Grade 9 Unit 2 Module 3
Why do communities evolve?
Key Reading Standards
Use Integration of Knowledge and Ideas to:
Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (for example: Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts" and Breughel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus). CCSS: RL.9-10.7)
Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (for example: how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). (CCSS: RL.9-10.9).
Analyze the influence of literary and/or historical context on a text and evaluate the contribution to society made by works of literature that deal with similar topics and themes.
Use Range of Reading and Complexity of Text to:
By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. (CCSS: RL.9-10.10)
Key Writing Standards
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: SL.9-10.4)
Make strategic use of digital media (for example: textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (CCSS: SL.9-10.5)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (CCSS: SL.9-10.6)
Use feedback to evaluate and revise the presentation.
Unit Texts & Tasks
Routine Writing
On Demand Task
Extended Texts
at least 1
Animal Farm by George Orwell (DMS & Overdrive)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (Overdrive)
The Crucible by Arthur Miller (DMS & Overdrive)
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (Overdrive)
Feed by M.T. Anderson (DMS & Overdrive)
In Darkness by Nick Lake (DMS & Overdrive)
Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (DMS)
Our Town by Thorton Wilder (DMS & Overdrive)
Short Literary Texts
at least 2-3
“America” by Claude McKay (CommonLit) (Pair w/“The Journalist”)
“Excerpt from Five Weeks in a Balloon” by Jules Verne (CommonLit)
“I Am the People, the Mob” by Carl Sandberg (CommonLit)
“The Journalist” by J. Patrick Louis (CommonLit) (Pair w/"America")
“A Prayer for the Living” by Ben Okri (CommonLit) *Must log in to CommonLit to view text.
Short Informational Texts
at least 1-2
“Abolishing Slavery: The Efforts of Frederick Douglass & Abraham Lincoln” by Mike Kubic (CommonLit)
“Conformity” by CommonLit Staff (CommonLit) *Must log in to CommonLit to view text.
“How do schools of fish swim in harmony?” by Nathan Jacobs (TEDEd)
“JFK’s ‘Race to Space' Speech” by President John F. Kennedy (CommonLit)
“Rebel with a Cause: Rebellion in Adolescence” by Dr. Carl Pickhardt (CommonLit)
“The Road to American Independence” by Jessica McBirney (CommonLit)
“The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell (CommonLit)
Analytical Writing Tasks
at least 4-6
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT - Analysis: Why do communities evolve? Drawing on your experiences from class, your research, and your reading, you’ll make a claim about how storytelling or language has changed over the years. (doc) (Writable)
Analysis: Poetry Comparison. After reading “I Am the People, the Mob,” “America,” “The Journalist,” and “A Prayer for the Living,” select two poems to explore and compare in regards to how they address why communities evolve. (doc) (Writable)
Argument: Analyzing Catalysts for Change in Fiction. After reading a work of fiction (short story or novel), students will write an analytical essay tracking and investigating how a character, community, or even narrator evolved throughout the story. (doc) (Writable)
Analysis: What does this mean? Choose an excerpt from one of the texts you’ve read during this unit. Write a short analysis of how the author creates meaning through his choice of words and details. Then suggest ways that the passage might become more “teen friendly” and accessible for a contemporary audience. (doc) (Writable)
Narrative Writing Tasks
at least 1-2
Narrative: Digital Story. After reflecting on the question, “Why do communities evolve?” and reading informational texts, students will create a digital story detailing a change in their community. (doc) (Writable)
Narrative: Historical Fiction Short Story. Select a prominent figure from the last 100 years of American history. Conduct some informal research to build the character of your selected historical figure, specifically his/her perspectives of important topics of the time period, cultural or community values, and personality traits (if available). Write a historical fiction narrative about how this character reacts to living in 2021. (doc) (Writable)
Research Task
at least 1
Research/Speech: Etymological Analysis. First, select ONE text we’ve read in this unit. Next, select ONE specific passage from the text that was especially interesting or engaging. Then, select 5 words that are significant to understanding this passage. From your list of 5, narrow your selection to ONE word on which to conduct your research. (doc) (Writable)
Planning
Each unit’s 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.
Reflection & Feedback
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