Advanced: all advanced classes must get through all 5 units. Other classes may not get past the 4th unit.
Writing Continuum: all embedded assessments must be completed; pieces to be collected for the Kenton County Writing Continuum are noted in teal.
ELA SpringBoard Curriculum Map
Duration: 27 ½ Days/ 19 Days
Level 6, Unit 1: The American Dream
Unit Overview Essential Question Academic
Vocabulary
AP College/Readiness Writing
If asked to describe the essence and
spirit
of America, you would probably refer
to “the
American Dream.” First coined as a
phrase
in 1931, the phrase “the American
Dream”
characterizes the unique promise
that America
has offered immigrants and
residents for nearly
400 years. People have come to this
country
for adventure, opportunity, freedom,
and the
chance to experience the particular
qualities of
the American landscape.
Consequently, different
groups of people have left their
imprint on the
philosophical foundations of this
country and
contributed to what has become a
modern
1. In what ways does the
American Dream
manifest
itself in American life?
2. How does one create a
personal definition of the
American Dream?
Survey
Primary Source
Secondary Source
• Research and present
the influence of
American
historical/philosophical
eras on America’s
literary and social
history
• Develop a deep
understanding of
rhetoric and how an
author presents his/her
argument through a
variety of literary and
stylistic elements
• Apply the elements of a
strong argument
including the hook,
claim, support,
concessions/refutations
, and call to action
• Identify and apply
different syntactical
structures to writing
• Extend knowledge of
the writing types, or
•
American Dream. In this unit you will
explore
the foundations of the American
Dream through
literary movements and a variety of
American
voices. You will also investigate how
this Dream
might be realized in your own life
and in the
lives of those around you through a
survey
investigating assumptions about the
American
Dream. The unit will prepare you for
a wide body
of literature that continues to
incorporate this
idea and help you to synthesize this
information
into your own understanding of the
concept.
modes, to include an
individual synthesis
paper
SpringBoard Activities Content Focus
(Learning Objective)
Focus Standard Comments Writing
Learning Focus: Making Text Come
to Life
1.1 Previewing the Unit
Duration: ½ class period
• contextualize prior
knowledge about key
ides and concepts
• analyze the skills and
knowledge necessary
for success in the unit
1.2 What Is the American Dream?
Duration: ¼ class period • anticipate themes and
ideas relating to
various beliefs
• connect personal
attitudes that
contribute to one’s
perception of the
American Dream
1.3 What Is Your Source?
Duration: ¼ class period • define and classify
primary and
secondary sources
• recognize situations
that warrant specific
sources
1.4 Coming to America
Poetry: “Ellis Island,” by Joseph
Bruchac
Poetry: “Europe and America,” by
David Ignatow
Duration: 1 ¼ class period
• develop a working
definition of the
American Dream
• apply knowledge of
denotation and
connotation
• demonstrate control
and understanding of
the effect of diction
choices
• contrast past and
present views of the
American Dream
1.5 Historic Pathways to the
American Dream
Essay: “The Trial of Martha Carrier,”
by Cotton Mather
Essay: “Moral Perfection,” by
Benjamin Franklin
Aphorisms: “Sayings of Poor
Richard,” from Poor Richard’s
Almanack, by Benjamin Franklin
Essay: Excerpt from “Self-Reliance,”
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essay: Excerpt from Walden, “Where
I Lived and What I Lived For,” by
Henry David Thoreau
Duration: 3 class periods
• identify and evaluate
the philosophical,
religious, ethical, and
social influences that
shaped the literature
of a period
• extrapolate from
primary sources to
construct an
understanding of a
philosophical
viewpoint
• analyze purpose and
historical context in
varied sources and
• Add in additional
excerpts from “Self-
Reliance” and from
“Walden”
• Enhance quality of
project using higher
level expectations and
rubric
• Increase number of
required sources
evaluate the
usefulness of those
sources
• research and identify
primary source
documents that
exemplify
philosophical
viewpoints
1.6 America, the Beautiful
Poetry: “America, the Beautiful,” by
Katharine Lee Bates
Poetry: “America,” by Claude McKay
Poetry: “Shine, Perishing Republic,”
by Robinson Jeffers
Duration: 1 class period
• communicate the
significant points of a
poem to classmates
• synthesize
information from
multiple poems and
make a personal
connection
• analyze elements of a
poem and synthesize
an interpretation
1.7 America’s Voices: Call and
Response
Poetry: “I Hear America Singing,” by
Walt Whitman
Poetry: “I, Too, Sing America,” by
Langston Hughes
Poetry: “Indian Singing in
Twentieth-Century America,” by Gail
Tremblay
Poetry: “next to of course god
america i,” by e.e. cummings
Duration: 1 class period
• recognize the
juxtaposition of
positive and negative
attitudes toward
America
• define and identify
tone in a poem or
song
• use speaking skills to
clearly and effectively
perform a poem
• develop a well-
structured original
poem
1.8 Getting to Know the American
Dream • analyze aspects of the
American Dream
Essay: “They Live the Dream,” by
Dan Rather
Article: “Lifelong Dreamer –
Vietnam Boat Person,” by Mary-Beth
McLaughlin
Duration: 1 ¾ class periods
• summarize texts and
present findings to
peers
• connect newly
learned information
to personal
experience
• analyze the
organization of a
nonfiction text
1.9 Sentence Structure: Let’s Mix It
Up!
