Transition to Common Core Standards
Grade 9
English Language Arts Module 2
Student Packet
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Student Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Concept Map
New Concept: Decisions
Essential Question: How do the decisions we make impact our lives?
Sentence: Making responsible decisions impacts our future later on.
Explanation:
The decisions we make have consequences
and create a cause and effect relationship.
Because I didn’t do my homework, I did not
receive credit for it on my report card.
Types of Decisions:

Responsible

Irresponsible

Noble

Political
So the choice to not do homework had an impact
on the student’s life.
Example Decisions:
Example Results:
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My Sentence:
______________________________________________________________________________________.
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Concept Map
New Concept:
Essential Question:
Sentence:
Explanation:
Characteristics:
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Examples:
Non-Examples:
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My Sentence:
______________________________________________________________________________________.
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Student Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Name: __________________________________________ Period ____ Date_______________________
Annotation Guide
R.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
R.9-10.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped
and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze…impact of specific word choices…
Preparing to Read:
1. Look at the title, headings, captions, and pictures that the author uses. What do you notice?
Annotation Guide:
2. Pay attention to intro, middle, and end.
□ Mark where you think the introduction ends.
□ Mark where you think the conclusion begins.
□ Mark a sentence (or two) that best states the main idea of the whole chapter or article.
□ Mark details that support the main idea in the body of the chapter or article.
Claim:
3. Is the author reporting objectively, or does he or she have a point of view (an opinion or position)? In the article,
mark where the author’s point of view comes across if present.
Vocabulary:
4. Mark our vocabulary words as you notice them. Also mark words or parts you are confused about.
Questions:
5. What questions do you have for the author?
Summary:
6. Write a summary statement below. You may use: The main idea of the article is… Details that support the main
idea are… The purpose of the article is…
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WWW.SCHOLASTIC.COM/HEADSUP
HEADS
UP
HEADS UP
Teens and
Decision Making:
What Brain Science
Reveals
REAL NEWS
ABOUT DRUGS
AND YOUR BODY
icture this: Your finger is poised on the
send button, your eyes scanning an
angry e-mail you’ve dashed off to a
friend who has upset you. Some things
you’ve written are a little harsh. In
your brain a little red light goes off, but, what the
heck, you’re steamed and your friend deserves it.
You push the button.
Whether you’re aware or not, rushed decisions
like this—acting before thinking it through—
happen more often in teens than in adults. Recent
discoveries in brain science may help explain why
this is so.
P
First, a bit on how a brain makes
decisions. Decisions don’t “just happen”
automatically in your conscious mind. They
stem from a series of events in the brain,
which happen almost instantaneously.
This involves a relay system in which different
structures—made up of specialized cells
called neurons—talk with each other by
way of electrochemical impulses and
chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters.
Information flowing through this decisionmaking circuit is analyzed in the different
structures. Then the network, as a whole,
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Photo: © Denis Felix/Getty Images.
Do you ever act before thinking? Have you ever wondered why? Do you worry this
might create problems? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on.
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puts out a response. This output provides the
basis for our behaviors and actions.
While this process is basically the same for
teens and adults, the devil is in the details. Since
the brain is not fully developed until the early
20s, the way in which a teen’s decision-making
circuit integrates information may put him or her
at a higher risk of making decisions the teen
could later regret.
THE TEEN BRAIN:
Under Construction
Not long ago, scientists thought the human
brain was fully mature long before the teen
years. While research shows that one’s brain
reaches its maximum size between ages 12 and
14 (depending on whether you are a girl or a
boy), it also shows that brain development is far
from complete. Regions of the brain continue to
mature all the way through a person’s early 20s.
A key brain region that matures late is
the prefrontal cortex, located directly behind
your forehead. The prefrontal cortex is very
important as a control center for thinking ahead
and sizing up risks and rewards. (This area is,
in fact, the little red light that was trying to
warn you about sending that e-mail.) Meanwhile,
another part of the brain that matures earlier is
the limbic system, which plays a central role in
emotional responses.
