Last updated: 3/23/2014
ELA Grade 9 Module 4
Subject
English Language Arts
Grade
9
Module
4
Suggested Timeline
6-8 weeks
Grade Level Summary
In ninth grade, students focus on analysis of reading and analytical writing grounded in evidence from text. Focusing on deciphering perceptions of truth and reality, they determine and evaluate an author’s ideas, argument, specific claims, and counterclaims. Students examine reasoning, both others' and their own, for validity and relevant evidence. They also identify fallacious reasoning and false statements.
Ninth graders analyze an author’s use of rhetoric to advance a point of view or purpose. Students analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or arguments, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, as well as the connections made between them. Students acquire and use with independence academic and domain specific words at the college and career readiness level.
Grade Level Modules
Module 1: Perceptions of Reality Impact Responsibilities and Actions Module 2: Outside Influences Impact Relationships and Decisions Module 3: Current Scientific Research Impacts Long Held Societal Beliefs Module 4: Stereotypes Impact the Understanding of Others
Module 5: Perceptions of Beauty Influence the Understanding of Self
Module Title
Module 4: Stereotypes Impact the Understanding of Others
Module Overview
In this module, reading, writing, speaking and listening center around the big idea of how stereotypes impact our understanding of others. Students read from, and write to, informational texts as well as classic and contemporary literature. They engage in class discussions involving informational text and literature to decipher perceptions of truth and reality. Students address how stereotypes, misconceptions, and prejudices impact the way one interacts with and understands others.
Key outcomes include identifying point of view and how it impacts the reader’s understanding of the plot; analyzing how an author draws on and transforms themes, topics, character types, and/or other text elements from source material in a specific work; evaluating the author’s use of imagery, figurative language and other literary devices; and constructing an argument with developed claim(s), supplying evidence while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a
manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.Module Objectives
At the end of this module, students will be able to independently use their learning to: Identify the point of view and how it impacts the reader’s understanding of the plot
Analyze how an author draws on and transforms themes, topics, character types, and/or other text elements from source material in a specific work Evaluate the author’s use of imagery, figurative language, and other literary devices
Construct an argument with developed claim(s), supplying evidence while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns
Focus Standards Addressed in this Module
Important Standards Addressed in this Module
Misconceptions
In writing, students will have difficulty distinguishing the claim(s) from counterclaims as well as developing claims while pointing out both strengths and limitations. They will also have to present the evidence in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. / Proper Conceptions
They will have to develop claims fairly and will need to develop these skills through examination of exemplar writing samples and ample guided paractice.
Concepts
Text Analysis Point of View Text Structure Focus for Writing
Content for Writing Organization for Writing / Competencies
Determine an author’s point of view and analyze how rhetoric advances the point of view.
Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it and manipulate time create an effect.
Analyze how an author draws on and transforms themes, topics, character types, and/or other text elements from source material in a specific work
Informational: Write with a sharp distinct focus identifying topic, task, and audience. Argumentative: Write with a sharp distinct focus identifying topic, task, and audience. Narrative: Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters.
Informational: Develop and analyze the topic with relevant, well-chosen, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Argumentative: Distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims; develop claim(s) fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns. Narrative: Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, reflection, multiple plot lines, and pacing, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, settings, and/or characters.
Informational: Organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension; provide a concluding statement or section. Argumentative: Create organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence; Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims; provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Narrative: Create a smooth progression of experiences or events using a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole; provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. / Vocabulary
Strong and thorough Complex characters Point of view of text Author's choice Analyze
Artistic medium
Source material Task
Audience Fairly Claims
Counterclaims
Assessments
The assessments below include summative assessment examples (Formative assessment examples are located in the "Suggested Strategies to Support Design of Coherent Instruction"). The assessments below address author's purpose, central idea of text, drawing evidence from text, and writing an argumentative/analytic piece.
Multiple Choice Assessment
The assessment below includes a short passage. After students have read the text, have them respond to multiple choice questions that focus on author's purpose, central idea of text, and drawing evidence from text.
Text selected from To Kill a Mockingbird
Text for the following Multiple Choice Assessment: Excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird.pdf
Multiple Choice Assessment: ELA Grade 9 Module 4 Assessment.docx LDC Writing Task
The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) writing task offers an opportunity for students to write an editorial based upon Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
LDC Task 2: Should To Kill A Mockingbird be a banned book? After reading To Kill A Mockingbird, write an editorial that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. (Argumentation/Analysis) - CC.1.4.9-10.I
Argumentative Scoring Rubric
Conventions Scoring Rubric
Current Lexile Band 9-10: 960L–1115L CCSS Lexile Stretch Band: 1050L–1335L. Lexiles may be found at http://www.lexile.com and you may refer to the Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards. (Lexile for the excerpt: To Kill a Mockingbird 1010L)
Suggested Strategies to Support Design of Coherent Instruction
Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching: Domain 3 Instruction
Reading Literature
This module was designed to focus on one extended text of literature as well as three to five supportive texts. The texts should be selected to center around the thematic module essential question: How do stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices impact the way one interactw with and understands others? Many texts may be selected for this topic and the texts you have may also suffice. Suggestions for text selections include: Thank you, Ma’am by Langston Hughes, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (exemplar), All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Black Boy by Richard Wright, The Help by Katherine Stockett, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
Reading Informational Text
This module was designed for teachers to select one or two informational texts to support the theme of stereotypes impact the understanding of others. Teachers may select texts similar to, The Scottsboro Boys Trials (1931-1937) University of Missouri-Kansas School of Law (Note: This website contains primary and secondary source accounts of the Scottsboro Boys trial) and the “Jim Crow laws” http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm). Have students respond to the following question(s): Based on what you understand about the Jim Crow laws, why was it easy for society to accuse the Scottsboro Boys? What can we learn from this?
