Speak: Self-Acceptance & Identity (Realistic Fiction)
| Title: Speak: Self-Acceptance & Identity (Realistic Fiction) | Author: Whitney Ness |
| Subject(s): English Language Arts | |
| Grade Level(s): 9 | Total Time: 6 weeks (45 min. periods) |
Overview / Description: This unit dives into the genre of realistic fiction and incorporates text exploration, grammar objectives, symbolism, a research essay, and narrative writing in the form of a multi-modal essay. The unit begins with introductory activities that familiarizes the reader with the text and its author, moves into the exploration of the text itself and supplementary activities, then moves into a related research paper and culminates in a multi-modal, narrative style essay using PowerPoint. Through the completion of this unit, students will learn about themselves through their connection to the text, and deal with "real life" issues such as identity, bullying, abuse, familial conflicts, and self acceptance.
Learning goals/objectives:
After completing this unit, students will be able to...
- understand how characters grow and change in a text
- understand and apply symbolic meaning in their own writing as well as others'
- mimic and understand the characteristics of "realistic fiction"
- compile research independently using credible sources
- cite sources using MLA in-text citation and properly format a works cited page
- plan, construct, and edit a 5-paragraph research essay
- support ideas with facts, examples, and ideas
- construct a thesis statement
- plan out, develop, and write a narrative
- develop a story with a logical sequence of events, including a rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, and resolution
- use various modes of writing (e-mails, journal entries, articles, letters, comic strips, videos, podcasts, etc.), as well as PowerPoint, to create a multi-modal story
Workplace Readiness Skill:
| X | Social Skills | X | Communication |
| Teamwork | X | Critical Thinking | |
| Attitude and Initiative | X | Planning and Organization | |
| X | Professionalism | X | Media Etiquette |
Content Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.D
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B
Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.C
Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Materials: Daily lesson plans provided in the link below:
Learning Activities: See lesson plan outline attached above for daily lesson plans. Reference materials below, under "attachments."
| Learning Activity Task | Approximate time for task | |
| Introductory activities: tea party discussion, anticipation guide, free-write | 1 day | |
| During-reading activities: relating to Melinda & her world | 2.5 weeks | |
| Essay research & completion: peer pressure, mental illness, selective mutism, assault, bullying | 1 week | |
| Speak quiz | 1 day | |
| Multi-modal essay: planning, creation, and presentation | 2.5 weeks |
- Speak: reading comprehension quiz (short answer)
- Art response assignment (symbolism- see link below in packet)
- Art Without Emotion assignment (symbolism- see link below in packet)
- Speak research essay rubric
- Multi-modal essay rubric
Wrap-Up: Present realistic fiction narratives (Multi-modal essay projects) to class
ATTACHMENTS
Speak pre-reading activities:
Speak during-reading activities:
Multimodal handouts & planning sheets: