Transition to Common Core Standards
Grade 9
English Language Arts Module 2
Teacher Support Materials
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
Educational Services – CISS
January 2014
Dear English Teachers,
The enclosed materials are provided to support your successful instruction of the required ELA Learning
Module for Semester 2 as you address the focus Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for this module.
While we recognize that you will be introducing additional standards during semester 2, the SBAC-like
District Performance Task (Assessment) being developed in collaboration with lead teachers will focus on the
CCSS listed on the ELA Module 2 for your grade level. This second integrated Reading/Writing Assessment
will be delivered in early March and must be administered and entered into EduSoft by May 30, 2014.
The teacher packet includes copies of the selections found in the student packet that support the required
novel for module 2, as well as instructional resources to assist you during this transition to CCSS.
Student packets (in class sets of 40) contain materials not found in the 2002 Timeless Voices Edition of
Prentice Hall that are needed for Module 2:
 Additional informational and literary reading selections
 Graphic organizers
 Materials for formative assessments
Collaboration with lead English teachers began last fall and is ongoing. We want to recognize the
outstanding work done by the following teachers for their contributions to these modules which aid in
transitioning to the rigorous expectations of the CCSS and the new Smarter Balanced assessments.
Ralph Bedwell – Kennedy High School
Curt Douglas – El Cerrito High School
Lynn Bernhardt – Hercules Middle School
Stephanie Fitch – Richmond High School
Caroline Braun – DeAnza High School
Lucy Giusto- Hercules Middle School
Tuyen Bui – Richmond High School
Jessica Jones – Hercules High School
Sofia Close – Middle College High School
Igor Litvin – Hercules High School
Timothy Crugnale – DeAnza High School
Dingane Newsom – Crespi Middle School
Laura Curtis – Pinole Middle School
Madison Schmalz – Richmond High School
Lynne Dirk – Hercules Middle School
Chris Silva – El Cerrito High School
Please take the time to complete the feedback form so we can use this information to refine and enhance
what was produced for next year. Once again thank you in advance for what you all do on a daily basis to
ensure that our children are achieving.
Sincerely,
Lyn Potter, Director – Educational Services
Sonja Neely-Johnson – Coordinator – Educational Services
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
Educational Services – CISS
WCCUSD English Language Arts Transition to CCSS Guide
Grade 9 - Semester 2
January 22, 2014 – June 6, 2014: The teacher-developed ELA Module 2 (semester 2) includes a play supported by PH and other resources and activities.
There will be an integrated Reading/Writing district assessment based on the essential question of this module. The second assessments will be delivered to sites by midMarch and need to be completed prior to the end of Quarter 4 (by May 30, 2014). Please pace the required 4-6 week module accordingly.
Semester 2 Module – Grade 9
Essential Question: How do the decisions we
make impact our lives?
Recommended Text: Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Supporting Prentice Hall Selections *ONLY in new
Teaching Notes: The intent of looking closely at the impact of the decisions we make is to engage students with concepts
and themes that resonate for them personally as teens, as well as connect to the characters in the play and additional
texts. Students examine the qualities of decisions: responsible, irresponsible, noble or political, for example, as critical
lenses to drive discussion and analysis of the text selections. Concept maps are provided to launch the module and
introduce the essential question.
CCSS Edition (TE p.); **BOTH new TE and Timeless Voices SE;
No asterisk – ONLY in Timeless Voices (SE p.)
Additional Supporting Primary and Secondary Sources (provided)






“Arthur Ashe Remembered”** (TE 508, SE 683)
“Dream Deferred”** (TE 620, SE 904)
“Road Not Taken”** (TE 725, SE 188)
“Rules of the Game”** (TE 315, SE 262)
“The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet”** (TE 806, SE 770)
http://headsup.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/block/images/nida6_ins4_student_mag.pdf


“Archaeologists Find Prehistoric Romeo and Juliet…”
“Teen Couple Executed by Their Parents”
Source for 2 and 3:
http://www2.leon.k12.fl.us/sites/reading/LCS%20Common%20Core%20Literature%20Units/Ninth%20Grade%20Common%20Core%20Literature%20Units/Romeo%20and%20Juliet.pdf

