Foundation SyllabusGrade Eight

Course PhilosophyIn the eighth grade, students learning Pre-AP strategies will write and read with a more criticaleye than they have in the past years. The eighth grade year is often a bridge between middleschool and high school and is, therefore, a pivotal year of instruction. Students will increase thecomplexity of what they read and write as well as broaden their knowledge of literary texts andquality authors. Their use of language in speaking and writing will become more sophisticatedas they learn new techniques of rhetoric from reading the work of master writers and as they usethese techniques in their own compositions. Eighth graders who have been using Pre-AP strategiescan be expected to use language correctly and precisely, having had a firm foundation in grammarand composition during sixth and seventh grades.

Literacy involves the ability to analyze and respond, orally and in writing, to a variety of texts.This course will give the students opportunities to explore conflict through different genres.Students will first explore their own experiences and read autobiographical pieces where writersexplore their personal conflicts. By examining these pieces and the effect of conflict, studentswill learn how to cope with their own conflicts and see them as opportunities for growth.

Course ObjectivesRefer to the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart.

Brief Overview of Each Six Weeks

First Six Weeks Close Reading the World: Literary Analysis and LifeSecond Six Weeks Mind Games: Tone and ThemeThird Six Weeks Writing the Self: Memory, Voice, and StyleFourth Six Weeks Taking a Stand: History and ArgumentationFifth Six Weeks The Writer’s Craft: Literary Devices and TechniquesSixth Six Weeks The Drama of Life

Ongoing Assignments• Students will read a book of their choice (100+ pages) each six weeks in addition to the

novels or other works studied by the class. The students will highlight important passages thatadd to characterization, create the setting, advance the conflict, or imply the themes of the text.They will note in the margins questions and insights that occur to them while reading the text.The highlighting and annotation of the books will be checked by the teacher and will form thebasis of an oral report on the book or a “book chat” with the teacher.

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• Portfolio/Writing Folder: The collection of student work throughout the year is an integralpart of learning. Students will keep track of all the writing samples and essays, compile themin a folder, and complete an assessment of the writing. This will allow writers to see theirgrowth or regression. Student writers may use some of the questions below in constructingtheir personal assessment.

• Rate each essay on a scale from 1 to 10 in the following categories:– Effort– Penmanship– Grade Earned– Ideas– Grammar

• Choose two of the above categories and explain your ratings in a paragraph with anidentifiable topic sentence.

• In a well-developed paragraph, explain any type of adversity you overcame in order towrite one of your pieces.

• At the end of the school year, the students should write a short paper on the followingtopic: What was your most difficult writing task this year?

• Explain to next year’s eighth graders how to make this task easier.• Students will keep a character/setting/conflict/theme card file of the major novels they read

during the year.• Students will work with language by continuing to complete activities in Killgallon’s text

Sentence Composing for Middle School.

Grading and EvaluationAll student projects, presentations, process (multi-draft) papers, and timed writings will be eval-uated using scoring guides or rubrics that target specific objectives. Sometimes the teacher willevaluate student work; at other times, the student will receive commentary and feedback fromother students and/or parents. Occasionally, the student will be asked to evaluate his or her ownwork with the aid of a rubric.

Brief, daily writing assignments, participation in class discussion, and daily activities will makeup 25 percent of the student’s grade. These grades will be assessed using a “check plus,”“check,” and “check minus” system.

Timed writing assignments, tests, annotation and highlighting of books, and other mid-levelactivities count 25 percent of the grade.

Process (multi-draft) papers, projects, major presentations, and other hefty assignments willcount as 50 percent of the grade.

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Some assignments and activities won’t be graded at all. Students will often practice necessaryskills in a non-graded structure, freeing them to concentrate on the learning experience itself.

Note: The lessons listed for each weeks are appropriate for that unit of study andreinforce the skills being introduced at that time. Teachers should select from thelist and/or add their own activities. It may not be possible to do all of the lessonssuggested for a particular week as each may take several days, depending on the students’ abilities and working speed. Some foundation lessons may already have been introduced to students in the earlier middle school grades. In this case,teachers should adapt the lesson structure to a different text.

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First Six WeeksReading the World: Literary Analysis and Life

Unit Introduction: In the following unit, students will review and practice most of theclose reading skills they will need to analyze a text. In addition, they will be exploringthe idea that the interpretation of literature is really practice for interpreting their ownlives and the world around them.

