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Enduring Understandings:

Wethersfield Public Schools

Grade 8 Unit 1 Overview: Note-taking through Colonization

Essential Questions:

Content:

Countries and individuals explored the Americas and created new

colonies for a variety of reasons

In the 17th

century, Europeans moved to America for various reasons

including religious persecution, economic opportunity, and adventure.

Early colonies faced many conflicts and problems during their

establishment.

Geographical factors influence a person’s culture, job

opportunities, economic choices, interests, skills, and life

Skills:

When taking notes aim to record learning, not just recopy the book

Analyze and compare text structures to locate key information

Note-taking supports analysis and more complex understanding

Content:

Why did countries choose to create colonies in the Americas?

Why did Europeans move to America in the 17th

Century?

What conflicts or problems did colonists experience in America?

How did geography influence the way of life in the 13 Colonies?

Skills:

What is the purpose of note-taking?

How do we set up our notes in a variety of ways to fit the text purpose

and outcomes?

How can we use our notes to better understand content information?

Vocabulary:

Exploration

Colonization

Colonial charters

Puritans

Pilgrims

Historical fact, historical fiction

Content:

Evaluate the influences that contributed to [American] social reform movements (CT 1.1-3)

Analyze how specific individuals and the ideals and beliefs influenced U.S. History (CT 1.1-5)

Examine how geography influenced the economic and political development of the U.S. (CT 1.4-15)

Compare similarities and differences of ethnic/cultural groups in the U.S. and their impact on American social systems (CT 1.13-27)

In a group or team, work together as a team to reach a decision on an issue and explain the reasons for the decision (CT 3.1-1)

Cite evidence to support and/or critique a historian’s interpretation of an event (CT 3.1-3)

Skills (Standards):

Determine central ideas in a text (CC RH.6-8.2)

Describe how a text presents information ( CC RH.6-8.5)

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (CC RH.6-8.6)

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text (CC RH.6-8.8)

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic (CC RH.6-8.9)

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content (CC WHST.6-8.1)

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources (CC WHST.6-8.8)

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research (CC WHST.6-8.9)


Grade 8

Unit 1: Note-taking to Hold Onto and Synthesize Information

Bend Learning Outcomes Content Teaching Points Suggested Resources TCRWP Content Area

Smart Note-

Taking – When

Taking Notes,

We Aim to

Record Our

Learning, Not

Just Recopy the

Book

Analyze Notes for Independent Choices Learners

Make

Through inquiry, students will compare a variety of note-

taking formats for style, purpose and information.

Students acknowledge that people make individual

choices based on style, purpose and information.

Note-taking is Highly Personal

Students investigate a variety of ways to record their

learning through note-taking.

Notes Record Our Learning, Not Just re-copied Facts

Students will distill central ideas or information from a

source.

o What is my main purpose as I read or listen to this

text?

o What will I want to hold onto from this text, so I

can return to it afterwards?

Students can identify their thinking while recording

notes.

Students will determine if their note-taking strategy

supports their learning.

The following content applies

to all the learning

outcomes throughout the unit

Countries and individuals

explored the Americas

and created new colonies

for a variety of reasons

In the 17th

century, Europeans

moved to America for

various reasons including

religious persecution,

economic opportunity, and

adventure.

Early colonies faced many

conflicts and problems during

their establishment.

There are similarities and

differences between historical

fact and historical fiction

Geographical factors

influence a person’s

culture, job opportunities,

economic choices, interests,

skills, and life within the

13 colonies

Curricular Calendar, Middle

School, 2013-14 Unit 1

Notebooks from websites:

www.imagesonline.bl.uk

www.notebookstories.com

Pre-assessment Task

http://www.noodletools.com

http://www.brainpop.com/eng

lish/writing/paraphrasing/


lish/writing/plagiarism/

Content Resources: Multiple

resources are used. Some

examples are:

1. Nonfiction text sets

2. Fiction text sets

3. Leveled readers

4. History of US series

by Joy Hakim

5. Holt: Call to Freedom

http://www.imagesonline.bl.uk/

http://www.notebookstories.com/

http://www.noodletools.com/



Experts Know Facts and the Concepts that Bind Them

Students will identify bigger concepts that arise out of a

topic and apply and interpret information.

Students will devise a way to capture big concepts

and small facts within a text.

Students will sort and categorize their thinking in their

notes to match central ideas.

