies” consist of? What do you think they represented for Doodle?
7. How did the scarlet ibis’s death mirror Doodle’s?
8. This story is told by the narrator as a memory. How do you think the narrator feels about the circumstances of
Doodle’s death as an adult? Why is it symbolic that the narrator has the strongest memories in late summer?
9. Reread the first paragraph of the story. What words foreshadow Doodle’s death? How would you describe the tone
of the story?
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis”
Worksheet
G-4
Part III
Symbolism is a literary technique in which things like colors, numbers, objects, or names represent something other
than what they actually are. Symbols found in literature often represent abstract concepts such as “freedom.”
Universal symbols are symbols that are recognizable across cultures. For example, the “do not” sign is recognized
universally.
Local symbols, however, are recognizable only within cultures. For example, a team mascot dressed in school
colors is immediately recognized by students from that school, but it is not likely to be meaningful to someone from
another town, state, or country.
Directions: Complete the following table to categorize the types of symbols
found in “The Scarlet Ibis.”
Examples from
the Story
Symbol
Seasons
Birds
Colors
Abstract Concept
it Represents
Universal or Local
Symbol? Why?
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
Finally, create a new symbol for our town.
Key
G-5
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” Key
Part I
1. clove
past tense of cleave; to divide as if by a cutting blow
2. rank
excessively vigorous in growth
3. untenanted
not occupied
4. grindstone
a flat circular stone of natural sandstone that revolves on an axle and is used for grinding, shaping,
or smoothing
5. caul
the inner fetal membrane of higher vertebrates especially when covering the head at birth
6. invalid
one who is sickly or disabled
7. careen
to sway from side to side
8. bedeck
to decorate
9. imminent
about to happen
10. vortex
a whirlpool or funnel
11. infallible
incapable of error
12. unfurled
opened from a closed state
13. entrails
internal parts
14. blighted
being of impaired quality
15. wrenched
twisted violently away
16. reiterated
stated over and over again
17. precariously done in a way that is characterized by a lack of security or stability
18. ibis
any of various tropical or subtropical birds distinguished by a long slender downwardly curved bill
19. solder
to join or bond together
20. heresy
an action in contrast to generally acceptable beliefs or standards
Part II
1. Geographic setting: A farm in the southeastern United States, somewhere along the coast
Cultural setting:
The family lives in a remote area; Aunt Nicey is superstitious.
The surrounding community is affected by soldiers’ deaths in the war.
Historical setting:
During World War I (early 1900s)
Clues that help the reader understand the setting include mentioning regional vegetation, the name of the U.S.
president during this time period, battlefields in Europe, and so forth. The reader can determine the cultural setting
by examining statements such as “Red birds are bad luck.”
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” Key
Key
G-6
2. Doodle was born disabled. The doctors did not think he would live or walk.
3. William Armstrong is a strong name. The narrator said that nobody expects much from someone named Doodle.
4. The brother was embarrassed by Doodle. His pride motivated him to teach Doodle to walk. Doodle seemed
perfectly content not walking, though he may not have had the same fun experiences with his brother.
5. Pride can be wonderful if you take pride in something you have worked hard for and accomplished. Pride can be
terrible if it motivates you to do something bad or makes you think you are better than others.
6. Doodle often made up stories about birds or people who can fly. Due to Doodle’s inability to walk, this may
represent his desire to be more mobile or physically free.
7. Both Doodle and the ibis died under similar conditions and mirrored each other physically. Both were unique and
delicate creatures who died after a storm. Their bodies were not used to the conditions they were forced into and
could not survive. The ibis’s body lay on the ground in the same manner as Doodle’s. The ibis was red and Doodle
had blood on the front of his shirt.
8. The narrator no doubt looks back on this incident with great regret, but probably also realizes that he made these
mistakes as a young boy. The season is symbolic because that is the time of year Doodle died. Also, late summer
marks the beginning of fall, when things start to die or go dormant.
9. Words that foreshadow Doodle’s death:
„ dead
„
bleeding
„
stained
„
rotting
„
untenanted
„
empty cradle
„
graveyard flowers
Words that describe tone:
„ nostalgic
„
sad
„
