Common Core
Instructional Module
English 1
Module 2
TEACHER PACKET
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K-12 Instructional Support
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Common Core-Aligned Instructional Module
Grade 9, Semester 2
How do the decisions we make impact our lives?
Overview
1. The recommended text for this module is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This play
offers an extraordinary number of ‘key moments’ wherein decisions are made that drastically
alter the lives of its characters and the course of the play. “This opens the door for the class to
explore different ‘What if…’ scenarios – ‘What if Romeo hadn’t killed Tybalt? How might the play
have been different?’ Not only do these types of questions encourage the students to try to
understand the characters and the context of this play, but it also requires them to think about
how an individual’s actions and decisions can have a ripple-effect, ultimately changing almost all
aspects of a work.” (from Choices and Consequences with Romeo and Juliet, a teaching unit by
Brett Belcher, Aimee Dowd and Shannon Juhan) Teachers may choose to have students read the
entire play, or select passages for close reading that capture the essence of the story and support
the question: How do the decisions we make impact our lives?
2. Prentice Hall selections were chosen wherein the subjects or characters of the text face life
altering decisions. For example, in “Arthur Ashe Remembered,” the tennis player makes many
critical decisions on and off the tennis court that greatly impact his life. In “Rules of the Game,” by
Amy Tan, the narrator’s decision to learn the game of chess impacts her relationship with her
family, her self-esteem, and her future.
3. Three CCSS-aligned ELA/Literacy instructional strategies are identified for district-wide focus:
 Reading & writing informational text
 Academic discourse/collaborative conversations
 Formative assessments
These instructional strategies are at the heart of the modules as we prepare our students to be
college and career ready. The teacher packet includes support materials for each of these
strategies.
4. At the conclusion of this module, students will be asked to analyze and synthesize information
from several sources which address the essential question in a SBAC-like informational writing
performance task. Please note this is NOT a summative assessment about the novel and/or the
Prentice Hall selections. Students will be expected to cite evidence from the sources provided in
the writing assessment to address the essential question “How do the decisions we make impact
our lives?
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Text Selections and Other Resources
Prentice Hall Selections
Additional Selections
*ONLY in new CCSS Edition (TE); **BOTH new (TE) and Timeless Voices (SE);
No asterisk – ONLY in Timeless Voices (SE)
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“Arthur Ashe Remembered”** (TE 508, SE 683)
“The Day of the Storm”* (TE 682)
“Road Not Taken”** (TE 725, SE 188)
“Rules of the Game”** (TE 315, SE 262)
“The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet”** (TE 806, SE 770)
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“Teens and Decision Making: What Brain Science
Reveals”
“Archaeologists Find Prehistoric Romeo and Juliet
Locked in Eternal Embrace”
“Teen Couple Executed by Their Parents…”
“Malala Yousafzai: A ‘Normal,’ Yet Powerful Girl,”
NPR interview, 31 October 2013
Prentice Hall Common Core Companion (student workbook): includes graphic organizers for Common Core
literacy skills
District website http://www.wccusd.net: for additional resources select Instruction  English Language
Arts  Secondary
This module highlights the following College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards (see grade level standards for additional specificity):
CCR.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.
CCR.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCR.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCR.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR.W.9: Draw evidence from literary and or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCR.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse
partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCR.L.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
CCR.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context
clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as
appropriate.
CCR.L.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning.
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Excerpt: Folger Shakespeare library; Shakespeare Set Free Washington Square Press 2006
LESSON
12
“The Gray-Eyed Morn”
Language Tricks
___________________________________________________
PLAY SECTIONS COVERED IN THIS LESSON
2.3.1-22 Friar Lawrence admires the dawn as he sets out to gather herbs.
LINES: Friar Lawrence, 22
2.3.23-93 Romeo tells Friar Lawrence he loves Juliet Capulet and asks the
friar to marry them that day.
