Understanding Group Membership in Society

Unit-at-a-Glance

Grade7, Quarter 2,5-6 Weeks

Module
Sequence / Skills / Resources / Assessments / Instructional
Strategies
1. The Monsters on Maple Street
Theme/Central Idea
Plot
Foreshadowing
Understanding that people fear what they don’t know / Students will be able to:
determine the theme/central idea, plot of a story including how to identify the conflict, the purpose of foreshadowing, making predictions and understanding the use of idioms (7.RL.2)
answer questions using textual evidence (7.RI.1)
write an expository paragraph on the theme (7.W.2) / Instruction:Review theme, plot, foreshadowing, predictions, conflict in plot and idioms.
Preview of vocabulary words
Background information on Rod Serling and The Monsters on Maple Street
Mini-lessons and worksheets on theme, plot, foreshadowing, conflict and idioms. / Formative Assessments:
Worksheets
Vocabulary quiz
Summative Assessments:
Group discussion on different memberships in society, how one fits in and why people fear what they don’t know / Small group discussions
Brainstorming
Play jeopardy reviewing vocabulary words, theme, plot, etc…
2. The Monsters on Maple Street
Read play / Students will be able to:
make predictions and answer text based questions(7.RI.1)
find idioms throughout the play (7.RL.4) / Instruction:students should keep a journal where they will make predictions, take notes, ask questions and answer questions while reading play / Formative Assessment:
Text based questions
Finding and writing down all idioms from play
Summative Assessment:
Journal entries / Pair share
Active reading
Group discussion
3.
Reflection of The Monsters on Maple Street / Students will be able to:
compare and contrast different character from the play. (RL.5)
analyze the theme of the play through characters interactions with other characters and gain understanding of human nature, generosity and greed.(RL.2) / Instruction: students will reflect on the play and answer essential questions, write paragraphs forming their own opinions and write an explanatory essay explain the theme of the play. / Formative Assessments:
Answer essential questions using textual evidence.
Expository paragraphs
Expository Essay
Summative:
Journal entries
Reflection questions / Pair share
Active reading
Peer editing
Group discussion
4. Comparing and Contrast the Written Version to the Movie Adaptation of The Monsters on Maple Street / Students will be able to:
identify similarities and differences from the play vs., the Twilight Zone TV show.(7.RL.7) / Instruction:
Watch the Twilight Zone version of the Monsters on Maple Street while taking notes on similarities and differences. After viewing, hold a class discussion on which version was better and why. Did they see it differently in the mind then presented in the show? Which did they like better and did a better job of presenting the story’s theme? / Formative Assessments:
Compare and contrast paragraph
Explanatory essay
Summative: poster promoting the movie or play / Brain storming
Group discussions
Note taking
Poster
Peer editing
Gallery walk
5. Across Five Aprils
Chapters 1-3 / Students will be able to:
understand dialect and how there is a variety of languages used in particular regions or by members of a particular group.(7.RL.4)
identify the theme and plot of the story.(7.RL.2)
define certain characteristics of the characters in the story.(7.RL.3)
cite textual evidence.(7.RI.1)
discuss and debate issues with classmates. (7. SL.1) / Instruction:
Background information on author and story.
Review plot, theme, and foreshadowing.
Discuss the difficult choices characters face at the outbreak of the Civil War.
Vocabulary Preview
Introduce dialect / Formative Assessments:
Character analysis paragraph
Summative Assessments:
Journal entries
Small group discussion/debates / Small group
Journal writing
Think, pair, share
Class discussion/debate
6. Across Five Aprils
Chapters 4-6 / Students will be able to:
cite textual evidence(7.RI.1)
summarize a piece of reading (7.W.4)
discuss and debate issues with classmates. (7.SL.1)
analyze character’s and their actions.(7.RL.3)
describe the mood in a story using sensory details.(7.RL.2)
identify the main theme and supporting details(7.RI.2) / Instructions:
Discuss the critical opinions people had on Abraham Lincoln’s slavery plan and where the term Copperhead originated from.
Vocabulary Preview
Introduce sensory details and mood / Formative Assessment:
Comparing and contrasting character growth writing assignment
Summative Assessment:
Journal entries
Small group discussion/debates / Small group discussion/debate
Class discussion/debate
Think-pair-share
7.Across Five Aprils
Chapters 7-9 / Students will be able to:
cite textual evidence(7.RI.1)
understand comic relief in a story(7.RI.6)
write a formal letter. (7.W.4)
demonstrate how to put events on a timeline. (7.W.4)
discuss and debate issues with classmates.(7.SL.2)
identify verbal irony in a piece of writing.(7.RL.4)
express their own opinion on an important social issue.(7.SL.1) / Instructions:
Discuss comic relief in stories of tragedy and its purpose
Introduce verbal irony and how it’s used in language and stories
Vocabulary Preview / Formative Assessments:
Write a formal Business Letter
Answer essential questions using textual evidence
Summative Assessments:
Journal entries
Class / small group discussion/ debate / Small group discussion/debate
Class discussion/debate
Think-pair-share
8. Across Five Aprils
Chapters 10-12 / Students will be able to:
identify dramatic irony in a story (7.RL.3)
cite textual evidence(7.RI.1)
discuss and debate issues with classmates.(7.SL.1)
identify the main theme and supporting details (7.RI.2) / Instructions: Discuss ideas about hurtful behavior, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Discuss President Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation and its effects
Introduce dramatic irony and it’s used in a story
Vocabulary Preview
Conclusion: have students in small groups discuss their thoughts and feeling about the story, slavery, bullying. etc. and report out to class / Formative Assessments:
Write a formal Business Letter
Answer essential questions using textual evidence
Summative Assessments:
Journal entries
Class / small group discussion/ debate / Small group discussion/debate
Class discussion/debate
Think-pair-share
9. “Crush,” by Cynthia Rylant / Students will be able to:
determine the theme and how characters’ actions and words help to identify it. (7.RL.2)
explain cause and effect in a plot (7.RL.5)
gather information and cite in a newspaper article(7.RI.1)
explain how a theme develops over the story. (7.RL.2) / Formative Assessments:
5 paragraph explanatory essay on theme
Answer essential question using textual support
Summative Assessments:
Journal entries
Class / small group discussion / Research
Think-pair-share
Peer editing
Small group discussion

*These lesson modules are not an exhaustive list of resources and may be used by teachers in whatever way they choose to meet the needs of their students and meet the target standards per quarter.