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

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Close Reading Grammar Composition

Reading StrategiesAnnotation

Determining Author’s Purpose

Determining Main Idea

Generalization

Inference

Seminar/Discussion

Literary ElementsCharacter

antagonist/protagonist

dynamic/static

epiphany

flat/round

motivation

Detail

Diction

connotation

denotation

idiom

vocabulary

Imagery

Mood

Plot

conflict

flashback

foreshadowing

suspense

Setting

Theme

Literary TechniquesCharacterization

direct

indirect

Literary FormsFiction

Parts of SpeechPhrases

Appositive

Infinitive

Prepositional

SentencesStructure

complex

compound

compound-complex

simple

Types (modes)Descriptive

Expository

analytical

comparison/contrast

Narrative

Persuasive

challenge

defend

Multiple ModeExpressive

Imaginative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audience

determination of purpose

generation of ideas

organization of ideas

Drafting

extended time

timed

Revision of Multiple Drafts

content

organization

precise diction

Editing

mechanics

sentence structure

usage

Structural ElementsIntroduction

thesis

Body

topic sentence

use of commentary

use of evidence

Conclusion

Style/VoiceImitation of Stylistic Models

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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Texts: The following novel and film contain most of the literary elements andtechniques that students will learn about during the unit; however, the teacher maychoose any similarly accessible, layered texts.

The Red Pony by John SteinbeckThe Black Stallion (film)

Week 1• “Getting to Know You” assignment: students bring to class a picture of themselves doing

something fun. At the beginning of class, students show their pictures and tell the story ofwhat is happening in the picture.

• Write a one-page description, in first person, of the place where the picture was taken.• Write a paragraph describing each person who was in the picture.• Review the role of detail and imagery in creating setting and characterization.• Transform the descriptions of the setting and characters into a third-person narrative. Include

plenty of details and images from all five senses. Add to the narrative something odd, weird,magical, or improbable that didn’t really happen. Finish the story in a way that makes sense,but avoid the “I woke up and it was all a dream” type of ending. Make sure that any conflictsin the story are resolved at the end.

• Review the “Freytag Pyramid” of plot structure, including exposition, inciting incident, risingaction, turning point, falling action, and resolution. Also review elements of plot such as con-flict, flashback, foreshadowing, and suspense.

• Illustrate the stories and have a “reading day” in which the stories are shared with the class.• Have class members plot the “Freytag Pyramid” for each story.• Pre-AP Assessment (Pretest)

Week 2• Discussion topic: Does life follow the “Freytag Pyramid?” Students may think of a dramatic

incident in their own lives or that of a person they know. They should try to plot the exposition,inciting incident, rising action, turning point, falling action, and resolution of the incident. Forexample, they might think of a time when they disobeyed their parents and got into trouble for it.

• Begin reading The Red Pony. Students should highlight setting details and images andanything that contributes to characterization. They should also note in the margins questionsand/or their own thoughts and insights that occur to them while reading the novel. Usingsticky notes, they should mark important events in the plot as they occur. Review the CloseReading Lesson: “Annotation.”

• Students will begin to write their own story modeled on The Red Pony. They should choosea similar-sounding title such as “The Purple Bulldozer” or “The Golden Retriever” or

“The Chartreuse Cat.” They will be imitating Steinbeck’s style as they write their own version of the book.

• Briefly review parts of speech, types of phrases, and sentence structure. Provide students witha handout defining and illustrating the parts of speech, types of phrases, and the four basicstructures of sentences for reference.

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• Students should imitate the style (diction, imagery, sentence structure, use of detail) of the first two paragraphs of the novel, creating new characters in place of Billy Buck and Jody.Share the new paragraphs with the class and discuss the ways in which they successfully orunsuccessfully imitated the style of the author.

• View the film The Black Stallion.• Timed writing assignment on The Black Stallion and the beginning of The Red Pony

Timed Writing Assignment: In literature, as in life, the characters often have an animalcompanion who means a great deal to them. Consider The Black Stallion and The Red Pony astwo examples of this kind of relationship. Compare Jody’s feelings about and interactions with the red pony and Alec’s with the stallion. Why are the horses so important and so special to these boys? How would you feel about owning a horse?

Week 3• Continue reading the novel. • Review aspects of characterization: i.e., antagonist/protagonist, dynamic/static, epiphany,

flat/round, motivation. Discuss each aspect of characterization in terms of the novel. Discussthe types of characterization, both direct and indirect.

• Discuss in class the characteristics of Steinbeck’s writing style (syntax, word choice, imagery,use of figurative language, etc.). Revise the style imitation assignment, working in pairs tomake the student’s style more closely match that of Steinbeck.

• Continue to write the style imitation story, using Steinbeck’s style but inventing your own plot.The story can be comic or tragic, but it must have all parts of the Freytag plot structure, plus adetailed setting and fully developed characterization.

• Work through one or more of the following close reading lessons:– “Maybe You CAN Judge a Book by Its Cover!” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)– “Sensory Appeals” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)– “The Three Levels of Reading” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)– “The Best Word for the Job” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)

Week 4• Finish the novel.• Have a “Three Levels of Reading” discussion with part of the class asking questions and the

others discussing the answers to the questions.• Work through the lesson “Uncovering Layers of Meaning” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson).• Write the ending of the style imitation story. Revise with classmates, adding imagery from all

five senses, comparisons, Steinbeck-style diction, and rich details.• “PAMDISS” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Origami House Project” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Journal Lesson: Developing Maturity” (Composition Lesson)• “Peeling Back the Layers – ‘An Open Heart’ ” (Close Reading Lesson)

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• Review/discuss types of conflict common in literature (see literary terms appendix for further information).

