HALA 9th Grade Advisory Units

If the core academic subjects are supposed to teach the traditional three R’s, reading, writing, and arithmetic, then our advisory program is focused on the other three R’ that we think are just as critical to success: Respect, Responsibility, and Reflection.

9th Grade Advisory Goals: Respect, Responsibility, and Reflection

  • Respect: To create a culture of mutual respect and tolerance
  • Responsibility: To promote personal responsibility for one’s future
  • Reflection: To foster a culture of ongoing reflection of our academic progress and an awareness of how our choices today connect to our future opportunities

Unit / Essential Questions / Culminating Project / Audience / Essential Skills / Comments
Identity: Part I
Sept – Oct
(4 weeks) / What is advisory?
Who are we? / Mix-CD Music Project / Whole School Assembly / Sitting in a circle
Accountable Talk / 1. We had talked about choosing a movie that deals with the unit theme to show during each unit. During the movie, the advisor can conference with students.
2. We agreed that teachers should set aside time for individual conferencing during each unit, though individual teachers can up with their own way for doing that.
Identity: Part II
Oct -Nov
(4 weeks) / What makes a community?
What do we have in common? / Advisory Banner Celebration / 9th Grade Assembly / Accountable Talk / 1. We agreed that the units would have core lessons (maybe that are starred), with additional lessons (without stars), plus our toolbox.
School Cultural Celebration
(before T-Giving or X-mas) / Let’s celebrate our cultural diversity! / Food – Dance-Performance-Gallery Cultural Celebration / Whole School (maybe invite families? PTA?)
Community: Part I
Dec – Jan
(6 weeks) / How can we build a strong community by respecting our differences? / Gender PSACampaign / 9th Grade Assembly / Group Work
Accountable Talk / 1. We started the year by looking at our own identities, and then by looking at what we had in common. Now let’s look at how we are different – and how we can respect our differences rather than put down each other. That is how we build community.
2. This unit combines material from bullying and gender units, and includes some content on sexual orientation.
3. We wanted more material on boys.
4. We want to include the sexual harassment workshops.
Roundtable Portfolios
Jan
(2 weeks) / How can I present my work to guests and peers with confidence and reflection? / Roundtable Portfolios / Roundtables / Self-Reflection
Presentation Skills / 1. Can we tap into the iZone to take portfolios one step further?
College/Career
Feb – Mar
(6 weeks) / What do I want to do after high school, and how can college help me get there? / College Poster Presentation / Whole School Assembly / Group Work
Presentation Skills / 1. We wanted more time for college unit, earlier in the year.
2. Can we build in a 2nd college trip?
Community: Part II
Apr – May
(6 weeks) / How can we build a strong community by being secure in who we are, but still being open minded about other people’s differences? / Advisory Interview Multi-Media Project [not created yet… but perhaps students interview another advisee and create a video/photo/music presentation. It can be modeled after Crossing the Boulevard.] / Whole School Assembly / Group Work
Accountable Talk / 1. This unit will combine materials from bullying and race units. It will less focus on race and more on cultural diversity and navigating assimilation and peer pressures.
2. We wanted more diverse materials, not just black + white.
3. I think the multi-media resource, Crossing the Boulevard, based on interviews with new immigrants in Queens can be a model.
School Field Day
(June) / Let’s bond and have fun!

The accountable talk sheets on the following pages could be used as a format for supporting advisory discussions. Perhaps we want to select one or both to make into a poster on the wall. For example, here are sentence starters we can use in our discussions…

Accountable Talk Cheat-Sheet
What to DO:
  • listen to each other attentively
  • lean towards the person talking
  • make eye contact
  • move desks so that they are facing each other
  • nod and/or take notes to show you are listening
What to SAY:
  • “I agree with you, and want to add…”
  • “I disagree with you. I think….”
  • “That’s a good point! To add to that…”
  • “This example proves that your point is right…”
  • “The author clearly says on page…”
  • “Could you clarify what you mean when you say…”
  • “Could you please restate that?”
  • “I am confused by…”
  • “It may not say this directly in the text, but we can conclude that… because…”
  • “What do you think of…”
  • “I can make a text to [self, text, world] connection. It is…”

Class Discussion Guidelines

Accountable to the Learning Community / Listen

Pay attention to the statements of others. / Summarize

Restate the ideas of a previous speaker in new language. / Build

Add to the statement of a previous speaker. / Mark

Direct attention to the importance of another’s statement.
Accountable to the Knowledge / Verify

Check your understanding of previous statements & knowledge. / Unpack

Explain how you arrived at your answer. / Support

Give examples & evidence to support your answer. / Link

Point out the relationships among previous statements & knowledge.
Accountable to Rigorous Thinking / Defend

Defend your reasoning against a different point of view. / Challenge

Ask a previous speaker to explain & provide evidence for a statement. / Combine

Incorporate knowledge from multiple resources to form your ideas. / Predict

Draw conclusions about what might happen next, or as a result of ideas.

Created by Angela Cunningham, BullittCentralHigh School, Shepherdsville, KY40165