Embedded Files
This page has lesson plans for Unit 1 class sessions.
August 12 - October 7
(approx 22 sessions)
Unit 1 Overview
Unit 1 Overview
Unit 1 introduces the idea of a rhetorical situation of a text–exigence, author, purpose, audience, context and message. We will study, discuss and write texts that explore what it means to be “American”: what it means to identify as “American” or to qualify something or someone as “American.” We will also develop an authentic writing practice, and we will draft critical and creative writing that explores what the word “American” means to us individually and collectively. We will practice incorporating claims, evidence and reasoning in our critical writing, and practice describing and discussing the rhetorical situation for a creative piece that we will draft.
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to be “American”?
How do we address context and complexity in our literature and discourse?
Texts
America's Founding Documents - from the National Archives: "These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States."
Other Proposed Policy Documents:
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights" from the United Nations General Assembly (1948)
"Economic Bill of Rights" by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Essays & Articles:
"What is an American?" by Akbar Ahmed
"One American Identity, Two Distinct Meanings" by Ryan Dawkins, U.S. Air Force Academy
"American Identity" from the National Museum of American History
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Excerpts:
"Values" in The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
"Illegal Immigrant Problems" in Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
Poetry & Songs:
National Anthem - "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key
"A New National Anthem" by Ada Limon
"America" by Herman Melville
"America" by Claude McKay
"Song of Myself" (1892 version) by Walt Whitman
"Ethnogenesis" by Henry Timrod
“next to of course god america i” by e.e. cummings
"Six Definitions of American" by Eileen Huang
"[American Journal]" by Robert Hayden
“Football Season” by Jericho Brown
“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry Ohio” by James Wright
“Football” by Louis Jenkins
“football dreams” by Jacqueline Woodson
Selected artwork, audio, video:
"Say Can You See" (2021) by Nari Ward - America, consumerism & security (Menil Exhibit Info)
"Say Can You See" with close-up image
"Nari Ward: ‘Say Can You See’ Addressing Social and Political Issues" in Art Now LA
"Newsletter: How artist Nari Ward uses castoffs to create charged worlds at Deitch gallery" in Los Angeles Times
"Sinking George" (1962) by Phillip Hefferton - dollar bill with errors
"Our Strange Flower of Democracy" | Menil image (2005) by Mel Chin - evokes questions; why these shapes? why these materials?
"Critique the World, Critique Yourself" article with commentary from The Art Studio Inc.
"Big Campbell's Soup Can, 19 cents" (1962) by Andy Warhol
"Campbell's Soup Cans" (1962) by Andy Warhol
"Andy Warhol’s Soup Can Paintings: What They Mean and Why They Became a Sensation" on History.com
"Freedom Fighters for the Society of Forgotten Knowledge, Northern Domestic Scene" (2005) by Kara Walker
"Untitled" (1983, printed 1984) from the series Graceland by William Eggleston
"Master Jazz" from the series Combines by Robert Longo
"Artist Talk: Robert Longo" from The Menil Collection (1 hour video)
Topics:
Rhetorical situation: exigence, purpose, author, audience, context, message
Writing Tips
Sentence Structure, Active vs. Passive Voice, Specific Details & Sensory Language from The Science of Storytelling (excerpt) by Will Storr
Noticing (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 35-40)
Write What You Know, Observation & Details (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 58-61)
Exploration & Discovery - Moving from "Triggering" subject to "Real" subject (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 65-66)
Logic
Rhetorical vs. literary
Persuasion in literature
Annotation & Note-Taking - Summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, questioning, commenting
Analysis & Interpretation: claim, evidence, commentary, quotation marks, citing sources
Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message.
Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument.
Analysis body paragraph: claim, evidence, commentary - Develop a paragraph that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim.
Examine how literature has influenced and been influenced by American history and culture.
Grammar: sentence structure, commas, parts of speech (review), capitalization
Impact of place on our lived experience
Unit Skills:
Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message.
Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument.
Develop a paragraph that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim.
Examine how literature has influenced and been influenced by American history and culture.
Analyze and discuss fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, artwork and film.