LINES: Friar Lawrence, 54; Romeo, 25
________________________________________________________________
WHAT’S ON FOR
TODAY AND WHY
Moving from the big picture to the individual word, students will do a close
study of “gray-eyed morn” passage. To recognize and analyze some of the language
tricks Shakespeare uses, students will explore the passage with the teacher’s
guidance, then set off in groups to discover these tricks in the rest of Act 2. The
emphasis of this lesson is on studying how the language works rather than on
memorizing the names of the tricks.
Prepare transparency/copies of Handout 8: Shakespeare’s Language Tricks.
WHAT TO DO
1. The Gray-Eyed Morn: Close Reading
Ask the students to read Friar Lawrence’s speech in unison. (You might want to
pass out copies of this speech so the students can write on them.)
Discuss the language tricks that Shakespeare uses in this speech. Focus on
the line “The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night.” Point out that in
this line, Shakespeare attributes to morn and night human actions. Ask the
students to show you which actions (smiles, frowns). Tell them (or remind them)
that this trick is called personification. Have the term written on the board or on
a transparency along with the example line.
Focus on the phrase “check’ring the eastern clouds with streaks of light.” Ask:
What picture do you get in your mind when you hear this phrase? Do you see a
sky with areas of dark and light? Why might Shakespeare have used the word
check’ring? What does that word contribute to the pattern of dark and light you
see? Does it invite a comparison with a checkerboard? Point out that this
comparison is called a metaphor. Again, have the term written on the board or on
a transparency along with the example phrase.
Focus on the line “And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels.” Remind the
students that if the comparison uses like or as, it is called a simile. Ask: What is
being compared to what? Again, have this term written on the board or on a
transparency.
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Focus on the phrase “From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels.”
Together, find out who Titan is. Explain that references to ancient Greek and
Roman mythology are called classical allusions. Again, have this term and
example listed on the board or on a transparency.
2. Gray-Eyed Morn: Reversals
Again look closely at 2.3.1-22. Focus on the word upfill (line 7). Ask the students
to identify what is unusual about this phrase. (They will say that “upfill” is
reversed, that we usually say “fill up.”)
Focus on “The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb; / What is her burying
grave, that is her womb” (lines 9-10). Ask the students to identify what is
unusual about these ideas. (The thoughts are reversed. What gives birth serves
as a grave; what serves as a grave gives birth.) Point out that these lines contain
reversed thoughts.
3. Generating Language Tricks
Pass out Handout 8: Shakespeare’s Language Tricks. Review all the tricks, and
ask students to generate examples of their own for each. Have them read some of
their examples aloud.
4. A Last Look at Morn
Divide the students into groups of two or three. Give them 10 minutes to study
the rest of the speech for more examples of these devices. Have the students
present their discoveries. Draw some conclusions about this speech:
 What does Friar Lawrence explain about the nature of these herbs?
 How does this nature lesson apply to life in general?
 How does this nature lesson apply to the relationship between Romeo and
Juliet?
 How does the use of these language tricks enhance this speech for you?
5. Close Reading 2.3.23-93
Let the students return to their groups and study the rest of the scene.
Collect a list of 2.3 language tricks from each group at the end of the class.
`
6. Homework
Ask students to read 2.4-6 and write a summary of these scenes.
Summary suggestion: Tell the students to write their summaries in a letter
format as if writing to a friend. The students should pretend to be aware of the
entire situation between Romeo and Juliet, and they should share the latest
developments in the relationship (2.4-6) along with their concerns for or approval
of the young lovers.
Tell the students that you’ll award a bonus point to any student who includes
an original example of a language trick in the letter.
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Vocabulary Self-Selection (VSS):
Literacy strategy for Reading Informational Text
Rationale:
The purpose of the Vocabulary Self-Selection strategy is to help
students generate a list of words to be explored and learned,
and to use their own prior knowledge and interests to enhance
their vocabulary. This strategy can be used to stimulate growth
in word knowledge. Because the list is self-generated, an
internal motivation is utilized. This strategy can help students
become fascinated with language and thus, increase their
enjoyment of the subject.
