ELA 7, UNIT ONE: “EXAMINING IDENTITY THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION”
UNIT DURATION: NINE WEEKS— AUGUST 22, 2018—OCTOBER 26, 2018.
KEY QUESTION: “HOW DO CHARACTER TRAITS IN BOTH FICTIONAL AND REAL LIFE INDIVIDUALS SHAPE IDENTITY?”
STANDARDS ADDRESSED
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.5
Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.a
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.c
Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.d
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.e
Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2.a
Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2.b
Spell correctly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3.a
Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
UNIT VOCABULARY
ACADEMIC—ANALYZE, CENTRAL IDEA/THEME, COLLABORATION, COLLABORATE, INFERENCE, INFER, SUMMARY, SUMMARIZE, TEXTUAL EVIDENCE, TEXT STRUCTURE, ANNOTATE/ANNOTATION, EXPLICIT/IMPLICIT, REVEAL.
CONTENT– NARRATIVE, NARRATOR, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, SETTING, PLOT, EXPOSITION, RISING ACTION, CLIMAX, FALLING ACTION, RESOLUTION, CONFLICT, PROTAGONIST, ANTAGONIST, MOTIVE, FORESHADOW, FLASHBACK, DIALOGUE, DIALECT, AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, HYPERBOLE, PERSONIFICATION, SIMILE, POETIC DEVICES, ALLITERATION, ONOMATOPOEIA, REPETITION, RHYME.
RESOURCES/TEXTS: UPDATED LISTS TBD DUE TO INFLUX OF NEW AND REASSIGNED STAFF. IN THE PAST, SELECTIONS FROM THIS UNIT HAVE INCLUDED, “SEVENTH GRADE” BY GARY SOTO, “RIKKI TIKKI TAVI” BY RUDYARD KIPLING, “AFTER TWENTY YEARS” AND “A REFORMED REFORMATION” BY O. HENRY, THE GRECIAN MYTHS “NARCISUS”, “PROMETHEUS”, AND “THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR”, “THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER”, AND “THE HIGHWAYMAN”.
UNIT OVERVIEW: STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION AND THE DIFFERING STRUCTURES OF FICTIONAL NARRATIVES, NONFICTION WORKS, AND POETRY. THEY WILL STUDY HOW PARTICULAR ELEMENTS OF A NARRATIVE INTERACT, AND HOW A CHARACTER’S IDENTITY IS DEVELOPED. STUDENTS WILL DETERMINE THE THEME OR CENTRAL IDEA OF A VARIETY OF TEXTS, INCLUDING NARRATIVE POETRY, AND WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN OBJECTIVE SUMMARY. STUDENTS WILL MAKE INFERENCES AND USED CITED TEXT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE TEXTS, AND BEGIN BUILDING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC RULES AND GUIDELINES OF AN ORGANIZED COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION. AS A CULMINATING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT, STUDENTS WILL EFFECTIVELY WRITE NARRATIVES AND DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WRITING PROCESS.
STUDENT LEARNING TARGETS:
I CAN ANALYZE A NARRATIVE.
I CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF LITERARY TEXT STRUCTURE.
I CAN IDENTIFY AND CREATE EXAMPLES OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.
I CAN CITE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT MY ANALYSIS OF A TEXT.
I CAN DETERMINE THE THEME OR CENTRAL IDEA OF A TEXT.
I CAN PROVIDE A SUMMARY THAT IS FREE OF MY OPINIONS.
I CAN FOLLOW THE BASIC GUIDELINES OF AN ORGANIZED DISCUSSION.
I CAN WRITE ORGANIZED NARRATIVES THAT EFFECTIVELY CONVEY MY IDEAS.
I CAN USE THE WRITING PROCESS AND THE CORRECT CONVENTIONS TO CONSTRUCT A NARRATIVE.