English Curriculum 07-08
|
week |
Date |
unit |
topic |
chapter |
key questions |
key activities |
key concepts-skills |
|
1 identity |
9/4 |
What’s your story? |
Autobiographical/ Personal Narrative |
Esperanza Rising, House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros; “Names/Nombres,” by Julia Alvarez (p. 115) |
Who are we? How do we create a classroom community? What is the purpose of ELA?
|
HOMEwork – personal narrative based on photograph; Writing about a place; Concentric circles focused around Esperanza Rising and summer reading; |
We can use our own identity to fuel our writing; The classroom is a community; Discussion is a useful tool for processing and analyzing literature; like Esperanza, each of us has our own stories to tell |
|
2 identity |
9/10 |
What’s your story? |
Continue Autobiographical Narratives |
Woman Hollaring Creek by Sandra Cisneros, My Name is Maria Isabel by Ada Continued (House on Mango Street, “Names/Nombres”, Esperanza |
What does your name mean to you? How can we use writing to explore our identities? What stories do you have to tell? |
Begin interactive journaling; begin word study; writer’s workshop – personal narrative books |
Continue exploration of personal identity/who we are – and how personal narrative allows us to use our own personal experiences to fuel our writing |
|
3 identity |
9/17 |
What’s your story? |
Fiction vs. Non-fiction (Autobiographical narratives continued) |
Mango St. (plus Neighborhod Odes by Gary Soto) |
How do our personal narratives change with different points of view? What points of view can we find from our family’s interpretation of our personal narrative? |
Interview of family member – writing non-fiction report and fictional accounts. |
Fiction vs. Nonfiction, Exploring point of view, interviewing |
|
4 identity |
9/24 |
What’s your story? |
Continued! |
Continued! (plus The Tequila Worm) |
Continued! |
“Publishing” personal narrative books, creating CSS wide “What’s your story?” book to share with school community – possibly perform original monologues (Mango St. style) as part of IDENTITY thematic week |
Editing skils, voices, descriptive language, strengthening writing |
|
5 war |
10/1 |
What do they say? |
Review of Literature (plus fiction v. nonfiction): Letter writing |
Writing letters! Exploring communication… Book texts TBA |
How can we use reading and writing as a tool for communication? What are the key components of fiction and non-fiction? How does fiction influence non-fiction (and visa-versa)? |
Letter writing to pen-pals, Letter to an author; writing to reflect using both fiction and non-fiction (i.e., repeat scenario in both genres – and compare outcome); |
Writing for communication; distinguishing between fiction and non-fiction; |
|
6 war |
10/8 |
What do they say? |
Review of Literature (plus fiction v. nonfiction) – Begin book clubs! |
Articles, interviews TBA |
What can we learn from literature? Why do we review literature? How do the roles of fact and opinion differ? What is the purpose of fact and the purpose of opinion in writing (esp. literature reviews). |
Article reviews; Writing an Op-Ed; Writing a book review (creating students’ picks for the bookshelves) |
Writing for communication; sharing opinion about a topic; distinguishing between fact and opinion; reviewing literature |
|
7 war |
10/15 |
“War”/ Current Events book clubs (fiction and non-fiction) |
War/Current Events book clubs – Making predictions, fact & opinion |
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis; So Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis; Mud City by Deborah Ellis; Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis; 19 Varieties of Gazelle: poems from the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye; Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye; Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo; Current event newspapers, magazines, news |
What is going on in the world at present? How do authors use current events to fuel their writing? What role does language and literature have in teaching us about war? |
Point of view – looking at differing stories from the media and authors; Writing article reviews of current events; Responding to a text/event through discussion and written response; [Book club meetings during lunch-time at some point this week?]