VSS involves the following steps:
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Selecting the words
Defining the words
Finalizing the word lists
Extending word knowledge
Procedure:
Students are put into cooperative groups and asked to go through the assigned reading to identify words
that they think ought to be studied further. Students are to find words that are important to understanding
the content of a particular text selection. The meaning and importance of the words is explored and
discussed in the cooperative groups prior to sharing them with the whole class.
Next, a class list of words is developed. Each team submits one word from their list to the class, giving what
the group thinks is its meaning and why they consider it important. Students’ prior knowledge is applied in
the discussion. The word is recorded for display. Each group in turn submits a different word. This action is
repeated until all selected words are on display. The teacher can also submit a word to the list.
The teacher then leads a discussion for clarification and expansion of the meanings of the terms. A
dictionary or the index of the text can be checked for word meanings when necessary, or students can be
directed to use a tablet or other digital device to find further clarification.
When the list is complete, the class may choose to delete some words for various reasons, such as
duplication, words already known, or words the students do not desire to study. The definitions of the final
vocabulary list are discussed for any needed clarification and then students record the words and
definitions in their individual journals.
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Bounce Card: Literacy Strategy for Vocabulary and Academic Discourse
Bounce Card
BOUNCE:
SUM IT UP:
INQUIRE:
Take what your classmate(s) said and
bounce an idea off of it. For example, you
can start your sentences with“That reminds me of…”
“I agree, because…”
“True. Another example is when…”
“That’s a great point…”
Rephrase what was just said in a shorter
version. For example, you can start your
sentences with“I hear you saying that…”
“So, if I understand you correctly…”
“I like how you said…”
Understand what your classmates mean by
asking them questions. For example, you
can start your questions with“Can you tell me more about that?”
“I’m not sure I understand…”
“Have you thought about…?”
Source: From Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner, Himmele 2011, ASCD
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY WORDS
New Words
Quick-Write Definition
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Single to Double Venn: Literacy Strategy for Academic Discourse
Deconstructing Text: Single to Double Venn
Directions:
Step 1: As you process the text independently, write down at least five key ideas, phrases, or words in the single Venn (top).
Step 2: Pair up with a classmate. Take turns sharing items from your single Venn. Compare your answers using the “double
Venn” to show what items you had in common and what items were different.
YOU
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Gallery Walk:
Literacy Strategy for Academic Discourse
This is a powerful strategy that can be used across content
areas. The poster to the right was created by 10th grade
students from our district addressing the essential question
of their quarter 1 module.
RATIONALE
During a Gallery Walk, students explore multiple sets of texts and/or images that provoke critical thinking
and discussion. It provides an effective approach to get students talking to each other and practicing
academic discourse. Research shows that academic writing improves when students are given ample
opportunity to engage in meaningful, guided academic conversations.
PROCEDURE
1. Determine the purpose of the gallery walk. Possibilities include
 To spark interest and access prior knowledge as you prepare to engage students in learning new
concepts or skills
 To promote media literacy by teaching students to think critically and to question sources and
context of images or text displayed
 To analyze or synthesize essential learnings within a unit of study
 To check for understanding which then informs next steps of instruction
 To review content prior to a summative assessment
2. Select various types of texts including quotations, images, primary and secondary documents, graphs
and charts, or student group work.
3. Display texts gallery style in a way that allows small groups of students to engage with the text and
each other in academic discussion.
4. Provide focus questions to guide student discourse. Consider posting sentence starters to support the
development of oral academic language. Sentence frames can then be provided for follow-up writing
assignments.
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S-O-S Summary:
Literacy Strategy for Formative Assessment
The S-O-S Summary is excellent writing practice strategy that helps students choose a point of view and
support it with evidence presented in brief bulleted points. Teachers can use it frequently because it
requires much less time than an essay—both to write and to assess.