regretful
Focus on Vocabulary: “The Scarlet Ibis” Key
Key
G-7
Part III
Symbol
Seasons
Birds
Colors
Examples from
the Story
Abstract Concept
it Represents
Universal or Local
Symbol? Why?
1. The cloves of seasons:
late summer/early fall
1. A passage of time between life/vibrancy and
death/dormancy.
1. Universal—The change
of seasons often mark a
sort of death.
2. Fall
2. In the story, it represents
the end of Doodle’s life.
2. Universal—Autumn is
universally recognized as
a time of death, such as in
nature.
1. Doodle’s “lies” about
peacocks
1. Freedom
1. Local—This dream only
had meaning for Doodle
and his brother.
2. The scarlet ibis
2. Doodle
2. Local—The ibis only
represents Doodle in this
story; however,
universally, ibises were
sacred and unique birds in
ancient Egypt.
1. Brown
1. Earth, nature, fall, decay, 1. Universal—Prevalent fall
color recognized as the
dormancy, death
symbol for dormancy
2. Red (scarlet, vermillion)
2. Danger, blood, death
2. Universal—red is the
most common color used
in signage to denote
danger.
Appendix H: Days 21–24
H-1
Contents
Short Story Group Project ...............................................................................................................................H-2
Prompt
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide ...............................................................................................................H-3
Worksheet
Short Story Group Project Rubric ...................................................................................................................H-6
Rubric
Prompt
H-2
Short Story Group Project
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
As a culminating project for our short story unit, you will work in groups of three to four to read a new short story
and analyze it for various elements of fiction. You will then create a project and develop a presentation that
demonstrates your understanding of the story from a literary standpoint. Each group will choose a different story.
Please choose from the following or select your own (with teacher approval):
„ James Baldwin, “The Rockpile”
„ Alice Childress, “The Pocketbook Game”
„ Ruby Dee, “Aunt Zurletha”
„ Ernest Gaines, “Robert Louis Stevenson Banks AKA Chimley”
„ Daniel Garza, “Everybody Knows Tobie”
„ Jamake Highwater, “Snake Boy”
„ Chester Himes, “Black Laughter”
„ Toshio Mori, “Say It with Flowers”
„ Alice Munro, “Red Dress-1946”
„ Marta Salinas, “The Scholarship Jacket”
Each member of the group is responsible for:
1. Reading and understanding the story
2. Filling out an Analysis Guide
3. Actively and creatively contributing to the Group Product/Presentation
4. Participating in the Presentation
Project Ideas:
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Skit
Song
PowerPoint® slideshow
Cartoon storyboards
Collage
Mobile
Diorama
Poster
Panel discussion
Talk show
Timeline
Day 21: Form groups; choose story; read story; complete short story Literary Analysis Guide for homework.
Day 22: Discuss plot and compare homework; decide on a project and begin working in class.
Complete necessary tasks at home.
Day 23: Continue working on project; practice presentation.
Day 24: Present project to the class!
Worksheet
H-3
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: After you have read your assigned short story, complete the
guide as homework. You will discuss it as a group in class the next day. Use
your glossary to help you.
Title of Story:
Author:
List five important details you learn while reading the story.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the point of view of this story?
Give several examples of conflict found in the story, and identify each as an internal or external conflict:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Give an example from the story for each step of plot structure:
1. Exposition
2. Inciting Moment
3. Complications
4. Climax
5. Resolution
6. Denouement
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide
Worksheet
H-4
List the names of the important characters; then identify them as round, flat, static, or dynamic (or any combination),
providing evidence to support your assertions.
The five methods of indirect characterization are appearance, action, speech, thoughts, and opinions of other characters.
Provide the following information based upon one character from your story, using one of these methods.
Character:
Method of indirect characterization used:
Quotation illustrating this method:
What we learn about this character from this method:
Identify the setting of the story (time, location, mood, atmosphere and historical setting):
Short Story Literary Analysis Guide
Worksheet
H-5
What is the mood of the story? What effect does the mood have on the reader?
Identify symbolism found in the story. Is a specific object closely related to a character or event? Does one character or