Reading Poetry
Teachers may wish to select poetry for this module similar to the poem Strange Fruit by Abel Meeropol or listen to the song version by Billie Holiday. Have students analyze the lyrics to determine how they pertain to To Kill a Mockingbird and the society on which it focuses. Be a critical consumer of text and other media to recognize, understand, and appreciate multiple perspectives and cultures.
Text Selection
These are suggested texts which may be interchanged with texts in this module. Your current texts may also suffice.
Americal Library Association Banned Book List: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm? Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=136590
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee -http://lordmacktitan.weebly.com/uploads/9/0/9/7/9097399/to_kill_a_mocking.pdf
Sparknotes Guide - http://www.sparknotes.com/free-pdfs/livescribe/download/mocking.pdf
To Kill a Mockingbird Unit plan: http://education.library.ubc.ca/files/2011/06/10Chris-Murphy-Brad-Dingler-Lisa-Yu-Unit-Plan-TKAM.pdf
Stop Bias: http://www.stopbias.org/
PHRC (Pennsylvania Civil Rights Agency) Anti-discrimination laws:http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/phrc_home/18970
Equality in Pennsylvania: http://www.equalitypa.org/
Criteria for filling out a civil rights complaint form:http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/complaints.aspx?id=465
Writing
This module was designed to focus on Opinion / Argumentative Writing. Teachers should select four to six analyses which will focus on Argument as well as one or two narratives to convey expereinces, events or procedures. Routine writing will also be essential to enable students the opportunity to develop and convey understanding. In this module teachers should also focus on an Argumentative Research Project explained below in more detail.
Argumentative Research Project
Research the civil rights movement and the judicial mood of the time in which the book was written. Students will research a character from the book and explain how the civil rights movement and the judicial mood of the time influence the judicial process. Produce writing to address task, purpose, perspective, and intended audience; reseearch and gather evidence to create a clear and coherent message. Effective research requires the use of varied resources to gain or expand knowledge. Audience and purpose influence a writer's choice of organizational pattern, language and literary techniques. Rules of grammar and language conventions support clarity of communication between writers / speakers and readers / listeners.
Argument (40%), Informational (40%), and Narrative Writing (20%)
Reflecting on their experiences reading novels and informational text in this unit, as well as literature read all year, have students write an argumentative, narrative, or informational piece in order to answer the essential question: How do stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices impact the way one interacts with and understands others? Students should edit their writing for style, grammar, and conventions studied over the course of the year with an understanding of their intended audience and purpose.
Speaking and Listening
After reading text, arrange for students to engage in Socratic seminar debating “What is honor?” and then leading into the book with “Is Boo Radley a honorable?” or “What makes a narrator reliable” and leading into the book with “Is Scout a reliable narrator? Why or Why not?”. These may also be used as essay topics following the Socratic seminar. “What is a hero?” leading into the book with “Is Atticus Finch a hero, or was he just doing his job. Listen actively to engage in a range of conversations, to analyze and synthesize idea and positions, and to evaluate accuracy in order to learn, reflect and respond.
Art, Music and Media
Critical thinkers actively and skillfully interpret, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information. Teachers may wish to utilize works which will focus on stereotypes impact the understanding of others. Suggested works may include: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) by Robert Mulligan, director. Art photographs by Dorothea Lange, selected photos for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression. “America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945” in the Library of Congress.
Language Mechanics
Language usage and mechanics will be progressively incorporated throughout the module. Remember—once skills are taught in a mini-lesson, students are expected to edit their work, paying attention to these elements before publication.
Differentiation
Teachers in differentiated classrooms begin with a clear and solid sense of what constitutes powerful curriculum and engaging instruction. Then they ask what it will take to modify that instruction so that each learner comes away with understandings and skills that offer guidance to the next phase of learning. (The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners by Carol Ann Tomlinson. 1999)
The following list represents various methods for differentiation that could be employed by teachers. They are organized by content, process and product. Content
Full text:
Excerpts of speeches:
Audio File/Books:
Graphic organizers/Study Guides
L1 task may be chunked by limiting the process to one component.
Process
Flexible Grouping
Practical Examples
Video
Graphic Organizers
Tiered Assignments
Real World Application
Web quests
Curriculum compacting
Reading and writing conferences with the teacher
Reciprocal teaching opportunities within groups and the class as a whole
Re-teaching and / or pre-teaching
Leveled, guided reading
Modeling
Chunking the reading material or reading process