WW_L8_M1_TE_23A_887908_Updated 11.22

Grade 8 Module 1

The Poetics and Power of Storytelling Teacher Edition

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Table of Contents

MODULE OVERVIEW

Module Summary 2 Module at a Glance 3 Texts 3 Module Learning Goals 5 Module in Context 6 Standards ............................................................................................................................... ....................................... 7 Major Assessments............................................................................................................................... ....................... 9 Module Map 11

INSTRUCTIONAL LESSONS

Focusing Question: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................................... ....................................... 21

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–10 ¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content Vocabulary: Storytelling, power, content, form Lesson 2 39

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–36 ¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Indicative, Interrogative, and Imperative Verb Moods Lesson 3 51

n TEXTS: “Filthy McNasty” (song), Horace Silver • The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 14–62 ¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Prefix en–Lesson 4 67

n TEXTS: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–62 • “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (poem), Yusef Komunyakaa ¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Outside-In Strategy: Suffix –al Lesson 5 77

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–98

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Interrogative Verb Mood Lesson 6 ............................................................................................................................... ...................................... 87

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–134

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Figurative Language: Hyperbole

n

Lesson 7 99

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–134

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Evaluate Figurative Language: Hyperbole

Focusing Question: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 8 109

n TEXTS: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 135–169 • The Block (collage), Romare Bearden

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Indicative and Imperative Moods

Lesson 9 121

n TEXTS: The Block, Romare Bearden • Children’s Games (painting), Pieter Bruegel the Elder

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Indicative, Imperative, and Interrogative Moods

Lesson 10 133

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 149–196

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Sentence Structure

Lesson 11 143

n TEXTS: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 197–222 • “Gators Fall in Quarter Finals,” The Associated Press

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Academic Vocabulary Using Context Clues

Lesson 12 155

n TEXTS: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 135–196 • “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” Benedict Carey, The New York Times

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Academic Vocabulary: Reconstruction, retrospective Lesson 13 167

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 197–237

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Academic Vocabulary: Coherent, correlation Lesson 14 179

TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Simple and Compound Sentences

Lesson 15 189

n TEXTS: “The Human Soul Distilled” (video), Reading Rockets • The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Crossover Lesson 16 199

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Irony, ironic Lesson 17 207

n TEXTS: “The Human Soul Distilled” (video), Reading Rockets • The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Focusing Question: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

Lesson 18 ............................................................................................................................... ................................... 217

n TEXTS: “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi (poem and video) • The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 221–237

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Ellipses

Lesson 19 229

n TEXTS: “Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni (poem and video) • “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa (poem and video) •

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, page 204

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Dashes and Commas

Lesson 20 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 241

n TEXTS: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander • “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi • “Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni • “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Dashes and Commas

Lesson 21 249

n TEXT: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Metaphor Practice

Lesson 22 257

n TEXTS: Student-Generated Writing from Lesson 21

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Dashes and Commas

Focusing Question: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson 23 265

n TEXT: “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Evoke, elicit

Lesson 24 277

n TEXT: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Venerable, whimsy, conjure

Lesson 25 287

n TEXT: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

Lesson 26 299

n TEXTS: “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (transcript and video) •

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

Lesson 27 309

n TEXTS: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday • “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times • “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (transcript)

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Examine Academic Vocabulary: Patronize, repress, empower Lesson 28 317

n TEXTS: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday • “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times • “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript

¢ Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel: Sentence Variety

Focusing Question: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

Lesson 29 325

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Examine Academic Vocabulary: Stereotype, authentic Lesson 30 335

n TEXTS: All Module Texts Lesson 31 ............................................................................................................................... .................................. 343

n TEXTS: All Module Texts Lesson 32 349

n TEXTS: All Module Texts

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment Lesson 33 357

n TEXTS: N/A

¢ Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment

Appendices

Appendix A: Text Complexity 363

Appendix B: Vocabulary 365

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses 375

Appendix D: Volume of Reading 391

Appendix E: Works Cited............................................................................................................................... ....... 393

Wit & Wisdom

GRADE 8 MODULE 1

The Poetics and Power of Storytelling

Module Summary

If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.

—Barry Lopez

Basketball and family, teamwork and superstar moves, split-second decisions and their reverberating effects: these are the focus of the contemporary novel-in-verse The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander. They are also the lifeblood of the twin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell, who are on the brink of maturity, figuring out their paths, passions, and game plans. And they are the subject of Josh’s energetic, free style poems, poems that convey the novel’s ultimate subject: the poetics and power of storytelling.

In this module, students examine storytelling as a personal, social, and cultural form of expression that we use to make sense of ourselves and our worlds. As we create narratives from our experiences, we produce our identities, our beliefs, and our views of the world. Exemplifying a seamless combination of exact words and expansive ideas, personal voice and collective values, narrative has a distinctive significance in our lives. In this module, students build an understanding of the power that stories and storytelling hold. They learn the social power of stories, with their potential to help humans navigate complex social situations, become more empathetic to others and integrate different world views. In addition, students discern the imaginative power of stories, ultimately understanding storytelling as essential to our humanity.

To begin their learning, students explore how Josh, the protagonist of The Crossover, uses narrative to articulate and navigate the various experiences, personal relationships, sudden changes, and emerging awareness of self that shape—and unsettle—his adolescent life. As students relate to the vivid portrayals of Josh’s identity and struggles, the novel’s accessibility demystifies verse and empowers students to engage with poetry. In addition to close reading, and analyzing the use of the figurative language, pacing, and voice in the poems, students focus intently on the relationship between form and content, addressing the question of why a particular poetic type is used to express particular content. Students then turn their attention to the expressive power of storytelling by examining poetic performances by Bassey Ikpi, Nikki Giovanni, and Yusef Komunyakaa. Students explore these linguistically and stylistically diverse examples of narrative verse to understand the impact of oral expression and the role of poetic form in creating meaning. After producing their own poetic performances, students broaden their focus to examine the large-scale impact of stories. Two informational articles provide, in turn, neurobiological and psychological examinations of storytelling, while an excerpt from N. Scott Momaday’s “The Man Made of Words” and a speech by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie elucidate the fundamental necessity of articulating ourselves through narrative.

For their End-of-Module (EOM) Task, students apply their knowledge of contemporary poetry to their contemporary experience. Devising their own narrative-in-verse, they work deeply with form and craft to make meaning of an important experience, creating a story by capturing essential moments with poetic precision and pacing. Framed with an explanatory cover letter, students’ EOM Task communicates an understanding of their sense of self and the power of storytelling.

Module at a Glance

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is the power of storytelling?

SUGGESTED STUDENT UNDERSTANDING

Imagining and expressing ourselves through narrative and language is essential to our humanity.

Storytelling is a personal, social, and cultural form of expression that we use to make sense of ourselves and the world. ƒ Stories affect human beings in distinctive ways that allow them to process their own and others’ experiences. ƒ An individual’s sense of self is an important part of identity and is shaped by many factors.

Complex stories illuminate insights about identity, family, culture, and experience. ƒ The expression and form of narratives shape their meaning.

Music

“Filthy McNasty,” Horace Silver (http://witeng.link/0724)

Paintings

The Block, Romare Bearden (http://witeng.link/0727) ƒ

Children’s Games, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (http://witeng.link/0728)

Poetry

“Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni (http://witeng.link/0735) ƒ

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa (http://witeng.link/0725) ƒ

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi (http://witeng.link/0732)

Scientific Accounts

“This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” Benedict Carey (http://witeng.link/0730) ƒ

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737)

Speech

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (http://witeng.link/0738)

Images

Image of Michael Jordan (http://witeng.link/0726) ƒ

Fat Man Kicks Man in Hat Illustration (http://witeng.link/0739)

Websites

“Romare Bearden: Let’s Walk the Block,” metmuseum.org (http://witeng.link/0783) ƒ

What is Storytelling?, National Storytelling Network (http://witeng.link/0722) ƒ

Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide (http://witeng.link/0723)

Videos

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi (http://witeng.link/0733) ƒ

“Nikki Rosa on Def Jam Poetry,” Nikki Giovanni (http://witeng.link/0736)

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa (http://witeng.link/0734)

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (http://witeng.link/0738)

“The Human Soul Distilled,” Reading Rockets (http://witeng.link/0731)

Module Learning Goals

KNOWLEDGE GOALS

ƒ

Identify and interpret the ways form, content, and expression contribute to the meaning of stories. ƒ

Explain the concept of “sense of self” and the factors that can shape a person’s sense of self. ƒ

Summarize a range of cultural, scientific, and literary explanations of the distinctive role of ƒ storytelling in people’s lives. ƒ

Articulate a well-formed understanding of the power of storytelling. ƒ Delineate the purpose and effects of sensory, descriptive, and figurative language in storytelling. ƒ

Define narrative elements and poetic terms.

READING GOALS

ƒ

Compare and contrast poetic forms and structures (RL.8.5). ƒ Analyze how a text’s language, form, and content work together to convey a cohesive and compelling narrative (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.5). ƒ Analyze the impact of word choice and figurative language on a text’s meaning (RL.8.4, RI.8.4). ƒ

Apply ideas and concepts from informational texts to readings of literary texts in order to analyze the power of storytelling (RL.8.2, RI.8.2).

WRITING GOALS

ƒ

Use descriptive and sensory language that appeals to the senses, helps the reader imagine an abstract idea, and deepens understanding of an experience or character (W.8.3).

ƒ

Write and revise a variety of poetry that conveys a narrative, represents different poetic types, and effectively employs descriptive and sensory language (W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.10).

ƒ

Effectively incorporate evidence from informational texts into informative writing to convey an understanding of the power of storytelling (W.8.2).

SPEAKING AND LISTENING GOALS

ƒ

Apply an understanding of the role of oral expression in storytelling by using purposeful rhetorical techniques in performing poetry and tailoring speaking to an audience (SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6).

ƒ Purposefully listen in service of a specific writing goal (SL.8.1).

LANGUAGE GOALS

ƒ

Use context clues and Greek or Latin affixes and roots to determine and clarify the meanings of unknown words (L.8.4.a, L.8.4.b).

ƒ

Analyze figures of speech in context and communicate understanding through literary analysis and creative writing (L.8.5.a).

ƒ

Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, and interrogative moods in appropriate contexts (L.8.1.c).

ƒ Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among authors’ beliefs about the power of storytelling (L.7.1.b).

Module in Context

ƒ

Knowledge: For their final year of middle school, Grade 8 students develop an understanding of the relationship between personal voice and the development of values. Module 1 launches their exploration of the power of storytelling as a way of making sense of personal experiences, the complex emotional and social lives of others, and the world. This work serves as a catalyst to ignite their deeper understanding of the ubiquitous power of language and narrative as they embark on a year of tackling big questions around abstract concepts such as sense of self, empathy, estrangement, love, agency, and personal and social advocacy. Pursuing this line of inquiry, students gain a rich understanding of the value of the humanities in our lives.

ƒ

Reading: Students begin their year reading a narrative-in-verse and focusing on the roles of content, form, and expression in creating a meaningful and powerful story. Studying individual poems enriches students’ examination of storytelling, as they analyze, first, the effects of descriptive and sensory language, and second, the effects of specific poetic types in the development of the larger narrative. Students connect their interpretations of figurative language and structural choices to themes around the concept of “sense of self.” Students then grapple with a succession of complex informational articles that illuminates the ways storytelling can impact the mind, body, and spirit on both an individual and a cultural level. Applying these concepts to literary examples, students synthesize their understanding and reflect on the particular power of different forms of storytelling.

ƒ

Writing: Throughout the module, students are introduced to and practice writing narrative poetry. In particular, students practice using descriptive, sensory, and figurative language to appeal to readers’ senses, convey abstract ideas, and deepen a reader’s understanding of an experience or character. They also experiment with narrative structure, with intentional decision-making of how to sequence events and poetic types in their own narrative portfolio. Because composing narratives in verse form requires students to be judicious in their language choices, this writing provides important opportunities for students to develop the skill of using the fewest amount of words to convey the most important of ideas. In addition to working with narrative writing, students learn to incorporate evidence in creative and logical ways within their informative writing as they prepare for the EOM Task for which they use a variety of writing types to express their understanding of the power of stories and themselves as storytellers.

ƒ

Speaking and Listening: Students begin their year focusing on speaking and listening skills essential for academic success. With listening, they pay close attention to their peers’ oral deliveries, both in academic discussions and poetic performances, in order to capture best the summary and importance of those contributions in subsequent writing. Students consider the role of expression in reading aloud and the impact of an audience on a speaker’s delivery as they write and perform their own poems in the module.

Standards

FOCUS STANDARDS

Reading Literature

RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

Reading Informational Text

RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

Writing

W.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.8.5 With guidance and support, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience are addressed.

Speaking and Listening

SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

SL.8.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Language

L.8.1.c Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

L.8.2.a Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.

L.8.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.

CONTINUING STANDARDS

Reading Literature

RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text-complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Informational Text

RI.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text-complexity band independently and proficiently.

Language

L.8.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Major Assessments

FOCUS QUESTION TASKS

Focusing Question Task Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

1. Synthesize an understanding of narrative form and Josh’s identity in The Crossover through the writing and analysis of an original list poem, using descriptive and sensory language.

2. Write three To-SEEC (i.e., a paragraph containing a Topic Statement, Evidence, Elaboration, and a Concluding Statement) paragraphs that compare and contrast the content and form of two poems from The Crossover.

3. Write, perform, and record a definition poem that expresses an understanding of the relationship between form, content, and poetic performance.

4. Write a thesis statement and two To-SEEC paragraphs that examine ideas about the power of stories in two informational texts.

ƒ Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of “sense of self.”

ƒ

Write a poem using a specific poetic structure, employing effective language and sequencing choices.

ƒ Apply an understanding of the relationship between form and content in poetry. ƒ Express ideas about poetry in informative writing.

RL.8.2, 8.4; W.8.3, 8.4

RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.5; W.8.2

ƒ

Write a poem using a specific poetic structure. ƒ Use oral expression in a poetry performance.

RL.8.5; W.8.3, 8.4, 8.6; SL.8.4, 8.5, 8.6

ƒ Identify central ideas about the power of stories in two informational texts.

ƒ

Analyze how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world.

NEW-READ ASSESSMENTS

New-Read Assessment

1. Read a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa. Answer several multiple-choice questions, and write a short-answer response that examines the relationship between language and meaning in a poem.

2. Read and watch a lecture by novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, answer several multiple-choice questions, and write a short-answer response that analyzes Adichie’s elucidation of the power of stories.

RI.8.2; W.8.2

Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

ƒ Analyze the relationship between form and meaning in a poem.

ƒ

Interpret the meaning and effect of figurative language.

ƒ Discern the different kinds of power that stories represent.

ƒ Analyze how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world.

RL.8.2, 8.4

RI.8.2

SOCRATIC SEMINARS

Socratic Seminar Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

1. Evaluate multiple meanings of the word crossover in The Crossover, especially as they develop the novel’s themes and structure.

2. Synthesize an understanding of content, structure, and expression across a variety of poetic performances.

3. Analyze the power of stories across three informational texts, synthesizing ideas of the social, physical, and personal power of stories.

END-OF-MODULE TASK

Write a portfolio of three poems that demonstrates an understanding of ideas of the power of stories, the effects of descriptive and sensory language, narrative arc, and the relationship between content and structure. Write a cover letter explaining and analyzing creative choices. Then perform the poetry portfolio for an audience with attention to poetic expression.

ƒ

Demonstrate an understanding of the themes and narrative arc of The Crossover. ƒ

Pose an opinion of effectiveness about the development of the word across multiple poems. ƒ

Respond to other perspectives about themes in The Crossover.

RL.8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5; SL.8.1, 8.6

Expand and deepen an understanding of poetic structure, content, and expression. ƒ Analyze how oral expression impacts a poem.

ƒ

RL.8.2; SL.8.1, 8.6

Demonstrate an understanding of different perspectives about the power of storytelling. ƒ

ƒ

RI.8.2; SL.8.1, 8.6

Distinguish different ideas about how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world.

End-of-Module Task Criteria for Success Standards

ƒ

Produce a narrative sequence of three poems demonstrating effective use of narrative elements. ƒ Write a cover letter explaining the story, the relationship between form and content, and an understanding of the power of storytelling.

RL. 8.2; RI.8.2; W.8.3, 8.4, 8.5; SL.8.4, 8.5, 8.6; L.8.1.c, 8.2.a, 8.4, 8.5.a, 8.6

Vocabulary Assessments* Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards

Demonstrate understanding of academic, text-critical, and domainspecific words, phrases, and/or word parts.

Acquire and use grade-appropriate academic terms. ƒ Acquire and use domain-specific or text-critical words essential for communication about the module’s topic.

ƒ

L.8.6

* While not considered Major Assessments in Wit & Wisdom, Vocabulary Assessments are listed here for your convenience.

Please find details on Checks for Understanding (CFUs) within each lesson.

Module Map

Focusing Question 1: What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

1 The Crossover, pages 1–10 Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about form and content in The Crossover?

2 The Crossover, pages 1–36 Organize

What’s happening in The Crossover?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

ƒ Make inferences about The Crossover, using effective evidence (RL.8.1).

ƒ

Identify specific language choices that depict Josh Bell’s identity and view of himself (RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.4).

ƒ

Examine Why are verb moods important in my writing?

ƒ

Explore the relationships among storytelling, power, content, and form to understand better each word and the Essential Question (L.8.5.b).

Apply an understanding of the theme of “sense to self” to a character in The Crossover, using effective evidence (RL.8.1, 8.2).

ƒ

Explain key aspects of Josh Bell, using the most effective evidence (RL.8.1, 8.2).

ƒ

3 “Filthy McNasty” (song)

The Crossover, pages 14–62

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of poetic form reveal in The Crossover?

Examine Why is descriptive and sensory language important in narrative writing? Experiment How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Identify and form verbs in the indicative, imperative, and interrogative moods in pairs (L.8.1.c).

ƒ

Explain how the structure of “Ode to My Hair” contributes to the development of plot and character in The Crossover (RL.8.2, 8.3, 8.5).

ƒ

Elaborate on a plot moment in The Crossover using a descriptive simile (W.8.10).

ƒ

Infer the meanings of entwine and enshrine using knowledge of the prefix en–, and verify definitions using the dictionary (L.8.4.b, d).

Focusing Question 1: What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

Lesson Text(s) Content

Framing Question

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

4 NR The Crossover, pages 1–62 “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of figurative language reveal in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”?

5 The Crossover, pages 1–98 Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of character reveal in The Crossover?

Experiment How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing? Experiment How does the interrogative verb mood work?

ƒ Apply an understanding of language and content to a new text through independent reading and analysis (RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.4; W.8.2; L.8.5).

ƒ Uncover the meanings of the words mythical, confrontational, and phenomenal using context clues, prior knowledge, and understanding of the suffix –al. (L.8.4.b, d).

6 The Crossover, pages 1–134 Reveal

How does a specific poem reveal deeper meaning about Josh Bell?

Experiment How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

ƒ Analyze the impact of a family relationship on the development of Josh’s sense of self (RL.8.2, 8.3; W.2).

ƒ Illustrate an important aspect of character in The Crossover, using a descriptive metaphor (RL.8.2; W.8.3.d).

ƒ Analyze one poem for its significance in conveying the development of Josh’s sense of himself and his world, using effective evidence (RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.3; W.8.2).

ƒ

Convey important aspects of Josh by using descriptive and sensory language in a poem (W.8.3.d).

7 FQT

The Crossover, pages 1–134 Distill

What is the essential meaning of The Crossover as it relates to Josh Bell’s identity?

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Execute How do I use descriptive and sensory language to compose a poem?

ƒ

Identify and interpret hyperboles in The Crossover (L.8.5).

Synthesize an understanding of narrative form and Josh’s identity in The Crossover through the composition and analysis of an original poem (RL.8.2; W.8.3.b, d; W.8.4).

ƒ

Draft and evaluate hyperboles to enhance poems (L.8.5).

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

8 The Block

The Crossover, pages 135–169

9 The Block

Children’s Games

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal about the relationship between Josh and JB?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Execute How do I use descriptive and sensory language in a rewrite of “Dear Jordan”? Experiment How do indicative and imperative verb moods work?

ƒ

Analyze how a poem’s structure in The Crossover contributes to the meaning of the developing conflict between Josh and JB Bell (RL.8.2, 8.5).

ƒ

Apply an understanding of theme and descriptive and sensory language in a revision of a narrative poem (RL.8.2; W.8.3.d).

ƒ Correct inappropriate shifts in verb mood and form, and use verbs in the indicative and imperative moods to express understanding of figurative language (L.8.1.c, d).

10 The Crossover, pages 149–196

Reveal What does a deeper exploration of form reveal in The Block and Children’s Games?

Reveal What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal in The Crossover?

Execute How do I use verb moods to convey specific thoughts and feelings?

ƒ Analyze how form contributes to meaning in a comparison of The Block and Children’s Games (RL.8.5).

ƒ

Use the indicative, interrogative, and imperative verb moods to demonstrate understanding of character relationships (L.8.1.c).

ƒ

Execute How do I use descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing? Examine Why is sentence structure important?

ƒ

Compare and contrast the effects of the poetic structures of “Fast Break” and “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” on each poem’s meaning and style (RL.8.5).

Develop and organize an event in a collaborative Found Poem that uses descriptive and sensory language to capture the action (W.8.3; L.8.1.b, c).

ƒ Identify simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, and describe the effects of each structure (L.7.1.b).

Focusing Question 2: How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Focusing Question 2: How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson Text(s) Content

Framing Question

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

11 The Crossover, pages 197–222

“Gators Fall in the Quarterfinals”

Reveal What does a deeper exploration of poetic form reveal in The Crossover?

Excel How do I improve descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?

ƒ

Analyze the impact of form on meaning by comparing how an informational article and the poem “Fast Break” construct accounts of a basketball game (RL.8.5).

ƒ Implement the criteria for effective descriptive and sensory language by revising a Found Materials poem (W.8.3.d, W.8.5).

ƒ Use context clues to infer the meaning of a word, verify the initial definition, and explore the uses of the word through a Frayer Model (L.8.4.a, c).

12 The Crossover, pages 135–196

“This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)”

Distill What is the central message of “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)”?

Examine Why is a narrative arc important?

ƒ Explain the central message about the importance of storytelling in “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)” (RI.8.2; W.8.2).

ƒ Explain and assess the elements of a narrative arc in the “Third Quarter” section of The Crossover (RL.8.2).

ƒ Use context clues and knowledge of the prefix re– to infer the meanings of the words retrospective and reconstruction, and apply understanding of these words (L.8.4.a, b).

13 The Crossover, pages 197–237

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of narrative arc reveal in The Crossover?

14 The Crossover, full text Distill

What is the meaning of The Crossover?

Experiment How does a narrative arc work?

ƒ Explain how the narrative arc of The Crossover contributes to the meaning of the novel by considering the entire sequence of events (RL.8.2, 8.3).

ƒ

Experiment

How does a narrative arc work?

Experiment

How do simple sentences and compound sentences work?

Determine the meaning of correlation using context clues, and explain how correlation and coherent relate to narrative writing (L.8.4.a).

ƒ Distill the meaning of The Crossover by analyzing meaning and symbolism in “Free Throws” (RL.8.2, 8.3, 8.4; W.8.2).

ƒ

Use simple and compound sentences to summarize a poem (L.7.1.b).

15 SS

The Crossover, full text

“The Human Soul Distilled”

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of language choices reveal about the shape and meaning of The Crossover?

ƒ

Explain how varied uses of the word crossover create a narrative arc that develops the meaning of the story (RL.8.3, 8.4; W.8.3.b, d).

ƒ

Analyze the significance of the development of the word crossover in the novel through collaborative conversation with peers (RL.8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5; SL.8.1, 8.6).

ƒ Study the multiple meanings of crossover, and analyze how the word’s various meanings apply to the novel (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

16 FQT

The Crossover, full text Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal about Josh Bell and the meaning of The Crossover?

17 The Crossover, full text

“The Human Soul Distilled”

Know

How does The Crossover build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

ƒ

Identify and explain the two most effective poetic types for analyzing the development of Josh’s identity in The Crossover (RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.3).

ƒ

Compare and contrast how the structures of two poems contribute to an understanding of Josh’s identity in The Crossover (RL.8.1, 8.2, 8.5; W.8.2).

ƒ

Execute

How do I use a narrative arc in a poem?

Develop an understanding of irony and ironic, and apply knowledge to determine valid examples of the words (L.8.6).

ƒ

Evaluate the importance of the novel-in-verse form to the meaning of The Crossover (RL.8.2, 8.3; W.8.2).

ƒ

Create an event sequence in an occasional poem, using a narrative arc (W.8.3.a, b, e; W.8.5).

Focusing Question 3: What is the role of expression in storytelling?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

18

“Sometimes Silence

Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” poem

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” video

The Crossover, pages 221—237

Wonder

What do I notice and wonder about poetic performance?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Examine Why is oral expression important? Experiment How does oral expression work? Examine Why are ellipses important?

ƒ

Identify the role of oral expression in Ikpi’s performance of “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (RL.8.1; SL.8.1).

ƒ

Using criteria, identify oral expression strategies for “The Last Shot” from The Crossover (SL.8.1).

ƒ Explain the function of an ellipsis, and show understanding of its function through an oral reading (L.8.2.a).

19

“Nikki-Rosa,” poem

“Nikki-Rosa,” video

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” poem

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” video

Organize What’s happening in poetic performances?

Examine Why is tailoring speaking to an audience important? Examine Why are the dash and comma important?

ƒ

Determine the relationship between content, audience, and oral expression in “Nikki-Rosa” and “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (RL.8.2; SL.8.1).

ƒ

Apply an understanding of tailoring speaking to an audience to a reading of “Nikki-Rosa” or “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (SL.8.1).

ƒ Explain the function of a dash and a comma in sentences (L.8.2.a).

20 SS The Crossover, full text

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise”

“Nikki-Rosa”

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook”

Reveal What does a deeper exploration of content, structure, and expression reveal about poetry?

Execute How do I tailor speaking to an audience? Excel How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

Experiment

How do dashes and commas work?

ƒ

Synthesize an understanding of poetic content, structure, and expression through collaborative conversation with peers (RL.8.5; SL.8.1, 8.6).

ƒ

Revise choices of expression in a fluent read of “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (SL.8.6).

ƒ

Employ commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a).

Focusing Question 3: What is the role of expression in storytelling?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

21 FQT The Crossover, full text Know

How does an examination of poetic expression build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Execute

How do I plan for oral expression in a poetic performance?

ƒ

Apply an understanding of form, content, and poetic expression by rewriting a poem from The Crossover as a definition poem (RL.8.2, 8.4, 8.5; W.8.3).

ƒ

Analyze metaphors from The Crossover, and convey Josh Bell’s growth over the course of the novel through sports-related metaphors (L.8.5).

22 Student-generated writing from Lesson 21

Know

How does an examination of poetic expression build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

Excel

How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance? Excel How do dashes and commas work in writing and performance?

ƒ

Demonstrate understanding of how form, content, and expression work together to convey a poem’s key themes (W.8.6; SL.8.1, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6).

ƒ

Use commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a).

Focusing Question 4: How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

23 “Your Brain on Fiction” Distill What are the central ideas of “Your Brain on Fiction”?

24 “The Man Made of Words,” excerpt Organize What’s happening in “The Man Made of Words”?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

ƒ Delineate the ways in which stories can have an observable effect on individuals (RI.8.2).

ƒ Compare and contrast evoke and elicit to understand better the distinct meanings of the words (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.b).

ƒ

Identify ideas the essay expresses about the imaginative power of language and stories (RI.8.2, RI.8.4; W.8.2).

ƒ

Clarify the meanings of whimsy, venerable, and conjure using a dictionary to analyze the effect of their connotations in developing the character of Ko-sahn (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

Focusing Question 4: How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson Text(s) Content

Framing Question

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

25 “The Man Made of Words,” excerpt

Reveal

What does a deeper exploration of word choice and phrases reveal about the power of stories in “The Man Made of Words”?

Examine and Experiment

How does incorporating textual evidence work? Examine How do complex and compoundcomplex sentences work?

ƒ Analyze how key words and phrases develop the central idea of Momaday’s essay (RI.8.2, 8.4).

ƒ Incorporate textual evidence into sentences about Momaday’s essay (W.8.2).

ƒ Create complex and compound-complex sentences, and select the sentence that best represents understanding of the Focusing Question (L.7.1.b).

26 NR “The Danger of a Single Story,” transcript

“The Danger of a Single Story,” video

Know

How does “The Danger of a Single Story” build my knowledge of the power of stories?

Execute

How do I incorporate textual evidence in my writing?

Execute How do I use knowledge of sentence structure to make my writing clear and interesting?

ƒ Analyze how Adichie’s examples define the ways stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world (RI.8.2).

ƒ Incorporate evidence into writing, using effective evidence (RI.8.1; W.8.2).

ƒ Choose from among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

27 SS “Your Brain on Fiction”

“The Man Made of Words,” excerpt

“The Danger of a Single Story,” transcript

Reveal What do informational texts reveal about the power of stories?

ƒ Select the strongest evidence from three informational articles to support a central idea about the power of storytelling (RI.8.1, RI.8.2).

ƒ Synthesize an understanding of the power of stories to help us make sense of ourselves and the world from multiple informational texts through collaborative conversation with peers (RI.8.2; SL.8.1, SL.8.6).

ƒ Use context clues to infer the meanings of patronize, repress, and empower, and develop an understanding of the connotations of those words (L.8.4.a, L.8.5.b).

Focusing Question 4: How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

28

FQT

“Your Brain on Fiction”

“The Man Made of Words,” excerpt

“The Danger of a Single Story,” transcript

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Know

How do informational texts build my knowledge of the power of stories?

Excel How do I incorporate the strongest evidence into Focusing Question Task 4? Excel How do I improve my use of sentence structures to make my writing interesting and clear?

ƒ

Explain how stories have the power to help us make sense of ourselves and the world, using effective evidence from multiple informational texts (RI.8.1, 8.2).

ƒ

Revise writing to establish a variety of sentence structures and clarity of ideas (L.7.b.1).

Focusing Question

5: What does it mean to be a storyteller?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

29

EOM

All Module Texts Know

How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Execute How do I use narrative arc and sensory and descriptive language in a poetry portfolio?

ƒ

Identify narrative arc and descriptive and sensory language in EOM Task exemplar poems (W.8.3.a, 8.3.b, 8.3.d, 8.3.e; W.8.5).

ƒ Investigate authentic and stereotype using a Relationship Map, and apply these words to analyze a poem’s main idea (L.8.4.c, L.8.6).

30

EOM

All Module Texts Know

How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Execute How do I use my understanding of poetry and storytelling in a cover letter?

ƒ

Analyze the components of an EOM Task exemplar cover letter (W.8.5).

ƒ

Using effective evidence, apply understanding of main ideas about the power of storytelling to a specific personal experience (RI.8.1, 8.2; W.8.5).

Focusing Question 5: What does it mean to be a storyteller?

Lesson Text(s) Content Framing Question

31 EOM

All Module Texts Know

How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Craft Question(s) Learning Goals

Execute How do I use my understanding of sensory and descriptive language, narrative arc, and poetry in a poetry portfolio?

ƒ Apply an understanding of the relationship between storytelling and sense of self through independent narrative writing (W.8.3, 8.4).

ƒ

Compare the use of poetic types between an exemplar and a self-generated poem (RL.8.5).

32 VOC

All Module Texts Know

How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Excel How do I improve my draft through revision?

ƒ

Revise narrative writing in response to peer and teacher review (W.8.3, 8.5).

ƒ Express an understanding of the components of narrative verse in a poetry portfolio and the power of telling a personal story (RL.8.5; RI.8.2; W.8.4).

ƒ

33 VOC

None Know

How does my work with poetic expression build my knowledge of performing poetry?

Excel How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

ƒ

Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Present narrative writing (W.8.3; SL.8.1, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6).

ƒ Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Lesson 1

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–10

National Storytelling Network

Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide

Lesson 1: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Identify Favorite Story Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Examine the Power of Storytelling (15 min.)

Perform Fluent Reading (15 min.)

Read and Annotate (24 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Content

Vocabulary: Storytelling, power, content, form (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.5.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 1B: Relationship Maps ƒ

Volume of Reading Reflection

Learning Goals

Make inferences about The Crossover, using effective evidence (RL.8.1).

Using evidence from “Dribbling,” students write two inferences about the identity or personality of the poem’s speaker.

Identify specific language choices that depict Josh Bell’s identity and view of himself (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4).

Annotate the poem “Josh Bell.”

Explore the relationships among storytelling, power, content, and form to better understand each word and the Essential Question (L.8.5.b).

Complete headlines exercise in response to Essential Question.

Prepare

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Module 1

What is the power of storytelling?

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 1

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about form and content in The Crossover?

To begin their study of the poetics and power of storytelling, students read Kwame Alexander’s explosive novel-in-verse, The Crossover, engaging with a dynamic and diverse sequence of poems that explore personal identity and the power of expression. Students first examine how the poems, individually and collectively, convey Josh’s sense of himself and the world around him. Then students examine and experiment with the different poetic types that convey Josh’s experiences, analyzing how these types develop the theme of the importance of family relationships in shaping—and eventually disrupting—Josh’s sense of himself and his world.

Welcome

5 MIN.

IDENTIFY FAVORITE STORY

In two or three sentences, briefly describe a favorite story—one that you love to hear, read, and/or tell—and why you love it. Consider stories your family or community might tell.

For instance, the story of: ƒ How you got your name. ƒ The way you first showed your personality as a baby. ƒ Something someone in your family did before you were born. ƒ A choice or decision someone made that affected their life. ƒ A family memory.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Essential Question, Focusing Question, and Content Framing Question.

Have students identify the keywords in the Essential Question.

Explain that in this module, students will focus on storytelling as one powerful form we use to express and communicate knowledge or information.

Literary Term

form (n.)

Meaning Example

• The shape or structure of a story.

• How knowledge or information is expressed or communicated.

a newspaper a novel

Now have someone read aloud the Focusing Question. Explain that Josh Bell is a character they will encounter in The Crossover, the book they begin reading in this lesson.

This question reveals some of the content they will focus on in this module.

Remind students of the meanings of the word content used in literary analysis. Provide the following definitions for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Example

• The subject matter or substance of a story.

content (n.)

• What knowledge or information is expressed or communicated.

The effects of an earthquake can be the content of both a newspaper and a novel.

Explain that this module is a deep exploration of the relationship between these these two essential parts of a story: form (the “how”) and content (the “what”).

In particular, students will explore how effectively combining form and content can create powerful storytelling.

Offer an example:

A report card is one form that communicates content about a student’s grade.

The story a student tells about why they received those grades is another form that explains the content of a student’s grade.

Ask: “Do these two forms, about the same content, tell the same story? How so? How not?”

Facilitate a brief conversation. If necessary, share a scenario: While a report card communicates a grade of “C” in science, which might not seem great, the student’s story about how they had pneumonia for four weeks and still did their schoolwork shows that the grade was an accomplishment, given the circumstances.

Explain that students will now dig into these questions more deeply.