Practice:
Journal Writing
Reflection - writing process, concepts learned
Formative Assessment(s):
Annotations / Notes
Group discussion notes - Literary Fantasy Football - pick 5 of your favorite lines (from essays, stories, poems, novels, videos, etc.) that best represent what “American” means to you and explain each one including the rhetorical situation and interpretation; write a paragraph to present your overall thesis - inspired by https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet-books/2011/08/at-long-last-the-marriage-of-fantasy-football-and-poetry
Summative Assessment(s):
Write a 4-5 paragraph essay explaining your idea of what "American" means.
your rhetorical situation: your background, audience, context, message, etc.
references (quote or paraphrase) to texts that we have read and your commentary
Assessment is focused on helping students develop:
critical thinking
creative expression
analytical writing skills
research skills
intellectual and professional communication skills
Visit the assessments page for more details.
Week of August 14
Week of August 14
1.1 Course Introduction
1.1 Course Introduction
Thursday August 13
Welcome to our exploration of literature! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Review and discuss course topics, expectations, resources, and major assignments.
Examine and discuss how the inquiry-based learning and reflection can influence our lives.
Access online course materials including Google Classroom.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Greetings & Meditation
Meet Ms. Ntoso
Syllabus Review & Course Overview Discussion
Reflection-in-Action
Intro to Inquiry-Based Learning & Reflection - read, annotate, reflect, discuss
What words and phrases stand out to you? Why? What do you like about it? What does it make you wonder?
What words, phrases and ideas do you see repeated?
What are your key takeaways? What are you excited to explore in your own learning and research?
What conversations do you hope to inspire through your work?
Journal Writing: Brainstorm on Eradicating Poverty
If you were leading the effort to eradicate poverty and homelessness around the world, what would you start with? What would be your first task?
Online Materials
Google Classroom
Assignments
Assignments
Journal Writing: Brainstorm on Eradicating Poverty
If you were leading the effort to eradicate poverty and homelessness around the world, what would you start with? What would be your first task?
1.2 Curiosity & Questions
1.2 Curiosity & Questions
Friday August 14
Essential Question: How can the art of questioning help us untangle the 'tight knot' of poverty to reveal a path toward human dignity and freedom?
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Articulate the multifaceted nature of poverty.
Identify and classify different types of questions for exploring and examining an issue.
Construct three different types of example questions to investigate a specific issue related to poverty to help focus and refine inquiry.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
The Issue of Poverty
Question Types Jigsaw
Journal Writing: Brainstorming questions for examining the issue of poverty
Assignments
Assignments
Question Types Jigsaw
Week of August 17
Week of August 17
1.3 Intro to Nonfiction Annotation
1.3 Intro to Nonfiction Annotation
Monday August 17
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Choose at least one of the following nonfiction texts to read and annotate:
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (excerpt)
There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone (excxerpt)
“The Kind of Problem Poverty Is” from Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (excerpt)
A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen (excerpt)
Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks (excerpt)
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick (excerpt)
"The Uses of City Neighborhoods" from The Death and Life of American Cities by Jane Jacobs
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore (excerpt)
My Great, Wide, Beautiful World by Juanita Harrison
Read & annotate / take notes
Whole Class Discussion - Fine-Tuning Our Annotation & Notes Rubric
Review our annotation & notes rubric. Did our discussions reveal any challenges or needs for clarification?
Assignments
Assignments
Read and annotate first three pages - identify at least one passage you are struggling with
2.4 Nonfiction Annotation due today (scan & upload) - rubric
1.4 Critical Questions while Reading
1.4 Critical Questions while Reading
Tuesday August 18
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Annotate a complex text with at least three different types of critical questions to generate specific ideas for further inquiry.
Examine and discuss your personal questioning patterns.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Critical Questions - definition
Annotate your reading - include at least three critical questions in your annotations
Assignments
Assignments
1.5 Passage Breakdown & Annotation
1.5 Passage Breakdown & Annotation
Wednesday August 19 & Thursday August 20
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify, deconstruct, interpret, and paraphrase a challenging passage.
Look up the definition of unknown words and apply the definition to improve comprehension.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Annotation & Passage Breakdown demonstration using paragraph 1 of “Dialogue” excerpt from Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paolo Freire
Practice annotation & identifying passages to break down
Individual Conferences - Annotation & Passage Breakdown
Assignments
Assignments
1.5 Passage Breakdown Worksheet due Thursday 8/20
Nonfiction Annotation due Wednesday 9/9 (scan & upload) - rubric
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1.6 Annotation & Reflection Discussion
1.6 Annotation & Reflection Discussion
Friday August 21
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify two of the annotation grading criteria you would like to focus on in preparation for your progress check.
