Unit 1 for Grade 10: the Dead

Unit 1 for Grade 10: The Dead

(8/22/11 to 10/5/11 – 32 instructional Days)

Unit Focus / Students focus on the role of death in literature, contrasting the dead as plot element with death or the threat of death as complication to propel a plot forward. Students compare and contrast the ways dealing with death and dying are experienced around the world. Evidence based writing will focus on how different people and characters react to and cope with the threat of and/or the event of death.
Essential Questions / What issues arise with death?
How do people and characters deal with the dead?
Possible Unit Summative Assessment
(Integrates multiple standards and skills) / Two-Part Essay Exam:
Part 1: Read – Students independently re-read a familiar set of text excerpts from the unit. Students use before-during-after reading strategies practiced in this unit to collect and organize evidence and plan their written response to the essential questions.
Part 2: Write – Students write well-developed evidence-based essays responding to the essential questions; they demonstrate both comprehension of the texts and writing skills acquired and/or practiced in this unit. Grading criteria are known in advance. This process takes two days.
OR
Students write a narrative of a real or imagined experience or event involving death.
Focus Standards for This Unit
*Note that RL.10.1 and RI.10.1 are addressed in every unit. / Reading Standards for Literature
RL.10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.10.3: Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
RL.10.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
Reading Standards for Informational Text
RI.10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.10.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Writing Standards
W.10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Speaking and Listening Standards
SL.10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 10 topics, texts, and issues, building on other’s ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Language Standards
L.10.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Suggested Works
Each unit includes:
·  Close analysis of 3-5 short complex texts
·  In-depth study of one complex extended text (anchor text for unit)
·  Practice of oral reading fluency through partner reading, small group reading, or teacher small group reading
·  Ongoing in-depth comparisons of complex texts
·  Write to complex texts studied, including 3-5 informative, narrative and/or opinion pieces / Informational Texts
·  Essay
o  “Brutus’s Funeral Speech” (Phyllis Goldenberg) (Holt)
o  Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty Debate (Ted Gottfried)
·  Memoir
o  Death Be Not Proud (John Gunther)
Literary Texts
·  Drama
o  Brutus’s speech to the Romans, Act III, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare) (Holt)
o  Our Town (Thornton Wilder)
o  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare) (Holt) (EA)
o  The Tragedy of MacBeth (William Shakespeare) (Holt- Fifth Course) (E)
·  Novels and Stories
o  A Lesson Before Dying (Ernest J. Gaines)
o  “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (Ambrose Pierce)
o  As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner) (E, 11-12)
o  “The Book of the Dead” (Edwidge Danticat) (Holt- Fifth Course)
o  The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak) (E)
o  Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
o  “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” (Jack Finney) (Holt)
o  “The Dead” (James Joyce)
o  The Death of Ivan Ilych (Leo Tolstoy)
o  “The Feather Pillow” (Horacio Quiroga) (Holt-Fifth Course)
o  “Goin Fishing” (Chris Crutcher)
o  “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) (Holt- Fifth Course)
o  In the Time of the Butterflies (Julia Alvarez) (E)
o  “Of Clay We Are Created” (Isabel Allende)
o  “Shaving” (Leslie Norris)
o  “Snows of Kilimanjaro” (Ernest Hemingway) (EA)
o  The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien)
·  Poetry
o  “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” (Dylan Thomas)
o  “Holy Sonnet X” (John Donne) (EA)
o  “Out, Out…” (Robert Frost) (EA)
o  “To An Athlete Dying Young” (A.E. Housman)
o  “What Do You Feel Underground?” (Gabriela Mistral) (Holt- Fifth Course)
Possible Key Terminology and Academic Language
In addition to these terms:
*5-10 terms per reading should be selected for each short complex text
*5-10 words per week should be selected for extended complex text / ·  explicit
·  flashback
·  flash-forward
·  implicit / ·  inference
·  manipulation of time
·  objective / ·  parallel structure
·  plot structure
·  subjective / ·  summary
·  textual evidence
·  theme

Copyright 2011 District of Columbia Government

Parts of this document were adapted from and are used with permission of CommonCore.org.