54 MIN.

EXAMINE THE POWER OF STORYTELLING

Pairs

15 MIN.

Students now Think–Puzzle–Explore about the keywords in the Essential Question.

Pairs underline and annotate each keyword, writing definitions and synonyms for the words power and storytelling.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

storytelling (n.)

A responsive way to use words and actions to skillfully illuminate the elements and thoughts of a story while also helping the person who is listening to the story to use their imagination.

Storytelling involves a two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listeners.

1. Being able to act in a way that works well.

2. Having a lot of sway or rule over others.

1. ability, capability, might

power (n.)

2. authority, command, strength

3. Being very good at manipulating or changing feelings or ways of thinking.

3. consequence, emotion, force

Definitions taken from the National Storytelling Network (http://witeng.link/0722).

Have pairs begin with the Think part of the activity, and ask: “Based on your experiences reading, listening to, telling, and even writing stories, what do you think is the power of storytelling? Why do you think storytelling is powerful?”

Direct pairs to look to their writing about their favorite stories for clues. Ask: “What can your choice of a favorite story, and your reasons for identifying it as a favorite story, tell you about why you think storytelling is powerful?

Then, ask: “What puzzles you about the idea of storytelling as powerful?”

Pairs note anything about the Essential Question that confuses them or sounds strange.

After pairs brainstorm for a few minutes, have them read the Focusing Question quietly to themselves.

Ask: “Are there any words or phrases in the Focusing Question that puzzle you?”

Ask: “What does ‘sense of himself’ mean?”

Pairs share questions with the class; students offer their understandings of unclear words and phrases.

After providing any necessary clarifications, ask: “How might this Focusing Question help you explore your thinking and puzzling about the Essential Question?”

Encourage pairs to use the specific language from the Essential and Focusing Questions in their responses.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion, charting student responses.

n The power of storytelling is that it helps us express who we are, and why.

n The power of storytelling is that it can show what shapes people’s view of themselves and their world.

n The power of storytelling is that it can express what’s important to a person from their point of view.

n The power of storytelling is that a good story can make us interested in understanding other people and their experiences.

n The power of storytelling is that it can help people understand new or unfamiliar things.

n The power of storytelling is that it can help us figure out who we are, how we feel, and what we think about things.

Students record observations in their Response Journal.

Now have students read aloud the Content Framing Question.

Students briefly flip through The Crossover, jotting what they notice and wonder about the text, including its features, such as the cover, jacket summary, and section breaks.

n The book is full of poems.

n Is it a book of poems? Or is it one story?

n This book is divided into sections based on sports terms, like “Warmup,” “First Quarter,” and “Overtime.”

n Parts of the book make me think it is a novel, but it also looks like a book of poems. What is it?

n Why is the book written like a bunch of poems?

n There is a basketball player on the cover, and his basketball is made of words.

n There are stamps on the cover; it looks like the book won awards.

n What does crossover mean?

n I think crossover is a basketball move, so this is a book about basketball.

Tell students that this book is an example of a literary genre, or type of book, called a novel-in-verse.

Ask: “Based on your observations, how would you define the term novel-in-verse?”

n A novel-in-verse is a novel that is written in poems rather than in prose.

n A novel-in-verse is as long as a book, and it’s fiction, but it is written as a series of poems.

n A novel-in-verse is a form for telling a story that uses poems instead of prose or chapters.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Characteristics Example

The series of poems has a narrative structure.

novel-in-verse (n.) (or verse novel) A novel told in verse (poems) rather than in prose.

Each poem stands on its own as a complete poem and captures a specific moment, scene, idea, or development of plot or character.

Each poem contributes to the larger narrative, moving the story forward.

The Crossover

Tell students that throughout their reading of The Crossover, they will continue to Think–Puzzle–Explore about form and content and about why this book is written as a novel-in-verse.

PERFORM FLUENT READING

Whole Group

Display “Dribbling” (page 3).

15 MIN.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How do you know this is a poem?”

n The text has line breaks.

n There is plenty of descriptive language.

n The text rhymes and has a rhythm.

n The text is titled and contained to one page.

Ask: “What do you notice about how this poem appears on the page?”

n Some of the words are in all capital letters.

n Some of the words are in italics.

n Some of the words have both lowercase and capital letters in them.

n Some words are diagonal on the page.

n Some lines consist of only one word.

Students now begin their exploration of the relationship between the written text and reading aloud.

Ask: “What do you notice about how Kwame Alexander shows us how to read the poem?”

Have students respond by focusing on the letters in the first two lines of the poem.

n All the letters, and the words, in the first line are lowercased, and all the letters in the second line are capitalized.

n I would read the first line, with all of the lowercased letters, quietly, and then I would get louder when I read the words in all capital letters.

Remind students that annotation is a tool they can use to gather different kinds of information from a text. They can annotate a text for content by identifying main ideas or character traits; or, they can annotate a text for information about form, identifying the details of how a text is written.

Tell them that in this lesson, they will annotate for both of these purposes, beginning with form.

Explain to students that they will make annotations of their decisions about how to read the poem aloud. For instance, they might write quiet or shhh next to the first line.

Ask: “What annotation would you write next to the second line?”

n I would write LOUD in capital letters or in a bold color.

Display the following questions:

ƒ

ƒ

How does the way the words are written on the page affect the way you might read them aloud?

How does the punctuation affect the way you might read a line?

Where would it be appropriate to read more loudly? ƒ

ƒ

Where would you read quietly? ƒ

Where would you pause, or slow down? ƒ

What expression or tone would you use? ƒ

What pace would you use?

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “In the first two lines of the poem, what else do you notice about how to read the poem? What other annotations would you make to perform a fluent reading?”

Scaffold

Instruct students to pay attention to these elements:

ƒ

The comma in the first line.

ƒ

The words in capital letters in the second line.

ƒ

The ampersand in the second line (as opposed to if Alexander had used the word and).

n The comma is a place where you would pause to create a little suspense about what will happen in the next line. I would write pause next to the comma.

n “MOVING & GROOVING” rhyme, and they are written in all caps, and they sound a little like song lyrics or slang. They should be emphasized. I would read them with a lot of volume and expression to show the speaker’s personality. I would write loud and rhythm next to the line. I also might write slow down to emphasize their importance.

n The ampersand is not correct grammar. It shows a little personality. It seems like the tone of “MOVING & GROOVING” is confident. The speaker feels pretty good. I would write attitude next to this line. Or I might write pride or swagger.

Pairs discuss how they would read the rest of the poem aloud and make annotations to prepare for a fluent reading.

Extension

Engage students in a conversation about aspects of “Dribbling” that could be read in multiple ways.

For instance, the word slipping is printed in all caps, slipping diagonally across and down the page. Would students read that word aloud as “S-L-I-P-P-I-N-G,” pronouncing each letter? Or would they read it as the word slipping with some vocal inflection that indicated the shape of the word on the page?

Emphasize that expression—the way you read aloud or tell a story—is one thing that makes storytelling powerful. Students will have lots of practice to become strong fluent readers of poetry.

Pairs experiment reading “Dribbling” aloud to each other.

Remind students that a fluent reader reads at an appropriate pace, pays attention to words and punctuation, and reads with emotion and expression that are appropriate to the text being read.

One or more pairs share fluent readings with the whole group.

Using evidence from “Dribbling,” students each write two inferences about the poem’s speaker’s identity or personality.

READ AND ANNOTATE 24 MIN.

Individuals

Display and/or distribute the following definitions of basketball terms.

Top of the Key: A half circle that goes behind the free throw line on a basketball court.

Dribble: The up and down motion of a bouncing ball.

Fast break: In basketball, a quick movement of the ball by the offense in order to get ahead of the defense and score.

Free throw: An undefended shot from a line 15 feet away from the basket, usually in response to a foul on the defense.

Lay up: A basketball shot made when a play moves toward and is close to the basket.

Dunk: Gaining a point by directly putting the ball in the basket from above, rather than shooting the ball.

Backboard: The rectangular surface behind the basket.

Rim: The metal circle that is part of a basket; the part of the basket attached to the net.

Drive: Bouncing a ball up and down while moving toward the basket in basketball.

Terms taken from the Ultimate Youth Basketball Guide (http://witeng.link/0723).

Pairs silently read pages 1–10 of The Crossover. Students return to “Josh Bell,” on pages 4 and 5.

Remind students of the Focusing Question.

Students annotate the poem for important information about content.

Ask: “Who is Josh Bell, and how does he describe himself?”

Students independently reread “Josh Bell” and annotate for two pieces of evidence that most strongly describe who Josh is and how he describes himself.

Possible annotations include:

n “‘Filthy McNasty’ is my claim to fame” (4)

n “folks call me that / ‘cause my game’s acclaimed” (4)

n “My hair is long” (4)

n “my game’s so / fly” (4)

n “you’re fresh and new” (4)

n “when I play ball, / I’m on fire” (5)

Facilitate a brief discussion about students’ annotations.

Have students compare their annotations to the earlier predictions they made about Josh’s identity or personality and the story.

TEACHER NOTE

Refer to Implementation Guide for a comprehensive list of annotation symbols. Encourage students to annotate using a consistent range of symbols in order to make these observations useful for rereading.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about form and content in The Crossover?

Students complete and submit an Exit Ticket with one observation and one question about the form and/or content of The Crossover.

Have students record the following Module Goals in their Response Journal:

Goal 1: Examine form and content to understand the power of storytelling.

Goal 2: Develop habits of how to read poetry.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Display and distribute Handout 1A. Assign students the following poem to read for a fluent reading exercise: “Basketball Rule #1” (20).

Distribute and review the Volume of Reading Reflection Questions (see the final page in the Student Edition). Explain that students should consider these questions as they read independently and respond to them when they finish a text.

TEACHER

NOTE

Students may respond in the Reflections section of their Knowledge Journal or submit them directly. The questions can also be used as discussion questions for a book club or other small-group activity. See the Implementation Guide for a further explanation of Volume of Reading, as well as various ways of using the reflection.

Students read pages 11–36 of The Crossover.

TEACHER NOTE

In preparation for the next lesson’s Summarize Character activity, consider assigning students to small groups for each member of the Bell family. As they complete their homework reading, group members should note individual poems, or parts of poems, that provide important information about their character.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In this lesson, students annotate “Josh Bell” to identifying evidence that most strongly describes his identity (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4). The Check for Understanding (CFU) demonstrates the ability to identify effective evidence in support of a particular purpose. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Identifies two pieces of evidence related to Josh’s identity and view of himself.

ƒ Chooses strong evidence.

ƒ

In discussion, justifies the strength of the evidence and uses it to describe Josh’s identity.

Next Steps

If students do not distinguish between strong and weak evidence, provide a list of pieces, including at least one less effective piece (e.g., “mad as a flame” or “I’m the buyer”), and facilitate a debate to choose the strongest evidence.

Depending on students’ level of understanding of poetry, it may be necessary to engage in extended discussion about the unique features of poetry before the next lesson.

Explore Content Vocabulary: Storytelling, power, content, and form

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–10

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Explore the relationships among storytelling, power, content, and form to better understand each word’s meaning and begin to answer the Essential Question: What is the power of storytelling? (L.8.5.b).

Launch

Display the following words:

Storytelling Power Content Form

Instruct students to reread the definitions for these words in their Vocabulary Journal. Direct them to underline key words in the definitions that are important to understanding the words. Have students work in pairs to paraphrase the definitions.

Using Equity Sticks, call on two or three pairs per word to share their definitions, correcting any errors as needed.

TEACHER

NOTE

As students annotate the definitions of the words, observe which words each student underlines. Ask students, one-on-one, about their choices in order to assess students’ understandings of the words and of the process of selecting keywords.

Learn

Explain that, like people, words have interesting and complex relationships to one another. Students will determine the relationships between these words and then create a visual representation of that relationship.

Ask: “What types of relationships can words have to one another?”

Select student volunteers, and record their responses to serve as reminders for students.

n Words can be opposites, or antonyms.

n Some words can represent smaller parts of another word.

n Words can represent causes and effects.

n Words can be synonyms; words can have similar meanings.

n A word can be part of the definition of another words.

n Words can vary in strength or shades of meaning (such as hot and scalding). Instruct each student pair to join with another pair, forming groups of four.

Distribute Handout 1B, and ask a student to read the directions aloud. Highlight the various types of Relationship Maps to use for exploring these words. Students may also design their own images and use the words they underlined from the definitions if they choose. Suggest that students revisit the underlined words from the words’ definitions and spend a minute or two brainstorming as a group before drawing maps.

Display relationship maps, and ask students to view at least two other maps.

TEACHER NOTE

Relationship Mapping is an excellent way to assess students’ understanding of a set of related words. In this instance, there is no wrong answer. Rather, use students’ responses as a preassessment of their experiences and assumptions. The exercise also further unpacks the Essential Question. As students work on their Relationship Maps, circulate around the room, asking students to explain their choices. Prompt students to deeper thinking with probing, open-ended questions (e.g., Why did you …? What if …? How could you …?).

Students may claim that effective content and form gives storytelling power or storytelling uses content and form to create power. In addition, students may choose to include words such as actions, words, listener, teller, audience, tale, and interaction, among others.

Display the Essential Question, and ask students to complete a Headlines Exercise: Answer the Essential Question in a headline of ten words or less. Use at least two of the four words from the Deep Dive. Then, ask students to write a brief, three- to four-sentence explanation for their headlines.

Headline: The power of storytelling is rooted in content and form.

Explanation: I chose this headline to answer the Essential Question because a story is a way to share important content in an interesting form. Authors choose different forms to share content. The form is as important as the content. For example, you can tell interesting facts in an exciting poem or a page-turner of a story rather than just listing the information as plain facts or as a series of events.

TEACHER NOTE

Vocabulary Deep Dives 32 and 33 provide direct vocabulary assessment tools and corresponding directions. To best meet students’ language needs, consider using this tool to preassess students at the start of this module. Do not share results with students, but use the data to inform and differentiate your vocabulary instruction. At the close of the module, reassess students using the same tool to determine their growth against the baseline data.

Lesson 2

1–36

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 1–7

shapes

himself and

Bell’s sense

world?

Lesson 2: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Identify Who, What, and Where Launch (5 min.) Learn (59 min.)

Define the Listening Goal (5 min.)

Examine Character and Theme (20 min.)

Summarize Characters (24 min.) Write to Learn (10 min.) Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Indicative, Imperative, and Interrogative Verb Moods (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Writing ƒ W.8.10 Language ƒ L.8.1.c

MATERIALS ƒ

Markers ƒ Chart paper ƒ Sticky notes

Learning Goals

Apply an understanding of the theme of “sense to self” to a character in The Crossover, using effective evidence (RL.8.1, RL.8.2).

Write an explanation of how a quotation conveys two things about what shapes a character’s sense of self.

Explain key aspects of Josh Bell, using the most effective evidence (RL.8.1, RL.8.2).

Complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket about Josh Bell’s character.

Identify and form verbs in the indicative, imperative, and interrogative mood in pairs (L.8.1.c).

Identify verb moods in a poem, and revise sentences in different verb moods.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 2

Organize: What’s happening in The Crossover?

Students examine what’s happening in The Crossover by examining the main character, Josh Bell, in relation to the concept of “sense of self,” which is a central theme developed in the novel. They also explore who shapes Josh’s sense of himself by summarizing the identities of the members of the Bell family.

Welcome

5 MIN.

IDENTIFY WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE

Pairs respond to the following questions as quickly and accurately as possible: ƒ Who is the main character in the novel? ƒ How old do you think he is? ƒ

Who is his family? ƒ

What do you know about his situation? ƒ

Where does most of the story take place?

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain to students that they will explore what’s happening in the novel by examining what and who shapes Josh’s sense of himself and his world.

Facilitate a quick, whole-group summary of the book up to this point.

MIN.

DEFINE THE LISTENING GOAL 5 MIN.

Whole Group

Explain that specific strategies can be used in academic conversations to support the deepest understanding of a topic.

Students will examine a new Listening Goal that will help them get the most from these conversations.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you think a Listening Goal of ‘listen with the intent of writing’ might mean during an academic conversation?”

n The Listening Goal might mean that we take notes during an academic conversation.

n The Listening Goal might mean that we listen with a plan to write what is said.

Elaborate by explaining that this Listening Goal helps students focus on what is important in a discussion through intentional listening.

Ask: “How do you listen when you are trying to capture oral speech in writing?”

Students share responses.

n I try to listen for the central idea or important evidence someone mentions if I am going to capture oral speech in writing.

n I try to remember some of the most important words when listening to capture oral speech in writing.

n I try to listen for words that will help me think of a summary, or the connection, between different ideas in oral speech.

Explain that whenever an academic conversation happens in this module, students practice the Listening Goal.

Students record notes in their Response Journal.

EXAMINE CHARACTER AND THEME 20

Pairs

MIN.

Students silently reread “Five Reasons I Have Locks” (14–15).

In small groups, or as a whole group, students read the poem aloud, practicing fluent reading, with a different student reading each numbered section.

Explain that students will examine this poem to learn what it tells us about Josh’s sense of self.

Review and elaborate on the discussion of the meaning of the phrase “sense of himself” from Lesson 1.

Inform students that this phrase is a specific version of a more general idea: the idea of “sense of self.”

Explain that everyone has a sense of self. It is how you define who you are. Provide the following definition for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal. Students complete the Characteristics and Example columns after the discussion.

Term Meaning Characteristics Example

sense of self How a person defines themself.

Work with students to generate additional ways to describe the meaning of “sense of self.”

My “sense of self” is:

n How I view who I am.

n The ways I think of myself, not how other people think of me.

n My personal identity.

n My image of myself.

n The person I believe I am.

Display responses, and have students add definitions in their Vocabulary Journal.

Explain that “sense of self” is a concept studied by experts in fields that range from psychology and medicine to sports science and literature.

Ask: “Why do you think so many experts study this concept? What do they want to find out?”

Direct students to reread the Focusing Question for a clue.

n They want to find out what shapes a person’s sense of self.

n They want to know how someone’s sense of self develops.

n Someone like a sports scientist might want to know how an athlete’s sense of self affects the way they play.

n Experts want to know how our sense of self determines how we act.

Students note in their Response Journal that what shapes the development of a person’s sense of self is a central idea explored in The Crossover.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Based on your reading of The Crossover so far, what kinds of things can shape someone’s sense of self?”

n Physical looks or attributes, like hair.

n Hobbies or interests, like basketball.

n Relationships with other people, like family members.

n Role in a group, like being a twin, the oldest child, or the star of a basketball team.

n Things someone is good at, skills or talents, like being a fast athlete, jazz musician, Spelling Bee champion.

n Dreams or goals, or someone’s purpose in life, like being drafted to the NBA.

n Events that happen to someone.

n Emotions or feelings.

Students record observations in the Characteristics column of their Sense of Self Vocabulary Journal entry.

Tell students that although “Five Reasons I Have Locks” seems to be about how hair shapes Josh’s sense of self, their job will be to answer the following question: “What can this poem tell us about why hair shapes Josh’s sense of self?”

Pairs list the numbers 5 through 1 on separate lines in their Response Journal.

Next to each number, pairs briefly explain what each reason tells them about Josh’s sense of himself; that is, about how Josh defines himself.

5. Josh has dreadlocks to imitate the style of his favorite rappers. He connects himself to famous musicians and performers.

4. Kings are royalty. They get special treatment. Kings rule over everyone else, so they have power over other people. Other people look up to them. Josh likes to feel like that.

3. Dreadlocks distinguish Josh from his teammates. Josh likes to be different and unique.

2. His hair helps other people know the difference between Josh and his twin brother, JB. He doesn’t say that he wants to be different from his twin but that he wants to help other people recognize the difference.

1. Josh likes to be like his father. He says his hair is like wings that help him fly. Josh wants to do big things.

Students add one or more examples of things that define Josh’s sense of self to the Example column of their Sense of Self Vocabulary Journal entry.

Small Groups

Assign small groups one of the following characters: Josh Bell, JB Bell, Christy Bell, Chuck Bell.

Explain that each of these characters is a player on Team Bell Family.

Each group creates a basketball card about their character on chart paper. The card should include the following:

ƒ A three- to five-line biography of the character.

ƒ One well-chosen quotation that shows an important aspect of the character.

ƒ A three- to five-sentence description of the character’s connection with other members of Team Bell Family, including effects on other family members, ways of interacting with other members, and attitude toward family.

TEACHER NOTE

Students will add to these cards in subsequent lessons, so provide chart paper that is big enough to accommodate additional material and/or direct students to use only half of the paper. Although Christy Bell is not a basketball player, she attends all her sons’ games and is clearly a big part of Team Bell Family.

Chuck Bell

Biography:

He used to play basketball, was featured on ESPN’s best dunks ever, has a championship ring, made fifty free throws in a row at the Olympic finals, and was invited to try out for the LA Lakers.

He misses playing basketball. He has “jumper’s knee” and never had surgery to fix it. He likes jazz music, joking, and trash talking. He loves to eat junk food.

Quote:

“Only Da Man wears Da Ring” (18).

Connections to Other Members of Team Bell Family:

Josh’s father gave Josh his nickname. He used to have long hair like Josh does. He encourages his sons to play basketball. He cares about his family, and he’s very proud of his sons, but sometimes he jokes when his wife wants to be serious, and he keeps secrets from Josh and JB.

Groups display their basketball cards in the room.

Students participate in a Gallery Walk of the basketball cards.

After they observe all the basketball cards, students place a sticky note with their name on the basketball card with the quotation that they think does the best job of summarizing the identity of a character.

To make their choice, students should consider the following:

ƒ

How the topic of the quotation shows what it is important to the character. ƒ

How the tone and language show the personality of the character. ƒ

How the topic and language show the character’s values.

Facilitate a brief discussion about student choices. Especially if there are one or two quotations that received the majority of sticky notes, discuss why these quotations most strongly summarize the identity of a character.

WRITE TO LEARN 10 MIN.

Individuals

Students now apply their understanding of the theme of “sense to self” to another member of the Bell Family.

Students write three or four sentences in response to the following prompt:

Review the “sense of self” Vocabulary Journal entry in relation to the basketball card quotation you selected. In three or four sentences, explain how the quotation conveys two things about what shapes the character’s sense of self.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Organize: What’s happening in The Crossover?

Ask: “How did we learn more about what’s happening in The Crossover?”

Students complete and submit the following 3–2–1 Exit Ticket:

ƒ

Three things Josh values. ƒ

Two adjectives that best describe Josh. ƒ

One important thing that has happened to Josh since the beginning of the book.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 37–62 of The Crossover and continue their fluency homework.

Analyze Context and Alignment

The basketball cards and first CFU (RL.8.1, RL.8.2) check students’ understanding of what’s happening with characters and their relationships, which are central to the novel. The first CFU focuses on students’ ability to select a strong piece of evidence in relation to a specific purpose. Use their responses to assess students’ understanding of the central idea (“sense of self”) as well as their ability to discuss various aspects of characterization. Consider the following:

ƒ

Did they identify one or more specific factors that shape sense of self (such as how the character’s family role shapes his or her sense of self)?

ƒ

ƒ

Do they make accurate inferences based on the quotation?

Do they convey subtle understandings of the character (such as how Chuck Bell’s sense of self is shaped by his longing for the past)?

Next Steps

Use the responses to gauge a baseline for how students think about characterization and central idea—important concepts they will continue to work on throughout their reading of the novel. Some students may simply analyze the quotations by explaining what they tell the reader about the character, which reflects a more basic conception of characterization that does not account for the self-forming aspects of identity. If so, find four to six more “sense of self” moments in the readings for the next few lessons. Expound on one to two of them with students as examples of the concept, then share a few more and see if they can explain the connection.

Lesson 2: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Examine Indicative, Imperative, and Interrogative Verb Moods

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–36

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: In pairs, identify and form verbs in the indicative, imperative, and interrogative moods (L.8.1.c).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 2

Examine: Why are verb moods important in my writing?

Launch

Pairs pretend Josh needs a pen for his next class. Ask: “How would he approach JB versus his mother to get the pen?” Each pair writes two sentences from Josh’s perspective, one to JB and one to his mother, attempting to borrow a pen.

n Josh might say to JB, “Hey! Give me a pen.”

n He might ask his mom, “Can I borrow a pen?”

n He might even hit JB on the shoulder and say, “I need a pen.”

n Josh would probably say “please” to his mother: “May I please use a pen?”

Tell students that these sentences showcase three different types of verb moods. In this lesson, they will focus on the three types they generated: indicative, imperative, and interrogative.

Learn

Explain that verb mood indicates the state of being or the manner in which a thought is expressed.

Display the following definitions and examples from “Dribbling.”

Mood Meaning Example

indicative mood

Expresses, or indicates, a fact or opinion; adds detail or describes what happens.

“At the top of the key, I’m / moving and grooving / Popping and rocking” imperative mood

Expresses, or states, a command; subject is implied “you.” “Man, take this thumping” interrogative mood

Expresses, or asks, a question; inverts the subject-verb order. “Why you bumping?”

Direct students to “Dribbling” (page 3). Pairs find one other example of each verb mood identified above.

n “’cause now I’m CRUNKing / CrissCROSSING / FLOSSING / flipping / and my dipping will leave you / SLIPPING on the floor” is an example of indicative mood.

n “Be careful though” is written in imperative mood.

n “Why you locking?” is written in interrogative mood.

TEACHER NOTE

The examples of interrogative mood in this poem are not grammatically correct because they aim to capture the speech that players might use in a casual atmosphere like the basketball court. Explain that sometimes authors of novels and other creative works play with grammatical rules to better represent the ways we actually speak. Remind students that we speak differently in academic situations than we do in casual environments.

In these examples of interrogative mood, the poet eliminates the helping verb are (“Why you bumping? Why you locking?”). However, these sentences are still written in the interrogative mood because they begin with an interrogative “why.” To illustrate the point, write the sentences on the board using the word are (e.g., Why are you bumping?”) so students can see the inversion of subject (you) and predicate (are bumping).

Land

Direct students to “How I Got My Nickname” (6–7). Students identify the verb moods present in the poem and choose three sentences from the poem to rewrite in a different verb mood. They should use all three of the verb moods that they learned.

ƒ Indicative (“One day we were listening to a CD / of a musician named Horace Silver”) to imperative (“Listen to this CD of a musician named Horace Silver.”)

ƒ Imperative (“Boy, you better recognize / greatness when you hear it”) to interrogative (“Do you recognize greatness when you hear it?”)

ƒ

Interrogative (“DID YOU SAY OKAY?) to imperative (“Say OKAY!”)

Invite a few students to share their responses to the CFU, correcting any misunderstandings that may arise.

Inform students that they will continue to explore each verb mood in more detail to consider the effects. As they read The Crossover, they should annotate questions and consider the purpose of Josh’s questions.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 1–7

2 1 3 5 6 7 15 26 11 19 30 9 17 28 13 24 21 32 8 16 27 12 23 20 31 10 18 29 14 25 22 4 33 WIT & WISDOM®

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world? ƒ

Lesson 3

TEXTS G8 M1 Lesson 3 © 2023 Great Minds PBC

Lesson 3: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Identify Descriptive Words

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Analyze an Ode (17 min.)

Discuss Poetic Types (10 min.) Examine Descriptive and Sensory Language (17 min.)

Experiment with Descriptive and Sensory Language (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Prefix en– (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.5

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.8.1

Writing ƒ W.8.2, W.8.10* Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.b, d

* Although students’ craft work in this lesson builds a foundation for addressing W.8.3.d, W.8.10 is used for the Learning Goal because, at this early stage in the module, students’ experimentation with language meets a general goal rather than one that represents a stage in the completion of their own piece of narrative writing.

Learning Goals

Explain how the structure of “Ode to My Hair” contributes to the development of plot and character in The Crossover (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.5).

Complete a Quick Write on the purpose of “Ode to My Hair” in relation to the plot of The Crossover

Elaborate on a plot moment in The Crossover using a descriptive simile (W.8.10).

Collaboratively develop similes for two lines of “Basketball Rule #2” in The Crossover

Infer the meanings of entwine and enshrine using knowledge of the prefix en–, and verify definitions with the dictionary (L.8.4.b, d).

Analyze significance of word choice.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 3

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic form reveal in The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 3

Examine: Why is descriptive and sensory language important in narrative writing?

Experiment: How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Students begin their exploration of the characteristics poems share, poetic types in The Crossover, and the importance of descriptive and sensory language. First, students annotate the poem “Filthy McNasty” (10) for descriptive and sensory language, then transition into a discussion about specific poetic types: the ode and the list poem. Students return to their annotations and examine why descriptive and sensory language is important in “Ode to My Hair” (33) and “Filthy McNasty” (10). Students put the results of their discussion about descriptive and sensory language into practice by experimenting with making their own simile using lines from “Basketball Rule #2” (51).

Welcome

5 MIN.

IDENTIFY DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

Play “Filthy McNasty” by Horace Silver (http://witeng.link/0724) as students enter the classroom. Display the name of the song and musician.

TEACHER NOTE

The full recording of “Filthy McNasty” is eleven minutes. There is no need for students to listen to the full recording for this activity. You may choose to display an image or provide brief information about Horace Silver (1928–2014), who was an influential American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.

While students listen, they annotate “Filthy McNasty” (10) for descriptive and sensory language.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question, Content Framing Question, and Craft Questions.

Students share their annotations.

Possible responses include:

n Mythical. n Agitating. n The Rock (for basketball). n Blast. n Uncooled. n Hot. n Slammerific. n Dunkalicious. n Classy. n Supersonic. n Sassy. n Nasty.

Ask: “Which word best describes the poem, and which one best describes the song?”

Facilitate a brief discussion about student choices.

Remind students that content and form both contribute to the power of storytelling. In the last lesson, they focused on content—what the story is saying. In this lesson, they focus on form, examining the importance of how the story is told.

59 MIN.

ANALYZE AN ODE 17 MIN.

Whole Group

Students silently reread “Ode to my Hair” (33).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does this poem, which is also about hair,

compare to and contrast with ‘Five Reasons I Have Locks’?”

n In this poem, Josh is also speaking about the importance of his hair.

n The last poem explains why he has dreadlocks. It tells a lot about Josh’s sense of self.

n This poem is really focused on describing the hair more than describing Josh.

n Josh describes how much he loves and admires his hair.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Example

“Ode to My Hair”

ode (n.)

A poem in praise or celebration of something or someone, usually expressing deep love or admiration for the subject, and usually in a lofty and enthusiastic style.

An ode can celebrate an object, a person, an animal, something from nature, an event, an idea, a feeling, a relationship, something ordinary.

“Ode to Beauty,” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Ode to the West Wind,” Percy Bysshe Shelley

“Ode to a Nightingale,” John Keats

“Ode to Family Photographs,” Gary Soto

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What characteristics of an ode can be found in “Ode to My Hair”? What do you notice about the structure of “Ode to My Hair”?

n “Ode to My Hair” is focused on one thing—Josh’s dreadlocks.

n “Ode to My Hair” expresses Josh’s deep love for and pride in his hair.

n The poem treats Josh’s hair as more than a physical feature.

n Josh says, “I’d kneel down beneath it” and “I’d treat it like gold” (Alexander 33). It is a precious object.

n Josh speaks about his hair with emotion and vivid descriptions that show his enthusiasm.

n The poem is made up of two-line stanzas, and each stanza is a sentence.

n The second line of each stanza ends in the word it, referring to Josh’s hair.

Ask a student to restate the characteristics of poems in a novel-in-verse from the last lesson.

n Each poem stands on its own as a complete poem and captures a specific moment, scene, idea, or development of plot or character.

n Each poem contributes to the larger narrative, moving the story forward.

Students have discussed “Ode to My Hair” as a complete poem.

Now, they will consider how this poem contributes to the larger narrative, moving the story forward.

Students complete a Quick Write in response to the following prompt:

Reread pages 32–35. With a series of bullet points, explain how the ode, with its specific purpose and structure, contributes to the meaning of what’s happening at this moment in The Crossover. Why does an ode appear at this point in the story? How does the ode move the story forward?

n The ode praises and celebrates Josh’s love for his hair.

n The ode shows us Josh enthusiastically expressing his deep love and respect for his hair.

n The ode appears at this point because Josh is about to make a bet with his brother. If he loses, JB will cut off a lock of Josh’s hair. Maybe Josh is reflecting on how much he loves his hair because he realizes he might lose it.

n When you think about losing something important, you realize how precious it is to you.

n The ode shows that Josh might have a conflict between refusing his brother’s bet and risking something he loves.

n The ode makes the reader wonder what will happen to Josh if he loses something so precious to his sense of self.

DISCUSS POETIC TYPES 10 MIN.

Whole Group

Establish two anchor charts: Characteristics Poems Share and Poetic Types.

Students offer observations about shared characteristics based on their observations from Lessons 1 and 2 as well as the reading they did for homework. Record student responses on the Characteristics Poems Share Anchor Chart.

n Poems have line breaks.

n Poems can be organized by stanzas.

n Poems have figurative language, like metaphors and similes.

n Poems have language that pays attention to sound, sometimes rhyme or alliteration.

n Poems can have a lot of description.

n Poems can be short. They are like mini-stories.

n Poems have titles.

n Poems have a speaker.

n Poems sometimes don’t use full sentences.

Differentiation

For any poetic or formal terms students may not know, provide definitions or consider displaying an Interactive Word Wall of poetry terms for students to reference while they work.

Terms to consider for language: imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, rhyme, alliteration, repetition, rhythm

Terms to consider for form: structure, organization, line length, line breaks, stanza length, stanza breaks, repetition, punctuation, capitalization

Explain that The Crossover includes many different poetic types that convey Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world.

Inform students that, at the end of the module, they will write their own narrative-in-verse that conveys something about what shapes their own sense of themselves and their world. Their narrative will be composed of three poems modeled after poetic types found in The Crossover.

Add ode to the Poetic Types Anchor Chart, and list the following criteria:

ƒ

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Focus of the poem is on a single person or object that is precious to the speaker.

Enthusiastic or emotional tone; passionate attitude about subject.

ƒ Is often written in two-line stanzas.

ƒ

Uses figurative language to express the speaker’s attitude toward, and often admiration of, the subject.

ƒ Represents a reflective mode; the speaker deeply considers the subject.

Explain that the ode is one of many poetic forms. The other poems in this book are in free-verse form.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Example

free verse (n.)

Poetry which has no formal rhymes, stanzas, or rhythmic patterns.

Poems in The Crossover except “Ode to My Hair”

Explain that The Crossover contains many different poetic types within the free-verse form, which students will examine and practice writing throughout the module.

Add list poem to the Poetic Types Anchor Chart.

Students turn to “Five Reasons I Have Locks” (14–15).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What specific characteristics do you notice in ‘Five Reasons I Have Locks’ that are not included on the Shared Characteristics Anchor Chart?”

n The poem is written like a list.

n All the items elaborate on one central idea or theme.

n Each item is numbered.

n The title states the theme or idea that connects the list items.

n The list order is important to understanding the meaning of the poem. Number 1 is the most important item in the list.

