English Language Arts Grade 9 Inter-Relationships and Self-Reliance Unit 9.3 Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Novel To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 1-31-09 DRAFT
DispositionsBig Ideas/Themes
Essential Questions / Literary Genre Focus/Anchor Texts / Linking Texts / Literature /Culture Characteristics / Reading, Listening/Viewing
Strategies and Activities / Writing, Speaking, Expressing
Strategies and Activities / On-Going Literacy Development
Narrative Text / Informational Text
Unit
Plan / Grade 9 Disposition
Inter-Relationships and
Self-Reliance
Big Ideas
- integrity
- truth
- courage
- relationships
- responsibility
- equality
- coming of age
- We can find truth through
- Education is key to
- Real courage is not always readily seen.
- What is equality? How can we work to achieve it?
- What is the difference between moral and physical courage?
- Why is it so difficult for people to stand up and do what is right?
- Do I have the courage to do what is right?
- Is it possible for one person to make a difference?
- What stereotypes and prejudices exist in our world?
- What influences gender roles in our society?
- Who am I and how do I find my place in the world?
- How do I relate to my family, my community?
- How am I a reflection of my relationships?
- How do my relationships within and across groups affect others?
- What influence do class,religion, language, and culture have on my decisions?
- What can I contribute as an individual?
- What is my responsibility to society?
- How do I see my beliefs reflected in government policies and by politicians?
I“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”
Mark Twain
II “The secret of Happiness is Freedom, And the secret of Freedom, Courage.”
Thucydides(460 BC-395 BC)
III "Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz", meaning "Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace". - Benito Juarez (1806-1872)
IV “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.”
Muhammad Ali
V “Treat all men alike… give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.”
Chief Joseph
VI “The truth is found when men are free to pursue it.”
FranklinDelanoRoosevelt
VII “To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.”
Confucius(551 BC-479 BC)
VIII “It's never too late to give up your prejudices.”
Henry David Thoreau
IX “Prejudice is an opinion without judgment.”
Francois Voltaire (1694-1778)
X “Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among stones.”
Charlotte Bronte
(1816-1855)
XI “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where
they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
XII “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end, there it is.”
Sir Winston Churchill
XIII “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson –
XIV “The story of an old order, and the glimmers of humanity that would one day overtake it, was unforgettably told in a book by Miss Harper Lee….To Kill a Mockingbird has influenced the character of our country for the better. It’s been a gift to the entire world.”
President George W. Bush
To Kill a Mockingbird
A. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view–until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
(Atticus) 30
B“Shoot all the blue jays youwant, if you can hit ‘em, butremember it’s a sin to kill amockingbird.” (Atticus) 90
CReal courage “is when you
know you’re licked before youbegin but you begin anywayand you see it through nomatter what.” (Atticus) 112
D “Most people are [nice],
Scout, when you finally see them.” (Atticus) 281
E “There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.”
Atticus-Screen Play
F "It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived."(Scout,, speaking of Atticus, Chapter 11) / Narrative Text
Realistic Contemporary Fiction,Novel
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Informational Text
Opinion/Editorial
“Jocks and Prejudice,” Nicholas D. Kristof, N.Y. Times, 6-11-06,
“At Duke, a Scandal In Search of Meaning,” Anne Applebaum, The Washington Post, 4-26-06
“Tough Questions in Durham,” Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post, 4-25-06
“Keeping the Duke Scandal in Context,” letters to the editor, 5-2-06
“Duke Men’s Lacrosse Team Is Reinstated, and Warned,” Viv Bernstein and Juliet Macur, The New York Times, 6-6-06,
“Duke Prosecutor Nifong Preps for His Own Trial”
“Harper Lee, Gregarious for a Day”, Ginia Bellafante, The New York Times,1-30-06
“Bush honours Mockingbird legend” Michelle Pauli, Guardian Unlimited, 10-30-07
“Harper Lee receives US honour” ABC News, 11-6-2007
“Medal of Freedom goes to state author Harper Lee”
Mary Orndorff, 11-06,07
“Mockingbird’ still resonates with students”
Standing test of time
Knox News October 30, 2007
Editorial Tribute
Alabama’s leading lady deserves the spotlight,al.com, 11-04-07
Speeches
Excerpt
President Bush Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients 11-5-07
Historical Document
“Declaration of Independence”
/ Media
Film
To Kill a Mockingbird
Gregory Peck, 1962, Universal
(2:10)
Documentary
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy
PBS Documentary
/
Narrative Texts
Novels
Excerpts from
Mockingbird, Charles Shields(NF)
A Portrait of Harper Lee
Mississippi Trial, 1955,Chris Crow (F; 228 pages)
Getting Away with Murder, Chris
Crowe (NF; 127 pages)
Poetry
“Merry-Go-Round” (Media)
Langston Hughes
Favorite Poem Project Video
“I Too” (Media)
Voice of Langston Hughes
1955, by Folkways
“Freedom’s Plow”
Langston Hughes
“Democracy “
Langston Hughes
“The Town of Scottsboro”
Langston Hughes
“The Hangman”
Holocaust Poem
Maurice Ogden
Song Lyrics
“The Death of Emmett Till,”
Bob Dylan
Speeches/ Essays
“I Have a Dream”
Martin Luther King
Civil Rights Era Resources
- Civil Rights Era
“Jim Crow” Laws
Teacher Discretion
- “What has Brown done for you?”