Write a news report; Have book club discussion (book groups based on Fountas & Pinnell) |
Exploring point of view; understanding current events through literature; discussing literature with others; forming and sharing opinions |
|
8 war |
10/22 |
“War” book clubs #2 – examining historical background (Fiction and Non-Fiction) |
Book clubs (2nd round during lunch too?) |
Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins; Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi; Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida; Diary of Anne Frank; Number the Stars by Lois Lowry; Red Flag Girl (?) |
What similarities and differences are there in books about past and present political (war) situations? How can we make inferences about the present based on the past? How does our knowledge of the present influence our understand and connection to past events? Continue book clubs with new books – looking at historical war depicted through fiction – how does this compare/contrast to books read in previous book club? |
Writing to compare literary works; thinking critically about an author’s purpose and what they are trying to convey; discussing what types of stories are shown in the literature (introduction of the types of stories: stock story, concealed story, resistance story) |
Comparing and contrasting literature; Book reviews; Discussion of a literary work; |
|
9 evolution |
10/29 |
Fiction and non-fiction |
Fiction / Types of Non-fiction |
Book Clubs continued (3 weeks total?) |
Continued! |
Dramatic scene involving characters from the two different book club readings |
Thinking critically about texts; Comparing and contrasting time periods and authors; using historical fiction to fuel our understanding of the present |
|
10 evolution |
11/5 |
|
Types of Non-fiction |
Visit to the UN: Non-fiction in real life and its role in the world. |
What is an author’s purpose for writing? What are different ways we (as authors) can use writing to express our voices? |
Persuasive Letter: Violence and Peace… |
Understanding the use of non-fiction as a communication tool in the world at large; examining different types of non-fiction and their purposes; understanding an author’s purpose; showing purpose as an author; writing persuasive text. |
|
11 evolution |
11/12 |
|
Types of Non-fiction |
Oral History Project? |
How does Oral History help us understand the world around us? What are the different stories that are passed down through history? How do the story types apply to these different versions – and what are the benefits/problems with each? |
Using Oral History to tell concealed stories in history; Interviewing participants and writing reviews and accounds of interviews; Letter writing to pen-pals |
Communication can occur through various means |
|
12 evolution |
11/19 |
|
Types of Non-fiction |
In the news |
How do different types of non-fiction help to inform people? In what different ways can non-fiction writing be used for reporting? |
Creating school newspaper; visiting real newspaper (Columbia Spectator or otherwise); writing different types of news “articles” |
Communication through writing; mass media; reporting; exploring the purpose of different publications |
|
13 diversity |
11/26 |
Evolution of a Story |
Short Story |
“The Tail” (178), “Dragon, Dragon” (191), “Zlateh the Goat” (206), “The Old Woman who Lived with the Wolves” (217) |
What are the key components of a story? How is a story developed? What story? How does a reader make inferences based on a text? How can we respond to a short story? How can we write stories/develop characters? |
Creative Writing & Responding to Writing. Reading short stories – looking at various aspect of the short story… editing and writing essay responses; writing a compare & contrast piece based on two short stories; describe character evolution and motivation in writing; act out a story (guest author?) |
Evolution of a Story |
|
14 diversity |
12/3 |
Short Story |
Short Story: Imagining your life from a different perspective |
Continue short stories in text |
What role does a character’s motives play in a short story? How can we express a character’s thoughts in a short story? What are different points of view we may use in a short story? |
Students will continue their study of short stories and will begin character development to write their own short stories! |
How stories are pieced together; developing characters; understanding and writing about a character’s motives |
|
15 diversity |
12/10 |
Short Story |
Short Story: Imagining your life from a different perspective |
Continue short stories in text; class writing |
How can we shape a story? What are the components of a well-developed story? How does a story’s plot evolve? From what character’s perspective is the story told? How does voice influence your story? |
Short story development continued |
Exploring point of view; understanding story elements (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denoument, etc.); writing in a logical and creative way to develop a story |
|
16 diversity |
12/17 |
|
Short Story |
Personal writing |
What does your short story convey to its audience? How does editing enhance our story writing? What is the purpose of your story? What type of story is your story? |
Editing and final “publication” of short story |
Editing written work for an audience; sharing writing with others; using audience feedback to inform writing |
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