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Culminating Project: Middle School Unit Plan
Latoya Y. McCormick
University of Phoenix
Ms. Tammy Mahony
EDD/549 Curriculum Development and Instruction Middle School
May 26, 2014
Survival is an element in life that all creatures face on a daily basis. Humans have been
surviving for thousands of years, but the question is whether mere survival is enough. Over the
course of time, human beings have been faced with various forms of adversity and have had to
endure extreme depths of suffering. The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins falls into the
genre of Dystopian Literature where social problems are addressed. The essential question for
this unit is whether survival is more important than protecting one’s basic human rights. Is it
more important to stand firm individually or to stand firm collectively. This unit is related to 8th
grade ELA because it deals with issues that students in today’s world find relevant and in some
forms face routinely. Though the survival aspect differs in that students in 21st century rural
North Carolina are not forced into an arena to violently kill each other, they are forced into social
situations where they are figuratively fighting to survive.
This unit is relatable to all 8th grade students and can be modified easily for differentiated
instruction. The unit provides opportunities for pairing of the anchor text to various forms of
Informational text, the integration of poetry focusing on lyrical content, it appeals to and
addresses the majority of the Common Core State Standards and allows for interdisciplinary
focus through Social Studies. Social Studies elements are involved in the unit in that there are
some geographical details that need to be addressed in reference to the location of the Capitol
and the other 12 districts in the country of Panem. In order for students to be able to draw
conclusions, make inferences, and understand the text, they must have a clear understanding of
the geography of North America in their current state by comparing and contrasting them to the
condition which is Panem many years in the future.
This unit is comprised of several activities and lessons. For the purpose of this
assignment, only 5 will be addressed. The following lessons are integral to this unit:
Engagement: This lesson is meant to engage the students in reading the text by seeing
how the concepts in the text are linked to issues that have happened in the past and
continue to happen. This draws the students in, answers questions, and allows students to
see ways to relate to the text.
Literacy Circles: Students begin working with groups chose by teacher. They each are
responsible for a role in the group in relation to the activities to be completed
Dystopia vs. Utopia: Students make real world connections to dystopian society and
Utopian society.
Characterizations: students work on characterization and create facebook pages via the
Facebook paper template.
The writing process: Students address how changes in the text can impact the entire text
and the integrity of the text can be threatened.
LDC Module Unit Plan
Module title: Survival vs. Human Rights
Module description (overview):
Students will read The Hungers Games with several informational text pieces (articles and non-fiction excerpts) and use information attained with prior knowledge to make a determination as to whether survival skills are more important than basic human rights.
Template task (include number, type, level):
Task 12: [insert critical focus question] After reading ________ (informational texts) on ________(content), write a (report or substitute) in which you define and explain _________(content). Support your discussion with evidence and texts.
Teaching task: Is survival more important than basic human rights? After reading The Hunger Games, "Band in Fatal Hazing to Perform Again," "An End to War vs. The Animal Instinct to Survive," and excerpts from “The Lottery,” Night, Lord of the Flies, and The Diary of Anne Frank on survival, write a survival guide for a character from The Hunger Games in which you define and explain the conflict between human rights and survival. Support your discussion with evidence from the texts.
Reading texts: The Hunger Games, Night, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Lord of the Flies, The Lottery, “An End to War vs. The Animal Instinct to Survive,” “Band in Fatal Hazing to Perform Again,” song lyrics (poetic devices) “Pumped-up Kicks”
Grade(s)/Level: 8th
Discipline: (e.g., ELA, science, history, other?)
English Language Arts with Social Studies elements (geography, social problems within a dystopian/utopian society)
Course: 8th grade English Language Arts
Explanatory Notes
Students will need: active reading skills, note-taking skills (Cornell Notes), research, plagiarism/ source citation, transitioning, organization of ideas, proof-reading/peer editing, North American geography/social studies skills relating text to reality
Author(s): Latoya Y. McCormick
Literacy Standards:
R.L 8.1, R.L. 8.2, R.L. 8.7, R.I. 8.2, R.I 8.3, R.I. 8.6, W 8.9, W 8.4, W 8.2, W 8.5, S.L 8.5, L 8.6, L 8.2, L. 8.4…see standards listing below
Contact information:
LDC Instructional Unit Plan Task Prompt#_12_ (select from the list of template tasks) Task Prompt: Is survival more important than basic human rights? After reading The Hunger Games, "Band in Fatal Hazing to Perform Again," "An End to War vs. The Animal Instinct to Survive," and excerpts from Night, Lord of the Flies, and The Diary of Anne Frank on survival, write a survival guide for a character from The Hunger Games in which you define and explain the conflict between human rights and survival. Support your discussion with evidence from the texts.
