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Garfield Public Schools
Language Arts Department
Curriculum Committee:
Caryn Christiano
Anna D’Agostino
Anna Kalogeras
Lisa Fiduccia
Marie Marx
Regina Stellato
Amber Simpson-Sidler
Joanne LoIacono
Kristen Haftek
Kathy DelMauro
Allison Bugge
Final Revision Date: June 27, 2012
Garfield Board of Education
Dr. Kenneth Conte- President
Mr. Tony Lio - Vice President
Mr. Anthony Barckett
Mr. Salvatore Benanti
Mr. Richard Giacomarro
Mr. Nikolce Milevski
Mr. Charles Nucifora
Mr. Edward Puzio
Mr. Jeffrey Stewart
Administration
Mr. Nicholas Perrapato, Superintendent
Mr. Tom Egan, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
Curriculum Supervisor
Mrs. Alexandra Bellenger
Assistant Curriculum Supervisor Language Arts
Mrs. Diane Nunno
Board Adoption Date – August 27, 2012
Resolution # - 08-129-12
Garfield Middle School
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
YAG Grade 8 ELA Literature
Unit 1: Reader’s Workshop: Theme and Symbol
Timeframe: September
Description: What's the best story you've ever read? Chances are you enjoyed the story not just for its
characters or plot but for its theme, or message about life and human nature. All great stories have a theme,
whether it's about the value of friendship, the bonds of a family's love, or the triumph of good over evil. A
story's characters grow and change because of what they learn through their experiences. As the characters
learn these life lessons, you as a reader grow, too.
Unit 2: Myth- Pandora’s Box/Percy Jackson
Timeframe: September
Description: Respected translator Louis Untermeyer adapts this ever-popular Greek myth, which explores the
concept of curiosity: Is it a gift? A curse? Or simply human nature? The story examines the qualities of gods as
well as the behavior of humans, helping students to understand how the Greeks attempted to explain the world
around them through mythology. Students explore the key idea of curiosity by analyzing Pandora’s thoughts
and actions.
Unit 3: Reader’s Workshop: Plot and Conflict
Timeframe: September
Description: Students will be able to establish prior knowledge about plot, conflict, and setting.
Students will identify stages of plot (exposition,
rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), and analyze plot development in familiar stories (i.e. How do characters influence the development of the
plot?). Students will be able to identify internal and external conflict, as well as analyze and evaluate setting. Students will be able to make
connections, build vocabulary for reading/ writing, and improve fluency.
Unit 4: Narrative Short Story: Raymond’s Run
Timeframe: October
Description: This short story by award-winning author Toni Cade Bambara presents sympathetic and relevant
characters who deal with conflicts to which students can relate. The engaging plot provides opportunities to
examine the concepts of ambition and motivation. The narrator of this story experiences a shift in her
motivation. As students read the story, they are challenged to think about what fuels their ambitions. Emphasis
is placed on analyzing stages of plot, making inferences, and developing vocabulary skills.
Unit 5: Reader’s Workshop: Setting and Mood
Timeframe: October
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Description: Close your eyes and picture a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Maybe you’re diving down to
a sunken ship, swimming slowly through the murky waters. Maybe you’re in the locker room of your favoring
team on the night they won the world championship. Wherever you are, your imagination is what takes you
there. Good writers know how to spark your imagination and transport you to faraway places or times.
Unit 6: Narrative Short Story: Monkey’s Paw
Timeframe: October
Description: “The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic example of a masterful horror story in which the fear comes
from the suspenseful buildup and the thought of what could happen. Emphasis is placed on identifying and
analyzing mood, making and adjusting predictions, and vocabulary development. Author's motivation is
understood through the reading of a short passage, as well as internet resources. This story offers students an
opportunity to explore the key idea of being superstitious. As students read the story and analyze its mood,
they will have a chance to consider the role of superstition in our lives.
Unit 7: Edgar Allen Poe-Mystery/Horror/ Mystery
Timeframe: October
Description: This classic tale of horror introduces students to one of the best-known works of Edgar Allan Poe
and provides an excellent example of the “unreliable narrator.” It lets students examine the way an author
creates suspense. This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of suspicion. The narrator is
extremely mistrustful, and his suspicions prompt him to plot the murder of an old man. As students read the
story and evaluate the narrator, they can reflect on the signs that arouse suspicion. Emphasis is placed on
exploring the idea of suspicion, identifying and analyzing suspense, evaluating the narrator, and vocabulary
development. Students will understand biographical information about the author through multiple resources.
Unit 8: Narrative Short Story: The Hitchhiker
Timeframe: November
Description: This radio play is a classic that belongs in every student’s repertoire. Its suspenseful plot keeps
readers on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out what will happen next. This play offers students an
opportunity to explore the key idea of proof. As Ronald Adams continues to see the mysterious presence of the
hitchhiker, he becomes increasingly desperate to prove that the man exists. As students read the play, they are
drawn into the character’s dilemma and challenged to find proof one way or the other too. Emphasis is placed
on foreshadowing, developing strategies for reading a radio play, and vocabulary development. Students will
be exposed to background information about Route 66 in order to enhance comprehension.
Unit 9: Novel Study
Timeframe: November
Description: During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
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Unit 10: Reader’s Workshop: Character and Point of View
Timeframe: December
Description: A great character might start out as a few words jotted on a page or as a lump of clay squeezed
between an artist's fingers. How can these humble beginnings result in a person as your best friend? A skilled
creator knows how to add layers of details that make someone who doesn't even exist in real life seem like
someone you've known forever.
Unit 11: Narrative Short Story- The Treasure of Lemon Brown
Timeframe: December
Description: The characters in Walter Dean Myers’s stories often live in urban environments where they must
deal with social and economic hardships. “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” reaches out to readers with an
uplifting message about family relationships in the face of other difficulties. In “The Treasure of Lemon
Brown,” Greg learns that his father is a role model he should cherish. As students read the story, they can
reflect on the importance of a caring relationship in a person’s life. Emphasis is placed on identifying and
analyzing point of view, making inferences, and vocabulary development. Students will be exposed to various
musical selections from the time the story takes place. Author's motivation is understood through the reading of
a short passage, as well as internet resources.
Unit 12: Reader’s Workshop: Informational Text
Timeframe: January
Description: You don’t go a single day without needing to gather facts. With message boards, magazines,
books, and directories all offering you information, where do you turn when you need an answer you can count
on? It depends on what kind of facts you’re looking for, and what you need to know.
Unit 13: Informational Text- The Spider Man Behind Spiderman
Timeframe: January
Description: In “The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man,” Bijal Trivedi presents the story of Steven Kutcher, who
trains insects and arachnids to “perform” for the camera. Kutcher studies the behavior of insects and then adapts that behavior for
movies, television, commercials, and music videos. His goal is to educate the public about the fascinating world of insects. Emphasis will be placed on
elements of nonfiction. Students will use text features to locate and comprehend information.
about what their perfect career might be.