Duration: ½ class period
• evaluate text for
correct use of verbs,
including tense and
voice
• analyze an author’s
syntactic choices,
specifically sentence
openings
• practice a revision
strategy for future
writing
1.10 Money and the American Dream
Poetry: “Money,” by Dana Gioia
Drama: Excerpt from A Raisin in the
Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
Short Story: “Mammon and the
Archer,” by O. Henry
Duration: 1 ¾ class periods
• examine a single topic
from multiple points
of view
• develop an expository
text with a coherent
point of view
• manipulate language
to reflect a particular
tone and point of
view
• synthesize points of
view about a topic
• Find an article
discussing materialism
in American culture
• Discuss the change
regarding the concept of
money in our culture
throughout the decades,
from the turn of the
century
• Read “Harlem” poem
and discuss connection
to A Raisin in the Sun
• Show clip of DVD from A
Raisin in the Sun and
discuss the visual aspect
of the play verse
reading a play
• Discuss white flight,
creation of the suburb
and ghettos
• Read reviews of original
play and/or DVD
version
1.11 Listen While You Work
Song Lyrics: “Harlan Man,” by Steve
Earle
Song Lyrics: “The Mountain,” by
Steve Earle
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze the purpose
and context of two
texts by the same
author
• compare speakers
and their attitudes
toward work
• use textual evidence
to make thematic
generalizations
1.12 Working Toward the Dream
Poetry: “Who Burns for the
Perfection of Paper,” by Martin
Espada
Nonfiction: Excerpt from Working,
“Roberto Acuna Talks About Farm
Workers,” by Studs Terkel
Duration: 1 class period
• understand the
relationship between
work and self-
understanding
• synthesize
information to make
text-to-text
connections
• use textual evidence
as the basis for
inferences
1.13 With Liberty and Access to All?
Nonfiction: Excerpt from Nickel and
Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in
America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• make personal
connections and text-
to-text connections
with a literary
nonfiction text
• apply the elements of
argumentation in a
letter of response to a
text
1.14 Creating a Survey About the
American Dream
Duration: 2 class periods
• survey attitudes
about aspects of the
American Dream
• create questions,
conduct interviews,
and interpret findings
from a survey
• appraise responses
from a survey and
understand the
results as a functional
text worthy of
analysis
Embedded Assessment 1:
Presenting Findings from a Survey
Duration: 4 class periods
• work in pairs
• develop, conduct,
interpret, and present
the findings of a
survey that is
designed to prove or
disprove an
assumption about the
American Dream
Learning Focus: Defining Your
American Dream
1.15 The Road to Success
Speech: Excerpt from Keynote
Address, 2004 Democratic National
Convention, by Barack Obama
Essay: “The Right to Fail,” by William
Zinsser
Duration: 2 ½ class periods
• revisit and revise the
notion of the
American Dream
through a comparison
of two texts
• analyze the types of
arguments used by a
speaker
1.16 Defining the Dream
Duration: ¾ class period • synthesize previous
notions of the
American Dream
• generate working
definitions of the
American Dream by
function,
classification,
example, and
negation
Embedded Assessment 2:
Synthesizing the American Dream
Duration: 2 class periods
• synthesize at least
three to five sources
and own observations
to defend, challenge,
or qualify the
statement that
America still provides
access to the
American Dream
• integrate a variety of
sources into a
coherent, well-
written
argumentative essay
• refer to the sources
and employ
observations to
support the position
• take the essay
through all the stages
of the writing process
• Argumentative/Persuasive
Essay
Unit Reflection
Duration: ½ class period • monitor
comprehension and
growth through a
reflective process
• synthesize
understanding of
individual reading
and writing processes
• passage-based persuasive
On-Demand live scoring
(department choose
mode)
and strategies
• self-assess mastery of
key concepts and
terms
SpringBoard Online Unit One
Assessment
Duration: 1 class period
Assessment and Performance
Opportunities
Additional Resources Teacher Reflection
SpringBoard Online Writing
Workshop 6: Expository Writing
SpringBoard Portfolio
SpringBoard Grammar and Usage Handbook
SpringBoard Literature Circles: Independent
Reading – Focus: Nonfiction essays, memoirs,
autobiographies, or biographies that will help
students understand how others define the
American Dream
ELA SpringBoard Curriculum Map
Duration: 29 ½ Days/ 20 Days
Level 6, Unit 2: American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas
Unit Overview Essential Question Academic Vocabulary AP College/Readiness
TV news, news magazines, newspapers,
radio, and the Internet give us sometimes
vital, sometimes trivial, facts and opinions,
creating a swirling array of often conflicting
information. The resulting chaos of information
and perspectives can create an overwhelming
presence in our lives, yet this information is also
crucial to our ability to make informed decisions
about everything from personal beliefs to public
policy. Indeed, the ways in which these ideas
and voices interact with each other create a
marketplace of ideas—a forum through which we
can shape, test, and revise our own perspectives
on our society and the issues that dominate
the day. One place in particular where opinions
can be shared, heard, and responded to is the
newspaper op-ed page. In this context, and
in many others, satire is often used by social
critics to challenge or comment upon prevailing
attitudes. In this unit you will learn to discern a
news story from an opinion piece and a satirical
text, and you will be better prepared to know
where to go when you want to find out what
America is thinking—and to create texts that may
influence that thinking.
