Essential Questions: Individuality vs. Conformity: How do we figure out where we fit in this world? What role does society play in shaping who we are? What influences have created who we are? What can history teach me?
Big Ideas: Citing Evidence, Theme, Reading Strategies, Literary Elements
Extended Text: Choice Novel Students will choose any novel that has the common theme of personal identity. Teachers will provide a list of suggestions. Novel needs to be within the appropriate lexile for grade-level.
Possible Short Texts: Transcendentalists, Romantics, Dark Romantics, Realists, Naturalists (i.e. Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Hawthorne, Chopin, Bierce), articles NPR “This I Believe,” stories of success, words of wisdom, stories about challenging the widely accepted, Emily Dickinson, Frost, Whitman, ee cummings, The Devil and Tom Walker
Research/Informational Writing & Narrative Writing: Writing to Show, Clauses and Phrases, Present Participial Phrase, Adverb Subordinate Clauses, Semicolon,Conjunctive Adverb, Past Participial Phrase, Adjective Subordinate Clauses, Skills for extending elaboration of an idea with details, editing symbols & strategies, MLA formatting, Run-ons & Fragments
Unit 2-National Identity
Essential Questions: How have the goals and ideals of our country influenced each person and their perceptions? Is there such a thing as real class mobility? What are the responsibilities of citizens? Has America lost its way? How have our failures and successes influenced our country? Am I my brother’s keeper? Why is freedom important?
Big Ideas: Elements of Argument, Propaganda, Characterization
Extended Text: The Glass Castle & Of Mice and Men Possible Short Texts: Revolutionary Writers (i.e. Paine, Henry, Franklin), Douglass, current & relevant examples of argument and propaganda in media Research/Argumentative Writing & Narrative Writing: Writing Process: drafting, revising, publishing, Generating paper topics, Gathering evidence, Organizing material, Rhetorical devices and strategies, Appositive Phrase, Use Parallel Structure, Agreement
Unit 3: Identity Barriers
Essential Questions: How do gender roles affect our identity and society’s expectations of us? What happens to the individual who does not conform to society’s expectations?
Big Ideas: Elements of Drama, Foil Characters, Irony, Symbolism, Foreshadowing
Extended Text: A Doll’s House Possible Short Texts: A Yellow Wallpaper, Desiree’s Baby, The Lowest Animal, Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King’s Speech & Letter to Birmingham, current events, excerpts from Huck Finn
Essential Questions: How do we define right and wrong? Is it an individual or collective decision? How has the American Dream evolved? What is it to be successful in America?
Big Ideas: Symbolism, Figurative Language, Syntax, Characterization, Setting & Context Extended Text: The Great Gatsby Possible Short Texts: Harlem Renaissance, current events, modern day self-made millionaires, Franklin’s Autobiography
Research Project & Narrative writing Using Credible Sources, MLA refresher, Infinitive Phrase, Dangling & Misplaced Modifiers