Unit 14: Informational Article- Over the Top
This selection motivates students to think
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Timeframe: February
Description: Students will be able to identify the form and characteristics of autobiography.
Students will also be able to summarize text, build
vocabulary for reading/ writing, and read for fluency.
Unit 15: Novel Study
Timeframe: February
Description: During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
Unit 16: Reader’s Workshop: Argument and Persuasion
Timeframe: March
Description: Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This
lesson encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom
game introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they
want) and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn
some of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used
in oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of
others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques.
Unit 17: Argument and Persuasion- Position on Dodge ball
Timeframe: March
Description: Students are exposed to two very different perspectives on what has become a controversial issue:
whether dodge ball should be played in schools. In its position statement, the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education presents an objective viewpoint, while veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly offers a totally
subjective piece he wrote for Sports Illustrated. By comparing the two arguments, students will gain experience
in detecting how persuasive techniques and tone can win—or lose—readers’ support. Students explore the key
idea of games. As they read the articles, they will have the opportunity to consider their own ideas of what
makes a game worthwhile or fair.
Unit 18: Argument and Persuasion: The Sanctuary of School
Timeframe: April
Description: Well-written persuasive texts that appeal to eighth-grade readers can be hard to find. Lynda
Barry’s essay “The Sanctuary of School” combines persuasive techniques with a subject that all eighth graders
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can find accessible—school and the relationships formed there. Throughout this selection, students explore the
key idea of relationships. As students read and discuss “The Sanctuary of School,” they have the opportunity to
compare the relationships Barry has with her family to those she has with the adults in her school.
Unit 19: Reader's Workshop: Poetry
Timeframe: April
Description: Have you ever tried to write a poem? If so, you probably had to think about what a poem is. Is it
lines that rhyme? Pictures painted with words? Toe-tapping rhythms? A poem can be all of these things-or
none of them. In this unit, students will read and analyze poetry as well as sharing their experiences when
writing a poem.
Unit 20: Poetry: Simile: Willow and Ginkgo/Intro To Poetry
Timeframe: April
Description: Eve Merriam was a renowned children’s poet; Billy Collins is among the most popular poets of
his time. The poetry of both writers is accessible to students, while at the same time providing them with a rich
reading experience. The poems here show a creative use of figurative language and imagery.
These selections invite students to explore how poets use words to create vivid imagery. In “Simile: Willow
and Ginkgo,” Eve Merriam employs a series of similes and arresting visual imagery to contrast the two trees. In
“Introduction to Poetry,” the speaker uses simple language to create unusual images that encourage readers to
experience poetry, rather than simply analyzing it.
Unit 21: Narrative Poetry: Paul Revere’s Ride
Timeframe: April
Description: “Paul Revere’s Ride” is an excellent example of narrative poetry, with clearly delineated
characters, setting, and plot. Students should find this famous poem about a legendary figure from American
history both compelling and entertaining. This poem offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of
legends. Paul Revere’s midnight ride to warn the colonists of the impending British attack is legendary—it is
part of the larger than life “story” of the American experience. As students read the poem, they can reflect on
other legendary figures and narratives in American history.
Unit 22: Novel Study
Timeframe: May-June
Description: During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
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*Novels to be determined by teachers with the guidance of the Assistant Curriculum Supervisor for Language
Arts.
Unit Overview
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Theme and Symbol
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
One Week
What's the best story you've ever read? Chances are you enjoyed the story not just for its characters or plot but
for its theme, or message about life and human nature. All great stories have a theme, whether it's about the
value of friendship, the bonds of a family's love, or the triumph of good over evil. A story's characters grow
and change because of what they learn through their experiences. As the character learns these life lessons, you
as a reader grow, too.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Identify and interpret symbols
Determine and analyze theme
Determine, analyze, and compare universal themes
Symbol
Theme
Recurring Theme
Universal Theme
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL2
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Is the theme of a story always interpreted in the same way?
How does a reader identify the theme in a piece of writing?
How does comparing and contrasting themes from various pieces of literature increase understanding?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify and interpret symbols
Determine and analyze theme
Determine, analyze, and compare universal themes
Use story elements to identify theme
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Use a story map to analyze plot development
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
You may not have given it much thought, but your favorite movies have probably offered you valuable
messages. Recall a movie that you love, and then answer these questions to help you identify its theme.
What lessons, if any, do the characters learn?
If there is a battle or struggle, who wins and who loses? Why?
What did you learn from this movie that you can apply to your own life?
CREATE AN ILLUSTRATION: EXPLORE SYMBOLISM
Explain to students that many ideas have symbols that represent them, such as a heart for love or a dove
for peace. Work with students to brainstorm a list of symbols.
Ask students to draw a symbol that they think best illustrates the idea of priceless.
Before they start sketching, encourage students to close their eyes and concentrate
on what they “see” in their minds when they hear the word priceless, and to use this
image as a starting point for the sketch. Once they complete their sketches, ask them
to present their work to the class and explain why they chose those symbols. Discuss
any common features found in the drawings.
ROLE PLAY: ANALYZE CHARACTER
Point out to students that the selection is told from the narrator’s point of view, so
readers do not know what the other characters are thinking or feeling. Also remind
them that the selection contains no dialogue. Invite students to work in groups of
three or four to write a script for the selection. Challenge groups to come up with
appropriate dialogue for each of the characters, as well as for a new, third-person point of view narrator.
Encourage groups to practice and then present their dramatizations to the class. Discuss the similarities
and differences among the various groups’ performances.
CREATE A COMIC STRIP: ANALYZE PLOT
Review with students the main parts of a story, including characters, setting, plot, and conflict. Talk
about whether students think “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold” includes all of these elements. Lead
students to see that even though the selection is very short, it does have the main elements found in
longer stories and novels.
Point out to students that comic strips can also have similar plot elements.
If possible, bring in some comic strips for students to skim through while using
examples to illustrate how the plots are developed. Then have students work in pairs
or independently to turn “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold” into a comic strip. Students
should take two or three minutes to first jot down the sequence of events and the
details that they want to include in their comic strips. Remind them that since the
original selection contains no dialogue, they will have to invent some for their comics.
After students complete their work, invite them to share and compare with others.
Did everyone include the same basic sequence and details? Discuss.
EXPLORE VIEWPOINTS: POEM, LYRICS, OR LETTER
Write the following saying on the board: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Briefly discuss the saying. Then have students interpret this quote based on what
they have learned about “priceless” things from the selection. Questions might
include:
• Do you agree with this saying? Why or why not?
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• How does this saying relate to the plot of “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold”?
• What would each character in the selection think about this saying?
• Has reflecting on this saying, as well as reading the selection and discussing its
key idea, changed your feelings about what makes something priceless? Explain.
Have students choose one or more of these questions to explore in a creative way,
such as writing a poem, song lyrics, or a letter to Sandra Cisneros. Invite students to
share their work with the class.