Instructional Strategies (see reverse)
“Teens and Decision Making”
“Malala Yousafzai: A ‘Normal,’ Yet Powerful Girl,” NPR interview, 31 October 2013
Formative Assessments (see reverse)

Close reading
o Annotation guide
 Charting Decisions
o Academic vocabulary
 Exit Slips
 Collaborative conversation
Additional strategies on decision making in “Romeo and Juliet” - link only: http://www.d.umn.edu/~lmillerc/TeachingEnglishHomePage/TeachingUnits/RomeoandJullietDecisionMaking.htm
Common Core ELA Focus Standards for 2nd Semester Module and Assessment:
Reading Standards for Literature and Information Text
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…
Writing Standards
W.9-10.2.a-e Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content…
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.9-10.9 Draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Speaking and Listening Standards
SL.9-10.1.a-d Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively…
Language Standards
All language standards L.9-10.1 through 6
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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COMMON CORE-ALIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Task
Suggested Reading Selection
Close Reading
“Teens and Decision Making…”
Close Reading
“Gray-Eyed Morn”
(from “Romeo and Juliet”)
Collaborative
Conversation
Addresses essential question
Formative
Assessment
Charting Decisions
Exit Slips
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
Task Description
Standards
Addressed
Students use the annotation guide provided to identify the claim,
mark key vocabulary words, develop questions for the author, and
write summary statements citing evidence from the text.
R.9-10.1
R.9-10.2
R.9-10.4
A close read outline is provided in the teacher packet to guide
students in deconstructing complex word relationships and nuances.
In addition, a vocabulary tracker is provided to support academic
vocabulary learning. This can be used with any selection.
RL.9-10.4
L.9-10.5
Students work in pairs using the graphic organizer provided to
explore important decisions and consequences in their lives.
SL.9-10.1
W.9-10.4
Students use a graphic organizer to track key decisions that
characters make which inform the outcome of the story itself.
Students may also write Exit Slips to demonstrate understanding of
key concepts taught during a period of instruction.
R.9-10.2
W.9-10.9
Educational Services – CISS
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:








My Sentence:
______________________________________________________________________________________.
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Concept Map
New Concept:
Essential Question:
Sentence:
Explanation:
Characteristics:




Examples:
Non-Examples:








My Sentence:
______________________________________________________________________________________.
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
Educational Services – CISS
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…
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 2
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.
NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 3
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
Excerpt: Folger Shakespeare library; Shakespeare Set Free Washington Square Press 2006
LESSON
12
“The Gray-Eyed Morn”
Language Tricks
___________________________________________________
PLAY SECTIONS COVERED IN THIS LESSON
2.3.1-22 Friar Lawrence admires the dawn as he sets out to gather herbs.
LINES: Friar Lawrence, 22
2.3.23-93 Romeo tells Friar Lawrence he loves Juliet Capulet and asks the
friar to marry them that day.
LINES: Friar Lawrence, 54; Romeo, 25
________________________________________________________________
WHAT’S ON FOR
TODAY AND WHY
Moving from the big picture to the individual word, students will do a close
study of “gray-eyed morn” passage. To recognize and analyze some of the language
tricks Shakespeare uses, students will explore the passage with the teacher’s
guidance, then set off in groups to discover these tricks in the rest of Act 2. The
emphasis of this lesson is on studying how the language works rather than on
memorizing the names of the tricks.
Prepare transparency/copies of Handout 8: Shakespeare’s Language Tricks.
WHAT TO DO
1. The Gray-Eyed Morn: Close Reading
Ask the students to read Friar Lawrence’s speech in unison. (You might want to
pass out copies of this speech so the students can write on them.)
Discuss the language tricks that Shakespeare uses in this speech. Focus on
the line “The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night.” Point out that in
this line, Shakespeare attributes to morn and night human actions. ask the
students to show you which actions (smiles, frowns). Tell them (or remind them)
that this trick is called personification. Have the term written on the board or on
a transparency along with the example line.
Focus on the phrase “check’ring the eastern clouds with streaks of light.” Ask:
What picture do you get in your mind when you hear this phrase? Do you see a
sky with areas of dark and light? Why might Shakespeare have used the word
check’ring? What does that word contribute to the pattern of dark and light you
see? Does it invite a comparison with a checkerboard? Point out that this
comparison is called a metaphor. Again, have the term written on the board or on
a transparency along with the example phrase.
Focus on the line “And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels.” Remind the
students that if the comparison uses like or as, it is called a simile. Ask: What is
being compared to what? Again, have this term written on the board or on a
transparency.
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Focus on the phrase “From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels.”
Together, find out who Titan is. Explain that references to ancient Greek and
Roman mythology are called classical allusions. Again, have this term and
example listed on the board or on a transparency.
2. Gray-Eyed Morn: Reversals
Again look closely at 2.3.1-22. Focus on the word upfill (line 7). Ask the students
to identify what is unusual about this phrase. (They will say that “upfill” is
reversed, that we usually say “fill up.”)
Focus on “The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb; / What is her burying
grave, that is her womb” (lines 9-10). Ask the students to identify what is
unusual about these ideas. (The thoughts are reversed. What gives birth serves
as a grave; what serves as a grave gives birth.) Point out that these lines contain
reversed thoughts.
3. Generating Language Tricks
Pass out Handout 8: Shakespeare’s Language Tricks. Review all the tricks, and
ask students to generate examples of their own for each. Have them read some of
their examples aloud.
4. A Last Look at Morn
Divide the students into groups of two or three. Give them 10 minutes to study
the rest of the speech for more examples of these devices. Have the students
present their discoveries. Draw some conclusions about this speech:
 What does Friar Lawrence explain about the nature of these herbs?
 How does this nature lesson apply to life in general?
 How does this nature lesson apply to the relationship between Romeo and
Juliet?
 How does the use of these language tricks enhance this speech for you?
5. Close Reading 2.3.23-93
Let the students return to their groups and study the rest of the scene.
Collect a list of 2.3 language tricks from each group at the end of the class.
`
6. Homework
Ask students to read 2.4-6 and write a summary of these scenes.
Summary suggestion: Tell the students to write their summaries in a letter
format as if writing to a friend. The students should pretend to be aware of the
entire situation between Romeo and Juliet, and they should share the latest
developments in the relationship (2.4-6) along with their concerns for or approval
of the young lovers.
Tell the students that you’ll award a bonus point to any student who includes
an original example of a language trick in the letter.
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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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_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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Name: ____________________________________
Period: ______
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
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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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."
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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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
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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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:
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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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Formative Assessment
For the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Module, utilize the following formative assessment practices (one or both).
1) Charting Decisions is a graphic organizer that supports students to “chart” the decisions the characters make
throughout the play. Students identify decisions, decide what type of decision it was (responsible, irresponsible,
noble, political), identify or predict an end result, and then analyze the impact those choices have on the end
result. Teachers can track student progress by quickly reviewing student work and notice what areas students are
“getting” and where they need more explicit instruction (or reteaching). Students also monitor their learning and
can use the notes towards preparation for the Module Assessment.
2) Exit Slips are used frequently to measure student learning. Exit Slips allow both teachers and students to
document and monitor levels of understanding and can help develop fluency for less confident writers. They
provide teachers with immediate feedback and inform next steps of instruction. Exit Slip prompts tailored to the
module are included.
How it works:
a) Students respond to a prompt that asks them to reflect on their learning for the day. Use the questions
provided, or have students respond to ones that you provide on notepaper.
b) Students think about and write down anything that comes to them about the topic (brainstorm or list).
OR
c) Students write non-stop during the last few minutes of the period, reflecting on and summarizing what they
learned that day.
d) Some students may benefit from scaffolded sentence frames to help them get started.
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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?
N: ELA-Secondary/ Gr. 9_ELA Module-Sem. 2_Teacher Packet/1-2014/LB-CN
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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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