Compare/contrast the

geographic, economic, and

cultural characteristics of the

New England, Middle, and

Southern colonies

Topics covered within unit:

1. Columbus/Columbia

n Exchange

2. Lost Colony of Roanoke

3. Jamestown/Historical Fact vs.

Fiction

4. Pilgrims & Puritans

5. Comparing way of life in

13 Colonies

6. Holt Content Area

Reader: The United

States: Change and

Challenge

7. Primary &

secondary

sources

8. United Streaming

and Brainpop

videos

9. America the Story of

US by the History

Channel

10. Atlas of the United States

and Atlas of United States

History

Our Note-taking Involves Integrating Various Kinds of

Information

Students will interpret information within a text or

presentation, including visuals, and incorporate into

note-taking.

Students will create a note-taking system to include all

parts of a text or presentation.

Students will learn to synthesize the overall

significance of a chart or visual.

Analyzing and

Comparing Text

Structures

Supports Us in

Locating Key

Information

Starting With a Bird’s-Eye View of How a Text

Presents Information Helps Us Look For What is

Important

Students will distinguish characteristics of text

structure within narrative and expository text.

Students will determine the way the author organizes or

presents the information to identify text structure.

Student will determine relevant information based on

text structure.

Considering How Similar Topics are Structured Also

Helps Us Decide What is Relevant to Record

Students will identify patterns within a text based on

author’s presentation of events and information about

similar topics.

Students will locate key information and apply a note-

taking technique based on the pattern of text.

Students will understand authors may change

structure within a text to draw attention.

Note-taking Can

Be More Than

Just Recording,

It Can Support

Analysis and

More Complex

Understanding

Notes can be Manipulated to Uncover Relationships

Between Ideas

Students will analyze notes to uncover connections and

relationships between ideas.

-Students will connect text notes utilizing various

strategies including, cause and effect relationships,

compare/ contrast, domain-specific language and

ranking events or ideas.


Grade 8 Unit 2 Overview: Synthesizing Information through Colonization

Enduring Understandings:

Content:

In the 17th

century, Europeans moved to America for various

reasons including religious persecution, economic opportunity,

and adventure.

Early colonies faced many conflicts and problems during

their establishment.

Geographical factors influence a person’s culture, job

opportunities, economic choices, interests, skills, and life

Skills:

Discern central ideas and supporting details

Reading complex nonfiction involves careful analysis and

uncovering point of view


Content:

Why and how were each of the 13 colonies founded?

What were the similarities and differences in geography,

economy, and culture between the 13 colonies?

Skills:

How do you identify central ideas and supporting details?

How can we carefully analyze the content while reading

complex texts?

Vocabulary:

Cash crops, staple crops

Royal colony

Religious persecution

Religious tolerance

Content:

Analyze how specific individuals and the ideals and beliefs influenced U.S. History (CT 1.1-5)

Examine how geography influenced the economic and political development of the U.S. (CT 1.4-15)

Compare similarities and differences of ethnic/cultural groups in the U.S. and their impact on American social systems (CT 1.13-27)

In a group or team, work together as a team to reach a decision on an issue and explain the reasons for the decision (CT 3.1-1) Skills (Standards):

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources (CC RH.6-8.1)


Describe how a text presents information ( CC RH.6-8.5)


Write informative/explanatory texts including the narration of historical events (CC WHST.6-8.2)

Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience (CC

WHST.6-8.4)

Conduct short research projects to answer a question drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that

allow for multiple avenues of exploration (CC WHST.6-8.7)


Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research (CC WHST.6-8.9)


Grade 8

Unit 2: Synthesizing Information Within Complex Nonfiction Texts

Bend Learning Outcomes Content Suggested Resources

Discerning

Central Ideas

and Supporting

Details

Starting with Assessment and Teaching Students

to Make Reading Plans for Reading Complex

Nonfiction

Students learn how to preview a text to

determine structure and understand how

structure guides content.

Students will evaluate the text in order to make a

plan for reading the text.

o How do you think this text will be

organized? How do you know?

o What plans so you have in mind for hour

you will read and use this text?

Summarizing Nonfiction as Ideas and Examples

Students will organize their thinking in note -

taking to show larger concepts and supporting

points.

Students will create larger categories to

organize information while sorting details that

match the bigger categories.

Students will write brief summarizes to hold onto

the information they synthesized in their notes

without simply recopy points from the book.