Feature News Article,2007
Teacher Instructional Resources
Listening Skills
Jigsaw Instructional Strategy Sites
To Kill A Mockingbird
Novel Anticipation Guide
“Create and Use Study Guides”
Reading Reminders
Jim Burke, Ch. 24
Study Guide Resource
Deeper Reading
Comprehending Challenging Text,4-12
Kelly Gallagher
Too Kill A Mockingbird
Pages. 19-20,49,83,87-91,117-18,159,160-62,165
What Does it Not Say?
Critical Reading Lesson
Deeper Reading, Chapter 5
Kelly Gallagher
Narrative Profundity Scale
Student’s Survival Guide (Teacher Created)
Vocabulary , Allusions, Idioms Support
Mockingbirds
Film Study Guide for To Kill a Mockingbird - Seeing the Film Through the Lens of Media Literacy”
To Kill a Mockingbird: Then and Now
A 35th Anniversary Celebration
Teacher Study Guide
Think Quest
Novel
Teaching Prejudice 1930’s Style
“Gangs of America”
Student Exemplar
Editorial 2007
ACT Persuasive Rubric
Expository Writing Rubric
Writing News Articles
Heather Lattimer
Writing Editorials, Heather Lattimer
Parts of an Editorial
Paraphrase-Write it in Your Own Words
50 Essential Lessons, Jim Burke
Lesson 22, “Summarize”
Summary Notes
How to Read a Primary Document
Jim Burke
Background Information
“Declaration of Independence”
Poetic Form: Found Poem
Found &Headline Poems
Blending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers
Tom Romano
/ Genre Study
Characteristics of
- Novel
- Film media
- Poetry/Lyricsas a political response
- Harper Lee
- plot, setting, conflict(internal/external), themecharacter development
- mood, tone, style
- author’s purpose
- narration/point of view
- design and time management
- figurative language, imagery,symbolism
- allusions
- foreshadowing
Literary Aspects
- narrative genre characteristics/ elements
- acting – interpretation of role
- camera work –
lighting
- set design – location of each scene, tone and atmosphere
- editing – separate shots combined into continuous sequence
- script – adaptation of novel
- sound – music, sound effects, voice-over, and dialogue
“Looking Closely at the Film”
Historical/Cultural Perspectives
- roles of women
- racial/gender equality
- stereotyping
- culture of the deep Southin the 1930s
- urban legends (Boo Radley)
- racism through dialogue
- understanding human nature
- time period
- geographical
- connections to self —ownperspective on issues ofinequality, racism,prejudgment
Characteristics of
- Expository essay
- Feature news article
- Editorial
- Persuasive essay
- Primary source documents
- Documentary
- purpose: to explain, inform, analyze a subject
- thesis supported using factual details and examples (comparisons, quotations, expert opinions, facts, laws, and statistics)
- various organizational patterns
- expository text features (images, graphics, hotlinks, diagrams)
- may incorporate persuasive techniques
- argumentation/persuasion
- cause/effect
- theory/evidence
- chronological order
- compare/contrast
- Provides a factual informational account of an issue or event
- date, byline, attribution
- focus on big idea or larger understanding
- objective: to show all sides of an issue
- thesis, supporting ideas, and evidence
- structure (headline, lead, body, and conclusion)
- inverted pyramid organizational pattern
- multiple varied examples
- identified and reliable sources
- answers “reporter” questions (who, what…)
- text features (section headings, graphic content,bullets, symbols)
- statement/essay represents view of paper
- purpose
-force public officials to reconsider decisions
-bring current issues to the readers’ attention
-suggest alternatives
-evoke emotional response
- form and features
-takes a stand
-employspersuasive techniques
-uses signal words and phrases
-anticipates counter arguments
-structure (introduction, background information, position, usually three arguments, a counter argument, and a conclusion)
Persuasive Essay
- Takes a position on controversial issue
- Shows clear understanding of the issue
- Thesis based on fact, value, or policy
- Consistently supports stand with specific, logical reasons and relevant information
- Support includes facts, examples, expert opinion, statistical evidence
- Responds to alternative arguments
- Evaluates implications and complications
- Uses
- effective lead and closing argument
- varied, precise language
Documentary Features
- Analyzers real-world events in depth
- Focuses strictly on facts of events as know
- Avoidscommentary
- Avoids creator’s own point of view or beliefs
- Uses literary, narrative, and media techniques
- racial/gender equality
- stereotyping
- culture of the deep Southin the 1930s
- facts and opinions
- logic
- authenticity
- editorial perspective
- writer’s tone, bias
- media’s influence on public opinion
Comprehension Strategies
- Identify purpose
- Preview text
- Understand then analyze and reflect
- Identify thesis, evidence, structure, style, organization
- Summarize
- Ask questions, visualize, make connections, predict, determine importance, infer, synthesize, monitor comprehension
- Skim for pertinent information
- Use graphic organizers before, during and after reading as a visual means of explaining and organizing information and ideas
- Use marginalia to describe the craft the author used.
