Unit Title

Texts

Approximate Unit Length

(in weeks)

Standards Addressed in the Unit

Essential Questions for the Unit

Enduring Understandings & Learning Targets for the Unit

Short Stories

Supplemental:

“The Girl in the Bunker”

“The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson

“Harrison Bergeron” - Vonnegut

“There Will Come Soft Rains”

“The Cull”

“The Red Card”

”The Veldt”

Poetry:

“The Quiet World”

“Fire and Ice” Robert Frost

24 Must Share Poems for HS

2-3 weeks

RL.9-10.1

RL.9-10.2

RL.9-10.5

W.9-10.4

W.9-10.1

W.9-10.2

W.9-10.5

W.9-10.9

What price are people willing to pay to live in a perfect world?
Why is it essential to question tradition?
How does technology impact our relationships?

That texts can be read in a variety of ways to extract different meanings.
That deeper understanding comes from reading closely and widely (depth and breadth)
Closely read multiple sources (fiction, nonfiction, visual)
Create a strong argumentative claim
Select appropriate evidence to support a claim
Evaluate sources for credibility

Fairness

Core Text: Lord of the Flies

Supplemental texts:

“Allegory of Justice and Peace” Painting by Corrado Giaquinto

Ted Talk: “Why Ordinary People Need to Understand Power,” by Eric Liu

“Star-Spangled Banner,” by Adam Zyglis

“The Power of the Situation” by Philip Zimbardo (social psychology - how situations impact individual behavior - Kurt Lewin (leadership styles and productivity), Stanley Milgram, Zimbardo et al. Stanford Prison Experiment) with notes

Non-fiction articles:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

“Stanford Prison Experiment,” By Saul McLeod

“When Women Rule,” by Nicholas D. Kristof

5 weeks

RI.9-10.3

RL.9-10.1

RL.9-10.5

RL.9-10.3

W.9-10.5

W.9-10.4

W.9-10.1

W.9-10.2

W.9-10.9

How does the attempt to achieve fairness create challenges in society (societal structure)?
Should everything be fair? To what extent should things be fair?

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
Closely read multiple sources (fiction, nonfiction, visual)
Evaluate sources
Annotate for specific concepts/ideas
Choosing quotes and blending/integrating them into argumentative writing

Power/Injustice

Core Text:

Julius Caesar or Macbeth

Supplemental:

TEDtalk: The Power of Fiction - https://www.ted.com/playlists/346/the_power_of_fiction_1

TEDtalk: We Need to Talk About an Injustice - /www.ted.com/playlists/15/the_pursuit_of_justice

TEDtalk: The Pursuit of Justice - https://www.ted.com/playlists/15/the_pursuit_of_justice

“Egypt: Who holds the power?” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18779934

“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.” - Mohandas Ghandi

“The Power Paradox” https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/power_paradox

“Why Power Corrupts”-

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-power-corrupts-37165345/

Who Moved My Cheese- Dr Spencer Johnson

“The Use of Force” - William Carlos Williams

“Three Questions”- Leo Tolstoy

“Two Kinds of Justice” https://freestoriesforkids.com/children/stories-and-tales/two-kinds-justice

“Justice” Rudyard Kipling

“Justice” Langston Hughes

5 weeks

RL.9-10.2

RI.9-10.3

RL.9-10.4

RL.9-10.5

RL.9-10.7

W.9-10.5

W.9-10.4

W.9-10.3

W.9-10.3.A

W.9-10.3.B

W.9-10.3.D

W.9-10.3.E

RL.9-10.6

RL.9-10.4

RL.9-10.5

RL.9-10.

How does one achieve power? Is it earned or taken?
Who deserves power? How does this question create challenges in society?
How is justice different from fairness?
Why is justice such a challenge? Why is it so difficult?

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
Closely read multiple sources (fiction, nonfiction, visual)
Evaluate sources
Annotate for specific concepts/ideas
Choosing quotes and blending/integrating them into argumentative writing

Equity

Core Text:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Othello by William Shakespeare

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Honors)

WarCross

Or lit circles with…
The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas

The 57 Bus

The Grace Year

Supplemental:

Nation Falls Short on Educational Equity, Data Shows” http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/03/21/26ocr.h33.html

“Inequity in Public Schools” https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/inequality-public-schools/395876/

Equity Stories- From the Coalition for a Livable Future http://clfequitystories.squarespace.com/stories/

www.pbs.org/race

“Reading Literary Fiction Helps Improve Empathy” https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/oct/08/literary-fiction-improves-empathy-study

“Equality” by Maya Angelou

“The Way it Was Written” - Eiza Evangelista

“Trees” by Rush

“The Hill We Climb”

6 weeks

RL.9-10.1

RL.9-10.2

RL.9-10.5

W.9-10.4

W.9-10.1

W.9-10.2

W.9-10.5

W.9-10.9

How can literature serve as a vehicle for social change?
What is the difference between equity and equality?
Does a teenager have the power to initiate change in society?
How are prejudice and bias created? How do we overcome them?
What are the responsibilities of the individual in regard to issues of social justice?

Students evaluate a source’s credibility
Students provide pieces that relate to the topic for the sake of multiple perspective
Create MLA Works Cited pages and parenthetical citations
Make arguable claims

Conformity/Individuality/Technology

Core Text: Fahrenheit 451 by, Ray Bradbury

Supplemental:

Visual text: 2081(movie)

4 weeks

RI.9-10.3

RL.9-10.1

RL.9-10.5

RL.9-10.3

W.9-10.5

W.9-10.4

W.9-10.1

W.9-10.2

W.9-10.9

How do humans obtain knowledge and what is its value?
What is the difference between happiness and fulfillment?
What makes people happy and what prevents them from achieving happiness?
What is censorship? How does the act of censorship information reflect a society’s values?
Does censorship have a place in a free society?
What role does technology play in society?
How does technology impact our relationships?

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
Students evaluate a source’s credibility
Students provide pieces that relate to the topic for the sake of multiple perspective
Create MLA Works Cited pages and parenthetical citations
Make arguable claims
Synthesize research

Capstone Research

Core Text: Non-fiction

Supplemental: Non-fiction

5 weeks

RI.9-10.6

RI.9-10.8

W.9-10.1

W.9-10.7

W.9-10.8

W.9-10.9

SL.9-10.2

SL.9-10.4

SL.9-10.

SL.9-10.6

Is it possible for an individual to initiate social change in society?

Students evaluate a source’s credibility
Students provide pieces that relate to the topic for the sake of multiple perspective
Create MLA Works Cited pages and parenthetical citations
Make arguable claims
A logical line of reasoning supported by research (more than just opinion)
Students deliver a speech that includes a visual aid.

English Course Descriptions & Curriculum Maps

English 1

English 1 Honors

Reading Improvement

English 2

English 2 Honors

English 3

AP Language & Composition

American Studies

English 4

English 4 Composition

English 4 Topics in Literature

AP Literature & Composition

Dual Credit First Year College Writing

Dual Credit English 226: Modern American Literature (ACHS)

English as a Second Language

Creative Writing

Creative Writing Advanced

Literary Magazine

Dual Credit Comm 111: Introduction to Public Speaking (ACHS)

Speech Communication

Media Literacy

Introduction to Print & Digital Journalism

Broadcast Journalism

Print & Digital Journalism

Sports Media

Yearbook Journalism