Curriculum Management System

MONROE TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

Course Name: Search for Self in Popular Culture Grade: 12

For adoption by all regular education programs Board Approved: 2012 as specified and for adoption or adaptation by all Special Education Programs in accordance with Board of Education Policy # 2220.

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Table of Contents

Monroe Township Schools Administration and Board of Education Members Page 3

Mission, Vision, Beliefs, and Goals Page 4

Core Curriculum Content Standards Page 5

Scope and Sequence Pages 6-8

Goals/Essential Questions/Objectives/Instructional Tools/Activities Pages 9-26

Quarterly Benchmark Assessment Page 27-28

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Monroe Township Schools Administration and Board of Education Members

ADMINISTRATION Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton, Superintendent

Dr. Jeff C. Gorman, Assistant Superintendent

BOARD OF EDUCATION Ms. Kathy Kolupanowich, Board President

Mr. Ken Chiarella, Board Vice President Ms. Amy Antelis

Mr. Marvin I. Braverman Mr. Lew Kaufman

Mr. Mark Klein Mr. John Leary

Mr. Louis C. Masters Mr. Ira Tessler

Jamesburg Representative Ms. Patrice Faraone

WRITERS NAME Ms. Beth Wolk

CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR

Ms. Pamela Garcia

WITH THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING TEACHERS FOR THEIR SUGGESTIONS:

Ms. Sandy Appel-Bubnowski Ms. Nicole Butler

Ms. Theresa Jennings Ms. Renata Mackenzie

Ms. Dana Speizer

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Mission, Vision, Beliefs, and Goals

Mission Statement

The Monroe Public Schools in collaboration with the members of the community shall ensure that all children receive an exemplary education by well-trained committed staff in a safe and orderly environment.

Vision Statement

The Monroe Township Board of Education commits itself to all children by preparing them to reach their full potential and to function in a global society through a preeminent education.

Beliefs

1. All decisions are made on the premise that children must come first. 2. All district decisions are made to ensure that practices and policies are developed to be inclusive, sensitive and meaningful to our diverse population. 3. We believe there is a sense of urgency about improving rigor and student achievement. 4. All members of our community are responsible for building capacity to reach excellence. 5. We are committed to a process for continuous improvement based on collecting, analyzing, and reflecting on data to guide our decisions. 6. We believe that collaboration maximizes the potential for improved outcomes. 7. We act with integrity, respect, and honesty with recognition that the schools serves as the social core of the community. 8. We believe that resources must be committed to address the population expansion in the community. 9. We believe that there are no disposable students in our community and every child means every child.

Board of Education Goals

1. Raise achievement for all students paying particular attention to disparities between subgroups. 2. Systematically collect, analyze, and evaluate available data to inform all decisions. 3. Improve business efficiencies where possible to reduce overall operating costs. 4. Provide support programs for students across the continuum of academic achievement with an emphasis on those who are in the middle. 5. Provide early interventions for all students who are at risk of not reaching their full potential. 6. To Create a 21st Century Environment of Learning that Promotes Inspiration, Motivation, Exploration, and Innovation.

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Common Core State Standards (CSSS)

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

Links: 1. CCSS Home Page: http://www.corestandards.org 2. CCSS FAQ: http://www.corestandards.org/frequently-asked-questions 3. CCSS The Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards 4. NJDOE Link to CCSS: http://www.state.nj.us/education/sca 5. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC): http://parcconline.org

6 Scope and Sequence

Quarter 3

Unit Topic(s)

I. Media/Pop Culture Literacy a. Review popular magazines for body image expectations for men and women. Read “Our Barbies, Ourselves.” Contrast with “The Ritual of Fast Food,” New York’s current nutrition regulations, and Supersize Me in a graded Socratic Seminar. Participants will prepare Cornell notes and leveled questions. b. Identify examples of wastefulness/materialism in the world today using advertisements and popular magazine articles. Read “Dumpster Diving” and write a journal or summary/strong response. Watch “An Inconvenient Truth” and review newspaper articles about global warming and the Kyoto agreement. Write a proposal (A&B pgs. 250-271) about what should be done about America’s wastefulness and contributions to global warming (Alternative: write and present a proposal suggesting a solution to a problem in the student’s school, community, or world). c. Analyze cartoons, essays, and movies/TV shows for violence and its effect. Create a cartoon without the violence and analyze how the message changes. d. Analyze cartoons, essays, and movies/TV shows for Juvenalian/Horatian satires (“I Want a Wife,” “A Modest Proposal,” The Onion, The Simpsons, American Dad, etc.). Satirize one aspect of our culture in written form, using iMovie, and/or drawn as a comic. II. Prejudice/Power in today’s world

a. Read “Black Men and Public Space” and “Shooting an Elephant,” and/or “The Men We Carry in Our Minds.” View Crash (edited clean version). Journal about your responses to each, considering the upcoming Philosophical Chairs activity.