The following content applies to all the

learning outcomes throughout the

unit:

Geographical factors influence a

person’s culture, job

opportunities, economic choices,

interests, skills, and life within the

13 colonies

Compare/contrast the geographic,

economic, and cultural

characteristics of the New

England, Middle, and Southern

colonies

Topics covered in this unit:

1. 13 Colonies regional study

2. Colony project

TCRWP Content Area

Curricular Calendar, Middle

School, 2013-14 Unit 2

Pre-assessment Task



examples are:



3. Leveled readers

4. History of US series by

Joy Hakim


6. Holt Content Area Reader:

The United States: Change

and Challenge

7. Primary & secondary

sources

8. United Streaming and

Brainpop videos

9. America the Story of US

by the History Channel



History

Approaching a text for Basic Understanding and

to Analyze and connect Ideas

Students read to make connections between ideas

and their summaries change in response.

o Is the current information adding to what

came before? In what way?

o Is it contrasting with what came before? In

what way?

o It is showing an additional step to what


o Is it showing a cause or an effect of what


Students attempt variety of structures to

summarize a text.

Really Reading Across the Page, Incorporating

Information from Charts, Diagrams and so on

Students pay attention to text features to acquire and

grow ideas.

Students analyze charts, diagrams or illustrations

to determine their purpose within a text.

Students accumulate evidence to support their ideas.

Students revise summaries to include new

essential information f rom text features.

Reading

Complex

Nonfiction

Involves

Careful

Analysis and

Uncovering of

Point of View

Nonfiction Gets More Complex as Ideas are Not

Explicit and Readers Must Read Between Lines to

Determine Ideas

As nonfiction text becomes more complex,

students will read between the lines to

determine important themes and ideas.

Students will use the main idea and author’s

word choice to determine the author’s point of

view.

o Author’s tone

o Author’s agenda

Uncover Implicit Ideas by Looking at the Type of

Details Presented and Not Presented

Taking into consideration the main idea and

word choice, students notice the details the

author chooses and omits to understand the

author’s argument or ideas. Students analyze:

o Source of information

o Point of view

o Roles of people described

o Gender

As Nonfiction Texts Become More Complex We

Realize That the Ideas We Have are More

Complicated

Students will organize their notes to consider text

complexity and notice points of tension in the

information presented. Students pause and

realize:

o One idea may have many parts

o Ideas are connected

o Ideas lead to bigger ideas

Students adjust theories, elaborate ideas and

refine their thinking while reading.

Preparing for Conversations by Rehearsing and

Using Academic and Domain-Specific Language and

Logical Structure

Students will develop a logical structure and use

domain specific language to lead an academic

conversation.

o Use jotting to rehearse for conversation

o Notes have a logical structure

o Use sentence starts such as one significant idea

is... because... for example

o Use starters that signal our thinking has

changed

Incorporate technical words to improve the level

of conversation

Identifying Relationships Among Individuals, Events

and Ideas in a Text

Students learn how individuals influence ideas or

how events influence people and ideas while

recognizing the relationship among them.

Students describe the relationship among them by

thinking about…

o What idea does this story demonstrate?

o How do the people in the story figure into

these ideas?

o How do the events figure in?

o What does the author do to show the

relationship between the ideas, the events and

the people?


Grade 8 Unit 3 Overview: Writing to Develop Ideas & Evidence-Based Thinking through the

Pre-Revolutionary Period

Enduring Understandings: Content:


Content:

In the18th Century, tensions increased between the American Colonies

and Britain resulting in various types of conflicts that eventually led to

war.

The colonists reacted in different ways to the King’s new policies.

The Colonists and British both had reasons to be upset with the other.

Skills:

Summarizing holds onto what we are learning

Analysis of information grows deeper understandings and insights

Compare and contrast across different topics of time periods

Why did Britain start imposing new taxes and laws on the colonies?

How did the colonies/colonists respond to the new taxes and laws?

Why were the colonists upset with the British, and was their point of

view justified?

Why were the British upset with the colonies, and was their point of

view justified?

Skills:

How can summarizing help to remember content?

How can we use analysis of informational texts to gain a deeper

understanding of content?

How can we compare and contrast an event to other events in the past

and future?

How can an event be interpreted differently depending on your point

of view?