The S-O-S Summary is also good practice for students who are required to complete DBQs (documentbased questions) in social studies, write critical-lens essays in English Language Arts, or ponder ethical
dilemmas in science. Each of these tasks requires students to take a stand on a particular issue and
support their point of view with evidence, facts, and examples.
Give students a statement related to a topic you are about to teach or have completed. They must reflect on
what it means, give their opinion, and support their opinion with evidence.
STATEMENT (provided by teacher):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Restate in your own words:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
OPINION (check one):
I agree

I disagree

SUPPORT YOUR OPINION WITH EVIDENCE (facts, examples…)



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Exit Slips:
Literacy Strategy for Formative Assessment
Exit slips are written student responses to a question posed at the end of a class or learning activity. Their
main purpose is to inform next steps of instruction for the teacher. A blank half sheet is provided below.
Broad sample prompts include:
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One thing I don’t understand is…
Of the two strategies/skills… we learned today, which one did you find most useful? Why?
Write down one thing you learned today.
Rate your understanding of today’s topic on a scale of 1 – 10. What can you do to improve your
understanding?
Discuss one way today’s lesson could be used in the real world.
Describe one topic that we covered today that you would like to learn more about.
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45 copies of the
following resource
pages are provided
for each of your
English sections at
this grade level.
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Name: __________________________
Act(s): ____________
Scene(s): _________
Charting Decisions in “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”
Directions: As we read we will chart the decisions that characters make and analyze the results of those decisions so
we can successfully respond to the essential question by using supporting evidence.
Character’s Decisions:
Types of Decisions: Is this a responsible, irresponsible,
noble or political decision? What evidence supports
your choice?
Result or Predicted Result of Decision:
Analysis: How do you think the decisions the
characters made did or will impact the end result?
Why?
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Name: __________________________
Act(s): ____________
Scene(s): _________
Charting Decisions in “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” – Sample Responses
Directions: As we read we will chart the decisions that characters make and analyze the results of those decisions so
we can successfully respond to the essential question by using supporting evidence.
Character’s Decisions:
Friar Lawrence decides to marry
Types of Decisions: Is this a responsible,
irresponsible, noble or political decision? What
evidence supports your choice?
Romeo and Juliet without telling
their parents.
Quote:
Friar, Act II, scene VI, line 35
“Come, come with me, and we will
make short work;
For, by your leaves, you shall not stay
alone till Holy Church incorporate
This is an irresponsible decision.
Evidence that supports this idea is that
Romeo and Juliet’s parents can’t
stand each other and will be really
mad.
Quote:
Nurse, Act I, scene v, line 135
two into one.”
“His name is Romeo, and a Montague,
the only son of your great enemy.”
Result or Predicted Result of Decision:
Analysis: How do you think the decisions the
characters made did or will impact the end result?
Why?
I think that Romeo and Juliet’s
marriage will not last.
Friar’s decision to marry Romeo and
Juliet will impact Romeo and Juliet
in a negative way. Their families
fight in the streets against each other
and would never approve of a
marriage and will just break Romeo
and Juliet apart. The Friar should
have known better because he is the
adult and his decision was
irresponsible because Romeo and
Juliet will pay for it by being in
trouble with their parents.
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NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 2
WWW.SCHOLASTIC.COM/HEADSUP
HEADS
UP
HEADS UP
Teens and
Decision Making:
What Brain Science
Reveals
REAL NEWS
ABOUT DRUGS
AND YOUR BODY
icture this: Your finger is poised on the
send button, your eyes scanning an
angry e-mail you’ve dashed off to a
friend who has upset you. Some things
you’ve written are a little harsh. In
your brain a little red light goes off, but, what the
heck, you’re steamed and your friend deserves it.
You push the button.
Whether you’re aware or not, rushed decisions
like this—acting before thinking it through—
happen more often in teens than in adults. Recent
discoveries in brain science may help explain why
this is so.
P
First, a bit on how a brain makes
decisions. Decisions don’t “just happen”
automatically in your conscious mind. They
stem from a series of events in the brain,
which happen almost instantaneously.