1. How do newspapers
impact public opinion or
public perception?
2. How does a writer use
tone to advance an
opinion?
Bias
Fallacy
Editorial
Parody
• Address and appeal to
audiences in a variety of
persuasive genres
• Analyze how writers
effectively use rhetoric,
include controlling tone,
establish and maintain
voice, and achieve
appropriate emphasis
through diction and
sentence structure
• Apply effective rhetorical
strategies and techniques
in their own writing
SpringBoard Activities Content Focus
(Learning Objective)
Focus Standard Comments
Learning Focus: Browsing in the Marketplace
2.1 Previewing the Unit • contextualize prior
knowledge about key ides
Duration: ½ class period and concepts
• analyze the skills and
knowledge necessary for
success in the unit
2.2 Introducing the Media
Editorial: “Oh my! The future of news,” by Jeremy
Wagstaff
Duration: 1 class period
• identify and reflect on media
habits and students’ feelings
about the news
• analyze how an author
appeals to multiple
audiences
• identify an author’s purpose
• summarize and critique
media channels students
encounter in everyday life
2.3 Consumer’s Report
Informational Text: Excerpt from “A Day in the Life
of the Media: Intro,” by The Project for Excellence in
Journalism
Duration: 2 class periods
• summarize and critique
media channels students
encounter in everyday life
• compare and contrast how
different media cover the
same issues/stories
• examine how media
channels target specific
audiences
2.4 Debating the Newspaper: Part I
Article: “How the Rise of the Daily Me Threatens
Democracy,” by Cass Sunstein
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• discuss the connection
between editorials and the
marketplace of ideas
• evaluate the role of
newspapers in a democracy
• identify an author’s use of
support (reasoning and
evidence)
2.5 Debating the Newspaper: Part II
Editorial: “The Newspaper is Dying – Hooray for
Democracy,” by Andrew Potter
Duration: 1 class period
• review techniques for
refuting an argument
• evaluate an author’s use of
refutation
• apply strategies of
refutation to a set of
persuasive elements
2.6 News or Views: A Closer Look
Article: “Faceboo Photos Sting Minnesota High School
Students”
Article: “Federal Way Schools Restrict Gore Film,” by
Robert McClure and Lisa Stiffler
Duration: 1 class period
• activate prior knowledge
about objectivity and
subjectivity in texts
• develop questions for
identifying bias
• analyze a news story for
evidence of bias
2.7 Fair and Balanced: Part I
Duration: 1 class period • analyze how language can
be used to manipulate
readers
• distinguish between biased
and objective rhetoric
• revise to eliminate loaded
language
2.8 Fair and Balanced: Part II
Editorial: “Abolish high school football!”
by Raymond Schroth
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze a writer’s use of
language to manipulate
readers
• distinguish between
persuasion and propaganda
• revise to eliminate loaded
language/slanters
2.9 How to Read an Editorial
Editorial: “Facing Consequences at Eden Prairie High”
Duration: 1 class period
• develop techniques for
actively reading an editorial
text
• examine the impact of
audience and context on
rhetorical choices
2.10 How to Write an Editorial
Editorial: “Time to raise the bar in high schools,” by
Jack O’Connell
Editorial: “New Michigan Graduation Requirements
Shortchange Many Students,” by Nick Thomas
• apply the key elements of
editorial writing
• examine the impact of
audience and context on
rhetorical choices
Duration: 2 class periods • compare and contrast the
persuasive elements of two
editorials
• craft a persuasive editorial
2.11 Where’s Your Proof?
Duration: ¾ class period • analyze the purpose of
different types of evidence
• identify the limitations of
different types of evidence
• evaluate an author’s use of
evidence to justify claims
2.12 Reading and Writing a Letter to the Editor
Editorial: “Why I Hate Cell Phones,” by Sara Reihani
Duration: 1 class period
• identify style, format, and
genre conventions of letters
to the editor
• analyze an author’s
rhetorical choices
• evaluate the impact of tone
in a letter
• write a letter to the editor
2.13 Fallacies 101
Duration: 1 class period • identify fallacious logic,
appeals, and rhetoric
• evaluate the use of
rhetorical devices to
manipulate an audience
2.14 How to Read and Write an Editorial Cartoon
Informational Text: “An Inside Look at Editorial
Cartoons,” by Bill Brennen
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze the format, style,
and conventions of editorial
cartoons
• interpret the significance of
symbolism and caricature in
visual texts
• analyze a visual text for its
tone and message
• create an editorial cartoon
Embedded Assessment 1:
Creating an Op-Ed Page
Duration: 3 class periods
• work in groups
• plan, develop, write, revise,
and present op-ed page as if
• Publish op-ed page on
school website, or
nky.com, etc.