Since the limbic system matures earlier,
it is more likely to gain an upper hand in
decision making. This relationship between the
emotional center (limbic system) and control
center (prefrontal cortex) helps to explain a
teen’s inclination to rush decisions. In other
words, when teens make choices in emotionally
charged situations, those choices are often more
weighted in feelings (the mature limbic system)
over logic (the not-yet-mature prefrontal cortex).
This is also why teens are more likely to make
“bad” choices, such as using drugs, alcohol, and
tobacco—all of which pose a risk of serious
health consequences. “Most kids don’t really
‘plan’ to use drugs,” says Professor Laurence
Steinberg of Temple University, “at least not the
first time. They are more likely to experiment
on the spur of the moment, particularly when
influenced by others [peer pressure].”
FINE-TUNING THE BRAIN
Like the
Cell body
Dendrites
rest of the
body, the
brain needs
to mature in
Axon
order to
reach peak
Direction
of impulse
performance.
Myelin
sheath
Axon
This process
terminals
involves slow
changes—
strongly
Cell body
influenced by
brain
Synapse
activity—that
Dendrites
have evolved
to fine tune
A synapse is the small space where an
(or optimize) axon and dendrite exchange information.
how neural impulses flow throughout the brain,
allowing it to process information faster and
more reliably.
Inside the brain, information travels
through a network of neurons, which have
thread-like fibers called axons and branch-like
structures called dendrites. Dendrites bring
information into the neurons, while axons take
it away and pass it along to the next neuron.
Thus, neurons are assembled into circuits where
the far end of an axon (its terminal) is positioned
close to a dendrite. The small space between the
two is called a synapse—where information is
exchanged.
Throughout childhood and adolescence, the
brain is busy fine-tuning itself through two key
processes: myelination and synaptic pruning.
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 4
In myelination, axons wrap themselves in a
fatty substance (myelin sheath), which works like
the insulating plastic that surrounds electrical
wires. This boosts the brain’s efficiency by
increasing the speed with which a signal travels
down the axon by up to 100 times. In synaptic
pruning, synapses not used very often are
removed, allowing the brain to redirect precious
resources toward more active synapses. This
strategic loss of weak synapses shapes the brain
and makes it more efficient. This important
pruning process molds the brain in response
to a person’s experiences and activities.
This means
that teens have
the potential,
through their
choices and the
behaviors they
engage in, to
shape their
own brain
development—
strengthening some circuits and getting rid of
others. This makes the type of activities teens are
involved in especially important. Skill-building
activities, such as many physical, learning, and
creative endeavors, not only provide stimulating
challenges, but can simultaneously build strong
brain pathways. When teens learn and repeat
appropriate behaviors, they are helping to shape
their brains—and their futures.
WAIT A MINUTE!
Learning how your brain works can help
explain why sometimes you behave like you do.
With this knowledge, you can be better equipped
to make smart choices.
One tip to follow is to take a moment before
acting. When making a decision, something as
simple as stopping to think can mean the
difference between a positive and a negative
outcome. By waiting a minute before acting,
you allow yourself to:
• consider consequences;
• weigh harmful outcomes (e.g., harm to
yourself or others) against short-term benefits
(e.g., fitting in or feeling high);
• determine whether peer pressure is making
you do something you’d otherwise not do;
• get information or advice, if you need it.
For more information about drugs and your
body, visit http://teens.drugabuse.gov and
www.scholastic.com/headsup.
To learn more about “pausing” to allow
yourself to make smart choices, check out
www.myspace.com/pause.
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Name ________________________
Period ___
Date _____________________
SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE TRICKS
Handout 8- Folger Shakespeare library; Shakespeare Set Free Washington Square Press 2006
The list below contains some of the language tricks that Shakespeare used when writing Romeo and Juliet, and it
proves an example of each trick from Friar Lawrence’s opening speech, 2.3.1-22.
personification
“The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night”
metaphor
“check‘ring the eastern clouds with streaks of light”
simile
“And freckled darkness like a drunkard reels”
classical allusions
“From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels”
reversed word
“uphill”
reversed thought
“The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb;/ What is her burying grave, that is her
womb”
Experiment with Shakespeare’s language tricks. Write an original example of each of the devices below:
1. personification
2. metaphor
3. simile
4. classical allusion
5. reversed word
6. reversed thought
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Student Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Date:______________________
Vocabulary Tracker
(L.9-10.4a-d)
1. Use context: Read the whole sentence where the hard word is and try to figure out its meaning based on the
words around the hard word.