Vocabulary:

French and Indian War

Patriot, Loyalist

Boycott

Tax, tariff

Import, export

No taxation without representation

Content:

Create historical timelines and interpret the data presented in the timelines (CT 1.1-1)

Analyze examples of conflicts that have been resolved through compromise (CT 1.1-2)

Analyze how specific individuals and their ideas and beliefs influenced U.S. History (CT 1.1-5)

Analyze the connections between and among local, state, and national historical events (CT 1.2-11)

Debate instances where rights and responsibilities of citizens are in conflict (CT 1.9-22)

In a group or team, work together to reach a decision on an issue and explain the reasons for the decision (CT 3.1-1)

Compare and contrast two or more interpretations of a historical event (CT 3.1-2)

Cite evidence to support and/or critique a historian’s interpretation of an event (CT 3.1.-3)

Analyze the options available to an individual in a historical situation (CT 3.2-4)

Justify why people might have different points of view on a historical issue (CT 3.2-5)

Skills (Standards):

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources (CC RH.6-8.1)






WHST.6-8.4)



Grade 8

Unit 3: Writing to Develop Ideas and Evidence-based Thinking

Bend Learning Outcomes Content Suggested Resources Pre-assessment Task

Summarizing as

a Way to Hold

on to What We

are Learning

Students will summarize a text or part of a

text creating a brief overview of each of the

main parts and synthesizing across them.

(Possibly reminding them to use the boxes

and bullets infrastructure.)

Students will flesh out short phrases into full

sentences by expanding their notes in mental

paragraphs or written summaries.

Students will determine the organizational

structure of the text to organize their notes

and thoughts and tackle complex text.

Students compare summaries of same text with

peers, noticing differences including different

interests and misapprehensions.

Students will revise summaries to include the

domain-specific vocabulary words from the

topic.

Students will become quick and effective at

putting their thoughts into words by adopting

shorthand abbreviations.

Students will utilize their notes as tools for

thinking about everything they have learned

to teach a partner their synthesis.

The following content applies to all

the learning outcomes throughout

the unit:

In the18th Century, tensions

increased between the American

Colonies and Britain resulting in

various types of conflicts that

eventually led to war.

The colonists reacted in different

ways to the King’s new policies.

The Colonists and British both had

reasons to be upset with the other.

Topics to be covered in this unit:

1. French & Indian War

2. British taxation and legislation

3. Colonists reactions to British

actions

4. Boston Massacre

5. Boston Tea Party/Intolerable Acts

6. Patriot vs. Loyalist

TCRWP Unit 3 Reading Curricular

Calendar

TCRWP Content Area Curricular

Calendar, Middle School, 2013-14

Unit 3

Charts

Chart of organizational

systems suggestions p.8

Conference/ small group

suggested support work p.8



examples are:



3. Leveled readers


Joy Hakim




and Challenge Primary &

secondary sources


Brainpop videos

8. America the Story of US by

the History Channel



History

Analysis of

Information to

Grow Deeper

Understandings

and Insights

As students learn about a subject, they will

analyze information by thinking about it

carefully to grow deeper understandings and

insights.

Students recall information and consider how

this information was influenced by or has

caused new learning to write about causes and

effects showing how some events lead to

others.

Students will use language frames and phrases

to support writing of cause and effect

relationships.

o “At first”, “This led to…”, “Because of

this…’ “Another reason”

Students analyze a text by writing the pros

and cons of an event or situation thinking

about who benefited, who did not, and

why.

Students begin to identify historical patterns

and bigger ideas emerging from the text.

Students will think analytically about the

information they have read across larger

parts of texts by ranking the

information.

Students compare and contrast different ideas

or events looking for shared ideas and

differences in presentation.

Based on their notes, students will make a

claim supported with evidence from the

reading, observation, and analysis.

Students will create longer essays based on

mini-essays in their notebooks, possibly

arguing against an opposing viewpoint.

Students will respond to a partner’s points by

identifying the supporting reasons and evidence.

Compare and

Contrast Across

Different Topics

of Time Periods

Students will look at corresponding categories

by noticing parallel structure to compare and

contrast.

o What are the main parts that go across both

topics?

Students determine critical information

necessary to compare and contrast across

topics.

Optional teaching points:

Students sketch and annotate notes to

identify similarities and differences and

develop explanations.

Students create parallel timelines or flow

charts for two topics demonstrating growth

and development.

In order to write longer, students will develop

paragraphs comparing and contrasting a category.

Teacher created centers

sample idea p.14

Celebration

Students create a presentation of their notes

through a speech, a mini-lecture, a digital

presentation, an informational article or book

or argument essay to showcase their learning

and teach others.