This involves a relay system in which different
structures—made up of specialized cells
called neurons—talk with each other by
way of electrochemical impulses and
chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters.
Information flowing through this decisionmaking circuit is analyzed in the different
structures. Then the network, as a whole,
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Photo: © Denis Felix/Getty Images.
Do you ever act before thinking? Have you ever wondered why? Do you worry this
might create problems? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on.
NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 3
puts out a response. This output provides the
basis for our behaviors and actions.
While this process is basically the same for
teens and adults, the devil is in the details. Since
the brain is not fully developed until the early
20s, the way in which a teen’s decision-making
circuit integrates information may put him or her
at a higher risk of making decisions the teen
could later regret.
THE TEEN BRAIN:
Under Construction
Not long ago, scientists thought the human
brain was fully mature long before the teen
years. While research shows that one’s brain
reaches its maximum size between ages 12 and
14 (depending on whether you are a girl or a
boy), it also shows that brain development is far
from complete. Regions of the brain continue to
mature all the way through a person’s early 20s.
A key brain region that matures late is
the prefrontal cortex, located directly behind
your forehead. The prefrontal cortex is very
important as a control center for thinking ahead
and sizing up risks and rewards. (This area is,
in fact, the little red light that was trying to
warn you about sending that e-mail.) Meanwhile,
another part of the brain that matures earlier is
the limbic system, which plays a central role in
emotional responses.
Since the limbic system matures earlier,
it is more likely to gain an upper hand in
decision making. This relationship between the
emotional center (limbic system) and control
center (prefrontal cortex) helps to explain a
teen’s inclination to rush decisions. In other
words, when teens make choices in emotionally
charged situations, those choices are often more
weighted in feelings (the mature limbic system)
over logic (the not-yet-mature prefrontal cortex).
This is also why teens are more likely to make
“bad” choices, such as using drugs, alcohol, and
tobacco—all of which pose a risk of serious
health consequences. “Most kids don’t really
‘plan’ to use drugs,” says Professor Laurence
Steinberg of Temple University, “at least not the
first time. They are more likely to experiment
on the spur of the moment, particularly when
influenced by others [peer pressure].”
FINE-TUNING THE BRAIN
Like the
Cell body
Dendrites
rest of the
body, the
brain needs
to mature in
Axon
order to
reach peak
Direction
of impulse
performance.
Myelin
sheath
Axon
This process
terminals
involves slow
changes—
strongly
Cell body
influenced by
brain
Synapse
activity—that
Dendrites
have evolved
to fine tune
A synapse is the small space where an
(or optimize) axon and dendrite exchange information.
how neural impulses flow throughout the brain,
allowing it to process information faster and
more reliably.
Inside the brain, information travels
through a network of neurons, which have
thread-like fibers called axons and branch-like
structures called dendrites. Dendrites bring
information into the neurons, while axons take
it away and pass it along to the next neuron.
Thus, neurons are assembled into circuits where
the far end of an axon (its terminal) is positioned
close to a dendrite. The small space between the
two is called a synapse—where information is
exchanged.
Throughout childhood and adolescence, the
brain is busy fine-tuning itself through two key
processes: myelination and synaptic pruning.
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
NIDA6_INS4_Stu Mag
2/8/08
1:59 PM
Page 4
In myelination, axons wrap themselves in a
fatty substance (myelin sheath), which works like
the insulating plastic that surrounds electrical
wires. This boosts the brain’s efficiency by
increasing the speed with which a signal travels
down the axon by up to 100 times. In synaptic
pruning, synapses not used very often are
removed, allowing the brain to redirect precious
resources toward more active synapses. This
strategic loss of weak synapses shapes the brain
and makes it more efficient. This important
pruning process molds the brain in response
to a person’s experiences and activities.