2. Break words up into syllables or parts finding parts of the word that you may know – prefix, suffix, root.
3. Get some help – ask someone or use a reference (explanatory notes/ definitions provided in the book,
dictionary, etc.).
4. Verify your work by going back to the text and using your new understanding of the word.
Challenging word
What the word means
How I figured it out (from above)
Context
Break it up
Use a reference
Verify
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Archaeologists Find Prehistoric Romeo and Juliet Locked in Eternal Embrace
ROME (AP) – It could be humanity's oldest story of doomed love.
Archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Neolithic
period locked in a tender embrace and buried outside Mantua, just 25
miles south of Verona, the romantic city where Shakespeare set the
star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet.
Buried between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, the prehistoric pair are
believed to have been a man and a woman and are thought to have
died young, as their teeth were found intact, said Elena Menotti, the
archaeologist who led the dig.
"As far as we know, it's unique," Menotti told The Associated Press by
telephone from Milan. "Double burials from the Neolithic are
unheard of, and these are even hugging.”
The burial site was located Monday during construction work for a
factory building in the outskirts of Mantua. Alongside the couple,
archaeologists found flint tools, including arrowheads and a knife,
Menotti said.
Experts will now study the artifacts and the skeletons to determine the burial site's age and how old the two
were when they died, she said.
Luca Bondioli, an anthropologist at Rome's National Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, said double prehistoric
burials are rare- especially in such a pose-but some have been found holding hands or having other contact.
The find has "more of an emotional than a scientific value." But it does highlight how the relationship people have
with each other and with death has not changed much from the period in which humanity first settled in villages and
learning to farm and tame animals, he said.
"The Neolithic is a very formative period for our society," he said. "It was when the roots of our religious sentiment
were formed."
The two bodies, which cuddle closely while facing each other on their sides, were probably buried at the same time,
possibly an indication of sudden and tragic death, Bondioli said.
"It's rare for two young people to die at the same time, and that makes us want to know why and who they were, but
it will be very difficult to find out."
He said DNA testing could determine whether the two were related, "but that still leaves other hypotheses; the
Romeo and Juliet' possibility is just one of many."
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PLEASE NOTE: Before reading this selection, be mindful of the provocative nature of the subject matter. This topic may
be sensitive for all students, and in particular students from cultures with similar mores. You may opt to omit this
selection, but if used appropriately, students can contribute their own perspectives in meaningful dialogue. We would
suggest introducing this article with a guided discussion in which students are respectfully engaged in the process.
Teen Couple Executed by Their Parents...for daring to fall in love
Sunday Mirror, Aug 12, 2001
by Helen Rowe in Alinagar, India
They were two young sweethearts whose only crime was to fall in love. But the secret romance between the
teenagers ended in their barbaric deaths - killed by their own families. Last week they were hanged, one after
the other, after they refused to give up on their relationship.
It is hard to believe, in the 21st Century, that such a terrible thing could happen. But Vishal, 16, and his 17-year-old
girlfriend Sonu came up against centuries-old religious and social prejudices that would have defeated any young
lovers. So ingrained is the caste system within Indian society that even close members of their families agreed their
deaths were justified.
Yesterday Sonu's sister Babita told the Sunday Mirror: "What my mother and father did is right because what Sonu
and Vishal were doing was bad."
Vishal, a high caste Brahmin, and Sonu, a lower caste Jat, were executed from the roof of a house in front of a crowd
of villagers after they were accused of bringing shame on their families.
The lynching happened in the north Indian village Alinagar, about 94 miles north of the capital Delhi. Here, intercaste marriages are not tolerated for fear the stigma will taint the entire village and make it difficult for its young
people to marry.
It was in Alinagar that Vishal and Sonu met four years ago after Sonu's family moved to the village. Although Vishal
had dropped out of school three years ago to become an apprentice electrician working with his brother, Sonu was a
dedicated student. The strikingly-attractive teenager dreamed of getting a job and leading an independent life in the
city.