Grade 8 Unit 4 Overview: Non-fiction Research: Integrating Information Across Texts

through the American Revolution Enduring Understandings:

Content:


Content:

There are similarities and differences between historical fact and

historical fiction.

Colonial efforts to compromise with the King failed.

Colonists wrote the Declaration of Independence to state their

reasons for wanting their own country.

The British and colonial armies each had strengths and weaknesses

that affected the outcome of the war.

The contributions of foreign nations helped the Patriots win the war.

Skills:

Why were the colonists upset with the British, and was their point of

view justified?

Why were the British upset with the colonies, and was their point of

view justified?

Why was the Battle of Saratoga considered the turning point of the

war? How did this battle affect the outcome of the war?

Based on the advantages and disadvantages of the two sides, was the

outcome of the war a surprise?

Was this a just war?

Skills:

Read across texts to develop and compare ideas and information

Researchers investigate issues and recognize sides

How can we use a variety of texts to compare ideas and information

about the content?

How can we research and develop ideas about an issue while being

fair to both sides?

Vocabulary:

American Revolution

Shot heard round the world

Battle of Saratoga

Declaration of Independence

Inalienable rights

Treaty of Paris 1783

Content:




Analyze the connections between and among local, state, and national historical events (CT 1.2-11)



Cite evidence to support and/or critique a historian’s interpretation of an event (CT 3.1.-3)



Skills (Standards):





Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events (CC WHST.6-8.2)


WHST.6-8.4)


Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis (CC WHST.6-8.9)


Grade 8

Unit 4: Nonfiction Research: Integrating Information Across Texts

Bend

Learning Outcomes Content Teaching Points Suggested Resources

Reading

Across Texts

to Develop and

Compare Ideas

and

Information

Start with Assessment and Bring All You Know to

Reading Texts in the Company of Others

Students will set plans to read text in clubs and

organize notes and assign roles.

Reading Across Texts to Compare Information

Students will record notes from new text adding

inferences and responses from previous text noticing

comparisons and conflicting information.

As students notice points of conflict between texts they

will assess credibility of a source or trace validity of a

writer’s or speaker’s argument.

o Are these differences based on point of view?

o Or, are these differences based on faulty

information?

There are similarities and differences

between historical fact and historical

fiction.

Colonial efforts to compromise with the

King failed.

Colonists wrote the Declaration of

Independence stating their reasons for

wanting their own country.

The British and colonial armies each

had strengths and weaknesses that

affected the outcome of the war.

The contributions of foreign nations

helped the Patriots win the war.


1. Paul Revere’s Ride

2. Battles of Lexington and Concord

3. Second Continental Congress/Olive

Branch Petition

4. Declaration of Independence

5. Trenton, Saratoga, Valley Forge,

Yorktown

6. Treaty of Paris 1783

Pre-assessment (p.3)

Summary chart (p.3)

Research clubs/reading

partners

Text sets



examples are:



3. Leveled readers


Joy Hakim




and Challenge

7. Primary & secondary sources


Brainpop videos





History

Our Notes Can Be Organized By Ideas, Instead of

Organized By Texts

Students will write between notes they have already

taken and/or create any entirely new system of

organization which puts ideas front and center, and

organizes text evidence from various sources.

o “An idea that is emerging about this topic is that…”

Students look at diverse media when discussing

points to help synthesize thinking and test what is

clear to the members.

We Develop Our Own Theories As We Become More

Expert in Topics, and Work to Keep Theories and Text

Evidence Separate So We Can Navigate Both

Students develop expertise on their topics by separating

their ideas from those of the authors they are reading.

As students research, they wonder, think deeper,

make connections, ponder, and consider the

implications of what they read.

Becoming

Argument-

Debaters:

Researchers

Investigate

Issues,

Recognize

Sides

Argument Plays an Important Role in Many Content

Areas, We Read Looking For Sides of Debates

Students consider any issues or arguments the texts

present by noticing the sides of the issues and which

authors and which evidence supports which sides.

Sometimes It Helps to Read Through the Eyes of One Side

for a Bit, To Assess How Point of View Is Shared and How

Arguments Are Constructed

Students investigate the sides of issues more deeply by

often revisiting text they have already read and

looking for evidence for the different sides.

Students learn that taking a point of view often helps

you see the rhetoric of others, and even possible holes

or weak support in their arguments.

As researchers, students keep careful track of

resources and use quotation marks when quoting

directly to give credit to sources.

When Looking at Point of View, It Helps to Study Word

Choice

Students will investigate point of view by noticing

where an author’s choice of words reveals

perspective.