event in the story represent an abstract idea, such as bravery, greed, freedom, the future?
What is the theme of the story?
Is the title of the story related to the theme in any way? Explain why or why not.
Planning for Group Project
Project idea:
Group members:
1.
2.
3.
Items needed to complete project:
Individual responsibilities:
Rubric
H-6
Short Story Group Project Rubric
Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________
Directions: This rubric is broken into group project and individual effort.
Circle the boxes and point levels.
Group Project
and Presentation
Quality of Project
Presentation of
Project
1
Project is not
complete or needs
much improvement
(too short, many
errors, messy, or
falling apart).
Student does not
seem prepared to
present.
Presentation is not
engaging and does
not involve all group
members.
Understanding of
Short Story Literary Terms and
Techniques
Presentation demonstrates little or no
understanding of the
story, its themes,
and/or other literary
elements.
2
3
Project is partially
complete but needs
improvement (some
errors, lacks visual
appeal, some parts
appear rushed and
messy).
Student is somewhat
prepared but clearly
needs more
rehearsal.
Project is acceptable but could be
improved (few
errors, visual appeal varies, few
areas appear
rushed or messy).
Student is mostly
prepared but
would benefit
from a few more
rehearsals.
Presentation is somewhat interesting and
involves all or most
of the group members.
Presentation demonstrates some understanding of the story,
its themes, and other
literary elements.
Presentation is
mostly interesting,
has engaging moments, and
involves all group
members.
Presentation demonstrates adequate
understanding of
the story, its
themes, and other
literary elements.
Total
4
Project is of high
quality (error free,
appealing visuals,
neat and wellconstructed).
Student is completely prepared
and clearly
rehearsed.
Presentation is interesting, engaging,
and involves all
group members.
Presentation demonstrates clear
understanding of
the story, its
themes, and other
literary elements.
Rubric
Individual Effort
H-7
1
Short Story Literary
Analysis Guide
Guide is mostly
incomplete or
inaccurate and is
not used in creating the project.
Contribution to
Group
Student rarely
provides useful
ideas to the group
and may refuse to
participate.
Working with Others
Student rarely
listens to or
supports the
efforts of others.
2
3
4
Guide is somewhat
complete and accurate and does not
appear to be used
effectively to create
the project.
Student sometimes
provides useful
ideas to the group
and is a satisfactory
group member who
usually does what is
required.
Student sometimes
listens to and/or
supports the efforts
of others.
Guide is mostly
complete and accurate and appears
to be used, in part,
to create the
project.
Student usually
provides useful
ideas to the group
and is a strong
group member
who does what is
required.
Student usually
listens to and
supports the
efforts of others.
Total
Guide is complete, accurate,
and is used
effectively to
create a quality
project.
Student consistently provides
useful ideas to the
group and is a
leader who contributes more than
is required.
Student consistently listens to
and supports the
efforts of others.
Appendix I: Secondary Course Standards
Secondary Course Standards
A primary course standard:
„ is the central focus of the unit, and
„ is explicitly assessed in an embedded assessment and/or in the
summative assessment.
A secondary course standard:
„ is less important to the focus of the unit, but is one that students need
to know and use when completing activities for this unit, and
„ may or may not be explicitly assessed by the summative assessment or
an embedded assessment.
Course standards considered primary for this unit are listed on
pages 1–3. Below is a list of secondary course standards associated with this
unit.
Selected Secondary Course Standards
B.5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and
passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when there is some text
between the subject and verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent
agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses,
adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses and their forms for
logical connection to word(s) modified
f.
Correctly use parts of speech
B.6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different
effects (e.g., joining two independent clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
I-1
Appendix J: Course Standards Measured by Assessments
J-1
Course Standards Measured by Assessments
This table presents at a glance how the course standards are employed throughout the entire unit. It identifies those
standards that are explicitly measured by the embedded and unit assessments. The first column lists course standards by