This means
that teens have
the potential,
through their
choices and the
behaviors they
engage in, to
shape their
own brain
development—
strengthening some circuits and getting rid of
others. This makes the type of activities teens are
involved in especially important. Skill-building
activities, such as many physical, learning, and
creative endeavors, not only provide stimulating
challenges, but can simultaneously build strong
brain pathways. When teens learn and repeat
appropriate behaviors, they are helping to shape
their brains—and their futures.
WAIT A MINUTE!
Learning how your brain works can help
explain why sometimes you behave like you do.
With this knowledge, you can be better equipped
to make smart choices.
One tip to follow is to take a moment before
acting. When making a decision, something as
simple as stopping to think can mean the
difference between a positive and a negative
outcome. By waiting a minute before acting,
you allow yourself to:
• consider consequences;
• weigh harmful outcomes (e.g., harm to
yourself or others) against short-term benefits
(e.g., fitting in or feeling high);
• determine whether peer pressure is making
you do something you’d otherwise not do;
• get information or advice, if you need it.
For more information about drugs and your
body, visit http://teens.drugabuse.gov and
www.scholastic.com/headsup.
To learn more about “pausing” to allow
yourself to make smart choices, check out
www.myspace.com/pause.
"Teens and Decision Making: What Brain Science Reveals." Scholastic. 26 Feb. 2008. Web.
10 Jan. 2014. <http://headsup.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/block/images/
nida6_ins4_student_mag.pdf>.
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLEASE NOTE: Before reading this selection, be mindful of the provocative nature of the subject matter. This topic may be sensitive for all
students, and in particular students from cultures with similar mores. You may opt to omit this selection, but if used appropriately, students can
contribute their own perspectives in meaningful dialogue. We suggest introducing this article with a guided discussion in which students are
respectfully engaged in the process.
Teen Couple Executed by Their Parents...for Daring to Fall in Love
Sunday Mirror, Aug 12, 2001
by Helen Rowe in Alinagar, India
They were two young sweethearts whose only crime was to fall in love. But the secret romance between the
teenagers ended in their barbaric deaths - killed by their own families. Last week they were hanged, one after
the other, after they refused to give up on their relationship.
It is hard to believe, in the 21st Century, that such a terrible thing could happen. But Vishal, 16, and his 17-year-old
girlfriend Sonu came up against centuries-old religious and social prejudices that would have defeated any young
lovers. So ingrained is the caste system within Indian society that even close members of their families agreed their
deaths were justified.
Yesterday Sonu's sister Babita told the Sunday Mirror: "What my mother and father did is right because what Sonu
and Vishal were doing was bad."
Vishal, a high caste Brahmin, and Sonu, a lower caste Jat, were executed from the roof of a house in front of a crowd
of villagers after they were accused of bringing shame on their families.
The lynching happened in the north Indian village Alinagar, about 94 miles north of the capital Delhi. Here, intercaste marriages are not tolerated for fear the stigma will taint the entire village and make it difficult for its young
people to marry.
It was in Alinagar that Vishal and Sonu met four years ago after Sonu's family moved to the village. Although Vishal
had dropped out of school three years ago to become an apprentice electrician working with his brother, Sonu was a
dedicated student. The strikingly-attractive teenager dreamed of getting a job and leading an independent life in the
city.
But about a year ago, rumors began to circulate that Vishal and Sonu were in love, even though both were expected
to marry someone from their own caste. The idea of a romance between the couple horrified their families who
banned them from seeing each other. But on Monday night, their neighbor Balbiri spotted Vishal and Sonu talking to
each other behind some bushes. Immediately, she told other villagers who summoned the teenagers' relatives.
"There had been talk of a love affair between the two teenagers for some time," said Rais Pal Singh, the police
officer heading the murder investigation. "On Monday, they were seen together and some villagers caught them and
tied them up in a room.”
The girl's parents decided that the best way out of the situation was to kill their daughter. The boy's brother and
sister sister-in-law were also called. They were all of the opinion that the relationship was not acceptable and that
Vishal and Sonu should be punished. The girl's parents hanged their daughter and after that they said the same
should be done to the boy. The boy's brother and sister-in-law said they would not do it themselves but that they
would not oppose them if they killed him.
