YES Prep Public SchoolsEnglish I 2016-2017

Course Leader: Emily SkibaContent Specialists: Emily Skiba and Marissa Morris

Content Director: Emily Shisler

Unit 1: The Best Laid Plans… John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

Unit Overview & Goals Throughout this unit, students will grapple with a YES Prep Think and Act that they have read and repeated since middle school: Should the strong take care of the weak? If so, how? Underneath this umbrella of “strength” and “weakness,” students will consider specifically who is strong and weak in Depression-era American society and how the definitions of “strength” and “weakness” have evolved in modern-day society. Students will also consider the role of the disabled, women, and African Americans in both modern and historical contexts. Finally, George and Lennie’s dream will be compared and contrasted with the American Dream. As George and Lennie’s plans unfold, students repeatedly consider the questions, “Who gets power?” and “Who is the American Dream for?”

This text is the perfect intersection of innocence and cynicism, which, as those of you who have instructed ninth graders before know, describes the juxtaposition of the ninth grade mind. As the title suggests, “‘the best laid plans of mice and men can,’ and do, ‘go awry.’ George and Lennie are doomed from the start because of Lennie’s fatal flaw — he is developmentally disabled and therefore incapable of bringing the dream to fruition — but his naïveté also allows both him and George to pursue the dream. Lennie’s innocence permits George to believe that the dream might be attainable” (Hickey, Masterplots). In addition to its thematic merits, the text, written at a 630 Lexile, is accessible to nearly all ninth grade readers. It’s brevity in the novella form also sets the tone for ninth grade reading: we will begin texts, we will process them both independently and collectively, and we will finish those texts we begin.

To deepen the reading experience for ninth graders, this unit is supplemented by a variety of pieces. For one, teachers will use excerpts from the graphic nonfiction text The Forgotten Man to improve students’ nonfiction readiness skills and deepen their understanding of the Great Depression. Likewise, students will grapple with some

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expository nonfiction on the topic of “mercy killings,” connecting what they read to the death of Candy’s dog and, in the end, of Lennie. Additionally, students will also work with poetry, which is a tested genre on the Trimester 1 Common Assessment. The poems that students will work with are thematically complex and use some antiquated language. This will push students to consciously employ comprehension strategies while they read.

Through their reading of the rich 9th grade classic text Of Mice and Men, students are invited to notice, infer, analyze, and evaluate plot elements, literary devices, character development and relationships, and development of theme. Students must demonstrate their understanding through multiple choice, discussion, and literary analysis (open-ended response paragraphs and a full length essay). Students will be held accountable for mechanics instruction through authentic writing and multiple choice assessment, while SAT vocabulary and vocabulary in context will be assessed on bi-weekly quizzes. By the time students begin 9th grade, they will have some understanding of the majority of T1 objectives at the “identify” level, so each lesson should scaffold students to analyze and evaluate the author’s use of language. The unit will conclude with a variety of summative assessments—a processed literary analysis paper, a unit exam, and a Socratic discussion.

Unit Essential Questions & Enduring UnderstandingsUnit Essential Question:Should the strong take care of the weak?

Guiding Questions Who is the American Dream for? Who gets power?

Supplemental Texts and ResourcesVisuals

Photography of the Great Depression Euthanasia Pets v. Humans Cartoon

Film Of Mice and Men, film (Netflix) PBS Documentary “The Dust Bowl”

Nonfiction The Forgotten Man by Amity Shales New York Times , “Ohio Man’s Shooting of Ailing Wife Raises Questions About ‘Mercy Killings’”

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“I’m not a tart”--Curley’s wife as a complex character

Poetry “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns “Strong Men” by Sterling Brown

Recommended Independent Reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1180L) The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (1010L) Wonder by R.J. Palacios (790L)

Recommended Technology Resources for English I: NoRedInk.com: This site caters grammar practice to students ability and interest. Highly engaging for students and aligned to STAAR

editing objectives. ClassDojo: This app helps teachers manage parent communication, tracks homework completion, and has a “randomize” function

that is great for cold calling. Weebly . Great for webquests to build background knowledge and launch a unit. NewsELA : This news sites allows students or teachers to self-adjust the passage for appropriate Lexile. Poll Everywhere. Depending on your campus cell phone policy, you may want to experiment with this cell-phone friendly site that

gets student input and presents it graphically. Nearpod . This site offers pre-made lessons on reading and writing topics that students can explore at their own pace. Kahoot . This site allows students to use their cell phones to answer multiple choice style questions (and tracks their progress.) Great

for review games! Raise the level of rigor by having students explain and support answers prior to submitting a response. If they can’t provide the correct explanation or strong evidence, they don’t get points.

GoogleDocs. All students can access Microsoft Word through Google Docs, word processing their writing using a variety of technology and sharing it with you for instant feedback.

Teachers interested in a more-detailed explication of “the how” of English I instruction are welcome to check out “Major Instructional Strategies” for more information.

Assessment OverviewFormative Assessments Standards AssessedAnnotations

Chapter 1 (Benchmark) Chapter 3 Chapter 5

1.19

Vocabulary Quizzes List 1 Lists 1-3 Lists 1-5

1.1(A)

Mechanics Quizzes, Applied Practice Writing Selections 1 and 6 (Benchmark)

1.13(C), 1.13(D), 1.17(A)ii, 1.17(C), 1.18(A), 3.23(A)i

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Writing Selection 5 Writing Selection 2

Reading MC, Applied Practice Reading Selection 2 (Chapter 1) (Benchmark) Reading Selection 3 (Chapter 2) Reading Selection 5 (Chapter 4) Reading Selection 6 (Chapter 5)

1.1(B), 1.2(A), 1.2(C), 1.5(A), 1.5(B), 1.6(A), 1.8(A), 1.9(A), 1.9(D),

Single Selection OERs Chapter 2, Characterization: Curley’s Wife “Strong Men”

1.15(C)

Crossover OER: Chapter 6: “Mercy Killings”

1.15(C), 1.9(D)

Low-Stakes Writing: Lennie’s Obituary include 2 accurately embedded quotes from OMAM explain George’s motivation for murder answer the question: should the strong take care of the weak? use 4 vocabulary words correctly

1.15(A)

Expository Essay (Optional): Students will respond to the following prompt, using Of Mice and Men as evidence in one of the two body paragraphs: Should the strong take care of the weak?

1.15(A)

Unit Assessments (Summative Assessments) Standards AssessedMid-Unit Assessment: Students will read a fiction selection from Of Mice and Men, an expository essay on “The Dispossessed of the Great Depression,” and an advertisement. They will answer multiple choice questions on the passages individually and on intertextual connections between the texts.

1.1(B), 1.2(A), 1.2(C), 1.5(A), 1.5(B), 1.6(A), 1.8(A), 1.9(A), 1.9(D), 1.12(A)

Unit 1 Exam: Students will answer multiple choice questions on the expository piece “Progress” by Michael Demschak, the poem “Hero” by Siegfried Sassoon, and a fiction excerpt “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier. Students will also answer a crossover OER question about the similarities between the narrator of “Progress” and the young girl in “Marigolds,” as well as a single-selection OER question about conflict in “Hero.”

1.1(A), 1.1(B), 1.2(A), 1.2(C), 1.5(A), 1.5(B), 1.6(A), 1.8(A), 1.9(A), 1.9(D), 1.12(A), 1.13(C), 1.13(D), 1.17(A)ii, 1.17(C), 1.18(A), 3.23(A)i

Socratic Seminar: Students will engage in at least one formal and prepared Socratic discussion over the unit essential questions, “Should the strong take care of the weak?” and “Who gets power?”

