Humanities Department
CMS Unit 1, Grade 8
Relationships Through Text Analysis
Big Idea (Content/Thematic): Relationships
Unit Essential Questions:
Content: How do writers/creators use relationships to impact elements of texts?
Thematic: How do relationships impact the world?
Required Culminating Task:
Part I: Using story elements such as dialogue, imagery/sensory details, flashback or suspense, voice, and point of view, write a story in which
the conflict(s) within the relationships impacted the outcome of story. You may use any narrative form: poem, story, or memoir.
Part II: Evaluate the published copy of your short story and answer the following question: Which story element and grammatical element
contributed most to the effectiveness of my short story? Support your opinion/claim.
(W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.6, RL.8.4, RL.8.6)
Unit Essential Vocabulary:
Reference additional academic vocabulary at the beginning of each unit in the textbook.
perspective, voice, character, characterization, motivation, setting, internal conflict, external conflict, tone, mood, narrator, speaker, symbols,
symbolism, theme, dialect, diction, style, stereotype, bias, prejudice, metaphor, extended metaphor, plot, narrative, political cartoon, caption,
genre, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, editorials, rhythm, rhyme, repetition, problem/solution, cause/effect, compare/contrast, spatial, logical
chronological, audience, author’s purpose, debate, memoir
Concept: Elements of Plot
(Characters, Setting, Point of View, Flashback, Theme)
LEQ 1: How do
dialogue, incidents in
a story, and point of
view reveal aspects of
character?

Mini Task Options:
Create a crest that is symbolic of who you are. (Student crests
can be pieced together to create a class quilt.) The crest idea
will be revisited at the end of the unit.
Create a Facebook/Yearbook/Scrapbook page for the
protagonist (using text support)
Create a comic strip (incorporating dialogue to reveal
character).
Create a ―Character Wheel/Map‖ (incorporating quotes and
texts revealing character attributes).
Suggested Texts:
―John Henry‖
―Raymond’s Run‖
―Rules of the Game‖

―Flowers for Algernon‖
―My First Free Summer‖
RL8.1; RL.8.3; RI.8.1;

Create a coat of arms (outside link:
W.8.9
http://www.imaginon.org/fun/whippingboy/crea

teacoatofarms.asp)
Instructions for designing a family crest can
also be found online at:
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/
family/f_crest.html
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
LEQ 2: How does
setting impact
characters and reveal
character motivations?
Mini Task Options:
 Create a visual representation of the setting depicting
potential conflict.
 Explain in writing how an alternate setting would impact
character behavior, interactions, language, etc.
Suggested Texts:
―The Treasure of Lemon Brown‖
―Hallucination‖
―The Drummer Boy of Shiloh‖
―Going Where I’m Coming From‖
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
RL.8.3; RI.8.1; W.8.3
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
LEQ 3: How does the
relationship between
imagery and sensory
details work together
Mini Task Options:
 Vocabulary Development Options:
a. Develop a ―game‖ – i.e. I Have…Who Has; charades,
taboo, etc. to help students learn mood and tone
Suggested Texts:
―Mi Madre‖
―The Story of an Eyewitness‖*
―Letter from New Orleans: Leaving Desire‖
vocabulary
―Simile: Willow and Ginkgo‖
b. Create a foldable or chart including mood and tone
―My Father and the Fig Tree‖
words; have students categorize words (positive,
―One Last Time‖
negative, neutral), write a synonym, illustrate the
―Identity‖
meaning, provide and cite textual evidence from
―Mother to Son‖
previously read materials
RL.8.1; RL.8.3;
 Choose an excerpt from a text; use sensory details and
RL.8.4; RI.8.1; W.8.3
imagery to change the mood and tone; explain the difference
between their change and the original mood and tone.
Analyze the impact of the change on the original story.
(characters, setting, etc.).
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
to create tone and
mood and reveal the
point of view of a
characters, narrators,
speakers, etc?
LEQ 4: What impact
do the devices of
flashback and
suspense have on the
meaning of texts?