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Mr. Singh said the mob botched Sonu's killing. She had to be cut down from the beam and only died as she lay on
the floor by pressure applied to her neck. Vishal's widowed mother pleaded for her son's life but he too was hanged.
Their bodies were then dragged to the local cremation ground where they were burned together. By 2 a.m. almost
all trace of the couple was gone.
The following afternoon, an anonymous caller alerted police. In the village, the families didn't even try to hide what
had happened, claiming Vishal and Sonu's behavior had forced them to act.
Police arrested Vishal's brother Sanju, sister-in-law Babli, Sonu's father Surinder, and mother Munesh, as well as a
fifth villager who helped dispose of the bodies. Six more were arrested later including Balbiri, in whose house they
died. All face charges of murder or destruction of evidence.
Yesterday Vishal's house was deserted, while at Sonu's family home few tears were being shed. Sister Babita said:
"She was a good student and the village thought she would bring pride to us all. Instead she goes and disgraces
herself like this."
Sonu's aunt, Kusum, said she was told neither Sonu nor Vishal put up a fight, appearing resigned to their deaths.
She said: "They did not try to run away. They didn't put up any resistance. Sonu said, 'OK you can kill me', and put
the noose around her neck herself. She said, 'If what I have done is so bad, go on and kill me'. The boy didn't say
anything."
In jail Balbiri, the neighbor who reported the couple, remained unrepentant: "Everybody knew that they were
meeting," she said. "Their parents said if I saw them anywhere I should catch them."
Only Sonu's aunt appears to have misgivings about the killings. She said: "Sonu did something very wrong but what
they did was wrong too. As parents what they should have done is to talk to both of them and if necessary marry
them off somewhere else. There was no need to take such extreme steps."
Rowe, Helen. "Teen Couple Executed by Their Parents...For Daring to Fall in Love." The Free Library. Sunday Mirror, 12 Aug. 2001. Web. 13 Jan.
2014. <http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Teen couple executed by their parents .. for daring to fall in love;...-a077121942>.
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Malala Yousafzai: A ‘Normal,’ Yet Powerful Girl
"I think Malala is an average girl," Ziauddin Yousafzai says about the 16-year-old Pakistani
girl who captured the world's attention after being shot by the Taliban, "but there's
something extraordinary about her."
A teacher himself, Yousafzai inspired his daughter's fight to be educated. At a special
event with Malala in Washington, D.C., he tells NPR's Michel Martin that he is often asked
what training he gave to his daughter. "I usually tell people, 'You should not ask me what I
have done. Rather you ask me, what I did not do,' "he says. "I did not clip her wings to fly.
I did not stop her from flying."
Yousafzai has this advice for parents of girls around the world: "Trust your daughters, they
are faithful. Honor your daughters, they are honorable. And educate your daughters, they
are amazing."
A year after being shot, Malala is clear about her goal. "I speak for education of every child, in every corner of the
world," Malala says. "There has been a discrimination in our society," which she believes must be defeated. "We
women are going to bring change. We are speaking up for girls' rights, but we must not behave like men, like they
have done in the past."
Perhaps she has learned from her father's experience. When asked what gave him a passion for girls' education,
Yousafzai points out that he was "born in a society where girls are ignored." Living with five sisters, he was sensitive
to discrimination from an early age. "In the morning, I was used to milk and cream, and my sisters were given only
tea," he says.
Yousafzai felt the injustice even more when Malala was born. He later opened a school that Malala attended in the
Swat Valley. At the time, the Taliban's influence was gaining power and both Yousafzais were firmly on their radar.
"But we thought that even terrorists might have some ethics," Yousafzai says. "Because they destroyed some 1,500
schools but they never injured a child. And she was a child."
Malala says that the shooting has taken away her fear. "I have already seen death and I know that death is
supporting me in my cause of education. Death does not want to kill me," she says. "Before this attack, I might have
been a little bit afraid how death would be. Now I'm not, because I have experienced it."