1.24(A)

Calendar:Week 1

Week One Focus/Lens: Students will gain familiarity with the historical context of Of Mice and Men. They will begin engaging with the text with clear annotation expectations for both inside and outside of the classroom. MondayShould the strong take care of the weak?TEKS 1.19: SWBAT make and support inferences

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“To a Mouse” by Robert BurnsOutput: Post-it Prediction DO FIRST (30)

o Independent Reading. Initiate independent reading procedure by connecting to summer reading, booktalking popular grade level texts, visiting the library, or allowing small groups of students to visit the classroom library. Here is an example of a booktalk.

o Routines and Procedures. Consider the following questions and how you will want to address them with students over the course of the next week. Teachers may also wish to share a syllabus with students, administer a student survey, or give students an opportunity to apply for classroom jobs.

Teacher Note: Team English strongly recommends against taking a whole (or two) instructional days to teach procedures and believes that students learn these lessons best in small, contextualized chunks. The Do First will be extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes this first week to allow for R&P instruction, classroom teambuilders, student surveys, syllabus overviews, and other BOY logistics.

PRE (35) o Think, Pair, Share: Should the strong take care of the weak?

Teacher Note: If you themed your summer reading with this question, consider a possible extension: Mini-discussion based on the summer reading text the student selected.

Who were the “strong” characters in your text? What made them strong? Who were the “weak” characters in your text? What made them weak? Did the “strong’ and the “weak” ever switch roles? When? Should the strong take care of the weak, or would something else be better?

o Preview in-text vocabulary: bitter, dreary, theft, mortal, plough, timorous, awry, vain, keen, dominion Teacher note: Use supplementary PowerPoint. Use “Stoplight” Method—Green=words freshmen should probably know,

yellow=words they can use pictures or word parts to figure out, red=words to fast-track because freshmen probably don’t know the word.

o Frame the reading. The first unit of the year, we are going to be reading the book Of Mice and Men. It’s an interesting title, but the author, John Steinbeck, didn’t actually make it up. He borrowed the title from a famous poem, called “To a Mouse.” By reading this poem, we can already predict where this novel might take us. Alright, let’ start basic. Who is this poem written to? [A mouse]. Good. And the speaker of the poem is a farmer. What do you imagine the relationship between farmers and mice usually looks like? If kids come up blank, feel free to show them this gross (but engaging!) video of a mice infestation on a farm.

o Model reading process with first two stanzas. 1) Read and enjoy (whole poem) 2) Stop and hashtag summarize (every two paragraphs/stanzas) #whatjusthappened? 3) Notice, Name, Explain (twice/text)

Teacher Note: If you have a doc camera, put a clean copy of “To a Mouse” under the doc cam to show students live the annotation you make during your model. If you do not have a document camera, you can annotate a copy, take a picture of it, and then project the picture of your annotation. Lastly, you can also project the Word document version of the essay, and annotate on the white board as you go.

Say: I’m going to reread the first two stanzas of the poem aloud, and annotate them as I go. Please watch how I annotate and mark your own sheets—if I write it, you write it. The first thing I try to do is understand what’s literally going on; I use #summaries and looking up unfamiliar vocabulary to help me with that. The farmer says he doesn’t want to chase the mouse with a “murdering plough-staff.” What’s a plough again? What does the farmer almost do that he feels bad for? Ok, let’s #summarize. “#nearfatalaccident. Now I’m going to dig deeper and start to analyze. Although there are a lot of challenging words in these first two stanzas, a really basic word stands out to me. The farmer says “sorry.” He’s apologizing for something, but what? What is he apologizing for? For “man’s dominion” breaking “nature’s social union.” What’s dominion? Union? So, he’s apologizing on behalf of man for breaking

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natural bonds. Thinking about this in the context of the guiding question, the farmer is strong, and apologizing to the “weak” mouse who he’s about to hurt. So, ultimately, my annotation is: Farmer, the stronger character, surprisingly apologizes to the weaker mouse. To zoom this out, my deeper annotation included three steps:

o NOTICE something interesting about the text: the word sorryo NAME what is happening: an apologyo explain the EFFECT of this element of the text: establishes the farmer as strong and the mouse as weak, and

the farmer feels guilty about his power DURING (20)

o Poetry Reading Process Read once for literal meaning, adding 3 more #summaries Read a second time for inferential meaning, adding 2 more NNEs Read a third time to connect to theme/big picture: Answer SRQs

POST (15) o Table discussion over E level questionso Exit ticket: What can you predict about what will happen in the anchor text, Of Mice and Men, simply by knowing the title?

Homework: Logistical Items only (sign syllabus, bring book money, etc.) TuesdayWhat is the Great Depression? TEKS 1.2(C) and 1.9(D): SWBAT determine main ideas and important details of context texts to better understand the historical context of Of Mice and Men Output: Great Depression Metaphor Teacher Note: A sample PPT for today is available. Also, campuses with access to laptop carts on this day may want to make a webquest on Weebly to allow students to explore these same topics electronically. DO FIRST (30)

o Independent Reading o Routines and Procedures

PRE (25) o Explain that today, students will create a mind map that synthesizes the background information, biography, and context for the

anchor text. Teacher may want to model setting up the mind map underneath a document camera (writing Great Depression in the center and the major threads of the day’s lesson in each of the four corners of the 8 ½ x 11 page).

o Start by allowing students to engage in a Gallery Walk using Photography of the Great De-pression and images from The Forgotten Man graphic novel. Students will respond to the im-ages using #whathappened hashtags.

Teacher Note: Give a non-example and an example of a strong hashtag, or pre-write some hashtags on each of the posters to model appropriate responses. Tell students they should use the same rules they would use on their own Instagram account—keep the hashtags short and make them relevant.

o Show students this video clip (John Green talking about the Great Depression, from 0:00-5:00). Ask them to add notes to their mind map about the Great Depression based on what they hear in the video. Consider pausing the video three times to encourage students to add to their mind maps at that point.

o Read aloud to students the essay on migrant workers (see today’s nonfiction context reading)

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and model the expectations they will have during their own reading. (Use the doc cam, or project onto the board and annotate with dry-erase marker). This should be a snappy model, incorporating #summaries and noticing important details and quotations.

DURING (30)o Students should form pairs (based on table groupings, shoe color, etc.). One partner reads and annotates “Women and Sexuality”

and the other partner reads and annotates “Racism in the 1920s and 1930s.” o Once students have read & annotated these background texts, they will share with each other about what they have learned:

2 hashtag summaries 3 quotes they noticed that were really important to understanding this author and/or his time period

o Students choose one more article to read and add to their own mind maps. They should read independently and add notes to their mind maps as they go.

Teacher Note: There are 3 varying levels of difficulty in this articles. The article about Intellectual Disabilities is the easiest, the Steinbeck biography is middle, and the economics article is the most challenging. Students should pick articles based on interest, but you might also want to guide students according to ability. Make about 15 copies of each article so there are plenty of copies for students to choose from. Use these articles as class sets (students do not write on these articles; they take notes onto their mind maps)

o After ensuring that all students have gotten started, teachers should use this time to work with students one on one. You could pull students to listen to them read and then ask comprehension questions on the article. You can also circulate to check in with students about their annotations.

POST (10) o In the center of the Mind Map, Individuals students create a metaphor to describe The Great Depression

Define metaphor (compares something tangible to something intangible) On the board, make a t-chart. Tangible=things you can touch. Brainstorm brief list of tangibles. Intangible=things you can’t

touch or see. Brainstorm brief list of intangibles. The Great Depression=the intangible. The Great Depression is like a deadly illness because it seemed impossible to recover

from. The Great Depression is ________________________ because ________________________.

