MICHELANGELO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 144Where Children Begin Their Quest For Excellence2545 Gunther Avenue, Bronx, New York 10469

Phone: (718) 379-7400/Fax: (718) 320-7135

JEREMY KABINOFFELLEN BARRETT-KELLY

PrincipalTHEODORE RIVERA

KERRI ROBERTSON

Assistant Principals

Grade 8 ELA Curriculum

Rural Unit Draft

2012-2013

Unit: Unit 4:Rural Settings in North America: It Happened In the Country (6-8 Weeks)

Unit finishes May 24, 2013

Stage 1: Desired Results

NYCCSS: English Language Arts 6-12, NYS: 8th Grade

RL.8.5:Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

RI.8.2:Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.8.6Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

W.8.1:Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b.Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

SL.8.1:Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners ongrade 8 topics, texts, and issues,building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

L.8.4:Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based ongrade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

b. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

NYS: English As a Second Language, NYS: Grades 5-8 , Information and Understanding

ESL

Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding.

1. Identify and use reading and listening strategies to make text comprehensible and meaningful.

2. Read, gather, view, listen to, organize, discuss, interpret, and analyze information related to academic content areas from various sources.

3. Select information appropriate to the purpose of the investigation, relate ideas from one written or spoken source to another, and exclude nonessential information. (L, S, R, W)

7. Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms for different audiences and purposes related to all academic content areas.

8. Select a focus, organization, and point of view for oral and written presentations, and justify this selection. (S, W)

9. Convey and organize information, using facts, details, illustrative examples, and a variety of patterns and structures.

11. Use the process of prewriting, drafting, revising, peer editing, and proofreading (the "writing process") to produce well-constructed informational texts. (L, S, R, W)

15. Apply self-monitoring and self-correcting strategies for accurate language production and oral and written presentation, using established criteria for effective presentation of information.

16. Apply learning strategies to acquire information and make texts comprehensible and meaningful.

Enduring Understanding

Rural living impacts opportunities.

Essential Questions

What does the rural setting contribute to these stories?

How does ones environment influence who or what one becomes?

Content & Skills

Compare/contrast the structure of multiple texts and analyze how the differences contribute to the meaning and style.

Explain and analyze how a central idea of a text is developed through supporting ideas.

Model how to correctly summarize a text.

Use "Question the Author" instructional strategy to determine point of view, purpose, etc.

identify and explain how the author acknowledges and responds to others' opinions.

Expose students to a variety of methods, media, etc. that authors present information on a topic.

Model via think-aloud how to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of presentation.

Explain and model the elements of argument: claims, counterclaims, reasons that support claims, and relevant evidence that sustains reasons.

Model appropriate formal style and organization to create cohesion and clarify relationships between claims, reasons, and evidence.

Establish participants' roles and responsibilities as they apply to various discussion groups.

Provide opportunities for students to prepare for and participate in discussion groups.

Model various strategies to determine the intended meanings of words using reference materials.

Key Terms/Vocabulary

Explicit textual evidenceGenreImplicit textual evidenceSettingText structures

Reciprocal Reading

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Assessment

Common Tasks across the Grade:

Task 1: Essay

Create a well-developed argument for or against living in a rural environment. Use specific, relevant details from at least 3 texts to support your argument. Include: graphic organizer, introduction, organized paragraphs with details that develop the essays arguments, textual citations, counter-argument(s), conclusion, rough draft with revisions, and final draft.

Task 2: Reciprocal Reading Groups

Work each week in small groups to engage in reciprocal reading with peers as you approach non-fiction texts and poetry within the context of studying rural environments. Take self-assessment using reciprocal reading rubric, and write a 1-2 paragraph reflection on how you use reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarizing, and thinking aloud to better understand texts.

Task 3: Poetry Analysis

After reading selections from My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States by Lee Bennett Hopkins, select your favorite poem. How does the structure of poetry contribute to its meaning in a different way than the structure of prose does? What does the poem reveal about life in America? Write responses to these questions in you journal and share with a partner.

Task 3: Multiple Intelligences Project

Students choose one of three project types based on multiple intelligences: linguistic, visual, kinesthetic. In each project area, students create unique work in response to the texts read during the unit on rural environments. Students can work individually or in groups, depending on the project type. All final projects are presented to the class, include citations of texts included, and are peer-assessed.

Other Task Ideas:

Writing (Argument)What has been the most memorable portrayal of rural America that you have read? What made it memorable to you? Did your familiarity with urban settings (by contrast) help or hinder the powerful effect of the piece you chose? Write a well-developed paper that includes an engaging opening statement of your position, at lease three clear reasons, and relevant evidence cited from the text. (If needed you may conduct brief research on your rural area choice and incorporate those facts into your argument.)

Notetaking on Literary Elements

As you read novels and/or short stories from this unit take notes in your journal about the story characters, plot theme, and setting. As you take notes about these categories, think about how the setting affects the story, especially in comparison with the urban settings discussed in the prior unit. Be sure to cite page numbers with relevant information or annotate your text so you can cite the text during class discussions. Be sure to look for the answers to each of the following questions: Who is/are the major character(s)? what is the problem faced by the character(s)? How does he/she resolve the problem? What is the theme of the novel? (i.e., good vs. evil, overcoming challenges, etc.) What is the effect of the setting on the characters? Are the effects of the setting stated or implied? What unique words and phrases are used to describe the settings(s)?

Informational/Literature Text Comparison

Read and compare the portrayals of Canada in Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves by Farley Mowat and in The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford. Develop a multimedia presentation that explores the visual similarities and differences.

ESL Classroom Tasks

Formative: Other written assessments

BeginningESL Students

Teache