writing for an actual
newspaper
• include at least two
unsigned editorials that
reflect the same perspective,
at least three editorial
cartoons that can represent
a variety of viewpoints, at
least two guest columnist
editorials, two of which
must be opposing
viewpoints, and several
letters to the editor
• final layout and design
should reflect that of an
actual newspaper
Learning Focus: The Art of Indirect Persuasion
2.15 Introduction to Satire
Satire: “Let’s Hear It for the Cheerleaders,” by David
Bouchier
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• identify elements of humor
in writing
• recognize and analyze the
elements of satire
• interpret an author’s use of
humor to develop a position
2.16 The Satirical Spectrum
*Sample Editorial Cartoons
Duration: ¾ class period
• interpret tone in satirical
texts (print and visual)
• distinguish among different
purposes for satire
2.17 The Satirical Critique
Satire: “How to Poison the Earth,” by Linnea Saukko
Satire: “Gambling in Schools,” by Howard Mohr
Duration: 1 class period
• identify elements of humor
in writing
• interpret tone in satirical
texts (print and visual)
• differentiate among
different purposes for satire
• evaluate the effectiveness of
satirical passages
2.18 Satire and Society
Satire: “Maintaining the Crime Supply” • analyze an author’s use of
irony
Duration: 1 ¼ class periods • interpret the impact of
diction and detail on tone
• analyze how an author uses
humor to comment on a
serious social issue
2.19 Writing a Parody
Parody: “In Depth, but Shallowly,” by Dave Barry
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze how parody is used
to critique a subject
• craft an original parody of a
mass media program
• interpret the relationship
between tone and theme in a
satirical piece
• Enhanced quality of
finished product
• Higher level
expectations and
rubric
• Peer workshop
2.20 Need Some Advice?
Satire: “Advice to Youth,” by Mark Twain
Duration: 1 ¼ class periods
• explore how authors subvert
clichés
• analyze how an author uses
satire to critique social
norms
• examine how authors use
syntax (loose or cumulative
sentences) for effect
2.21 Twain in Twain
Satire: “The War Prayer,” by Mark Twain
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze the relationship
between an author’s subject
and tone
• evaluate an author’s choice
of tone to address a
particular rhetorical context
2.22 Peeling the Skin
Satire: “Girl Moved to Tears by Of Mice and Men Cliff
Notes,” from The Onion
Duration: ½ class period
• examine an author’s use of a
genre for satirical purposes
• analyze how an author uses
details for rhetorical effect
• explore the impact of
ridicule on the perception of
a writer’s subject
Embedded Assessment 2:
Writing a Satirical Piece • write a satirical piece
critiquing some aspect of
• Enhanced quality of
finished piece
Duration: 1 class period our society
• take the piece through all
the stages of the writing
process
• Higher level
expectations and
rubric
• Satirical broadcast
Unit Reflection
Duration: ½ class period • monitor comprehension and
growth through a reflective
process
• synthesize understanding of
individual reading and
writing processes and
strategies
• self-assess mastery of key
concepts and terms
passage-based informative
On-Demand live scoring
(department choose mode)
SpringBoard Online Unit Two Assessment
Duration:1 class period
Assessment and Performance Opportunities Additional Resources Teacher Reflection
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 8: Persuasive
Writing
SpringBoard Portfolio
SpringBoard Grammar and Usage Handbook
SpringBoard Literature Circles: Independent Reading –
Focus: Current-event articles, editorials, news publications,
and satirical commentaries reporting on a topic of interest
ELA SpringBoard Curriculum Map
Duration: 42 ¼ Days/ 28 Days
Level 6, Unit 3: The Power of Persuasion
Unit Overview Essential Question Academic Vocabulary AP College/Readiness
America’s tradition of open debate and lively free
speech was established in the early period of the
fight for independence from British rule. Before
that, the founding settlers had established
the basis for a literate democratic society in
its schools and system of justice. You have
seen from the previous unit that persuasive,
free speech is at the heart of our democracy’s
vitality. Through a study of historic American
speeches, this unit provides an opportunity to
analyze models of effective persuasive speech
in preparation for writing and delivering original
speeches. Continuing the idea of free speech,
this unit then delves into Arthur Miller’s play The
Crucible and explores both the play itself as well
as its relationship to the time period in which it
was written.
1. How are the components
of rhetoric applied to the
creation and delivery of
persuasive speeches?
2. How can artistic
expression advance social
commentary?