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Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Myth-Pandora’s Box
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description:
Two weeks
Respected translator Louis Untermeyer adapts this ever-popular Greek myth, which explores the concept of
curiosity: Is it a gift? A curse? Or simply human nature? The story examines the qualities of gods as well as the
behavior of humans, helping students to understand how the Greeks attempted to explain the world around them
through mythology. Students explore the key idea of curiosity by analyzing Pandora’s thoughts and actions.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Theme
Symbols
Plot
Real world connections
Conflict
Genre
Language
Message
Identify and interpret
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, resolution
Current events
Internal and external
Anecdote, Greek myth
Flashback
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL2
RL9
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Why do we want what we don’t have?
When you want what you don’t have, what problems might that cause?
What, if any, benefits might result?
Unit Results
Students will ...
explore the key idea of curiosity
identify and analyze theme
read a Greek myth
develop strategies for reading myths
build vocabulary for reading and writing
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Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief-Write an essay connecting the book to yourself, other books, or
world issues
CREATE A MURAL: ANALYZE CAUSE AND EFFEC
Ask students to imagine the sequence of events that begins with Prometheus’ theft of fire and ends with Hope
flying out into the world.
After dividing the class into three or four groups, instruct students to design a multiple-panel mural depicting
the chain of events. As students map out their chains of events, remind them that one event can have multiple
effects. Suggest that they use this idea to help them organize their murals.
INQUIRY AND RESEARCH
PANDORA’S BOX
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of these characters in
the story: Prometheus, Pandora, Zeus, Hephaestus, Hera, and Epimetheus. Have each
group research their character to find out when and where the characters’ names have
been used in the world of literature, art, science, business, or entertainment. They
should also look for information on what the significance or role of each figure
was in ancient Greek society.
Have each group create a poster to present its findings to the class and share
information about the references they are describing. Instruct them to explain why
the references are appropriate. They might also want to note instances where the
reference is not appropriate—showing that someone has misunderstood the myth.
WRITING
FORM AN OPINION: PERSUASIVE ESSAY
Tell students to decide whether, all in all, they think curiosity is a gift or a curse.
Before they decide, suggest that they think about what happened to Pandora as a
result of her curiosity, as well as what has happened to themselves, people they
know, and people in history. Do they feel that the possible benefits of being curious
outweigh the potential negative consequences?
Have students express their opinions in a persuasive essay. Instruct them to
support their opinions by providing at least three examples from literature, their own
lives, and/or the lives of others. Essays should follow the format of a persuasive
essay: introduction; opinion statement; supportive paragraphs; conclusion.
SUMMARIZE PLOT: HEADLINE NEWS STORY
Ask students to think about how Prometheus, Zeus, and Hera might have reacted to
Pandora’s opening of the box. Then suggest that they write a headline news story
describing what happened to Pandora. Articles should identify the “5 Ws and H” of
journalism—who, what, when, where, why, and how—and include the reactions of
the characters who were involved, as well as the way the general public might have
reacted. Suggest that students begin their news stories with a clear summary of
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Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader's Workshop: Plot and Conflict
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
Will the hero save the world and win the girl? Can the young soldier survive the war? How will the family
stay alive on the deserted island? Good stories are all around you-in novels and short stories, on television, and
in movies. How do they capture your imagination and keep you riveted?
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Identify and analyze stages of plot (exposition,
rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
Identify and analyze types of
conflict(internal/external)
Identify and analyze conflicts and resolutions
Plot
conflict
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL3
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
What is conflict?
Is the problem emotional, physical or ethical?
What are the two sides of conflict concretely (character vs. character, character vs., self, character vs.
nature)?
What conflicts are the most important to the theme?
What are the stages of plot and what is revealed in each stage?
How does each stage converge or run parallel?
How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the
plot of a story?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify and analyze types of conflict: internal and external
Identify and analyze the five stages of plot
Understand plot and conflict
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Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Oral presentation based on 30-60 minute television show of the different types of conflict. Cite
examples of movies, television shows, and books that represent both external and internal conflict.
Graphic Organizer-Stages of Plot
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Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Narrative Short Story-Raymond’s Run
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
Two weeks
This short story by award-winning author Toni Cade Bambara presents sympathetic and relevant characters
who deal with conflicts to which students can relate. The engaging plot provides opportunities to examine the
concepts of ambition and motivation. The narrator of this story experiences a shift in her motivation. As
students read the story, they are challenged to think about what fuels their ambitions. Emphasis is placed on
analyzing stages of plot, making inferences, and developing vocabulary skills.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Plot
Conflict
Making inferences
Genre
Real world connections
Language
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, resolution
Internal, external
Use from the story and your own knowledge to
guess about things the author doesn't say
directly
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL3
W2
L1
L3
L6
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
What's worth the effort?
What motivates you to achieve a goal?
How do you make an inference?
When do we make inferences?
How does making inferences help us as a reader?
What are the 5 stages of plot?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Make inferences and analyze stages of plot.
Be evaluated on their knowledge of making inferences, stages of plot and selection vocabulary
Explore the key idea of motivation, analyze stages of plot, and make and support inferences
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Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Preview selection-vocabulary, author background, set the purpose
Drawing inferences using the title, pictures, and first paragraph and record in inference chart
How to use and create an inference equation chart
Students will create a visual vocabulary for the words of the story.
Identify and record plot elements and inferences as we read.
Use internet to obtain images to create a visual vocabulary
PERFORMANCE TASK---ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: INTERPRET CHARACTER
Discuss what Squeaky might have said if she were asked to give an acceptance speech after winning the
race.
Have students jot down ideas on note cards and compose a speech from Squeaky’s
perspective. They should keep in mind Squeaky’s character as presented throughout
the story. After students have written their speeches, have them practice in small
groups and give each other feedback on voice volume, pace, expression, and
articulation.
Ask students to present their speeches to the class. Have listening students fill
out a checklist evaluation on each one.
ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS: VISUALIZE CHARACTER AND PLOT
Discuss with students how descriptive some of the passages in the story are. For
example, lines 193–209 paint a vivid picture of Squeaky’s thoughts and feelings as
she begins to run.
Ask students to skim the story and choose the passage that they can visualize most
clearly. Ask them to illustrate what they see, incorporating the details from the text.
Have students display their illustrations. Ask class members to match each picture
with the associated passage from the text and discuss how closely the drawings fit
their own mental images.
READERS THEATER: INTERPRET STORY ELEMENTS
Assign students to small groups and have them prepare a Readers Theater presentation of the story.
Suggest that they develop dialogue based on the parts of the story in which Squeaky encounters other
characters. Encourage them to adapt and abridge other segments as well in order to create a tightly
woven dramatic reading. As the students rehearse, suggest ways for them to incorporate gestures as well
as voice and facial expression. Groups may wish to practice together in order to give feedback to each
other. Have groups present their Readers Theaters. Ask students to discuss how hearing the story helps
them to understand character and plot more clearly.