Add the following criteria for list poem to the anchor chart:

n A list of items that all relate to the title of the poem.

n Everything in the list relates to one central idea or theme.

n Each item is written as a declarative statement.

n The final item of the list is the most important and reveals something about the speaker.

n Written as a reflection (rather than action in the moment), with the speaker considering different aspects of the idea or situation.

n The list may or may not be numbered.

EXAMINE DESCRIPTIVE AND SENSORY LANGUAGE 17

Whole Group

MIN.

Inform students that they will study and practice these poetic types in order to develop their understanding of how narrative elements contribute to the power of storytelling.

Display the first Craft question:

Examine: Why is descriptive and sensory language important in narrative writing?

Have students close their eyes.

Instruct students to stomp their feet or clap their hands every time they can imagine a place or thing, an action, or a description as you read “Ode to My Hair” aloud.

Read the poem.

Ask: “What did the group’s noise tell you about the importance of descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?”

n It was really noisy in here! The poem uses a lot of descriptive and sensory language.

n There are many places in the poem where I could imagine a place or thing, an action, or a description.

n When I could see images of Josh kneeling down beneath his hair, treating it like gold, or caring for it every day before school, I could better understand his emotions and attitude toward it. He’s very passionate about how much he loves his hair!

n It was loudest during the first six stanzas. So, the poem starts out with descriptive language to help you imagine the importance of Josh’s hair. That way, when you get to the last two stanzas, you understand why he doesn’t want to risk a bet where he might lose it.

Summarize and elaborate on responses, and display a list of criteria, such as this one:

Effective descriptive and sensory language:

ƒ

Creates a vivid mood, image, or scene.

ƒ Captures the action of a moment or event.

ƒ Provides details that help readers imagine a person, place, thing, action, event, emotion, or experience.

ƒ Appeals to a reader’s senses by providing descriptions of things we can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.

ƒ

Helps readers gain a deeper understanding of the identity, experiences, or relationships of one or more characters.

ƒ

Helps readers gain a deeper understanding of a central idea, theme, or conflict.

ƒ Shows a character’s feelings, attitude, or point of view.

ƒ Engages the reader in the story.

ƒ Helps increase the impact of an important moment, revelation, or statement.

Remind students that one example of effective descriptive and sensory language won’t do all of these things.

Students record the list in their Response Journal.

Refer to the list of descriptive and sensory language students generated for “Filthy McNasty.”

Point out that the list also includes vernacular or slang language. Ask for examples.

n The Rock (for basketball).

n Uncooled.

n Slammerific.

n Dunkalicious.

n Nasty.

Ask: “Why are these examples of descriptive language important?”

n The slang helps you imagine how Josh talks and how he thinks of himself.

n The slang helps you imagine the action—it’s fast-paced and exciting.

n The slang gives you a vivid sense of a basketball game. It makes you feel like you are there experiencing it.

Students silently reread “Basketball Rule #2” (51).

Ask: “What action or experience is being captured in this poem?”

n The poem is Chuck Bell’s advice for how to play basketball.

n The poem describes the actions that make someone a great basketball player.

Ask: “What do you notice about how the writer uses descriptive and sensory language in this poem?”

n There are only descriptive phrases.

n There aren’t any full sentences or subjects.

n Each line starts with a descriptive verb.

n The use of verbs with no subjects emphasizes the action.

n The use of verbs makes the action seem fast-paced.

n The descriptive language creates a vivid image of the experience of playing basketball.

n The descriptive language deepens our understanding of Chuck Bell and his point of view. It shows that Chuck Bell views basketball as a game that requires a lot of skills. It’s not just about basketball moves. You have to work, be smart, give all your effort, and practice.

Students record the following tools for developing descriptive and sensory language:

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Concrete nouns rather than general nouns: “Corvette” (4) rather than car ƒ

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Active and vivid verbs: “shovel-passes the ball” (50) rather than throws

Precise adjectives rather than vague adjectives: “glossy championship ring” (45) rather than special championship ring

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Vernacular words or phrases: “the Rock” (10) rather than basketball

EXPERIMENT WITH DESCRIPTIVE AND SENSORY LANGUAGE

Pairs

Display the second Craft question:

Experiment: How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Display the first line of “Basketball Rule #2” (51): “Hustle dig.”

15 MIN.

Tell students they will add descriptive details to experiment with the ways that a simile can help readers imagine the actions of a basketball player.

If necessary, review the meanings of simile and metaphor

Pairs brainstorm a simile to complete the first line by thinking about what kinds of people or animals would hustle and dig.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

hustle (v.)

1. To move quickly in a rough way.

2. Pushing something with force.

Each pair completes the following Sentence Frame: Hustle dig like .

n Hustle dig like a mole in the earth.

n Hustle dig like a dog with a bone.

n Hustle dig like a pirate searching for treasure.

n Hustle dig like Beyoncé performing onstage.

Ask: “What descriptive detail or sensory language could you add to this simile?”

Remind students that descriptive detail can be one word or a short phrase and that vernacular or slang is also effective as descriptive language.

n Hustle dig like a mole in the squishy earth.

n Hustle dig like a dog with a massive bone.

n Hustle dig like a pirate searching for glimmering gold treasure.

n Hustle dig like powerific Beyoncé performing onstage.

Ask: “What resources can you use to increase your knowledge of different concrete nouns, active verbs, and precise adjectives?”

n A thesaurus.

n Books you read.

n Song lyrics, because they are often written like poems.

n The Crossover!

Starting with line 2, assign each pair two consecutive lines from the poem.

Pairs develop a different simile for each line using descriptive details and sensory language. Require pairs to create one of their similes using a descriptive or sensory word from one of the following two poems: “In the locker room” (37) or “Cut” (38).

Pairs share their new lines with the class. Encourage pairs to read their lines fluently, using their voice and volume to express the mood of the action.

Ask: “How did the addition of descriptive, sensory language develop the poem? Did the original experience described change as a result of adding descriptive and sensory language? Why or why not?”

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask: “How did we learn more about how form contributes to the power of storytelling?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework and reread “Basketball Rule #1” (20), “JB and I” (23), and “Sundays After Church” (50), annotating for metaphors.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Incorporating descriptive and sensory language into poetry is an important skill students must demonstrate on the EOM Task (W.8.3.d). The second CFU in this lesson is the first opportunity to practice general skills to succeed at this standard. While listening to pairs share their similes, take notes on how many pairs fulfilled the following success criteria:

ƒ

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The simile evokes or describes a sensory reaction.

The descriptive language is used purposefully to enhance the reader’s visualization of the basketball players’ actions.

Next Steps

At this point, don’t stress the difference between a simile and metaphor. The goal of this lesson is not to refine terminology but for students to understand the purpose of sensory language and how a figure of speech can enhance a description. Most likely students will not struggle to come up with a simile (it is easy enough to fill in the frame of “like ”) but rather to create one that is relevant to the poem’s topic, consistent with its mood and style, and enhances the reader’s sensory experience. If so, take note of some strong examples from this lesson, as well as from the book, and share them with students in the next few lessons. Consider posting them on a chart for students to reference as they continue to create their own examples.

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic Vocabulary: Prefix en–

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 14–62

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Infer the meanings of entwine and enshrine using knowledge of the prefix en–, and verify definitions with the dictionary (L.8.4.b, L.8.4.d).

Launch

Ask students to share as many words as they can that begin with the prefix en–. Write them on the board.

Scaffold

If students have difficulty generating words that begin with en–, offer examples to prompt their thinking (e.g., endanger, encourage, encode, engulf, encage), or provide a list for students.

Create two columns on the board. List all the words students generated in the left-hand column, and write the words without the prefix en– in the right-hand column.

endanger encode engulf encourage encage

danger code gulf courage cage

Allow students a minute to examine the two columns, and then ask them to share their predictions about the meaning of the prefix en–.

n En– is connected to a word that is a noun, like danger and cage

n The prefix might mean “to put into” because to encage and to endanger means to put in a cage or to put in danger.

n I think it could also mean “to cause to be” something. Encourage gives people the courage to do things.

Tell students that today they will learn the definition and function of the prefix en– so they can solve for unknown words in the future.

Learn

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Word Work or Morphology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Morpheme Meaning Examples

ƒ To cause to be.

ƒ In, into.

* makes a word an action (verb) engulf, endanger, encage

Students reread stanzas 2 and 5 of “Ode to My Hair” (33).

Assign half of the room entwine and the other half enshrine. Pairs should look up the definitions of twine and shrine. Then, they should infer the definitions of entwine and enshrine, using knowledge of the prefix. Pairs verify their definitions using a dictionary.

Since the words are verbs, pairs also create an action to express their definitions (such as entwining arms or entwining the spirals of two notebooks). Call on several pairs to share their definitions and actions with the class.

Land

Instruct students to Stop and Jot, and ask: “How do the words enshrine and entwine show us how Josh feels about his hair?”

n Enshrine means “to protect and treasure something that’s holy.” The word elevates Josh’s hair to a sacred object.

n Entwine is “to weave together,” and that takes time and closeness, so you’d only do that to something you value. He gives effort and time to his hair.

Ask students to reflect upon an object or aspect of their identities that they would want to enshrine or write an ode about in the future.

Lesson 4

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

ƒ The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–62

ƒ “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (poem), Yusef Komunyakaa (http://witeng.link/0725)

ƒ Image of Michael Jordan (http://witeng.link/0726)

Lesson 4: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Interpret a Photo Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Interpret Metaphors (14 min.)

Complete New-Read Assessment (40 min.)

Compare and Contrast Figurative Language (5 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Academic Vocabulary Using Knowledge of the Suffix –al (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4

Writing ƒ W.8.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.b, d

MATERIALS

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Assessment 4A: New-Read Assessment 1—“Slam, Dunk, & Hook”

Learning Goals

Apply an understanding of language and content to a new text through independent reading and analysis (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, W.8.2, L.8.5).

Complete Assessment 4A.

Uncover the meanings of the words mythical, confrontational, and phenomenal using context clues, prior knowledge, and understanding of the suffix al (L.8.4.b, L.8.4.d).

Use Outside-In to infer the meaning of phenomenal

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 4

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of figurative language reveal in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”?

Students focus their examination of descriptive and sensory language on figurative language, interpreting metaphors in The Crossover. Along with the learning from the previous lessons, this analysis prepares them to complete their first New-Read Assessment. For the New-Read Assessment, students read “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” a richly layered and lyrical free-verse poem that explores similar themes to the novel-in-verse.

Welcome

INTERPRET A PHOTO

5 MIN.

Display the following image: (http://witeng.link/0726).

Ask: “What do you notice about this image? Who is depicted, and how? What is the purpose of this image?

Launch

5 MIN.

Students share their observations about the image.

n It is a photograph of a basketball player, Michael Jordan, with his arms stretched out.

n He is gripping a basketball. The ball almost looks like it’s suspended in the air.

n His arms appear extra-long. They are extremely straight.

n The word WINGS is stretched out to the full length of Michael Jordan’s arms.

n There is a quotation from William Blake along the bottom of the image.

n This image is an advertisement for Nike, the sportswear brand.

Ask: “How does the word WINGS function as a metaphor that contributes to the message of the image?”

Students share responses.

n Stretching the word across Michael Jordan’s arms implies that his arms are like the wingspan of a huge bird.

n Comparing his arms to wings suggests that Michael Jordan can fly.

n It suggests that Michael Jordan can soar over his opponents when he shoots the basketball.

n With the quotation, it also suggests that he can fly as high as he wants, using his own skills and talents.

n The message is that there’s no limit to how high people can fly, or succeed, when they use their own abilities.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that students will focus their examination of descriptive and sensory language on figurative language, interpreting metaphors in The Crossover, and putting their figurative language analytical skills to the test with a new poem.

59 MIN.

INTERPRET METAPHORS 14 MIN.

Whole Group

Provide the following definition and word history of metaphor for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Example metaphor (n.) A phrase that compares two unlike things without using like or as to show similarities.

Pairs reread “JB and I” (23) and identify and underline the metaphor.

Pairs review the criteria for effective descriptive and sensory language from the last lesson.

Pairs Stop and Jot, explaining the following:

ƒ What is being compared in the metaphor.

ƒ

What the metaphor means.

ƒ Why this is an effective metaphor.

Pairs share responses.

n Josh and JB are being compared to “two basketball goals at opposite ends of the court.”

n It means that they are “identical” and connected (because they are both in the same court). But it also means that they are at “opposite ends” from each other.

n It is an effective metaphor because it creates a vivid image. The image is also very relevant because it comes from Josh and JB’s favorite activity: basketball.

n It is an effective metaphor because it shows Josh’s point of view about his complex relationship with his twin brother.

n It is an effective metaphor because the reader gains a deeper understanding of the relationship between the twins. They are identical in some ways, but they are different. Josh defines the difference when he says that JB is interested in “GIRLS.” If you picture “goals at opposite ends,” there is distance between them, and that describes how Josh and JB can be.

n The metaphor makes you wonder if the twins are going to stay connected or grow apart.

n The metaphor helps readers understand that the complex definition of Josh and JB’s relationship will be a central idea in the novel.

Assign pairs either “Basketball Rule #1” (20) or “Sundays After Church” (50).

Explain that each poem features an extended metaphor, which is a metaphor that is developed over several lines or stanzas.

For their assigned poem, pairs Stop and Jot, explaining the following:

ƒ What is being compared in the metaphor.

ƒ What the metaphor means.

ƒ Why this is an effective metaphor.

Circulate as pairs work. Responses will vary, but should include:

“Basketball Rule #1”

n Life is being compared to a basketball game, with family as the court on which it is played.

n By the end of the poem, the metaphor means that the heart must remain with the family, through good and bad.

n It’s effective because it shows how much Josh’s family means to him and how much his family shapes his sense of himself and his world. His family is his world!

n It’s effective because it helps the reader understand the deeper meaning of basketball in the book.

“Sundays After Church”

n The Bells are compared to actors.

n It means that when Chuck, Josh, and JB play basketball together, they are a great act, performing their skills and talents for others.

n It’s effective because it shows that one reason Josh loves playing basketball is that it allows him to perform together with his brother and father. It shows that Josh thinks they are so good, it’s like watching a great performance.

Ask: “What do you notice about an extended metaphor?”

COMPLETE NEW-READ ASSESSMENT 40 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute Assessment 4A: New-Read Assessment 1: “Slam, Dunk, & Hook.”

Students complete New-Read Assessment 1.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 5 MIN.

Whole Group

Collect New-Read Assessments.

Name Date Class

Assessment 4A: New-Read Assessment 1:“Slam, Dunk, & Hook” Directions: Read “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Komanyakaa. After reading, answer the following questions.

1. What is happening in this poem? a. The narrator of the poem describes a single game of basketball.

b. The narrator of the poem describes the physically difficulties of basketball.

c. The narrator of the poem describes the fun they had playing. d. The narrator of the poem describes the importance of basketball in their past.

2. PART A: How does the narrator of the poem explain the players’ abilities to play basketball? They exercise to get in shape. b. They have an excellent coach. c. It’s a result of something he can’t quite explain. d. They are magic.

2. PART B: Select the textual evidence that best supports the answer to PART A: a. “poised in midair / Like storybook sea monsters” b. “played nonstop all day” c. “Glistening with sweat / We rolled the ball” d. “We had moves we didn’t know / We had”

3. Label the following images with M for metaphor or S for simile: a. “poised in midair / Like storybook sea monsters” b. “We were metaphysical when girls / Cheered” c. “glide like a sparrow hawk” d. “Muscles were a bright motor”

4. PART A: “Sprung rhythm” refers to a way of writing poetry that attempts to imitate the way people normally speak. What does this phrase reveal about the way the players play basketball? a. They wrote poetry and played basketball. b. They had springs in their sneakers. c. They played basketball in an artful but natural way. d. They jumped to make baskets all the time.

Ask: “How would you compare and contrast the use of metaphors in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” and in The Crossover? How do the texts make connections between basketball and the development of a sense of self?”

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of figurative language reveal in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”?

Students complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following question: “What learning best enabled you to answer the Framing Question?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework and read pages 63–98 of The Crossover, annotating for five examples of descriptive details or sensory language.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students apply an understanding of language and content to a new text, “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” through independent reading and analysis (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, W.8.2, L.8.5). Students must apply their developing understanding of poetry, form, and descriptive and sensory language to analyze this poem. Refer to Appendix C for the New-Read Assessment 1 Answer Key and criteria for success.

Next Steps

The language and diction of “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” is more sophisticated than that in The Crossover. If students struggle, consider modeling a close reading of the first few lines. Students may need to work line by line to dissect the rich language and imagery presented here, and the pace might be slightly different from the time it takes them to discuss and analyze a poem from the novel-in-verse.

Explore Academic Vocabulary Using Knowledge of the Suffix –

al

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1—62

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context clues, prior knowledge, and understanding of the suffix

–al to define mythical, confrontational, and phenomenal (L.8.4.b, L.8.4.d).

Launch

Ask: “How do you figure out the meanings of words you don’t know?”

n I use a search engine or an online dictionary.

n I use a physical dictionary.

n I look for clues in the text to see if I can make a guess.

n Sometimes the word looks similar to other words I know, so I make connections between the words.

n I don’t let it bother me; I just keep reading.

Tell students that all of the strategies they’ve listed are valid ways to solve for unknown words— even sometimes choosing not to solve for the unknown word. Explain that they will learn specific strategies to solve for unknown words, and they’ll be reviewing the Outside-In strategy in this lesson.

Learn

Display and read aloud the following sentence:

Josh has friends on the basketball team and his coach is his mentor, but his familial ties to his father and brother make up the core of his identity.

Model use of the Outside-In strategy for students with the word familial

(Write “Outside” on the board.) First, I’ll look at the sentence to see what clues I can find outside of the word. The conjunction but indicates that there are two different ideas in the sentence. “Friends” and “coach” contrast with “father” and “brother.” Also, familial describes ties to his father and brother, indicating a strong, or tight, relationship. I’m going to write family under Outside because that’s my clue based on the family members listed.

(Write “Inside” on the board.) Now I’ll look inside the word or at the parts of the word to see if I recognize any of the word parts or morphemes. I know that the suffix –al means “relating to” and turns nouns into adjectives. The suffix must have turned family into an adjective. The word familial must mean “relating to the family.”

Inform students that the analysis of the meaning of the word familial will help them discover and use the suffix –al. Repeat that the suffix transforms nouns into adjectives and means “relating to.”

Tell students to form pairs, and assign half of the class mythical in “Filthy McNasty” (10) and the other half confrontational in “Mom Tells Dad” (16). Instruct students to use the Outside-In strategy to uncover the meanings of these words.

Select two or three pairs for each word to share their predictions with the class.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

mythical (adj.)

1. Something that is depicted, portrayed, close to being in a legend or epic tale.

2. Fictional or not existing in the real world, not factual.

fabled, legendary, imaginary

confrontational (adj.) Dealing with situations in an aggressive, hostile, or argumentative way. aggressive, feisty, combative

Land

Instruct students to use the Outside-In strategy and their understanding of the suffix –al to uncover the meaning of phenomenal in “JB and I” (23). Tell students to verify their definitions with the dictionary and record their definitions in the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Remind students that they can use the Outside-In strategy for unknown words when they are able to identify context clues in the text and recognize parts of the word.

shapes

Bell’s sense

Lesson 5

Lesson 5: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Compose an Ode

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Analyze Character Relationships (25 min.)

Analyze Definition Poems (15 min.)

Write about Character (10 min.)

Complete an Ode (9 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions

Deep Dive: Experiment with Interrogative Verb Mood (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4

Writing

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W.8.2, W.8.3.d

Language ƒ

L.8.5 ƒ L.8.1.c

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Analyze the impact of a family relationship on the development of Josh’s sense of self (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, W.8.2).

Write a paragraph.

Illustrate an important aspect of character in The Crossover, using a descriptive metaphor (W.8.3.d).

Collaboratively compose an ode about a member of the Bell family.

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Handout 5A: Character Relationships ƒ

Poetic Types Anchor Chart (see Lesson 3)

Identify the structure of sentences in the interrogative verb mood (L.8.1.c).

Draft questions to show understanding of verb mood and a poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 5

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character reveal in The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 5

Experiment: How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Students deepen their understanding of what shapes Josh’s sense of self by examining developments in his relationships with family members and the changes that they cause in his sense of himself and his world. They focus this examination by studying a new poetic type, the definition poem, which aptly uses this form to explore events in Josh’s life that he is trying to define and clarify. Finally, students use expository and creative writing to capture their insights about characters and character relationships in The Crossover.

Welcome

COMPOSE AN ODE

5 MIN.

Students gather in their basketball card groups.

Using the definition of an ode, each group brainstorms and decides on an appropriate ode subject for their character. Remind students to review the various options for a subject (e.g., object, feeling, idea, person).

Groups complete the following Write Like of “Ode to My Hair” for their subject: “Ode to ”

By [character’s name]

If were a , I’d it.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students that in this lesson they continue their examination of factors that shape Josh’s identity.

Ask students to write about a relationship that is very important to them. Then ask them to explain how this relationship has helped shape their sense of self and the world.

Briefly discuss student responses, noting the range of effects that relationships with others can have on our identities and perspectives. Encourage students to consider these personal reflections as they analyze characters and their relationships in The Crossover.

ANALYZE CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

Small Groups

25 MIN.

Students silently reread two poems about Josh’s nickname: “Josh Bell” (4–5) and “At First” (8–9).

Direct students to the third stanza of “At First.” Students Stop and Jot in response to the following question: “What ‘new meaning’ (8) do you notice in the way Josh values his nickname in ‘At First’ that is different from how he values it in ‘Josh Bell’?”

Students share responses.

n In “Josh Bell,” Josh values his nickname as a “claim to fame.” He likes it because it gets attention. It makes people notice how good his game is. He uses it to compare himself to famous basketball players.

n In “At First,” Josh likes his nickname because it represents a connection to his Dad. When his Dad calls him Filthy, Josh feels a bond with his father.

Remind students that they have examined the ways that basketball, Josh’s nickname, and his hair all seem to shape his sense of self and his world.

Ask: “What do these three things have in common?”

Facilitate a brief discussion about the deeper reason all these things are important to Josh: they represent connections with his family, especially his father. Josh admires qualities about his father that he wants to emulate.

Tell students that in this lesson, they will analyze Josh’s family relationships and how they shape his sense of self and his world.

Now, create groups of three for a Jigsaw activity and distribute Handout 5A: Character Relationships.

In each group, students count off by A, B, and C. Students form new groups based on their letter and collaborate to complete the corresponding letter part on Handout 5A.

Students return to their home groups and share their responses, recording evidence from the other poems in their Response Journal.

ANALYZE DEFINITION POEMS

Pairs

Students reread the following poems:

“cross-o-ver” (29) “ca-lam-i-ty” (39) “pa-tel-la ten-di-ni-tis” (48–49) “hy-per-ten-sion” (76)

15 MIN.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What characteristics do these four poems share?”

n The titles are one word, and it’s in lowercased letters, with dots between the syllables.

n Beneath the title is the pronunciation of the word, with its part of speech.

n The first stanza is the dictionary definition of the word in the title.

n The remaining stanzas all begin with “As in:”.

n The title word appears in every stanza after the first one.

n The title words don’t seem like ones people use every day. They are words you might need to have defined.

n Two of the words are medical terms.

Tell students that this is a new poetic type called a definition poem

Add definition poem to the Poetic Types Anchor Chart, and list the following criteria:

n Uses a word separated by syllables as the title.

n Subtitle has phonetic spelling and word type.

n Has four stanzas.

n The first stanza is the dictionary definition of the word.

n The next three stanzas are examples of the word in context and demonstrate the themes of the poem.

n The next three stanzas all start with “As in:”

n Represents a reflective mode; the speaker deeply considers the subject.

Ask: “If an entire poem is focused on a definition of a word, what might the larger purpose of the poem be?”

Post the following definition of the word definition: “a statement that explains a word, phrase, or idea.”

Assign each pair one of the following poems: “ca-lam-i-ty” (39), “pa-tel-la ten-di-ni-tis” (48–49), and “hy-per-ten-sion” (76).

Pairs answer the question by rereading their poem and considering the definition of the word definition. Prompt students to pay close attention to the final stanzas of their assigned poem.

n The poem seems to be about Josh trying to define, or make clear, something new that is happening to him.

n In “ca-lam-i-ty,” Josh is trying to figure out what happened to all of his hair. Maybe he’s wondering what he’ll be like without it.

n In “pa-tel-la ten-di-ni-tis,” Josh discovers information about his dad’s health, and he’s wondering why he didn’t have surgery to repair his knee.

n In “hy-per-ten-sion,” Josh is trying to define the medical history of his family.

n It seems like the larger purpose of a definition poem is to explore a situation or event that Josh is trying to make sense of. He’s trying to define what is happening to him.

n Josh is trying to make clear what is happening to him, or find a meaning for a new situation.

Have pairs Stop and Jot about how the definition poem represents a different “sense of self” for Josh than the list poem that appeared earlier in the novel.

Sample responses:

n In the list poem, Josh made confident statements about what defined his sense of self. He seemed confident.

n In the definition poems, Josh seems unsure of himself or his situation.

n Josh shared things he knew in the list poem, but in the definition poems, he is looking for answers. He doesn’t know why his dad had surgery, and he asks a question about whether his grandfather died of hypertension, which his dad now has.

n The definition poems show how things Josh used to be sure about in his life are changing and he has no control over the changes.

Individuals

Using their completed copies of Handout 5A and their notes, students write a paragraph explaining how a family relationship shapes Josh’s sense of himself and his world. Students should conclude their paragraphs by describing one way that this relationship has developed in the novel, explaining how and why it has changed, or is changing.

COMPLETE AN ODE 9 MIN.

Small Groups

Experiment: How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Have students rejoin their basketball card groups and take out the odes they wrote at the beginning of the lesson.

Remind groups that they created a metaphor in the first line of their ode.

Instruct groups to write an additional stanza with a new metaphor (or simile). Groups review pages 1–98 of The Crossover and select at least one descriptive word to use as the basis for the comparison in their metaphor. Remind students that an effective metaphor contrasts unlike things, so they should choose a word or phrase that seems to have little to do with their character.

Encourage students to refer to “Ode to My Hair” (33) to check their understanding of the lines.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of character reveal in The Crossover?

Ask the class how the lesson today helped them answer the Content Framing Question.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 99–134 of The Crossover and continue their fluency homework in preparation for a fluent reading in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students analyze the impact of a family relationship on the development of Josh’s sense of self (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) in the first CFU. It is important that students move beyond summary and develop some original insight about how their understanding of Josh’s relationship with his family contributes to his sense of self. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Uses textual evidence from at least two poems.

ƒ Goes beyond summary of a character to explain how another character or character relationship has an effect on the development of Josh’s identity.

ƒ Considers Josh’s relationship with other characters and Josh’s own sense of himself.

Students identify a descriptive word to use as a metaphor in their poems (W.8.3.d) in the second CFU. It is important for students to consider the use of the word in service of a descriptive or unique image, either by using the metaphor to contrast their character or heighten the reader’s understanding.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with the Jigsaw activity, consider facilitating a whole-group discussion after home groups reconvene in order to ensure student understanding. Also consider reading each poem aloud, or selecting a strong reader from each group to read the poems fluently to support student understanding. For the first CFU, consider including sentence stems and reviewing Josh’s relationship to each family member before students engage in their Write about a Character activity. If students have difficulty identifying a descriptive word for their metaphor, consider posting a word bank or collaboratively creating a word bank as a whole group before moving on to the small-group activity.

Experiment with Interrogative Verb Mood

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1–98

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify the structure of sentences in the interrogative verb mood and draft questions to show understanding of a poem (L.8.1.c).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 5

Experiment: How does the interrogative verb mood work?

Launch

Instruct students to Stop and Jot in their Response Journal, and ask: “Why do we ask questions?”

Using Equity Sticks, call on students to share their ideas.

n We ask questions to find out information. For instance, if I want to learn how to play a sport, I might ask the coach questions about the rules: “How do I score a point?”

n Sometimes questions are a request for something. Instead of saying, “I need a pencil,” I would politely request one by asking, “May I borrow a pencil?”

n We can ask questions to emphasize a point, especially to show we are uncertain or frustrated. We don’t actually expect a response but want to show that we are confused or irritated: “Why don’t you listen to me?” “Why would you say that?”

n Asking questions can help us to clarify, or to better understand, a person’s ideas: “Do you mean that you don’t like the novel, or do you just dislike the one character?”

Learn

Tell students to return to the last lines of the definition poem “pul-chri-tu-di-nous” (page 55). Ask: “What do you notice about the structure of a sentence that uses the interrogative verb mood?”

n The sentence starts with the word why. Some questions can start with words like who, what, when, where, and how.

n In this sentence, the subject isn’t the first word.

n The second word is the verb is, and the verb is a helping verb for talking. The subject comes in between the helping verb and the main verb.

n The verb or predicate comes before the subject.

Remind students that question starters—who, what, when, where, how, and why—are called interrogatives. Reiterate that the interrogative verb mood switches the order of the subject and predicate.

Tell students that to show their understanding of the interrogative verb mood, they will identify the subject and predicate of the sentence and rewrite the sentence in the indicative verb mood.

Display the last line of “hy-per-ten-sion” (76): “As in: I think / my grandfather died of hypertension?”

Ask: “Is this line written in the interrogative verb mood?”

Allow students to raise their hands for yes.

Choose several students who answered no to explain their answer.

n Even though there is a question mark at the end of the sentence, the sentence is in the indicative verb mood because Josh is just stating a fact. The subject comes before the predicate, and there is no interrogative at the beginning of the sentence.

Remind students that authors and poets bend and even break the rules of grammar to imitate the way we speak, as Kwame Alexander does with this example.

Ask students to rewrite the sentence in the interrogative verb mood by putting the predicate first. Remind them that they may need to use a helping verb to convert the sentence. Allow students to Think–Pair–Share to compare answers. Circulate and correct misunderstandings as needed.

Did

Land

Instruct students to reread “pa-tel-la ten-di-ni-tis” (pages 48–49), and, in pairs, draft at least three questions to insert at the end of the poem.

Conduct a Whip Around, and ask: “Why does Josh conclude definition poems, which seem fairly straightforward, with questions?” Remind students to think back to the Launch activity before answering.

my father die of hypertension?

shapes

Bell’s sense

Lesson 6

Lesson 6: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Title and Illustrate Ode for Character

Launch (5 min.) Learn (59 min.)

Perform Fluent Reading (10 min.)

Collect Evidence (20 min.)

Analyze Development of Character and Theme (14 min.)

Compose a Poem (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore

Figurative Language: Hyperbole (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3

Writing

ƒ

W.8.2, W.8.3.d

Language ƒ

L.8.5 ƒ L.8.5, L.8.5.b

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 6A: Poem Frame

Learning Goals

Analyze one poem for its significance in conveying the development of Josh’s sense of himself and his world, using effective evidence (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, W.8.2).

Choose and write about one poem that reveals how Josh’s identity is disrupted or challenged.

Convey important aspects of Josh by using descriptive and sensory language in a poem (W.8.3.d).

Compose a poem about Josh Bell using a poem frame.

Identify and interpret hyperboles in The Crossover (L.8.5).

Complete an Exit Ticket interpreting a hyperbole.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 6

Reveal: How does a specific poem reveal deeper meaning about Josh Bell?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 6

Experiment: How do descriptive and sensory language work in narrative writing?

Students synthesize their understanding of the development of Josh’s identity by writing about and collectively gathering evidence from specific poems that illuminate aspects of what shapes Josh’s sense of himself and his world. Most importantly, students identify a poem that illustrates how Josh’s sense of self is challenged or disrupted. Students should understand that Josh’s world is becoming more complicated as he faces predicaments and conflicts that he seems unable to control.

Welcome

5 MIN.

TITLE AND ILLUSTRATE ODE FOR CHARACTER

Organize students into their basketball card groups.

Groups draw an illustration on their basketball card to represent the subject of their ode. Groups write the title of the ode underneath the drawing.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students that in this lesson, they conclude their work building an understanding of Josh Bell’s character by focusing on a specific poem that effectively conveys an understanding of Josh’s sense of himself and his world.

59 MIN.

PERFORM FLUENT READING 10 MIN.

Small Groups

Students take out Handout 1A: Fluency Homework, and individually read aloud “Basketball Rule #1” (20) to their small groups, demonstrating mastery of fluent reading skills, including appropriate pace, tone, expression, emotion, and attention to words and punctuation.

Students self-assess their growth as fluent readers and submit Handout 1A.

COLLECT EVIDENCE 20

Small Groups

MIN.

Individual students choose one poem from the first two sections of The Crossover that they think is most significant in contributing to their understanding of Josh’s sense of himself and his world up to this point. Students annotate the poem with specific comments about what it conveys about Josh and highlight one effective piece of evidence to illustrate that understanding.

Organize students into groups with peers who wrote about different poems.

Students share their annotations and evidence with group members.

Students create a T-chart in their Response Journal, titling the first column Josh’s Sense of Self and the second column Josh’s Sense of World.

Each student reviews their annotations, adding an S for those about Sense of Self and a W for those about Sense of World.

Small groups collaboratively organize and record each member’s information into their T-charts. Small groups work together to elaborate on each entry, choosing another effective example for each observation.

Explain that students will now turn their attention to the ways that Josh’s world is becoming more complicated.

Together, small groups choose one additional poem to analyze for important insights about how Josh’s sense of self and his world is challenged or disrupted. Students add the information to the T-chart, elaborating by explaining the effects on Josh.

ANALYZE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER AND THEME 14 MIN.

Individuals

Individual students choose one poem from their reading thus far that shows, or makes reference to, a new predicament or conflict Josh faces and seems unable to control. Students write one paragraph explaining how the poem shows the development of Josh’s identity by conveying the ways his sense of self or the world is challenged or disrupted. Students include at least one piece of effective evidence in their response.

COMPOSE A POEM

Individuals

15 MIN.

Distribute Handout 6A: Poem Frame.

Students review the criteria for effective descriptive and sensory language.

Students compose a poem using the frame.

Have students read their poems aloud in pairs, practicing good fluency practices. Students share one strong example of descriptive or sensory language from their partner’s poem with the whole group.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: How does a poem reveal deeper meaning about Josh Bell?

Student groups report on their observations about how Josh’s sense of himself or his world is challenged or disrupted.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Display and distribute Handout 1A: Fluency Homework, and assign students “Second Person” (114–115) to read for a fluent reading exercise. Students review their notes and annotations in order to prepare for their first Focusing Question Task.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students analyze a poem that they think plays a significant role in defining Josh’s changing sense of self or the world. The purpose of this lesson is to gauge students’ ability to choose effective evidence to explain one or more key aspects of the development of Josh’s sense of himself and the world (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, W.8.2). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Identifies a poem that strongly supports an understanding of Josh’s character.

ƒ Uses one piece of evidence from the poem.

ƒ Analyzes how Josh’s sense of self has been affected by the conflicts and events in The Crossover so far.

ƒ Demonstrates an understanding that Josh is facing a predicament or conflict.