We Read Still Aiming to Build Expertise on Topics, and

Also Develop Different Sides of Topics

Students continually check in with, extend, and adjust

their own understandings and opinions on the topic

being studies.

o This text made no impact on my position in this

subject because…

o This text made me rethink parts of my position

because…I’d like to read more about

_________ to fully make up my mind.

o This text changed my position on this subject

because…

Sometimes We Switch Perspective and Read From the

Opposing Side: We Can Even Role Play These Stances

With Others

Students will switch perspective and re-examine

evidence from the opposing side.

Students debate, rehearse, and argue important sides of

an issue using evidence to support their claims.


Grade 8 Unit 5 Overview: Informational Writing: Nonfiction Books in Social Studies

through Government and Expansion Enduring Understandings:

Content:

The structure of our government evolved through a series of

conflicts and compromises.

Democratic governments work to balance the rights of individuals

with the needs of the country.

Through our history and up to present day, people have fought

to uphold their rights.

In the 18th

and 19th

centuries people moved beyond the original

13 colonies to explore and expand our nation.

In some cases movement was voluntary, and in other cases

involuntary.

Technological change influenced people’s lives.


Content:

How did the failure of the Articles of Confederation lead to the

creation of a stronger national government?

How did compromises at the Convention contribute to the creation of

the Constitution?

How do the six principles of the Constitution help to distribute and

limit the government’s power?

How does the Constitution protect the rights of the American people?

How did the Industrial Revolution affect the future progress of the

United States?

How did gaining each territory affect the future progress of the United

States?

How did westward expansion affect the lives of the people who

moved? Skills:

Informational writers learn how to teach while exploring structure and

purpose

Informational writers use all they know while staying close to their

planned vision

Informational writers revise with a goal of setting readers up to be

experts

Skills:

How can we use information to teach others about our content? How

can you use this teaching to improve your writing?

How do you utilize your writing skills to create a well-planned draft?

How do we revise our writing to allow our readers to become experts

on the content?

Vocabulary:

Government:

Federalist, Anti-Federalist

Articles of

Confederation

Articles and Amendments of the

Constitution

Executive, legislative,

judicial branch

Checks and

balances

Delegated, reserved powers

Representative

democracy

Expansion:

American west

Manifest destiny

Lewis & Clark Expedition

Industrialization

Territorial expansion

Content:



Examine the significance of Supreme Court precedence (CT 1.1-7)

Evaluate the impact of America’s westward expansion on Native American nations (CT 1.1-9)

Evaluate the impact of the compromises made at the Constitutional Convention (CT 1.1-10)

Weigh the impact of America’s Industrial Revolution, industrialization, and urbanization on the environment (CT 1.5-16)

Differentiate the functions (including checks and balances) of the United States’ three branches of government, using contemporary

examples (CT 1.7-18)

Evaluate the impact of the U.S. Constitution on the lives of U.S. citizens (CT 1.8-19)

Analyze U.S. citizens’ rights and responsibilities under the Constitution (CT 1.9-20)

Assess the impact of court cases that expanded or limited rights and responsibilities enumerated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights (CT

1.9-21)

Analyze how technology has influenced productivity (CT 1.10-23)

Identify and analyze specific factors that promoted growth and economic expansion in the United States (CT 1.12-25)



Develop a plan of action to provide a solution to a local, state, or national issue (CT 3.3-6) Skills (Standards):


Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events (CC WHST.6-8.2)


WHST.6-8.4)

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,

or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed (CC WHST.6-8.5)




Grade 8

Unit 5: Informational Writing: Nonfiction Books in Social Studies

Bend Learning Outcomes Content Suggested Resources

Informational

Writers Learn

How to Teach

While

Exploring

Structure and

Purpose

Students teach others about their topics by studying their

own teaching to get ideas for moves they can make as

writers. Key teaching moves include:

o Clear details, adding in stories, explaining important

terms, including pictures or diagrams.

Students determine ways to revise their teaching and

teach revised lessons applying newest learning.

Students explore different organizational structures by

trying out different ways to plan an informational book.

Such as:

o Cause and effect, compare and contrast, division by

parts, kinds, times or famous examples

Students write about sections of a topic by trying

out different organizational structures.

o Boxes and bullets, cause and effect, pros and cons,

compare and contrast

Students analyze the logical order of their writing plans

by considering what information to include and how to

best organize it revising their chapters.

Students create a final plan for their informational book

and write a table of contents.