• “Pre-19th Century Literature” (Close Reading Lesson)

Week 5• “Tips for Timed Writing” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• One-page timed writing

Timed Writing Prompt: In the novel The Red Pony, Jody experiences an epiphany thatchanges the way he views the world. Discuss Jody’s epiphany, giving details from the novel thatillustrate your major points. Then think about the following statement: Jody’s painful epiphanyis the kind of experience that every person has to endure in order to mature. If you agree withthis statement, explain why. If you disagree, give your reasons for doing so.• Use a rubric to evaluate the timed writings of your classmates. Make sure there are at least

four readers for every paper. • “The Post-Mortem of a Protagonist” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)

Week 6• “Creating Effective Thesis Statements” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Creating Effective Topic Sentences” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Introductions and Conclusions” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• Write thesis statement for timed writing.• Write introduction for timed writing.• In class, using pre-written introduction, write a one and a half-to-two page handwritten

composition on the following topic. This may take one or two class periods, depending on thestudent’s level of skill.

• The essay can be teacher-scored or peer-evaluated, using a rubric like those found in the“Assessment” chapter of the Guide.

Timed Writing Prompt: Literary characters, like real people, are often torn between twodesires or obligations. Select a character from The Red Pony who has faced this type of conflict.In a well-organized essay, identify the two conflicting desires or obligations and explain howthis conflict reveals the theme of the work. Use details and short quotations from the novel toillustrate your major points. You may use your annotated and highlighted book to complete thisassignment. In your final paragraph, address this question: “In what ways does the novel teachthe reader something about life?”

• Make a character/setting/conflict/theme card on The Red Pony for your card file. List themain characters and label them as the protagonist/antagonist, flat or round, static or dynamic.Briefly list their character traits and appearance. Describe the setting of the novel succinctly.List the type of conflicts in the novel. Finally, note briefly the lessons about life you learnedfrom the book.

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Second Six WeeksMind Games: Tone and Theme

Unit Introduction: This unit will focus on internal conflicts that can distort a person’sperception, conflicts that can be found in a variety of stories, from “The Legend ofSleepy Hollow” to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, where characters become so absorbedin their beliefs that they lose contact with reality. Students will analyze the conflicts andbetter understand causes for misperception. They will examine the following generalizations about conflict:

• Conflict may be internal or external • Conflict is inevitable• Conflict can be negative or positive • Conflict can result in growth and/or change

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

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Close Reading Grammar Composition

Reading StrategiesAnnotationDetermining Author’s PurposeDetermining Main IdeaGeneralizationInferenceSeminar/DiscussionSummary

Literary ElementsArchetype

characterjourney of the herosetting

Characterantagonist/protagonistdynamic/staticepiphanyflat/roundmotivation

DetailDiction

connotationdenotationidiomvocabulary

ImageryMoodPlot

conflictflashbackforeshadowingsuspense

Point of Viewpersonperspective

SettingThemeTone

tone determined through diction, imagery, and detail

vocabulary associated with tone

MechanicsPunctuation

Parts of SpeechSentences

Structureloose/cumulativeperiodic

Analysis of a TextMeaning and Effect related to parts of

speech, phrases, clauses, and sentences

Types (modes)DescriptiveExpository

analyticalNarrative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audiencedetermination of purposegeneration of ideasorganization of ideas

Draftingextended timetimed

Revision of Multiple Draftscontentorganizationprecise diction

Editingmechanicssentence structureusage

Structural ElementsIntroduction

thesisBody

topic sentenceuse of commentaryuse of evidence

ConclusionStyle/Voice

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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Texts: The following texts contain most of the literary elements and techniques thatstudents will learn about during the unit; however, the teacher may choose any similarlyaccessible, layered texts.

Selected Poems and Tales by Edgar Allan Poe“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington IrvingThe Giver by Lois Lowry

Week 1• Review the effect of imagery, detail, diction, point of view, and syntax on tone.• “Peeling Back the Layers – ‘Blueflag’ ” (Close Reading Lesson)• Review TP-CASTT method of poetry analysis (in The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English).• Read one or more of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems. Small groups can examine different poems and

then discuss them with the class.• Practice TP-CASTT using the poems.• Class discussion: What is the attitude of the poet? Do you sympathize with or reject these

attitudes? Explain why.• Introduce/review tone vocabulary. Students can practice using tone vocabulary words by using

the vocabulary activities in The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English.• Review symbolism.• Students identify and interpret symbols in the poem. • Students create a symbol collage from the poem and write a short paper interpreting the poet’s

use of symbolism to reinforce theme.

Week 2• Read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” • Work through “Dialectical Journals” (Composition Foundation Lesson). Practice writing a

dialectical journal entry on setting, on conflict, on theme, on characterization, on symbolism,on suspense, on tone, or on other elements as identified by the teacher.

• Discuss the dialectical journals in small groups. Each group should write a summary of itsconclusions.