b. Philosophical Chairs: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, stronger disagree, or somewhat disagree with these statements: Prejudice exists in today’s world to the same extent it did in the past. People from poor circumstances/minority backgrounds/with disabilities have an equal opportunity to go to college/advance.

c. Read The Secret Life of Bees (Alternatives: Look Me in the Eye, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Breaking Night, Angela’s Ashes, The Handmaid’s Tale (Movies: From Homeless to Harvard, Sicko), analyzing the power structure/agency the narrator/people in the text has/have in relation to others.

d. Small groups participate in a Lincoln-Douglas debate on one of the following topics: racial profiling, SAT gender bias, quotas and college acceptances, new health insurance policy, government assistance, etc.

III. Atonement for the past/Bullying/Redemption a. Freewrite about a childhood experience you would like

to atone for. Perform as a skit with classmates. b. Take notes about reasons for and responses to bullying (possible guidance visit and presentation on these topic and the antibullying law. Movie?)

b. freewrite about experiences with bullying. Read New York Times student essays on bullying experiences: http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/winning-student-essays-on-bullying/; students write their own.

d. Jigsaw background on Afghanistan and ethnic groups. e. Read The Kite Runner, analyzing whether Amir is ever truly Hassan’s friend and whether it is possible to atone for one’s past mistakes.

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e. Write a perform a skit illustrating what happens after the book ends, illustrating whether Amir is able to atone. (Alternative: write and perform a character monologue or ghost chapter.)

f. Take a position on New Jersey’s anti-bullying law and defend it by researching one or more examples of bullying in the United States or the World. Assessment: essay, Socratic Seminar, debate, or KeyNote presentation.

8 Scope and Sequence

Quarter 4

Unit Topic(s)

IV. Argument and Persuasion: Determining Personal Values a. Read My Sister’s Keeper, and keep an ongoing journal determining your position on the sister’s dilemma and connecting her experiences to yours. (Alternate texts: Sold, A long Way Gone) b. Identify controversial topics in a variety of areas (also review 40 Model Essays pgs. 367-368) (Alternative: the topics could be limited to medical ethics/scientific issues to echo the topic of My Sister’s Keeper.) c. Wallow in complexity/freewrite on your topic d. Write a research paper taking a position on your chosen controversial topic. Consider your audience and include concessions/refutations. V. Looking to the future

a. Take Myers Briggs test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp. Consider how accurate it is and why; pair-share.

b. Map predicted future, analyzing the role of fate or free will (nature vs. nurture) and the obstacles to achieving one’s goal.

c. Read the Alchemist, analyzing alchemisms applicable to the student’s life. (Alternate/Additional Text(s): Night in Question: Stories, Life of Pi, Angela’s Ashes, Breaking Night/Homeless to Harvard dvd)

d. Write a paper analyzing the role of tradition(s) in modern life.

e. Research a chosen career. Prepare a cover letter and resume for this career. Prepare and present a PowerPoint for the career. Participate in a mock interview.

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Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (visually) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement). W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis

Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… Analyze current media for elements of popular culture through journals, essay writing, Socratic Seminar, and a creative satiric piece.

Meaning UNDERSTANDINGS Students will understand that… Violence, materialism/waste, body image issues, and satire pervade today’s TV shows, movies, magazines, essays, and cartoons.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What elements of popular culture pervade today’s media?

Acquisition Students will know… perspectives on popular culture, such as violence, body image/nutrition, and waste/environmental issues are present in today’s media. Juvenalian satire is bitter, ironic criticism while horatian satire is gentle ridicule. Parody is the comic imitation of characteristics of a serious original work. Situational irony is the difference between what is expected and what happens, verbal irony is the difference between what is said and what is meant, and dramatic irony is the different between the knowledge of the audience (greater) and the knowledge of the character(s). Cornell notes are a structured form of notetaking including leveled questions, summary, and a specific heading.