T-SHIRT DESIGN: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT
Suppose Squeaky has been asked to design a T-shirt for participants in the May Day
races to wear. Have students make inferences about what messages she might want
to send about running and competition. Then ask pairs of students to create one or two designs,
complete with graphics and text. Encourage them to use colors and symbols to convey a mood and their
ideas. Give each pair an opportunity to explain and display their T-shirts. Ask the class to vote on the
one that they think most closely expresses Squeaky’s perspective.
INQUIRY AND RESEARCH TRAINING MANUAL
Discuss with students how many different ways there are for runners to train.
Assign students to small groups to research different training techniques
and evaluate the merit of the ones they discover. Then ask them to put together
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their own training manual, complete with daily and weekly schedules, explanations
of equipment, and diagrams showing how to perform various exercises. Students can introduce their
workout routines in a short presentation to the class.
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Setting and Mood
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
TwoWeeks
Description
Close your eyes and picture a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Maybe you’re diving down to a sunken
ship, swimming slowly through the murky waters. Maybe you’re in the locker room of your favoring team on
the night they won the world championship. Wherever you are, your imagination is what takes you there.
Good writers know how to spark your imagination and transport you to faraway places or times.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Setting
Mood
Imagery
Inferences
Identify and analyze setting and its effect on
plot and characters
Identify and analyze mood
Understand how mood can be conveyed
through setting, imagery, and characters’
reactions
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL4
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Where can imagination take you?
What makes a story a page turner?
How does setting affect mood?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify and analyze setting in fiction and nonfiction
Establish prior knowledge about setting and mood
Discuss how a writer can spark a reader’s imagination
Identify and analyze setting and its effect on plot
Identify and analyze mood
Understand how mood can be conveyed through setting, imagery and characters’ reactions
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Have students brainstorm a list of stories with which they are familiar. Ask them to list the stories in a
chart, identifying key details about the setting of each story in a second column. Then have students
discuss the role of the setting in each story. They should ask themselves: Is the setting just a backdrop
for the events of the story, or does it play a larger role? Does the setting affect characters reactions
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Narrative Short Story- Monkey’s Paw
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Twoweeks
Description
“The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic example of a masterful horror story in which the fear comes from the suspenseful
buildup and the thought of what could happen. Emphasis is placed on identifying and analyzing mood, making and
adjusting predictions, and vocabulary development. Author's motivation is understood through the reading of a short
passage, as well as internet resources. This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of being
superstitious. As students read the story and analyze its mood, they will have a chance to consider the role of
superstition in our lives.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Superstition
Mood
Language
Prediction
Real World Connection
Theme
Inferences
Explore the key idea of superstitious
Identify and analyze mood
Make and analyze predictions
Understand Atmosphere
Current Events
Identify and analyze theme
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL4
RL6
L1
L4b
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Are you superstitious?
What kind of superstitions do you or people you know believe in?
What might lead someone to become superstitious?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
explore the key idea of superstitious
identify and analyze mood
make and analyze predictions
read a short story
build vocabulary for reading and writing
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Prediction Chart (while reading)
Tagxedo- Create a word collage of vocabulary that creates the mood in the story
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Mystery/Horror/Suspense- Edgar Allan Poe
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
One week
This classic tale of horror introduces students to one of the best-known works of Edgar Allan Poe and provides
an excellent example of the “unreliable narrator.” It lets students examine the way an author creates suspense.
This story offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of suspicion. The narrator is extremely
mistrustful, and his suspicions prompt him to plot the murder of an old man. As students read the story and
evaluate the narrator, they can reflect on the signs that arouse suspicion. Emphasis is placed on exploring the
idea of suspicion, identifying and analyzing suspense, evaluating the narrator, and vocabulary development.
Students will understand biographical information about the author through multiple resources.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Literary Analysis
Conflict
Making Inferences
Reading
Real World Connections
Suspense
Internal, External
Use from the story and your own knowledge to
guess about things the author doesn't say
directly
Evaluating the narrator
Suspicion
Vocabulary/Multiple Meaning Words
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL4
RL6
L4c
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
What makes you suspicious?
Have you ever suspected someone was not telling you the truth?
How is suspense created?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Preview selection by setting a purpose. Formulate a question about the: 1. Title 2. First paragraph 3.
Visual (picture)
Explore the key idea of suspicion.
Identify and analyze suspense while reading a short story
Identify and evaluate the narrator
Evaluate their knowledge of selection vocabulary, elements of suspense, and narrator's reliability.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Use the movie adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" to compare and contrast it to the short story
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Tea Party: Teacher passes out index cards from specific lines from the story and has students share their
cards with one another in order to make a prediction about the summary of the story.
Discuss the elements of suspense and evaluate the narrator by using a Narrator Reliability Chart.
A student dictionary- Use context clue to find definitions to multiple-meaning words as the story is
being read.
Create a compare and contrast chart or a Venn diagram to find the similarities and differences between
the written text and the movie.
ILLUSTRATE TEXT: EXAMINE CHARACTER TRAITS
Poe provides no physical description of the narrator. A close reading reveals that this unnamed character is not
identified as male or female. Ask students to create a portrait of the narrator. Students may choose any medium,
including paint, charcoal, watercolors, or collage. Remind them that the appearance of this character is open to
interpretation and that the illustrations in the selection are only one version of the events. Provide time for
students to present and explain their portraits to the class.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Narrative Short Story-The Hitchhiker
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
Two weeks
This radio play is a classic that belongs in every student’s repertoire. Its suspenseful plot keeps readers on the
edge of their seats as they try to figure out what will happen next. This play offers students an opportunity to
explore the key idea of proof. As Ronald Adams continues to see the mysterious presence of the hitchhiker, he
becomes increasingly desperate to prove that the man exists. As students read the play, they are drawn into the
character’s dilemma and challenged to find proof one way or the other too. Emphasis is placed on
foreshadowing, developing strategies for reading a radio play, and vocabulary development. Students will be
exposed to background information about Route 66 in order to enhance comprehension.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Plot
Conflict
Central ideas
Making inferences
Real world connections
Foreshadowing
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,
resolution
internal, external
communicate that universal messages are not
specific to a particular time, place, or situation
use from the story and your own knowledge to
guess about things the author doesn't say
directly
current events
hints that suggest future events
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL 3
RL 5
W1
L1
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Is seeing believing?
Does everything have a logical explanation, or do some things happen that cannot be explained?
Have you seen something that you can’t explain?
Unit Results
Students will ...
explore the key idea of proof
identify and analyze foreshadowing
develop strategies for reading a radio play
use writing to analyze literature
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a
Garfield Middle School
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
character, or provoke a decision
Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts
Use foreshadowing to predict future events
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
MAP ROUTE: EXPLORE SETTING
Point out that several specific locations, such as Hollywood and the Brooklyn Bridge, are mentioned in the
play. Divide the class into small groups. Have students use the information about the places Adams passes
through and the roads he takes to create a road map of the route that someone might travel to get from New
York City to Hollywood. Students can use an atlas to estimate the number of miles he would cover and how
long the journey might take him, including time built in for stops.