The poem frame supports students’ application of descriptive and sensory language and synthesizes their understanding of Josh Bell’s identity in preparation for the Distill activity in the following lesson. Consider distributing several frames to each student and encouraging multiple attempts of this activity to emphasize the variety of possibility and experimental spirit of the activity. Students need not “perfect” their poem frame but should enjoy trying out a variety of poetic devices.

It is crucial that students have a strong understanding of the central idea and are able to infer meaning from the poems, as the lessons in the second Focusing Question sequence require students to demonstrate an understanding of meaning and its relationship to structure in a text.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with the first CFU, consider providing a list of poems from The Crossover for students to choose for their paragraph, or discuss the poems as whole group, identifying which poems provide stronger evidence about Josh’s character. Creating a wholegroup summary of the events so far and their impact on Josh may also be a helpful way to align student understanding before they focus on one particular poem. If students have difficulty with the poem frame on Handout 6A, consider reviewing the definition of the parts of speech and figurative language on the handout. Additionally, consider providing strong examples of each from The Crossover.

Explore Figurative Language: hyperbole

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 1—134

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Identify and interpret hyperboles in The Crossover (L.8.5).

Launch

Write Metaphor, Allusion, and Simile in three columns on the board. Review the definitions of these terms as necessary.

Refresher

ƒ Metaphor: a word or phrase that uses one object or idea in place of another to show a similarity between them.

ƒ Simile: a comparison using the word like or as

ƒ Allusion: a reference made to something that is not directly mentioned.

Display the following lines from “Josh Bell” (4–5):

“I balled with Magic and the Goat” (4). “You’re fresh and new, / like a red Corvette” (4). “The hoop’s for sale, / and I’m the buyer” (5).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Which quotation belongs in each column?”

n The line about “Magic and the Goat” is an allusion because it’s a reference to real-life basketball players.

n When Josh’s mom says that he’s “like a red Corvette,” she’s using a simile because it’s a comparison using like or as

n The last quotation is a metaphor because Josh is comparing himself to someone buying a house to describe his relationship with the basketball hoop.

Remind students that these examples of figurative language give readers new insights and make writing interesting. Tell them that today they will learn about another kind of figurative language that gives readers a deeper look into Josh’s character.

Display the term hyperbole and its definition: in writing or speaking, when one overstates or magnifies a point in order to emphasize its importance. Explain that hyperboles have to be larger than life to be effective and are used to enhance the dramatic or comedic effect of a text.

Ask: “How is Josh’s comment that he’s the ‘next Kevin Durant, / Lebron, and Chris Paul’ (7–8) an example of hyperbole?”

n Josh probably isn’t as good or will ever be as good as these players, but we get the point that he’s the best player, by far, at his school.

n Josh’s claim to be the next all-star basketball player lets us know he thinks he’s one of the best players to ever live.

n He’s bragging. The hyperbole shows that Josh is really confident, maybe even cocky.

n Josh wants us to know that he isn’t just a middle-school player; he’s talented even by NBA standards.

Pairs find and share another hyperbole in “Josh Bell.” Record the hyperboles on the board. Correct misunderstandings as needed.

n “’cause my game’s acclaimed” (4).

n “I’d burn mad as a flame” (5).

n “See, when I play ball, / I’m on fire” (5).

n “When I shoot, / I inspire” (5).

TEACHER NOTE

Land

Students may ask why “mad as a flame” (5) is an example of a hyperbole since it is also a simile. Similes can be both similes and hyperboles when the comparison is an exaggeration. Metaphors and allusions can also be hyperboles.

Students complete an Exit Ticket interpreting one of the hyperboles the student pairs discovered.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Figurative Language section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym Examples

hyperbole (n.)

In writing or speaking, when one overstates or magnifies a point in order to emphasize its importance.

overstatement, exaggeration, figure of speech “‘cause my game’s acclaimed” (4)

Tell students that, as they continue reading The Crossover, they should note examples of figurative language in their Vocabulary Journal so they can use them as models when they write their own narrative poem for their Focusing Question and EOM Tasks (and because they are fun!).

shapes

Bell’s sense

world?

Lesson 7

Lesson 7: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Draft a Question Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Brainstorm Concrete Nouns (9 min.)

Create: Focusing Question Task 1 (50 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Evaluate Hyperboles (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3

Writing ƒ

W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d, W.8.4

Language ƒ

L.8.5 ƒ L.8.5

MATERIALS ƒ

Assessment 7A: Focusing Question Task 1 ƒ

Sticky notes ƒ Slips of paper

Learning Goals

Synthesize an understanding of narrative form and Josh’s identity in The Crossover through the composition and analysis of an original poem (RL.8.2, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d, W.8.4).

Complete Focusing Question Task 1.

Draft and evaluate hyperboles to enhance poems (L.8.5).

Choose the best hyperbole, and write an explanation of why it is a hyperbole and why it enhances the poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 1–7

What shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 7

Distill: What is the essential meaning of The Crossover as it relates to Josh’s identity?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 7

Execute: How do I use descriptive and sensory language to compose a poem?

Students distill their understanding of Josh Bell’s identity from the first half of The Crossover by composing and then analyzing a list poem about Josh Bell. With this Focusing Question Task, students apply their understanding of character development in relation to theme, poetic types, and effective descriptive and sensory language. In their dual role as poet and analytical close reader of their poem, they demonstrate their multifaceted understanding of the power of storytelling.

While there is no standard for writing poetry, note that W.8.3.b and W.8.3.d are in effect in Focusing Question Task 1 because students use descriptive language and sequencing to write a narrative, using poetry as their genre. Because the task requires students to be judicious in their language choices, it provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop the skill of using the fewest of words to convey the most important of ideas. The task also generates and increases student interest in the novel-in-verse genre, which is so popular and acclaimed in Young Adult fiction. Later in the module, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the particular power of this form of storytelling. See the Volume of Reading list for more books in this genre.

DRAFT A QUESTION

Students respond to the following question on a sticky note: “What is one question you have that you hope will be answered in the second half of the novel?”

Students post their sticky notes. Inform them that they will return to these questions after completing The Crossover.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Tell students that in this lesson, they distill their understanding of what shapes Josh Bell’s sense of himself and his world by using a form that Josh himself would appreciate and approve of: a list poem!

Learn

59 MIN.

BRAINSTORM CONCRETE NOUNS

Pairs

9 MIN.

Post the following sentence starter: “Concrete nouns that you can find ….”

Distribute slips of paper to individual pairs with one or more of the following lines of text: ƒ

At a circus. ƒ

At a fast-food restaurant. ƒ

In a backpack. ƒ

In a waiting room.

Review the definition of concrete nouns: “things we can experience through our five senses; we can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel them.”

Remind students that, in narrative writing, we use active, precise verbs and concrete nouns as tools of descriptive and sensory language.

Pairs take two minutes to generate as many concrete nouns as they can for the item(s) on their slip of paper.

Collect slips of paper from pairs.

TEACHER NOTE

Add or subtract categories and distribute slips of paper in a way that makes sense for your classroom. The goal is for students to use their imaginations to develop descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses.

CREATE: FOCUSING QUESTION TASK 1 50 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use descriptive and sensory language to compose a poem?

Remind students that concrete nouns help readers imagine abstract concepts. Remind them that abstract concepts are general ideas, and often very important ones, that are not concrete; we can’t see, hear, smell, taste, or feel an exact—or, “real”—representation of a concept.

As a whole group, brainstorm a couple of abstract concepts.

Sample responses:

n Love.

n Jealousy.

n Teamwork.

n Confidence.

Now post the phrase Josh Bell’s Identity on the board.

Tell students that identity is an abstract idea.

Post students’ brainstormed concrete nouns next to the phrase Josh Bell’s Identity. TEACHER NOTE

Decide the best method for selecting the concrete nouns for the Focusing Question Task. Choose a handful yourself, or have students select several entries from a hat for a more random result. The goal is to balance focus and choice, providing students with several options, but not overwhelming them with so many choices that making a noun selection distracts them from the real task of composing their poems.

Inform students that they will now select a concrete noun to use as the basis of a simile and extended metaphor about Josh Bell’s identity. They will then compose a list poem that uses descriptive and sensory language to appeal to their readers’ senses, help them imagine the abstract concept of Josh’s identity, and gain a deeper understanding of what shapes Josh’s identity.

Distribute Assessment 7A: Focusing Question Task 1.

Review the directions, allowing time for any questions.

Consider modeling a sample title, first line, and explanation of the first line:

“Four Reasons Josh Bell is Like an Orange”

Part 1, Poem:

4. Because he glows brightly in a neon color.

Part 2, Analysis:

4. Josh is bold and stands out from the crowd. He acts and talks in a colorful way. In “Josh’s Play-by-Play” (67–68) he is the center of attention, and all eyes are on him.

Scaffold

Model the entire task with students by sharing the sample student response in Appendix C. Review the work students did analyzing the list poem in Lesson 2.

Students complete the first Focusing Question Task.

Extension

Have students rewrite their poems in the form of a fictional paragraph, and discuss the ways that the poem and prose each weaves a narrative and affects the meaning of the story.

Land

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students complete an Exit Ticket, identifying one area of success and one challenge in their writing of the Focusing Question Task.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 135–169 of the “Third Quarter” section of The Crossover and continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students synthesize an understanding of Josh’s identity and the narrative of The Crossover through the composition and analysis of an original poem (RL.8.2, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d) in the first Focusing Question Task. The purpose of the task is for students to creatively integrate their understanding of The Crossover with an understanding of structure and descriptive and sensory language. By drafting and analyzing their work, students are engaging in the work they will continue throughout the module and in the EOM Task, when students draft three poems and also analyze the content and form of these poems. Refer to Appendix C for an exemplar and criteria for a success on this task.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty drafting their list poems, consider reviewing the criteria for a list poem (see Poetic Types Anchor Chart from Lesson 3) in a whole-group discussion and students’ work from Lesson 2. Consider modeling analysis of a list poem from The Crossover and providing sentence stems for students to structure their own analysis. Group students by similar needs, and plan small-group support for these skills to set students up for success with their next Focusing Question Task.

Evaluate Figurative Language: Hyperbole

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander pages 1–134; Student generated writing, Focusing Question Task 1

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Draft and evaluate hyperboles to enhance poems (L.8.5).

Launch

Direct students to “Before” (133–134). Reread the first stanza, and ask students to identify the hyperbole. Reveal that the hyperbole is the following line: “covered in more dirt than a chimney” (133).

Ask: “What is the impact of this hyperbole, especially in the first lines of the poem?”

n Hyperboles are exaggerations. Josh is being dramatic because he’s so angry.

n The hyperbole shows how bad Josh felt when he got to the game and how deeply his brother’s joke hurt him when he was already feeling low.

n JB and Josh are usually close, but by the end of the poem, Josh hits JB with the ball and draws blood. The hyperbole shows he was in a terrible mood before the events of the game even started, which might explain the violence toward his brother.

n The joke is like a spark that lights a fire that causes an explosion. The hyperbole shows us that he’s already disgusted and angry, which sets the tone for the rest of the events.

Learn

Remind students that hyperboles are exaggerations authors use for emphasis. In this lesson, students create their own hyperboles to enhance the poems they wrote for Focusing Question Task 2.

Instruct students to silently reread their poems and consider places in the poems that convey feelings or ideas that could be exaggerated and emphasized. Then, tell students to draft two hyperboles to express one of those feelings or ideas.

Scaffold

If students have difficulty drafting hyperboles, offer the following prompts to guide their work:

ƒ

What trait or aspect do I want to emphasize? Size? Power? Appearance?

ƒ

What objects or ideas best demonstrate that?

Ask students to find a partner, and tell them that they will read their poems to their partners twice, once with each hyperbole. The partner listening will help the reader decide which hyperbole is more effective in the poem.

Land

Ask each partner to choose the hyperbole that best fits in the student’s poem, and write three or four sentences explaining how it is an example of hyperbole and why it enhances the poem.

QUESTION: LESSONS 8–17 How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 8

ƒ The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 135–169 ƒ The Block, Romare Bearden (http://witeng.link/0727)

Lesson 8: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

View The Block Launch (10 min.) Learn (54 min.)

Describe Poetic Types (8 min.)

Analyze and Write about “Dear Jordan” (25 min.)

Rewrite “Dear Jordan” (21 min.) Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Indicative and Imperative Moods (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.5

Writing ƒ W.8.3.d

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1 Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.1.c, d

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Analyze how a poem’s structure in The Crossover contributes to the meaning of the developing conflict between Josh and JB Bell (RL.8.2, RL.8.5).

Complete Handout 8A and a Quick Write about Josh and JB’s relationship.

Apply an understanding of theme and descriptive and sensory language in a revision of a narrative poem (RL.8.2, W.8.3.d).

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Poetic Types Anchor Chart (see Lesson 3) ƒ

Handout 8A: Vertical and Horizontal Images in “Dear Jordan”

Compose “Dear Jordan” in a new poetic type using descriptive and sensory language.

Correct inappropriate shifts in verb mood and form, and use verbs in the indicative and imperative moods to express understanding of figurative language (L.8.1.c, L.8.1.d).

Write three indicative mood sentences.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 8

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal about the relationship between Josh and JB?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 8

Execute: How do I use descriptive and sensory language in a rewrite of “Dear Jordan”?

Students continue their analysis of The Crossover, examining the use of structure in the text and demonstrating the structure’s impact on the content through the revision of the poem “Dear Jordan.” Students work toward meeting RL.8.5 by first examining the structure and meaning of one poem. They later expand this work to a comparison of structure and meaning in two texts in Lessons 9 and 10. In this lesson, students also begin their work with visual art, which deepens their understanding of the relationship between content and structure in a text. They notice and wonder about Romare Bearden’s The Block, which they will analyze more deeply in Lesson 9.

Welcome

VIEW THE BLOCK

5 MIN.

Display Romare Bearden’s The Block without sharing the artist’s name or the artwork’s title. Have students view the artwork silently, considering what catches their attention.

TEACHER NOTE

To display artwork, visit the interactive web page found at (http://witeng.link/0783), click on “Look Closely,” and then zoom in to access a panorama of Romare Bearden’s The Block. Then position the visual for students so they can’t see the artist’s name and the artwork’s title.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you see in the painting?”

Launch

10 MIN.

Students share their observations about The Block

n A man sits on steps in an apartment building.

n Angels lift a man into the sky.

n Men in a funeral procession carry a casket to the hearse, while angels appear to float toward the sky.

n People drive past in cars.

n A woman walks down the street.

n We see inside homes, where children play and a woman cooks.

n There is a man hugging a boy.

n A man sleeps on the ground.

n An angel visits a pregnant woman.

n A couple kisses behind a group of men.

n The buildings are colorful while the people are all Black and White.

n The painting shows the activity of a whole city block.

n The painting is not realistic. Some people are small and others are large with big heads.

Ask: “Are there particular parts of the scene that draw your attention?”

n Some of the buildings seem to be apartments, and we can see there are things happening inside.

n I’m drawn to the angels, to the man with the pink wall behind him.

n I’m curious about some of the people, who they are, and what they’re doing.

n I notice some buildings have signs like Sunrise Baptist and Mirror Barber Shop. It makes me wonder if this is a real place.

Explain that the artwork is called The Block and was made by an artist named Romare Bearden in 1971. Bearden said he was with a friend on his balcony in Harlem when he was inspired by the view to create this work.

Tell students that Bearden used paint to make this artwork, and he cut paper from various sources and attached them to six large Masonite panels in a technique called collage. The combined pieces are eighteen feet long, approximately the size of a city bus!

Inform students they will return to The Block in the next lesson to consider how it is related to the new Focusing Question.

Partners record discussion notes in their Response Journal.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What is the relationship between the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question?”

n Both questions are about structure.

n The Content Framing Question is about The Crossover, and the Focusing Question is a larger question about form and stories.

n The Content Framing Question asks how the poetic form will affect the characters in The Crossover This shows a relationship between the form of the poem and the meaning.

Explain that students will use close reading and narrative writing to examine how a particular poem’s structure affects its meaning. First, they analyze a poem from The Crossover, and then they have a chance to revise it.

54 MIN.

DESCRIBE POETIC TYPES

Whole Group

8 MIN.

Direct students to the Poetic Types Anchor Chart and to “Article 1 in the Daily News (December 14)” (155).

Ask: “What do you notice about ‘Article 1 in the Daily News (December 14)’?”

n This poem is about Josh, from a different point of view.

n The title of the poem refers to a newspaper.

n The title of the poem indicates the date.

n The words in the poem sound mostly like a newspaper article and not like Josh’s poems.

n The poem gives a summary of the Wild Cats basketball team.

Explain that “Article 1 in the Daily News (December 14)” is called a Found Materials poem.

Students reread “Article 1 in the Daily News (December 14)” and Stop and Jot possible criteria for a Found Materials poem.

Students share responses. Add Found Materials to the Poetic Types Anchor Chart, and list the following criteria:

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Reframes writing from a found source as a poem.

ƒ Title indicates the source material.

ƒ Typically uses a source that is not original poetry.

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Selective choice of language from the source material.

Explanatory and descriptive, presents information or understanding from the source material in a new way.

Inform students they return to this poetic type in Lesson 10.

ANALYZE AND WRITE ABOUT “DEAR JORDAN” 25 MIN.

Pairs

Direct students to the poem “Dear Jordan” (159).

Remind students of their discussion in Lesson 1 about the way a poem is written on the page tells you how to read it.

Ask: “How does the way this poem is written on the page help you understand how to read it?”

Guide students to see that this poem can be read in two different ways, vertically and horizontally.

Partners read aloud “Dear Jordan,” with one student reading the poem vertically, and the other reading it horizontally, modeling strong fluency practices.

Ask: “How does the structure of “Dear Jordan” contribute to the poem’s meaning?”

n The poem has two structures, one going horizontally and the other vertically, and they create two separate stories.

n Josh and Jordan are twins. At the beginning of the book, they were different but connected. This structure shows a change or split in their relationship.

n The physical structure of splitting the poem into two columns shows the physical split between the brothers.

n The structure allows for two different ways of reading. It could represent Josh’s and Jordan’s two perspectives.

Scaffold

To help them understand the structure’s contribution to meaning, prompt students to think about why we organize information into different columns. Also ask them to think about how two, as in two columns, relates to Josh and Jordan.

Display and distribute Handout 8A.

Point out that the chart shows how the poem can be divided into sections, both horizontally and vertically. Each section creates its own image. When readers put the two sections together, they gain a deeper understanding of the themes of the poem.

Partners read and analyze each paired image and explain the theme it represents. After they write their explanation, they create a new, third image that represents the idea in a new way. Remind students to apply their learning about descriptive and sensory language when they create the third image.

Model completing the first line of the handout for the first image in the poem.

Image from a Vertical Read Image from a Horizontal Read Explanation New image

without u the goal seems broken

without u i am empty, the goal with no net.

Pairs complete Handout 8A.

Josh is incomplete without his brother. He can’t accomplish goals. He can’t succeed. A goal with no net can’t catch the ball.

Pairs share their new images. Display and discuss students’ imagery.

I am incomplete, a team of one

n The images are about loss and separation.

n The images describe situations where a person feels lonely or isolated.

n The images suggest that it takes more than one person to be a whole or complete. Tell students they will now rewrite this poem in a new poetic type.

Their goal is to choose a different poetic type that represents a new form of expression while keeping the meaning of the poem’s themes consistent.

Students’ poems should follow the criteria on the Poetic Types Anchor Chart and demonstrate their learning about descriptive and sensory language.

Students independently choose a poetic type from the anchor chart and rewrite “Dear Jordan” in their Response Journal.

Underneath their poem, students complete a Quick Write of three or four sentences in response to the following questions: “How did your choice of poetic type impact the original meaning of the poem? Did your poetic type reveal any new or different meaning about the relationship between Josh and Jordan?”

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal about the relationship between Josh and JB?

Ask: “How did we learn more about Josh and JB’s relationship by examining poetic structure, which you did as you explored different poetic types?”

Conduct a Whip Around, and ask: “What was the most effective type of poem to convey the change in Josh and JB’s relationship?”

Facilitate a brief discussion of why students think a particular poetic type effectively conveys a sense of separation and loss.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

In the first CFU, students complete Handout 8A, which forges a concrete connection between form and meaning (RL.8.2, RL.8.5). Collect the handouts, and check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Explanation makes explicit reference to the form or structure of the poem.

ƒ Images correspond to the poem’s themes of loss and disconnection.

Next Steps

If student explanations do not reference form or structure, select a few that at least demonstrate understanding of the content. Share these with the class and review relevant poetic terminology (verse, stanza, enjambment). As a whole group, collaborate on revising the explanations by adding references to the structural components of the vertical and horizontal images. Be sure to ask students to justify their additions by explaining how the author’s structural choices enhance the text’s meaning.

Lesson 8: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Experiment with Indicative and Imperative Moods

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 71—80

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Correct inappropriate shifts in verb mood and form, and use verbs in the indicative and imperative moods to express understanding of figurative language (L.8.1.c, L.8.1.d).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 8

Experiment: How do indicative and imperative verb moods work?

Launch

Direct students to “How Do You Spell Trouble?” (80–81). Ask students to silently reread the poem and consider the meaning of the metaphor “I’m a fly caught in a web” (81). Tell students to draft one sentence explaining what the metaphor conveys about Josh’s situation at that time.

Students share sentences in a Whip Around.

TEACHER NOTE

The Learning Goal of this Deep Dive is to draft sentences in the imperative and indicative moods; however, this Launch also provides a good opportunity to assess students’ abilities to articulate the meaning of figurative language.

Ask: “What verb mood is used in those sentences? How do you know?”

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The indicative mood is used because we were stating our opinions.

n The interrogative mood asks a question and reverses the subject-verb order, so it can’t be that mood.

n The imperative mood omits the subject, and all our sentences have subjects.

Learn

Explain that students will write sentences in the indicative mood to express their understanding of poetic features or figurative language. They will also check their writing to ensure that they do not use the imperative mood.

Display and read aloud the Style and Conventions Craft Question: Experiment: How do indicative and imperative moods work?

Display the following paragraph:

The poem is short, a single stanza, but constructs a metaphor of “life” in the context of basketball. “Family is the court,” Josh writes, “and the ball is your heart.” Understand that in this metaphor, the heart must remain with the family, whether in good times or bad.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share to identify the type(s) of verb moods present in this paragraph.

n The first two sentences are in the indicative mood because they use the usual subject-verb order and simply state an idea: the interpretation of a metaphor.

n The third sentence is written in the imperative mood because it is commanding the reader to “understand.” Also, there is no subject of the sentence, so it must be “you.”

Ask students to revise the last sentence so that it, too, is written in the indicative mood: “In this metaphor, the heart must remain with the family, whether in good times or bad.”

Tell students that they should not shift from indicative mood to imperative mood in an essay because, typically, in an essay, they should write in third person, and imperative mood sentences are always written in second person because of the implied subject, you. Shifting between verb moods can be confusing for the reader and also make students’ writing seem unpolished.

Students turn to “Basketball Rule #4” (71). Students write three indicative mood sentences:

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The first sentence should state what the metaphor is comparing. ƒ

The second sentence should quote the main portion of the metaphor from the text. ƒ

The final sentence should explain what the metaphor means.

Land

Students switch papers and check their partner’s work for the correct use of the indicative mood. At the bottom of the page, students write one suggestion for their partner in the imperative mood.

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 9

TEXTS

The Block (collage), Romare Bearden (http://witeng.link/0727) ƒ

Children’s Games (painting), Pieter Bruegel the Elder (http://witeng.link/0728) ƒ

“Bearden’s Collages Encompass Bruegel’s Babel, Harlem Blues,” Mario Naves

Lesson 9: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

View Children’s Games

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Analyze Form and Meaning in Paintings (49 min.)

Connect Visual Art and The Crossover (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Indicative, Imperative, and Interrogative Moods (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.8.1, SL.8.2

Language ƒ

L.8.1.c

Learning Goals

Analyze how form contributes to meaning in a comparison of The Block and Children’s Games (RL.8.5).

Complete a Response Journal assignment.

Use indicative, interrogative, and imperative verb moods to demonstrate understanding of character relationships (L.8.1.c).

Draft an additional stanza for “The Nosebleed Section.”

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 9

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of form reveal in The Block and Children’s Games?

The goal in this lesson is to engage students with a new kind of text: visual art. Students’ work with visual art will continue throughout the year. In this lesson, students consider the relationship between form and meaning in the visual art of Romare Bearden and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Students examine how artists use the specific tools of color, line, and perspective to organize the story they are telling. They conclude the lesson with a comparison between form and content in visual art and in The Crossover.

Welcome

5 MIN.

VIEW CHILDREN’S GAMES

Display Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games without sharing the artist’s name or the painting’s title. As in the previous lesson, have students view the painting silently, considering what catches their attention.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you see in the painting?”

Partners record discussion notes in their Response Journal.

Launch

5 MIN.

Students share their observations about the painting.

Possible responses:

n We see many children playing different games.

n Individual children and groups perform many different activities.

n The children are playing games that are not games we play today. For instance, two children in the front are rolling hoops with a stick.

n The children in the picture are all wearing clothes with many different colors.

n Many of the children are moving, and down the street there are more children.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that students will bring their learning about form and meaning in literary texts to an examination of visual art.

Remind students of the discussion in the last lesson about the form of the poem “Dear Jordan” (159). Students analyzed how the structure of the poem contributed to its meaning.

Ask: “What did we discover about the importance of the form of “Dear Jordan”?

n We discovered that the poem was structured into two columns and that it was organized so you could read it horizontally or vertically.

n This form is important because it conveyed the separation, or split, between Josh and JB.

Ask: “Now that you have looked at two examples, what do you think we will consider to think about the form of visual art? What kinds of things might structure, or organize, a painting?”

n With the poem, we looked at how the way words appeared on the page showed us how to read the poem and what it means.

n So, with visual art, we might consider how the images are presented to inform, how we view the artwork, and what it means.

n We could consider the different parts of the artwork: what the figures are doing and where they are.

n We could consider how the artist makes the images with elements like color and line.

TEACHER

NOTE

Students may or may not articulate all these understandings. This lesson introduces students to formal artistic terms, so do not force understandings at this point. For the purpose of this discussion, it is enough that students recognize that the way a painting looks contributes to what it means, just as the way a poem looks (and is read) contributes to what it means. In addition to “Dear Jordan,” you might remind students of their first introduction to The Crossover in Lesson 1, when they examined “Dribbling” and determined how the poem’s appearance on the page cued their understanding of how to read it.

59 MIN.

ANALYZE FORM AND MEANING IN PAINTINGS 49 MIN.

Small Groups

Provide the following definitions of artistic terms for students to add to their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym line (n.)

A path that defines the borders of a form, varies in shape and thickness, and can provide information around a work of art through its type and direction.

perspective (n.) Seeing or understanding a thing from a distinct position and point of view.

vanishing point (n.) The place at which two lines that run beside one another appear to join or meet. collage (n.)

A type of art in which materials such as photographs, images from magazines, cloth, buttons, etc., are pasted to a surface.

Differentiation

Create or display visual images of the terms listed above, especially vanishing point.

Display both The Block and Children’s Games.

Give students a few minutes of uninterrupted time for “reading” the artworks. Encourage students to move around and observe each of the artworks in detail as they answer the following questions.

Inform students that works of visual art, like works of literature, are open to interpretation, but observations should be based in evidence from the work of art.

In this lesson, students will collect evidence by identifying and explaining what draws their attention as they view each artwork.

Small groups discuss the following questions, recording notes in their Response Journal.

Discuss each question with the whole group before moving on to the next question, to ensure student understanding.

1. What do you see in Children’s Games?

n Many figures are playing in a village square. The figures might all be children, but it’s hard to tell because of the way they are dressed.

n The village and the figures look like they are from a long time ago.

n Some figures are playing alone, and some are in groups.

n Buildings surround the children, and some children have even climbed into the second story.

n A street goes back into the distance on one side of the painting, and a river leads into the background on the other side.

2. This painting is called Children’s Games and was painted in 1560 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who was a Flemish Renaissance artist. Focus on the lines in the painting. How does the artist’s use of line direct the viewer’s eye?

n On the left side of the painting, the building and fence make a diagonal line. The diagonal lines seem to run almost from corner to corner if you include the street that leads to the background.

n The bench or log on the right side makes a long diagonal line.

n The trees and the river on the top left part of the painting also make diagonal lines.

n The street on the top right part of the painting makes a long diagonal line.

n All the lines direct the eye to the right, to the distance down the street.

3. How does the artist’s use of color draw your eye to different parts of the painting?

n The artist uses soft brown colors for the buildings and the ground.

n Many figures are wearing red, and they are scattered in all parts of the painting.

n Many figures are also wearing a light green, and that color is also scattered around the painting and reminds us of the river, which is the same color.

n The lighter and brighter colors stand out against the brown and draw our eye around the space.

Direct students’ attention to The Block

4. This large artwork is divided into different panels, or sections. How would you describe what is happening in the different sections?

n Each section is dominated by a building. Their rectangular shapes stand out.

n The buildings in each sections have different colors and textures.

n Some of the buildings have figures inside while others do not. Some of the figures appear to be related to each other, but others are alone.

n The figures in the different sections of the painting look similar; most of them are Black and White.

n Some figures seem to be the correct size in relation to the room or space where they are, but Bearden makes some of them much larger than we would expect.

n The second and third panels seem unique because they show angels, which we do not see in real life. The second panel also has a face in color and not Black and White.

5. How does Bearden direct the eye using color?

n Bearden uses much brighter colors than Bruegel.

n The blue sky and gray street draw our eye across the whole collage.

n Some of the windows have very colorful figures or backgrounds.

n The contrast between the colorful buildings and the people, who are mostly Black and White, draws our attention.

n The buildings on each end of the block are bright pink or lavender. One window in the middle is also bright pink. Those three bright colors connect across the whole block and make the block seem unified.

n Light and dark blue rectangles, yellow circles, and other colors repeat across the painting. Those draw our eye like the figures wearing red clothing do in Children’s Games.

6. Does Bearden direct our eye with line the same way that Bruegel does?

n Bruegel used diagonal lines to organize the painting, but Bearden uses horizontal lines. The lines of the building roofs go across the whole painting, and so do the lines of the street.

n Repeated rectangular shapes from the doors and windows of the buildings and the brick pattern keep the viewer’s eye moving across the painting.

n My eye isn’t directed to any particular place. My attention moves back and forth along the block, following the horizontal lines.

7. How do the perspectives compare in each artwork, and what is their effect?

n Both scenes are shown from high up, not at ground level.

n The perspective in both paintings shows a lot of different activity going on in the picture.

n Both perspectives also make it seem like the viewer is watching the scene from a distance, not involved in what is happening but observing.

8. What do the perspectives, and the use of line and color, emphasize in each artwork?

n In Children’s Games, the artist’s perspective allows him to show space around all the figures. None of them block any other figures. We can see what each of them is doing.

n Your eye is drawn to the individual figures, and you are surprised by how many figures there are!

n In The Block, the buildings dominate the space. Their bold colors and shapes make them almost seem like characters. Bearden’s perspective allows him to show the organization of a city block.

TEACHER NOTE Share with students that scholars have counted at least 230 figures in Children’s Games.

9. The diagonal lines in Children’s Games lead to a vanishing point. What is the effect of a vanishing point, or a lack of one, in each painting?

n The vanishing point in the painting makes it seem like the games and children continue on forever.

n The vanishing point leads the eye farther into the town and then away from the town into nature. It makes your eye travel across a distance. And it makes you wonder about what might be happening elsewhere, beyond what is shown in the painting.

n The Block allows the viewer to see inside apartments and does not lead the eye away from the street.

n The Block draws the viewer deeper into what’s happening in this specific place. The lines leading away on the left side do not extend but stop. There is a street at an angle on the side of the block past the liquor store. But instead of going to the river and the woods, like in the Bruegel painting, we imagine the street leading to another street, another block much like this one.

Remind students that Bruegel created Children’s Games in 1560 and that Bearden created The Block in 1971.

Display the following quote: “[Bearden’s] admiration [of Bruegel] was such that fellow students at the Art Students League nicknamed him ‘Pete.’”

10. How is Bruegel’s influence apparent in The Block?

n Both artworks show individual and groups of people in a public or community space. The space seems like a local neighborhood or street in both works.

n Both artworks suggest many stories about all of the people who are doing things in the scenes.

n Both artworks combine elements of reality and fantasy. Everyone is playing games in Bruegel’s painting, and there are angels in Bearden’s collage.

n Both artworks capture scenes of ordinary people with vivid imagery and imagination.

Share the remainder of the quote about Bruegel’s influence on Bearden: “Bearden’s ambition was to ‘paint the life of my people as I know it … as Bruegel painted the life of the Flemish people of his day’” (Naves, “Bearden’s Collages Encompass Bruegel’s Babel, Harlem Blues,” The Observer).

Share with students that the original exhibition of The Block included a tape recording of street sounds to enhance the viewer’s experience of the work as a lively street scene (metmuseum.org).

Students independently respond to the following questions in their Response Journal:

1 Explain two similarities in the content of the two artworks. What are these artworks about? What stories do they tell?

2 Identify three formal elements that Bruegel and Bearden both used to organize their artworks.

3 Describe one similarity and two differences in the ways that Bruegel and Bearden used formal elements.

4 Review your responses to questions 1–3. Now, compare and contrast the effect that one formal element has on the meanings of each artwork.

Scaffold

Provide sentence frames such as:

Both artists use bold colors to create their artworks. In both artworks, the bold colors

Both artists use line to organize their paintings. However, Bruegel uses lines, which create . By contrast, Bearden uses lines, which create .

CONNECT VISUAL ART AND THE CROSSOVER 10 MIN.

Individuals

Have students close their eyes and think about the story in The Crossover. Tell them to focus on visualizing the story.

Ask: “Imagine you are viewing The Crossover from a perspective high above. What places, scenes, and activities do you see? What colors? What kinds of lines?”

Have students open their eyes, and jot their imaginings.

Students either describe or draw an artwork that represents the daily life of The Crossover, paying particular attention to the kinds of lines and colors they would use.

Students share their creations.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students share their written responses comparing and contrasting the two artworks.

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 170–196 of The Crossover and continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Student responses to the CFU (RL.8.5) should reference some of the following:

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Similarities may include the portrayal of a particular and local place and time, the mix of fantasy and reality, figures engaged in daily life in community settings, the potential of many stories in the artworks. ƒ

Similarities and differences in the use of elements, color, line, and perspective in the artworks as discussed in the Text Dependent Questions.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty explaining how form shapes meaning in the artwork, consider creating a chart with two columns, one for form and one for meaning. Fill in the Form column with formal aspects of the paintings students noticed during this lesson, and fill in the Meaning column for the first two rows, elaborating on the connection between the two. Collaboratively as a whole group, fill in the remaining rows. Hold students accountable for verbally articulating their reasoning for connections between form and meaning.

Students will return to visual art throughout the year. Do not be concerned if they didn’t fully succeed with their analysis this time since their art literacy will increase as the year progresses. This lesson focuses on building students’ curiosity and strategies for looking at art. At this point, focus on that engagement rather than stopping and waiting for mastery.