a two-or three-character code (e.g., A.1.b.); columns 2–14 list the assessments.
Unit
Assessments
Embedded Assessments
Coded
Course
Standard
Design“Focus
ing
Class
On”
Writing
Exam
Note- SSR work- Paragraph
Thesis
Combining
Quesbook Chart sheets Practice Statements Sentences Quizzes tions
A.1.b.
X
A.1.c.
X
ThankYou
Letter
X
X
X
X
X
A.3.a.
X
A.4.a.
X
A.5.c.
X
A.7.a.
X
A.7.b.
X
A.8.d.
X
A.8.h.
X
B.1.a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B.1.c.
X
B.2.a.
X
X
X
B.2.e.
X
X
X
B.2.f.
X
B.3.a.
X
B.3.b.
X
X
X
B.3.e.
X
B.4.b.
X
X
B.4.f.
X
X
D.2.g.
X
E.a.
X
E.b.
X
E.d.
Couplets
My
Life
So Far
Essay
and
Group
Journals Drafts Project
X
X
X
X
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
Guidelines for
Developing an
Instructional Unit
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and
the Code of Professional Responsibilities in Educational Measurement,
guides to the conduct of those involved in educational testing. ACT is
committed to ensuring that each of its testing programs upholds the
guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be obtained free
of charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City,
IA 52243-1008, 319/337-1429.
CONFIDENTIAL. This document is the confidential and proprietary property of ACT, Inc.
No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
express written permission of ACT, Inc.
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction
VI.
This booklet contains a set of guidelines for
developing an instructional unit. The guidelines are
divided into 15 sections that correspond to a unit’s
organizational structure. Use the following definitions
and questions, which address criteria important to
the unit’s success, to assist you in your work. Some
questions include additional descriptors, questions
identified with bullets, to clarify and expand the
criteria.
The Selected ACT Course Standards section
VII. identifies the specific knowledge and skills
the unit will focus on.
The Research-Based Strategies section lists
VIII. instructional practices recommended for use
in the unit; those that hold strong promise for
teachers to enhance achievement for all
students.
Questions that appear as boldfaced text address
primary criteria and are required elements of the
unit. Questions that are NOT boldfaced are criteria
that would provide supplementary information for
teachers and are not considered crucial.
IX.
Unit Development
Review each section of this document as you
develop a unit and its accompanying assessments.
By answering each of the questions and providing
written comments regarding your decisions, you will
ensure that each criterion has been adequately
addressed.
Unit Sections
I.
The Unit Number and Title allow readers to
identify at a glance the unit’s place in the
curriculum and its primary focus.
II.
The Purpose statement identifies the specific
knowledge and skills taught in the unit.
III.
The Time Frame states the number and
length of class periods needed for the
instructional unit.
IV.
V.
The Prerequisites section lists specific
knowledge or skills students need to have
learned or been introduced to before
engaging in the unit.
X.
The Overview describes the unit’s primary
focus, summarizes the unit, and explains
how the knowledge and skills listed in the
purpose statement will be taught. It serves
as a general introduction to the unit.
The Essential Questions section clearly and
precisely communicates the pivotal points in
the curriculum and helps avoid a random
assortment of well-intended activities with no
structure. When the curriculum is formed
around questions, the clear message to
students is that the teacher is probing
significant ideas with them. There are two
types of essential questions: topical
questions, which are specific and lead to
particular understandings of a unit; overarching questions, which point toward larger,
transferable ideas. Essential questions
cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or
“no”; they must be composed to encourage
higher-order thinking and to promote indepth investigation.
The Suggestions for Assessment section
offers ideas for documenting and recording
student learning. This section describes
three types of assessments:
preassessments, embedded assessments,
and unit assessments.
Preassessments are typically completed
before a unit is begun and provide
information about students’ level of
understanding or skill. They also are an
opportunity to identify students’ perceptions
or misconceptions and to preview the
information to be learned. The information
obtained from the assessment should be
used to adjust the instruction to better meet
students’ needs.
The Guiding Principles section consists of
one or more quotations about instruction,
assessment, thinking skills, student learning,
and other educationally relevant topics to
encourage conversation and reflection
among teachers.
