Coming of Age Novels

Creator Name:Chelsea K. Nilsson

Suitable for:Grades 7 – 8

Subject Area:Reading

Weeks:3

Narrative Description:
In this unit, we delve into characterization and theme while also examining two other key reading strategies: asking questions and making inferences. Students will continue to work in literature circles.
Selection of literature circle novels:
Curtis, Christopher Paul:The Watsons Go to Birmingham (U, 1000L)
Angelou, Maya:I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1070L)
Smith, Betty:A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (810L)
Spinelli, Jerry: Stargirl (V, 590L) and Love, Stargirl
Blume, Judy:Forever and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (T, 590L)
Spinelli, Jerry:Crash (V, 560L)
Cushman, Karen:The Midwife’s Apprentice (X, 1240L)
Fleischman, Sid:The Whipping Boy (R, 570L)
Fleischman, Paul:Whirligig (W, 760L)
Meyer, Stephanie:Twilight (720L)
Meyer, Stephanie:New Moon
Meyer, Stephanie:Eclipse
Meyer, Stephanie: Breaking Dawn
Draper, Sharon:Romiette and Julio (610L)
Picoult, Jodi:The Pact (820L)
Established Goals:
  • New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard 3.1.E.1: Monitor reading for understanding by automatically setting a purpose for reading, making and adjusting predictions, asking essential questions, and relating new learning to background experiences.
  • New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard 3.1.G.4: Locate and analyze the elements of setting, characterization, and plot to construct understanding of how characters influence the progression and resolution of the plot.
Note to the Instructor: You will want to customize these goals according to habits of mind, dispositions and/or state standards you wish to address in your unit.
Stage One: Desired Results
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that…
  • Asking questions helps us on our journey to become thoughtful critics, “envelope pushers,” and challengers of the status-quo.
  • Drawing conclusions about the character or characters in our novels will help us to better judge the character of real people in our lives.
  • A novel’s theme is the message an author gives us about life or the human condition.
  • When we infer, we are combining our prior knowledge with what the author tells us so that we can come to our own conclusion about an aspect of the text.

(Knowledge) Students will know…
  • Inference
  • Theme
  • Characterization
/ (Skills) Students will be able to…
  • Ask questions that deepen our understanding of the text
  • Code text with a “Q” and jot down the questions we ask as we read
  • Explain why asking questions is an effective and important reading strategy
  • Explore characterization through use of a graphic organizer
  • Ask questions pertaining to characterization that deepen our understanding of the text
  • Make inferences about the text with the aid of a graphic organizer
  • Explain why it is important to us as readers to be able to make inferences
  • Code text with an “I” and jot down the inferences we made while we read
  • Code the text to show comments, confusion, questions, inferences, predictions, connections and important information
  • Define theme
  • Identify indicators of themes
  • Identify evidence of a given theme using a graphic organizer
  • Explain why readers should work to uncover themes
  • Identify additional themes in literature circle books and record evidence of those themes

Essential Questions:
  • What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood?
  • How can we learn about ourselves by studying the lives of others?

Stage Two: Assessment
  • Graphic Organizers: Completing graphic organizers will help students to scaffold strategies like questioning and making inferences and support them as they begin to identify theme.
  • Coding the Text: Students will code the text with a “Q” and explain their questions; they will code the text with an “I” and explain their inferences; and they will code the text with “Th” where they think they see evidence of an emergent theme.
  • Exit Slips: Students will frequently complete exit slips to demonstrate their understanding of the daily objectives.
  • Unit Assessment: Students will demonstrate mastery of all unit objectives.
  • Reflection/Self-Assessment: Students will explain the effects of asking questions, making inferences and identifying themes on their understanding of what they read.

Stage 3: Lesson Planning

MONDAY

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TUESDAY

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WEDNESDAY

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THURSDAY

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FRIDAY

Mini-Lesson 1: Good readers ask questions. (Standards)
  • Ask questions that deepen our understanding of the text (Standards)
Strategy: Asking Questions / Mini-Lesson 2: Good readers ask questions. (Standards)
  • Ask questions that deepen our understanding of the text (Standards)
  • Explain why asking questions is an effective and important reading strategy (Standards)
:
Strategy: Asking Questions / Mini-Lesson 3: Good readers code questions. (Standards)
  • Ask questions that deepen our understanding of the text (Standards)
  • Code the text with a “Q” and jot down the questions we ask as we read (Standards)
Strategy: Asking Questions / Mini-Lesson 4: Good readers notice characterization. (Standards)
  • Explore aspects of characterization through use of a graphic organizer (Standards)
Concept: Characterization / Mini-Lesson 5: Good readers notice characterization. (Standards)
  • Ask questions pertaining to characterization that deepen our understanding of the text (Standards)
  • Code the text with a “Q” and jot down the questions we ask as we read (Standards)
Concept: Characterization
Strategy: Asking Questions

MONDAY

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TUESDAY

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WEDNESDAY

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THURSDAY

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FRIDAY

Mini-Lesson 6: Good readers make inferences. (Standards)
  • Make inferences about the text with the aid of a graphic organizer (Standards)
Strategy: Making inferences
/ Mini-Lesson 7: Good readers make inferences. (Standards)
  • Make inferences about the text with the aid of a graphic organizer (Standards)
  • Explain why it is important to us as readers to be able to make inferences (Standards)
Strategy: Making inferences
/ Mini-Lesson 8: Good readers make inferences. (Standards)
  • Make inferences about the text with the aid of a graphic organizer (Standards)
Strategy: Making inferences
/ Mini-Lesson 9: Good readers code inferences. (Standards)
  • Make inferences as they read (Standards)
  • Code the text with an “I” and jot down the inferences they make as they read (Standards)
Strategy: Making inferences
/ Mini-Lesson 10: Good readers practice all of their strategies as they read. (Standards)
  • Code the text to show comments, confusion, questions, inferences, predictions, connections and important information (Standards)
Note to the Instructor: You will want to customize today’s objective to reflect the ways your students know to code the text.
Mini-Lesson 11: Good readers notice themes. (Standards)
  • Identify evidence of a given theme using a graphic organizer (Standards)
Concepts: Theme / Mini-Lesson 12:Good readers notice themes. (Standards)
  • Identify evidence of a given theme using a graphic organizer (Standards)
Concept: Theme / Mini-Lesson 13: Good readers notice themes. (Standards)
  • Identify evidence of a given theme using a graphic organizer (Standards)
Concept: Theme / Mini-Lesson 14: Good readers code themes. (Standards)
  • Code the text with “Th” and jot down ideas about emergent themes as they read.
Concept: Theme / Unit Assessment
Study:
  • Coding the text, especially coding questions and inferences, and themes (Standards)
  • Characterization (Standards)
  • Theme (Standards)