Lesson 9: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Execute Indicative, Imperative, and Interrogative Moods

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 89–148

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Use indicative, interrogative, and imperative verb moods to demonstrate understanding of character relationships (L.8.1.c).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 9

Execute: How do I use verb moods to convey specific thoughts and feelings?

Launch

Remind students that they’ve examined and explained how poetic form shapes meaning. Explain that they will now examine how verb moods shape the meanings of poems.

Form small groups of three or four students. Ask students to identify the verb moods the poet uses in “Conversation” (89–90) and describe how each mood contributes to the meaning of the poem.

n In “Conversation,” most of the sentences are in the indicative verb mood because Josh is eager to tell JB about his game at the rec.

n The indicative verb mood in “Conversation” is important in showing that the conversation is onesided. JB doesn’t ask Josh for any details or respond at all.

n The interrogative verb mood used in “Conversations” shows Josh’s growing frustration with JB’s lack of interest. We can see that Josh is just talking to himself and feels very alone.

Learn

Display three scenarios:

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Josh speaking to Coach: Josh wants his suspension from the team lifted.

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Josh speaking to JB: Josh wants JB to shoot a free throw during the game.

Josh speaking to Sweet Tea: Josh wants to impress Miss Sweet Tea with highlights from his performance at the game.

Tell students to decide which verb mood would be most appropriate for each context and to use that verb mood to write a sentence for each scenario. Read the scenarios aloud, and then say each of the three verb moods students have studied (indicative, interrogative, and imperative). Ask students to stand for the mood they chose for each context. Call on one or two students to read aloud their sentences and explain their answers.

TEACHER NOTE

Scenario 1 is best suited for interrogative since Josh is speaking with an adult who holds authority over him. Therefore, it would be best for him to politely ask to have his suspension lifted. In scenario 2, Josh is in the midst of a basketball game and would need to be concise and direct, so imperative fits best. Scenario 3 is best suited for indicative since Josh would be stating the facts (at least how he sees them) of the game. If students chose a different verb mood, check to see if their explanation allows their answer to fit the context.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How do verb moods help us understand poems?”

n The different verb moods can indicate the relationship between the characters or the speaker and the reader. The verb mood can show who has authority in a relationship or how two people feel about each other.

n The verb mood conveys the speaker’s feelings about a topic. For instance, if the speaker is confused or hurt, they might ask questions to show uncertainty.

n The verb mood can also emphasize the situation. A person would use the imperative verb mood if they had to tell someone what to do.

Land

Direct students to “The Nosebleed Section” (147–148). Ask students to draft one additional stanza, using at least two of the three verb moods they’ve studied.

Remind students that the verb moods authors use can establish the feelings the author has for their topic, context, and relationship to the audience. When drafting their own poems, students can use the interrogative and imperative verb moods to demonstrate the context of the poem and their feelings.

Lesson 10

Lesson 10: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Examine Structure in “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad”

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Execute a Found Materials Poem (25 min.)

Complete a Gallery Walk (10 min.) Analyze Poetic Structure (19 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Sentence Structure (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5*

Writing ƒ W.8.3

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.1.b, c ƒ L.7.1.b**

MATERIALS

Copies of interesting and relevant articles from reputable sources ƒ

Chart paper ƒ

Sticky notes

* Although students are comparing forms of poems from a single text, The Crossover, these are discrete poems in a larger narrative. As a result, students’ working to understand the author’s use of a variety of forms is in keeping with the spirit of RL.8.5.

** In alignment with the CCSS, students continually return to skills and understandings for additional learning and reinforcement as they progress through the grades and apply their understandings to increasingly sophisticated tasks. As a result, this lesson contains instruction and/ or references to standard(s) from an earlier grade level in an effort to reinforce and extend students’ learning.

Learning Goals

Compare and contrast the effects of the poetic structures of “Fast Break” and “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” on each poem’s meaning and style (RL.8.5).

Write a response to TDQ 4.

Develop and organize an event in a collaborative Found Poem that uses descriptive and sensory language to capture the action (W.8.3, L.8.1.b, L.8.1.c).

Collaboratively complete a Write Like with found materials.

Identify simple, compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences, and describe the effects of each structure (L.7.1.b).

Complete 3–2–1 Exit Ticket.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 10–11

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal in The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Execute: How do I use descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?

Students continue their exploration of the impact of form on meaning by analyzing the poetic structures of three different poems. They begin with an examination of the how the poetic structure of “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” conveys a pivotal moment in The Crossover. After executing a Write Like following the new poetic type of a Found Materials poem, they compare and contrast the effects of form on meaning in a Found Materials poem and a free-verse poem in The Crossover.

Welcome

5 MIN.

EXAMINE STRUCTURE IN “AT NOON, IN THE GYM, WITH DAD”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “In the poem ‘At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad,’ how does the structure of the two-word lines contribute to what happens in the poem?”

Suggest pairs read the poem aloud, using fluent reading to emphasize the two-word lines.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that students continue examining the impact of structure on a poem’s meaning in their literary analysis and in their own narrative writing.

They begin now with a focus on the ways that poetic structure conveys a pivotal moment in The Crossover.

Pairs share observations from the Welcome task.

n Each line of the poem is two words, which slows down the reading. This conveys how Josh might have experienced this event emotionally, in slow motion.

n The repetition and rhythm of the two-word lines sound like a heartbeat. This contributes to the poem’s focus on Chuck Bell having a heart attack.

n In most of the lines, one of the words is a verb, highlighting the actions in a play-by-play fashion as the scene unfolds. The poem captures the action in the moment—noon in the gym—rather than Josh’s reflections on the situation.

n When you read the poem aloud, the pacing and rhythm of the two-line structure begins to sound like Josh is running out of breath and time. The short lines build the tension. Longer lines would suggest that Josh had time to think or act. But he doesn’t.

54 MIN.

EXECUTE A FOUND MATERIALS POEM 25 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?

Groups read aloud “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” (155), demonstrating strong fluency practices.

Ask: “What steps might Josh have taken in transforming a newspaper article into a poem?”

n The poem has line breaks, which is not typical for a newspaper article.

n We can infer that Josh decided where to place the line breaks.

n This poem is also shorter than newspaper articles usually are, so Josh probably decided what to include and left some parts of the article out.

Inform students that they will now complete a Write Like, composing a poem that imitates the form of a poem they have read. In this case, students complete a Write Like of a found materials poem similar to “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” (155) using their own newspaper or magazine article.

Remind students that while they can’t know if Josh changed the language of the newspaper article for “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14),” they have the creative freedom to add imagery to their own Found Materials poems.

Groups review and choose the source material for their Write Like.

TEACHER NOTE Consider bringing in school or local newspapers for this activity.

Display and/or distribute the following steps:

1. Choose an article as your source material on which to base your Found Materials poem.

2. Read the article, and annotate for descriptions of major events by underlining key sentences.

3. On a separate piece of paper, rewrite your underlined sentences.

4. Annotate places in the article, or on your rewritten sentences, with the sense(s) you imagine as you read. What details could you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste?

5. Select places to add imagery and descriptive and sensory language. Consider the following:

p Choose a detail on which you can elaborate with more vivid imagery related to one of the senses.

p Where can you add precise or stronger adjectives?

p Where can you replace passive verbs with active verbs?

p Where can you add more vivid verbs or concrete nouns?

p Where can you create a metaphor or simile by comparing an abstract idea to a concrete noun?

6. Revise your sentences so you have a variety of types:

p Write a long sentence by combining two details.

p Write a short sentence by editing a description to make a sentence no longer than four words.

p Write sentences with different verb moods: indicative, imperative, and interrogative.

7. End the poem with a final image that describes the overall event. Include figurative language, such as a simile or metaphor.

Groups compose their Found Materials poem.

TEACHER NOTE Ensure each student has access to a copy of their collaborative Found Materials poem for a revision activity in the following lesson.

Individuals

Groups display their poems along with the original articles.

Groups circulate, reading other groups’ Found Materials poems.

Have each student write and post a sticky note on one Found Materials poem, and ask: “How does the imagery as well as sensory and descriptive language in the poem change or develop the meaning of the original article?”

Facilitate a brief discussion on students’ observations.

ANALYZE POETIC STRUCTURE

Small Groups

19 MIN.

Small groups reread “Fast Break” (149–150) and “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” and discuss the impact of structure on the poems’ meanings.

As they answer the following questions, students record observations in their Response Journal.

1. What is the effect of word and letter size and position in “Fast Break”?

n The word size shows the intensity of the actions in a basketball game; words like gunning and explodes are much bigger because they are more dynamic. The word bounce has different letter sizes that copy the action of a ball bouncing.

n The position of the letters also shows the action of the game. Kaboom moves down the page, when JB is moving down the court. Kerplunk also moves down, as JB falls to the ground after being fouled.

2. What information does“Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” reveal?

n The poem describes the events of the game that happened in “Fast Break.”

n The poem summarizes the state of Josh and JB’s basketball team. The Wildcats are undefeated and will play for the county trophy.

n The poem reveals that the paper has chosen Josh as the most valuable player.

3. How does the Found Materials poetic type impact your understanding of Josh’s situation?

n Newspapers write from an objective point of view. The Found Materials poem shows an objective view of Josh’s experience. It reveals that many other people consider him to be a good basketball player.

n A newspaper article is public information that is available to everyone. This is not a poem about Josh’s private feelings and emotions about his situation. It does not describe his internal point of view but gives an external point of view about the event.

4. Write several sentences explaining how the different structures of the two poems reveal unique aspects of Josh’s experience.

n “Fast Break” is a free-verse poem that presents a feeling of the dynamic action in the moment of playing a game of basketball through the visual size of the words. Words like bounce and explodes sound like the actions they describe. This visual structure shows the the intensity of a basketball game, and the enlarged and bold words emphasize Josh’s loves of the game’s intensity.

n The dynamic language and energetic tone make readers feel like they are in the game with Josh.

n “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” is a Found Materials poem that summarizes the event of the basketball game from an outside perspective. It focuses on the facts. The poem states what happens during the game, and it describes the outcome of the action. We understand that Josh is MVP and the team is undefeated.

n The Found Poem summarizes the larger effects rather than the experience, of Josh’s basketball playing. It focuses on the external impact of Josh’s actions—getting his undefeated team to the playoffs.

5. How would the poems change if they exchanged poetic types?

n If “Fast Break” were changed to a Found Materials poem, it would be a lot less exciting; there would not be capital letters in various positions, and the words would not move across the page with the movement of action. The poem would be much less exciting and would not reflect the dynamic action of the game.

n If “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” were changed to a free-verse poem, it would have to be much longer because it is summarizing an event. Instead of being an overview of the game and Josh’s situation, it would have to visually describe all the instances of the game. This would be challenging, especially when describing the paper’s choice to name Josh MVP; the poem would have to adopt the viewpoint of the people at the newspaper.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Ask: “How did our learning in this lesson develop our understanding of what poetic structure reveals in The Crossover? How, for example, does ‘Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)’ advance the plot or your understanding of the story?”

Guide students to the understanding that “Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)” advances the plot because it emphasizes Josh’s role in the team’s success and reminds the reader of the impact Josh’s suspension has on others.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework and read pages 197–222 of The Crossover, annotating for repeated poetic structures.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

As small groups discuss and take notes on the second CFU (TDQ 4), circulate and skim responses, looking for the following signs that students are engaging well with RL.8.5:

ƒ Refers not just to content but to structural elements as well (e.g., placement of verses, size and shape of stanzas).

ƒ Connects structural elements to meaning, mood, or tone.

ƒ Notices major structural differences between poems (as opposed to incidental differences that might not have greater significance).

Next Steps

Take notes on a few strong responses, and share them with the class. Analyzing structure and then connecting it to meaning-making is challenging—the more examples students can see over the course of the module, the more likely they will internalize the ways of thinking needed to generate those kinds of connections. If groups don’t generate many good examples, consider having students annotate a poem by highlighting the structure (e.g., enjambment in green, stanza breaks in red). Visualizing the structural elements can help students see how a poem is constructed, making it easier for them to compare two poems’ structures.

Lesson 10: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Examine Sentence Structure

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 133–134

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Identify simple, compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences, and describe the effects of each (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Examine: Why is sentence structure important?

Launch

Sentence Structure Refresher CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1.B

ƒ

A simple sentence is an independent clause and can have one or more subject(s) and one or more verb(s).

ƒ A compound sentence is two or more simple sentences (or independent clauses) joined by a coordinating conjunction (the most common of which are and, but, so, or):

ƒ “I want to go to the movie, but I don’t have any money.”

ƒ

“The distance is great, and the road is treacherous.”

ƒ Junction means “joining,” and con means “with.” Conjunctions join simple sentences with each other. The word coordinating shows that the joined sentences are of equal importance; one does not depend on the other.

ƒ A complex sentence contains one or more dependent clauses in addition to the main clause, such as, “Although I was exhausted, I pushed myself to finish the race.”

Direct students to “Before” (133-134). On chart paper, prepare the following table:

Sentence Structure Anchor Chart

Sentence Structure Simple Compound Complex

Example

“Today, I watch JB get open and wave for me to pass” (133).

“Today, I watch as we take a big lead, and JB makes four threes in a row” (133).

“When JB screams FILTHY’S McNasty, the whole team laughs” (133).

Meaning

Simple sentences have one subject and one predicate.

Compound sentences have more than one subject and more than one predicate. Compound sentences are joined with a comma and conjunction or semicolon.

A complex sentence contains one or more dependent clauses in addition to the main clause.

Ask students to examine the sentences, and, in groups of three, define each sentence structure on a sticky note. When the group is finished, one student should place their group’s sticky notes under the correct column and in the correct row. Remind students that they encountered these sentence structures in Grade 7.

Read several sticky notes aloud, and consolidate responses into a single definition to write on the chart paper for each sentence structure so the chart paper serves as an anchor chart.

Learn

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How do these sentence structures help convey Josh’s feelings and ideas?”

Using Equity Sticks, call on students to share their ideas.

n The simple sentence conveys a straightforward observation. Josh describes what he saw. This sentence comes before the moment when Josh slams JB with the ball. It is a purposefully bland comment, which make his actions that follow even more shocking.

n The compound sentence shows the link Josh makes between the team’s lead and JB’s success in making four threes in a row. It’s bad enough that Josh has to sit out for the first half, but then both the lead and his brother’s success happen without him, which makes him feel useless and maybe jealous.

n The complex sentence tells us that JB’s comment causes the team to laugh at Josh. The word when specifically shows the cause-and-effect kind of relationship between the clauses. We can see that this event sparks Josh’s anger with his brother.

Ask: “How effective would the third sentence be if it were written as a compound sentence?”

Select students to share their ideas.

n It’s better as a complex sentence because the blame Josh places on JB is clearly emphasized.

n The compound sentence is pretty similar because the ideas are still related, but we don’t get as specific of a relationship. We don’t necessarily see that JB’s comment causes the laughter.

Remind students that their knowledge of sentence structures can not only ensure there is variety in their writing to keep readers interested but can also make the relationships between their ideas clear for readers.

Land

Direct students to “Before” (133). Instruct students to complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket:

ƒ 3—Give one example of each of the three types of sentence structures. ƒ

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2—Share two ways the sentence structures best express Josh’s thoughts or feelings.

1—Provide one reason why knowledge of sentence structure is important.

QUESTION: LESSONS 8–17 How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 11

ƒ The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 197–222 ƒ “Gators Fall in Quarter Finals,” The Associated Press (http://witeng.link/0729)

Lesson 11: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Write Facts and Metaphors

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Perform a Fluent Read (10 min.)

Revise Found Materials Poem (20 min.)

Compare and Contrast Structure and Meaning (14 min.)

Write to Learn (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.5, RI.8.1, RI.8.2

Writing ƒ

W.8.3.d, W.8.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.a, L.8.4.c

MATERIALS

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ Slips of paper ƒ

Handout 11A: Frayer Model

Learning Goals

Analyze the impact of form on meaning by comparing how an informational article and the poem “Fast Break” construct accounts of a basketball game (RL.8.5).

Complete a written response.

Implement the criteria for effective descriptive and sensory language by revising a Found Materials poem (W.8.3.d, W.8.5).

Independently revise the collaborative Found Materials poem from the previous lesson.

Use context clues to infer the meaning of a word, verify the initial definition, and explore the uses of the word through a Frayer Model (L.8.4.a, L.8.4.c).

Complete the final question on Handout 11A.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 11

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic form reveal in The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 10

Excel: How do I improve descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?

Students continue their exploration of the ways that form shapes a story’s meaning by examining how an informational text and a poem construct different accounts of a basketball game using specific structures and language. Students continue to practice narrative writing by implementing the criteria for effective descriptive, sensory, and figurative language in a revision of the collaborative Found Materials poem from the previous lesson. Students begin the lesson with an oral expression of the importance of form as they perform a fluent reading of a poem from The Crossover

Welcome

5 MIN.

WRITE FACTS AND METAPHORS

Distribute slips of paper to each student.

Tell students to write a fact on their slip of paper, for example: “The weather today is fifty-five degrees.”

Students exchange slips of paper with a partner and write a metaphor or simile that captures the fact on the other side of the slip of paper.

Students will return to these slips later in the lesson.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Students take out their annotations they did for homework.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What repeated structural choices did you notice in the “Fourth Quarter” of The Crossover? What do these choices reveal about Josh’s experience?”

n I noticed repetition of poems with lots of dialogue in “Fourth Quarter.”

n I noticed repetition of poems in couplets or two-line stanzas in “Fourth Quarter.”

n These repeated structural choices show that Josh is paying more attention to the issues in his family rather than the action of basketball. The only poem that shows the action of basketball is “Last Shot.” There were many more basketball poems earlier in the book.

n The dialogue poems show other characters’ points of view, along with Josh’s. Some of them also show that Josh’s world is being shaped more by external influences, events, and interactions.

59 MIN.

PERFORM A FLUENT READ 10 MIN.

Small Groups

Students take out Handout 1A and individually read aloud “Second Person” (114–115) within their small groups, demonstrating mastery of fluent reading skills, including appropriate pace, tone, expression, emotion, and attention to words and punctuation.

Students self-assess their growth as fluent readers and submit Handout 1A.

REVISE FOUND MATERIALS POEM 20 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Excel: How do I improve descriptive and sensory language in narrative writing?

Students take out the collaborative Found Materials poem from the previous lesson.

Instruct students to revise the use of imagery and descriptive and sensory language in their Found Materials poem.

This icon indicates an opportunity to practice Speaking and Listening skills.

Display the following step from the previous lesson:

Select places to add imagery and descriptive and sensory language. Consider the following:

ƒ Choose a detail on which you can elaborate with more vivid imagery related to one of the senses.

ƒ

Where can you add precise or stronger adjectives?

ƒ

ƒ

Where can you replace passive verbs with active verbs?

Where can you add more vivid verbs or concrete nouns?

ƒ Where can you create a metaphor or simile by comparing an abstract idea to a concrete noun?

Also display the list of criteria for effective descriptive and sensory language from Lesson 3:

Effective descriptive and sensory language:

ƒ

Creates a vivid mood, image, or scene.

ƒ Captures the action of a moment or event.

ƒ Provides details that help readers imagine a person, place, thing, action, event, emotion, or experience.

ƒ Appeals to a reader’s senses by providing descriptions of things we can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.

ƒ

Helps readers gain a deeper understanding of the identity, experiences, or relationships of one or more characters.

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Helps readers gain a deeper understanding of a central idea, theme, or conflict.

Shows a character’s feelings, attitude, or point of view.

ƒ Engages the reader in the story.

ƒ

Helps increase the impact of an important moment, revelation, or statement.

Remind students that one example of effective descriptive and sensory language won’t do all these things.

Instruct students to evaluate their poem’s use of descriptive and sensory language using the list of criteria and revise their poems by adding to or improving their language use.

Students independently revise their Found Materials poem, adding and improving examples of descriptive and sensory language.

Pairs

Have several students share their fact and figurative language from the Welcome task.

Other students close their eyes and listen as their classmates read the pair of statements. Students Stop and Jot the effects of each statement, noting what they envisioned in their minds, or thought about as their classmates read.

Facilitate a brief discussion about the effects of each statement.

Distribute and/or display “Gators Fall in Quarterfinals.”

Inform students that NIT is an acronym for The National Invitation Tournament” and is a men’s college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Explain that, in this context, the word seed is a verb that means, “the way sports teams are ordered or positioned in a contest where many teams participate.”

Pairs read “Gators Fall in Quarterfinals” and “The Last Shot” (221–22) aloud to each other, demonstrating strong fluency practices. Pairs discuss the following questions and record notes from their discussion in their Response Journal.

1. What information does “Gators Fall in Quarterfinals” provide about the basketball games?

n The article mentions who won each game. In the first, George Washington beat Florida, and San Diego State beat Georgia Tech in the second.

n The article also says who scored the most on the winning teams. Kevin Larsen made “13 rebounds,” and “Trey Kell made four 3-pointers.”

n The article gives information on the amount of shots made from “3-point range.”

2. How would you describe the form and language of this article?

n

The two paragraphs only have two sentences each. One sentence is short, and the other sentence is long in both.

n The article provides the most information possible in the smallest way.

n The language consists of facts about shots, the scores, and team averages.

3. What is the effect of the numbering in “The Last Shot”?

n The countdown of the numbers creates tension in the poem because it shows the final seconds of the basketball game.

4. How does the article make references to basketball shots?

n The article states the number and percentage of shots made in both games. The Gators team made “7 of 24” three-point shots, and Trey Kell made “four 3-pointers,” which is the most he has made in a game at one time.

5. How does the poem make references to basketball shots?

n In the poem, the words that describe the shot, like “F L O W I N G,” “fLuTtErInG,” and “JINGALING” (Alexander 222), have varying capitalization, spacing, and spelling that mimic the action of the shot.

n The basketball shots are also described with metaphors: “It’s a bird, It’s a plane” (222) that create excitement and tension in the text.

n The poem also describes Josh’s emotions and reactions in the moment, with words like, “OHHHHHHHH” (222).

6. How would you compare the references to basketball shots in the two texts?

n The references to the shot in the poem builds the sensation of being involved in the basketball game, while the article states information about the game.

n The article presents only the most necessary facts about shots in the game, focusing on the outcome. By comparison, the poem does not give any idea of the score or points Josh scores.

WRITE TO LEARN 15 MIN.

Individuals

Students write several sentences in response to the following question: “How does each form shape the story that each text tells?”

Students share responses.

n “Gators Fall in Quarterfinals” tells a story about each team’s performance, using statistics to explain why each team won or lost.

n The sensory, descriptive, and figurative language in “The Last Shot” tells the story of the tension and emotions players and fans experience during a basketball game.

n The poem tells a story in the present tense, as the plot unfolds, so there is suspense.

n The article uses facts and summary to tell an objective story without bias.

n The poem uses descriptive and vernacular language to convey an insider’s point of view and tell one individual’s experience of the game.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic form reveal in The Crossover?

Read aloud the Essential Question.

Have students reflect on how learning about the different effects of factual and fictional stories contributes to their understanding of poetic form in The Crossover.

Ask: “How does poetic form contribute to the power of storytelling in The Crossover?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Distribute Handout 1A: Fluency Homework. Assign students the following poem to read for a fluent reading exercise: “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (194). Students reread pages 135–196, the “Third Quarter” section, of The Crossover.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The goal of the first CFU—the revision of the Found Materials poem—is to give students an opportunity to check their use of figurative, descriptive, and sensory language against a list of criteria and make improvements (W.8.3.d, W.8.5). Collect at least a few revisions after the lessons, and check against the list of criteria found above.

Next Steps

If students’ images still lack vivid details and don’t engage the senses, consider revisiting the structure of Handout 8A, in which students analyzed an image from “Dear Jordan” (159) and wrote a new image with the same meaning. Use that activity to guide students through a step-by-step analysis of their work and to frame ideas for revision.

Explore Academic Vocabulary Using Context Clues

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 197-222

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context clues to infer the meaning of a chosen word, verify the initial definition, and explore the uses of the word through a Frayer Model (L.8.4.a, L.8.4.c).

Launch

Distribute Handout 11A: Frayer Model. Ask students to pair with another student who just recited the same poem for the peer and self-assessment. Instruct students to complete a Frayer Model for the word that was assigned to their poem. Direct students to draw the Frayer Model in the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Allow partners to evaluate other pairs with the same word. Circulate to correct any misunderstandings.

Learn

Remind students that they will write three poems for their EOM Task, using different poetic forms that they’ve studied in their reading of The Crossover. Today they will collect another possible word to use in their poetry or perhaps even use as a definition poem.

Ask students to return to their favorite poem in the novel and search for a word they either do not know or whose meaning they like. Encourage students to choose gradeappropriate words. If the student does not know the word, they should use context clues to predict its meaning (when possible) and use a dictionary to verify the prediction. If the student is familiar with the word, they should verify the understanding with a dictionary. Then, students will complete Handout 11A.

Land

Instruct students to complete the final question on Handout 11A (under PART B).

Instruct students to Give One–Get One–Move On by sharing their sentences and guessing the meaning of their classmates’ words. Monitor students’ conversations to correct misunderstandings and extend knowledge of word meaning when appropriate.

Lesson

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

ƒ The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 135–196 ƒ “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” Benedict Carey, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0730)

Lesson 12: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Evaluate a Narrative Arc Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Understand What’s Happening in “This Is Your Life” (30 min.)

Explain the Central Message about Storytelling in “This Is Your Life” (11 min.)

Examine a Narrative Arc (18 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.2, RL.8.5, RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4

Writing ƒ

W.8.2, W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.4.a ƒ L.8.4.a, L.8.4.b

MATERIALS

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Handout 12A: Narrative Arc in “Third Quarter”

Learning Goals

Explain the central message about the importance of storytelling in “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It” (RI.8.2, W.8.2).

Write a paragraph using short quotes and paraphrases.

Explain and assess the elements of a narrative arc in the “Third Quarter” section of The Crossover (RL.8.2).

Collaboratively complete Handout 12A.

Use context clues and knowledge of the prefix re– to infer the meanings of the words retrospective and reconstruction and apply understanding of these words (L.8.4.a, L.8.4.b).

Complete an Exit Ticket.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 12

Distill: What is the central message of “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 12

Examine: Why is a narrative arc important?

Students read an informational article about the important psychological role of storytelling as a way for a person to understand and convey their experience. These ideas develop students’ understanding of the power of storytelling. More specifically, the article introduces the idea of narrative coherence, which students will use to understand event sequence and narrative arc in their examination of The Crossover and the craft of narrative writing.

Welcome

5 MIN.

EVALUATE A NARRATIVE ARC

Display the following choices: Beginning of a Story, Middle of a Story, and End of a Story.

Students vote for which part of a story is the most important and explain why.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Display the title of the informational article students read in this lesson: “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It).”

Ask: “Judging by the title, how might the text in this lesson relate to the Focusing Question?”

n The title of the article suggests that your life is something that you would tell, so that means you put your life in a particular form.

n The title suggests that it is important to know how to talk about your life, which means you need to think about putting it in a form.

n The title of the article does not say anything about stories, but it implies that a person’s life might be a story.

n It reminds me of our discussion of content and form. A person’s life is the content, and the story they tell about it is the form.

59 MIN.

UNDERSTAND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN “THIS IS YOUR LIFE”

Pairs

30 MIN.

Distribute “This is Your Life (and How You Tell It)” (http://witeng.link/0730), and have students number each paragraph.

Pairs read the article silently to themselves, stopping after the appropriate section to answer the following questions about the relationship between storytelling and humans’ identity, using short quotes from the article to support their responses. Students record their observations in their Response Journal.

Discuss each question with the whole group before moving on to the next question to ensure student understanding.

1. In the first paragraph, what does Carey mean by a “first-person explanation”?

n It is “the life story that people themselves tell about who they are, and why.”

n It’s another way to say first-person narrative or first-person story.

n It means telling a story that explains your identity from your own point of view.

2. What connection have researchers noted between people with similar personalities and the kinds of stories that they tell? How does our upbringing and background impact the kinds and purpose of stories we tell (paragraph 3)?

n People with similar traits like being “civic-minded,” or people who have “overcome mental distress” all tell their personal stories in very similar ways.

n It does not matter if they had different upbringings, they can be from “diverse backgrounds” and still tell similar stories. What matters is the shape of the story.

3. What did researchers find out about the importance of studying stories (paragraphs 5 and 6)?

n They found that “life stories,” or narratives, “guide behavior in every moment.”

n People use stories as their way of seeing their past and also their futures.

n People rely on stories to understand their actions and to help them choose future actions.

n People remember facts more accurately and find arguments more convincing if they hear them in a story.

4. How does our idea of narrative change as we get older? Why is narrative important (paragraph 7)?

n When people are younger, they do not see their life story as a narrative but rather “in terms of broad, stable traits” (Carey).

n As they get older, people are able to think about their life in terms of “beginning, middle and eventual end,” which helps develop “meaning-making” abilities.

n Narratives are an important way that people make meaning of the things that have happened to them, who they are, and where they came from.

5. In paragraph 14, Carey defines a life story as a “retrospective reconstruction.” What evidence in paragraph 14 can you find to help you make meaning of retrospective? What does the word retrospective mean?

n Life stories are something that “change gradually over time” (Carey), so retrospective has something to do with time.

n Reconstruction means “to make again,” and if life stories change after “meaningful events” (Carey), then retrospective may mean “how one thinks about the past.”

n Retrospective means “looking back on or thinking of the past.”

6. Twice in this article the importance of having a “coherent” story is emphasized. What does coherent mean, and why is coherence important for a story (paragraphs 26 and 33)?

n Coherent means “something that holds together as a whole.” In terms of narrative, coherent means “a story with a beginning, middle and ending, which has a common theme that holds the story together.”

n Coherence is important to a story because it offers a way to reflect or make meaning of the story. If a story lacked coherence, then it would be very difficult to get meaning from that story or make sense of its purpose.

EXPLAIN THE CENTRAL MESSAGE ABOUT STORYTELLING IN “THIS IS YOUR LIFE”

11 MIN.

Individuals

Students write a paragraph, using short quotes and paraphrases, in response to the following question: “According to Benedict Carey, what is ‘fundamental’ about storytelling in our lives?”

Pairs

Display the Craft Question:

Examine: Why is a narrative arc important?

Display and distribute Handout 12A: Narrative Arc in “Third Quarter.”

Direct students to the first question on the handout. Students retell their responses to TDQ 6 and record information in the first box.

Explain that a literary term for coherence is narrative arc. Remind students that in The Crossover, each poem contributes to a larger narrative arc of the book. Narrative arcs can span whole books or smaller sections.

Direct pairs to the second question on Handout 12A. Students consider the event sequence in the “Third Quarter” and the role of particular poems in the narrative arc.

Pairs complete Handout 12A.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Distill: What is the central message of “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)”?

Ask: “How did writing your paragraph help you distill the central message about storytelling in this article?”

Students share points from their paragraphs.

Possible points from students’ paragraphs include:

n Storytelling is a way for people to “work out who it is they are.”

n Storytelling is an essential, extremely important way for people to make meaning of their lives, and it can be a way to decide how we understand the things that happen to us.

n

The way we tell our stories affects the way we understand the events of our lives. Stories that describe difficulty in terms of the accomplishment or achievement that came out of that difficulty are helpful in terms of “psychological growth,” social skills, and achievements later in life.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students read pages 223–237 of The Crossover and continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The purpose of Handout 12A is for students to begin to recognize the narrative sequence across a portion of The Crossover. Use the handout as a CFU of RL.8.2 and W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, and W.8.3.e (although students are not writing a narrative, their analysis can indicate whether they grasp the function of key elements of a coherent narrative, which will help them write their own narrative arcs for the EOM Task). When evaluating responses, focus on the third column (“How does the poem contribute to the narrative arc of ‘Third Quarter’?”), which forges the connection between narrative structure and meaning built coherently over time.

Next Steps

Incomplete responses in the third column, or responses that merely summarize the poem or explain its importance without connecting it to the greater arc may indicate that students do not fully grasp the concept of a narrative arc. Consider listing the key events of the chapter on the board and drawing a visual arc to connect them. Then strike through events one by one, asking students how the deletion changes the story. Have students explain the significance of each event to the whole.

Explore Academic Vocabulary: Reconstruction, retrospective

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Time: 15 min.

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Texts: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 135–196; “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” Benedict Carey, The New York Times

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context clues and knowledge of the prefix re– to infer the meanings of the words retrospective and reconstruction and apply understanding of these words (L.8.4.a, L.8.4.b).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is meaning of the prefix re–?” Using Equity Sticks, call on a pair to reveal their definitions.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the Word Work or Morphology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Morpheme Meaning Examples re– again

“every time I’d score, rebound, or steal a ball” (8).

Learn

Direct students back to paragraph 14 of “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It).” Inform students that they will use the Outside-In strategy to solve for two words’ meanings: first, retrospective Write Outside on the board, and record the corresponding comments under the title.

Ask students to reread the paragraph silently to themselves. Then ask: “What clues can we find outside of the word?”

n The author says a “life story” is retrospective, so maybe the word has to do with a person’s life or a person’s past.

n Later in the sentence, the author cites evidence that people’s life stories change over time. Maybe retrospective has something to do with the timing in a person’s life.

n Retrospective describes reconstruction, so it must be an adjective.

Write Inside on the board, and record the corresponding comments under the title.

Ask: “What can we learn from looking inside the word or at the word parts?”

n We know that the prefix re– means “again” or “back.”

n Spec sounds like spectator or spectacles. Maybe it involves looking somehow.

n Other words that end in –tive, like innovative or addictive, are adjectives, so that supports the idea that it’s an adjective.

Reveal to students that the root spec means “to see or look.”

Ask: “Putting the clues outside and inside together, what do you predict the word means?” Allow students one minute or so to jot a prediction.

Conduct a Whip Around for students to quickly share their definition.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word

Meaning

1. Thinking of events that have happened in the past.

Synonym retrospective

2. Viewing that which is behind.

3. An event that showcases the work of an artist over the entire period of their life.

reflective; contemplative review

Instruct students to work in pairs to use the Outside-In strategy for the word reconstruction in the same paragraphs.

Using Equity Sticks, call on three pairs to share their definitions.

Provide the following definition for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym reconstruction (n.) The act or result of rebuilding or restoring. reassemble

Assign students an Exit Ticket, asking them to respond to this question: How does the term retrospective reconstruction affect your understanding of storytelling?

The term retrospective reconstruction means “to rebuild or retell the events of the past.” Storytelling is a form of retrospective reconstruction because storytellers reconstruct, or put together, the details of events for readers. They often reflect on events that have occurred in the past.

Share with students that soon they will reconstruct their own pasts for the classroom audience.

Lesson 13

Lesson 13: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Reflect on the Importance of Stories

Launch (5 min.) Learn (55 min.)

Analyze an Occasional Poem (15 min.)

Write an Occasional Poem (15 min.)