Embedded assessments inform teachers of
where students are in the learning process.
An embedded assessment is a formative
1
assessment that is primarily teacherdeveloped and is integral to the instructional
process—at times the instruction and
assessment may be indistinguishable.
The Enhancing Student Learning section
XIII. provides additional assistance to students.
The selected ACT Course Standards may
duplicate Section VII or may include new
Course Standards. The section provides a
brief description of ways to extend and
reteach the skills or content previously
taught.
The third type of assessment is a unit
assessment, which provides a description of
the knowledge and skills that students
should master by the end of the unit and the
criteria by which they will be assessed.
XI.
Each unit concludes with Reflecting on
XIV. Classroom Practice. Given the complex
The next section, Unit Description, is divided
into three related parts: “Introduction,” which
presents the unit’s pedagogy and themes;
“Materials & Resources,” which lists all of the
materials recommended to teach the unit
successfully; and “Suggested Teaching
Strategies/Procedures,” which describes
teaching practices that teachers may use to
teach content and skills to students.
nature of instruction, it is important for
teachers and students to continually renew
themselves by reviewing their work and
reflecting on how best to promote learning.
To that end, this set of questions is included
to inspire the reflection process.
XV.
“Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures”
is the most involved part of the unit
description. Employing precise descriptions,
using concrete examples, and citing
authoritative research, it describes at length
exemplary classroom instruction. To that end
it suggests various ways to engage students,
describes topics and tasks relevant to the
unit’s goals and to students’ lives, addresses
a range of ACT Course Standards and
modes of instruction, and explains the
purposes of the teaching strategies the unit
employs. Because it is the lengthiest part of
the unit description, this part is often
organized chronologically by dividing the
unit’s time frame into manageable sections.
As a whole, the unit description emphasizes
reasoning and making connections, using
community resources and real-life learning,
and encouraging students both to ask
questions leading to analysis, reflection, and
further study and to construct individual
meanings and interpretations.
The Tips for Teachers section includes
XII. extension ideas and suggestions to help
activities succeed in the classroom.
2
The Appendix consists of all activities,
handouts, readings, transparencies,
worksheets, and other documents that
correspond to the unit instruction.
Unit Title: _______________________________________________
Date: ________________________
Developed by: ___________________________________________
Guidelines for Developing an Instructional Unit
I. Unit Number and Title
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
1. Is the title engaging, informative, and
concise?
II. Purpose
2. Is the purpose statement clear and concise?
3. Does the purpose statement identify the
knowledge and skills taught?
III. Time Frame
4. Does the time frame state the number and
length of class periods needed to complete
the instructional unit?
IV. Overview
5. Is the overview clear and concise?
6. Does the overview identify and describe the
primary focus of the unit (i.e., what students
will know and be able to do at the unit’s
conclusion)?
7. Does the overview summarize how the unit’s
knowledge and skills will be taught?
8. Does the overview identify the unit’s primary
or distinctive techniques (e.g., math
manipulatives, using literature in science)
and do the techniques conform to the
principles of Universal Design (i.e., are they
designed for easy and equitable use by all
teachers and students)?
V. Guiding Principles
9. Are the guiding principles relevant to the
topic or focus of the unit?
10. Will the principles encourage discussion,
reflection, or further learning among
teachers?
VI. Prerequisites
11. Are the expectations reasonable with respect
to the knowledge and skills that students
need to have learned or been introduced to
before engaging in this unit?
VII. Selected ACT Course Standards
12. Do the Course Standards correspond to the
knowledge and skills summarized in the
purpose and overview?
13. Do the skills and concepts relate to larger
themes in the course; the curriculum; the
lives of students?
3
VIII. Research-Based Strategies
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
14. Are the research-based teaching strategies
used in the unit named and referenced with
the page numbers where each strategy can
be found?
IX. Essential Questions
15. Are the conceptual priorities of the instructional unit organized around essential
questions?