The structure of our

government evolved through a

series of conflicts and

compromises.

Democratic governments

work to balance the rights of

individuals with the needs of

the country.

Through our history and up

to present day, people have

fought to uphold their rights.

In the 18th

and 19th

centuries

people moved beyond the

original 13 colonies to

explore and expand our

nation.

In some cases movement was

voluntary, and in other cases

involuntary.

Technological change

influenced people’s lives.

TCRWP Content Area Curricular

Calendar, Middle School, 2013-14

Unit 4

Pre-assessment Task

Teacher created chart: Teaching Moves

that Can Power Informational Writing p.

4

Examples of structures of books p.6-8

Content Resources: Multiple resources

are used. Some examples are:



3. Leveled readers

4. History of US series by Joy Hakim


6. Holt Content Area Reader: The

United States: Change and Challenge

7. Primary & secondary sources

8. United Streaming and Brainpop

videos

9. America the Story of US by

the History Channel

10. Atlas of the United States and Atlas

of United States History

Students will understand that an overall text, as well as a

single chapter, has a logical organization.

Students will proceed through cycles of planning

chapters, drafting and revising.

Students utilize partnerships by rehearsing sections of

their text (discussing most relevant and important

information, information to exclude and organization)

ratcheting up their level of work.

Students identify information and resources they need to

vary and complete their text. Texts should include:

o Facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, and

other information and examples

Students understand that different types of

information affect how our writing is perceived.( i.e.

quotations make a writing seem personal, facts add

authority)

Students will format their text and add visual features to

aid readers’ comprehension.

Students will use appropriate transitions to create

cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and

concepts.

Students will make connections across chapters by

conveying important ideas and concepts while

maintaining logical order.


1. Articles of Confederation

2. Constitutional Convention

3. Constitution: principles, 3

branches

4. Industrial

Revolution/technology

5. Expansion: Florida, Oregon,

Mexican Cession, Texas,

Louisiana Purchase

6. Effects of expansion on

individuals: Trail of Tears,

Donner Party, Lewis & Clark,

Oregon Trail

Informational

Writers are

Super- Drafters:

They Use All

they Know

While Staying

Close to Their

Planned Vision

Model plan p. 10

T-Chart with Type of Information

and How we Can use it p. 11

Examples p.12 and 13

Informational

Writers revise

With a Goal of

Setting Readers

up to Be

Experts

Using the Informational Writing Continuum (Learning

Progression), students will study their work and set

goals.

As a class, students will create and utilize mentor pieces

of writing with annotations.

Through inquiry, students will develop a greater repertoire

of elaboration strategies by closely studying mentor text.

Students will revise all sections of their writing to

include domain-specific vocabulary terms pertinent to

their topic that convey a formal, authoritative style.

Students will edit their text by looking where best to

create paragraphs and use correct conventions of

grammar.

Using mentor text, students will write introduction

paragraphs orienting the reader to the topic and

providing a preview of what is to come. Students may

possibly even angle the information to show writers

point of view or to make an argument related to the

topic.

Using mentor text and the Opinion Writing Continuum,

students will write conclusion paragraphs that support

the information or explanation presented and

strengthens the big ideas made in the text.

Class chart of elaboration

strategies

Celebration ideas p.16


Grade 8 Unit 6 Overview: Research-Based Argument Essays through the Civil War Enduring Understandings:

Content:

In the 19th

Century, tensions increased between people in the North

and the South resulting in various types of conflicts that eventually

led to war.

In addition to conflict over slavery, there were many other factors

and events that led to the division between the North and the South.

Both the North and South had strengths and weaknesses that

affected the outcome of the war.

Advancements in technology and communication affected

the outcome of the war.

Reconstruction efforts failed in the South.

Skills:

Research sides within professional studies before deciding point of

view

Synthesize information to make an argument using a variety of

evidence and strategies


Content:

How did political, economic, and social factors contribute to the

growing tension between the North and South?

How did the strengths and weaknesses of the North and South affect

the outcome of the Civil War?

How were technology and communication used by the military?

Why did Reconstruction fail?

Was this a just war? Could the war have been prevented?

Skills:

How do we assert our own opinion about a topic while recognizing

historians’ opinions?

How can we talk through an argument to help us prepare for writing?

How we can use evidence to support our argument?