If time allows, students can illustrate this metaphor on their Mind Maps. Homework: Logistical Items only (sign syllabus, bring book money, etc.) WednesdayWhy vocabulary?TEKS 1.1(A) and 1.2(B): SWBAT determine the meaning of a word using context and manipulate its parts of speech List 9.1Output: OMAM SRQsTeacher Note: Teachers who have a campus culture days on Monday and Tuesday may want to push vocabulary to Week 2. Then, they can conduct an abbreviated Day 1 lesson, building historical context, on Wednesday and use Monday’s flex time to get caught up in Of Mice and Men. DO FIRST (30)

o Independent Reading o Routines and Procedures

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary using a personal anecdote, an engaging video, or this non-fiction article.o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

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o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word

POST (10) o Practice:

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students complete low-stakes writing using vocabulary. Prompt: Summarize your last few years in middle school using the

new vocabulary words. Teacher Note: Campuses that do not dismiss early on Wednesday can use extra time as Flex time. See Week 2,

Monday agenda for options. Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcards; read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 8-16. Focus question: “What is George and Lennie’s dream, and do you think they will achieve it?Thursday What is the American Dream? Who is the American Dream for?TEKS 1.5(B): SWBAT describe the setting and characters of a novel’s exposition Output: Chapter 1 SRQs

DO FIRST (30) o Independent Reading o Routines and Procedures

PRE (15) o Turn and talk: What is the American Dream? o Turn and talk: Is the American Dream possible for all Americans? Give students a notecard with the name of a person or group

of people (e.g. immigrants, Ms. Skiba, Kanye West, someone without a college education, white people, YES Prep students, etc.). Ask students to discuss: Is the American Dream possible for this person/group of people?

Teacher Note: Consider color coding the cards, then asking students to stand and discuss the question with a person whose notecard has the same color. Incorporating movement is always good for students, especially the first few days of the year when they are unaccustomed to sitting throughout the full school day.

o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches row 1, partner 2 teaches row 2.

DURING (35) o Consider: Will the American Dream be possible for our protagonists? Introduce students to two American Dreamers, George and

Lennie, with a whole group read-aloud, pages 1-5. Yes, read-alouds can be good even for 9th grade students. Or, play a recording if you prefer.

o Pause recording or reading for students to answer literal SRQs. o Partner reading pages 5-10, with literal and inferential SRQs.

Teacher Note: If you feel that you need to support student understanding more, consider showing this brief clip from the film adaptation, which will help develop students’ understanding of character. This corresponds to pages 8-10 in the text.

POST (25) o Mini-Table Socratic:

Share the criteria for questioning levels with students. Use the same levels from SRQS:

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(L) L is for LITERAL questions assessing very basic comprehension. Think: context clues, 5Ws, etc. (I) I is for INFERENTIAL questions that require students to make meaning deeper than the surface. Think:

interpreting evidence, character inferences, etc. (S) S is for SYNTHESIS questions that require students to make connections between texts, characters, etc. (E) E is for EVALUATIVE questions that require students to make a judgment, critique a perspective, etc.

Students write their three questions, which must be I, S, or E level. Conduct discussion at table groups or in two smaller, simultaneous circles. Teacher closes discussion with this question: Will the American Dream be possible for George and Lennie? Why or why

not? Take a class vote. Will George and Lennie achieve the American Dream?

Teacher Note: If campus technology policy permits, allow students to text their vote using PollEverywhere. Teacher Note: The purpose of this discussion is to 1) ensure that students have comprehended Chapter 1 and

are beginning to make valid inferences and predictions and 2) to begin to flex students’ discussion muscles. There are many additional opportunities for discourse in the weeks ahead, so feel free to cut if pressed for time during this first week.

Homework: Read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 10-16. Focus question: “Will the American Dream be possible for George and Lennie?” FridayWhat does it take to be “one of the guys?” TEKS 1.5(B): SWBAT analyze complex characterizationOutput: Chapter 1 MC Of Mice and Men DO FIRST (30)

o Independent Reading o Routines and Procedures

ASSESSMENT (30) o MC Diagnostic: Applied Practice, Reading Selection 2

Teacher Note: Use this data to inform which students should receive on-level MC sets and which students should receive AP sets. Students who miss 1 or 0 questions on this diagnostic are ready for the challenge of AP-level questions.

o Debrief OMAM MC using “Experts” method: Teacher Note: Have students submit MC on a cover sheet first. Then, you can freely discuss the answers with

students. This may also be a good moment to discuss integrity with students, as you do not want students sharing answers with students who have your class later in the day.

Students are assigned 1-2 questions. Students read explanation for correct answers, compare to their own answers, and prepare to explain to their table

members why the best answer for number [2] is [G]. Whiparound until all targeted questions have been explained.

Teacher note: The content team will not always provide an answer key. It is a good practice for teachers to take the quizzes they plan to give to their students before class both so that you internalize the questions/answers, and so that you can catch any problematic questions and provide that feedback/make changes. If you think the answer is too challenging to get right, your students probably will too!

PRE (5)

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o Literal recap: Project a question for each table to quickly turn and talk about: Who is George? Who is Lennie? Why are George and Lennie on the road? What is George and Lennie’s dream? What is/are Lennie’s bad habit(s)? What is/area George’s bad habit(s)?

o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches row 1, partner 2 teaches row 2.

DURING (20) o Consider: What does it take to be “one of the guys”? How are “guys” portrayed in this chapter? Begin with a whole group read-

aloud, pages 17-20, or play a recording if you prefer. o Pause recording or reading for students to answer literal SRQs. o Partner reading pages 21-26, with literal and inferential SRQs.

POST (10) o Read to page 29, answering remaining SRQs o Debrief E level SRQs full-class, if time remains

Homework: read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 30-37. Focus question: “What gives men power? What gives women power?”

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Week 2

Week Two Focus/Lens: Over the course of this week, students will focus on close reads of Of Mice and Men which will allow them to visit and expand upon the 8th grade objectives of conflict, characterization, symbolism, and theme. MondayHow can I improve in this course?TEKS 1.9(A): SWBAT annotate for literal and inferential understanding. Output: Annotation Check (Benchmark: Give feedback but do not take for a grade) DO FIRST (15)

o Model a love and value of reading by enjoying your own independent reading book. o Circulate, checking annotations for students.

Teacher Note: In order to ensure that independent reading is getting off to a smooth start, it is imperative to stand at the front and subtly monitor that all students are getting started before you move off to check annotations. As you check annotations, periodically scan the room. If you see a student whose engagement with reading is beginning to lag, you can make eye contact or privately check in to see if the student needs a different book.

FLEX (85) Mondays are designed to be flexible in nature. Use this time as an opportunity to conference with students, complete outstanding assignments from the week before, etc. While a loose agenda will be included for these days, the primary classroom instructor should feel empowered to tweak and tailor these days to suit the needs of students on campus.

o Take Mechanics Diagnostic. High-Tech: NoRedInk.com No-Tech: Use Applied Practice STAAR-aligned passages, selections 1 and 6 (with answer keys)

o Vocabulary review Get students set up with vocabulary.com to practice words Play review Catchphrase Create a quick review game using Kahoot

o Read OMAM Students read the rest of Chapter 2 in partners or independently

Teacher Note: If you would like to provide students with a choice-based structure for work days, consider using a tracker.

Homework: read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 38-43. Focus question: “How should the strong take care of the weak?”TuesdayWhat gives men power? What gives women power?TEKS 1.12(C), 1.15(C) and 1.19: SWBAT analyze a character and support analysis with text evidence.Of Mice and Men, pages 28-37Student Output: Single-selection OER on Chapter 2 in OMAM: What motivates Curley’s wife to behave the way she does? DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (30)

o Literal recap: Partner 1, describe 3 male characters to Partner 2. Partner 2, describe 3 female characters to Partner 1. Teacher Note: There aren’t 3 female characters in OMAM. Redirect Partner 2—why is there only one female character?

What does this suggest about society in the 1930s?