Reflect on and discuss your work in English class this week.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Reading & Annotation
Set up Annotation Progress Check notes document
Individual Conferences - Annotation Progress Check
Small Group - 3-2-1 Reflection Discussion
Explain three new things have you learned so far from your reading.
Share two critical questions inspired by your reading.
Describe one thing you struggled with. How did you overcome it? Group members, can you share any suggestions?
Group members: respond with comments, questions, suggestions, or feedback
Assignments
Assignments
1.8 Annotation Progress Check due Thursday 8/27
Nonfiction Annotation due Wednesday 9/9 (scan & upload) - rubric
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Week of August 24
Week of August 24
1.7 Critical Reading & Connections
1.7 Critical Reading & Connections
Monday August 24 &Tuesday August 25
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Reflect on new ideas and concepts you are learning from your critical reading.
Brainstorm connections between concepts in your reading and the issue of poverty.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Reading & Annotation
Individual Conferences - Critical Reading
Review 3-2-1 Reflection from Friday
What critical questions and ideas does this bring up for you in connection with the issue of poverty?
Assignments
Assignments
1.8 Annotation Progress Check due Thursday 8/27
Nonfiction Annotation due Wednesday 9/9 (scan & upload) - rubric
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1.8 Annotation Progress Check
1.8 Annotation Progress Check
Wednesday August 26 & Thursday August 27
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Analyze and discuss your reading and annotation progress based on annotation grading criteria.
Reflect on and discuss your work in English class this week.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Reading & Annotation
Individual Conferences - Annotation Progress Check
Assignments
Assignments
1.8 Annotation Progress Check due Thursday 8/27
Nonfiction Annotation due Wednesday 9/9 (scan & upload) - rubric
_______________________________________________________
Week of August 31
Week of August 31
Week of September 7
Week of September 7
Week of September 14
Week of September 14
Week of September 21
Week of September 21
Week of September 28
Week of September 28
Week of October 5
Week of October 5
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
1.15 Socratic Seminar / Literary Discussion & Synthesis
1.15 Socratic Seminar / Literary Discussion & Synthesis
TBD
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Write at least one paragraph responding to ideas in the text.
Discuss and explain your understanding of a topic using text evidence and commentary to support and explain your ideas.
Discuss and evaluate the quality and productivity of your group's discussion.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
Synthesis
Review and reflect on the texts we have read:
Write your reading reflection - consider creating a mind map or list
Overview of group discussion notes & evaluation
Small group discussion
Assignments
Assignments
Practice: Small Group Discussion Notes & Evaluation
Literary Discussion & Synthesis Notes
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11th and 12th grade English courses are designed to prepare you for the rigor and complexity of college-level work. Readings and assignments are often challenging, and it is important to take action early if you are having difficulty in class.
Visit the Tips for Success page for information that can help you to be successful in class.
Tutorial: Unit 1
Tutorial: Unit 1
Week of September 5
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a poem with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify and discuss examples of imagery, metaphor, and text evidence that reflects the theme of the poem of a poem.
Write a 1-2 sentence statement of the theme of a poem.
Write a one-paragraph literary interpretation that includes a claim, evidence and commentary.
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Write at least one paragraph responding to ideas in the text.
List and explain 4-5 qualities you believe to be fundamental to the idea of being "American."
Write an outline for an essay that states the main idea of each paragraph and lists supporting details that will be used to explain each main idea.
Write a one-sentence thesis statement that is focused, specific and provides an overview of the main points you will cover in your essay.
Write a 4-5 paragraph essay explaining your idea of what "American" means.
thesis statement
text evidence from the poems and nonfiction texts you studied
analysis body paragraphs: claim, evidence, commentary
use signal phrases to cite sources of information (title and author)
Write using appropriate capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and transition phrases.
Agenda Items
Agenda Items
1.6 Poetry Annotation & Analysis
1.8 Poem Analysis Paragraph
1.11 Reading Notes, Outline & Thesis
1.12 Persuasive Essay Draft
Assignments
Assignments
1.6 Poetry Annotation & Analysis
1.8 Poem Analysis Paragraph
1.11 Reading Notes, Outline & Thesis
1.12 Persuasive Essay Draft
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