Map a Narrative Arc (25 min.) Land (9 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Academic

Vocabulary: Coherent, correlation (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3

Writing

W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d, W.8.3.e

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.4.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 12A: Narrative Arc in “Third Quarter” ƒ

Poetic Types Anchor Chart (see Lesson 3) ƒ

Handout 13A: Write Like— Occasional Poem ƒ

Note cards for Literary Dominoes ƒ

Chart paper ƒ Markers

Learning Goals

Explain how the narrative arc of The Crossover contributes to the meaning of the novel by considering the entire sequence of events (RL.8.2, RL.8.3).

Write a short paragraph explaining the importance of narrative arc to the meaning of The Crossover

Determine the meaning of correlation using context clues, and explain how correlation and coherent relate to narrative writing (L.8.4.a).

Respond to TDQ with a brainstorm.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 13

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of narrative arc reveal in The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lessons 13–14

Experiment: How does a narrative arc work?

Now that they have finished reading The Crossover, students reflect on the importance of its content and form and consider both in relation to ideas about stories from “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It).” Students identify and assess the importance of the narrative arc of the novel. But first, they reflect on the narrative arc more subtly by writing an occasional poem that captures their response to The Crossover.

Welcome5 MIN.

REFLECT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF STORIES

Students review their notes on “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It) from Lesson 12 and complete the following Sentence Frame.

Stories of a life .

Challenge students to write as many versions of the sentence as possible in five minutes.

Students will revisit this reflection later in the lesson.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Prompt students to restate the explanation of a narrative arc (or narrative coherence) from the last lesson, using Handout 12A.

A narrative arc has a beginning, a middle, and an ending, with a common theme that holds the story together.

n A narrative arc is necessary for readers or listeners to understand a story.

Explain that now that they have finished reading The Crossover, students will identify the narrative arc of the novel. They will also reflect on the narrative arc by writing a poem that captures their response to The Crossover.

55 MIN.

ANALYZE AN OCCASIONAL POEM

Whole Group

15 MIN.

In small groups, students alternately read aloud “Mom, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so angry” (204), demonstrating strong fluency practices.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion about how the form of the poem contributes to its meaning.

1. How does the form of the poem help you understand why Josh wrote it?

n Josh is responding to his mom asking him, “Why are you so angry?”

n Every line begins with Because and relates a different response to his mom’s question.

n The form is similar to that of a list poem because all the lines are different but connected to the same theme.

n It’s different from a list poem because it is written to respond to a specific question.

Inform students that this poetic type is called an occasional poem.

2. How does the repetition in this poem relate to Josh’s anger?

n The repetition of because each time Josh lists something he is angry about builds his frustration.

n Repeating the word because shows the relationship among all the events in the novel and how they are piling up on Josh.

3. How does the occasional poem help develop your understanding of Josh?

n The occasional poem focuses on Josh’s relationship with his mom. In it, Josh’s mom is trying to talk to him about what is going on. It reinforces the connection Josh has to his family.

n The occasional poem also shows that other people in Josh’s life are noticing his anger. They see that Josh is changing.

n The poem shows Josh’s point of view about why things are happening.

n This poem reveals that Josh is afraid because he can’t control what is happening to him and his family. He does not have the same confidence he did earlier in the novel.

n It also reveals that Josh blames himself. Earlier in the novel, Josh took credit for making things happen, like his team being undefeated. Now he’s afraid he’s made something bad happen.

n Josh’s response to his mom shows he is frustrated he cannot control events in his life.

4. Ask: “Based on your reading of this poem, how would you define the criteria for an occasional poem?”

n Written for, and in response to, a particular event or situation.

n Includes a title that indicates the occasion for writing the poem.

n Explains a specific response on the occasion, revealing present feelings and thoughts.

Record student responses on the Poetic Types Anchor Chart.

WRITE AN OCCASIONAL POEM 15 MIN.

Individuals

Explain that on the occasion of students having completed their reading of The Crossover, they will write an occasional poem, completing a Write Like in imitation of “Mom, since you asked I’ll tell you why I’m so angry” (204).

Display and distribute Handout 13A: Write Like—Occasional Poem.

Students complete Handout 13A. Have students share responses from the Welcome reflection. Possible responses include:

n Stories of a life are how someone understands their experience.

n Stories of a life are constantly being updated.

n Stories of a life affect how a person thinks and feels.

n Stories of a life are more convincing than facts about a life.

n Stories of a life occur naturally.

n Stories of a life have a structure, with scenes and critical moments.

n Stories of a life are remembered from different points of view.

Ask: “What connections can you make between these reflections and the your occasional poem?”

MAP A NARRATIVE ARC 25 MIN.

Small Groups

Remind students that they have examined the ways that the forms of individual poems build their understanding of the novel.

Now they will examine how the structure and organization of the whole novel develops their understanding of The Crossover.

Assign groups one of the six sections of The Crossover: “Warm Up,” “First Quarter,” “Second Quarter,” “Third Quarter,” “Fourth Quarter,” and “Overtime.”

TEACHER NOTE

Since “Third Quarter” was the focus of study in the previous lesson, consider assigning this section to students who could benefit from additional scaffolding.

Distribute note cards.

Groups complete Literary Dominoes for The Crossover for their assigned section of the narrative.

After completing Literary Dominoes for their section, groups select the three most important events from their section to display on chart paper.

Groups post their chosen events on the wall, ordering them in the sequence of the novel’s sections.

Groups circulate, observing all the Literary Dominoes.

Students continue their work with these Literary Dominoes in the following lesson.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion, identifying the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.

Ask: “What portion of The Crossover best demonstrates the middle of the novel?”

n The novel begins with poems about Josh describing himself, his nickname, and his love of basketball.

n The novel ends with the basketball team winning the county championship and Josh and JB reuniting after the death of their father.

n The middle of the novel is when JB starts to date Miss Sweet Tea, and Josh is hurt by his separation from his brother. This is demonstrated by the poem “Tip-ping point” (118–119) and the end of “Second Quarter,” when Josh hurts JB and gets suspended from the team.

Land9 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Students answer the Content Framing Question by writing a short paragraph in response to the following question: “How does mapping and viewing the narrative arc develop your understanding of the story of the whole novel?”

Again, encourage students to consider their reflections on the importance of storytelling as they formulate their responses.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

The CFU (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) provides the second opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts of narrative arc and structure. Although students are not writing a narrative, their analysis can indicate whether they grasp the function of key elements of a coherent narrative, which will help them write their own narrative arcs for the EOM Task. When evaluating CFU responses, check for the following success criteria: ƒ

Descriptions of the beginning, middle, and end of the novel as key events within the arc. ƒ

Connection of narrative arc to events within Josh’s family. ƒ

Realization that while the beginning of the novel is about Josh and basketball, the middle and end are increasingly about Josh’s relationships with his father and brother.

Next Steps

The final realization listed above is an important thematic understanding of the novel that not all students may reach. During the next lesson’s TDQs, when students analyze the structure of the novel in a related way, set a goal of students reaching this key understanding. The second TDQ in that lesson provides students with an opportunity to generate other examples of how Josh’s perspective, focus, and personality change across the narrative arc. After that discussion, consider allowing students to revisit and revise their paragraphs from this lesson.

Explore Academic Vocabulary: Coherent

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Time: 15 min.

,

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correlation

Texts: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 199–222; “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” Benedict Carey, The New York Times

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Determine the meaning of correlation using context clues, and explain how correlation and coherent relate to narrative writing (L.8.4.a).

Launch

Remind students that they have already made observations about the structure of poems in “Fourth Quarter.” Instruct students to think back to the main ideas of the poems in “Fourth Quarter.”

Ask: “What themes or big ideas do these poems have in common?”

Give students one or two minutes to brainstorm ideas, and instruct them to write their answer(s) on a class Graffiti Wall. Tell students that they can repeat another student’s idea; it’s likely they will have some answers in common.

n Isolation.

n Illness/Injury.

n Worry and Fear.

n Changing Relationships.

n Growing Up.

Ask: “How are these themes coherent?”

Use Equity Sticks to call on two or three students.

TEACHER NOTE

Students have already considered the importance of coherence in storytelling in the Core Lesson TDQs. However, this question provides a second check for understanding of the word coherent and prompts students to reflect upon how individual poems can form a larger, coherent piece, which they must do in their EOM Task.

n Coherent means that smaller parts fit together as a whole. Each of these themes in the short poems fits into the larger story that is the novel, or section of the novel.

n The common themes help the reader understand the big picture and see how the individual poems fit together to tell a coherent story.

Learn

Tell students that they will learn another important word to remember when they begin to write their own narrative arcs: correlation. Direct students to paragraph 10 in the article “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It)” (http://witeng.link/0730). Reread the paragraph, and ask students to underline correlation.

Inform students that they will look at context clues to determine the word’s meaning. In pairs, students reread paragraph 10, identify at least two context clues to assist them in inferring the word’s meaning, and draft a definition for the word. If needed, remind students that context clues refer to words around the unknown word: sometimes authors will provide an example, nonexample, synonyms, or definition near the unknown word.

Call on two or three pairs to share their responses.

n The author says a “correlation between” and then lists two things, so correlation must mean “a connection.”

n There is an example following correlation that says people with mood problems tend to have good memories, but the memories are overshadowed by something bad. Correlation must mean that there’s something similar between two things.

Pairs verify their definitions in a dictionary and record the definitions of coherent and correlation in their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym coherent (adj.) Easily understood and logically connected. logical, rational correlation (n.) A link or association between multiple things. affinity, association

Note that the words share a common prefix, co–. Students predict its meaning in their Vocabulary Journal. Then display the definition of the prefix:

co– (forming nouns) — joint; mutual; common

In pairs, students write one sentence explaining how the words coherent and correlation relate to each other and another sentence explaining how the words relate to narrative arcs.

n Coherent is an adjective that describes things that correlate to one another.

n Both words contain the prefix co– because they are about related items.

n Things that have a correlation between them are more likely to be coherent

n

When you write a story, you need to include all the events that have a correlation to one another in order.

n Your story should be coherent; otherwise, the reader won’t have any idea what is happening or what your main idea is.

Land

Direct students to paragraph 26 in “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It).” Ask: “How does the word coherent clarify your understanding of the speaker’s belief?”

Instruct students to brainstorm three important events in their lives and determine what (if any) correlation exists among these events. Volunteers can share their responses and receive feedback from peers regarding the clarity of the connection.

Lesson 14: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Revisit Student Questions Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Analyze the Effects of a Narrative Arc (20 min.)

Analyze the Ending of The Crossover (15 min.)

Write to Distill Meaning (24 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Simple and Compound Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.5

Writing ƒ

W.8.2, W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.7.1.b*

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 12A: Narrative Arc in “Third Quarter”

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 14A: “Free Throws” Paragraph ƒ

Chart paper ƒ

Sticky notes ƒ Markers

* This lesson includes instruction and/or references to a standard(s) from an earlier grade level.

Learning Goals

Distill the meaning of The Crossover by analyzing meaning and symbolism in “Free Throws” (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, W.8.2).

Complete Handout 14A. Use simple and compound sentences to summarize a poem (L.7.1.b). Write a three-sentence summary.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 14

Distill: What is the meaning of The Crossover?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lessons 13–14

Experiment: How does a narrative arc work?

Students conclude their reading of The Crossover by considering issues of form, content, and figurative language. First, they experiment with changing the narrative arc of The Crossover to build an understanding of how form and structure impact meaning. Students discuss the final poem of the novel, interpreting its symbolism, and write a To-SEEC paragraph (i.e., a paragraph containing a Topic Statement, Evidence, Elaboration, and a Concluding Statement) to illustrate how the poem distills the meaning of the story of The Crossover.

Welcome

5 MIN.

REVISIT STUDENT QUESTIONS

Students retrieve the questions they wrote during the Welcome task in Lesson 7.

Pairs discuss how their questions were or were not answered by the end of The Crossover

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Prompt students to restate the explanation of a narrative arc (or narrative coherence) from the last lesson, using Handout 12A.

n A narrative arc has a beginning, a middle, and an ending, with a common theme that holds the story together.

59 MIN.

ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF A NARRATIVE ARC 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Groups return to the Literary Dominoes from the previous lesson.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How is the story of The Crossover organized?”

n We read about the events in the order they happen and see Josh’s development over time. Though we don’t always know what’s going to happen, we can guess what might happen next.

n Events follow logically, from one to the next.

Inform students that this type of organization is called a linear narrative. Provide the following definition for students to add to the Literary Terminology section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Literary Term Meaning Example

linear narrative (n.)

A story that moves chronologically through time, with events described in the order that they happened. The Crossover

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does this organization shape your understanding of the theme of Josh’s sense of himself and the world?”

n The organization shows how Josh’s sense of himself develops and changes over time. In the beginning, Josh is a happy, confident kid. In the middle, as conflicts develop, we see Josh become more confused, angry, and isolated. At the very end, we see some hope that things are getting better for Josh.

n The organization shows us that Josh’s story is one where he encounters a predicament (or many predicaments!) that upset his life and who he is. He has to work through them.

n The organization also shows how events and experiences cause Josh to change.

Explain that writers can organize narratives in different ways. They do not always have to tell a linear narrative.

Create a list, posting the following options:

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Open with an event that represents the middle of the action of a story.

p Example: Begin The Crossover with Josh’s suspension, and then go back to explain what events led up to it.

ƒ Include different versions of the same event from different characters’ points of view.

p Example: Alternate back and forth between Josh and JB as narrators of the events.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “In what other ways could you organize a story? What would an example be?”

n Include descriptions of historical events that happened some time ago.

n Example: Include poems from the time when Josh was a boy.

n Include a flashback that disrupts the flow of time.

n Example: Include a scene of Chuck Bell playing professional basketball at his peak.

Add responses to the posted list.

Display the Craft Question.

Experiment: How does a narrative arc work?

Tell students they will now analyze the effects of the narrative arc on the story by experimenting with changing the organization of The Crossover.

Small groups create their own organization of the events in The Crossover, using (at least) one strategy from the above list, or another that they develop.

Each group creates a diagram of their new organization and jots two observations about the effects of their reorganization on the story.

Groups display their rearrangements.

Each group reviews a different group’s rearrangement.

Group members jot observations in response to the following questions: “How does this reorganization change the way you understand the story of The Crossover? How does this reorganization reshape the theme of Josh’s sense of himself and his world?”

Groups share their responses with the class. Each group explains how others’ perceptions aligned, or did not align, with the intended effects of their narrative arc.

ANALYZE THE ENDING OF THE CROSSOVER 15 MIN.

Pairs

Students reread “Free Throws” (234–237) aloud in pairs.

Pairs respond to the following questions in their Response Journal.

1. What difference does the last poem make to the meaning of the story? To answer this question, first consider how the novel’s meaning would be different if it ended with the previous poem, “There were so many friends” (231–233)?

n Josh and JB are together, back in a familiar place that they used to share with their dad.

n The twins are beginning to reconcile their differences. If the novel had ended with “There were so many friends,” there would not be the suggestion of hope for Josh and JB.

n The poem shows how Josh is different. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t want to be “Da Man.” He does not seem as confident, or cocky, as he was at the beginning of the novel. He has changed, grown up a little.

n By showing the twins’ reconciliation and Josh’s growth, “Free Throws” offers closure to the end of the novel.

2. What message does the last poem convey?

n Possible messages:

n Even without their father, the boys will be alright.

n Things are different but the same.

n Josh has learned that he is best when connected with those he loves.

n Josh and JB will always be connected, even in hard times.

WRITE TO DISTILL MEANING

Individuals

24 MIN.

Provide the following definition of the term free throw: “an unhindered shot at the basket from the foul line awarded to a player after a foul or other infringement.”

Students read the definition to themselves, and Stop and Jot in response to the following questions: “Why is ‘Free Throws’ an appropriate title for the last poem? How could free throw be interpreted as a symbol that distills the meaning of the story?”

Students compile their observations about “Free Throws” and the symbol free throw to explain the final poem’s contribution to the meaning of The Crossover.

Students independently complete Handout 14A.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Distill: What is the meaning of The Crossover?

Have students silently reread “Basketball Rule #1” (20).

Ask: “How has your understanding of the lines ‘always leave / your heart / on the court’ developed now that you have finished The Crossover?

Possible responses:

n Basketball and family are the most important things to Josh and have helped him get through tough times.

n Family must stick together, even though Josh and JB had a hard separation, they are family and still committed to each other.

n Love is a force that connects Josh to his family, and they are as closely connected as a basketball and a court.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students review notes and annotations in preparation for their second Focusing Question Task and continue their fluency homework, following the Lesson 11 guidance and using Handout 1A to prepare to fluently read “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (194).

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students distill the meaning of The Crossover by analyzing meaning and symbolism in “Free Throws” (234–237). The goal of this assessment is to get students to consider the novel-in-verse as a whole and the impact of ending the book on this particular poem. Check for the following criteria for success:

ƒ Identifies that form and structure matter to content. By ending the novel with “Free Throws,” it is clear that Josh’s identity is firmly rooted in his relationships with his brother and father.

ƒ Understands that by practicing free throws, Josh is aware of his weaknesses and wants to improve in an area of basketball that was important to his father.

ƒ Recognizes that the reconciliation between Josh and JB resolves the tension from the middle of the novel and provides a sense of hope at the end of the story.

The work with narrative arc in this lesson allows students to demonstrate their command of narrative structure by considering other options for the narrative arc of The Crossover (W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e), which builds their understanding of narrative structure in preparation for the EOM Task.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with the writing in this lesson, consider reviewing the following model, identifying the different components of informative writing, in a whole-group discussion:

“Chuck Bell is a great father because he loves and supports his children. Chuck’s ‘favorite story’ (63) is when he first teaches the boys to play basketball. Even though the man who worked at the park thought the boys were too young to shoot a basketball, Chuck knew his boys could make their first shot (64–65). Chuck also attends Josh’s and JB’s games and supports their team, the Wildcats. The poem ‘Storm’ (151–152) shows how invested Chuck is in the wellbeing of JB on the court and how angry it makes Chuck when JB is fouled. Chuck Bell is a great father because he loves and supports his sons on and off the court.”

The goal of this lesson is for students to distill the themes from the book and articulate their understanding of their reading. This lesson is not meant to assess students’ work with informative writing; as such, students should be given the supports necessary to allow them to articulate their ideas clearly and logically.

Lesson 14: Style And Conventions Deep Dive

Experiment with Simple and Compound Sentences

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Summarize a poem using simple and compound sentences (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 14

Experiment: How do simple sentences and compound sentences work?

Launch

Display the following sentence and Sentence Frames:

I am your partner.

ƒ I am your partner, but . ƒ I am your partner, and .

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share with the person nearest to them to complete the last two statements.

Using Equity Sticks, call on three or four students to share their completed sentences.

Ask: “How did you decide what to put in the blanks for the last two statements?” Select students to share their ideas.

n But tells you that whatever follows is different from what came before it.

n I knew to say something similar to the first part of the sentence because and connects similar ideas.

Learn

Remind students that compound sentences are joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Those coordinating conjunctions allow writers to signal the relationship between ideas.

TEACHER NOTE

Some students may correctly note that compound sentences can also be formed using semicolons. It is important to praise and validate the observation but inform students that they will focus on forming compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions because the conjunctions can clarify an author’s ideas or allow them to elaborate.

Display the following two simple sentences:

Josh performs CPR on his father. His father does not wake up.

Instruct students to rewrite these simple sentences as one compound sentence. Call on volunteers to share their revisions and reasoning.

TEACHER NOTE

The best choices are but and yet; however, some students may choose and out of comfort or a lack of understanding of the relationship between the two sentences. It may be necessary to point out that when someone performs CPR, the goal is to bring that person back to consciousness. The fact that Josh’s father does not wake up is the opposite of what Josh hopes and expects to happen; therefore, but and yet best capture the relationship between the two sentences.

Direct students back to the Launch activity. Remind them that writing a compound sentence allows them to indicate the relationship between their ideas. ƒ

And signals elaboration. ƒ

But and yet indicate contrast. ƒ

So indicates that what follows is a consequence of what came before. ƒ

For usually signals a reason behind an idea. ƒ

Or and nor exclude an idea.

Land

Direct students to “Behind Closed Doors” (168–169). Instruct students to reread the poem silently and to write a three-sentence summary of the poem, correctly using a compound sentence to convey their ideas.

Facilitate a Whip Around where students complete the following Sentence Frame:

Josh misses JB, yet .

QUESTION: LESSONS 8–17 How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 15

“The Human Soul Distilled” (video), Reading Rockets (http://witeng.link/0731)

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Lesson 15: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

View Kwame Alexander Video

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Collect Evidence (19 min.) Engage in Socratic Seminar (20 min.)

Debate Alternative Titles (20 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore

Content Vocabulary: Crossover (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5

Writing ƒ

W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.4, L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c

MATERIALS

ƒ

Handout 15A: Evidence Collection for Crossover

Learning Goals

Explain how varied uses of the word crossover create a narrative arc that develops the meaning of the story (RL.8.3, RL.8.4, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d).

Collaboratively complete Handout 15A.

Analyze the significance of the development of the word crossover in the novel through collaborative conversation with peers (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, SL.8.1, SL.8.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Study the multiple meanings of crossover, and analyze how the word’s various meanings apply to the novel (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

Respond to a prompt.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 15

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of language choices reveal about the shape and meaning of The Crossover?

Students begin the lesson by watching a video of Kwame Alexander discussing the merits of poetry and the power of poetic language. Students then analyze an example of the power of language with an exploration of the various meanings of the word crossover developed in the novel. In a Socratic Seminar, their inquiry focuses on how these language choices shape their overall sense of the novel.

Welcome

5 MIN.

VIEW KWAME ALEXANDER VIDEO

Screen the video “The Human Soul Distilled” (http://witeng.link/0731—1:39).

Post the following question: “How does Alexander’s discussion about poetry relate to the craft work you have been doing in the module?”

Students rewatch the video, noting responses to the question.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have students share their responses to the Welcome question.

n Alexander talks about how language matters in poetry, and we have been working to improve descriptive, sensory, and figurative language in our writing.

n Alexander discusses the structure of a poem, that it can have its own narrative arc and tell a story on its own.

n Alexander discusses the powerful impact of metaphor, which has been a big part of our craft instruction so far.

Ask: “Based on your learning so far, what shapes the story of The Crossover?”

n The different poems, and poetic types, that structure the individual parts of the story.

n The narrative arc, the structure, and the organization of the overall novel.

n The content, the plot and events of the story, and the characters in it.

Explain that in this lesson, students extend their examination to consider how one word—crossover can help contribute to the shape of the story of The Crossover

Learn

59 MIN.

COLLECT EVIDENCE

Small Groups

15 MIN.

Display and distribute Handout 15A. Students complete the handout in order to consider the various connotations of the word crossover at different points in the novel.

Small groups complete Handout 15A.

ENGAGE IN SOCRATIC SEMINAR

Whole

Group

20 MIN.

Display the Listening Goal: “Listen with the intent to write.”

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Why is listening with the intent to write important during an academic conversation?”

n Listening with the intent to write holds the listeners accountable to pay attention to what is being said in a conversation.

n Listening with the intent to write helps the listeners remember what is said in the conversation.

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar on the development of the word crossover and its connotations as the term recurs and develops throughout the novel.

The seminar revolves around the following questions:

ƒ What is the narrative arc created by specific uses of the word crossover?

ƒ

Which is the most significant use of the word crossover in the novel? Why?

ƒ Is the word crossover an effective title for this novel?

Students choose three to five words to use strategically in their Socratic Seminar discourse to develop or enhance their ideas. Students who require additional support can use teacher-generated or student-generated word banks.

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Ask: “How did practicing our Listening Goal help you learn?”

n Listening with the intent to write helped me remember my peers’ specific points.

n Listening with the intent to write helped me better appreciate the contributions of my peers because I paid closer attention to the evidence they used.

DEBATE ALTERNATIVE TITLES 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Students return to their small groups from earlier in the following questions.

Display the following list of words:

ƒ Free throw.

ƒ Backboard. ƒ Fly. ƒ Coach.

Assign each small group one of these words, or allow small groups to choose their own word.

Small groups determine the literal definition(s) of the word and possible figurative meanings.

Each small group creates a narrative arc with its word, defining a different usage of the word to represent the beginning, middle, and end moments of the novel.

Possible response:

n Coach: the novel could start with the word coach as a noun, as a way to describe Chuck Bell and convey his big influence on Josh as a dad, mentor, and basketball coach.

n In the middle of the novel, the word coach could be used as a verb to suggest how conflict and predicament are coaching, (e.g., educating, Josh).

n And then, at the end, the word coach could be used in a more figurative sense to show how life is a coach and teaches you important lessons.

Students return to the Socratic Seminar format, and discuss the following questions:

ƒ Which word would make the best alternative title for the novel? ƒ How would your choice change the meaning of the story?

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Display the following quotation by Kwame Alexander from the video: “Poetry, because of the language we choose, because of the metaphors we use, we can make the reader feel something pretty powerful in those few words.”

Students complete an Exit Ticket explaining how their learning in the Socratic Seminar relates to the quotation.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students review notes and annotations to prepare for their second Focusing Question Task and continue their fluency homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students analyze the development of the term crossover in relation to themes in the novel through collaborative conversation with peers (RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, SL.8.1, SL.8.6). The goal of the discussion in this lesson is to get students to think critically about the author’s choice of the term crossover as an element of structural cohesion and thematic development. They consider the ways that multiple and varied uses of a specific word can create a narrative arc of the meaning of a story.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty understanding the development of the term crossover throughout the novel, consider having them repeat this activity for other less significant words in the novel, such as ball or sick.

Explore Content Vocabulary: Crossover

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Study the multiple meanings of crossover, and analyze how the word’s various meanings apply to the novel (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

Launch

Ask students to Stop and Jot the definition of crossover based on how Josh defines it in “cross-over” (29).

n A crossover is a complex basketball move that can break an opponent’s ankle.

n A crossover involves dribbling quickly as you pass the ball from one hand to the other.

n A crossover is a tricky move because you have to see if your opponent will fall for it.

n It is a move so complicated that Josh’s dad, a pro basketball player, had to teach him.

Tell students that although they have already discussed the significance of the word in the Socratic Seminar, they will dig deeper into its definitions to gain even greater insight into the term’s relationship to the novel and the characters.

Learn

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym

ƒ

crossover (n.)

ƒ

A basketball move; a player dribbles quickly from one hand to another.

A point or place of crossing from one side to the other.

ƒ lay up; dunk ƒ transition; crossing ƒ transformation

ƒ

The process of achieving success in a different field or style.

Display a Multiple Meanings Chart on the board, and inform students that this strategy is useful when studying a word with several distinct definitions.

Have students work in groups of three to complete a Multiple Meanings Chart on chart paper for crossover. Encourage students to put the definitions in their own words.

Instruct students to take a Gallery Walk to review the various student-friendly definitions of the word and sentences.

Using Equity Sticks, call on students to share one sentence that helped them better understand one of the meanings of the word.

Land

Ask students to respond to the following prompt:

Now that you have further considered the definitions of the word crossover and the significance of the word as the novel’s title, which definition has the most significance in The Crossover, and why?

Reveal that students should carefully consider titles for their poems so that their titles will have significance to the narrative arc.

Lesson 16: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Tweet Josh’s Story

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Collect Evidence on Poetic Structure and Meaning (20 min.)

Create: Focusing Question Task (30 min.)

Compose Collaborative Found Poem (4 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore

Content Vocabulary: Irony, ironic (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.5*

Writing ƒ W.8.2

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.6

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Identify and explain the two most effective poetic types for analyzing the development of Josh’s identity in The Crossover (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3).

Complete Handout 16A.

Compare and contrast how the structures of two poems contribute to an understanding of Josh’s identity in The Crossover (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.5, W.8.2).

ƒ

Handout 16A: Collect Evidence— Form and Meaning in The Crossover ƒ

Assessment 16A: Focusing Question Task 2 ƒ

Handout 16B: Frayer Model

Complete Focusing Question Task 2.

Develop understanding of irony and ironic, and apply knowledge to determine valid examples of the words (L.8.6).

Complete Handout 16B.

* Although students are comparing forms of poems from a single text, The Crossover, these are discrete poems in a larger narrative. As a result, students working to understand the author’s use of a variety of forms is in keeping with the spirit of RL.8.5.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 15–16

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of poetic structure reveal about Josh Bell and the meaning of The Crossover?

Students begin the lesson by writing a tweet about Josh’s life, delivering meaning within a specific structure. Students complete the second Focusing Question Task, bringing together their understanding of how form—in this case, poetic structure—relates to meaning in The Crossover. Students consider how two poetic types develop their understanding of Josh and why these poetic types are more effective than others, an exercise in critical thinking they will return to as they write their own poems in the EOM Task.

Welcome

TWEET JOSH’S STORY

5 MIN.

Post this sentence starter: This Is Josh’s Life (and How You Tell It): .

Students complete the sentence by adding a one-line tweet (no more than 140 characters) that distills Josh’s life story, and includes in parentheses the poetic type they would choose to tell that story.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Remind students that the form of The Crossover is a novel-in-verse that consists of a series of poems. They have categorized many of these poems into different poetic types.

Remind them that when they have identified and examined the specific criteria for each poetic type, they have been defining the structure of the poem.

Now, for their second Focusing Question Task, they will choose two poetic types, examining the unique effects that each one’s poetic structure has on the meaning of the whole story.

Learn

54 MIN.

COLLECT

EVIDENCE ON POETIC STRUCTURE AND MEANING

Individuals

Display and distribute Handout 16A.

Review the Characteristics Poems Share and Poetic Types anchor charts with students.

Students complete Handout 16A.

CREATE: FOCUSING QUESTION TASK 30 MIN.

Individuals

Distribute and review Assessment 16A.

Students write three paragraphs using the evidence they collected in Handout 16A.

Students complete the Focusing Question Task.

COMPOSE COLLABORATIVE FOUND POEM

4 MIN.

Whole Group

Tell students that to complete their work with poetic types and The Crossover, they will create a collaborative found poem about the book from the book.

Give each student one minute to choose a favorite line from The Crossover that conveys something about the book’s meaning.

20 MIN.

Create a sequence for reading individual lines. Students compose a found poem of The Crossover by performing a fluent reading of their lines in succession.

Land

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Conduct a Whip Around of students’ tweets from the Welcome task.

Then, facilitate a brief discussion: “How did writing your Focusing Question Task clarify which poetic types are most important to your understanding of The Crossover?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework in preparation for their fluent reading in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students identify particularly meaningful poetic types from The Crossover (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3), which requires an understanding of Josh’s identity and the role of different types of poems in the novel-in-verse. Students expand on their understanding of the relationship between structure and meaning in this Focusing Question Task (RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.5). Proficiency with the content, rather than proficiency with writing informative text, is the focus of this assessment. This prepares students for their work with their own poems and structures in the EOM Task. The exemplar for this task can be found in Appendix C.

Next Steps

If students struggle, consider once again reviewing the Poetic Types Anchor Chart, or writing descriptions of each poetic type on the board and getting students to identify each type based on its criteria. The To-SEEC paragraph organizers and sentence stems are intended to offer sufficient scaffolding for informative writing, as the focus of the assessment is on reading comprehension. However, consider skipping ahead and introducing the EOM Task exemplar cover letter, paragraph 2 (Handout 30A), for another example of a To-SEEC paragraph that synthesizes a discussion between structure and meaning. Group students with similar needs, and plan small-group support for these skills to set students up for success with their next Focusing Question Task.

The fall after turned fourteen, my doctor found a lump on my throat. At first they thought it was

they decided to check for thyroid cancer

They told me there was only a one in one million chance that it was, but it turned out I was that one in a million! I was diagnosed, had surgery, and went back to school all in less than a month. In this series of poems, A One in a Million Chance I explain the experience of going back to school after my surgery, feeling like the world was moving fast and slow at the same time, and realizing that I am capable of overcoming really difficult experiences.

The first poem, “Diagnosis,” is a time-stamp poem. chose a time-stamp structure because it allowed me to show exactly how quickly everything happened from the time was diagnosed until I was back in school. The second poem, “Report Card,” is a poem using found materials. This poem shows someone else’s perspective on my situation and this time in my life, and it shows that even if felt totally out of place and weird, that I was actually really brave and capable of being OK after my surgery. Finally, my third poem, “How I Got This Scar,” is an occasional poem of all the responses I gave when people asked how got my scar. This poem shows how humor helped me to talk about what happened and helped me get back to a “new normal” after my experience.

of

G8 M1 Handout 30A WIT & WISDOM Page G8 M1 Lesson 16 WIT & WISDOM® 204

Explore Content Vocabulary: Irony, ironic

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Develop understanding of irony and ironic, and apply knowledge to determine valid examples of the words (L.8.6).

Launch

Tell students to open their books to “i•ron•ic” (104–105). Ask a student to reread the first stanza of the poem aloud. Remind students that this poem is a definition poem like others they’ve encountered in the novel.

Students Stop and Jot to explain why stanza 2 is ironic and stanza three is not ironic. Select two or three students to share responses.

n Since Vondie’s mom works in space exploration, you’d think he’d like studying space, so it’s ironic that he actually hates it.

n It makes sense that since Josh’s grandpop died in a hospital, his dad is afraid of hospitals.

Learn

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the Figurative Language section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonym irony (n.)

A difference between what is anticipated and what actually happens. contradiction, paradox ironic (adj.)

A difference between what is anticipated and what actually happens. unexpected, contradictory

Pairs complete a Frayer Model for irony and ironic. Reinforce that the Frayer Model is an effective way to deepen understanding of a word. Tell students that if they choose to write a definition poem for the EOM Task, a Frayer Model is a great resource for planning their poems.

TEACHER NOTE

Irony is still a rather sophisticated concept, so this Frayer Model practice provides various situations for students to sort examples and nonexamples of the concept.

Before students begin their work on the Frayer Model, post the following situations for them to sort as examples and nonexamples:

ƒ

Car crashes into an automobile repair shop. ƒ Gift of a free ride from a taxi service when you have already paid.

ƒ

A fight with your best friend on your birthday. ƒ

A fire station burns down.

Several pairs share their Frayer Models. Read the situations aloud, and ask students to vote about which situations are ironic. Explain that while a gift for a free ride from a taxi service after paying and fighting with a best friend on your birthday are certainly unlucky and sad, they are not ironic. Emphasize that a situation is ironic when what is anticipated does not happen. For example, if a person dies on their birthday, that’s ironic since birthdays are about celebrating life.

Land

Students complete Handout 16B.

Ask students to write the examples of irony in their Vocabulary Journal.

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Lesson 17

ƒ “The Human Soul Distilled,” Reading Rockets video (http://witeng.link/0731) ƒ

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

Lesson 17: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

View Kwame Alexander Video

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Express Knowledge (25 min.)

Compose a Collaborative Story of Learning (11 min.)

Perform a Fluent Reading (9 min.)

Create a Narrative Arc for a Poem (9 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.5

Writing

ƒ

W.8.2, W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e; W.8.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ

Colored pencils or highlighters ƒ

Handout 13A: Write Like–Occasional Poem

Learning Goals

Evaluate the importance of the novel-in-verse form to the meaning of The Crossover (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, W.8.2).

Write an entry in the Knowledge Journal.

Create an event sequence in an occasional poem, using a narrative arc (W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e, W.8.5).