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o Draw a t-chart on the board. Ask: What are some stereotypes about women? What are some stereotypes about men? Teacher Note: Consider increasing engagement by asking just the boys for female stereotypes and just the girls for male

stereotypes. To avoid reinforcing gender normativity, you may want to 1) fast-track the difference between sex and gender and 2) acknowledge that you are asking students to gather what they’ve heard or seen, which may not reflect their own opinions or everyone else’s experience.

o Heterogeneous partner select printed/magazine image of a man or woman. o Directly on the image, partners label at least 5 ways that the man or woman embodies male/female stereotypes.o Present posters under doc cam o Directly instruct relevant archetypes for the text OMAM: femme fatale, damsel in distress, the innocent, the villain, the good guy

DURING: (15) o Boys closely re-read description of Curley (25-26). Girls close read description of Curley’s wife (31-32).

Positive/negative highlighting. What is there more of? Is the reader supposed to like this character? What archetype does this character embody? How do you know?

o Table discussion: How is Curley described? Curley’s wife? What gives men power? What gives women power? Is conflict inevitable between men and women?

Teacher Note: Consider assigning roles for students in table groups. Print role cards and ask students to each “select” a role for the day’s discussion.

POST (35) o Consume, Critique, Produce: OERs . This CCP model will be used throughout the year for writing.

Consume: At tables, students have three minutes to examine published OERs. Say: Read each of the OERs and, as a table, determine three key characteristics of an OER. Cold call students to share what they noticed.

Critique: Say: Today, we are going to focus on choosing the best evidence. Ask: “What do we notice about how the authors proved their thinking?”

Teacher Note: Students should notice the conventions the author uses to incorporate evidence, especially (i.e. quotation marks, commas, and parenthetical page citations). Students may not notice, but you should emphasize, that the evidence must directly prove the thesis and be the best available of evidence from the text.

Teacher Note: Students are familiar with the OER genre from 8th grade. They may need a quick reminder of the best formula (ABCDE) or sentence starters for OERs, but that’s it. For any student who needs it, there is also a graphic organizer on the second page of the OER handout. Make sure to have accommodated students use the graphic organizer. It would also benefit language learners, and any student who did not pass the English 8 STAAR test.

Produce an OER: What motivates Curley’s wife to behave the way she does? Teacher Note: Teacher circulates, noticing how students are progressing. If a trend emerges (e.g. students

selecting the same quote that is not strong evidence), use catch and release: pause the class, place a piece of student writing with the concern under a doc cam, and highlight the problem and a “quick-fix” for the class.

Homework: Study vocabulary. Quiz tomorrow. WednesdayWhy vocabulary?TEKS 1.1(A) and 1.2(B): SWBAT determine the meaning of a word using context and manipulate its parts of speech List 9.2Output: Vocabulary Quiz 9.1

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DO FIRST (40) o Independent Reading

Teacher Note: Campuses with shortened Wednesday schedules may choose to eliminate Independent Reading on Wednesdays.

o Students study vocabulary words: independently and with a partner o Take quiz 9.1

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

DURING (20) o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word.

POST (10) o Practice:

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students complete low-stakes writing using vocabulary over the prompt: Predict what will happen in the presidential election

in November, using the new vocabulary words. Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcardsThursday How should the strong take care of the weak?TEKS 1.2(C): SWBAT analyze symbolism and figurative language in a literary text Of Mice and Men, pages 44-49Output: Applied Practice MC DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading ASSESSMENT (30)

o Applied Practice Reading Selection 3—On Level Pre-AP

Teacher Note: Notice that MC quizzes are occurring AFTER students have had a first read (literal read) opportunity but before any sections have been closely read and analyzed in class. STAAR quizzes are written at a rigor level where they should be administered after a literal read or cold, but NOT after a passage has been closely read.

o Debrief OMAM MC using “Experts” method: Students are assigned 1-2 questions. Students read explanation for correct answers, compare to their own answers, and prepare to

explain to their table members why the best answer for number [2] is [G]. Whiparound until all targeted questions have been explained.

PRE (10) o Literal recap: Who’s who? Students complete a matching quiz in partners. o Meme Turn and Talk: Partner 1: Is this true for you? Why or why not? Partner 2: Why might authors

include animal deaths in their texts? o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches

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row 1, partner 2 teaches row 2. DURING (20)

o Table members cast roles: Carlson, Slim (the skinner), Candy, Whit, George, narrator o Read dialogue on pages 44-49 aloud o Answer L SRQs

POST (30) o Answer I, S, and E SRQso Table discussion of I and E questions: What does Candy’s dog symbolize?o Each table member selects on symbol from the text so far to analyze: Hands, The pool, Mice, Curley’s wife, Candy, Lennie (and bear

imagery) o Whiparound shareout of symbol analysis

Homework: read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 50-60. Focus question: “Who is the American Dream for?”FridayWhat is the role of foreshadowing?TEKS 1.5(A) and 1.9(A): SWBAT define and analyze foreshadowing, sub-plots, and parallel plots Of Mice and Men, pages 50-65Output: Annotation Check DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading and Annotation Check PRE (15)

o Students quickly partner teach “foreshadowing”: Partner 1: define it; Partner 2: give an example. o Teacher defines sub-plot and parallel plot and provides an example

Teacher Note: Keep your key points short and sweet here. These are technically testable terms, though they only show up on about one question per year per STAAR test. If you’d like to use video visuals to reinforce, this Prezi does a nice job capturing these key terms.

o Silently read: “Small Man Syndrome Really Exists” from Business Insidero Discuss: What makes men strong? Does Curley have a Napoleon complex? What might this foreshadow?

DURING (30) o Partner read pages 61-65, stopping to answer L SRQs.o To boost literal comprehension, watch the short film version of this scene here. o Answer I, S, and E level SRQs independently

POST (30)o Spoil the ending activity. Students will predict three major plot events that they believe are going to happen in the second half of

the text based on key scenes in the text: Lennie killing mice, Lennie breaking Curley’s hand, Carlson shooting Candy’s dog, Curley’s jealousy of his wife

o When students finish, they may begin to work on homework reading and annotation

Homework: read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 66-74. Focus question: “Who gets power?”

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Week 3Week Three Focus/Lens: Close reads will increasingly require synthesis and evaluation. Throughout these close-reads, students will routinely be grappling with whether the American Dream is possible for some, questioning “Who is the American Dream for?” MondayHow do I improve in this course?TEKS 3.23(A)Iii: SWBAT correctly employ possession punctuationTEKS 1.13: SWBAT revise and edit writing DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. FLEX DAY (85)Recommended: OER Revision PRE (5)

o Distribute copies of the OER tracker and have students fill in the information for their first entry (Tuesday’s OER). Give explicit instructions on where in their binders or notebooks students should keep this tracker to reference.

o Hand back scored OERs from Tuesday. o Explain that students will work mostly independently through prepared materials to revise their work. Set clear expectations about

independent work—which will be frequent in this class—so that you can conference with students. DURING (15)

o Option 1: Staple (in advance) the appropriate revision sheet (pups, mice, rabbits) to each student’s OER from Tuesday. They can stay seated where they are to work on revisions.

o Option 2: Set up each labeled revision (pups, mice, rabbits) as a work station in the room. Ask students to move to the appropriate group / location for work time. You can prioritize working one on one with members of group pups.

o Allow students sufficient time to work through the CCR materials for their necessary revision on their own. o Then, stop and have students pair up with someone who completed the same revision to switch OERs and complete the peer

feedback portion of the handout. Teacher note: While students are working, you should prioritize hosting writing conferences with students whose writing

from Tuesday was least successful aligned to the components of the OER. Help students remember the ABCD formula and give quick tips for revision.

POST (5)o Students should quickly take peer feedback to make any last minute adjustments to their OERso Students should take out Of Mice and Men and begin reading chapter 4 if they finish early.

