This unit will explore these essential questions: Why do humans need story? How are stories built? How can I build engaging stories? The unit is designed to be used in the fall to welcome grade 7 students back to school with short, high-interest readings and to establish learning strategies and classroom procedures that will be used throughout the year. Using the shorter texts of myths, fairy tales and fables will make it possible for students to analyze a whole text and to compare several whole texts to one another to recognize core elements character, setting, conflict/plot, and theme. Students will analyze the ancient Greek tale of Icarus, compare and contrast different versions of Cinderella, and read nonfiction texts that offer historical and scientific context about storytelling as a core aspect of human existence. Students will read like writers to draft their own fairy tale with a twist. The unit will culminate in a choice read in which students apply the concepts introduced to longer texts.
(Developed for English Language Arts, grade 7; recommended for ELA, grade 8)