When asked if she is having any fun now with all her campaigning, Malala laughs, "It's a very nice question. I miss
those days." But she also says that there is another side to her than what is shown in the media. "Outside of my
home, I look like a very obedient, very serious, very good kind of girl, but nobody knows what happens inside the
house." There, she says, she's not naughty, but she has to stand up to her brothers. "It's good to fight with your
brothers and it's good to tease them to give them advice."
She says her little brother doesn't really understand why his sister has so much attention. “He said, ‘Malala ... I can't
understand why people are giving you prizes, and everywhere you go people say, 'This is Malala' and they give you
awards, what have you done?’” she says.
Malala knows the Taliban would still like to kill her, but she says she hopes to return to Pakistan one day. "First, I
need to empower myself with knowledge, with education. I need to work hard," she says. "And when I [am]
powerful, then I will go back to Pakistan, inshallah [God willing]."
Martin, Michel. "Malala Yousafzai: A 'Normal,' Yet Powerful Girl." NPR. NPR, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.npr.org/2013/10/15/234730460/malala-yousafzai-a-normal-yet-powerful-girl>
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Literacy Strategy: Reading and Writing Informational Text
ACADEMIC SUMMARY TEMPLATE
In the
,
,
(“A” Text type)
(title of text)
the topic of
(full name of author)
(“B” Precise Verb)
. S/he
(topic/issue of text)
(“C” Precise Verb + “that”)
.
(author’s main argument/belief on the topic/issue)
Continue the summary by citing evidence that supports the author’s argument or belief on the topic/issue you identified on
the line above.
Ultimately, what
is trying to convey (through) his/her
(author)
(“A” Text Type)
is
.
(main point)
A
Types of Text
essay
editorial
article
research paper
narrative
report
letter
speech
short story
vignette
memoir
poem
novel
movie
drama/play
B
Precise Verbs
addresses
debates
discusses
disputes
examines
opposes
explores
contests
considers
questions
analyzes
scrutinizes
criticizes
comments on
elaborates on
focuses on
reflects on
argues for
argues against
C
Precise “Verbs + that”
asserts
argues
posits
maintains
claims
notes
proposes
declares
concedes
states
believes
suggests
implies
infers
Munevar Gagnon, Sonia. "Academic Summary Template." Santa Ana Unified School District. 30 Sept. 2013. Web.
Connectors
in addition
furthermore
moreover
another
besides…also
further
additionally
beyond….also
….as well
Bounce Card
Name:
Date:
Period:
BOUNCE:
SUM IT UP:
INQUIRE:
Take what your classmate(s) said and
bounce an idea off of it. For example, you
can start your sentences with“That reminds me of…”
“I agree, because…”
“True. Another example is when…”
“That’s a great point…”
Rephrase what was just said in a shorter
version. For example, you can start your
sentences with“I hear you saying that…”
“So, if I understand you correctly…”
“I like how you said…”
Understand what your classmates mean by
asking them questions. For example, you
can start your questions with“Can you tell me more about that?”
“I’m not sure I understand…”
“Have you thought about…?”
Source: From Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner, Himmele 2011, ASCD
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY WORDS
New Words
Quick-Write Definition
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Symbol or Picture
K-12 Instructional Support
Name: _________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______
Deconstructing Text: Single to Double Venn
Directions:
Step 1: As you process the text independently, write down at least five key ideas, phrases, or words in the single Venn (top).
Step 2: Pair up with a classmate. Take turns sharing items from your single Venn. Compare your answers using the “double
Venn” to show what items you had in common and what items were different.
YOU
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PARTNER
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Name: __________________________________________ Date: ________________ Period: ______
S–O–S Summary
STATEMENT (provided by teacher):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Restate in your own words:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
OPINION (check one):
I agree

I disagree

SUPPORT YOUR OPINION WITH EVIDENCE (facts, examples…)
●
●
●
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