Revise an occasional poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 8–17

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 17

Know: How does The Crossover build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 17

Execute: How do I use a narrative arc in a poem?

Students reflect on their reading of The Crossover and, for the first time, reflect deeply on the Essential Question, recording reflections about how their study of storytelling has built their knowledge of the world, of big ideas, and of important skills we use as writers—and appreciate as readers! Students also create an event sequence in a revision of their occasional poem.

Welcome

5 MIN.

VIEW KWAME ALEXANDER VIDEO

Display the phrase power-packed

Have students rewatch the video “The Human Soul Distilled,” noting when Kwame Alexander uses the phrase and why.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have a student read aloud the Essential Question: What is the power of storytelling?

Ask: “What connections can you make between the Essential Question, the Content Framing Question, and Kwame Alexander’s comments about power-packed?”

n All of them connect the idea of power to words, language, and stories.

n Kwame Alexander seems to answer the Essential Question.

n Alexander says that a poem is like the “human soul distilled.” Poems are powerful because they can express the essence of our souls.

n Alexander says that the language in poetry, like metaphors, can make a reader “feel something pretty powerful” with just a few words. That was true in The Crossover, when the poem “For Dad” made me feel the heartache and grief of losing someone you love.

n Alexander says that poems are really power-packed because they can create a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end in only ten lines.

Announce to students that in this lesson, they reflect on their entire reading of The Crossover and their expanded understanding of the power of storytelling.

EXPRESS KNOWLEDGE 25 MIN.

Individuals

Introduce students to the Knowledge Journal, and its four sections: ƒ Reflections ƒ

Knowledge of the World: understanding of concrete information about specific subjects, events, issues, innovations, places, and other significant happenings in past and present times. ƒ

Knowledge of Ideas: understanding of abstract concepts, complex questions, and big ideas. ƒ

Knowledge of Skills: understanding of specific reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language goals.

Explain to students that the Knowledge Journal differs from their Response Journal. Response Journals allow students to respond in writing to the learning in a specific lesson. But they will use their Knowledge Journal to synthesize and reflect on the knowledge they have developed, and built up, over a stretch of time.

In this lesson, they reflect on their reading of The Crossover to synthesize their understanding of the relationship between form and content.

Have students take out The Crossover and turn to the Knowledge of Ideas section of their Knowledge Journal.

Display and ask the following question: “Based on all of your learning to this point, what difference does it make that The Crossover is written as a novel-in-verse?”

To stimulate students’ thinking, post supplementary questions such as:

ƒ

ƒ

How would the story be different if The Crossover were written in prose?

What is the power of the novel-in-verse as a form of storytelling?

ƒ What is the relationship between form and content?

Students write at least one paragraph in their Knowledge Journal.

Now, have students turn to the the Reflections section of their Knowledge Journal.

Students independently brainstorm a list of the top four things they learned about the power of storytelling from reading and studying The Crossover, as well as from “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It),” the artworks The Block and Children’s Games, and the Kwame Alexander video. Students write each item in the form of a full sentence.

Students annotate each item with a corresponding symbol: for example, a capital W in a circle for Knowledge of the World, etc. TEACHER NOTE

Help students as needed with annotating their items. Much of the knowledge in this module represents Knowledge of Ideas, as students engage with big ideas such as the power of storytelling and the concept of “sense of self.” These are important, transferable ideas that students will be able to apply in diverse academic and social contexts. Encourage students to think deeply about the ideas with which they have been engaging. In addition, you might direct students to the research described in “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell it)” as examples of “Knowledge of the World” because the scientists’ conclusions offer concrete information about the how storytelling affects people’s lives. If students do not generate any items for one of the categories, consider leading a whole-group brainstorm to generate an example.

Students now transfer each item to the appropriate section of their Knowledge Journal.

Sample student responses:

Knowledge of the World Knowledge of Ideas

Researchers who have studied the importance of stories in people’s lives found that creating life stories helps people understand their past and make decisions about their future.

ƒ Everyone has a “sense of self,” which is how a person defines themself.

Knowledge of Skills

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Poems have different forms, and the form of a poem affects what it means.

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An extended metaphor is an effective way to convey an abstract idea, like identity.

For the remaining time, students elaborate on at least one entry, beginning with the one in which they are most interested.

Encourage students to make as many connections as possible and consider connections not discussed in class.

Sample elaboration:

n Everyone has a “sense of self,” which is how a person defines themself. Many things can shape your sense of self, but the relationship with your family seems to be a really important influence. This is true for Josh, and it’s true in my life, too.

COMPOSE A COLLABORATIVE STORY OF LEARNING

Small Groups

11 MIN.

Students now experiment with the power of storytelling in relation to their own learning.

Remind students that stories are everywhere around us. Our job as storytellers is to give our experiences a shape that is “power-packed.”

Assemble students into small groups, and ask: “How would you tell the story of what we, as a class, have learned so far in this module?”

Challenge groups to tell a one-minute story that will convey the power of storytelling. Ask: “How will you do this through the content? Through the form you use to tell your story?”

Post the following questions:

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Who are the main characters?

What form will your story take? (Will you tell it as a list? A conversation?) ƒ

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Will you identify beginning, middle, and end points of your learning? (Did you arrive at a final understanding, for instance?) ƒ

What voice, or voices, will you use to tell your story?

Have students start by individually jotting notes about memorable incidents that the class has experienced. Share examples, such as:

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Remember when Keisha and Jamil kept arguing about whether Josh or JB was responsible for the twins’ fallout?

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Remember people’s reactions to the end of the novel?

Remember what you knew about “sense of self” before this module and what you know now?

Students Stop and Jot, recollecting memorable incidents.

Instruct students to use their Knowledge Journal reflection to brainstorm ideas.

Small groups compose their stories or notes in a format they can use to tell the story orally.

PERFORM A FLUENT READING 9 MIN.

Pairs

Pairs take out Handout 1A: Fluency Homework and individually read aloud “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (194–196) to their partner. Students should demonstrate mastery of fluent reading skills, including appropriate pace, tone, expression, emotion, and attention to words and punctuation.

Collect Handout 1A from students.

CREATE A NARRATIVE ARC FOR A POEM 9 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use a narrative arc in a poem?

Students retrieve their occasional poem on Handout 13A.

Tell students that they will now revise their occasional poem by structuring it with a narrative arc.

Ask: “How can you structure your poem to show the progression of your reading?”

Post the following questions: ƒ

What were you wondering as you started the book?

What did you think when you read about the conflicts in the middle? ƒ

What reflections did you have after finishing the book?

Students independently mark their occasional poem with the phase of the narrative arc using colored pencils or highlighters. Students revise their poems by reordering lines or organizing lines into stanzas that represent the narrative arc of their reading.

If time allows, facilitate a brief discussion about whether structuring their occasional poems with a narrative arc changed the meaning of the poem.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Conduct a Whip Around of students’ tweets from the Welcome task.

Know: How does The Crossover build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

Small groups read aloud their stories about what the class has learned.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students finish the elaborations of their Knowledge Journal entries. Distribute Handout 1A: Fluency Homework. In pairs, partners choose a free-verse poem from The Crossover with dialogue; for instance, “Suspension” (138–141) or “Questions” (210–211). Pairs practice reading aloud their poem, with each partner performing only one voice in a fluent reading performance.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students evaluate the importance of the novel-in-verse form to the meaning of The Crossover through reflections in their Knowledge Journal (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, W.8.2). The goal is to help students recognize the important links between form, content, and meaning. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Identifies the relationship between the novel-in-verse form and the storytelling in The Crossover.

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Uses evidence from The Crossover to demonstrate the relationship between form and meaning.

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Reflects on the whole scope of The Crossover and an understanding of the overarching themes in the novel-in-verse.

Students create an event sequence in an occasional poem, using a narrative arc, which demonstrates students’ understanding of the structure of a narrative arc and provides an opportunity to further edit their previous work (W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.e, W.8.5).

Next Steps

If students have difficulty articulating their thoughts and reflections in their Knowledge Journal, consider leading a brainstorm session with the whole group, discussing the relationship between the novel-in-verse form and the content of The Crossover and ideas about sense of self in the text. Since this is students’ first assignment with the Knowledge Journal, it may be helpful to provide sentence starters or frames to provide a more structured set of expectations. If students have difficulty revising their occasional poem, model the annotation of an exemplar occasional poem into discrete sections. For instance, return to “Mom since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so angry” (204) and mark the events in the poem according to the order in which they occur within the narrative.

* Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

QUESTION: LESSONS 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

Lesson 18

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“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi, text (http://witeng.link/0732) and video (http://witeng.link/0733)

ƒ The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 221–237

Lesson 18: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Express Emotions

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Encounter a Poetic Performance (6 min.)

View and Annotate for Emphasis (15 min.)

Describe Aspects of a Poetic Performance (20 min.)

Annotate “The Last Shot” for Oral Expression (13 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Ellipses (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.8.1, SL.8.2, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.2.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Slips of paper ƒ Chart paper ƒ

Markers

Learning Goals

Identify the role of oral expression in Ikpi’s performance of “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (RL.8.1, SL.8.1).

Annotate “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” for aspects of oral expression.

Using criteria, identify oral expression strategies for “The Last Shot” from The Crossover (SL.8.1).

Annotate “The Last Shot” using criteria from Poetic Performance anchor chart.

Explain the function of an ellipsis, and show understanding of its function through an oral reading (L.8.2.a).

Add ellipses to “Free Throws.”

Prepare

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 18

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about poetic performance?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 18

Examine: Why is oral expression important?

Experiment: How does oral expression work?

Students watch a poetic performance by Bassey Ikpi and identify strategies of a poetic performance. Students then return to The Crossover, annotating for strategies of oral expression in “The Last Shot.” Finally, students demonstrate their understanding of poetic performance and oral expression through performing their own version of “The Last Shot.”

Welcome

EXPRESS EMOTIONS

5 MIN.

Give each student a slip of paper with an emotion written on it. Instruct students to keep this emotion secret from their partner.

Display the following phrase: “My sister plays games on her phone every night after dinner.”

Explain that students must get their partner to guess the emotion on their slip of paper by the way they read the sentence.

Pairs take turns reading their versions of the sentence aloud.

Launch

10 MIN.

Pairs share the results of the activity with the class.

Ask: “How did your partners communicate their emotion?”

Students share examples. Possible responses include the following:

n They changed the tone and volume of their voice.

n They used facial gestures.

n They used physical gestures, like clenching their fists or covering their eyes.

n They made sounds, like crying or growling.

Record ways to express emotions when reading.

Post the Content Framing Question and Focusing Question.

Ask if students do not understand any phrases in the questions and clarify meanings.

Ask: “How do you expect a poetic performance to communicate its story?”

n A poetic performance might use different volumes or tones of voice.

n A poetic performance might use different pacing.

n A poetic performance might use a variety of gestures.

n A poetic performance might act out parts of a poem.

54 MIN.

ENCOUNTER A POETIC PERFORMANCE

Whole Group

6 MIN.

Tell students they will watch a video of a poetic performance, and they should note any initial reactions about the poem, the poet, and the setting of the video as they watch.

Play the video of Ikpi’s “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (http://witeng.link/0733).

TEACHER NOTE

It is important for students to experience the performance of the poem without being distracted with the printed text of the poem during this first encounter. They will receive copies of the poem during the second viewing.

Facilitate a brief whole-group discussion about students’ noted observations, displaying responses. Explain that this poetic performance is from the Def Jam poetry series, a platform for a particular genre of poetry called spoken word.

Ask: “What do you notice?”

Possible responses include the following:

n The poem is performed in front of a live audience and on a stage.

n The poem repeats words and phrases.

n The poet has memorized the poem.

n The poet is not reading from a book or piece of paper.

n The audience is reacting to the poem while it’s being read; there is laughter and clapping.

n The poet acts out parts of the poem, such as coloring on the floor.

n The atmosphere is lively.

VIEW AND ANNOTATE FOR EMPHASIS

Whole Group

15 MIN.

Display and distribute copies of “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (http://witeng.link/0732).

Students individually reread the poem before watching the performance for a second time. Students watch the video for a second time, listen carefully, and annotate the written transcript by:

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Marking words or phrases that are emphasized through volume (V) and tone (T) with brief annotations such as: V–loud, V–soft, T–excited, T–defiant

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Marking places where Ikpi’s performance is influenced by the structure or punctuation of the poem on the page.

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Noting anything else they hear that stands out.

TEACHER NOTE

Pause intermittently during this viewing to allow time for students to record their annotations. Consider setting up a physical cue or gesture that students can use to ask for the video to be paused. Also consider devising an annotation system that students can use to annotate this poem and, later in the lesson, “The Last Shot.”

Students share their annotations. Possible responses include the following:

n The opening line is shouted over the clapping of the audience.

n Ikpi speeds up and then starts singing in the middle of the first stanza.

n The line “run faster” (10) is spoken slowly, contradicting the words.

n “And you liked it …” (16) does not include a pause even though there is an ellipsis.

n Ikpi pauses after mentioning the “boy across the room” (18), and the audience reacts.

n After “shopping mall” (29), Ikpi’s tone changes, so it sounds more pleading.

n Ikpi says “lullaby” (39) softly, like how someone might sing a lullaby.

n The last line is the same as the first, but Ikpi emphasizes the words in a different way; she speaks slowly and clearly instead of shouting.

Students watch the video a third time, annotating for what they see by marking:

ƒ Places where Ikpi is moving, providing brief descriptions of how she is moving.

ƒ Words that Ikpi emphasizes through body language.

ƒ Places where and ways in which Ikpi interacts with the audience.

Students share their annotations. Possible responses:

n Ikpi uses her hands a lot, emphasizing “Do Over” (4), for example.

n Ikpi moves her whole body when talking about freedom and a slide.

n Ikpi turns her head and glances at the audience on both sides of the stage.

n Ikpi points when she is discussing different directions.

n Ikpi’s face looks like she is thinking when she uses the line “‘I don’t know maybe’” (23).

n Ikpi makes the gesture of coloring on the floor.

n Ikpi uses her finger to number the different things she learned.

Students complete their annotations.

Ask: “What is this poem about? How does the form of Ikpi’s performance relate to the content of her poem?”

n This poem is about memories Ikpi has about being young and innocent and the way the world seemed before she became an adult.

n Her performance emphasizes that this is a relatable experience by engaging the audience in her story.

n Her performance adds deeper meaning to the significance of these memories since she pauses or gets louder at key moments.

DESCRIBE ASPECTS OF A POETIC PERFORMANCE 20 MIN.

Pairs

Display the first Craft Question:

Examine: Why is oral expression important?

Explain that although watching such a performance three times will not give students a full understanding of the genre of spoken-word poetry, they can begin to create a definition based on their observations.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Based on the performance of ‘Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,’ and your annotations of it, what characteristics define a poetic performance of spoken-word poetry?”

TEACHER NOTE This activity examines oral expression. In the following activity, students experiment with their understanding of oral expression.

Record responses on a Poetic Performance Anchor Chart.

n Volume.

n Emphasis.

n Pacing.

n Attention to punctuation.

n Attention to line breaks.

n Emotion.

n Tone.

n Moving body/body language.

n Use of singing.

n Connection to/engagement with the audience.

n Delivered without reading.

Assign each pair one of the items the class just identified. Students brainstorm specific aspects of this characteristic.

n Volume: n Loud/shouting. n Soft/whispering.

n Normal speaking volume.

n Emphasis:

n Paying special attention to one word or phrase.

n Pacing: n Pausing.

n Speeding up.

n Slowing down.

n Attention to punctuation:

n Changing inflection for a question.

n Changing inflection for an exclamation point.

n Pausing at a comma or period.

n Attention to line breaks: n Pausing at line breaks.

n Exaggerating pauses between stanzas.

n Emotion: n Happy, sad, angry, etc.

n Appropriate to the content of the poem.

n Tone: n Playful, direct, calm, energetic, etc. n Appropriate to the content of the poem.

n Moving body/body language:

n Swaying to the rhythm of the poem. n Stomping your foot.

n Moving your arms or hand to add emphasis.

n Use of singing: n Emphasizing the music of a line by signing it.

n Adding song lyrics to a poem.

n Connection to/engagement with the audience: n Making eye contact.

n Reacting to the audience’s response.

n Delivered without reading: n Memorizing the poem.

n Improvising parts of the poem.

Ask: “Which of these characteristics might apply to all poetry performances? Which seem specific to Def Jam?”

Students identify characteristics specific to Def Jam and add an asterisk beside those list items.

n Moving body/body language*.

n Use of singing*.

n Connection to/engagement with the audience*.

n Delivered without reading*.

ANNOTATE “THE LAST SHOT” FOR ORAL EXPRESSION 13 MIN.

Pairs

Display the second Craft Question:

Experiment: How does oral expression work?

Have students turn to “The Last Shot” (221–222) in The Crossover.

Using the criteria from the Poetic Performance Anchor Chart, pairs annotate the poem with their choices about how to read the poem in a poetic performance. Pairs also consult their annotations of Ikpi’s poem to help them complete their annotations.

Several pairs share their annotations with the class or perform a reading of “The Last Shot” for the class.

Compare and contrast different choices, and facilitate a brief conversation on the effectiveness of choices.

Land

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about poetic performance?

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and say: “Choose one strategy from the poetic performance, and describe its effect.”

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue to practice their fluent reading of “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (194), recording their progress onto Handout 1A.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students identify the role of oral expression in Ikpi’s performance of “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (RL.8.1, SL.8.1). The Poetic Performance Anchor Chart establishes a benchmark for students’ understanding of expectations for a poetic performance over the coming lessons. It may be necessary to shape the phrasing or terminology of some of these responses from students, as some are closely related, like volume and emphasis. Including all the suggested student understandings on the anchor chart is important, as students will be expected to meet all of the criteria in the third Focusing Question Task.

Next Steps

You may have students submit their annotations from “The Last Shot” as an Exit Ticket, and/or you may have students repeat this activity with another poem from The Crossover.

Lesson 18: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Examine Ellipses

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Time: 15 min.

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Texts: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, pages 221—237; “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi

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Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Explain the function of an ellipsis, and show understanding of its function through an oral reading (L.8.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 18

Examine: Why are ellipses important?

Launch

Refresher on ellipses

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The ellipsis (…) is a punctuation mark representing content that has been omitted from a sentence.

ƒ Ellipses can also represent hesitation or a thought trailing off, particularly in dialogue.

ƒ More formally, ellipses are used to represent the omitted portion of quoted material.

ƒ When there is an ellipsis at the end of the sentence, it is joined by the period of the sentence to create four dots ( . . . .).

Direct students to “The Last Shot” (221–222). Ask students to read just the first line of each of the first three stanzas.

Instruct Students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is the purpose of those three periods that appear repeatedly in the first three lines of these stanzas?”

n A period indicates a pause or break between sentences, so three periods in a row must be a big pause.

n Those three periods are supposed to make the reader pause or slow down.

n Josh might be trying to make the poem sound like the countdown at the end of a game.

n Those punctuation marks slow the reader down to emphasize how fast the rest of the events are happening, just like in a real game—time seems to slow down yet speed up all at once!

Provide the following definition for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word

ellipsis (n.)

Meaning

A punctuation mark that indicates a pause or word that has been left out of a sentence.

Students explore how ellipses indicate a pause for readers. Also, note that an ellipsis includes a space between each period and a space before and after the ellipsis mark.

Students return to the text of “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise” (http://witeng.link/0732). Ask students to find the ellipsis mark. Read aloud the first two lines of the second stanza, pausing for the ellipsis.

Think Aloud to answer the question: “What effect does the ellipsis have when reading aloud and to ourselves?”

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The ellipsis in the text makes it seem like the poet is trying to remember an example, so she’s collecting her thoughts.

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Nearly all of the sentences before that one start with Like and are fairly long, with no pauses. This ellipsis can give the poet and the reader a break before another long list of examples.

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The poet seems to be changing topics. The first stanza starts with “Sometimes silence is the loudest kind of noise.” This stanza starts a new thought, so the ellipsis can help with the organization of ideas.

Instruct student pairs to silently reread lines 34–36, paying extra attention to how they would account for the ellipsis in line 35. Then, ask students to read the lines aloud to their partners and discuss: “Why might there be a pause in this line?”

Circulate as pairs discuss, highlighting thoughtful responses to the entire class.

n When performing, the poet could use that pause to look into the audience and gesture at people.

n The ellipsis builds suspense. Who got the note?

n The poet mentions a note in the previous line but then pauses at “he” so that readers might wonder what’s coming next. The note that he wrote her? That he gave her? That he lost? “Passed her” helps readers visualize a classroom with the students passing the note along. Since the speaker is an adult, it’s a nostalgic image.

Land

Students reread the first two stanzas of “Free Throws” (Alexander 234—237). Then, students put an ellipsis in the sentence, “Dad once made / fifty free throws / IN A ROW” (234).

Students Mix and Mingle, sharing their readings with their classmates. Students read aloud to each other, pausing for the ellipses that they added to the lines. Then, each student stands and delivers their version of the line to the whole class.

Remind students that throughout this module they will perform various poems—even some of their own. Ensure that they know to pause when reading an ellipsis, and inform them that when they write their own poems, they must consider where to place pauses to build suspense and tension, organize their ideas, or imitate their thought processes.

FOCUSING QUESTION: LESSONS 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

Lesson 19

TEXTS

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“Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni, text (http://witeng.link/0735) and video (http://witeng.link/0736) ƒ

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa, text (http://witeng.link/0725) and video (http://witeng.link/0734)

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The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, page 204

Lesson 19: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Assessing Content and Expression

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

View a Poetic Performance and a Poetic Reading (10 min.)

Analyze a Poem (12 min.)

Compare Different Ways to Express Poetry (15 min.)

Examine a New Speaking Goal (5 min.)

Perform a Poem (17 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

ƒ Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Examine Dashes and Commas (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2

Writing ƒ W.8.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.8.1, SL.8.2, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.2.a

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 19A: Poetic Performance and Reading Analysis ƒ

Sticky notes

Learning Goals

Determine the relationship among content, audience, and oral expression in “Nikki-Rosa” and “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (RL.8.2, SL.8.1).

Collaboratively complete Handout 19A.

Apply an understanding of tailoring speaking to an audience to a reading of “Nikki-Rosa” or “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (SL.8.1).

Perform “Nikki-Rosa” or “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” using expression appropriate to the audience.

Explain the function of a dash and a comma in sentences (L.8.2.a).

Complete an Exit Ticket that replaces comma with dash in a poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 19

Organize: What’s happening in poetic performances?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 19

Examine: Why is tailoring speaking to audience important?

Students watch another Def Jam poetic performance as well as a more traditional poetry reading, by Yusef Kumonyakaa. They consider the relationship among content, oral expression, and audience. Students apply this understanding by varying their readings of “Nikki-Rosa” and “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” before writing about the relationship between content, oral expression, and audience.

Welcome

5 MIN.

ASSESSING CONTENT AND EXPRESSION

Post the question: “Which is more important: what you say or how you say it?”

Students write their answer on a sticky note. When students are finished, they post their sticky notes below the corresponding part of the question.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “How does the learning from the previous lesson connect to this lesson’s Content Framing Question?”

n We are watching multiple performances. In the previous lesson, we only watched one performance.

n In the last lesson, we listed the different parts of poetic performance. Now we are going to see what’s happening with poetic performances in different examples.

n We are building on the understanding of the previous lesson.

59 MIN.

VIEW A POETIC PERFORMANCE AND A POETIC READING

Whole Group

10 MIN.

Students watch two new videos: a second Def Jam performance, and a reading by Yusef Komunyakaa.

As they watch, students note initial observations about the poems, the poets, and the settings of the performances.

Play the video of “Nikki-Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni (http://witeng.link/0736—1:30).

Play the video of “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Komunyakaa (http://witeng.link/0734—2:36).

Students share responses. Possible responses include the following:

n Giovanni is greeted by someone onstage and is also performing to an enthusiastic audience.

n Giovanni is wearing an oversized sweater and casual pants, with a loose tie.

n The stage Giovanni reads from is low to the ground and extends out to the audience.

n Giovanni is reading in a fast, conversational tone from a page.

n Giovanni slows down as she finishes her poem and gets a lot of applause.

n Komunyakaa is reading with not much change in tone.

n Komunyakaa is reading from a page, but there is no applause or noise from the audience.

n You cannot see the audience in the video of Komunyakaa, but he is standing onstage with a microphone in front of a velvet curtain.

n Komunyakaa is dressed in a suit coat and dress shirt.

n Komunyakaa reads his poem slowly.

ANALYZE A POEM

Small Groups

12 MIN.

Display and distribute copies of “Nikki-Rosa” (http://witeng.link/0735) and Handout 19A. Students take out their copies of “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (from Lesson 4). Assign small groups one of the poems so that roughly half the class reads “Nikki-Rosa” and the other half reads “Slam, Dunk, & Hook.”

Small groups reread their assigned poem aloud and collaboratively complete Handout 19A.

COMPARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO EXPRESS POETRY 15 MIN.

Small Groups

Groups watch each video for a second time, noting what they see and hear, considering the poet’s oral expression and body movements.

Remind students to use the Poetic Performance Anchor Chart from the previous lesson to develop their observations. Consider reviewing the Poetic Performance anchor chart as a refresher.

Tell students they will rewatch the videos, and instruct them to jot notes about any similarities and differences they see between the two performances.

Play “Nikki-Rosa” and “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” for a second time.

Ask: “What similarities do you find in the two videos? What are the differences?”

Sample student responses:

Commonalities (Compare)

n Both poets read with a steady tone.

n Both poets read from a paper; they do not have their poems memorized.

n Both poets read their poems clearly and do not add emphasis by singing or raising their voices.

Differences (Contrast)

n Komunyakaa addresses the audience and explains where his poem comes from.

n Giovanni reads from her paper but also looks at the audience.

n Giovanni uses her hands like she is in conversation with the audience.

EXAMINE A NEW SPEAKING GOAL 5 MIN.

Whole Group

Explain that speakers and performers use specific strategies to engage an audience, and that today, students will examine a new Speaking Goal that will help them prepare for a presentation to an audience.

Display the Craft Question:

Examine: Why is tailoring speaking to audience important?

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you think the Speaking Goal ‘Tailor Speaking to Audience’ might mean when someone is giving a presentation?”

n We should think about who will be listening and responding to our presentation when we plan it.

n When we are giving a presentation, we should not only think about what we say but how we say it.

n I wonder how someone could tailor speaking.

n If I am in an audience, I want the speaker to communicate with me. This goal might mean that we think about how to do that.

Facilitate a brief whole-group discussion, and chart student responses.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How might the goal ‘Tailor Speaking to Audience’ help us give better presentations?”

n If we think about how to change our presentation to connect with the audience, the audience will be more interested. If they are interested, the presentation will be more successful.

n If we practice how to deliver our presentations using different elements, our presentations and performances will be more convincing.

n If we use these strategies, we will be able to communicate better with our audiences.

Students record observations in their Response Journal.

Explain that whenever students have an opportunity to present in this module, they should practice the goal to “Tailor Speaking to Audience.”

PERFORM A POEM 17 MIN.

Small Groups

Remind students of the Craft Question and discussion.

Explain that an audience can affect how a speaker delivers their work.

Def Jam was a televised reading. The audience on the set and watching their TVs expect a lively performance. Komunyakaa, who was reading at a university, would not have been expected to deliver his work in a physically dynamic manner. His setting is more formal, like a classroom lecture.

Ask: “How is each type of oral expression effective?”

Have students experiment by performing their poem for an audience of the other poet.

Pair small groups, matching each group with a group that focused on the other poem.

Groups who analyzed the Komunyakaa poem perform “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” as if their group were a Def Jam audience. Groups who analyzed the Giovanni poem read “Nikki-Rosa” as if they were at a university. Small groups perform for each other.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Using their notes, students complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket: three ways the audience shaped the expression in their performance, two ways their understanding of the poem changed with the new audience, and one thing they learned about the power of storytelling from this activity.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework.

Analyze Context and Alignment

Students determine the relationship among content, audience, and oral expression in “NikkiRosa” and “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” (RL.8.2, SL.8.1). Handout 19A is primarily about analysis of the texts and should not require an additional viewing before the comparison activity.

Circulate during the small-group performances and readings. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ

ƒ

Recognizes the choices poets and speakers make.

Connects these choices to the relationship of the speaker to their audience, a crucial skill for students to consider when they are speaking.

Next Steps

If students need additional support building an understanding of the relationship between audience and choices in oral expression, consider providing additional scenarios for students to experiment with. For example, what would it sound like to perform for their friends versus in front of the whole school? At a birthday party versus at a funeral? Students can brainstorm these scenarios independently to consider how audience and context influences choices speakers make in expression.

Lesson 19: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Examine Dashes and Commas

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, page 204, “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa, text (http://witeng.link/0734)

ƒ

Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Explain the function of dashes and commas in sentences (L.8.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION:

Lesson 19

Examine: Why are the dash and comma important?

Launch

Refresher on dashes

ƒ

The dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark that can be used in place of commas, parentheses, and colons for emphasis and readability.

ƒ Dashes can set off an interrupter in a sentence in the place of commas to make the sentence more readable (sometimes because the sentence already contains a number of commas).

ƒ Dashes can be used in place of parentheses to draw more attention to the content.

ƒ Dashes can replace a colon to emphasize the end of a sentence.

Direct students to “Mom, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so angry” (204). Point to the dashes, and tell students to read lines 6–7, paying close attention to the dashes. Students record their observations about the purpose of the dashes in those two lines.

Call on students to share their ideas, and record their responses on the board.

n In line 6, the dash introduces words that describe or explain what came before it.

n In line 7, the dash sets off information that clarifies what came before it.

n The dashes seem to cause a pause that makes the information coming after it seem like an afterthought.

Ask students to brainstorm what other punctuation mark could function the same way as the dash does in these two lines. Reveal that commas can function in the same way.

Reveal that today, students will study the dash to learn how they can insert powerful pauses into their writing.

Learn

Tell students that dashes are not to be confused with the shorter line, the hyphen, which is used to break words up into smaller parts, or to make compound words. The dash is used to create pauses in formal and informal writing.

Remind students that they observed that the dash is sometimes used the same way as a comma.

Display the following sentence pairs:

ƒ

The way Josh treats JB causes Miss Sweet Tea to dislike Josh—for now.

ƒ

ƒ

The way Josh treats JB causes Miss Sweet Tea to dislike Josh, for now.

Mr. Bell doesn’t want to go to the doctor because he’s afraid of what he’ll find out—just like his father.

ƒ

Mr. Bell doesn’t want to go to the doctor because he’s afraid of what he’ll find out, just like his father.

Ask: “How does the punctuation affect your understanding and reading of the sentences?” Allow students a minute to read the sentence pairs aloud to a partner.

n When reading the sentences, I paused a bit longer in the sentences with a dash.

n The dash seems to indicate a shift in the first sentence, more than the comma, which just feels like an addition to the end.

n The dash makes the information that follows feel like an afterthought that the writer really wants to get into the sentence. It’s a bit less formal than a comma.

In formal writing, dashes are used to emphasize a point, indicate a change in thought, or provide a related afterthought. In formal writing, you might see one dash in a sentence, usually toward the end. However, in informal writing, authors use the dash just as often as they would a comma, semicolon, colon, or parentheses.

Scaffold

If students do not remember the functions of colons, semicolons, and parentheses, post a refresher to allow them to answer the question.

ƒ

: Colon—Introduces lists and separates two independent clauses when the second sentence explains the first. E.g., “Be sure to remember the parts of a letter: salutation, greeting, body, and closing.” “Don’t let success get to your head: remain humble.”

ƒ

; Semicolon—Separates two related independent clauses. E.g., “Poetry is studied in nearly every classroom; however, poems are designed to be read aloud.”

ƒ

( ) Parentheses—Enclose a short comment/example or information that is not essential to understanding a sentence. E.g., “Poets employ various kinds of punctuation (such as dashes, colons, and ellipses) to indicate how to read the poem.”

Students Stop and Jot what they remember about using commas.

Using Equity Sticks, call on students, and write their responses on the board.

n Commas signal a pause.

n Commas separate items in a list.

n Commas are placed before coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences.

n Commas separate coordinate adjectives.

n Commas set off additional, secondary information.

n Commas separate introductory elements from the rest of a sentence.

n Use a comma to set off interrupters or to directly address someone.

n Use commas with dialogue.

n Use commas to separate a day from a date and after a name in the opening and closing of a letter or email.

Scaffold

If students cannot remember comma rules, post sample sentences using commas in the ways indicated above, and ask students to identify comma rules.

Emphasize that dashes typically indicate a longer pause than a comma when reading aloud. Poets place emphasis on the information that follows or on the shift in thought.

Land

Display the following lines from “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”:

“In the roundhouse Labyrinth our bodies Created, we could almost Last forever, poised in midair Like storybook sea monsters.”

“Dribble, drive to the inside, & glide like a sparrow hawk.”

Students complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following directions: “Replace the commas with dashes. Where does the dash best fit? Explain your answer.”

TEACHER NOTE

Based on the instruction students received in the Deep Dive, the best place for a dash is after “forever” because what follows provides a related afterthought. However, students may also choose to place a dash after “dribble” and “inside” because of the effect of the dash when reading the poem. The dash would provide a sudden stop to mirror the actions.

When students practice reading poems aloud, they should make note of the dashes and commas to provide a faithful reading of the poem.

Lesson 20

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise,” Bassey Ikpi

“Nikki-Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Yusef Komunyakaa

Lesson 20: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Brainstorm Adjectives

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Perform a Fluent Reading (9 min.)

Collect Evidence (10 min.)

Participate in a Socratic Seminar (25 min.)

Revise a Fluent Reading (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Dashes and Commas (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.5

Speaking and Listening

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SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.2.a

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Synthesize an understanding of poetic content, structure, and expression through collaborative conversation with peers (RL.8.5, SL.8.1, SL.8.6).

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Revise choices of expression in a fluent reading of “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” (SL.8.6).

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Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ Handout 20A: Evidence Collection

Complete an Exit Ticket. Employ commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a).

Revise two lines of a poem.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 20

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of content, structure, and expression reveal about poetry?

CRAFT QUESTIONS: Lesson 20

Execute: How do I tailor speaking to an audience?

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar, evaluating the role of content, structure, and expression in poetry. Students also continue their work tailoring speaking to an audience and improving their own poetic performances. This work with speaking and listening scaffolds students to the third Focusing Question Task, for which they will have to perform a poem as part of their assessment.

Welcome

5 MIN.

BRAINSTORM ADJECTIVES

Pairs brainstorm adjectives to describe the various examples of expression they have encountered so far in the module.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Several pairs volunteer their adjectives. Other students share similar adjectives. Create clusters of synonyms.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What story do these adjectives tell about the performances you have viewed? Do you get a sense of the content of the poems from these adjectives? What might be missing?”

59 MIN.

PERFORM A FLUENT READING 9 MIN.

Pairs

Display the first Craft Question:

Execute: How do I tailor speaking to an audience?

Pairs take out Handout 1A: Fluency Homework and individually read aloud “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” to their partner. Students should demonstrate mastery of fluent reading skills, including appropriate pace, tone, expression, emotion, and attention to words and punctuation.

