2019 - 2020 Class Novel Studies
These are the novels the students will be using this year. The students should have a copy of each text for class assignments and homework. These novels may change as the year progresses, so it up to you to buy them all at once, or wait for each unit. The first novel the students will definitely be using is A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and the second quarter novel will focus around Lyddie by Katherine Paterson.
Unit 1: While reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, students will explore the experiences of people during and after the Second Sudanese Civil War. They will be required to using textual evidence to support ideas in their writing, both in extended essays and shorter constructed responses. While reading the text, students should draw inferences to analyze and contrast the points of view and commonalities of the two central characters. Students should focus on the essential question: how do individuals survive in challenging environments? What challenges do the characters face?
Additional Text (These are core specfic):
Peak by Roland Smith (Core 1 & 3)- This novel is the story of a teenager—whose name is Peak—who has a lot of mountains to climb, both metaphorical and literal.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Core 2) - This novel focuses on teenagers dealing with the challenges of nonconformity and the difficulties of high school.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (Core 4)- This novel is four simultaneous stories that take place during World War II, beginning in January 1945, as the Third Reich is beginning to collapse. The Russians are gaining ground in East Prussia where Operation Hannibal, the largest evacuation by sea in history, is underway. Thousands of terrified refugees from the Baltic region are migrating to the port of Gotenhafen, Prussia (now Gydnia, Poland) to escape the encroaching Russians. There, they plan to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a massive ship owned by the Germans.
Informational writing: We will focus this unit on an informational writing on Sudan to go along with A Long Walk to Water.
Standards for this unit include ELA Standards RL.7.6, RL.7.11, W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.8, W.7.9, L.7.1, and L.7.2.
Additional Text (These are core specfic):
Peak by Roland Smith (Core 1 & 3)- This novel is the story of a teenager—whose name is Peak—who has a lot of mountains to climb, both metaphorical and literal.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Core 2) - This novel focuses on teenagers dealing with the challenges of nonconformity and the difficulties of high school.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (Core 4)- This novel is four simultaneous stories that take place during World War II, beginning in January 1945, as the Third Reich is beginning to collapse. The Russians are gaining ground in East Prussia where Operation Hannibal, the largest evacuation by sea in history, is underway. Thousands of terrified refugees from the Baltic region are migrating to the port of Gotenhafen, Prussia (now Gydnia, Poland) to escape the encroaching Russians. There, they plan to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a massive ship owned by the Germans.
Informational writing: We will focus this unit on an informational writing on Sudan to go along with A Long Walk to Water.
Standards for this unit include ELA Standards RL.7.6, RL.7.11, W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.8, W.7.9, L.7.1, and L.7.2.
Students will need to pick a book off the list to read and complete a book report and project (see packet above). They will do this twice this year. See below for suggested book projects and rubrics:
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Unit 2: While reading Lyddie by Katherine Paterson, students will explore issues of working conditions, both historically and in the modern day. Students will use both informational and literature text to analyze how people, settings, and events interact within a text to create a central idea or concept. During writing, students will focus on constructing arguments and informational pieces, as well as conducting a short research project.
Additional Text: Free Choice and Book Project (see above for choices)
Standards for this unit include ELA Standards W.7.2a, b, d, f, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.7, W.7.8, L.7.3, and L.7.6.
Additional Text: Free Choice and Book Project (see above for choices)
Standards for this unit include ELA Standards W.7.2a, b, d, f, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.7, W.7.8, L.7.3, and L.7.6.
Unit 3: During Q3, we will be looking at excerpts from several text, focusing on nonfictional/informational and poetry. Below are some of the text we will be using during this quarter for our various activities.
Nonfiction Text based around the Holocaust- Survivors: True Stories of the Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo, Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz by Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, and Making Bombs for Hitler by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.
Poetry- Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, Booked and Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Additional Text: Free Choice and Book Project (see above for choices)
Nonfiction Text based around the Holocaust- Survivors: True Stories of the Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo, Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz by Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, and Making Bombs for Hitler by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.
Poetry- Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, Booked and Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Additional Text: Free Choice and Book Project (see above for choices)
Unit 4: TBA
Additional Text: Students will read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. While reading, students focus on questioning what makes stories powerful, as well as what is the author's purpose. They should analyze how writers use figurative language and word choice.
Additional Text: we will be using several picture books during class, including Fredrick Douglass The Last Day of Slavery and The People Could Fly, to extend background knowledge and text analysis practice. Students will also used a variety of poetry during this unit to help understand literary elements of poetry.
Standards for this unit include ELA standards W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.9, W.7.11, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3, and L.7.6.
Additional Text: Students will read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. While reading, students focus on questioning what makes stories powerful, as well as what is the author's purpose. They should analyze how writers use figurative language and word choice.
Additional Text: we will be using several picture books during class, including Fredrick Douglass The Last Day of Slavery and The People Could Fly, to extend background knowledge and text analysis practice. Students will also used a variety of poetry during this unit to help understand literary elements of poetry.
Standards for this unit include ELA standards W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.9, W.7.11, L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3, and L.7.6.