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Close Reading Grammar Composition

Literary TechniquesCharacterization

direct

indirect

Dialogue

Symbolism

Literary FormsFiction

Verse

Levels of Thinking continued

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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• Discuss aspects of characterization in the story. Who is the protagonist? The antagonist? Are the characters flat or round, static or dynamic? Does anyone in the story experience an epiphany? What are the motivations of the characters? Is Irving’s characterization direct or indirect?

• “Identifying and Writing Loose Sentences” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• Students should identify loose sentences in Irving’s work and also complete their own for

homework. • “Point of View” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• Write an account of the events in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” using the first person point

of view. Choose Ichabod Crane or one of the other characters to tell the story.

Week 3• Complete a KWL log (example follows) on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This exercise

will illustrate how a title, or even a subject you know a good deal about, can easily changewith one reading.

KWL LogWhat I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Have Learned

• As you fill in this chart, think about the first column. What do you know about the subject?Try to brainstorm as much as possible about the idea or item listed. You can use just fragmentsand phrases.

• The second column asks you to go a step further and think of the subject as a tool for futurelearning. What else would you like to know about this subject?

• The last column is an assessment of your close reading. What have you learned that differsfrom the first column?

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New England

Ghosts

Reality and Illusion

What I KNOW What I WANT to Know What I Have LEARNED

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• Mini-lesson reviewing adjective and adverbs• Characterization Exercise: Make a list of adjectives that describe Ichabod Crane throughout

the story. You can take the adjectives directly from the story or use those that are implied bythe story’s details. At the same time, keep a list of adverbs that describe his actions. How dothe connotations of the adjectives and adverbs Irving uses convey the author’s attitude towardIchabod Crane?

• Illustrate what you believe Ichabod Crane looks like, then write a paragraph describing him.Pay close attention to your selection of adjectives and adverbs in the paragraph you write, andmake sure the illustration reflects your chosen modifiers. The thesis statement of the paragraphshould identify the author’s attitude toward Ichabod Crane.

• Read “The Tell-Tale Heart,” or another Poe story, and do the same type of activities as with“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Small groups of students can read different Poe tales and dothe dialectical journals, KWL charts, loose sentence imitations, and the characterization exercise.

• “Putting It All Together – Tone Analysis Using ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ ”• Review the correct punctuation for dialogue.• Dramatize a scene from a Poe story for the class, recreating the scene by using a narrator

and dialogue. After the scene has been presented, discuss the tone the author takes toward his subjects.

• Timed Writing (one and a half-to-two pages; may take one or two class periods to complete)

Timed Writing Prompt: Choose one of the mysterious tales or poems you have read duringthis unit. Discuss the way in which the author uses language to create a sense of mystery. Youmay consult the text while you write.

Week 4• Introduce setting and character archetypes. Use information in “World Religions and

Archetypes” Composition Lesson.• Begin reading The Giver.• “Levels of Questions – ‘The Cutting of My Long Hair’ ” (Close Reading Lesson)• “Personal Archetype Project” (Composition Foundation Lesson)

Week 5• Continue to read The Giver.• Identify critical attributes of a comparison/contrast essay.• “Comparison/Contrast” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• Write a comparison/contrast essay. Choose one grammatical element to proofread for and one

stylistic element to revise. • Comparison/Contrast Essay

Essay Choice ADescribe how Ichabod Crane, in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is anarchetypal character, and compare him to other similar characters in other books you have reador films you have seen.

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Essay Choice BAnalyze the ways in which Poe uses language to create an archetypal setting in one or more ofhis stories. Then compare the archetypal settings in Poe’s stories to a similar setting in a bookyou have read or a film you have seen.

Week 6• Complete The Giver.• Discuss the setting, character, and “journey of the hero” archetypes in the novel.• Discuss possible themes in the novel.• Write an essay discussing the ways that archetypal elements advance the themes of The Giver. • “Writing Workshop” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• After a writing conference with the teacher, revise your essay to improve its style and content.

Polish the essay after you have revised it.

Just for Fun• Creative Projects: The Giver lends itself to a large variety of activities for assessment. The

following are two project options.– Create a ceremony of “8” for your class. Divide into groups and decide what jobs you will

need in high school. Who will be the Reminder? Who can be the Cheerer? Who can be theOrganizer? Who will be the Studier? What other jobs will your class need as you make thetransition to a new school?

– Choose one of your family members to be a Giver and a Receiver. Who would you chooseand why? You can write an essay explaining your choices. You can make a poster for eachperson listing his or her “Giver” and “Receiver” qualities.

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Third Six WeeksWriting the Self: Memory, Voice, and Style

Unit Introduction: The center of this unit is the reflection on childhood experiences and their relation to the universal experience of growing up. Students will reflect on theirown internal conflicts by analyzing a wide variety of writings by authors who use as asubject their own “growing up” experiences. From this study and reflection, studentswill have an opportunity to explore ways of dealing with personal conflict.