Compare routes and talk about what a modern-day traveler could expect to find on these roads in contrast to
Adams’s experience. What kinds of different environments would a traveler on those routes pass through? In
what ways might those environments add to the atmosphere of the play?
MUSIC SELECTION: CONVEY MOOD
Remind students that the music is an important element of this radio play. As a class, list all the lines in which a
reference to music appears. Divide the lines up and then have small groups of students work together to
choose musical selections that they think would fit the plot and mood of the play at each point. Tell students
that they need only a few bars in most cases and they might want to use the same piece more than once.
Have students perform the relevant parts of the play, incorporating their chosen music. Hold a class vote on the
effectiveness of each group’s choices. Discuss how hearing the music adds to the feeling conveyed by the
dialogue.
POSTER: INTERPRET CHARACTER AND PLOT
Have students imagine that The Hitchhiker is going to be presented on the school radio station and they are in
charge of publicity. Working in groups or alone, students should create a poster advertising the upcoming show.
Remind students that their posters need to excite interest in the program and represent what it is about without
giving away the plot. Encourage students to incorporate text and graphics into their posters and to use colors
that effectively convey the mood that they want the potential audience to feel. Ask students to display their
posters and compare the elements of each
INQUIRY AND RESEARCH: GAS PRICES
At one point in the play, Adams pays one dollar and forty-nine cents to fill up his car after traveling most of the
day. Obviously in the 21st century, gas expenses would take a much greater part of his budget. Assign groups
of students one of these time periods: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,1980s, 1990s, and 2000 through the present
year. Ask groups to track the gas prices for their era. Students should collect their data in a table. They might
find their information on the Internet or ask a librarian for assistance with print resources. Have groups present
their tables to the class. Then have the class collaborate on a line graph that shows the changes in gas prices
from the 1940s to today. As a class, draw conclusions from the data, such as when gas prices were most stable
and during which time period the cost rose the most.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Novel Study
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
6-8 weeks
Description :
During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Plot
Theme
Character
Setting
Mood
Conflict
Symbolism
Identify and analyze stages of plot
Identify and analyze character traits and
motives
Identify and analyze methods of
characterization
Identify and analyze setting and how setting
affects plot
Identify, analyze and evaluate imagery
Identify and analyze types of conflict
Identify and analyze mood
Identify and interpret symbol
Use story elements to identify theme
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL4
21st Century Themes and Skills
Global Awareness
Financial Literacy
Communication and Collaboration
Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
Leadership and Responsibility
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Guiding Questions
How and why do good readers ask questions about the text while reading?
How is the main idea used to help readers summarize?
How and why do good readers draw conclusions/make inferences?
How and why do good readers make predictions?
How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?
How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the
plot of a story?
How do good readers identify and use the elements of fiction?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
Read and analyze the text
Analyze plot parallels and foreshadowing
Recognize themes as they emerge in specific passages
Discuss plot development and mood
Review important elements of a short story besides its theme (ie. plot, conflict, setting, point of view,
Write a short story while using basic elements of a short story and incorporate a theme seen in the novel
Read stories aloud and give each other commentary about what was done well and give suggestions
about what could have been done better
Analyze characters by looking at what the character says, does, and how other characters view that
character
Connect a song with the same theme as the novel to the novel
Write an essay describing similarities
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Compose a CD to follow along with the mood of each chapter
Create a movie poster for the book including: Title, based on the book by__, director, producer, starring
actors, rating
Reader’s Journal
Vocabulary Log
Novel Charts: can be used to identify major points in a novel
Character Map
Socio gram: takes the first character map one step further and shows the relationship between characters
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader's Workshop: Character and Point of View
Target Course/Grade Level: 8 Communication Arts
Duration:
One week
Description
A great character might start out as a few words jotted on a page or as a lump of clay squeezed between an
artist's fingers. How can these humble beginnings result in a person as your best friend? A skilled creator
knows how to add layers of details that make someone who doesn't even exist in real life seem like someone
you've known forever.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Point of View
Characterization
Central Idea
Conclusions
Language
Real World Connections
First, Third Omniscient, Third Limited
Physical Appearance, Speech, Thoughts,
Actions, Motivation
Theme
Use from the story and personal experiences to
guess things the author doesn't say directly
Vocabulary
Current Events
Character traits
Motivation
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL3
RL6
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
How do writers create characters that trigger different reactions?
How does who tells the story affect your feelings?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Analyze differences in points of view and the effects they create
Analyze how the dialogue or incidents in a story reveal aspects of a character
Determine the central idea of a text and its relationship to supporting ideas
Infer characters’ motivations
Identify and analyze character motivation
Identify and analyze methods of characterization
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Can you bring a character to life? Follow these steps to give it a try:
1. Look through magazines and find a picture of someone or something that looks like he, she, or it could be an
interesting character.
2. Invent a life for that character. Think about things like where the character lives, what the character cares
about most, and how he, she, or it responds to triumphs and challenges.
3. Introduce your character to your group. Which of the details you provide most help your classmates feel like
they know the person or creature you've invented.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Narrative-The Treasure of Lemon Brown
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration: Two weeks
Description
The characters in Walter Dean Myers’s stories often live in urban environments where they must deal with
social and economic hardships. “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” reaches out to readers with an uplifting
message about family relationships in the face of other difficulties. In “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” Greg
learns that his father is a role model he should cherish. As students read the story, they can reflect on the
importance of a caring relationship in a person’s life. Emphasis is placed on identifying and analyzing point of
view, making inferences, and vocabulary development. Students will be exposed to various musical selections
from the time the story takes place. Author's motivation is understood through the reading of a short passage, as
well as internet resources.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Point of View
Inferences
Language
First Person, Third Person Omniscient, Third
Person Limited
Use the knowledge from the story and personal
experiences to make guesses about things that
the author doesn't say directly
Point of View, Traits, Inferences,
Characterization, Motives
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL3
RL6
L1
L5a
L6
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
What do you cherish?
To you, what is something that is “a chance of a lifetime?”
How do different people cherish different things?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of what people cherish
Identify and analyze third-person limited point of view
Make inferences
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Before Reading- Make a list of things that are most valuable to them. After reading-decide if those items
still have the same value
COMPOSE A BLUES SONG: ANALYZE CONFLICT
Remind students that blues songs tell about the problems and miseries of a person’s life. As a class, listen to
and analyze two or three typical blues songs. Write out a verse or refrain from one of the songs on the board
and discuss the lyrics’ basic structure. Note that the songs are written in the first person, using I. Challenge
students to write a blues song that expresses Greg’s feelings at the beginning of the story. Tell them to put
themselves in his place and sing about how the “hard times” he is experiencing affect his outlook on life. Invite
interested students to perform their songs for a small group or the whole class.
