Multi-Unit Plan: Quarter Four – Short Stories, Poetry, Literary Devices, and Accumulated Writing
Portfolio
Topics: Reading Literary Texts (selected short stories and poetry), Vocabulary Development, and Art and
Poetry Project featuring all three writing standards
Subject/Grade: English 9
Designer: William Putnam and Binaca Macdonald
Time Commitment: 4-5 weeks
Common Core Standards Addressed by Lessons
Unit 1: Reading Literary Texts (selected short stories and poetry)
ELA.9.RL.02.01 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of
time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
ELA.9.RL.03.01 - Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
ELA.9.SL.01.01 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
● a. - Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of
ideas.
● b. - Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key
issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
● c. - Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or
larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
● d. - Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted,
qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
Unit 2: Language Development (Vocabulary)
ELA.9.L.03.01 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10
reading and content, choosing flexibility from a range of strategies.
● a. - Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a
clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
● b. - Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze,
analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
● c. - Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital,
to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
● d. - Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in
context or in a dictionary).
ELA.9.L.03.02 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
● a. - Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
● b. - Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Unit 3: Writing Project Portfolio
ELA.9.RIT.01.01: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well inferences
drawn from the text.
ELA.9.W.01.01: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
ELA.9.W.01.02: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
ELA.9.W.01.03: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.
ELA.9.W.02.02: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1–3.)
ELA.9.W.03.02: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings
● How are ideas and themes represented in multiple mediums and how does a change in medium affect overall
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communication?
After observing a connection between multiple mediums in terms of a similarity in idea or thematic content, students will analyze
the connection and make inferences about the development of the idea or theme as well as the relationship between the mediums.
How is poetry different than prose?
After building an understanding of sound-based literary devices, students will explore the qualities that differentiate poetry from
prose, including emotional content, manipulation of sound, and word choice for the purpose of brevity and structure.
Can communication change us?
Students will work in groups to build skills and comfort analyzing poetry. They will consider multiple perspectives and voices in
order to foster a deeper understanding and a richer experience with poetry.
How do poets employ literary devices in order to communicate their ideas more effectively?
In addition to the devices they learned about in previous units, students will gain an understanding of the sound-driven devices,
including meter, rhythm, onomatopoeia, rhyme, assonance, and alliteration. Students explore the function of these devices
through music.
How can a combination of analytical and writing structures help to grant learning depth and richness?
Students will analyze poetry, artwork, and author background by utilizing the three core analytical and writing structures they
employed in previous units. After analysis and research, they will develop portfolios communicating their understanding and
demonstrating competence in the skills they have developed throughout the year, specifically those around
informative/explanatory, persuasive, and narrative writing.
Formative Activity and Assessment Evidence
(What evidence will show that students are building understanding?)
Genrally speaking, classes will be split into three sections. Each section will devoted to one of the three
units, building skills or knowledge around one of the unit topics. Time spent on particular units on
particular days will vary according to need. Classes will rotate through the various unit lessons until
students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a culminating performance
assessment.
Unit One Formative Assessment Evidence:
1. Reading selected short stories and poetry (25 minutes per class)
● A portion of each class will be devoted to reading and discussing a series of selections from the
Literature textbook (unit 4).
● As evidence of the their explorations of the major elements of poetry (word choice and
connotation, rhyme, sensory language and imagery, sound devices, figurative language, and
form), students will answer questions associated with the poetry included in the text (online or
printed forms).
2. Performance Task: Music and Poetry
● Students will select an appropriate piece of music to analyze and share with the class.
● After hearing the song and marking what they notice on a printed copy of the lyrics, students
will identify the elements of poetry (word choice and connotation, rhyme, sensory language and
imagery, sound devices, figurative language, and form) as they are used in the song.
● Students will focus on the impact of particular word choices and the overall effect of the song's
communication. They will pay particular attention to sound devices.
3. Performance Task: Found Poetry
● Students will reinforce their understanding of communication through poetry by converting a
piece of prose into poetry.