Is there at least one overarching essential
question?

Are the questions clearly worded for
students?

Do the questions invite connections
between different concepts, skills, or
ideas?

Are the questions relevant to students’
lives?

Given the time frame for the unit, is the
number of questions realistic? (There
should be approximately 2–5 questions
for a unit that ranges from 3–5 weeks.)
X. Suggestions for Assessment
16. Are the preassessments, embedded
assessments, and unit assessments labeled,
identified, and summarized?
17. Are the documents (handouts, worksheets, etc.)
that are used with the assessment named?
18. Have the assessments been examined for
rigor and relevance? 1
XI. Unit Description
Introduction
19. Is the list chronologically organized?
20. Does the introduction suggest ways to pique
students’ interests and motivate students to
learn?

Is there an effective preactivity (e.g.,
video clip, skit, or hook)?

Are references made to high-interest
topics or social issues that are typically
relevant to students’ lives?
21. Does the introduction reveal how the
knowledge and skills to be learned in the
unit build upon previous learning or preview
future learning?

Does the introduction review or introduce
key vocabulary to be learned?
22. Does the introduction briefly describe a
preassessment?
1
Refer to ACT’s booklet Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance for definitions of both rigor and relevance.
4
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Materials & Resources
23. Is the list of materials and resources
required for the unit complete?

Does the list include appropriate and
varied reading selections below, at, and
above grade level?

Does the list include the necessary
equipment (e.g., lab supplies, books)?

Does the list include handouts and
worksheets (e.g., sample lab reports,
graphic organizers, homework
assignments)?

Does the list suggest other useful
resources (e.g., supplementary texts,
reference materials)?

Do the needed materials and resources
include technology equipment or
audiovisual tools (e.g. computers,
specific software, Internet access,
video)?
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Writing
24. Is the unit logically organized and
sequenced to facilitate use by educators?
25. Does each day or series of days begin with a
brief summary of that section’s instruction,
assessments, and goals?
26. Is there text overtly addressing daily warm-up
and wrap-up activities?
27. Does the text provide clear, descriptive
details to guide teachers’ replication of the
strategies and procedures in the classroom?

Do appropriate examples help to clarify
difficult concepts?

Is detail or description necessary in other
areas?
28. Is every step in the process of the unit
adequately defined and described?
Content
29. Is the unit’s content accurate?
30. Are the unit’s activities rigorous and
relevant?
31. Is the content relevant to students’ lives
(e.g., connected to real-world situations or
the world of work)?
32. Does the unit suggest links between
disciplines (e.g., to history, mathematics, or
English)?
33. Does the unit adequately address the
primary ACT Course Standards?
5
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Assessments
34. Do the preassessment(s) assess students’
prior knowledge or current understanding of
a skill or concept?
35. Do embedded (formative) assessment(s)
represent multiple and varied opportunities
for assessment (e.g., graphic organizers,
quizzes, questionnaires, works-in-progress,
anecdotal notes)?
36. Do embedded assessments inform the
teacher where students currently are in the
learning process?
37. Do embedded assessments require students
to answer questions or perform tasks that
are meaningful and purposeful?
38. Do the embedded assessments reflect skills
and understandings that are important for
students to learn? Are they tied to the ACT
Course Standards?
39. Do the students have opportunities to
correct or clarify their performance as
needed based on observed results?
40. Does the unit assessment provide evidence
that yields information teachers can use to
make valid inferences about students’
learning?
41. Does the unit assessment include criteria
that are clearly stated and understood by
students?
42. Do assessments include directions that are
clearly stated and unambiguous, not easily
misunderstood by students?
43. Do the assessments that include a scoring
rubric explain how to score the assessment
and provide values for each score point?
44. Do assessments intended to provide
students with qualitative feedback suggest
ways for teachers to provide that feedback?
45. Do assessments include answer keys and/or
scoring criteria?
Teaching and Learning Styles
46. Are the essential questions asked and
explored in the unit?
47. Does the unit take into consideration
students’ varied learning styles?

Are there varied avenues for investigation
(e.g., by posing problems or discussing
issues) and instruction?

Does the unit utilize a variety of media
(e.g., music, paint, papier-mâché, video,
film) to help students learn skills or
content?