Teacher Note: If you decide not to do OER revision today, you will want to ensure students have a chance to revise before Friday, when their next OER is assigned.

Other Flex Day Options: Complete apostrophes practice

o High-Tech: Assign practice on NoRedInk.com o No-Tech:

Use a mini lesson from Essentials of Writing Use a mini lesson from GrammarKeepers Teach a mini lesson on apostrophes

Play vocabulary review game Read OMAM pages 75-83

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o Read aloud. o Students read in partners or independently

Homework: Read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men, pages 75-83. Focus question: “Who gets power?”TuesdayWas John Steinbeck racist?TEKS 1.2(C): SWBAT consider author’s purpose in using specific language. Of Mice and Men, pages 66-83Teacher Note: A PowerPoint for today’s lesson is available. Output: Chapter 4 MC DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading ASSESSMENT (30)

o Applied Practice Reading Selection 5—On Level AP—Extension

o Debrief OMAM MC using “Debate” method. Teacher will select the most challenging questions (which you can observe when walking around—what are kids missing?) or the ones you’re most interested in debriefing. After kids finish, give them one minute to debate each targeted question with a partner and come to a consensus on a possible answer (they can only hold up one notecard at the end of the time period). If the class shows consensus (everyone got to the right answer with a partner’s help), there’s no need to debrief full class (they got the explanation already). If kids are still confused, you can take a moment to clarify misunderstandings.

PRE (15) o Framing:

Stimulus: A mother e-mails the school extremely angry. “You’re letting my child read a book written by a racist man! I saw the words he used in that book Of Mice and Men.”

Define the difference between racial and racist. Seriously—do this. 9th graders are not always clear on the difference, and taking time to define it now will pay dividends throughout the year.

Address Steinbeck’s use of the n-word in Of Mice and Men, framing with this respectful debate between Oprah and Jay-Z and this or other messaging: There is no denying that this word has an ugly history. We are watching this debate to consider 1) how people respectfully engage in debate and 2) to make it clear that different people have different opinions on using this word in artistic expression.

o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches row 1, partner 2 teaches row 2.

DURING (30) o Start by examining the characters. Assign specific table groups specific characters: The boss, Lennie, Crooks himself, Curley’s wife,

Candy, “the guys” o Say: Re-read your targeted section and flag anything you think could be potentially racist in red. o Assign group roles: Discussion Leader, Task Master, Spokesperson, Scribe.o Discuss the discussion questions:

What did you flag as potentially racist? Why did you flag it that way? (If no one found anything): Is the absence of evidence enough to declare this person NOT guilty? Does our targeted character associate with someone else who may have racist feelings? Is this character guilty by association?

o Scribe fills out verdict on a half sheet and the spokesperson delivers the verdict with evidence. “Our Racism Task Force has YES Prep Public Schools – English I – Unit Plan 1– Created by Emily Skiba – 2016-17 16

declared [character] (guilty/not guilty) of racist actions by evidence of “quote.” By [actions or words] it is clear that [character] (is/is not) racist.”

Four corners discussion: Using the “n” word is always racist; By using racial stereotypes and language, John Steinbeck is behaving in a racist way; I think that John Steinbeck is making a case against racism by including Crooks in this book.

POST (10) o Write her an e-mail back (you can type or handwrite it) explaining why Steinbeck is/is not racist, and why it is important to read the

book based on your assessment of his character. If you’re typing, submit your response to teacher e-mail address. Homework: Study vocabulary WednesdayWhy vocabulary?TEKS 1.13(C) and 1.13(D): SWBAT edit and revise writing.Output: Mechanics Quiz 9.1 List 9.3 DO FIRST (40)

o Independent Readingo Students take Mechanics Quiz 9.1: Writing Selection 5: Steinbeck’s Workers o Debrief mechanics quiz, examining 2-3 most frequently missed questions under Doc Cam

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

DURING (20) o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word.

POST (10) o Practice (teacher or student choice):

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students revise Monday’s OER to incorporate new vocabulary. Students revise Tuesday’s e-mail to incorporate new vocabulary. Students practice using vocabulary.com.

Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcardsThursdayWhat is ‘strength’?TEKS 1.1(B) ,1.2(C), 1.9(D) and 1.15(C): SWBAT analyze a poem for literal and figurative meaning, demonstrating that understanding through an OER response“Strong Men” by Sterling Brown Output: “Strong Man” OER DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (10)

o Students analyze this quote from Napoleon Hill. What is Napoleon Hill saying? What is his definition of strength?

o Define the difference between dialogue and dialect. Students should have working knowledge of YES Prep Public Schools – English I – Unit Plan 1– Created by Emily Skiba – 2016-17 17

dialogue, but may be less clear on dialect.

o Tell students that the poet they will be reading today, Sterling Brown, was well-known for writing using traditional African-American dialect. Consider sharing 2-3 additional pieces of biographical information, or, if your campus technology rules permit it, giving students 3 minutes to work with a partner and research everything they can find out about Brown on their own using a phone. Share out.

DURING (45) o Poetry Reading Process

Read once for literal meaning: Listen to Sterling Brown recording, circle and look up unknown words (suggested words highlighted) in a dictionary, and answer literal SRQs

Read a second time to determine meaning of specific sections/devices: Partner read and answer analytical SRQs Read a third time to connect to theme/big picture: Read independently, answer synthesis and evaluative SRQs. If time permits, have a mini-Socratic seminar at tables using E-level questions.

Teacher should positively reinforce when students use academic sentence stems (I agree with, I would like to push back on, etc.).

Have students reflect at the end, composing a new response to a question that was discussed or reflecting on their participation/behavior (e.g. What did your table do well today? What could be better next time?)

POST (25) o Teacher delivers microlesson on targeted Unit 1 mechanics objective: Teacher choice—capitalization 1.18(A), apostrophes 3.23(A)I,

or sentence structure 1.17(C) Teacher Note: If majority of students do not struggle with this objective, select a different focus area based on issues you

are seeing manifest in student writing. (e.g. Model how students can stop starting sentences with “This quote shows” or “This reveals” by crossing out those sentence starters and beginning the sentence with a noun.)

o Students answer the day’s OER prompt: What is a “strong man,” according to Sterling Brown? Teacher Note: Prepare a list of students who struggled with the first OER of the year (pups) and prioritize checking in with

these students or ask them to move to a centralized table so that you can work with them in a small group setting. o If students finish early, they may continue to read Of Mice and Men.

Homework: read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men pgs. 84-89. Focus question: “How does loneliness affect people?”FridayHow am I progressing in this course?All Unit 1 Reading TEKSOutput: Mid-Unit AssessmentTeacher Note: MUAs are a nice opportunity to pause and see how students perform when working autonomously. Some teachers appreciate this additional data point, while others would prefer to have an additional instructional day. The choice is yours. DO FIRST (15). Independent Reading PRE (5)

o Privacy folders up YES Prep Public Schools – English I – Unit Plan 1– Created by Emily Skiba – 2016-17 18

o Share the structure of the test with students: Fiction Nonfiction Graphic

DURING (95) o Multiple Choice. Students complete the mid-unit assessment. o Free Response. Teachers’ choice—assign a new OER prompt (question 22 on the MUA) or ask students to revise Thursday’s OER.

POSTo Students who finish early may read silently.

Homework: Study vocabulary; read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for Of Mice and Men, pages 90-98. Focus question: “Did she ask for it?” Teacher Note: This question is deliberately provocative and the targeted response is “no.” If you are not comfortable putting this question in front of students, substitute with “How were these events foreshadowed?”

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Week 4Week Four Focus/Lens: Over the course of this week, students will conclude their reading of Of Mice and Men and engage with the unit’s central themes in a variety of ways—Socratic Seminar, low-stakes writing, and SRQs. MondayLabor Day—No School for Staff or Students Tuesday Who gets power?TEKS 1.2(A), 1.5(B) and 1.24: SWBAT analyze how characterization reveals larger themes through a Socratic Seminar Output: Socratic SeminarTeacher Note: Consider providing an alternate assignment for LEP students or students with IEPs who struggle to demonstrate mastery in the Socratic setting (e.g. an expository paragraph on the same question). DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (20)

o Project a list of the novel’s characters. Ask students to independently rank each character from the most to the least powerful. Have them discuss their list with a partner and ask them to debate it, reaching a consensus in three minutes or fewer.

o Revisit Chapter 4—read aloud or play a recording of pages 80-81 (dialogue between Curley’s wife and Crooks). Between partners, have one student focus on how Curley’s wife behaves and another focus on how Crooks responds.

o Say: We have considered this question of power repeatedly throughout the unit, and today I want us to dig even a little bit deeper. This question can feel easy if we give a basic answer: George has power, Lennie doesn’t. The white men have power, Crooks doesn’t. But I think it’s more complicated than that. Take the conversation we just read. Who had power in that conversation? Choral response: Curley’s wife. What gives her power in this setting? Her race. But let’s look at what she actually says. We’re oversimplifying. She says, “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” I notice that Curley's wife doesn't threaten to lynch Crooks; she threatens to "get" him lynched. If I were to name this, I’d say she has to do all her violence by proxy (through someone else)—and the effect is that in the world of this novel, that makes her weak and despicable, not powerful and strong.

DURING (30)o Check out a video of a Socratic seminar. Turn and talk: What makes this discussion strong? What might make it stronger?o Co-create Socratic seminar norms as a class. Consider:

What are our 3-6 norms? How will we speak with each other? (Co-create some discussion sentence starters).

Teacher Note: You can write these norms on a board, an anchor chart, or type directly into a PowerPoint—just make sure you put them somewhere where you can find them again—you will not want to take the time to do this for every Socratic.

o Teacher provides discussion questions. Students must respond in writing to at least 2. Students must also write at least 2 additional I, S, or E questions and their initial answer.

POST (45)o Socratic Seminar Warm-up.

Create heterogeneous discussion partnerships (strong discusser, struggling discusser). Give students 5 minutes to meet with their partner to “warm-up”. Instruct them to ask the question and share the insight you plan to share in todays’ discussion

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with that partner. Then switch. Ask stronger team (call them something non-evaluative, like one of your two school colors—e.g. blue and orange) to start in

the inner circle. Say: Orange partners start in the center. Blue partners start on the outer circle. Hand out the Socratic Seminar Scorecard and explain how students can earn points in the day’s discussion.

o Socratic Seminar Students in the inner circle will discuss first for 15 minutes while the outer partner evaluates. Then, switch.

Teacher Note: If your class period struggles with equity of voice (e.g., someone is hogging the conversation), consider adding a “tap out” rule—once your partner earns 5 points, tap him/her out and enter the inner circle.

“What I would have said” annotation. After the seminar, have students reflect independently in writing: select a question the group discussed and compose an answer to it that uses text evidence.

Teacher Note: If you would like to cut discussion short or provide students with another OER opportunity, feel free to abbreviate the Socratic and assign the following OER prompt: “How are Crooks and Curley’s wife similar?”

Homework: Study vocabulary; read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for “I’m Not a Tart.” Focus question: “Is Curley’s wife depicted fairly?”Wednesday Why vocabulary?TEKS 1.1(A) and 1.2(B): SWBAT determine the meaning of a word using context and manipulate its parts of speech List 9.4Output: Vocabulary Quiz 9.1-9.3 DO FIRST (40)

o Independent Reading Teacher Note: Campuses with shortened Wednesday schedules may choose to eliminate Independent Reading on

Wednesdays. o Students study vocabulary words: independently and with a partner o Take quiz 9.1-9.3

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

DURING (20) o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word.

POST (10) o Practice:

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students complete low-stakes writing using vocabulary over the prompt: What do you imagine you will be like when you are

Crooks’ age? Revise Tuesday’s OER to include vocabulary words

Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcardsThursdayDid Curley’s wife “ask for it”?TEKS 1.5(B) and 1.9(A): SWBAT evaluate both literary criticism and Of Mice and Men to determine Steinbeck’s larger purpose in Curley’s

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wife’s portrayalOf Mice and Men, pages 31-91Teacher Note: A PowerPoint for today’s lesson is available. Output: Chapter 5 MC DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading ASSESSMENT (30)

o Applied Practice Reading Selection 6—On Level AP—Extension

o Debrief OMAM MC using “Experts” method: Students are assigned 1-2 questions. Students read explanation for correct answers, compare to their own answers, and prepare to explain to their table

members why the best answer for number [2] is [G]. Whiparound until all targeted questions have been explained.

PRE (15) o Literal recap: Chapter 5. Assign each table a question. Give tables 30 seconds to discuss the question, then cold call for answers.

What happens to the pup in Chapter 5?

Why does Lennie kill?

Has anything like this happened to Lennie before?

What happened the Curley’s wife in Chapter 5?

What other times was Curley’s wife’s death foreshadowed?

What color is Curley’s wife always described with? What might be the significance? What’s this device called?

o Framing: Address the concept of victim blaming, using (0:00-1:28) of this video.

Teacher Note: Before showing, provide students with a trigger warning that this video makes vague references to sexual assault. Alternatively, project this PSA and discuss using turn and talks: What is this image saying? How does this relate to OMAM?

Project the following quote: “You God damn tramp,” Candy said viciously. “You done it, din’t you. I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart” (95).

Turn and talk: Why is Candy so angry? How is this quote an example of victim blaming?o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches row 1, partner 2 teaches

row 2. DURING (30)

o Start by examining Curley’s wife’s actions. Assign specific table groups specific pages: 31-32; 51-52; 76-77; 78-79; 86-87; 90-91o Students independently highlight Curley’s wife’s looks, actions, and words in red. o Assign group roles: Discussion Leader, Task Master, Spokesperson, Scribe.o Discuss the discussion questions (discussion leader leads the conversation):

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How does Curley’s wife want people to respond to her? What does she want from them? How do the men actually respond? Is how they respond different from what she intended? Why is it different?

o Scribe fills out verdict on a half sheet: “Our Feminism Task Force has declared Curley’s wife (responsible/not responsible) for her own death by evidence of “quote.” [OPTIONAL: In fact, we believe that the real (person/group of people) to blame is [character]because [rationale].

o Whiparound: spokespeople present verdict. POST (10)

o Divide class into three larger tables (5-10 students). o Frame debate: Candy calls Curley’s wife a tart. The article you read for homework argues something different. Why does Steinbeck

portray her this way, and is it fair? Use evidence from the book or article to substantiate your side. o Every student must voice his/her opinion once before the bell.

Homework: Read, #summarize, and add two NNEs for pages 99-107. Focus question: “Should the strong take care of the weak?” FridayIs murder ever acceptable?TEKS 1.2(A), 1.5(A) and 1.9(A): SWBAT analyze linear and non-linear plot development to determine theme Of Mice and Men, pages 98-107Output: Annotation Check Teacher Note: A PowerPoint for today’s lesson is available.

DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (15)

o “I’ve Got An Appointment” Review. Have students create partnerships on a clock face. Important: Students must write each other’s names on the same time

(e.g. Breanna is Zach’s 2 p.m. and Zach is Breanna’s 2 p.m.) T chooses at random what “time it is” and S meet with their partners to discuss the questions. Each hour can last 30-60

seconds. S will have clock to set up appointments on same halfsheet that will include these questions.

o In-text vocabulary: Project the slide and have students partner teach the vocabulary. Partner 1 teaches row 1, partner 2 teaches row 2.