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

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Close Reading Grammar Composition

Reading StrategiesAnnotation

Determining Author’s Purpose

Determining Main Idea

Generalization

Inference

Seminar/Discussion

Literary ElementsCharacter

Detail

Diction

Imagery

Mood

Plot

Point of View

person

perspective

Setting

Theme

Tone

tone determined through diction,

imagery, and detail

vocabulary associated with tone

Literary TechniquesCharacterization

Dialogue

Figures of SpeechSound DevicesLiterary Forms

Nonfiction

Verse

UsagePredicate Nominatives/Adjectives

Parts of SpeechPhrases

Appositive

Gerund

Infinitive

Participial

Prepositional

ClausesDependent/Subordinate

Independent

SentencesStructure

complex

compound

compound-complex

simple

Sentence VarietySentence Beginnings

Syntax TechniquesOmission

asyndeton

Parallelism

Polysyndeton

Repetition

Reversal

inverted order (inversion)

Types (modes)Descriptive

Narrative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audience

determination of purpose

generation of ideas

organization of ideas

Drafting

extended time

timed

Revision of Multiple Drafts

content

organization

precise diction

Editing

mechanics

sentence structure

usage

Style/VoiceExperimentation with Sentence Variety

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Selection of Detail

Selection of Vocabulary

Use of Figures of Speech

Use of Literary Elements

Use of Literary Techniques

Use of Sound Devices

Use of Various Sentence Openings

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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Texts: The following texts are accessible, layered works that are suitable vehicles forteaching the skills targeted for this unit. However, any quality works with similar themesmay be substituted for the ones below.

Novel/Memoir: The House on Mango Street by Sandra CisnerosPoems: “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

“Salvation” by Langston Hughes“My Mother Pieced Quilts” by Teresa Paloma Acosta“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke

Film: Rocket Boys or My Girl

Week 1• Begin The House on Mango Street, annotating passages that enhance characterization, tone,

and theme.• “Character Analysis –‘Edna’s Ruthie’ from The House on Mango Street” (Close Reading

Lesson)• “Text Analysis – ‘Geraldo No Last Name’ from The House on Mango Street” (Close Reading

Lesson)

Week 2• Finish The House on Mango Street.• Spend several days discussing the book, using the three levels of questioning technique and a

format where half of the students ask all three types of questions while the other half of theclass responds to the questions and discusses the ideas in the book. The teacher should notenter the discussion but should record student questions and responses. On the second day, thequestioner participants should exchange roles with the discussion participants.

• Research a Neighborhood Project: In small groups, write and produce a documentary film on the history, inhabitants, art and other cultural elements of your own neighborhood or aninteresting neighborhood nearby. Interview the residents, film interesting buildings, create asense of its atmosphere.

Week 3• Read and discuss with the class several poems about memory and the self. Use the TP-CASTT

or TWIST method (in the AP Vertical Teams Guide for English) to help you interpret the poems.• Review literary devices and techniques connected with poetry (especially figures of speech

and sound devices).• “Strategies for Interpreting Poetry” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Sound Devices” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Charting the Direction of a Poem” (Close Reading Lesson)• After studying “My Mother Pieced Quilts,” complete a poetry analysis of another poem

that concerns memories and the self. Then write your own poem about a memory that hasinfluenced you deeply.

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Week 4• View several scenes from the films Rocket Boys and My Girl.• Discuss with your classmates the images, details, and special words (diction) that create the

tone of one of the scenes in the film.• Discuss the effect of music and lighting on the tone of the scenes.• Discuss the themes of the film clips. What do the experiences of the characters teach you

about life?• With a partner or in a small group, make a short videotape depicting a vivid childhood

memory. Use lighting, music, images, details, and diction (narration and dialogue) to createa certain tone in your film. If you do not have access to a video camera, use a still camera to take pictures in a sequence, pictures that represent a childhood memory. Show the photos toyour classmates and use music and narration to create tone.

Week 5• Begin to brainstorm and prewrite for a multi-draft descriptive essay about a memory that

haunts you or inspires you. • Review sentence structure by working through several of the following lessons

– “Sentence Structure Basics” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)– “Sentence Variations” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)– “The Poetry of Phrases” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)– “Creating Metaphors with Predicate Nominatives” (Grammar Lesson Grade Eight)

• Using first person point of view, write a draft of your descriptive essay.• With a writing partner, revise your first draft using the techniques in the “Filling in the

Blanks” lesson (Composition Foundation Lesson)

Week 6• Revise your draft again (with a partner) using “Style and Voice Workshop” (Composition

Foundation Lesson).• Produce a polished draft of your essay. Take some time to make an illustrated cover sheet for

it. Share it with your teacher during a writing conference.• Complete a “PAMDISS” analysis of your essay.

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Fourth Six WeeksTaking a Stand: History and Argumentation

Unit Introduction: This unit centers on internal and external conflicts as students exam-ine literature from an historical and philosophical perspective. The goal of this unit is forstudents to see that many thinkers have taken stands on issues and have dealt with theconflicts that resulted. Through reading works like “Man without a Country” by E. E.Hale, students will discover that, though taking a stand may seem easy, it often requiresgreat courage. Techniques of argumentation will be the cornerstones of the skills prac-ticed during this unit.

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

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Developing a Syllabus

Close Reading Grammar Composition

Reading StrategiesAnnotation

Determining Author’s Purpose

Determining Main Idea

Generalization

Inference

Seminar/Discussion

Literary ElementsDetail

Diction

Imagery

Tone

Figures of Speech Sound Devices Literary Techniques

Allusion

Argumentation

cause/effect

classification

comparison/contrast

deductive/inductive

reasoning

emotional appeals

ethical appeals

logical appeals

Irony

situational

verbal

sarcasm

Symbolism

Literary FormsFiction

Nonfiction

Elements of ResearchEthics of Research

Evaluation of Sources

Use of Print Sources

Use of the Internet

Syntax TechniquesOmission

asyndeton

Parallelism

Polysyndeton

Repetition

Reversal

inverted order (inversion)

Types (modes)Expository

research-based

Persuasive/Argumentative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audience

determination of purpose

generation of ideas

organization of ideas

selection of topic

Drafting

extended time

timed

Revision of Multiple Drafts

Editing

Structural ElementsBody

incorporation of quotes

use of commentary

use of evidence

Style/VoiceExperimentation with Sentence Variety

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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Texts: The following texts are accessible, layered works that are suitable vehicles forteaching the skills targeted for this unit. However, any quality works with similar themesmay be substituted for the ones below.

Short Story: “Man without A Country” by Edward Everett HalePoems: “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“O Captain, My Captain” by Walt Whitman“The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes

Nonfiction: Selected American nonfiction from the Revolutionary EraThe Declaration of IndependenceThe Preamble to the Constitution

Novel: My Brother Sam Is Dead by James L. and Christopher Collier

Week One: • Begin reading My Brother Sam Is Dead. Highlight and annotate important plot elements,

aspects of characterization, and setting, and significant images and details.• Historical Fiction Research: Delve into the history of the Revolutionary War era. Choose

from the list your teacher gives you regarding a mini-topic on a person or event from theAmerican Revolution. Spend a few days in the library soaking up information about your topic – consult books, subject encyclopedias, on-line databases, and general encyclopedias.Learn how to keep a list of sources and how to document them accurately in MLA style.

Week Two• Continue reading My Brother Sam Is Dead.• Write a short story based on one aspect of the American Revolution that includes fifteen or

twenty accurate facts that you have gleaned from your research. After writing the story, list thetexts you consulted while doing your research. Format the list in MLA style.

• Read several poems based on an historical event from the Revolutionary War period. Lookclosely at the diction, imagery, detail, point of view, and types of sentences used in the poems.Using the TP-CASTT or TWIST method of analysis from the AP Vertical Teams Guide forEnglish, try to determine the tone(s) and theme(s) of the poems. Then write a substantialparagraph about each poem, describing how the poet has used language techniques to affectthe reader emotionally.

• Poetry Project – Choose one of the poems you have read and copy its style, choosing as yoursubject a recent (within the last ten years) news event (for example, the Persian Gulf War orthe 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Towers). Imitate the style and linguistic choices of thepoet whose work you chose. Try to use the same types of figurative language that the originalauthor does.

• Conclude reading of My Brother Sam Is Dead.• “Using Quotations Effectively” (Composition Foundation Lesson)

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• Outside of class, look through your book and choose three quotes that you felt were significantor particularly interesting. Write a one-to-two page essay explaining how these three quotationsilluminated the theme of the book for you – in other words, what did you learn about lifebecause of these words?

• Turn in your annotated and highlighted book for evaluation by your teacher.

Week Three• “Interpreting Appeals – ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ ” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Analyzing an Argument” (Close Reading Lesson)• “Analysis of Rhetoric – Persuasion and Argumentation” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• Review sound devices and figures of speech.• Review literary techniques like irony, symbolism, etc.• Read several speeches and/or political documents from the Early American and Revolutionary

War periods. After reading carefully to determine the literal meaning of the texts, participate in a discussion with a small group of your classmates to analyze the ways that the authors ofthe texts used literary devices and rhetorical techniques to persuade their audiences. Write asubstantial paragraph for each speech or document explaining how the author used language toinfluence the audience of the piece.

Week Four• “Fact or Opinion and Author’s Purpose” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Finding Patterns and Contrasts” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Persuasive Appeals” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)• “Learning Advanced Syntax Techniques” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• “Irony and Sarcasm” (Composition Reading Lesson)• “Irony” (Close Reading Foundation Lesson)

Week Five• “Using Logical, Emotional, and Ethical Appeals” (Composition Lesson)• “Challenge, Request, Defend” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Writing the Argumentative Essay” (Composition Foundation Lesson)• “Creating an Argument” (Composition Lesson)• “Using Concession and Counterargument” (Composition Foundation Lesson)

Week Six• Read and discuss “The Man without a Country.” • Using the argumentative techniques you have learned about during this six weeks, plan and

construct an argument addressing the following prompt.

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Argumentative Essay Prompt: In “The Man without a Country,” a young man makes amistake that he regrets for the rest of his life and for which he is punished in an unusual way.With this story in mind, defend or challenge one of the following ideas: “People learn lifelessons best through intense suffering” or “The best punishment is one that fits the crime.” Usedetails and ideas from the story, from your own observation, and from your experience assupport for your argument.

• Workshop the draft of your paper with your classmates, using one of the writing workshop orrevision lessons in the Guide.

• Transform your argumentative paper into a speech, written in the first person.• Practice and perform your speech in front of the class. Vote on the most effective speech.

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Fifth Six Weeks: The Writer’s Craft: Literary Devices and Techniques

Unit Introduction: During this unit, students will concentrate on the art of interpretingliterature through a study of literary devices and techniques and the craft of using literarydevices and techniques in their own writing.

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

Texts: Any works of literary merit may be substituted for the suggested texts below.The October Country by Ray BradburyFilm: Something Wicked This Way ComesWitches’ speech from Macbeth by William ShakespeareThe poetry of Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson

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Developing a Syllabus

Close Reading Grammar Composition

Reading StrategiesAnnotation

Determining Author’s Purpose

Determining Main Idea

Generalization

Inference

Seminar/Discussion

Literary ElementsDetail

Diction

Imagery

Theme

Tone

tone determined through diction,

imagery, and detail

vocabulary associated with tone

Figures of SpeechSound DevicesLiterary Forms

Fiction

Verse

UsagePronoun/Antecedent Agreement

PhrasesAppositive

Gerund

Infinitive

Prepositional

Participial

ClausesDependent/Subordinate

Independent

Types (modes)Expository

analytical

Narrative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audience

determination of purpose

generation of ideas

organization of ideas

Drafting

extended time

timed

Revision of Multiple Drafts

content

organization

precise diction

Editing

mechanics

sentence structure

usage

Style/VoiceExperimentation with Sentence Variety

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Selection of Detail

Selection of Vocabulary

Use of Figures of Speech

Use of Literary Elements

Use of Literary Techniques

Use of Sound Devices

Use of Various Sentence Openings

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

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Week One• Review parts of speech, types of phrases.• Read several poems by Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Choose the ones that involve the

more frightening aspects of nature.• Work through the “Diction Analysis through Grammar Study – ‘The Witch’” lesson, using

some of the Dickinson and Frost poems for practice (Grammar Foundation Lesson).• Analyze the poems by examining their diction, imagery, detail, point of view, and syntax. Try

to determine the tone(s) and theme(s) of the poems.• Write a poem imitating the style of either Dickinson or Frost.

Week Two• Begin reading the stories in The October Country.• Discuss each story, using the three levels of questioning technique and the “fishbowl” or

“Quaker Reading” discussion structure described in the AP Vertical Teams Guide for English.• “So You Want to Be an Author?” (Composition Foundation Lesson)

Week Three• Continue reading and discussing the short stories.• View the film Something Wicked This Way Comes.• Timed writing on the film (one day to discuss the prompt in class, one day to write the thesis

statement and gather evidence, one day to write the paper).

Timed Writing Assignment: Some works of literature explore the relationship between realityand illusion. Analyze the way in which this subject is explored in the film and in one of theshort stories you have read.

• Score timed writings in class by using a rubric.

Week Four• “Understanding Shakespeare – ‘When icicles hang by the wall’ ” (Close Reading Lesson)• Read and analyze the witches’ speech from Macbeth, from which the title of the film is derived.• Essay assignment on Shakespeare

Essay Prompt: Some works of literature and film include important allusions to literaryclassics. Consider the film Something Wicked This Way Comes and the Shakespearean speechfrom which its title is derived. Write an essay analyzing the ways in which the speech and the film are related through the allusion.

• Brainstorm ideas for your paper with a partner.• Write and refine a thesis statement.• Choose quotations from the film and from the speech to use as evidence.• Draft the paper.

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Week Five• Revise the introduction to the paper, using one of the strategies suggested in “Introductions

and Conclusions” (Composition Foundation Lesson).• Look carefully at the thesis statement of your paper. Revise it, using the guidelines in

“Creating Effective Thesis Statement” (Composition Foundation Lesson).• Review the topic sentence of each paragraph. Revise it using the guidelines in “Creating

Effective Topic Sentences” (Composition Foundation Lesson).• Workshop your paper with a classmate, using the “Filling In the Blanks,” “Writing

Workshop,” or “Revision and Editing Strategies” lessons for guidance (CompositionFoundation Lessons).

• Read additional stories in The October Country.• From the stories choose several sentences that you feel are especially carefully or beautifully

crafted by the author. Familiarize yourself with the grammatical elements of each sentence.Find the independent and dependent clauses. Also identify gerund, prepositional, appositive,participial, and infinitive phrases. Using the overhead, lead your classmates through an exercisein which they imitate the style of the sentences.

Week Six• Finalize the draft of your paper on allusion. With your classmates, and using several of the

rubrics in the assessment section of the Guide as models, make up a rubric with which yourpaper will be scored. Type your essay, then take it home and ask one or both of your parents toread through it and assess the paper using the class rubric.