Vocabulary:

Anti-slavery ideology/abolition/abolitionists

Secession/secede

Confederate States of America

Gettysburg Address

Reconstruction

Content:




Compare and contrast the causes and effects of the American Revolution and the Civil War (CT 1.1-6)

Assess the slave trade’s impact on American social institutions (CT 1.3-12)

Analyze how technology has influenced productivity (CT 1.10-23)

Analyze the contributions and challenges of different cultural/ethnic groups in the United States over time (CT 1.13-28)

Examine how stereotypes develop and explain their impact on history and contemporary events (CT 1.13-29)


Cite evidence to support and/or critique a historian’s interpretation of an event (CT 3.1-3)



Develop a plan of action to provide a solution to a local, state, or national issue (CT 3.3-6) Skills (Standards):





WHST.6-8.4)

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,

or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed (CC WHST.6-8.5)




Grade 8

Unit 6: Content Area Research-Based Argument Essays

Bend

Learning Outcomes Content Suggested Resources On demand argument pre-

Sides Often

Exist Within

Professional

Studies, We

Research Them

Before

Deciding

Where We Fit

Researchers figure out the sides of an argument and sort

out the evidence and tools used by both sides to persuade

others

As students read about a topic, they analyze the debates

within the topic by asking and writing - What is the

issue and what are the different stances on the issue?

Students critique text, noting which author has more

persuasive evidence to support an argument.

We Develop Our Own Claims In Light of Sides that

Already Exist

Students assert their own opinion about a topic or

issue by identifying clear reasons and relevant

evidence.

As researchers, students record the source and

author of the evidence as they paraphrase the

information.

Students will make a claim using clear language.

In the 19th

Century, tensions increased

between people in the North and the

South resulting in various types of

conflicts that eventually led to war.

In addition to conflict over slavery, there

were many other factors and events that

led to the division between the North and

the South.

Both the North and South had strengths

and weaknesses that affected the

outcome of the war.

Advancements in technology and

communication affected the outcome of

the war.

Reconstruction efforts failed in the South.


1. Causes: sectionalism, failed compromises,

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, John Brown’s Raid,

Kansas-Nebraska Act, Election of 1860

2. Slavery

3. Emancipation Proclamation

4. Battles

5. Gettysburg Address

6. Southern surrender

7. Reconstruction

assessment

Text sets

www.readingandwritingproject.com

(research>booklist>-research text

sets)

Wethersfield digital text

sets in Drop box

Compare contrast charts



examples are:



3. Leveled readers


Joy Hakim




and Challenge

7. Primary & secondary

sources


Brainpop videos





History

http://www.readingandwritingproject.com/

We Gather and Weigh Evidence That Could Support Our

Claim, Looking for the Clearest and Most Compelling

Students evaluate reasons and evidence to support

their argument by adjusting and gathering more

evidence as necessary.

To write the most convincing essay, students determine

the most logicalorder of evidence.

Students will strengthen argument by refuting the

counter argument.

As We Begin

To Write

We…

Often Writers Talk Out the Argument They Think They

Will Make, To Synthesize The Information They Have

Gathered Before Making It Their Own

Students w i l l develop a clear, cohesive draft.

As argument writers, students will create introductions

that include background information, a strong claim,

and some explanation of the issue.

Students will create conclusions that weave in the

counter argument and share a new idea developed

from their argument.

We Aim to Include a Variety of Kinds of Evidence

Students revise their essays by using a variety of types

of information to make them believable and hard to

dispute.

Students utilize quotes effectively, adding information to

make the quote credible.

In Our Writing, We Distinguish the Relationship

Between Evidence and Ideas

Students demonstrate the relationship of evidence and

support their argument by using transitional phrases.

o this suggests

o shows/reveals/describes/portrays

o this demonstrates/illustrates/illuminates

o this makes clear/makes evident

o this proves

Students explain their evidence in their own words or in

comparison to a more personal experience for the

reader.

We Look to Texts We Have Read As Examples of How

Our Writing Could Go

Students not only notice the craft of the authors they

research, but mimic that craft in their writing.

o vivid verbs

o imagery

o layering statics

We Develop A Structure that Will Most Clearly Support

Readers in Understanding Our Argument

Students will determine a structure appropriate for

their paper that balance the claim and counterclaim.

We Have Been Studying The Craft of Writing All Year, In

Many Different Classes, And We Use All We Know In Any

New Pursuit

Students use everything they know about revising to

improve their draft.

Charts

We Bring Our Writing to Publication

Students will determine means of publication to best

tailor their essay to a specific audience and publish.

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