- Use thinking notes and think aloud strategies.
- Annotate text.
- Take and organize notes (Cornell Notes and Double Entry Journals).
- Determine relevance/importance.
- Consider potential for bias.
- Consider perspectives not represented to avoid controversy.
- Look for evidence to support assumptions and beliefs.
- Evaluate depth of information.
- Evaluate validity of facts.
- Recognize influence of political/social climate when text was written.
- What does the text say?
- How does it say it?
- What does it mean?
- Why does it matter? (wisdom/allusion/ connections/relevance)
- Learn to read like a writer.
- Recognize the narrative structure and characteristics of anchor genre through reading mentor text.
- Construct a clear definition of each genre answering these questions:
- Why would an author choose this genre?
- What makes it unique from other genre?
- What writing styles are appropriate?
- What is its structure?
Graphic Organizers
- Venn diagram
- KWL(R)
- chart/matrix
- Join a book club to read one of the following two texts using a study guide.
-Getting Away with Murder (including dedication)
Possible Study Guide Questions:
-How did this one event have an effect on American Society?
-How does age and context blind one from the truth?
-Selected focus questions
Culminating Activity
Theme Triangles
In book club, identify the central theme and write it in a complete sentence. Then
- Analyze how the author developed the theme.
- View a movie (other than a film of the novel) with the same theme; focus on the theme.
- Find one additionalcurrent example of the theme in another genre; (poems, songs, speeches, news articles.)
- Prepare a ten minute group presentation to present the importance of the theme to the novel and how it relates to the film and genre piece.
Kelly Gallagher
Instructional Activities
Expository Text
Direct Instruction
- Read and interpret the following quotation by using the four critical reading questions.
Heather Lattimer.
- Critically read the Duke Men’s Lacrosse Team texts to define the characteristics of opinion writing.Write a summary of the story that unfolds through the articles. Discuss the following questions:
-Were there perspectives not represented to avoid controversy.
-How can individuals become more critical of their news information?
-How does media shape one's opinion on any given issue or individual?
- Explore thestory behind the “Declaration of Independence”to answer these questions:
- For what purpose and audience was it written,and by whom?
- What was its value when it was created and what is its value today?
- Read the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence; identify the three natural rights that Jefferson identified. Discuss what each of the three rights specifically refers to in our lives today. Generate a group response that provides examples from your own experiences. Post on Data Wall.
- Complete a KWL(R) about the civil rights era. Acquire background information on thistime in our history by reading and discussing Crowe’s timeline, photo essay,and Jim Crow laws. Annotate text and take effective notes for subsequent discussions or writing assignments.
- Read the poem “The Town of Scottsboro” by Langston Hughes. Discuss what words or phrases help reveal the author’s tone. After reviewing the features of a documentary view the PBS documentary Scottsboro: An American Tragedy. In small groups, pose questions to clarify understanding including,“What is the most valuable idea that can be taken from this documentary?” Support your answer with examples from today and why it is still important.
- In literature circles, use the “How to Read a Poem” activity to listen to or read theunit linking poems and the lyrics of “The Death of Emmett Till”.
-Write a response using the following quote by Percy Shelley, "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”
-Address the question,“Can one person make a difference?” in a short journal entry.
- In groups create, a found poem or headline poem selecting from text, poems, or quotations that you have read in the unit. Display
Author Study
- In literature circles, jigsaw with classmates to read Harper Lee’s biography. Become an expert on one chapter or teacher selected portion of the book.
- Harper Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush on November 5, 2007. In literature circles, read the quotation by President Bush (XIV), excerpt from speech, and articles to gain insight into Lee as a person and the impact she has had as one individual on the character of our nation today.Take notes in preparation for writing an essay later in the unit.
Before Reading To Kill A Mockingbird
- Set a purpose for reading by reviewing the anticipation guide that you completed earlier in the unit.
- Read to answer these questions:
- What value does the book hold for the modern teenager?
- What does book mean in terms of how I think about my myself, my family, my peers, my community, my country and humanity.
Deeper Reading,p.20,157
Kelly Gallagher
During Reading
- As you read the novel, keep a record of examples of the specific literary element or device your literature circle was assigned. Cite page and paragraph. Deeper Reading, p.50
- Read and analyzethe novel using critical reading strategies. Use ateacher created study guide for each chapter to aid comprehension.See journal entries for suggested activities.
- Effective readers ask questions to clarify their thinking. The first chapter of any book can be confusing. Generate twenty questions you have after reading Chapter 1. Deeper Reading, p.58
- After reading the first three chapters, in literature circles analyze and discuss: