This unit is designed to incorporate the Common Core State Standards and 21st century skills which will prepare our students for college and careers.
Reading
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Students will cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. This CCSS will be implemented initially during the reading process. As students read and analyze pre-selected vignettes, they will be expected to react to what a character says, respond to an event, and share connections between the passage and perhaps another novel, historical or current event, or a personal experience. Additionally, as they learn to identify and understand an author’s choices, they discover the underlying themes or issues during class discussion and journal writing.
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.6
Students will use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. Additionally, they will use the notes collected in their identity journals to build and defend their final definition of identity.
Speaking & Listening
The following CCSS will be combined to establish norms and expectations for class discussions and student-to-student discourse. Each standard will be taught in isolation, and combined to foster active and collaborative discussions. Students will effectively engage in discussions with diverse partners, express their own ideas clearly, and build on others’ ideas during discussions:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
- ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.A
- Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
- ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.B
- Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
- ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.C
- Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
- ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.D
- Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.