Rhetoric
Rhetorical Devices
• repetition (anaphora)
• aphorism
• parallelism
• allusion
• rhetorical question
• argument by analogy
• metaphor
• simile
Social Commentary
Foil
• Close analysis of rhetorical
devices and techniques
used in creating
persuasive speeches
• Stylistic development,
including controlling tone,
establishing and
maintaining voice, and
achieving appropriate
emphasis through diction
and sentence structure
• Literary analysis of a
dramatic work of lasting
literary merit in order to
arrive at multiple
interpretations
• Development of increasing
maturity and complexity
in both reading and
writing
• Analysis of the social,
cultural, political, and
historical contexts of a
literary text and its
contributions to society
SpringBoard Activities Content Focus
(Learning Objective)
Focus Standard Comments
Learning Focus: Speaking with Confidence • contextualize prior
3.1 Previewing the Unit
Duration: ½ class periods
knowledge about key ides
and concepts
• analyze the skills and
knowledge necessary for
success in the unit
3.2 Fears and Expectations
Duration: ¾ class period • establish classroom norms
of effective behavior for
speakers and listeners
• explore the role of the
audience in an oral
presentation
• demonstrate effective oral
literacy skills within the
confines of a familiar text
• demonstrate appropriate
inflection for an oral
presentation
•
3.3 Quotables
Duration: ¾ class period • interpret a variety of
quotations
• incorporate quotations into
speaking
• consider effective styles of
oral presentations and
deliver an oral statement
3.4 A Presidential Beginning
Speech: “Inaugural Address,” by John F. Kennedy
Duration: 2 class periods
• read, interpret, and analyze
a challenging historical
document
• examine the role of syntax in
a text
• select an appropriate style
and deliver an oral
presentation
3.5 Reviewing Rhetoric
Duration: ¾ class period • define and apply rhetorical
appeals
• write a persuasive essay
that uses rhetorical appeals
3.6 Using Rhetorical Devices
Sermon: From “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry
God,” by Jonathan Edwards
Duration: 1 class period
• apply knowledge of
rhetorical devices, syntax,
and rhetorical appeals to
analyze a speech
• employ a variety of
strategies to make meaning
from text
• Discuss the seven
deadly sins and why
they are sins, etc.
• Discuss the seven
virtues and why they
are virtues, etc.
3.7 “Give Me Liberty!”
Speech: “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” by
Patrick Henry
Duration: 1 ¼ class periods
• apply knowledge of
rhetorical devices, syntax,
and rhetorical appeals to
understand a speech
• employ a variety of
strategies to make meaning
from a text
• prepare and present a brief
oral presentation
3.8 It’s All in the Delivery
Duration: 1 class period • examine and evaluate a
variety of delivery styles for
oral presentations
• identify and explain the
effect of specific
components of oral
presentations
Embedded Assessment 1:
Creating and Presenting a Persuasive Speech
Duration: 3 class periods
• write and deliver a two- to
three-minute persuasive
speech that addresses a
contemporary issue
• utilize rhetorical appeals
and devices, syntax, and
effective delivery notes
• Add embedded narrative
as a portfolio piece
Learning Focus: Speaking Your Conscience
3.9 Preparing to Read The Crucible
Article: “The Lessons of Salem,” by Laura Shapiro
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• analyze the title of the play
• make predictions about the
play
• create a historical context
for the action of the play
3.10 A Salem Tea Party
Duration: 2 class periods • identify the main characters
of the play
• understand relationships
among characters
• preview Miller’s invented
Puritan diction and sentence
structure
• examine Miller’s attitude
toward his characters and
events
3.11 Beginnings
*Drama: The Crucible (Act One), by Arthur Miller
Duration: 2 class periods
• recognize characteristics of
the setting and time period
• recognize the attributes of a
foil
• keep track of character
development
3.12 Key Scene 1: Proctor and Abby
Duration: 1 class period • imagine different readings
of the text
• interpret the meaning of
specific theatrical choices
• make directional choices
that lead to a specific
interpretation
3.13 Defining Hysteria
Fable: “The Very Proper Gander,” by James Thurber
Duration: 1 class period
• understand the definition of
hysteria and how it applies
in The Crucible
•
3.14 Conflicts in Salem
Duration: ½ class period • understand and identify the
conflicts in the community
• make connections between
dramatic conflict and real
issues
3.15 Speaking Like a Puritan
*Drama: The Crucible (Act Two), by Arthur Miller • diffuse vocabulary by
context
Duration: 2 ½ class periods • examine language
3.16 Key Scene 2: Proctor and Elizabeth
Duration: ¾ class period • illustrate and evaluate how
performance choice affects
meaning
3.17 Character Metaphors
Duration: 1 class period • demonstrate the purpose of
characterization techniques
• Write metaphors that
describe the essence of
each character
3.18 Proof and Confessions
*Drama: The Crucible (Act Three), by Arthur Miller
Duration: 3 class periods
• recognize how proof and
confessions worked during
the witch trials
• understand the implications
of the choices faced by the
characters
• create original scripts
illuminating a conflict on an
ethical issue
3.19 Fearful Consequences
Duration: 2 class periods • recognize a character’s
choices as an element of
characterization
• recognize situational irony
in the characters’ choices
3.20 Speaking Out
Speech: Excerpt from “Declaration of Conscience,” by