___Argumentative_x_ Informational/Explanatory___Narrative
Literacy/Content Skills Standard Day # What Instruction?
How will you teach this skill?
Student Work
What will students do to demonstrate their learning?
AssessmentHow will you assess that they have
learned this skill?Formative/Summative
1.Preparing for the Task-Task Engagement _x_-Task Analysis _x_-Project Planning __-Content Skill _x_
R.I 8.4R.I 8.6S.L 8.5L 8.4L 8.6
W 8.4
1 TE: Students will answer the question: “what are human rights?” They will use context clues and draw inferences to define human rights. CS: Students will view “The Story of Human Rights” on Smart board via Youtube.com http://youtu.be/oh3BbLk5UIQ to learn true meaning.CS: Teacher will provide a brief overview revisiting Cornell Note-taking.TA: Provide task prompt Facilitate sharing out.
Students will respond to question.
Students will take Cornell Notes during video making note of three (3) different examples of human rights
Students will then use a thinking map to show different examples of human rights in their own words showing a relation with their own lives.
Students will summarize task in their notebooks in their own words.
FORMATIVE Through student responses Through answers via paddle
boards Thinking maps Accurate paraphrasing of prompt
SUMMATIVE Students use Cornell Notes to
respond to 5 short multiple choice questions on the video on the history of Human Rights. Submitted as an exit ticket for a quiz grade.
2.Reading Process- Active Reading _x__ AR- Essential Vocabulary _x_ EV- Note-taking _x_ NT-Organizing ____O-Academic Integrity ____AI-Content Skill _x_ CS
R.I 8.1R.I 8.3R.I 8.2R.I 8.4R.I. 8.6W 8.4W 8.10L 8.5L 8.4L 8.6S.L 8.4S.L 8.1
2-20
NT: Introduce packet of primary and secondary sources; revisit Cornell Note-taking strategy (model).AR1: Present students with examples via Smart Board with examples of active reading. Teacher models active reading on Smart Board with excepts from different types of literary sources
Students will use Cornell Note-taking sheet to complete all notes on human rights and survivals. Students will extract ideas from each source using the Cornell Note process.
Students will model to class examples of active reading through excerpts on Smart board.
FORMATIVE Uses Cornell Notes for all note-
taking Short quiz on Cornell Notes Short quiz on active reading Completion of study guide per
chapter Complete notes from 2-3 sources
(articles or text) daily.
W 8.8W 8.9W 8.6W 8.5R.L 8.1R.L 8.2R.L 8.3R.L 8.4R.L 8.5R.L 8.6R.L 8.7R.L 8.9R.L 8.10
AR2: Discussion on student content from readings. Present PowerPoint presentations/Youtube video clips.Facilitate group discussion regarding student notes.AR3: Facilitate the use of literacy circles
AR4: Facilitate the usage of inferences within the textAR5: Facilitate the usage of study guide by students. Teacher will model how to record information from the text.AR6: Present students with GIST activity with informational text related to novel.
CS: Teacher will provide the students with Power Point/Youtube visual on symbolism, Imagery, and figurative language. Teacher will reiterate the ideas linked to theme and tone. –Teacher will model to class determining the central theme of a literary work.
AR7: Facilitate the students in the usage of the S-I-F-T activity where students identify the symbolism, imagery, figurative language, theme/tone
EV: Facilitate class-wide and small group discussions where students brainstorm about text-dependent terms; share examples of key terms and definitions. Model word-mapping activities.
Students will show evidence of active reading using Cornell Notes, study guide, and literacy circle job handout sheets while reading novel.
Students will work collaboratively within literacy circles. Each student will have a job for which he or she is responsible: Dictionary Detective, Making Connections, Illustrator, Reading Discussion Director, and Story Mapper.
Students will complete graphic organizers and Cornell Notes while reading and watching slide shows/video clips.
Students utilize study guides to collect and record text-dependent data from the novel.