Students will be skilled at… Identifying and taking a position on issues in today’s media Differentiating between Juvenalian and Horatian satire. Identifying the underlying message in satiric works. Identifying the purpose and effect of violence in cartoons. Identifying messages about body images and nutrition in magazines, essays, and movies. Contrasting messages about materialism in popular media with essays and videos about waste and the effect on the environment. Constructing Cornell notes and leveled

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of content. W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence conveying a clear and distinct perspective such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative opposing perspectives are addressed and the organization, development substance and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g. textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentation to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence ant to add interest. SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in arrange of collaborative discussions (one-one-one, in groups, and teacher-led with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.)

questions.

Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Rubric PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

Scenario:

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The Onion (http://www.theonion.com/), a satirical online news source, is looking for contributors to submit satirical articles/essays and iMovies. Select a current local, national, or international issue that you would like to draw attention to. Decide what position you want to convey and create an article and/or iMovie for submission. Good Luck!

Journals, homework, graded classwork/participation, quizzes, writing, graded discussion.

OTHER EVIDENCE: Journals, summary/strong response, proposal, Socratic Seminar, cartoon creation, homework, graded classwork/participation, quizzes.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

Pre-assessment: Journal entries on body image, materialism, healthcare, and violence. Review popular magazines for body image expectations for men and women. Create a collage and present unifying theme(s). Read “Our Barbies, Ourselves” (40 M.E.) Compare/contrast with “The Ritual of Fast Food” (40 M.E.), New York’s current nutrition regulations, and Supersize Me in a graded Socratic Seminar. Participants will prepare Cornell notes and leveled questions. Identify examples of wastefulness/materialism in the world today using advertisements, experiences in stores, and images/articles in popular magazine articles. Individually research and groups create a poster with ideas. Read “Dumpster Diving” and write a journal or summary/strong response. Follow up with class discussion of ideas. Read articles about Universal Healthcare in the United States. Watch Sicko and write a review analyzing Michael Moore’s angle of vision and the extent to which the documentary takes ethos, logos, and pathos into consideration. Watch An Inconvenient Truth and review newspaper articles about global warming and the Kyoto agreement. Write and present a proposal (A&B pgs. 250-271) about what should be done about America’s wastefulness and contributions to global warming (Alternative: write and present a proposal suggesting a solution to any problem in the student’s school, community, or world). Read and discuss an article about the effect of violence on children and/or adults. Analyze cartoons, essays, politics/history, and movies/TV

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shows for violence and its effect. Create a cartoon without the violence and analyze how the message changes. Participate in a gallery walk in which audience rates their feelings of aggression after viewing the modified cartoon and the original. Graph student responses at the end of the activity. Analyze cartoons, essays, and movies/TV shows for irony, parody and/or Juvenalian/Horatian satires (“I Want a Wife,” “A Modest Proposal,” The Onion, The Simpsons, American Dad, etc.). Satirize one aspect of our culture in written form and/or using iMovie. Materials: 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology – Jane E. Aaron An Inconvenient Truth – Al Gore Super Size Me – Morgan Spurlock (documentary available on YouTube) Sicko – Michael Moore (documentary available on YouTube) Contemporary Magazines: Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Marie Claire, etc.

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Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11 read and comprehension literary nonfiction in the Grades 11-12. RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (visually) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, ore vents interact and develop over the course of the text. SL.11.12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse format sand media (e.g. visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in arrange of collaborative discussions (one-one-one, in groups, and teacher-led with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.)

Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… Participate in a Philosophical Chairs activity exploring these essential questions Apply these questions to assorted texts and video selections Write a position paper and/or participate in a debate on current topics related to the essential questions.

Meaning UNDERSTANDINGS Students will understand that… Inequality exists in our world between different groups, connected to social status, economic level, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Tolerance and equality can be promoted through education, laws, and social programs.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS To what extent do prejudice and inequality exist in our world today? How can citizens promote tolerance and equality?

Acquisition Students will know… Prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on reasoning or experience. Claim, counterclaim, concession/refutation How to determine author’s/director’s purpose, argument/theme, audience, and tone/personas toward the subject. Vocabulary specific to the texts and videos used in this unit.

Students will be skilled at… determining author’s/director’s purpose, argument/theme, audience, and tone/personas toward the subject.

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The structure of a Lincoln-Douglas style debate How to gather and use evidence effectively for a debate.

Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Rubric PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

Scenario: You are part of a Congressional task force on prejudice in the United States today that may be subject to new legislation. Congress has charged different groups with researching and evaluating the degree of prejudice inherent in each of the following topics: Racial profiling, SAT gender bias, quotas and college acceptances, the new health insurance policy, and government assistance. Members of your group will be assigned a position to argue and will decide on a subtopic to research. After completing position papers, the groups will participate in a formal debate to determine your group’s recommendation.

Journals Rubric Quizzes/Tests

OTHER EVIDENCE: Journal responses Philosophical Chairs Reading check quizzes and other quizzes/writing assignments Test or essay on major text

Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

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Pre-assessment/pre-reading activities: Read “Black Men and Public Space” and “Shooting an Elephant,” and/or “The Men We Carry in Our Minds” (40 M.E.) View Crash (edited clean version). Journal about your responses to each, considering the upcoming Philosophical Chairs activity. Philosophical Chairs: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, stronger disagree, or somewhat disagree with these statements: Prejudice exists in today’s world to the same extent it did in the past. People from poor circumstances/minority backgrounds/with disabilities have an equal opportunity to go to college/advance. Read The Secret Life of Bees (Alternatives: Look Me in the Eye, Breaking Night, Angela’s Ashes, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Handmaid’s Tale (Movies: From Homeless to Harvard, Sicko), analyzing the power structure/agency the narrator/people in the text has/have in relation to others. Small groups participate in a Lincoln-Douglas debate on one of the following topics: racial profiling, SAT gender bias, quotas and college acceptances, new health insurance policy, government assistance, etc. Suggested Materials: Essays: 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology – Jane E. Aaron Film: Homeless to Harvard (movie version of Breaking Night; available on YouTube) Sicko – Michael Moore (documentary available on YouTube) Novels/Memoirs: Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt Breaking Night – Liz Murray The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood Look Me in the Eye – John Elder Robison One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd

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Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (visually) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). Rl.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis

Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… Take a stance on the New Jersey anti-bullying law in an essay, debate, or graded discussion. Decide whether it is possible to atone for one’s mistakes and write an essay incorporating events in The Kite Runner.

Meaning UNDERSTANDINGS Students will understand that… Redemption is possible, but difficult. The responsibility for ending bullying lies with all of us, including bystanders.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Is it possible to atone for past mistakes? How can bullying be stopped?

Acquisition Students will know… The components of the New Jersey anti-bullying law The recent history of Afghanistan The major components of Islam The major ethnic groups of Afghanistan: Hazaras, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Nuristani, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch The plight of women in Afghanistan Vocabulary, plot, themes, and characters from The Kite Runner.

Students will be skilled at… Researching example(s) of bullying in the world today and taking a stance on the law. Demonstrating an understanding of Afghanistan background and vocabulary through assessments. Analyzing the characters, plot development, and themes of The Kite Runner through assessments, graded activities, and essays.

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of content. L.11-12.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Rubrics PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

Scenario: The governor is considering amending the new anti-bullying legislation and has invited you as well as other New Jersey students to advise him. Review the law: www.nj.gov/oag/dcr/downloads/Anti-Bullying_Bill-of-Rights.pdf As a member of his panel, you are charged with researching one or more example of bullying in the world today and defending or suggesting amendments New Jersey’s antibulling law. (Format: essay, debate, KeyNote presentation, or Socratic Seminar)

Tests/quizzes OTHER EVIDENCE: Essay, journal/skit, script/monologue/“ghost chapter,” vocabulary quizzes, reading check quizzes, assessment on background notes, etc.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

Pre-assessment: Freewrite about a childhood experience you would like to atone for. Perform as a skit with classmates. Take notes about reasons for and responses to bullying (possible guidance visit and presentation on these topic and the antibullying law.

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Movie?) Freewrite about experiences with bullying. Read New York Times student essays on bullying experiences: http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/winning-student-essays-on-bullying/; students write their own. Take notes from PowerPoint on Islam and recent Afghanistan history, including the Taliban. View clips of Osama dvd to better understand Taliban rule. Jigsaw background on Afghanistan and ethnic groups. Analyze Hassan as a scapegoat. Read The Kite Runner, analyzing whether Amir is ever truly Hassan’s friend and whether it is possible to atone for one’s past mistakes. Write and perform a skit illustrating what happens after the book ends, illustrating whether Amir is able to atone. (Alternative: write and perform a character monologue or ghost/deleted chapter) Take a position on New Jersey’s anti-bullying law and defend it by researching one or more examples of bullying in the United States or the World. Assessment: essay, Socratic Seminar, debate, or KeyNote presentation. Materials: The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini Osama

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Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text. Rl.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… Respond in journal form and participate in a graded discussion. Participate in literature circle activities. Write a research/persuasive paper on a controversial issue connected to ethics.