PLANNING WORKSHEET: Use the additional space in this tool to further develop the plan for instruction.
ELA Standard / Critical Sub-skills
(Knowledge that students should understand and skills they should demonstrate) / Possible Teaching and Learning Tasks
*Tasks may be accomplished over multiple literacy block periods or repeated for emphasis over several periods.
*Some tasks address multiple standards and more than one knowledge or skill item.
*Tasks that may apply to more than one ELA standard are cited in multiple rows.
RL.10.1
RI.10.1 / ·  Distinguish strong textual evidence from weak textual evidence.
·  Distinguish thorough textual evidence from scanty textual evidence.
·  Formulate analysis statement based on textual evidence.
· 
·  / ·  Given an accurate analysis statement, students identify textual evidence that supports it. Then, students rank the evidence from weakest to strongest, and explain the strength of the most convincing evidence.
·  Given two examples of evidence-based writing, students evaluate the breadth of the evidence to identify which example has thorough evidence and which has scanty evidence. Partners compare conclusions and reasoning, then the whole class clarifies.
·  After examining a question about a text, students form an accurate statement analyzing the text according to what the text says, in relation to the question. Then, students collect textual evidence to support that statement.
·  Differentiation: Focus on forming explicit analytic statements until the process of finding textual evidence to form such statements is clear and familiar. Then introduce implicit analytic statements. Use the cue “I can put my finger on it” for explicit, and “I have to put my mind on it” for implicit.
· 
· 
RL.10.3 / ·  Identify how a character changes over the course of a text.
·  Cite and interpret specific examples of how two characters interact with each other.
·  Trace how a character’s thoughts, words and actions propel the plot forward.
·  / ·  Using focused, two-column tracking notes, students reread to collect textual evidence (including page #) to show how a character is changing over the course of the text. Examples of foci: evidence of feelings, specific words spoken, decisive actions, physical appearance…
·  After rereading a designated passage, students cite or paraphrase an interaction between two characters; students go on to explain what new information is learned from this interaction, and how this contributes to plot development.
·  Differentiation: Students sketch simple graphics to track which category of note they are taking: for example, a hand = character actions, a light bulb =character’s thinking, a heart = character’s feelings, etc.
· 
RL.10.5 / ·  Clarify sequence of events, then ascribe author’s intentions and describe reader’s reactions.
·  Clarify sequence of events and how they created surprise in the reader.
·  / ·  During initial reading, students note key events in the order in which they occur, including page number, in left-hand column. While rereading, students speculate on author’s intentions (i.e. why is it sequenced like this?) in center column. While rereading, they describe reader’s reactions to the different events, in the right-hand column. Finally, partners compare notes, discuss, and prepare statements or questions for whole class clarification.
·  Sample prompt: While reading “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” stop and jot whenever you are surprised by a turn of events: record the exact language, page #, and how or why you are surprised. During and after reading, clarify events. Finally, retrace how Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s sequencing decisions surprised readers.
·  Differentiation: Provide text cues, such as page and paragraph numbers, to direct students to key events to record and analyze.
· 
RI.10.2 / ·  Trace how a central idea develops over the course of the text.
·  Make connections among supporting ideas and a central idea.
·  Contrast an objective summary with a subjective summary.
·  / ·  Identify a central idea, and summarize at the top of the page. Then, reread selected text and/or excerpts to locate when that idea or position first became evident; record the page #, paragraph # and cite exact language. Then, restate what this language reveals about the central idea. Repeat to collect 3-5 examples, thus tracing how this central idea developed over the course of the book.
·  Small groups chart a central idea; then identify and record ideas which support the big idea. Students draw lines between the different ideas, and write explanations of how they are connected along the lines. Charts can be posted and/or presented.
·  Provide students with three examples of summaries. One is objective and two are subjective. Have partners read all three and decide which is objective. Partners prepare notes to compare, contrast, and define objective and subjective. Partners join partners to form small groups to share their decisions and reasoning. Whole class clarifies by eliciting definitions and elaborations from small groups.
o  Differentiation: Shared read the three examples of summaries and have students mark text to identify subjective and objective words.
· 
RI.10.4 / ·  Compare and contrast literal and figurative language.
·  Compare and contrast connotative and denotative language.
·  Use word substitution exercises to analyze the impact of specific words on meaning or tone.
·  / ·  Identify and select literal and figurative words and phrases from the text under study; after collecting several, identify how they are the same. Then identify how figurative language builds meaning differently from literal language.
·  Define and demonstrate connotative and denotative language. Then, identify examples of each in the text currently under study. Explain how each builds meaning, and how they build meaning differently.
Isolate specific sentences from a text under study. For each, replace key words with blanks. Provide a list of alternative words. Partners or groups fill in the blanks with new words, read aloud, and identify how meaning or tone changed. They can collect favorite examples to share with the class.
·  Differentiation: Provide more explicit instruction defining denotation and connotation with multiple examples. Then release to classify with examples from text currently under study.
· 
· 
W.10.3 / ·  Elaborate real event into imagined event.
·  Use parallel plot structure to converge two characters’ storyline.
· 
·  / ·  Students recall or research and record actual event involving death, that could be from personal life or the death of a famous person. Then they imagine or create details beyond the facts. Students plan sequence of events and descriptive details to use in narration.
·  Students plan an interaction between two characters, such as an unexpected encounter or a routine transaction. They plan their actions prior to the interaction and write brief narratives, sequencing events for each character leading up to the interaction. Then, they combine the two narratives to create a parallel plot structure leading to the interaction.
·  Differentiation: Provide model to emulate. Students “write like” the model, but change details to match their memory or imagination.
· 
· 
SL.10.1 / ·  Use turn and talk protocol proficiently and effectively, using textual evidence to support assertions.
·  Structured small group talk based on cue or question, using textual evidence.
·  Agree and expand or differ and defend using textual evidence, after paraphrasing previous speaker. / ·  The teacher establishes the turn and talk protocol for students: students turn and talk to designated partners according to a text-based cue or question, then they stop and return to text or task according to teacher’s cue; students routinely use textual evidence during talk.
·  Students are trained to paraphrase the previous speaker’s point, then either “agree and expand” with additional evidence or “differ and defend” with textual evidence. Students are taught that both agreeing and differing are natural and desirable intellectual events, and differing should not be viewed as conflict.
·  Sample prompt for small group discussion: While rereading a designated story, gather textual evidence of events or moments that create mystery, tension or surprise. Partners compare and discuss. Then pairs of partners form a small group. The group’s task is to combine thoughts and evidence into a group product which is submitted for assessment.
· 
· 
L.10.4 / ·  Self monitor to identify words that block meaning.
·  Record word location in a text accurately, so the word can be accessed readily.
·  Use classroom resources to investigate and determine meaning of new word. / ·  During a first read, students are trained to record/mark words that block their understanding. Prior to any further clarification, the teacher “calls for words” and uses a variety of strategies to elicit understanding of the meaning of the words.