CHART: EVALUATE STORY
Have students work in pairs to design a chart for evaluating “The Treasure of Lemon Brown.” Tell them that
the chart should ask readers to rate different elements or aspects of the story. For example, they might evaluate
story for its believability, originality, and emotional power. The chart should also require readers to give
supporting evidence for each rating. Students may add brief notes to explain each element as needed.
Instruct pairs to exchange charts with one another and complete the evaluation.
Once the evaluations are finished, students may discuss why they chose the elements they did.
Visit the Apollo Theater
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Informational Text
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
You don’t go a single day without needing to gather facts. With message boards, magazines, books, and
directories all offering you information, where do you turn when you need an answer you can count on? It
depends on what kind of facts you’re looking for, and what you need to know.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Main idea
Supporting details
Summarize
Text features
Graphic aids
Identify main idea and supporting details
Summarize main ideas in an article
Use text features to comprehend and locate
information
Interpret and evaluate graphic aids
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI2
RI3
RI5
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Life and Career Skills
Guiding Questions
Where do you get your facts from?
How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and reread?
How and why do good readers of informational texts analyze central ideas?
How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions, make inferences, and predict
events using cause and effect?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify text features
Identify main ideas and supporting details
Take notes on a newspaper or magazine article
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Create a poster of text features
Analyze an article using text features
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Informational Article- The Spider Man Behind Spiderman
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
One week
In “The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man,” Bijal Trivedi presents the story of Steven Kutcher, who trains
insects and arachnids to “perform” for the camera. Kutcher studies the behavior of insects and then adapts that
behavior for movies, television, commercials, and music videos. His goal is to educate the public about the
fascinating world of insects. Emphasis will be placed on elements of nonfiction. Students will use text features
to locate and comprehend information. This selection motivates students to think about what their perfect
career might be.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Main idea
Supporting details
Summarize
Text features
Graphic aids
Understandings
Identify main idea and supporting details
Summarize main ideas in an article
Use text features to comprehend and locate
information
Interpret and evaluate graphic aids
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI2
RI5
L1a
L4a
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Life and Career Skills
Guiding Questions
What is your dream job?
How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?
How is main idea used to help readers summarize?
How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and reread?
How and why do good readers of informational texts analyze central ideas?
How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions, make inferences, and predict
events using cause and effect?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of a career
Use text features to locate and comprehend information
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Read a feature article
Summarize main ideas in an article
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
PERFORMANCE TASK------Career brochure
Garfield Middle School
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Informational Article –Over the Top
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
A fascinating portrait of Carsten Peter, a “daredevil photographer,” this article gives students practice in
analyzing graphic aids and text features. This article describes two of his adventures in pursuit of spectacular
photographs: first, dropping into the rumbling crater of a volcano in the South Pacific; and second, exploring
chambers formed by erupting volcanoes under Iceland's glaciers. Some people actively seek out danger. They
may thrive on the excitement, or, as in the case of this article’s subject, have a purpose beyond the thrill of the
experience itself. Throughout the selection, students will have an opportunity to reflect on risks. Emphasis is
placed on elements of nonfiction. Students will interpret and evaluate graphic aids, and use the skills of
skimming, scanning and rereading.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Main idea
Supporting details
Summarize
Text features
Graphic aid
Identify main idea and supporting details
Summarize main ideas in an article
Use text features to comprehend and locate
information
Interpret and evaluate graphic aids
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI1
RI7
SL2
L4c
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Life and Career Skills
Guiding Questions
Why do people seek danger?
How and why do good readers of informational texts adjust reading rate and
reread?
How and why do good readers of informational texts analyze central ideas?
How and why do good readers of informational texts draw conclusions,
make inferences, and predict events using cause and effect?
Unit Results
Students will ...
explore the key idea of danger
interpret and evaluate graphic aids
read a magazine article
adjust reading rate to purpose (skim, scan, reread)
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
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ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
CREATE EXHIBIT: EXPLORE GENRE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Review the photographs in the article. Tell students that Carsten Peter has also taken spectacular photographs of
tornadoes. Ask students to find examples of Carsten Peter’s photographs online or in books and magazines and
then create an exhibit of his photos. Remind them to include background information, such as the location and
subject details in their exhibit.
REPORT: ANALYZE ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION
Have small groups look through several issues of National Geographic in the school or public library, searching
for stories that pique their interest. Are they most interested in stories about places, individuals or groups,
science, or other topics? Then have group members look for other work by the author and present a brief
overview of the author’s work to the group.
Complete a y-chart: Compare and contrast Carsten Peter and Steven Kutcher and their careers.
Graphic Aid chart-list graphic aids and what it explains
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Novel Study
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
6-8 weeks
Description :
During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Plot
Theme
Character
Setting
Mood
Conflict
Symbolism
Identify and analyze stages of plot
Identify and analyze character traits and
motives
Identify and analyze methods of
characterization
Identify and analyze setting and how setting
affects plot
Identify, analyze and evaluate imagery
Identify and analyze types of conflict
Identify and analyze mood
Identify and interpret symbol
Use story elements to identify theme
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL4
21st Century Themes and Skills
Global Awareness
Financial Literacy
Communication and Collaboration
Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
Leadership and Responsibility
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Guiding Questions
How and why do good readers ask questions about the text while reading?
How is the main idea used to help readers summarize?
How and why do good readers draw conclusions/make inferences?
How and why do good readers make predictions?
How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?
How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the
plot of a story?
How do good readers identify and use the elements of fiction?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
Read and analyze the text
Analyze plot parallels and foreshadowing
Recognize themes as they emerge in specific passages
Discuss plot development and mood
Review important elements of a short story besides its theme (ie. plot, conflict, setting, point of view,
Write a short story while using basic elements of a short story and incorporate a theme seen in the novel
Read stories aloud and give each other commentary about what was done well and give suggestions
about what could have been done better
Analyze characters by looking at what the character says, does, and how other characters view that
character
Connect a song with the same theme as the novel to the novel
Write an essay describing similarities
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Compose a CD to follow along with the mood of each chapter
Create a movie poster for the book including: Title, based on the book by__, director, producer, starring
actors, rating
Reader’s Journal
Vocabulary Log
Novel Charts: can be used to identify major points in a novel
Character Map
Socio gram: takes the first character map one step further and shows the relationship between characters
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Argument and Persuasion
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson
encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom game
introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want)
and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn some
of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used in
oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of
others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Elements of an argument
Persuasive techniques
Author’s purpose
Fact/opinion
Claim
Compare arguments in persuasive texts
Identify and analyze persuasive techniques
Analyze reasoning for soundness
Determine an author’s purpose
Evaluate the argument in a text
Evaluate evidence for relevance
Identify the author’s claim
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI1
RI6
RI8
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
How do I recognize author's bias?
How do I recognize and use propaganda techniques?