● Students will choose any paragraph of prose writing, select words to remove, and change its
original form in order to create a piece of poetry. They may not add words.
● In small groups, students will discuss the process of poem creation. They will share what they
chose to remove and answer questions related why they retained what they did. Within the small
groups, students will complete a questionnaire identifying the elements of poetry present in their
creation.
4. Enrichment Activity: Poetry in Motion
● Students will reinforce their understanding of communication through poetry by creating a piece
of visual work which incorporates a piece of poetry as well as an associated visual image.
● After creating several visual representations, each student will post his or her creation in a
variety of places around the school.
Unit One Options for Differentiation
online text, audio materials
Unit One Materials/Resources
Literature textbook with online access, study guides, white board or Smartboard, checklists for the performance
tasks on music and found poetry
Unit Two Formative Assessment Evidence: (15-20 minutes per class incorporating language development)
1. Vocabulary Building
● Students will become familiar with a list of vocabulary words included in the poetry section of
the Literature textbook.
● Students will pay particular attention to understanding sound devices as they are used in poetry.
● Students will take periodic quizzes on the vocabulary included in the text.
2. Parts of Speech Identification Practice
● Students will continue to build their skills identifying the parts of speech in provided sentences.
They will take turns leading each other through the process.
Unit Two Options for Differentiation
negotiated time for quiz taking, quiz retakes as negotiated or necessary
Unit Two Materials/Resources
computers, vocabulary lists, Literature textbook with online access
Unit Three Formative Assessment Evidence: (30-35 minutes per class)
1. Poetry Project Portfolio Development
● Students will compile a portfolio based on their exploration of a single poem, its relationship to
a piece of artwork, and an author or artist's background.
2. Direct Instruction on the Analysis of Artwork
● Students will take notes in order to develop an understanding of how an artist communicates
ideas or thematic content through an art object. They will consider aspects such as color, shape,
line, form, texture, value, and space.
3. Informative/Explanatory Text: Author or Artist Background
● Students will conduct a short research project in which they explore the life of an author or
artist.
● Students will become familiar with the time period in which the author or artist was working.
● Students will report on the lifetime of the author or artist and highlight formative experiences.
● Students will report on the country or region from which the author or artist may draw
inspiration.
4. Argumentation: Poem and Artwork Connections
● After making observations about the connections between a specific poem and a piece of
artwork, students will write a persuasive essay explaining the ideas or themes that form the basis
for the connection.
● Students will utilize their knowledge of literary devices in order to support the communication of
their argument.
● Students will utilize their knowledge of art analysis in order to support the communication of
their argument.
5. Narrative: Inspired by Poetry or Art
● Students will write a real or imagined short story, inspired by the poem or artwork they selected.
The primary elements of narrative writing should be adhered to, including effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
● Students should utilize a minimum of three literary devices in the construction of their narrative.
● Students may take advantage of an enrichment opportunity in which they write their story in
poem form.
Unit Three Options for Differentiation
writing frames, extended or attenuated writing assignments, scaffolded graphic organizers
Unit Three Materials/Resources
computers, semantic maps, pre-planning questionnaires, revision checklists
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Summative Assessment Evidence
(What evidence will show that students understand?)
Culminating Performance Assessment:
Students will compile a portfolio exhibiting their work throughout all three instructional units. The portfolio
will incorporate the following in three major sections:
1. Unit One – Reading Literary Texts and Research Reinforcement
● Evidence of the completion of the Performance Tasks (“Music and Poetry” and “Found Poetry)
2. Unit Two – Language Development (Vocabulary)
● Evidence of their performance on the vocabulary quizzes
3. Unit Three – Poetry Portfolio Project
● The final draft of all aspects of their poetry portfolio project
● Rubrics, checklists, and evidence of revision
The students will display their portfolios in an end-of-quarter exhibition in which they share and celebrate
their work with others.
Opportunity for improvement or revision:
Students will complete reflection forms and post regularly on a “Plus/Delta” chart.
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