Mini Task Options:
 Create road signs that could be inserted in places where the
author builds suspense (i.e. Turn Back, Danger Ahead) – for
use with ―The Hitchhiker.‖
 Insert a flashback providing a deeper understanding of a
character (i.e. dialogue, behavior, motivation, etc.) – for use
with ―The Monkey’s Paw.‖
Suggested Texts:
―The Monkey’s Paw‖
―The Hitchhiker‖
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
RL.8.6; RI.8.2; W.8.3
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
LEQ 5: How do
symbols reveal themes
and aid in meaning
construction?
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
 Develop a crest depicting symbols revealing themes from
―The Contender‖
previously read texts, which connects students’ understanding ―Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold‖
to the unit essential questions. Piece together to create a class ―My Mother Pieced Quilts‖
quilt for the selections read.
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
 Explain how the crest provides an answer to the unit essential
RI.8.1; RI.8.2; W.8.3
questions.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
LEQ 6: How do
elements of plot
contribute to the
structure of a story and
reveal theme(s)?
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
 Graph the advancement of a story’s plot as understood in
―The Old Grandfather and his Grandson‖
relation to the equation for slope (y=mx + b). See attached
―The Wise Old Woman‖
handout for explanation.
 Conduct a Socratic seminar around the unit topic of
relationships. Students should take on the persona of a
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
character from the texts explored thus far and answer the
RL.8.3; RI.8.2
questions posed during seminar as that character.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of a story? (nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs)
Concept: Voice and Perspective
LEQ 1: How does
perspective influence
voice?
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
 Role play a confrontation – (plan out with a colleague); have
“Us and Them‖
students write a ―statement‖ describing the incident; pair
Various news articles/magazines
students and have them analyze the similarities and
RL.8.6; RI.8.6; W.8.1;
differences in their account. Then, identify the bias that
W.8.4
influences each student’s account.
 Pull similar news articles from different places and discuss
the differences in perspective and voice. Identify factors that
contribute to these changes. (For example, how would a
Cleveland paper cover a Miami Heat loss? Then, look at how
a Miami paper would cover the same game.)
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand voice and perspective? (pronouns)
LEQ 2: How would
readers distinguish
between voice and
perspective?
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
 Found Poem: Students will cut out words/phrases and pictures from “Roughing It”
from newspapers and magazines to create a poem that is
representative of their own race, religion, or culture. Next,
students will choose one other race, religion, or culture and
RL.8.6; RI.8.6; W.8.3;
W.8.4
create another poem depicting common stereotypes. Students
will then research the other race, culture, or religion for the
purpose of clarifying/correcting the prejudice/bias/stereotype.
 A memoir is a form of autobiographical nonfiction in which
an author shares part of his or her life story. Memoirs are
assumed to be based on fact. Given Twain’s generous use of
exaggeration, do you think it is fair to label ―Roughing It‖ a
memoir? Why or why not?
 Discuss James Frey (author of A Million Little Pieces)
controversy that aired on Oprah. View clips:
http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/James-Frey-After-theMillion-Little-Pieces-Controversy-Part-1
LEQ 3: How do
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
differences in point of
 Find two editorials on the same topic that express different
“The Lesson of the Moth‖
view and perspectives
viewpoints. Have students use a graphic organizer to compare ―The Lady, or the Tiger‖
affect how the reader
and contrast the pieces. Students can then debate which
―The Monty Hall Debate‖
constructs meaning
viewpoint they agreed with most.
from texts?
 After reading ―The Lesson of the Moth,‖ students are to
respond—in writing—to the following: Are you more like the
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
moth or the cockroach? Explain. Extension: Who—in today’s
RL.8.4;
world—would be the moth? The cockroach? Explain.
W.8.1
 Frank R. Stockton once said, ―If you decide which it was—
the lady or the tiger—you find out what kind of person you
are yourself.‖ What might your interpretation of the story
show you about yourself and your view of human nature?
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand voice and perspective? (pronouns)
Concept: Elements of Author’s Craft and Style
LEQ 1: How do
authors/creators use
Mini Task Options:
 Choose a passage from ―New York Day Women‖ you think is
Suggested Texts:
―The Story of an Eyewitness‖*
a good example of Danticat’s style. You may wish to look for ―New York Day Women‖
a passage that demonstrates the author’s unique sentence
structure, imagery, and way of formatting text, as well as her
use of repetition. Copy down the passage. Then identify the
important literary devices and other elements in it that are
characteristic of Danticat’s style.