How can persuasive techniques be utilized to generate essays of controversial
topics containing opinions and supporting facts and examples?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify and analyze elements of an argument
Identify and analyze persuasive techniques
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Compare arguments in persuasive texts
Determine an author’s purpose
Evaluate the argument in a text
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
State your position activity
Persuasion Map
Persuasive Graphic Organizer (Two Column Chart)
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Argument and Persuasion-Position on Dodge ball
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
Description
One week
Students are exposed to two very different perspectives on what has become a controversial issue: whether
dodge ball should be played in schools. In its position statement, the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education presents an objective viewpoint, while veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly offers a totally
subjective piece he wrote for Sports Illustrated. By comparing the two arguments, students will gain experience
in detecting how persuasive techniques and tone can win—or lose—readers’ support. Students explore the key
idea of games. As they read the articles, they will have the opportunity to consider their own ideas of what
makes a game worthwhile or fair.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Persuasive techniques
Author’s purpose
Argument
Fact/opinion
Claim
Tone
Identify and analyze persuasive techniques
Analyze reasoning for soundness
Determine an author’s purpose
Evaluate the argument in a text
Evaluate evidence for relevance
Identify the author’s claim
Identify and analyze tone
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI3
RI4
RI8
RI9
L2b
L4b
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Are all games worth playing?
How do I recognize author's bias?
How do I recognize and use propaganda techniques?
How do authors communicate the tone of an article?
How can we recognize tone in an article?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of games
Identify and analyze persuasive techniques
Identify and analyze tone
Read a position statement and an opinion piece
Set a purpose for reading
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
CONDUCT SURVEY: EXAMINE ARGUMENTS-Suggest that students conduct a survey of other students’
opinions of dodge ball.
RULE BOOK: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT
Have students work in groups to brainstorm ways dodge ball might be revised
MURAL: ILLUSTRATE THEME
Have students sketch an image that captures the essence of dodge ball for them, either
as described in the selections or from personal experience.
POSTER: SUMMARIZE MAIN IDEAS
Suggest that students write an analysis of sports writing as a career.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Argument and Persuasion-The Sanctuary of School
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
Well-written persuasive texts that appeal to eighth-grade readers can be hard to find. Lynda Barry’s essay “The
Sanctuary of School” combines persuasive techniques with a subject that all eighth graders can find
accessible—school and the relationships formed there. Throughout this selection, students explore the key idea
of relationships. As students read and discuss “The Sanctuary of School,” they have the opportunity to
compare the relationships Barry has with her family to those she has with the adults in her school.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Cause and effect
Relationships
Imagery
Inferences
Author’s purpose
Conclusion
Explore the key idea of relationships
Identify and analyze author's purpose
Read an essay
Identify and analyze cause-and-effect
relationships
Build vocabulary for reading and writing
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RI3
RI4
RI6
L5b
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
Why do we need schools?
What makes a good relationship?
Why are relationships important?
How do the old “3 R’s” compare to the new “3R’s” (rigor, relevance and relationships)?
Where do you feel safe?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of relationships
Identify and analyze author's purpose
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Read an essay
Identify and analyze cause-and-effect relationships
Build vocabulary for reading and writing
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
CARTOONS: EXPLORE KEY CONCEPT
Lynda Barry’s cartoon on page 997 illustrates her relationship with her school. Hold a
brainstorming session with the class to come up with other important relationships in
students’ lives, such as their relationships with a special sport or place. Have students
choose one relationship to use as the basis for their own cartoon.
Next, have students reflect on their feelings about this relationship and the
message they want to send to their viewers about it. Then ask students to create a
cartoon, using Barry’s style as a model. Display cartoons around the classroom.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: EXPLORE TOPIC
Ask students to name books for children and young adults in which school is a major
focus, such as Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
VENN DIAGRAM: SUMMARIZE MAIN IDEAS
Have students review lists of a school’s three most important tasks from page 994.
BILL GATES AND THE NEW THREE “RS” OF SCHOOLS
Have students work in pairs or small groups to find out more about Bill Gates’
plan. Encourage students to present their findings in innovative ways, such as creating a brochure or poster
promoting the school project or role-playing a mock interview with Bill and Melinda Gates about their vision for
their specific project.
EVALUATE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE PERSUASIVE ESSAY
Discuss with students how Lynda Barry’s main purpose for writing “The Sanctuary
of School” is to persuade her readers that schools should step in and nurture those
students who do not get the necessary nurturing from their own homes.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Reader’s Workshop: Poetry
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
Have you ever tried to write a poem? If so, you probably had to think about what a poem is. Is it lines that
rhyme? Pictures painted with words? Toe-tapping rhythms? A poem can be all of these things-or none of
them. In this unit, students will read and analyze poetry as well as sharing their experiences when writing a
poem.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Traditional poetic form
Free verse
Narrative poetry
Couplet
Speaker
Stanza
Sound device
Rhythm
Rhyme
Repetition
Alliteration
Assonance
Figurative language
Theme
Understandings
Compare traditional poetic form with free
verse
Identify characteristics of traditional forms
(sonnet, ode)
Analyze and evaluate free verse
Analyze and evaluate lyric poetry
Identify characteristics of narrative poetry
Identify and analyze couplets
Identify and analyze speaker
Identify and analyze stanzas in poetry
Identify and compare length and meaning of
stanzas
Identify and analyze sound devices, including
rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and
assonance
Identify and analyze sound devices
Identify and compare rhyme schemes
Identify and analyze rhythm and meter and its
effect
Analyze repetition in poetry
Identify and analyze figurative language
(simile, metaphor)
Identify and compare recurring theme
Analyze and compare word choice in poetry
Set a purpose for reading
Make inferences
Identify and analyze figurative language in
order to gain understanding
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL4
RL5
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
How do good readers and writers identify, understand, and use
characteristics and elements of various types of poetry?
How do we recognize and understand different types of poetry?
How do we identify and understand characteristics of poetry?
How do we identify, understand, and use figurative language to enrich poetry?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Identify and compare rhyme schemes
Make inferences
Identify and analyze figurative language in order to gain understanding
Compare traditional poetic form with free verse
Identify and analyze stanzas in poetry
Identify and compare length and meaning of stanzas
Identify and analyze speaker
Identify and analyze sound devices, including rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and assonance
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Poetry is everywhere-in our favorite songs, the nursery rhymes we read as children, and even is some television
commercials. With a partner, make a list of poems that you have read or heard. Then answer the following
questions:
1. Did you find poetry in any unexpected places?
2. What do these poems have in common?
3. How do the words create mental pictures?
4. Do these poems rhyme, or have rhythm?
Once you've answered these questions, see if you can define a poem.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Poetry-Simile: Willow and Ginkgo/Intro. To Poetry
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
Eve Merriam was a renowned children’s poet; Billy Collins is among the most popular poets of his time. The
poetry of both writers is accessible to students, while at the same time providing them with a rich reading
experience. The poems here show a creative use of figurative language and imagery.
