8th Unit 1 Module 1
Key Themes & Topics:
Culture, Customs, and Traditions
Persecution and Perseverance
Essential Questions
How is culture built?
(What IS culture, anyway?)
Key Reading Standards
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (CCSS RL.8.1; CAS 8.2.1.a.i)
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.(CCSS RL.8.2; CAS 8.2.1.a.ii)
b. Use Craft and Structure to:
Compare and contrast the structure of tow or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. (CCSS RL.8.5; CAS 8.2.b.ii)
Key Writing Standards:
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (CCSS W.8.2; CAS 8.3.2.a)
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (for example: headings), graphics (for example: charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. (CCSS W.8.2a)
Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. (CCSS W.8.2b)
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. (CCSS W.8.2c)
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. (CCSS W.8.2d)
Establish and maintain a formal style. (CCSS W.8.2e)
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. (CCSS W.8.2f)
Summative Assessment Task
Phase I ends with an outline of the unit’s summative assessment outlining how students will show their progress of mastery of key standards and showcase their answers to the unit’s essential questions. This provides a goal toward which all weekly and daily learning activities can be designed. Summative assessments are vertically aligned to increase collaboration within and between departments.
Texts & Tasks for Unit
Choose the selection of texts and writing tasks below that will work for the unit. If you would like to provide feedback on this list or recommend a different task or text, please click here.
Extended Texts
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (DMS)
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Susanne Fisher Staples
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata (Overdrive & DMS)
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery (DMS)
Short Literary Texts
CommonLit (Log in to view texts)
"After Twenty Years" by O. Henry (use with On Demand task)
"The Aged Mother" by Matsuo Bashō (use with Bravery task)
"In Times of Peace" by John Agard (use with Compare/Contrast)
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale (use with Compare/Contrast)
“The Million Pound Bank Note” by Mark Twain
“No Man is an Island” by John Donne (use with Poetry Analysis)
“This is Not a Small Voice” by Sonia Sanchez
Short Informational Texts
CommonLit (Log in to view texts)
Influential Speeches Collection (filtered for G8)
“Cultural Common Ground Gets Harder to Come By” by Elizabeth Blair
“Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls” by Susan Stamberg (Original NPR story with audio)
“Going to School as a Refugee” by Caroline Garrison
“More Facebook Friends, Fewer Real Ones, Says Cornell Study” by ABC News
“Teens Using Social Media for Good Deeds” by Smart Social
“Culture: A View of the Self” (Teaching Tolerance)
Analytical Writing Tasks
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT - Literary Analysis: An essay that explores the theme of a literary text as it relates to the essential question. (Doc) (Writable)
On Demand - Literary Analysis: An essay that explores the theme of a given text. Designed to be a formative check of students' understanding prior to completing the summative assessment. (Doc) (Writable)
Answer the Question in One Paragraph: A repeated writing opportunity to reflect on the essential question of the module. (Doc) (Writable)
Bravery: An argument that explores the actions of characters in a text. (Doc) (Writable)
Compare & Contrast Text Structure: A response that analyzes text structure. (Doc) (Writable)
Poetry Analysis using "No Man is an Island": An analysis that examines the theme of a poem. (Doc) (Writable)
Power of Words: An essay that analyzes the impact of words on culture. Students draw from the influential speeches collection in CommonLit. (Doc) (Writable)
Narrative Writing Tasks
Narrative - Character Diary: A narrative written from the perspective of a character in a text. (Doc) (Writable)
Narrative - Two Voice Poem: Original poetry that writes about a shared topic from two different points of view. (Doc) (Writable)
Personal Narrative - Elements of My Culture: A personal narrative reflecting upon an element of culture. (Doc) (Writable)
Research Task
Research Blitz - Cultural Influences: A research task in which students explore the influence of cultural elements. Designed as either a stand alone task or used with a larger research task of the module. (Doc) (Writable)
Artifact Collection to Define Culture: A research task that curates artifacts to showcase a specific culture. (Doc) (Writable)
Traditions: A research task that explores the importance of traditions or celebrations of a culture. (Doc) (Writable)
Phase III: Planning
Each unit’s Phase III tasks will be a general week-by-week outline of the flow of learning tasks for students. Realizing the cultures and schedules at each site will vary and place unique demands on class time, these outlines are to be seen as generally flexible. Also in recognition of school and classroom cultures, expectations, and practices, unit plans will offer templates for tasks, but will not list daily lessons. This is to allow enough certainty of district alignment while allowing for features such as co-teaching, integrated ELA and social studies, and other unique programmatic designs.
To better assist staff in planning for the first module of the year, this example module design presents on way to meet the expectations of the curriculum.
Unit 1 Module 1 Reflection & Feedback
Please leave your feedback, reflections and assignment requests below.
The curriculum design team will meet quarterly to review and respond to your feedback. Please direct immediate questions or concerns to seiler_jenny@svvsd.org.