Meaning UNDERSTANDINGS Students will understand that… Human beings have a responsibility to family/community and themselves. Individuals must decide how far each loyalty extends; there is not one right answer. Scientific advances lead to ethical considerations for individuals, communities, and governments.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How does one decide between loyalty to family/community and loyalty to self? Where do we draw the line between science and ethics? (My Sister’s Keeper only)

Acquisition Students will know… Literature circle roles. The vocabulary, plot, characters, point of view, and themes of the novel. Current medical ethics topics. Research paper components (see Contemporary Issues Curriculum).

Students will be skilled at… Taking on literature circle roles. Responding to journal prompts. Researching using reliable, scholarly sources. Writing a research paper on a controversial issue of the student’s choice, possibly on an issue of medical ethics.

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W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriat3e; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in arrange of collaborative discussions (one-one-one, in groups, and teacher-led with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.)

Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Rubrics PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

According to their website http://www.who.int/about/en/ , “WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends” (“About WHO”). The organization addresses the following issues:

• Ethics of health research • Addressing ethical issues in Pandemic influenza planning • Ethical issues raised by the HIV/AIDS epidemic • Cloning: A dozen questions (and answers) on human cloning

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• Ethical issues in long-term care • Human organ and tissue transplantation • Ethical issues in tuberculosis care and control

Review this list, “Health Topics” (http://www.who.int/topics/en/), and “Programmes and Projects” (http://www.who.int/entity/en/) Select and research one of these topics or a related subtopic. Write a research-based letter to the Director-General suggesting a position and course of action for your topic.

Tests/quizzes OTHER EVIDENCE: Journal, graded discussion, literature circle activities, reading check quizzes, vocabulary quizzes and/or quizzes at the end of each set of chapters the literature circle addresses Final test or essay

Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

Pre-/post-assessment: score yourself on questions related to science, ethics, and family relationships/responsibilities in the world today (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree). Read My Sister’s Keeper, and keep an ongoing journal determining your position on the sister’s dilemma and connecting her experiences to yours. Share responses during a graded class discussion. Alternate Journal Activity: Write a series of journal entries form the perspective of an assigned or chosen character. Students then dramatically share one or more entries and/or participate in a graded discussing taking on the role of their chosen character. (Alternate texts: Sold, A Long Way Gone) Participate in literature circle activities while reading the text. Roles include: Discussion Director, Illustrator, Literary Luminary, Vocabulary Enricher, and Connector. The connector finds an outside connection (article) to a related controversy in the world today. The students rotate through the roles, spending time meeting and working independently each block.

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Identify controversial topics in a variety of areas (also review 40 Model Essays pgs. 367-368) (Alternative: the topics could be limited to medical ethics/scientific issues to echo the topic of My Sister’s Keeper.) Wallow in complexity/freewrite on your topic. Write a research paper taking a position on your chosen controversial topic. Consider your audience and include concessions/refutations. Materials: 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology – Jane E. Aaron A Long Way Gone – Ishmael Beah My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult Sold - Patricia McCormick

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Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text. Rl.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… Write a paper analyzing the role of tradition(s) in modern life. Research a chosen career, write a cover letter, construct a resume, give a Keynote or iMovie Presentation, and participate in a mock interview.

Meaning UNDERSTANDINGS Students will understand that… Obstacles to achieving one’s dreams include circumstance, cultural/societal expectations/traditions, and one’s own attitude/willingness to act. Obstacles can be overcome through individual willingness to act, guidance from others, and/or the support of community/programs.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What are the obstacles to achieving one’s dreams and how can they be overcome? What is the role of tradition in society? To what extent are our lives governed by free will?

Acquisition Students will know… The parts of the Myers Briggs Typology and their place in it. The parts of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and their relation to each other. The plot, settings, vocabulary, characters, themes, and literary devices of the text. Current societal traditions. The necessary training and responsibilities for a

Students will be skilled at… Analyzing the extent to which the Myers Briggs typologies and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs apply to them and their chosen career path/areas of interest and their ability to achieve it. Identifying the meaning of vocabulary and its use in context. Identifying the pot, setting significance, character/character foils, allusions, and themes of the text.