These selections invite students to explore how poets use words to create vivid imagery. In “Simile: Willow
and Ginkgo,” Eve Merriam employs a series of similes and arresting visual imagery to contrast the two trees. In
“Introduction to Poetry,” the speaker uses simple language to create unusual images that encourage readers to
experience poetry, rather than simply analyzing it.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Stanza
Metaphor
Simile
Explore the key idea of using words to create
images
Identify similes an metaphors
Identify and compare length and meaning of
stanzas
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL4
RL5
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
How can words create pictures?
How do good readers and writers identify, understand, and use
characteristics and elements of various types of poetry?
How do we recognize and understand different types of poetry?
How do we identify and understand characteristics of poetry?
How do we identify, understand, and use figurative language to enrich poetry?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of using words to create images
Identify similes an metaphors
Identify and compare length and meaning of stanzas
Read poetry
Visualize
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
SKETCH NATURE SCENES: VISUALIZE
“Simile: Willow and Ginkgo” records the poet’s response to something in nature.
Ask students to recall a scene or object from nature that has affected them deeply.
GROUP DISCUSSION: ANALYZE SOUND DEVICES
Explain to students that poets use sound devices such as rhyme, rhythm, meter, and
alliteration to bring their poems to life. Have students work in small groups to analyze
each poem’s use of sound devices. Assign each group one kind of sound device to
examine in both poems. Encourage them to discuss how these devices add to the
richness, meaning, or tone of the poems.
POETRY READING: INTERPRET POEM
Demonstrate how to read a poem aloud, noting the importance of reading at a
comfortable rate, using appropriate volume, and paying close attention to punctuation
and line breaks. Then have students choose either the Merriam or Collins poem and
practice reading the poems aloud to themselves. Once students feel comfortable, have
them take turns reading their poem to the class, using the tone, rate, and volume
of their voice to help convey meaning.
DIALOGUE: EXPLORE PERSONIFICATION
Have students think about the way Eve Merriam personifies the willow and the
ginkgo. If each tree could talk, how might it respond to Merriam’s poem?
Ask students to work in pairs to script a dialogue between the two trees. Tell
students to keep in mind how each tree might express itself based on the details given
in the poem. Students might want to consider what kind of voice the tree would have,
and what kinds of words (formal, informal, poetic, and so forth) it would choose.
Have pairs present their dialogues to the class.
NATURE POETRY STUDY: EXPLORE GENRE
Ask students to locate another poem about nature. Have them familiarize themselves
with their poem, reflect on its meaning and language, and then rehearse an oral
reading. They may want to practice with a partner in order to work on expression
and fluency. Have students take turns reading their poems to the class. Have them
explain the setting and significance of their poem. Remind them to consider any
figurative language and its effects.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Narrative poem-Paul Revere
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
One week
Description
“Paul Revere’s Ride” is an excellent example of narrative poetry, with clearly delineated characters, setting,
and plot. Students should find this famous poem about a legendary figure from American history both
compelling and entertaining. This poem offers students an opportunity to explore the key idea of legends. Paul
Revere’s midnight ride to warn the colonists of the impending British attack is legendary—it is part of the
larger than life “story” of the American experience. As students read the poem, they can reflect
on other legendary figures and narratives in American history.
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Stanza
Narrative poetry
Paraphrase
Legend
Explore the key idea of legends
Identify and analyze different characteristics of
narrative poetry
Read a narrative poem
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL4
RL5
RL10
21st Century Themes and Skills
Communication and Collaboration
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Innovation
Guiding Questions
When does truth become legend?
What is a legend?
Why do we create legends?
Unit Results
Students will ...
Explore the key idea of legends
Identify and analyze different characteristics of narrative poetry
Read a narrative poem
Paraphrase
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
In a small group, come up with a list of people you consider legendary. Think about sports heroes,
performers, and historical figures. What do these people have in common? Why do you think they
became legends?
DRAW CARTOONS: IDENTIFY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Review the sequence of events of the poem. Then have students draw a series of
cartoons showing what happened on the night of April 18, 1775. Encourage them to
include details of setting and dialogue from the poem.
Invite students to display their cartoons and check to see if they have portrayed the
correct sequence of events. Discuss any variations in their representation of events.
INQUIRY AND RESEARCH PAUL REVERE’S REAL RIDE
Explain that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took some liberties with the factual details
of Paul Revere’s ride. Several different accounts of the events of the early morning of
April 18, 1775, exist, many of which contradict Longfellow’s version.
Ask students to research the events of the night of April 18, 1775. Encourage them
to look for primary as well as secondary sources to answer the following questions:
What role did William Dawes and Dr. Prescott play in the midnight ride? What role
did Paul Revere play? Then have students present a report to the class in which they
discuss the ways in which the poem reflects or differs from the actual events.
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Content Area: English Language Arts Literature
Unit Title: Novel Study
Target Course/Grade Level: 8
Duration:
6-8 weeks
Description :
During a 6-8 week period, students will be engrossed in a novel. To be continued…
Concepts & Understandings
Concepts
Understandings
Plot
Theme
Character
Setting
Mood
Conflict
Symbolism
Identify and analyze stages of plot
Identify and analyze character traits and
motives
Identify and analyze methods of
characterization
Identify and analyze setting and how setting
affects plot
Identify, analyze and evaluate imagery
Identify and analyze types of conflict
Identify and analyze mood
Identify and interpret symbol
Use story elements to identify theme
Learning Targets
CPI Codes
RL1
RL4
21st Century Themes and Skills
Global Awareness
Financial Literacy
Communication and Collaboration
Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
Leadership and Responsibility
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Guiding Questions
How and why do good readers ask questions about the text while reading?
How is the main idea used to help readers summarize?
How and why do good readers draw conclusions/make inferences?
How and why do good readers make predictions?
How do good readers identify main idea of a paragraph/selection?
How do good readers use setting, characters, and conflict to understand the
plot of a story?
How do good readers identify and use the elements of fiction?
Garfield Middle School
Aligned to the Common Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts
ST
ENGAGING STUDENTS • FOSTERING ACHIEVEMENT • CULTIVATING 21 CENTURY GLOBAL SKILLS
Unit Results
Students will ...
Read and analyze the text
Analyze plot parallels and foreshadowing
Recognize themes as they emerge in specific passages
Discuss plot development and mood
Review important elements of a short story besides its theme (ie. plot, conflict, setting, point of view,
Write a short story while using basic elements of a short story and incorporate a theme seen in the novel
Read stories aloud and give each other commentary about what was done well and give suggestions
about what could have been done better
Analyze characters by looking at what the character says, does, and how other characters view that
character
Connect a song with the same theme as the novel to the novel
Write an essay describing similarities
Suggested Activities
The following activities can be incorporated into the daily lessons:
Compose a CD to follow along with the mood of each chapter
Create a movie poster for the book including: Title, based on the book by__, director, producer, starring
actors, rating
Reader’s Journal
Vocabulary Log
Novel Charts: can be used to identify major points in a novel
Character Map
Socio gram: takes the first character map one step further and shows the relationship between characters