DURING (40) o Students partner up and perform Reader’s Theater on pages 103-106, one student playing the role of Lennie and one student

playing the role of George. o Switch roles and read again. o Partners answer SRQs. o Whole-group discussion.

Are George’s actions benevolent or selfish? Is George taking care of Lennie by doing what he did? Is murder ever acceptable? Is this an example of the strong taking care of the weak?

If the discussion falls flat, prompt a re-reading of paragraph 4 on page 105 POST (30)

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o Consume: Read an exemplar obituary.o Critique: What are the elements of an obituary?o Produce low-stakes writing: Students draft an obituary for Lennie using evidence from Chapter 6 of Of Mice and Men.

Homework: Read “Mercy Killings” and add #summaries and one NNE. Focus question: Should the strong take care of the weak?

Week 5Week One Focus/Lens: During this instructional week, students will focus both on synthesizing understanding from Of Mice and Men and reviewing and preparing for their first high school English exam. MondayHow do I improve in this course?TEKS 1.18(A): SWBAT edit for capitalization conventionsTEKS 1.13: SWBAT revise and edit writing DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. FLEX DAY (85)Flex Day Options (Time allotments are suggestions only)

Complete capitalization practice (15) o High-Tech: Assign practice on NoRedInk.com o No-Tech:

Use a mini lesson from Essentials of Writing Use a mini lesson from GrammarKeepers Teach a mini lesson on capitalization

Revise or complete writing from previous week (40) Retake reading MC (20) Answer SRQs for “Mercy Killings” (20) Library visit (20)

TuesdayHow should the strong take care of the weak?TEKS 1.8(A), 1.9(D), and 1.15(C): SWBAT synthesize controlling ideas across texts and explain those connections in a crossover OER. “Mercy Killings” Output: Crossover OER DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (10)

o Examine political cartoon. Think-Pair-Share: What’s literally happening in this cartoon? What’s the controlling idea (message) of this cartoon?

o Speed Dating literal recap of homework reading: What’s a mercy killing? Why did John Wise kill his wife? What is one reason why John Wise shouldn’t have done it? What is one reason why John Wise should have done it?

DURING (40)

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o Debrief SRQs. Teacher Note: Optional. Observe how well students can answer questions about the article during “Pre” and determine if

this is how you’d like to allocate time. o Have students complete a “Spectrum Stand,” standing where they fall on the agree to disagree spectrum on the issue of the strong

taking care of the weak:

o Students partner up with someone next to them on the spectrum. o Students prepare for Socratic debate independently over “Should the strong take care of the weak?” o Students debate “Should the strong take care of the weak?” using co-created discussion norms, with one partner in and one partner

out of the circle at a time, and the other providing checklist feedback. POST (35)

o Consume, Critique, Produce: OERs . This CCP model will be used throughout the year for writing. Consume: At tables, students have three minutes to examine example Crossover OER. Say: Read each of the OERs and, as

a table, determine three key characteristics of a crossover OER. Cold call students to share what they noticed. Critique: Say: Today, we are going to focus on the structure of a crossover OER Ask: “What do we notice about how the

author structured his argument?” Teacher Note: Students should notice that the ABCDE structure from single-selection OERs applies here. The only

critical difference is that now, the evidence comes from two different texts. This makes transitions very important, so that it is clear to the reader that the writer is moving from one text to the other.

Produce an OER: How are the controlling ideas of “Mercy Killings” and chapter 6 of Of Mice and Men similar? Teacher Note: Teacher circulates, noticing how students are progressing. If a trend emerges (e.g. students failing to

use transitions), use catch and release: pause the class, place a piece of student writing with the concern under a doc cam, and highlight the problem and a “quick-fix” for the class.

Homework: Study vocabulary WednesdayWhy vocabulary?TEKS 1.13(C) and 1.13(D): SWBAT edit and revise writing.Output: Mechanics Quiz 9.2List 9.5 DO FIRST (40)

o Independent ReadingYES Prep Public Schools – English I – Unit Plan 1– Created by Emily Skiba – 2016-17 25

o Students take Mechanics Quiz 9.2: Writing Selection 2: Steinbeck’s View of Cruelty o Debrief mechanics quiz, examining 2-3 most frequently missed questions under Doc Cam

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

DURING (20) o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word.

POST (10) o Practice (teacher or student choice):

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students respond to a low-stakes writing prompt: Why was the 8th grader crying in the hallway this morning? Make a

hypothesis, using all seven vocabulary words. Students practice using vocabulary.com.

Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcardsThursdayHow can I improve in this course?Layered Curriculum All Unit 1 Tested TEKS TEACHER PREPARATION

o Select two practice passages for each genre from “Practice Passages”o Print originals each passage and add hints and strategies that you want students to employ as they practice (#summaries, looking

up unknown words, keeping in mind key concepts or ideas). o Make copies and organize by genre and passage in manila folders, stapling an answer key to the inside cover.

DO FIRST (15). Independent Reading. PRE

o Students write their name on their own manila or hanging folder, or students create their own folder by folding over a piece of computer paper.

o Give students a printed grade report from ESP. o Have students track performance relative to unit exam goals using the Work Tracker.o Set work expectations. Silent, keys for use only when work is finished, or else you just shortchange

yourself, etc. o Set a quantitative goal for how much work students should accomplish during this double block.

DURINGo Let students practice and strategically push in with struggling students.

POSTo At the end of class, ask students to recap their biggest strategy takeaway with a partner (e.g. “I learned I

actually have to read Revision passages to get the question right, I finally learned the difference between internal and external conflict,” etc.). Strategically cold call on a few students who have strong takeaways to share.

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FridayHow am I progressing in this course?All Unit 1 Tested TEKSOutput: Unit 1 Exam PRE (5)

o Privacy folders up and pass out Scantrons (here’s how to print them)o Read directions from front cover of the testing booklet o Share the structure of the test with students:

Mechanics Reading: Fiction Reading: Nonfiction Reading: Poetry One SS OER One CO OER

o Have students write an agenda on the front cover of their testing booklet about the order in which they will take the test. This is a good strategy for Common Assessments and STAAR.

DURING (95) o Students complete the Unit 1 exam in the order they have outlined on their test booklet.

POSTo Students who finish early may read silently.

Teacher Note: Some students may struggle to complete the OER in the specified time. If you need to adjust, ensure that all students (with the exception of LEP testers or students with IEPs who receive extended time) at least complete the MC. See Monday agenda for overflow writing opportunity, if OER runs long.

Week 6Week One Focus/Lens: Over the course of this week, students will have an opportunity to synthesize learning from the Of Mice and Men unit by drafting and publishing their first full-length essay, an expository essay (the S1 tested genre) and watching the full-length film version of Of Mice and Men. MondayHow do I improve in this course?TEKS 1.17(C): SWBAT employ varied sentence structure and punctuate these sentence types accurately TEKS 1.13: SWBAT revise and edit writing DO FIRST (25)

o Independent reading o Debrief MC results and have students track performance.

Teacher Note: Depending on how long it takes your campus to return MC results, you may need to push this later in the week.

FLEX DAY (75)

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Flex Day Options (Time allotments are suggestions only): o Complete sentence structure practice (10)

High-Tech: Assign practice on NoRedInk.com No-Tech:

Use a mini lesson from Essentials of Writing Use a mini lesson from GrammarKeepers Teach a mini lesson on sentence structure

o Revise or complete writing from the Unit 1 exam (80) o Begin expository writing assignment (see Tuesday/Thursday agenda)

TuesdayShould the strong take care of the weak? TEKS 1.15(A) and 1.17(A)ii: SWBAT draft an expository paragraph that includes appropriate details using relative clauses Teacher Note: Notes for the processed expository essay for Tuesday and Thursday can be found here. DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (20)

o Watch The Argument Clinic Turn and talk: What makes a good argument? What makes a bad argument?

o Consume, Critique, Produce: Expository Teacher Note: Teachers new to E1 or who are working with struggling writers may want to focus exclusively on

OERs this unit. In this event, please feel free to replace expository instruction with OER instruction, pulling from the following bank of OER prompts. Keep in mind, however, that students will be assessed on expository writing only in December (and then both genres in February and March).

