GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Greenwich, Connecticut
Date of Meeting ________May 1, 2008______________________
Title of Item
_Discussions of Middle School Textbooks___
REQUEST FOR BOARD ACTION OR PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION ITEMS
__
Action required
_ X__ Informational only
Submitted By___Chris Winters____________________________
Position _Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning
I will be present at Board Meeting to explain if called upon
__X__
Yes
Synopsis of Proposal:
Recommended Action (if appropriate)
No
____
Middle School Core Literature Units of Study
Update
Board of Education Meeting
May 1, 2008
Board of Education Action Request:
The Language Arts Department, in partnership with the Library Media Department, is recommending the following
texts for inclusion in the Language Arts Curriculum:
Grade 7 Grade 8 -
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Unit of Study: Opposing Injustice)
Night by Elie Wiesel (Unit of Study: Good and Evil in the World – Holocaust)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (Unit of Study: Good and Evil in the World – Holocaust)
Background:
In the 2007-08 school year, the Greenwich Public Schools middle school Language Arts Department worked with the
Library Media Department to review the middle school core literature selections as part of a process to map the
selections within units of study through online electronic mapping. The collaborative work began in the summer of 2007
and was continued through joint program meetings and scheduled professional learning workshops throughout this
school year. The progress, thus far, has been very positive. The collaboration between library media specialists and
language arts teachers enabled the two groups to facilitate a deep discussion on thematic-based literature units driven by
year-long essential questions for each grade level and supported by the core selections. In addition to core titles that every
student in that grade-level will be reading, each of the units has listings of possible resources in a variety of genre. Nonfiction, poetry, drama, short stories and other types of writing are represented throughout these units as suggested texts in
the “Resources” section of the maps. The work, thus far, has resulted in the decision to add three new core titles – one in
7th and two in 8th grade – that will be taught as part of existing units of study. This presentation is an update the
curriculum mapping work between Language Arts and Library Media Departments as well as a request for approval
from the Board of Education for the three new titles that will be part of core selections in middle school.
Curriculum Mapping Overview:
What is curriculum mapping?
Curriculum mapping is a procedure for collecting and maintaining a database of operational curriculum for a school
and/or district to provide a systematic way for planning, aligning and assessing student learning. Mapping is a reflective,
ongoing process that changes according to the needs of the students.
Benefits of mapping:
Improve student performance
• Research shows that alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment raises student achievement.
• Consistency
• Provides common language, format and process to communicate about curriculum.
• Assessment and data-driven decision-making
• Serves as a tool to examine the use of multiple forms of assessment, instructional strategies, differentiation and
resources.
• Provides data regarding teaching and learning for school improvement goals.
• Closing the Achievement Gap – helps teachers understand what is taught, when it is taught and in what subject
areas – providing data regarding curriculum gaps.
• Understanding by Design – provides a system for teachers to create unified units that enhance a students’
understanding of concepts and the “big ideas” across many units.
• Transdisciplinary Units: provides a tool to facilitate integration of cross-curricular skills including reading,
writing, research, technology, etc.
• Professional Learning Communities: serves as a communication tool for ongoing dialogue about teaching and
learning and provides data about curriculum and instruction among groups of teachers.
• Tool for New Teachers: provides valuable tool of resources for new teachers entering our district.
Technology and curriculum mapping:
TechPaths Curriculum Mapping Software – The technology of a relational database allows for sharing, collaboration
and an ongoing dialogue about student instruction throughout a school, district and with other educators also engaged in
the process. Provides a common format for curriculum documents. The database allows for advanced searching by
keyword and sophisticated reporting aligned to student performance data.
Units of Study:
As part of this of the curriculum mapping process, the Language Arts Department considered updates to the core
selection titles for middle school students. The staff would like to add the titles listed above to existing units of study.
These titles support the unit themes as well as the importance of addressing a variety of instructional reading levels. They
also reflect the developmental interests of middle school students and reflect current literature.
.
The following is a snapshot of the core literature units of study including the year-long essential questions as well as unit
questions:
Grade 6
Essential Question: How do challenges change behavior, beliefs and decisions?
Unit of Study Core Title: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Utopia
Unit of Study
Unit Essential Questions:
How much control do you have over your environment?
Is it more important to feel safe or have freedom of choice?
Is a perfect society possible? Why or why not?
How does wisdom guide behaviors, decisions and beliefs?
Core Title: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Opposing Injustice Unit Essential Questions:
How can characters have similar experiences and have a different perspective? How do we show
these similarities and differences?
What creates prejudice in this world?
Why would an author choose to tell a story from one character's point of view?
Unit of Study Core Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Growing Up Unit Essential Questions:
What does it mean to “grow up”?
What decision would you make if you were a witness to a crime?
How do friends play a role in shaping values and beliefs?
Unit of Study Core Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Drama
Unit Essential Questions:
Should a story be believable in order to be considered great literature?
How is a play different from a novel?
How do you distinguish between fantasy and reality?
Grade 7
Essential Question: How do we form and shape our identities?
Unit of
Study
Core Titles: The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Opposing Injustice Unit Essential Questions:
What is oppression and what are the root causes?
What does power have to do with fairness and justice?
What creates prejudice and what can an individual do to overcome it?
What is freedom?
Is liberty and justice at all attainable?
Unit of Study Core Title: The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Adaptation
Unit Essential Questions:
In a culture where we are bombarded with ideas and images of “what we should be,” how does one form
an identity that remains true and authentic for her/himself?
What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood?
In a culture where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us, how do we make decisions for
ourselves?
How are people transformed through their relationships with others?
What are the elements that build a strong friendship?
How do friendships change over time?
What impact does family have during different stages of our lives?
What can we learn from different generations?
How is conflict an inevitable part of relationships?
Unit of Study
Core Title: The Taming of the Shrew
Drama -
Unit Essential Questions:
How does family play a role in our values and beliefs?
What are the responsibilities of the individual in regard to issues of justice?
Does labeling and stereotyping influence how we look and understand roles in society?
How can language be powerful?
Grade 8
Essential Question: How do our values and beliefs shape who we are as individuals and influence our behavior?
Unit of Study
Core Title: To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Culture, Values, Beliefs, and Rituals - Unit Essential Questions:
How do individuals develop values and belief?
When is it appropriate to challenge the beliefs or values of a society?
To what extent do belief systems shape and reflect culture and society?
How might empathy help to prevent prejudice?
Core Title: Night by Elie Wiesel
Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Unit of Study
Good and Evil in the World (Holocaust Unit)
Unit Essential Questions:
What is empathy and why is it important?
How do we know what we know? How do we know what is good and
what is evil?
In what ways is humankind good and/or evil?
In what ways have the forces of good and evil changed over time?
How do different cultures shape the definitions of good and evil?
Unit of Study
Core Title: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Drama
Unit Essential Questions:
What elements of Shakespearean drama (plot, theme, conflict, language) are relevant to our current
experience?
What are the factors that may determine one’s future(?)
Unit of Study
Core Title: Hound of Baskervilles Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Illusion vs. Reality/ Unit Essential Questions:
Truth
What is reality and how is it constructed?
How does perspective shape or alter truth?
The online curriculum mapping work has clarified the fluidity of the process, providing flexibility and offering
opportunities for transdisciplinary units based on themes. The departments recommend that the work continue next year
as units are solidified and improved upon to best serve the needs of our students.