Students will complete reading in groups, then work collaboratively to summarize the reading materials per the GIST guidelines.
Students will take Cornell Notes on symbolism, imagery, figurative language, and tone/theme.
Students will model the central theme of supplemental text individually and within
Completion of graphic organizers
Completion of frayer model vocabulary maps and development/usage of personal glossary.
Completion of literacy circle jobs with the group providing a summary of the text and making a prediction based upon textual evidence as to what will happen next.
Students will use chart paper to present GIST activity to the class. The class will then work together to determine the central themes to articles and find relationships between the informational text and the novel.
Students will use GIST format to create a Twitter post from one character to another using textual evidence, students are limited to no more than 140 written characters.
Students will take a short quiz identifying central theme.
Students will take complete an assignment (handout) on
literacy circles
Students practice in the class and model to teacher and class how to use the SIFT model
Students collaborate to determine the best possible meanings to terms, sequence, and plot.
Students use SIFT activity to identify symbolism, imagery, figurative language, theme/tone from the novel.
Students will brainstorm in small groups about definitions using context clues. Students will use Frayer model to create their own glossary of terms related to the texts.
figurative language and assess each other within their literacy circles.
Students will work in groups to teach the class about symbolism, imagery, figurative language
Students will complete a writing assignment based upon the text by re-writing the selection without or by changing figurative language, symbolism, imagery, and tone/theme.
3. Transition to Writing- Bridging ___- Organizing Thinking OT- Understanding the reading UR-Content Skill ___``
R.I 8.1W 8.8W 8.9W 8.6W 8.5R.I 8.3
10-15 OT: Facilitate class-wide and small discussion groups on making alternate endings to commonly known stories.Teacher reiterates the use of note-taking as related to preparing a piece of literature.UR: Teacher shows clips of the movie to introduce students to idea of literature to film adaptations.
Students work in groups collaboratively to develop alternate endings to well known fables, short stories including textual evidence as background in the re-write of the ending.
Students will view the film adaptation with the purpose of taking note of the differences in the film adaptation from the literary work.
Students present as a group the original format of the story, then perform a re-enactment of the alternate ending with each student in the group having a role to play including narrator.
Students will complete a double bubble thinking map or Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the film to the literary work.
4. Writing Process-Prewriting _x__-Drafting _x__-Revising _x__-Editing_x_-Content Skill _x_
S.L 8.1S.L 8.2S.L 8.5L. 8.5L. 8.6L 8.4
15-20 PREWRITING: Teacher will re-introduce the writing assignment/final project to the students. Teacher will model an example of the finished work. A rubric will be provided to the
Students will begin brainstorming individually about the character whose fate they would like to change by allowing them to survive by
Students will complete and turn in a survival guide.
Students will also turn in a rubric on their partner identifying what they think and how well the project was performed.
W 8.10W 8.4W 8.8W 8.9W 8.6W 8.5R.I 8.10
students for the final project.
DRAFTING: Teacher will facilitate the drafting process by modeling a rough draft.
REVISING: Teacher will facilitate the revision process by modeling the process of making revisions.
EDITING: Teacher will facilitate the editing process by modeling the process of editing.
CS: The writing process, annotating, editing, peer reviewing.
making a list of pros and cons as to why the person should survive.
The students begin drafting by producing thinking maps as to how the character died in the text and how he or she could survive.
Students will begin the revision process by ensuring an adequate amount of textual evidence to include quotes from the character that led to their demise or tragic downfall.
Students will revise draft to have sound spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar. Adjust formatting as needed to provide clear, appealing text.
Students will peer review the work of others using the peer revision worksheet/rubric and provide comments to include one positive, one thing they will change, and one question.
As an alternative, students can create a cookbook for the residents of District 12. Students must research cookbooks and recipes in order to learn the format, then link their ideas to the text. These recipes must be written for starving, low income people. To maintain the integrity of the story, students must write from the perspective of “Greasy Sae” and use the ingredients that are most prominent in District 12.
Students will all complete a book trailer using Animoto.com on ipads to create a 30 second video providing a preview of the storyline. Students cannot use any pictures from the film adaptation for this assignment-an example of book trailer:Click this link to view Catching Fire book trailer
Upon completion, students must complete an Accelerated Reading quiz online.
Book Trailer using Animoto.com
Double Bubble Example
Venn Diagram Example
Survival Guide and Cookbook