Say: Today, we are going to reconnect to a form of writing you did a lot in 8th grade. We’re going to do a little expository writing. This form of writing is a form that people often have to do in the real world, because there are many different people with different opinions, and being a strong expository writer means that you are a strong arguer—a handy skill. To get started, I want you to read one of these two essays (your partner will read the other one) and work together to decide—how is an expository essay similar to an OER? How is it different? Have students number off and read essay 1 and 2. Then, allow them to work together to answer the framing questions—how is it similar and different to an OER?

Ask whole class: What do we notice about how I answered the question in this paragraph? How is my paragraph similar to an OER? How is it different?

Teacher Note: Students should notice the conventions the author uses to incorporate evidence, especially paraphrasing. Students may not notice, but you should emphasize, that the evidence, though not quoted, is still highly detailed.

DURING (25) o Produce an expository paragraph: Should the strong take care of the weak? Suggested: Ask students to use personal experience as

evidence. Teacher Note: You may want to real-time model for the first few minutes of this work time under the document

camera. Teacher Note: Students will be adding to this paragraph on Thursday to include evidence from Of Mice and Men. Teacher Note: Provide your struggling writers with sentence starters and frames and additional models.

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POST (40) o Students often struggle to include enough relevant details in their expository body paragraphs. After giving students time to write,

pull a good, not great student example and place it under the document camera (with the student’s permission). First, ask the class for two things that are working well in the essay (or praise these features yourself). Then, point out one way in which the essay could be improved—by adding more detail.

o Give students a microlesson on relative phrases clauses and how to use these to add more information to body paragraphs. o Instruct students to add two relative clauses or phrases to their essays, raising their hand for teacher approval when finished.

Students who finish early may begin working on body paragraph 2. Homework: Finish Expository Body Paragraph #1 WednesdayWhy vocabulary?TEKS 1.1(A) and 1.2(B): SWBAT determine the meaning of a word using context and manipulate its parts of speech List 9.6Output: Vocabulary Quiz 9.1-9.5 DO FIRST (40)

o Independent Reading Teacher Note: Campuses with shortened Wednesday schedules may choose to eliminate Independent Reading on

Wednesdays. o Students study vocabulary words: independently and with a partner o Take quiz 9.1-9.5

PRE (10) o Establish real-world purpose for vocabulary o Pronounce & Spell new vocabulary

DURING (20) o Students decipher words in context o Students teach their groups o Go through the powerpoint and solidify student understanding about part of speech. Check for understanding after each word.

POST (10) o Practice:

Students create flashcards for new vocabulary, creating original sentences. Students complete low-stakes writing using vocabulary over the prompt: What do you imagine you will be like when you are

Crooks’ age? Students will add 2 unit 1 vocabulary words to their expository drafts

Homework: Finish vocabulary flashcardsThursdayShould the strong take care of the weak? TEKS 1.13, 1.15(A) and 1.17(A)ii: SWBAT revise drafts based on teacher feedback and finish expository essay. Output: Processed Expository Essay

DO FIRST (15) Independent Reading. PRE (20) Students receive a glow and a grow for BP1, along with a focus area for writing BP2 as written feedback from the teacher. Students

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o Teacher Note: If desired, teacher projects or prints a model for BP2.o Teacher Note: Teacher circulates, noticing how students are progressing. If a trend emerges (e.g. students not using

transitions), use catch and release: pause the class, place a piece of student writing with the concern under a doc cam, and highlight the problem and a “quick-fix” for the class.

DURING (30) o Deliver expository intro key points. Intros should include: an extended hook and a thesis. o Students draft intro silently for 10. Then, swap with a partner for quick checklist feedback. o Deliver expository conclusion key points. Conclusions should include: a counterargument and a connection back to the hook.

Example: Although many people in the YES Prep community continue to believe that the strong should take care of the weak, it is clear that when the strong simply take care of the weak, the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. Moving forward, the strong should consider how they can teach the weak to be strong themselves.

o Students draft conclusions silently for 10. Then, swap with a partner for quick checklist feedback. POST (35)

o Students complete “assembly line” editing. Every member of each table picks one area of expertise: capitalization, possession, sentence variety, and relative clauses. Students each have 3 minutes to read a partner’s essay and revise for these errors. Consider playing a short song for each 3-minute chunk. At the end of each song, students pass essays to the right (or move one seat to the right).

o Students publish final draft Homework: Finish publishing final draft. Final draft must be submitted as entrance ticket into movie tomorrow. FridayIs the movie ever as good as the book?TEKS 1.12(A): SWBAT analyze a film depiction of a literary work DO FIRST. Pre-determine if there are any students who are missing work, in danger of failing A1, or who did not finish their expository

essays. o Option 1: Have these students sit in the back of the room and complete this work with support from you during the film. o Option 2: If your schedule mirrors your English I co-planner (e.g. you teach at the same time) and a large volume of students need

this support, divide students up—one group stays and analyzes the film while the other completes necessary work. PRE. Students receive visual analysis one-pager and select which questions they will answer during the day’s film. DURING: Students watch the film and complete the visual analysis guide. POST: Students submit the visual analysis guide. Homework: Read JRB for 30 minutes over the weekend.

Unit 1 ObjectivesReading/Vocabulary Development1.1(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in multiple content areas1.1(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and a larger section of text) to distinguish between the denotative and

connotative meanings of words Reading/Comprehension Skills1.2 use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills (including summarizing, asking questions, synthesizing, making

connections, creating sensory images, making complex inferences, and using text evidence) in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message.

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Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text (Theme and Genre/Sensory Language/Poetry/Drama/Fiction/Literary Nonfiction)1.2(A) analyze how the genre of texts with similar themes shapes meaning1.2(C) relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting1.5(A) analyze non-linear plot development (e.g. flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot structures) and compare to

linear plot development 1.5(B) analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range of literary devices,

including character foilsReading/Comprehension of Informational Text (Culture and History/Expository Texts/Procedural Texts/Media Literacy)1.8(A) explain the controlling idea and specific purpose of an expository text and distinguish the most important from the less

important details that support the author’s purpose 1.9(A) summarize text and distinguish between a summary that captures the main ideas and elements of a text and a critique that

takes a position and expresses an opinion1.9(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in several texts selected to reflect a range of viewpoints

on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence 1.12(A) compare and contrast how events are presented and information is communicated by visual images versus non-visual texts Writing (Writing Process/Expository and Procedural Texts/Persuasive Texts)1.13 students use elements of the writing process -- planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing--to compose text1.15(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes: effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of

sentence structures; rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs; a controlling idea or thesis; an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context; and relevant information and valid inferences;

1.15(C) write an interpretive response to an expository or literary text that extends beyond summary and literal analysis; provides evidence from the text using embedded quotations and analyzes the effects of an author’s use of stylistic devices.

Oral and Written Conventions (Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation)1.17(A)ii use and understand restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses 1.17(C) use a variety of correctly structured sentences (compound, complex, compound-complex) 1.18(A) use conventions of capitalization3.23(A)i use correct punctuation marks, including: apostrophes in contractions and possessives Listening and Speaking1.24(A) listen responsively to a speaker by taking notes that summarize, synthesize, or highlight the speaker’s ideas for critical

reflection and by asking questions related to the content for clarification and elaboration

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