But about a year ago, rumors began to circulate that Vishal and Sonu were in love, even though both were expected
to marry someone from their own caste. The idea of a romance between the couple horrified their families who
banned them from seeing each other. But on Monday night, their neighbor Balbiri spotted Vishal and Sonu talking to
each other behind some bushes. Immediately, she told other villagers who summoned the teenagers' relatives.
"There had been talk of a love affair between the two teenagers for some time," said Rais Pal Singh, the police
officer heading the murder investigation. "On Monday, they were seen together and some villagers caught them and
tied them up in a room.”
The girl's parents decided that the best way out of the situation was to kill their daughter. The boy's brother and
sister sister-in-law were also called. They were all of the opinion that the relationship was not acceptable and that
Vishal and Sonu should be punished. The girl's parents hanged their daughter and after that they said the same
should be done to the boy. The boy's brother and sister-in-law said they would not do it themselves but that they
would not oppose them if they killed him.
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Mr. Singh said the mob botched Sonu's killing. She had to be cut down from the beam and only died as she lay on
the floor by pressure applied to her neck. Vishal's widowed mother pleaded for her son's life but he too was
hanged. Their bodies were then dragged to the local cremation ground where they were burned together. By 2 a.m.
almost all trace of the couple was gone.
The following afternoon, an anonymous caller alerted police. In the village, the families didn't even try to hide what
had happened, claiming Vishal and Sonu's behavior had forced them to act.
Police arrested Vishal's brother Sanju, sister-in-law Babli, Sonu's father Surinder, and mother Munesh, as well as a
fifth villager who helped dispose of the bodies. Six more were arrested later including Balbiri, in whose house they
died. All face charges of murder or destruction of evidence.
Yesterday Vishal's house was deserted, while at Sonu's family home few tears were being shed. Sister Babita said:
"She was a good student and the village thought she would bring pride to us all. Instead she goes and disgraces
herself like this."
Sonu's aunt, Kusum, said she was told neither Sonu nor Vishal put up a fight, appearing resigned to their deaths.
She said: "They did not try to run away. They didn't put up any resistance. Sonu said, 'OK you can kill me', and put
the noose around her neck herself. She said, 'If what I have done is so bad, go on and kill me'. The boy didn't say
anything."
In jail Balbiri, the neighbor who reported the couple, remained unrepentant: "Everybody knew that they were
meeting," she said. "Their parents said if I saw them anywhere I should catch them."
Only Sonu's aunt appears to have misgivings about the killings. She said: "Sonu did something very wrong but what
they did was wrong too. As parents what they should have done is to talk to both of them and if necessary marry
them off somewhere else. There was no need to take such extreme steps."
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Malala Yousafzai: A ‘Normal,’ Yet Powerful Girl
Directions: Read the following text and UNDERLINE the parts that use ethos, HIGHLIGHT the parts that use logos, and CIRCLE the parts
that use pathos. STAR the parts that remind you of the essential question about the impact of our decisions on our lives.
"I think Malala is an average girl," Ziauddin Yousafzai says about the 16-year-old Pakistani girl
who captured the world's attention after being shot by the Taliban, "but there's something
extraordinary about her."
A teacher himself, Yousafzai inspired his daughter's fight to be educated. At a special event
with Malala in Washington, D.C., he tells NPR's Michel Martin that he is often asked what
training he gave to his daughter. "I usually tell people, 'You should not ask me what I have
done. Rather you ask me, what I did not do,' "he says. "I did not clip her wings to fly. I did not
stop her from flying."
Yousafzai has this advice for parents of girls around the world: "Trust your daughters, they are
faithful. Honor your daughters, they are honorable. And educate your daughters, they are
amazing."
A year after being shot, Malala is clear about her goal. "I speak for education of every child, in every corner of the world,"
Malala says. "There has been a discrimination in our society," which she believes must be defeated. "We women are going
to bring change. We are speaking up for girls' rights, but we must not behave like men, like they have done in the past."
Perhaps she has learned from her father's experience. When asked what gave him a passion for girls' education, Yousafzai
points out that he was "born in a society where girls are ignored." Living with five sisters, he was sensitive to discrimination
from an early age. "In the morning, I was used to milk and cream, and my sisters were given only tea," he says.