Are extensions, adaptations, or
interventions for students (e.g., special
needs or advanced) suggested?
6
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
48. Are the teaching strategies or techniques
(e.g., note taking, using wait-time, skimming,
scanning, collaborative discourse, making
predictions) effective and efficient for
teaching the skills and/or concepts to be
learned?
49. Does the unit develop a range of thinking
skills (e.g., making inferences, drawing
conclusions, making generalizations,
looking for bias, analyzing the accuracy of
data)?
50. Is each research-based teaching strategy
described with sufficient detail for teachers
to understand or learn more about it?
51. Do teachers model learning for students?
52. Are alternatives to unit activities based on time,
cost, resource constraints, or the unique needs
of a given student population suggested?
Student Engagement
53. Does the unit engage students in thoughtful
processes of inquiry (e.g., research,
experimentation, background reading,
problem-based learning)?
54. Does the unit encourage students to find
answers to their own questions?
55. Do the instruction and student requirements,
such as in-class assignments or homework,
ask students to demonstrate proficiency
using the following types of tasks/evidence?

Are students asked to apply the content
and skills learned to new contexts or
situations?

Do students distill and analyze
information to solve or propose plausible
solutions to problems?

Do students adapt (i.e., modify, stretch,
transfer) knowledge and skills in order to
create innovative solutions to complex
problems or to develop creative
products?

Are students asked to understand and
recall knowledge of specific content?
56. Does the unit engage students in both
independent and collaborative learning?

Does the unit suggest collaborative work
with teachers or students from other
schools?
58. Is feedback from students about what they
have learned or their reactions to the unit
solicited?
7
XI. Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
References
59. Are the sources used to develop the unit and
resources properly cited?
60. Are all cited materials readily available?
61. Is the bibliography complete and every
citation in APA (American Psychological
Association) style?
XII.
Tips for Teachers
62. Are tips included in the unit description?
63. Do the tips provide useful suggestions to
teachers or information from students?
XIII.
Enhancing Student Learning
Selected ACT Course Standards
64. Do the Standards adequately represent the
primary focus of the suggested activities?
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
65. Do the activities suggest how to extend
students’ learning or how to reteach the
knowledge and skills previously learned?
Unit Extension
66. Do the activities extend the learning in the
unit?
Reteaching
67. Do the activities reteach important ACT
Course Standards from the unit?
XIV.
Reflecting on Classroom Practice
68. Are the questions listed appropriate and relevant
to this unit?
69. Do the questions encourage teachers to
evaluate their teaching and students’ levels of
engagement and academic learning?
XV.
Appendix
70. Do all materials (handouts, worksheets,
homework, and in-class activities) include
directions sufficient for students to
understand the task?
71. If readings are required, are source
documents included?

Is complete and correct bibliographic
information provided for each source?
72. Are the materials rigorous and relevant?

