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Module 1 - Stories of Human Rights

This unit is designed to help students build knowledge about human rights while simultaneously building their ability to read challenging text closely through a case study of the threats to human rights faced by fictional characters in the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Students read this novel in conjunction with selected articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which they determine the main ideas and details to support the main ideas, and then summarize. Students also read informational texts related to the story's historical context. Through their reading, they trace the journey of Esperanza, a young girl born into a comfortable life of privilege in Mexico in the 1930s, who is forced to flee to California and must rise above her difficult circumstances.

For the mid-unit assessment, students closely read a new article of the UDHR to use strategies to identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, to identify the main ideas, and to summarize the text. In the second half of the unit, students prepare for and participate in text-based discussions about the threats to human rights faced by the characters in Esperanza Rising and also their emotional response to these threats to human rights. This prepares them for the end of unit assessment, in which students participate in a text-based discussion about threats to human rights in Chapters 4-6 of the novel.

(Information taken from EL Curriculum Overview)

Module 2 - Biodiversity in the Rainforest

In this module, students read to build knowledge about the rainforest and analyze the author's craft in narrative writing to build proficiency in writing first person narratives about the rainforest. In Unit 1, they build background knowledge on biodiversity in the rainforest and rainforest deforestation to understand why scientists, like Meg Lowman, study the rainforest. Students closely read excerpts of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by Kathryn Lasky and other texts to identify text structure and practice summarizing the text. Having read texts about deforestation, students research using several print and digital sources to identify ways they can help the rainforest and the challenges associated with being an ethical consumer. They then participate in a collaborative discussion at the end of the unit. In Unit 2, students explore how authors of narrative texts about the rainforest help the reader to understand what it is like in the rainforest by analyzing author's use of figurative, concrete, and sensory language. With a deeper understanding of author's craft, in Unit 3 students write first person narratives, building out a scenario from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World using concrete and sensory language to describe the rainforest as though they were actually there. For their performance task, students work in pairs to create an ebook containing a front cover, contents page, introduction, and narratives, with pictures selected or created to contribute to the narratives.

(Information taken from EL Curriculum Overview)

Module 3 - Athlete Leaders of Social Change

In this module, students consider the factors that contribute to the success of professional athletes as leaders of social change. They read about a number of professional athletes who have been leaders of social change, beginning with Jackie Robinson. In Unit 1, students build background knowledge about Jackie Robinson through reading Promises to Keep, written by Jackie’s daughter, Sharon. Students determine the main ideas and identify key details, using these to summarize chapters of the book. They also think about the relationship between people and events in the text as they gather factors that led to Jackie Robinson’s success in leading social change. In Unit 2, students continue their study of Jackie Robinson, building on their understanding of factors that led to his success by developing an opinion on which factor(s) were most important in his success. In the first half of the unit, students examine different texts and videos, describing each author’s opinion on the factor that led to Jackie’s success and comparing these points of view.

In the second half of the unit, students draw from the factors gathered throughout Units 1 and2 to state their own opinion. First, they participate in a text-based discussion. They then draw from the discussion to write an opinion essay on which factor they think was most important in Jackie Robinson’s success in leading social change. In Unit 3, students read about other athletes who were also leaders of social change, beginning with Jim Abbott. They research and write essays to compare and contrast the factors that contributed to the success of the athletes they study with those of Jackie Robinson. Once students have read about a few athletes, they then consider the common factors that contribute to being an effective leader of social change and work in pairs to create a multimedia presentation highlighting three of those factors.

Information taken from EL Curriculum Overview

Module 4 - The Impact of Natural Disasters

In this module, students read literary and informational texts to understand the impact of natural disasters on places and people. In Unit 1, students work in expert groups to research a natural disaster, focusing on answering the question: “How do natural disasters affect the people and places that experience them?” As they research, they think about how authors use reasons and evidence to support particular points. Students then use their research to write and record a public service announcement (PSA) explaining how to stay safe during a natural disaster. In Unit 2, students read and analyze literary texts about the aftermath of natural disasters, including poems, songs, and Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat, a story about a boy trapped under his house for eight days after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In the first half of the unit, students analyze the way illustrations in texts and visuals in videos contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty of the text. In the second half of the unit, they analyze how the narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described. In Unit 3, students take action to help others prepare for a natural disaster. They research supplies to include in an emergency preparedness kit and write opinion essays on the most important items to include. For the performance task, students present to a live audience about preparing for a natural disaster. They present their PSAs; unpack an emergency preparedness kit, giving the rationale for the items included; and distribute an informational leaflet.

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