Yousafzai felt the injustice even more when Malala was born. He later opened a school that Malala attended in the Swat
Valley. At the time, the Taliban's influence was gaining power and both Yousafzais were firmly on their radar. "But we
thought that even terrorists might have some ethics," Yousafzai says. "Because they destroyed some 1,500 schools but
they never injured a child. And she was a child."
Malala says that the shooting has taken away her fear. "I have already seen death and I know that death is supporting me
in my cause of education. Death does not want to kill me," she says. "Before this attack, I might have been a little bit afraid
how death would be. Now I'm not, because I have experienced it."
When asked if she is having any fun now with all her campaigning, Malala laughs, "It's a very nice question. I miss those
days." But she also says that there is another side to her than what is shown in the media. "Outside of my home, I look like
a very obedient, very serious, very good kind of girl, but nobody knows what happens inside the house." There, she says,
she's not naughty, but she has to stand up to her brothers. "It's good to fight with your brothers and it's good to tease
them to give them advice."
She says her little brother doesn't really understand why his sister has so much attention. "He said, 'Malala ... I can't
understand why people are giving you prizes, and everywhere you go people say, 'This is Malala' and they give you awards,
what have you done?' “she says.
Malala knows the Taliban would still like to kill her, but she says she hopes to return to Pakistan one day. "First, I need to
empower myself with knowledge, with education. I need to work hard," she says. "And when I [am] powerful, then I will go
back to Pakistan, inshallah [God willing]."
Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/15/234730460/malala-yousafzai-a-normal-yet-powerful-girl
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Name: _________________________________
Period: _______
Date: ________________
Collaborative Conversation:
Important decisions have consequences. Talk to your partner about
a choice that you have made which had a significant impact on you
or others in your life. In the top box, describe the choice you were
faced with and the decision you made. In the bottom box, tell about
the consequences of that decision.
My Experience…
My Partner’s Experience…
Decision:
Decision:
Consequence:
Consequence:
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Student Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on
others’ ideas and expressing your own clearly and persuasively.
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
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Name: __________________________
Act(s): ____________
Scene(s): _________
Charting Decisions in “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” – Sample Responses
Directions: As we read we will chart the decisions that characters make and analyze the results of those decisions so
we can successfully respond to the essential question by using supporting evidence.
Character’s Decisions:
Friar Lawrence decides to marry Romeo
Types of Decisions: Is this a responsible, irresponsible,
noble or political decision? What evidence supports
your choice?
and Juliet without telling their parents.
Quote:
Friar, Act II, scene vi, line 35
“Come, come with me, and we will make
short work;
For, by your leaves, you shall not stay
alone till Holy Church incorporate two
This is an irresponsible decision.
Evidence that supports this idea is that
Romeo and Juliet’s parents can’t stand
each other and will be really mad.
Quote:
Nurse, Act I, scene v, line 135
into one.”
“His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
the only son of your great enemy.”
Result or Predicted Result of Decision:
Analysis: How do you think the decisions the characters
made did or will impact the end result? Why?
I think that Romeo and Juliet’s
marriage will not last.
Friar’s decision to marry Romeo and
Juliet will impact Romeo and Juliet in
a negative way. Their families fight in
the streets against each other and
would never approve of a marriage and
will just break Romeo and Juliet apart.
The Friar should have known better
because he is the adult and his
decision was irresponsible because
Romeo and Juliet will pay for it by
being in trouble with their parents.
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Name: __________________________
Act(s): ____________
Scene(s): _________
Charting Decisions in “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”
Directions: As we read we will chart the decisions that characters make and analyze the results of those decisions so
we can successfully respond to the essential question by using supporting evidence.
Character’s Decisions:
Types of Decisions: Is this a responsible, irresponsible,
noble or political decision? What evidence supports
your choice?
Result or Predicted Result of Decision:
Analysis: How do you think the decisions the characters
made did or will impact the end result? Why?
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EXIT SLIPS
Romeo & Juliet
What decisions did characters make in the reading today? Why?
What do you think is going to happen next? Why?
What questions do you have about the play?
Non-Fiction Articles
What new information did you learn from the reading that was most fascinating?
What from today’s reading connects most to Romeo & Juliet? Why?
What are you still confused about or would like to learn more about?
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