Have questions been tested (i.e., math
problems worked, experiments practiced,
questions about literary or other texts
answered)?
73. Are keys provided?
74. Are document types (e.g., transparency,
handout, worksheet) labeled?
8
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English
Language Arts
Template to Examine Assignments
for Rigor and Relevance
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Visit ACT’s website at: www.act.org
Contents
Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance ........................................................................... 4
Rigor and Relevance Worksheet........................................................................................................................ 6
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance
This process is intended to critically analyze assignments for rigor and relevance while at the same time fostering
collaboration among colleagues.
Definition of Assignments
Tasks (activities and assessments) that require students to demonstrate depth of understanding of content or
concepts. Such assignments typically ask students to produce something, are linked to course objectives, include courselevel content, and may include a prompt and a rubric.
Responsibilities for Meeting
Facilitator
Participants
Assignment Writers
Select chair, timekeeper, and
recorder
Complete student assignment(s)
in advance
Prepare a brief summary that identifies
the place and purpose of the assignment:
Review the Facilitator’s Guide
Review template steps
1. How does the assignment fit into the
curriculum?
2. Which course objectives does the
assignment address?
Note assignment’s strengths and
weaknesses as well as potential
improvements on the Rigor and
Relevance Worksheet (p. 6)
Examination Process
Step 1: Evaluate the assignment’s place and purpose.
Discuss at what point the assignment is given within the instructional unit and the course.
Decide whether the course objectives represent the content and skills necessary to complete the assignment.
Determine weighting of course objectives (i.e., importance of each objective to overall student performance).
Revise the Assignment Writer’s summary, if necessary, to reflect discussion.
Step 2: Examine the assignment using the definitions of rigorous and relevant
assignments in Table 1 on page 5.
Determine whether the assignment moves beyond the reproduction of information to the construction of
knowledge and deep understanding (i.e., students are required to take what they already know and can do to create
and/or explore new problems and ideas).
Determine the relevance of the assignment to students’ lives.
Step 3: Decide whether the assignment should be more rigorous and/or
relevant.
If the assignment SHOULD be modified, make the necessary changes in substance and form using Table 1 as a
guide; then move on to Step 4.
If the assignment SHOULD NOT be modified, move on to Step 4.
If the assignment CANNOT be modified, begin the process again with another assignment.
4
Step 4: Review and, if necessary, revise the corresponding scoring guide; if
one does not exist, create one to meet the demands of the assignment.
Use Table 1 as a guide.
Determine students’ level of proficiency (consider situation, such as time of year).
Make scoring guide task specific.
Address content, form, and correctness.
Prepare file of student work to illustrate each score level, if time and circumstance allow.
Step 5: Identify ways to enhance and/or to eliminate barriers to student
success.
Review existing activities and corresponding teaching strategies that support both the content and the processes
associated with the assignment.
Ensure that appropriate supports (scaffolding) are in place.
Consider interconnections across units.
Table 1. Rigor and Relevance in English Language Arts
Rigorous Assignments
Call for student work that moves beyond the
mere reproduction of information to the
construction of knowledge. Assignments that
emphasize construction of knowledge require
students to do more than summarize or paraphrase
information they have read, heard, or viewed;
these assignments require students to take what
they already know and use that knowledge to
create or explore new ideas through
interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation of
information. Some assignments ask students to
construct knowledge and then to use this new
knowledge to generate additional new
understandings.
Emphasize elaborated communication,
prompting extended writing and asking
students to make assertions and support them
with evidence. These tasks ask students to make
an assertion by stating a claim, drawing a
conclusion, and/or suggesting a generalization,
and then to support the assertion with evidence.
Relevant Assignments
Emphasize real-world connections, prompting
students to take on plausible writing roles, go beyond
the demonstration of academic competence to
achieve real-world purposes, and submit their work
to real audiences other than the teacher or other
students.
Call on students to make choices about what they
will study and how they will demonstrate mastery.
This criterion examines the extent to which students
partner with faculty in crafting tasks that meet
students’ instructional goals. Scorers also look for
teachers’ guidance on how students make choices
about topics and methods.
Rigor and relevance criteria from Mitchell, Shkolnik, Song,
VeKawa, Murphy, Garet, et al. (2005, pp. 21, 23). Rigor,
Relevance, and Results: The Quality of Teacher Assignments
and Student Work in New and Conventional High Schools.
5
Rigor and Relevance Worksheet (for use in completing Step 2)
Directions:
Using Table 1 (p. 5) as a guide, note the assignment’s strengths and weaknesses as well as potential
improvements in the chart below.
Strengths
Rigor
Calls for student
work that moves
beyond the mere
reproduction of
information to the
construction of
knowledge.
Emphasizes
elaborated
communication,
prompts extended
writing, and asks
students to make
assertions and
support them with
evidence.
Relevance
Emphasizes realworld connections.
Calls on students to
make choices about
what they will study
and how they will
demonstrate mastery.
6
Weaknesses
Improvements
Bibliography
Mitchell, K., Shkolnik, J., Song, M., VeKawa, K., Murphy, R., Garet, M., et al. (2005). Rigor, Relevance, and Results,
The Quality of Teacher Assignments and Student Work in New and Conventional High Schools. Seattle, WA: The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
7