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SL 11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence conveying a clear and distinct perspective such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative opposing perspectives are addressed and the organization, development substance and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g. textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentation to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence ant to add interest.

chosen career. The format of a resume and cover letter. The components of a successful interview. Public speaking techniques such as hook, eye contact, slide composition, varied intonation, no fillers, appropriate speed/volume, hand gestures/movement, and a memorable closing.

Writing about the place of (a) tradition(s) in the modern world. Researching a chosen career using reliable, scholarly sources. Writing a resume and cover letter. Successfully participating in a mock interview. Demonstrating effective speaking skills during a presentation.

Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Rubrics PERFORMANCE TASK(S):

According to the May 15, 2012 article in The App Store Chronicle, Right now we are in the last generation. Generation Z (ironically the last generation in the alphabet) will be the last generation to learn in the traditional way. They are the last generation that will have that classic student-teacher relationship that has existed for thousands of years. In the classrooms during this time of transition, books are being replaced by ipads and kindles, encyclopedias are being ignored for Wikipedia (as inaccurate as it may be). Boring PBS documentary tapes are being replaced by new, exciting online programs such as Scishow on Youtube (below). No matter how long we try to teach the old ways, the new ways will prevail because we are in an age of innovation. New technologies such as smartboards are replacing the classic white or chalkboard. Traditional pencil and paper notewriting is being replaced by laptops and word processors. Even studying is being transformed from a slow, tedious process, to an exciting and fastpaced game. The times are achangin'. What will we see next in the classroom? (“The Last Generation – Tradition’s End”) As a member of generation Z (born in the early 1990s or later), you are asked to respond to the article excerpt above. Write a paper analyzing the role of a religious, cultural, or other tradition in modern life. Ultimately, you are asked to decide whether tradition has a place in modern society.

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Alternate/Additional Performance Task: In a few short months, you will be entering college, a training program, and/or the workforce. Now is the time to research a career of interest, identify possible obstacles, and decide how you can overcome them. As your culminating activity of this unit, you will research a chosen career, give a Keynote or iMovie Presentation to educate your peers about this career, write a cover letter, construct a resume, and participate in a mock interview. At the conclusion of this project, the cover letter and resume will be ready to send to prospective employers/internships and you will be prepared to successfully interview for a position.

Tests/quizzes/graded assignments OTHER EVIDENCE: Book test or essay Reading check quizzes/vocabulary quizzes Graded worksheets (future mapping, character analysis, etc.)

Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

Pre-assessment: Take Myer’s Brigg’s test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp. Consider how accurate it is and why; pair-share. Map your predicted future for yourself, analyzing the role of fate or free will and the obstacles to achieving one’s goal. Option: use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for this activity. After reading The Alchemist, map Santiago’s experiences onto the pyramid and accept or reject Maslow’s hierarchy as an effective explanation of self-actualization. Read the Alchemist, analyzing alchemisms applicable to the student’s life. (Alternate/Additional Text(s): Night in Question: Stories, Life of Pi, Angela’s Ashes, Sister of My Heart, Breaking Night/Homeless to Harvard dvd) Identify symbols, allusions, and character foils. Analyze the significance of where the book ends as well as the underlying messages/themes.

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Draw a map illustrating Santiago’s travels and the lesson learned in each location. Write a paper analyzing the role of tradition(s) in modern life. Research a chosen career. Prepare a cover letter and resume for this career. Prepare and present a PowerPoint for the career. Participate in a mock interview. Materials: The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt Breaking Night – Liz Murray Homeless to Harvard (documentary available on YouTube) Life of Pi – Yann Martel Night in Question: Stories – Tobias Wolff Sister of My Heart – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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Benchmark Assessment Quarter 3

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of topics connected to popular culture such as body image, materialism, violence, satire, prejudice/power, and bullying.

2. Students will be able to construct a satiric piece commenting on an element of popular culture. 3. Students will be able to participate in a debate on elements of prejudice in society today. 4. Students will successfully research and present a position on prevention of bullying in the world today. 5. Students will be able to use novels such as The Secret Life of Bees and The Kite Runner as lenses through which to form opinions on elements of

popular culture.

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Benchmark Assessment Quarter 4

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of their place in the world as they struggle between past traditions/expectations and their plans for the future.

2. Students will be able to identify a tradition and determine its place in society today. 3. Students will be able to identify a controversial issue that has personal meaning and demonstrate a reasoned position in a research paper. 4. Students will successfully research a career and participate in career-preparatory activities. 5. Students will be able to use novels such as My Sister’s Keeper and The Alchemist to determine their place in the world.