Margaret Chase Smith
Essay: “Why I Wrote The Crucible: An artist’s answer
to politics,” by Arthur Miller
Duration: 2 ½ class periods
• understand an author’s
purpose
• recognize a second layer of
meaning in a play
3.21 A Matter of Integrity
*Drama: The Crucible (Act Four), by Arthur Miller
Duration: 3 class periods
• understand that characters
can represent a point of
view
• examine the relationship
between character and
thematic statement
• Analyze how the seven
deadly sins and virtues
were present in the
play. Possibly have
students pull quotes
from the play to
support their analysis
3.22 Final Verdicts • recognize how character
Duration: 1 class period action affects theme and
audience response
• compare and contrast drama
and film versions o evaluate
the resolution of the conflict
3.23 Timed Writing
Duration: 2 class periods • demonstrate an
understanding of the
significant elements of the
play and/or the film version
• analyze a writing prompt
and plan a response
• synthesize knowledge of
dramatic elements into an
essay of analysis
Embedded Assessment 2:
Creating and Performing a Dramatic Scene
Duration: 4 class periods
• work with a group
• write and perform an
original dramatic script
including a statement about
a conflict that faces society
• take the script through all
the stages of the writing
process
Unit Reflection
Duration: ½ class period • monitor comprehension and
growth through a reflective
process
• synthesize understanding of
individual reading and
writing processes and
strategies
• self-assess mastery of key
concepts and terms
passage-based narrative On-
Demand live scoring Writing
Workshop 4
SpringBoard Online Unit Three Assessment
Duration: 1 class period
Assessment and Performance Opportunities Additional Resources Teacher Reflection
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 8: Persuasive
Writing
SpringBoard Grammar and Usage Handbook
SpringBoard Literature Circles: Independent Reading –
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 5: Script
Writing
SpringBoard Portfolio
Focus: Allegorical literary fiction, nonfiction books, or a
collection of essays on a related topic that is of interest to
them
ELA SpringBoard Curriculum Map
Duration: 36 ½ Days/ 24 Days
Level 6, Unit 4: An American Journey
Unit Overview Essential Question Academic Vocabulary AP College/Readiness
Ever since the Pilgrims traveled to America, the
concept of the “journey” has been part of the
American experience. In this unit you will study
the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, which
traces the physical and emotional journey of a
woman striving for self-expression. You will then
examine the ways that you present yourself in a
variety of situations on your own journey to self-
expression.
1. How can an author’s style
construct and reflect identity?
2. How do communication
skills enhance self-expression?
Motif
Resume • Study a work of literary
merit to analyze its
structure, style, and
themes
• Analyze a writer’s rich and
complex writing style and
use that analysis to refine
their own writing style
• Employ strategies for
active independent
reading and sophisticated
literary analysis
• Write and speak
confidently in academic,
social, and professional
situations
SpringBoard Activities Content Focus
(Learning Objective)
Focus Standard Comments
Learning Focus: Journey of Discovery
4.1 Previewing the Unit
Duration: ½ class periods
• contextualize prior
knowledge about key ides
and concepts
• analyze the skills and
knowledge necessary for
success in the unit
4.2 Who Was Zora Neale Hurston?
*Teleplay: Zora Is My Name, directed by Neema
Barnette
Memoir: “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” by Zora
• identify and infer
biographical knowledge
about an author
• recognize how an author’s
Neale Hurston
Duration: 2 class periods
personal experiences inform
writing
• identify and analyze the
features of a memoir
(optional)
• identify diction and
figurative language and their
effect on tone
4.3 The Harlem Renaissance
Duration: 2 ½ class periods • situate a novel in its
historical, cultural, and
geographical context
• derive information from a
media production and relate
it to the author’s biography
• create an informational
media production
4.4 Hurston’s Colorful Language
*Teleplay: Zora Is My Name, directed by Neema
Barnette
Short Story: “Sweat,” by Zora Neale Hurston
Duration: 3 class periods
• analyze diction
• integrate quotes in
literary writing
• discuss how symbols,
images, and figurative
language affect tone and
theme in a short story
4.5 Janie’s Return Home
*Novel: Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale
Hurston
Duration: 1 class period
• interpret the author’s
imagery
• analyze an author’s
characterization
• analyze audience
4.6 Nanny’s Life
Poetry: “Mother to Son,” by Langston Hughes
Duration: 1 class period
• examine figurative language
and motifs
• recognize the frame story as
a structural/ organizational
pattern
• distinguish among varying
points of view within the
text
4.7 Nanny, Janie, and Logan
Duration: ½ class period • analyze characters, plot, and
irony
• identify the effect of diction
on tone
• differentiate between
different points of view
• recognize motifs and their
purposes
4.8 Janie’s New Life
Duration: 1 class period • dramatize elements of
humor in the text
• trace how a motif evolves
and develops significance
• analyze the effect of setting
on characters
4.9 The Two Sides of Janie
Duration: 2 class periods • analyze how figurative
language, syntax, and diction
reinforce tone and key
themes
• analyze character and voice
• evaluate how a motif
contributes to the meaning
of a text
4.10 Discussion Groups
Duration: 3 class periods • read independently and
monitor comprehension and
reading strategies
• work collaboratively to
synthesize understanding of
multiple stylistic and
literary elements
4.11 The End of a Long Journey
Excerpts from critical reviews
Duration: 3 class periods
• analyze Hurston’s use of
figurative language and its
effect
• analyze organizational
structure
• synthesize connections
among motifs and themes
• evaluate critical reviews of a
text
• support an interpretation of
a text with textual evidence
4.12 Oprah Winfrey Presents
*Film: Their Eyes Were Watching God, directed by
Darnell Martin
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• infer a media producer’s
point of view
• analyze film production
elements
• critique a media production
Embedded Assessment 1:
Writing an Analytical Essay
Duration: 2 class periods
• write an analytical essay
that illuminates how a key
theme in Their Eyes Were
Watching God is expressed
through her style and use of
literary elements
• take the essay through all
the stages of the writing
process
• Porfolio Piece
Learning Focus: Communicating Myself to Others
4.13 My Communication Skills
Duration: 1 class period
• reflect on and categorize
means of communication
• determine the qualities of
good communication
• evaluate personal
communication skills
4.14 Career Search
Duration: 3 class periods • identify, evaluate, and
analyze a variety of sources
to answer a research
question
• prepare for an interview
• conduct research on careers
• collaborate in evaluating
and applying interviewing
techniques
4.15 Creating a Resume
Duration: 1 class period • investigate the resume as a
self-presentation tool
• evaluate information
sources
• refine and edit a resume
4.16 Social Networking
Article: “Narcissism on the Internet isn’t risk-free,” by
Eric Gwinn
Article: “Web of Risks,” by Brad Stone with Robbie
Brown
Article: Excerpt from “Potential employers
monitoring student social networking Web sites,” by
Matt McGowan
Duration: 2 class periods
• establish criteria for
evaluating social networking
sites
• evaluate social networking
and potential audiences
4.17 Practicing for a Job Interview
Duration: 2 class periods • generate and refine
interview questions
• participate in a panel
interview
• listen and take notes during
an interview
Embedded Assessment 2:
Using Communication Skills to Present Myself
Duration: 3 class periods
• showcase the
communication skills you
have developed in an
interview with a panel of
peers
• present resume and media
presentation about yourself
Unit Reflection
Duration: ½ class period • monitor comprehension and
growth through a reflective
process
• synthesize understanding of
individual reading and
writing processes and
strategies
• self-assess mastery of key
concepts and terms
SpringBoard Online Unit Four Assessment
Duration: 1 class period
Assessment and Performance Opportunities Additional Resources Teacher Reflection
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 9: Response to
Literary and Expository Text
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 4: Reflective
Essay
SpringBoard Portfolio
SpringBoard Grammar and Usage Handbook
SpringBoard Literature Circles: Independent Reading –
Focus: Novels, plays, nonfiction books or collections of essays
or short stories exploring the American experience and
journey of discovery
ELA SpringBoard Curriculum Map
Duration:
Level 6, Unit 5: The Pursuit of Happiness
Unit Overview Essential Question Academic Vocabulary AP College/Readiness
The pursuit of happiness is an integral part of
the American Dream and part of the foundation
of this country. Many people think that the
fulfillment of the American Dream centers on
financial success; however, riches are not the
path to happiness for everyone. In this unit, you
will examine how one person rejected wealth
in favor of a different pathway to happiness;
you will also look at how others have found
enlightenment in everyday experiences. Next,
you will research the American Dream and the
pursuit of happiness and articulate what that
dream means to you and your fellow Americans.
1. What does it mean to pursue
happiness?
2. How does a writer represent
research through multiple
texts?
Coherence
Genre Conventions
Discourse
• Analyze and interpret
good writing for rhetorical
strategies and techniques
in order to employ them in
their own writing
• Create and sustain
arguments,
interpretations, and
reflection based on
readings, research, and/or
personal experience
• Analyze the conventions of
genre in order to write in a
variety of modes
• Independently use the
stages of the writing
process with careful
attention to inquiry,
drafting, revising, editing
and review
• Apply close reading
strategies to a nonfiction
text of literary merit
SpringBoard Activities Content Focus
(Learning Objective)
Focus Standard Comments
Learning Focus: The Search for Self
5.1 Previewing the Unit
Duration: ½ class period
• contextualize prior
knowledge about key ides
and concepts
• analyze the skills and
knowledge necessary for
success in the unit
5.2 Searching for Meaning
Essay: Excerpt from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau
Essay: Excerpt from Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Poetry: “In the Depths of Solitude,” by Tupac
Duration: ¾ class period
• place texts in a historical
and a philosophical context
• draft an original piece on the
thematic concept of
happiness
5.3 My Credo
Nonfiction: Credo from All I Really Need to Know I
Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• examine and critique a
personal statement (credo)
• analyze the function and
effect of tone, diction,
syntax, and punctuation
• write a personal credo
employing stylistic
techniques
5.4 Just the Facts
Duration: 1 class period • preview the biography
• establish a context and
purpose for reading
• identify and use slant in
writing
5.5 Looking at Structure
Biography: “Author’s Note,” from Into the Wild, by Jon
Krakauer
Duration: ½ class period
• analyze the stylistic
techniques used in an
expository essay
• investigate and identify the
author’s purpose and bias in
writing the biography
5.6 Meeting Christopher McCandless
*Biography: Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
Duration: 1 ½ class periods
• analyze elements of
characterization
• write an interpretive
paragraph analyzing
character
5.7 Literary Connections
Duration: 1 ¼ class periods • analyze epigrammatic texts
to make a thematic
connection to a larger work
• analyze a text for the core
tenets of Transcendentalism
• examine textual elements of
a nonfiction text and
consider their effects
5.8 Shedding Light
Duration: 1 class period • analyze how character is
revealed in an extended
work
• understand the connection
between research and the
construction of a nonfiction
work
5.9 Many Ways of Showing
Duration: 1 ½ class periods • identify and examine the
purpose of genres used to
convey information
• write a draft adhering to
conventions of a genre
5.10 A Personal Perspective
Duration: 1 ½ class periods • compare and contrast
character traits
• examine the organization of
a text
• analyze diction signaling
reflection
5.11 The Pursuit of Happiness
Duration: 1 class period • conduct and present
research on comparable and
conflicting perspectives of
happiness
5.12 At What Cost?
Duration: 1 class period • conduct a close reading to
analyze a literary passage
• engage in a Socratic Seminar
exploring different
perspectives on a thematic
concept
5.13 Searching for the Author • analyze and critique the
Duration: 1 ½ class periods stylistic techniques by which
an author brings closure to a
book
• write a response to an
author’s development of a
story and its effect on
readers
5.14 Turning Life into Story
Essay: “Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the
Everyday,” by Sandra Cisneros
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze elements of style in
relation to a whole work
• examine an author’s use of
allusion to convey meaning
and create cohesion
5.15 A Snowball of Happiness
Essay: “The Chase,” by Annie Dillard
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze a personal essay for
language use and character
development
• analyze a personal essay for
organizational elements
• conduct a syntactical
analysis of a portion of text
5.16 Reflecting on Life Experiences
Essay: “A View from Mount Ritter,” by Joseph T.
O’Connor
Duration: 1 class period
• examine the stylistic
characteristics of a personal
essay
• review and identify the
elements of the
organizational structure of a
personal essay
5.17 Making Your Choice
Duration: 1 class period • generate text in preparation
for a draft of an expository
text
Embedded Assessment 1:
Writing a Personal Essay
Duration: 2 class periods
• write a multi-paragraph
reflective essay about a
significant personal
experience
• describe the experience and
your immediate response to
it
• reflect on the significance of
the experience
• take the essay through all
the stages of the writing
process
Learning Focus: Creative Research
5.18 The Nuts and Bolts of the Multi-Genre Research
Project
Multi-Genre Research Project: Student Sample
Duration: 1 ¾ class periods
• understand the components
of a multi-genre research
project
• analyze a student sample in
preparation to create a
multi-genre research project
5.19 Exploring, Recording, and Imagining Research
Biographical Sketch: “Sparky,” by Earl Nightingale
Duration: 1 ¼ class periods
• examine tools for exploring,
recording, and interpreting
research
• apply knowledge of the
components of MGR
• write an MGR in small
groups
5.20 Melding Facts, Interpretation, and Imagination
Biography: “Charles M. Schulz,” from Notable
Biographies
Duration: 1 class period
• analyze multiple research
resources to extract
significant facts
• explore, record, interpret
information and represent
ideas in creative genres
• cite sources correctly
5.21 Meeting in the Middle
Duration: 2 class periods • examine how purpose and
audience shape genre
selection
• examine genre conventions
and generate drafts that
adhere to them
• create genres that blend fact
and imagination to support
the thesis
5.22 Thematic Threads to Create Flow • revise the rhetorical plan to
Duration: 1 class period create unity and coherence
among the genres
• examine techniques to link
genres and sequence ideas
for the readers
5.23 Introducing and Concluding the Multi-Genre
Research Project
Duration: 1 class period
• write an introduction that
leads readers into the paper
• write a conclusion that
reflects on learning and
brings a finished feeling to
the paper
5.24 Creative Packaging
Duration: 1 class period • create a cover page, table of
contents, and reflective end
notes
• present the multi-genre
research project
5.25 Care Enough to Really Search
Duration: 1 ½ class periods • select a topic that is
appropriate for a multi-
genre research project
Embedded Assessment 2:
Writing a Multi-Genre Research Project
Duration: 5 days
• write a multi-genre research
project on a person, event,
movement, or topic of
interest as it relates to the
American Dream
• take the project through all
the stages of the writing
process
Unit Reflection
Duration: ½ class period • monitor comprehension and
growth through a reflective
process
• synthesize understanding of
individual reading and
writing processes and
strategies
• self-assess mastery of key
concepts and terms
SpringBoard Online Unit Five Assessment
Duration: 1 class period
Assessment and Performance Opportunities Additional Resources Teacher Reflection
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 4: Reflective
Essay
SpringBoard Online Writing Workshop 10: Research
SpringBoard Portfolio
SpringBoard Grammar and Usage Handbook
SpringBoard Literature Circles: Independent Reading –
Focus: Biography, autobiography, memoir, or collection of
essays or short stories that address the concept of the
American Dream and the pursuit of happiness