RL.8.5; RI.8.5; W.8.2
 Identify different organizational patterns used in newspapers
and magazines. A graphic aid should be created to record the
following elements:
1) Article title
2) Organizational pattern
3) Justification (signal words)
4) Explanation as to how the
organizational pattern helps
achieve a specific purpose
 Show a news clip (the MediaSmart DVD can be used for this
purpose). Assign students different organizational patterns
prior to showing the clip. After viewing the clip, students are
to write an article—in their assigned pattern—summarizing
what they saw in the media footage. Use the jigsaw strategy
to group share different articles. Discuss how organizational
patterns influence meaning while establishing different
relationships.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of author’s craft? (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs)
diverse organizational
patterns to reveal
purpose and audience
and support central
ideas?
LEQ 2: How do word
choice and/or diction
reveal elements of
texts as a function of
style?
Mini Task Options:
 Create a slang dictionary that includes words recorded in
Standard English and slang (Example: friend and homey).
Provide definitions for both words. Then, write a song that
includes both sets of words (on alternating lines). Analyze
how the slang alters the meaning of each successive line.
Suggested Texts:
―We Real Cool‖ by Gwendolyn Brooks (outside
text)
―Speech to the Young‖
―Linguists Mixed on Effects of Text
Messaging‖ (Link to online article:
RL.8.1; RL.8.4;
RI.8.1; RI.8.4; W.8.2;
W.8.3
Explain how word choice functions as an element of style.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-02 Choose a song containing slang and have students replace the 14-messaging-linguists_x.htm)
slang with proper diction. Have students explain how it
Link to Editorial Cartoon on Texting:
changes the style and audience reaction.
http://img.slate.com/media/57/080520_ed.gif
 Create a text message to a friend. Then, write the same
message to an adult (parent or teacher). Discuss the use of
formal and informal language with different audiences.
 Read ―Linguists Mixed on Effects of Text Messaging‖ and
view the related editorial cartoon. Conduct a debate on
whether texting has had a positive or negative impact on
student learning.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of author’s craft? (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs)
LEQ 3: How does an
author’s use of
sound/visual devices
reveal elements of
style?
Mini Task Options:
Suggested Texts:
 From p. 852: View the MediaSmart DVD and complete the
―I Want to Write‖
related activity on p. 854.
―Over the Top‖
 After reading ―The Lady, or the Tiger,‖ view the Paul Steiner ―Barbara Frietchie‖
cartoon in Unit 6. Discuss how the author’s use of visuals
―Can Cartoons have a Point?‖ (Unit 7 and
communicates a message. What does this reveal about his
Media Smart DVD)
RL.8.4; RI.8.4; W.8.3;
style? Create an original cartoon representing your
Paul Steiner Cartoon (Unit 6)
W.8.4
perspective on the outcome of the lady versus the tiger.
―The Lady, or the Tiger‖*
Construct a caption reflecting your style and viewpoint.
―The House that Crack Built‖ (suggested
 After reading ―I Want to Write,‖ create an ―I Want‖ poem for outside text)
one of the characters in the stories discussed in this unit. Use
repetition to emphasize your understanding of the character’s
wants and needs.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of author’s craft? (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs)
LEQ 4: How do
elements of an
author’s craft and style
Mini Task Options:
 After reading ―O Captain, My Captain,‖ research information
about a political figure and create a poem about him/her. Use
Suggested Texts:
―O Captain, My Captain‖
from ―Roughing It‖*
an extended metaphor to convey your tone.
―Old Age Sticks‖ by e.e. cummings (outside
Read ―Old Age Sticks‖ by e.e. cummings and analyze how
text)
the author’s style (emphasis on punctuation) is used to convey ―Dear John‖ letters (outside text available
RL.8.1; RL.8.2;
meaning. How does the structure of the poem contribute to, or online:
RI.8.1; RI.8.2; W.8.9;
help to develop the theme? How are the parentheses and lack http://nationalpunctuationday.com/dearjohn.htm
W.8.3;
of punctuation part of Cummings’s satirical critique of
l)
W.8.4
youth’s attitude toward old age?
 Read the ―Dear John‖ letters and discuss the impact
punctuation has on the meaning of a text.
Grammar Focus: How can a reader use elements of grammar to understand elements of author’s craft? (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs)
contribute to the
theme of a text?
