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Building Evidence-Based Arguments Unit: Search Warrant

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This unit focuses on aspects of argumentation involving evidence, reasoning, and logic, rather than on persuasive writing and speaking. Students are first expected to understand objectively a complex issue through exploratory inquiry and close reading of information on the topic, then study multiple perspectives on the issue before they establish their own position. From their reading and research, they are asked to craft an argumentative plan that explains and supports their position, acknowledges the perspectives and positions of others, and uses evidence gleaned through close reading and analysis to support their claims.

Material Type: Lesson, Unit of Study

Author: Stephanie Rau

Unit Review with EQuIP rubrics

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In their WISELearn grant application, Bonduel School District wrote, “The teachers at Bonduel Middle/High School will create units to address our deficits in our curriculum and increase student learning for college and career readiness, including creating a new junior level English class. Our first step will be to look at our current curriculum and decide where we have gaps. Although we have worked to align our curriculum to the Common Core standards, we believe there are gaps which have led to lower test scores. We also would like to better align our curriculum in grades 7-12.” In order to meet their grant goals, teachers will be trained in the EQuIP rubric to assess the level of alignment and rigor in existing units. Then teachers will use the rubric to review and revise current units for English 9 and 10, embedding Open Educational Resources which were determined to be high quality instructional materials by EdReports to fill in gaps in the curriculum. In addition, teachers will be reviewing published high quality instructional materials from EdReports as they undergo materials adoption for grades 7, 8 and 11.

Material Type: Other

Author: Lynn Aprill

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Argument Essay Based on To Kill a Mockingbird

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After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, students will continue to study the theme of taking a stand as they finish the novel. They will develop their argument writing skills through scaffolded writing lessons, culminating in a literary analysis essay in which they argue whether or not it made sense, based on Atticus’s character, for him to have taken a stand and defend Tom Robinson.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Marcy Siolka

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Writing Using Research: The Odyssey, Careers , and Heroes

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After reading The Odyssey and discussing the hero journey, students will move into this career research unit. First, students will choose a career that they are interested in exploring and researching. They will create a project/presentation to share the information about their career with their classmates. Then, they will choose a "hero" who made great strides in their chosen career as an inventor, business person, manufacturer, personality, etc. Students will review using MLA style in-text citations and works cited, paraphrasing and summarizing, and writing research as they write a research paper about their career hero.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Marcy Siolka

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The Odyssey: Write Your Hero's Journey (Narrative Writing)

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After reading The Odyssey, students will write their own hero's journey narrative using Joseph Campbell's twelve steps of the hero's journey. Although students may choose to write a story set in Greek mythology, they can choose any setting for their story. Before writing, the students will discuss the hero journey in the Odyssey and popular books and movies. Then they will write their own hero's journey story with an original character and plot. Students will be assessed on development of their introduction, plot, and conclusion as well as character development, setting, and theme (lesson learned.) They will also be assessed on their organization (structure and transitions), style, voice, and mechanics. This unit was created for a classroom of tier two and tier three students who often struggle with organizing their thoughts for writing.

Material Type: Lesson, Unit of Study

Author: Marcy Siolka

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A Raisin in the Sun

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Students develop close reading skills as they examine Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. The play develops many thematic concepts such as the strength of family, issues with conflicting expectations, and stereotyping and prejudice. Students analyze the play through the close study of scenes and character development as well as the examination of symbolism, language choices, and structure. Students will also view a film version of the play to enhance understanding as well as analyze some poetry.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Stephanie Rau

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Hamlet

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Students further develop close reading skills as they examine Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The tragedy of Hamlet develops many central ideas, including revenge, mortality, madness, and the tension between action and inaction. Students analyze the play through the close study of Hamlet’s soliloquies and other key scenes to determine how Shakespeare’s language and choices about how to structure the play impact character development and central ideas. The showing of a filmed version of the play in select lessons supplements students’ understanding of plot and background points and encourages them to consider actors’ interpretations of the text.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Stephanie Rau

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Historical Fiction: The Book Thief

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Collaborative, self-directed learners use a variety of reading strategies to analyze, understand, and create personal enrichment, inquiry, and problem solve when engaging with Markus Zusak's historical fiction novel, The Book Thief. Students will learn about the backdrop of the novel in the Holocaust era of World War II through multi-faceted activities like documentaries, web quests, news articles, and first-hand accounts to better understand how the set of a novel affects the plot and character development. An additional layer of inquiry derives from a literary perspective: exploring character motivations and relationships, color symbolism, figurative language, point-of-view, and theme.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Stephanie Rau