Eric W. Maroney
While the teaching of this unit requires touching on multiple standards, three of the CCSS are emphasized and explicitly assessed. Through close reading and text analysis students will practice CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3, which asks them to, “Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). As a performance task, students are asked to compare the film version of
The Color Purple
to the novel, which requires student to demonstrate CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.7 “Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)” Finally, because the culminating assessment is a written task, students will also practice CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2 which asks them to, “Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.”
Because the unit uses a cultural lens to examine the novel, students will also be addressing the social studies standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