• “Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement” (Grammar Lesson)• Killgallon lesson (Grammar Lesson)• “Putting It All Together – ‘A Mother in Manville’ ”

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Sixth Six WeeksThe Drama of Life

Unit Introduction: During this six weeks, the class will examine philosophicalquestions and their relationship to literature. Class members will also reflect on theirexperiences during the school year and assess their progress as writers.

Skill Focus: Selected from the eighth grade Skill Progression Chart

Texts:Night by Elie WeiselThe Diary of Anne Frank (play)The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant (or another accessible philosophy overview)

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Close Reading Grammar Composition

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

Reading StrategiesAnnotation

Determining Author’s Purpose

Determining Main Idea

Generalization

Inference

Seminar/Discussion

Literary ElementsDetail

Diction

Imagery

Theme

Tone

tone determined through diction,

imagery, and detail

vocabulary associated with tone

Figures of SpeechSound DevicesLiterary Forms

Drama

Nonfiction

Elements of ResearchEthics of Research

Evaluation of Sources

Use of Print Sources

Use of the Internet

Parts of SpeechPhrases

Appositive

Gerund

Infinitive

Participial

Prepositional

ClausesDependent/Subordinate

Independent

SentencesStructure

complex

compound

compound-complex

periodic

simple

Analysis of a TextMeaning and Effect related to parts of

speech, phrases, clauses, and sentences

Types (modes)Expository

analytical

research-based

Narrative

The Process of CompositionPrewriting

consideration of audience

determination of purpose

generation of ideas

organization of ideas

Drafting

extended time

timed

Revision of Multiple Drafts

content

organization

precise diction

Editing

mechanics

sentence structure

usage

Style/VoiceExperimentation with Sentence Variety

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Selection of Detail

Selection of Vocabulary

Use of Figures of Speech

Use of Literary Elements

Use of Literary Techniques

Use of Sound Devices

Use of Various Sentence Openings

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Week One• Download from the Internet and print a black and white photograph that depicts a scene

involving concentration camps in WWII. Using the lesson “A Moment in Time” (CompositionFoundation Lesson), interpret the photograph. Ask your teacher to make an overhead trans-parency of your picture. Share your conclusions about meaning with your classmates in a brieforal presentation.

• Begin reading Night.• Choose a research topic about the Holocaust for a mini-research project.• Spend several days in the library researching your topic.• Make a poster about the subject of your topic. Document the sources you used in MLA format.

Week Two• Show your posters to your classmates and give a brief oral report over the topic you chose.• Complete Night. Hold a “fishbowl” discussion using the three levels of questioning.• “Parts of Speech, Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• “Philosophy Cards” (Composition Lesson)• “Research Lesson” (Composition Lesson)• Begin research assignment in lesson above OR choose the alternate assignment.

Alternate Research Assignment: Research one of the philosophers you learned about through the Philosophy Cards lesson. Find out about the philosopher’s life and major ideas.Then choose one of the works of literature your class has studied this year and show howone of the philosopher’s ideas pertains to this work.

Week Three• Read the play version of The Diary of Anne Frank. Choose parts and read the play out loud. • After each act of the play, hold a “fishbowl” discussion using the three levels of questioning.• “Subordination Techniques” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• “Revision Workshop” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• Complete the timed writing assignment below.

Timed Writing Assignment: Even though Anne Frank’s life was brief, it had a lasting impacton the world because so many thousands of people read her account of growing up during the Holocaust. What do you think Anne would have been like as an adult? Pretend that Annesurvived her experience in the concentration camp. Writing a diary entry of one page or more,take on Anne’s voice and relate what happened to her after the war was over.

Week Four• Continue the research assignment. Spend several days in the library finding information about

your topic. Copy or print the information and use a highlighter to mark important facts thatyou might want to use in your paper.

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• Use a graphic organizer or “webbing” strategy to map out the organization of your paper. In the center, write your thesis. Then “web” the thesis with the main ideas of each of yourbody paragraphs. Finally, fill in details, examples, and quotations that you want to use in eachbody paragraph.

• “Sentence Strategies” (Grammar Foundation Lesson)• “Writer’s Workshop” (Composition Foundation Lesson)

Week Five• Write the introductory paragraph of your research assignment. Use one of the strategies in

the “Introductions and Conclusions” lesson. End your paragraph with a strong, focused thesisstatement.

• Write the body paragraphs of your research assignment. Make sure you are writing a strongtopic sentence for each paragraph and that all of the information and commentary in thatparagraph is linked to the topic sentence.

• Workshop your introductions and body paragraphs by using the “Writing Workshop,” “FillingIn the Blanks,” and/or “Style and Voice Workshop” as a model.

• Write the conclusion of your paper.

Week Six• Edit the parts of your paper for mechanics and grammar usage. • Submit a clean copy of the paper to your teacher for evaluation.• Have a “reading day” where you exchange papers with your classmates, reading and com-

menting on each other’s work.• End of Year Evaluation (post-test)

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