Students hold on to Handout 1A as they will return to their fluent reading later in this lesson.

COLLECT EVIDENCE

Individuals

10 MIN.

Display and distribute Handout 20A: Evidence Collection. Before students participate in a Socratic Seminar, they consider the various poetic performances they have viewed over the last two lessons.

Model the steps on Handout 20A with the whole group.

Students independently complete Handout 20A.

PARTICIPATE IN A SOCRATIC SEMINAR 25

Whole Group

MIN.

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar focused on the various versions of texts that they have read and viewed throughout the module.

The seminar revolves around the following questions: ƒ

What’s most important when performing a poem: the content, structure, or expression? ƒ

What has the greatest impact on expression: the content or structure of a poem? ƒ

How do poets know what type of expression to employ during a performance?

How would Josh Bell read his poetry during a performance of The Crossover?

Students choose three to five words to use strategically in their Socratic Seminar discourse to develop or enhance their ideas. Students who require additional support can use teacher-generated or student-generated word banks.

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Ask: “How did this discussion of expression help you understand our Speaking Goal of ‘Tailor Speaking to Audience’?”

n I understand that, depending on the audience, a speaker needs to use different expressions to communicate the content of their writing.

n I understand that different audiences have different expectations of a speaker.

n By varying expression and emphasis, and using gestures, a speaker can enliven the content of their writing.

REVISE A FLUENT READING 15 MIN. Pairs

Display the second Craft Question:

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

Pairs take out Handout 1A: Fluency Homework.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How might you change your reading based on the conversation you’ve just had about oral expression?”

Students individually read aloud “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad” for a second time, with attention to improving or adapting their choices around expression.

Students complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following questions: “How did you change your reading? What aspect of the conversation on oral expression informed your revision?”

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Facilitate a discussion about the Content Framing Question, and ask: “What did we learn about the roles, effects, and the importance of content, structure, and expression in poetry?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Distribute new copies of Handout 1A. Pairs choose a two-voices poem from The Crossover to practice their fluent reading. In Lesson 23, pairs practice the same poem but perform only one voice in a fluent reading performance.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students should demonstrate an evolving understanding of expression through their multiple fluent readings. Refer to the Grade 8 Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric in Appendix C to adjudicate fluent reading and discussion (SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6). By this point in the module, students should be able to: ƒ

Meet the Speaking and Listening Goals: Listen in Writing, and Tailor Speaking to Audience. ƒ

Vary volume, pacing, and tone during a fluent reading. ƒ

Read with attention to punctuation and line breaks. ƒ

Adapt the performance of a fluent reading.

Next Steps

If necessary, consider having students choose one of the adjectives from the Welcome task to inform their reading of “At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad.” Students might discuss why a certain adjective (e.g., happy) doesn’t really reflect the content of this poem.

Lesson 20: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Experiment with Dashes and Commas

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Texts: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, Kwame Alexander; “Nikka Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni; Studentgenerated writing (definition poem)

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Use commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 20

Experiment: How do dashes and commas work?

Launch

Display the following lines from “Nikki-Rosa”:

Original Edited

and I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me because they never understand Black love is Black wealth and they’ll probably talk about my hard childhood and never understand that all the while I was quite happy

and I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me because they never understand— Black love is Black wealth—and they’ll probably talk about my hard childhood and never understand— all the while I was quite happy

In pairs, students take turns reading the original and the edited lines of the poem.

Ask: “How does your reading and understanding of the lines change between versions?”

n In the edited version, the lines “Black love is Black wealth,” and “all the while I was quite happy” are emphasized. The pauses created by the dashes make the reader slow down and realize that what follows will be important.

n In the original version, the poet points to “Black love is Black wealth” as the idea that White people can’t understand. In the edited version, the pauses emphasize this statement.

Learn

Ask students to recall that they have already explored commas and dashes in poetry. Their understanding should reflect that commas help readers understand the intended meaning of a poem, and dashes emphasize a pause and signal a change in thought or an afterthought.

Display the last stanzas of “Free Throws” (234–237), without punctuation. He dribbles back to the top of the key fixes his eyes on the goal I watch the ball leave his hands like a bird up high skating the sky crossing over us

In pairs, and without consulting the original text, students rewrite the last stanzas to include commas and dashes to demonstrate their understanding of the stanza. Pairs read their versions to another pair and provide feedback about how the pauses affected their understandings of the stanza.

Circulate during this time to ask pairs questions about their decisions and correct any misunderstandings regarding the use of commas and dashes.

Land

Have students retrieve their Occasional Poems, which they composed for Focusing Question Task 2.

Students revise two lines of their definition poems to correctly use a dash and a comma to indicate pauses.

Students practice reading aloud their revised lines with a partner.

Lesson 21

Lesson 21: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Identify Definition Poems

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Plan the Focusing Question Task (14 min.)

Draft a Poem (25 min.)

Practice a Poetic Performance (15 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Metaphor Practice (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5

Writing

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W.8.3, W.8.4

Speaking

ƒ

and Listening

SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.5

MATERIALS

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Assessment 21A: Focusing Question Task 3 ƒ

Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist

Learning Goals

Apply an understanding of form, content, and poetic expression by rewriting a poem from The Crossover as a definition poem (RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, W.8.3).

Complete a draft of a poem, rewritten from The Crossover, and annotate it with strategies for an oral performance.

Analyze metaphors from The Crossover, and convey Josh Bell’s growth over the course of the novel through sportsrelated metaphors (L.8.5).

Create a sports metaphor.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 21–22

Know: How does an examination of poetic expression build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 21

Execute: How do I plan for oral expression in a poetic performance?

In the first half of Focusing Question Task 3, students apply their understanding of poetic form and the relationship between form and content by rewriting a poem from The Crossover as a definition poem. Additionally, students plan for their oral performance of this poem, which they will perform in the following lesson.

Welcome

5 MIN.

IDENTIFY DEFINITION POEMS

Post the following instruction: Return to The Crossover, and identify your favorite definition poem. How would you perform this definition poem?

Students return to The Crossover and identify their favorite definition poem in the novel. Students discuss their choice with a partner. They will revisit their choices later in the lesson.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question. Have a volunteer restate the Focusing Question.

Ask: “What kind of characteristics do the definition poems in The Crossover share?”

n The word that is being defined is always the title.

n The first stanza is always a definition of the word.

n The next three stanzas are examples that start with “As in:”.

n Many of the definition poems end with a question.

Ask: “How do these characteristics relate to the content of the poem?”

n All the examples relate to the definition as well as to Josh’s story.

n The definition poems help readers understand what the word means but also help them to understand an aspect of Josh’s identity.

n The question at the end suggests that the focus of the poem is an experience or situation that Josh is trying to figure out. It’s like he’s trying to define something that is happening or find the meaning of something.

Pairs share with the class ideas they discussed in the Welcome task for performing their chosen definition poems.

Inform students that in this lesson and the next, they will plan for, draft, practice, and then perform an original definition poem based on a poem from The Crossover.

54 MIN.

Remind students that, as they’ve done in Write Likes or revisions earlier in this module, they should adapt the content of the original poem to fit the structure and meaning they want to convey in their definition poem.

Using their completed copies of Assessment 21A, students independently draft a definition poem.

PRACTICE A POETIC PERFORMANCE

Small Groups

15 MIN.

Display the Craft Question: Execute: How do I plan for oral expression in a poetic performance?

Assign Focusing Question Task groups.

Display and distribute Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist.

Groups discuss the following questions: “How do you make decisions about oral expression? What kinds of words, structural elements, or punctuation help signal decisions about expression?”

Individual students annotate their poems with decisions about strategies for oral expression and make a plan for performance.

Group members take turns practicing their performances.

Remind students that it is important to experiment with a variety of versions of their performance. As audience members, the group should offer feedback about effective expression strategies for the performer’s poem and parts of the poem.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How does an examination of poetic expression build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

Students complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following question: “How does your revision of a poem from The Crossover into a new poetic type change your understanding of that poem?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students practice performing their Focusing Question Task poem for a friend or family member in preparation for their performance in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students apply an understanding of form, content, and poetic expression by rewriting a poem from The Crossover as a definition poem (RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, W.8.3). By the end of this lesson, students should have a completed poem and a plan for performance. Student poems should indicate an understanding of the way that changing structure necessitates changes in content. Annotations should reflect an understanding of the various options available to students for poetic performance.

ƒ Note variations in volume and pacing.

ƒ Identify significant punctuation, and/or line breaks, and make a decision about how to express them (e.g., pause, change in inflection). ƒ Decide on an appropriate tone for their reading.

Next Steps

If students need additional support to compose their poems, consider having them complete a Frayer Model for the word they have chosen.

If students have difficulty making decisions about how to perform their poems, consider setting up a media station for students to review poetic performances and watch additional examples to get ideas.

Lesson 21: Vocabulary Deep Dive

Metaphor Practice

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: The Crossover, Kwame Alexander, full text

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Analyze metaphors from The Crossover, and convey Josh Bell’s growth over the course of the novel through sports-related metaphors (L.8.5).

Launch

As a class, review the definition of metaphor: “figurative language that describes people, places, or things as representations or symbols of something else.”

In pairs, students explain why the following examples are metaphors:

ƒ The night was a bottomless pit.

ƒ My heart is a shattered glass.

ƒ This ice cream is a rainbow of flavors!

Possible answers include the following:

n A night that seems to take forever to end is not literally “a bottomless pit,” but it feels as if it won’t end.

n A “heart [that] is a shattered glass” means someone has hurt the speaker deeply or broken their figurative, emotional, heart—not the heart that pumps blood to keep people alive.

n “Rainbow of flavors” means something tastes so good you can taste as many flavors as there are colors of the rainbow. Each flavor is not literally part of a rainbow.

Learn

Analyze metaphors using the chart below. Students find metaphors in the novel, explain the meaning of each, and then describe the effect.

Metaphor Explanation Effect

“… our backboard is splintered” (204). The family is broken and shattered by the father’s heart attack.

The poet uses an image from basketball to describe the way the family feels after the father’s heart attack. The backboard keeps the basket in place so that players can shoot. Like the backboard, Josh and JB’s father keeps them playing, keeps them together. Without him, they feel broken and lost.

Ask students to create a sports metaphor to describe Josh’s journey.

n Josh plays defense throughout the book. Sometimes he has to move backward to go forward.

n When angered, Josh unleashes fouls on his whole family.

n Josh is benched for a good portion of the novel; he is isolated from family, friends, and basketball.

n Josh earns the extra point at the end of the novel; he gets his brother back.

Lesson 22

Lesson 22: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Share Performance Experiences

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Create: Focusing Question Task (44 min.)

Complete a Self-Assessment (10 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Express Knowledge

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Dashes and Commas (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5

Writing ƒ W.8.6

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ

L.8.2.a, W.8.3.c

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Demonstrate understanding of how form, content, and expression work together to convey a poem’s key themes (W.8.6, SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6).

Perform a poem, and complete a self-assessment.

Use commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a, W.8.3.c).

Assess peers’ recordings.

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Multimedia recording equipment ƒ

Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 18–22

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 21–22

Know: How does an examination of poetic expression build my knowledge of the power of storytelling?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 22

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

In the second phase of Focusing Question Task 3, students demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between form, content, and expression as they perform the poem they wrote in the previous lesson, recording and self-assessing their performance.

Welcome

5 MIN.

SHARE PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCES

Individuals write one revision they made to their plan for oral performance and explain, in a sentence, why they made the change.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Have a volunteer restate the Craft Question:

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

Ask: “Did you adapt your expression based on who you were performing for? Was performing for a family member or friend different from performing for your classmates? What changes did you make to your performance plan as a result of your practice performances?”

54 MIN.

CREATE: FOCUSING QUESTION TASK 44 MIN.

Small Groups

Groups assign each member a role for each performance. As one student performs, another should be responsible for recording that performance, and other group members assess their peer and offer feedback.

Assign a peer to assess each student’s performance. As the student performs, the assigned peer takes notes, using the criteria on Handout 21B. Tell students they will return to this assessment during the Deep Dive.

Students perform their Focusing Question Task poems while being recorded.

Consider allowing time for students to record several versions of their performance and choose the best recording for assessment.

COMPLETE

Individuals

A SELF-ASSESSMENT

10 MIN.

Students use Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist to self-assess their performance.

10 MIN.

EXPRESS KNOWLEDGE

Students respond to the following question in their Knowledge Journal: “How does an examination of poetic expression build your knowledge of the power of storytelling?”

Sample student responses for Knowledge Journal: Knowledge of World Knowledge of Ideas Knowledge of Skills

Audience and context has a huge influence over the way people choose to express themselves and their art.

The way I choose to express an idea can allow others to understand the idea and my perspective about it.

Facilitate a brief discussion of responses.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students continue their fluency homework.

Varying my expression based on audience and intended meaning can be a way to express myself and my meaning clearly.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students demonstrate the understanding that form, content, and expression work together to convey a poem’s key themes (SL.8.1, SL.8.6). See Appendix C both for this Focusing Question Task’s criteria for success and for the Grade 8 Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric.

Next Steps

If students struggle, consider assigning students a second type of audience and having them create two recordings to compare their choices when faced with a different context for their performance. Before moving on, ensure students understand the various possibilities for poetic performances and the ways in which audience can influence expression, which in turn can influence meaning, just like form and structure can influence meaning.

Group students by similar needs, and plan small-group support for these skills to set students up for success with their next Focusing Question Task.

Lesson 22: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Execute Dashes and Commas

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: Student-generated writings and recordings from Focusing Question Task 3

ƒ Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Use commas and dashes to create pauses for emphasis in poetry (L.8.2.a).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 22

Excel: How do dashes and commas work in writing and performance?

Launch

Pair students to listen to a partner’s recording of Focusing Question Task 3, students’ original poems.

As students listen to one another’s recordings, ask them to listen for and then write a line they heard that they think included a comma and/or dash.

Using the criteria on Handout 21A, peers assess their partner’s recording for the effective use of dashes and commas.

Have peers write one line their partners read effectively, using dashes and commas to pause for emphasis.

Peers briefly explain why this line was an effective use of a dash and/or comma. Ask: “What did your partner achieve with this use of punctuation?”

Peers share their written poems with their partners to confirm if their partner heard the correct lines with dashes and/or commas.

TEACHER NOTE

If possible, set up the classroom so that pairs listen to recordings on headphones. Alternatively, spread students out to sit together in various points of the room with laptops or other devices so they have relatively quiet areas for listening and discussion.

Learn

Peers assess their partners’ recordings, completing the second column of Handout 21A.

Land

Students use Handout 21A to document and share feedback of their peer review.

To scaffold academic discussion, post sentence frames for students to use as they share their peer assessments:

TEACHER NOTE

Line is an effective use of a dash or a comma. With this use of punctuation, you communicated that you wanted to signal (e.g., a pause, a change in thought).

You could have used a dash or a comma more effectively. In line , you could have added a , to signal (e.g., a pause, a change in thought).

Lesson 23

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson 23: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Visualize a Description

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Perform a Fluent Reading (12 min.)

Read “Your Brain on Fiction” (15 min.)

Understand the Impact of Stories on the Brain (27 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Evoke, elicit (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4

Writing ƒ W.8.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ

L.8.4, L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.c, L.8.5.b

MATERIALS

Handout 1A: Fluency Homework ƒ

Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist ƒ

Handout 23A: Summarizing “Your Brain on Fiction”

Learning Goals

Delineate the ways in which stories can have an observable effect on individuals (RI.8.2).

Complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket.

Compare and contrast evoke and elicit to understand better the distinct meanings of the words (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.b).

Complete an Exit Ticket to analyze the effect of the author’s word choice.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 23

Distill: What are the central ideas of “Your Brain on Fiction”?

In this Focusing Question sequence, students turn their attention from the power of performance to the psychological and social power stories have to help us make sense of ourselves and our experiences. Students begin by tracing the main ideas of “Your Brain on Fiction,” an article from The New York Times that addresses the physiological and interpersonal effects of reading stories. Students also engage in a partner fluency performance.

VISUALIZE A DESCRIPTION

Display the following sets of sentences:

Set 1:

“The singer had a velvet voice.”

“The singer had a pleasing voice.”

Set 2:

“He had leathery hands.”

“He had strong hands.”

Pairs choose a listener and speaker role. The speaker reads the first set of sentences aloud while the listener closes their eyes, concentrating on the words being read. Students switch roles for the second set of sentences.

Launch

10 MIN.

Ask: “Which sentence in each set provided a stronger mental image?”

Tally and display responses. Tell students they will return to these later in the lesson.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Reflecting on what you have learned so far in this module, how would you answer our new Focusing Question?”

Students record their responses in the Reflections section of their Knowledge Journal. Possible responses include:

n Storytelling can help people express who they are and what’s important to them.

n Storytelling can help someone figure out who they are.

n Storytelling is a way for someone to express their sense of self and understanding of the world.

n Storytelling allows a person to express emotions during difficult situations.

n Storytelling allows others to understand the emotions or experiences of a person.

n Storytelling can give a history of a person or family.

n Storytelling can create a bond between people. It can be a way for families or friends to share and remember important experiences.

n Storytelling gives a structure to a group of events or experiences so people can understand how something happened, why it happened, and what the outcome was.

n Storytelling can help people make sense of their past and make decisions about their future.

n Storytelling uses descriptive and sensory language to help someone imagine what’s happening and think about an experience in a new way.

Display and discuss student responses, guiding students to see the power of storytelling in helping us understand ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Tell students that they gleaned this understanding largely from reading a fictional story—the novelin-verse. Explain that scientists have also reached some of the same conclusions and that in this lesson, they will read an informational text written from a scientific perspective that will develop their understanding of the power of storytelling.

54 MIN.

PERFORM A FLUENT READING 12 MIN.

Pairs

Pairs take out Handout 1A: Fluency Homework and prepare for their fluent reading performance of a free-verse poem with dialogue from The Crossover

Students reference Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist used for their Focusing Question Task 3 performances.

Partners read their free-verse poem with dialogue aloud to the class. Students should demonstrate mastery of fluent reading skills, including appropriate pace, tone, expression, emotion, and attention to words and punctuation.

READ “YOUR BRAIN ON FICTION” 15 MIN.

Individuals

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

evocative (adj.)

Usually brings out a response, thoughts, feelings, or emotions. expressive, suggestive, vivid elicit (v.)

To bring out something that is latent or hidden. draw, evoke, pull hone (v.)

To make something better for a specific use than it was before. sharpen, perfect functional (adj.)

Made to have a real and practical use. handy, useful theory (n.)

A suggested description of a thing or idea that is often a result of thinking that cannot be physically represented.

assumption, concept, supposition engage (v.)

To hire or pay for a service. employ, retain

TEACHER NOTE

Create a glossary to define words that are critical to understanding this text and may be difficult for students to determine meaning from context. Find a list of words to define for this text in Appendix B. Allow students to refer to these glossaries when reading and rereading the text.

Perform a fluent reading of “Your Brain on Fiction” (http://witeng.link/0737) by Annie Murphy Paul for students.

Extension

Explain the field of neuroscience and the concept of the brain having regions, and show a diagram of the brain with its regions. Students don’t need to know the names or memorize what the regions do, just that the brain specializes in different functions. Consider showing an image of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner and explaining the basic concept of the technology, which measures activity in the brain’s different regions.

Students reread the article, numbering each paragraph, defining unknown words, and annotating sentences and phrases that they think contain main points.

UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF STORIES ON THE BRAIN

Small Groups

27 MIN.

Small groups discuss and respond to the following TDQs. Students record their answers in their Response Journal.

Discuss each question and question part as a whole group before moving on to the next to ensure student understanding.

Have small groups rotate as first respondents to further check student understanding.

1. What’s happening in your brain when you read stories?

n Different parts of the brain are activated when reading stories. Words evoking smells, like lavender activate a part of the brain that deals with language processing and smells.

n Stories let the brain experience a character’s hidden actions or motivations.

n When there is action happening in stories, the part of the brain that deals with motion is stimulated.

2. According to the article, stories makes the brain run “vivid simulations of reality.” What does simulation mean?

n Simulation means “a copy or reproduction of a process or circumstance.”

n The brain considers reading about something and “encountering [an experience] in real life” (Paul) to be about the same. So, the brain sees a story of an event as equal to experiencing that event.

3. How do metaphors influence the brain?

n Metaphors activate the language processing part of the brain. But they can also activate the sensory part of the brain if they are vivid and descriptive.

n Metaphors or figures of speech that are common, like “a rough day,” only activate the language part of the brain.

n Vivid or imaginative metaphors activate the part of the brain that senses—the “sensory cortex” is activated.

Remind students of the Launch activity of this lesson.

Ask: “Did your findings correspond with the research? How does this research develop your understanding of the role of descriptive and sensory language in (your) narrative writing?”

Scaffold

Consider posing the following two questions to scaffold student understanding of the previous TDQ.

3a. What kind of language stimulates the brain?

n Sensory language, like metaphors that describe touch (e.g., “leathery hands”), stimulates the brain.

n Language “describing motion” (Paul) stimulates the brain.

3b. What happens to our brains when we read descriptions of physical activity?

n The part of the brain that controls motion, or “coordinates the body’s movements” (Paul), is stimulated.

4. PART A: What opportunity does fiction offer that is “unavailable off the page”?

A. The opportunity to imagine activities and smells that we aren’t experiencing.

B. The opportunity to improve literacy skills and vocabulary.

C. The opportunity to experience other people’s thoughts and feelings.

D. The opportunity to escape from real life into fantasy.

4. PART B: Mark the following quotes with Y if they support the answer to PART A, or N if they do not support the answer to PART A.

n “[T]here was substantial overlap in the brain networks used to understand stories and the networks used to navigate interactions with other individuals.”

n “[I]ndividuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people.”

n “[T]he possibility that more empathetic individuals might prefer reading novels.”

n “[C]hildren often watch TV alone, but go to the movies with their parents.”

n PART A: C.

n PART B: Y, Y, N, N.

5. What is the relationship between reading stories and the “theory of mind”?

n Reading stories gives a person opportunities to imagine how others people think and feel, which is the “theory of mind.”

n The “theory of mind” is how a person thinks about someone else’s intentions or motivations. Reading stories gives a person more practice with this part of the brain. Therefore, reading stories improves interactions with other people.

6. What does it mean that reading fiction helps people to empathize with one another?

n Empathize means “to understand someone else’s thoughts, feelings, or situation.”

n Reading fiction allows us to “enter fully into other people’s thoughts and feelings” (Paul), which helps us better understand them.

n Reading fiction helps people “understand the complexities of social life” (Paul). That means that stories give us examples of complex social problems and experiences. They can offer practice in how to deal with those things in real life.

Distribute Handout 23A: Summarizing “Your Brain on Fiction.”

Small groups complete Handout 23A.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Distill: What are the central ideas of “Your Brain on Fiction”?

Students complete a 3–2–1 Exit Ticket, writing three effects reading fiction has on the reader, two surprising things they learned, and one reason reading “improves us as human beings.”

Wrap

1 MIN.

Inform students that they will return to this article later in this Focusing Question sequence.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students delineate the ways in which stories can have an observable effect on individuals (RI.8.2). It is important that students come away from the lesson understanding that stories affect our brains, as well as our understanding of the world and people around us. They should also understand the specific effects that descriptive and sensory language have on our brains so they can build their understanding of the role of descriptive and sensory language in writing. Student responses to the 3–2–1 Exit Ticket may include the following:

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Three effects of reading fiction are: the brain is stimulated, the brain develops a better “theory of the mind,” reading makes people more empathetic.

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Two surprising things I learned are: reading fiction actually has an effect on the brain and reading fiction can change the way we see the real world.

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One reason reading “improves us as human beings” is: reading allows people to understand one another better so they can treat one another with more kindness.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty understanding the central ideas of the text, consider leading a wholegroup discussion of the questions after conducting a Read-Aloud.

If students have difficulty with the scientific or conceptual understanding of the neuroscience conversation, consider displaying a diagram of the brain and discussing with students both the way the brain works as an organ and its more abstract role as the place where thoughts and feelings are formed.

Explore Content Vocabulary: Evoke, elicit

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737); Student-generated responses to Exit Ticket

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Vocabulary Learning Goal: Compare and contrast evoke and elicit to understand better the distinct meanings of the words (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.b).

Launch

Ask students to use their definitions of elicit and evocative in their Vocabulary Journal to assist them, and display the following sentence frame:

The slow music images of a lazy, calm summer’s day.

ƒ Elicits.

ƒ Evokes.

Poll the class to see which word students would choose. Ask students to raise their hands for a or b

Explain that evokes is the best choice because the music is causing “images” to appear in the listener’s mind.

Learn

Reiterate that the Paul article suggests that descriptive language in stories can activate parts of the brain that control the senses. Two words that relate to this process are evoke and elicit; elicit was already defined for students, as was a version of evoke, evocative.

Ask students to look at a dictionary to explore more detailed definitions and determine the nuances in meaning. Explain to students that, just as paintings might have variations in shades of a single color, words similarly have slight, subtle differences in meanings called nuances.

TEACHER NOTE

Merriam-Webster’s definitions of the words highlight the imaginative quality of the word evoke, “to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind,” whereas elicit is linked to concrete information and an actual response; it is specifically defined as “to call forth or draw out (as information or a response).” If different versions of dictionaries do not make this distinction, post Merriam-Webster’s definitions for students.

Instruct students to complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast evoke and elicit

Draw a Venn diagram on the board for elicit and evoke, and elicit responses from student pairs. Emphasize that while the two words are very similar, the nuance exists in the kinds of responses and the way they are expressed. Evoke has a more precise meaning and cannot always replace elicit. Land

Students complete an Exit Ticket by finding an example in the article of Paul’s use of either evoke/evocative or elicit. Ask students to explain to a partner why the author chose this verb or adjective in a particular sentence. Students discuss what their choice of words reveals about their ideas about storytelling.

Paul uses evocative in paragraph 2 to show us that figurative language like metaphors in stories don’t just provide information, they generate a powerful emotional response, too.

Lesson 24: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Assess Sensory Appeals Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Read “The Man Made of Words” (20 min.)

Summarize “The Man Made of Words” (29 min.)

Write to Learn (10 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Explore Content Vocabulary: Venerable, whimsy, conjure (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4

Writing

ƒ W.8.2

Speaking and Listening

ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.c, L.8.5.b

MATERIALS

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Handout 24A: An Excerpt from “The Man Made of Words”

Learning Goals

Identify ideas the essay expresses about the imaginative power of language and stories (RI.8.2, RI.8.4, W.8.2).

Write a reflective paragraph.

Clarify the meanings of whimsy, venerable, and conjure, using a dictionary, to analyze the effect of their connotations in developing the character of Ko-sahn (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

Complete an Exit Ticket to analyze the effect of the author’s word choices.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 24

Organize: What’s happening in “The Man Made of Words”?

Students continue their work examining the large-scale impact of stories. In the last lesson, they examined the potential social power that stories hold: they help humans navigate social situations, become more empathetic to others, and understand different views of the world. In this lesson, students begin their study of an excerpt from N. Scott Momaday’s “The Man Made of Words” to consider the imaginative power of stories. Students begin by noticing and wondering about central ideas in this literary nonfiction essay and end by writing a response that captures their initial thinking.

Welcome

5 MIN.

ASSESS SENSORY APPEALS

Display the following prompt: In the previous lesson, we learned that vivid metaphors stimulate the sensory cortex of the brain. Which sense is most important to stimulate, or evoke, in writing?

Students indicate which sense they feel is the most important to evoke. Inform students that they will revisit their chosen sense later in the lesson.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that students continue their work examining the large-scale impact of stories. Remind them that in the last lesson, they examined the potential social power that stories hold: they help humans navigate social situations, become more empathetic to others, and understand different views of the world. In this lesson, they read an excerpt from N. Scott Momaday’s “The Man Made of Words” to begin to understand the imaginative power of stories.

59 MIN.

READ “THE MAN MADE OF WORDS” 20 MIN.

Small Groups

Display and distribute Handout 24A: An Excerpt from “The Man Made of Words.”

Inform students that N. Scott Momaday is a member of the Kiowa, a Native American tribe that migrated to (what is currently) Oklahoma from Montana in the nineteenth century.

Name Date Class Handout 24A: An Excerpt from “The Man Made of Words” Directions: Read the following excerpt from a lecture given by N. Scott Momaday, published as an essay in 1998; use your Glossary to define any unfamiliar vocabulary words.

want to try to put several different ideas together this morning. And in the process, I hope to indicate something about the nature of the relationship between language and experience. It seems to me that in a certain sense we are all made of words; that our most essential being consists in language. It is the element in which we think and dream and act, in which we live our daily lives. There is no way in which we can exist apart from the morality of a verbal dimension

In one of the discussions yesterday the question “What is an American Indian?” was raised.

The answer of course is that an Indian is an idea which a given man has of himself. And it is a moral idea, for it accounts for the way in which he reacts to other men and to the world in general. And that idea, in order to be realized completely, has to be expressed.

want to say some things then about this moral and verbal dimension in which we live. want to say something about such things as ecology and storytelling and the imagination. Let me tell you a story:

One night a strange thing happened. had written the greater part of The Way to Rainy Mountain—all of it, in fact, except the epilogue. had set down the last of the old Kiowa tales, and had composed both the historical and the autobiographical commentaries for it. I had the sense of being out of breath, of having said what it was in me to say on that subject. The manuscript lay before me in the bright light. Small, to be sure, but complete, or nearly so. had written the second of the two poems in which that book is framed. had uttered the last word, as it were. And yet a whole, penultimate piece was missing. began once again to write.

During the first hours after midnight on the morning of November 13, 1833, it seemed that the world was coming to an end. Suddenly the stillness of the night was broken; there were brilliant flashes of light in the sky, light of such intensity that people were awakened by it. With the speed and density of a driving rain, stars were falling in the universe. Some were brighter than Venus; one was said to be as large as the moon. I went on to say that that event, the falling of the stars on North America, that explosion of meteors which occurred 137 years ago, is among the earliest entries in the Kiowa calendars. So deeply impressed upon the imagination of the Kiowas is that old phenomenon that it is remembered still; it has become a part of the racial memory.

Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal.

Word Meaning Synonyms

utterance (n.) A vocal statement, spoken or delivered in a loud manner. expression, speech distilled (v.) To take out the most significant part or quality of a thing or idea. concentrate, extract recede (v.) To go back from something with one’s body or one’s thoughts and understanding. diminish, retreat

Ask: “What do you notice about this text?”

n The text is an excerpt, meaning it is not the full text.

n The text is from a lecture, which is a kind of speech, meaning it was meant to be spoken aloud.

Ask: “Based on the title, what do you think this text will be about?”

n A person who is made through words, maybe through a story.

n The idea that a person’s identity comes through a story or language.

n The way that words can be put together to make a person more real or understood.

Members of each small group take turns reading “The Man Made of Words” aloud, referring to their Glossay for any unknown or unfamiliar words.

Differentiation

Consider reading the text aloud and instructing students to follow along in their own text as you read.

SUMMARIZE “THE MAN MADE OF WORDS” 29 MIN.

Pairs

Ask: “What are your initial responses to the reading?”

After students share responses, inform them that this excerpt is a nonfiction literary essay, which means that it combines elements of expository and narrative writing.

Now students begin to identify and understand the main ideas in the essay.

Pairs annotate the first paragraph, underlining phrases that indicate the following:

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Momaday’s purpose for speaking.

The main topic of his speech.

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His claim about the topic.

What leads him to make that claim (elaboration on the claim).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share and use their annotations to create a retelling of the first paragraph using their own words to explain the above four bullet points and including one direct quote.

Responses will vary but should cover the following information:

n Momaday is going to talk about how language and experience are connected. He claims that “we are all made of words.” That means that our identities are formed by language. He thinks this is because everything we do in life is expressed in language, or words: dreaming, thinking, and doing things. He says we cannot exist separately from this language aspect, which has to do with morality.

Have pairs reread the essay excerpt aloud to each other, annotating for the following:

What: What happens in the essay? What events occur?

Who: What figures appear in the essay?

When: When does the essay take place?

Where: Where is Momaday, the narrator, in the essay?

Pairs annotate and share responses.

n What:

n Momaday is writing about language, storytelling, and the power of imagination.

n He tells a story about what happened when he was writing the essay.

n He describes an event from 1833. It’s midnight, and there is a meteor shower going on outside.

n Momaday has a conversation with an old woman named Ko-sahn.

n He asks questions at the end of the essay.

n Who:

n Momaday is there, and so is a woman named Ko-Sahn.

n When:

n It takes place in the present, when Momaday is writing his book. But then it goes back in time when he tells the story of the meteor shower from 1833. Then it goes back to the present.

n Where:

n Momaday is in his room writing.

n Momaday says: “I had projected myself—imagined myself—out of the room and out of time. I was there with Ko-sahn in the Oklahoma July.” So it sounds like he goes back to the past.

Ask: “What ideas does Momaday repeatedly discuss in ‘The Man Made of Words’?”

n Momaday repeatedly writes about the “imagination” and what he “imagines” and “dreams.”

n Ideas about “words,” “language,” and “storytelling” repeat throughout the text.

n Stories about the Kiowa history and traditions repeat in the text. Momaday and Ko-sahn tell almost the same story about events from Kiowa history.

Students return to their response from the Welcome task. Ask: “How does your chosen sense relate to your reading of the article?”

Students share responses about whether the article evoked, or could evoke, their chosen sense, and make any connections between the senses and Momaday’s ideas about the power of language and the imagination.

Extension

If time remains, consider having students discuss their reactions to Ko-sahn’s appearance in the text. Remind students that this is a nonfiction literary essay. Do students wonder if Ko-sahn is “actually” there? Students will have additional opportunity to discuss these ideas in the following lesson.

WRITE TO LEARN 10 MIN.

Individuals

Read aloud the last paragraph of the text.

Ask: “What might Momaday mean when he says that “we are what we imagine”? What might it mean to “imagine … who and what, and that we are”? How are language and stories related to that imagining?

Students write a reflective paragraph.

Students share responses.

n Who we are is not set in stone. Identity isn’t made for us, or something that we just accepted.

n Momaday says we create who we are by imagining ourselves.

n We have the power to imagine how to define ourselves and who we want to be.

n The imagination is one of the things that can shape a person’s sense of self.

n The stories we tell to ourselves and to one another help us imagine ourselves.

n He talks about a Native American being an idea we give ourselves, so he also is talking about a group’s identity. Identity is created through the stories we remember as a group—the stories that get passed down from one generation to the next.

n Individual identity is formed through the things we believe about ourselves and the way others understand and imagine us.

n When Momaday writes that we should imagine “that we are,” he means that it is essential to come up with our own image of what we are. Our identity should be defined in part through our imagination of ourselves.

Land

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Organize: What’s happening in “The Man Made of Words”?

Ask: “How did annotating the article help you understand what’s happening in it?”

Wrap

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reread the essay in preparation for their close reading of it in the next lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students identify ideas Momaday expresses about how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world (RI.8.2). Momaday is approaching this question from a variety of social, cultural, political, and theoretical positions. Students are not expected to engage with the text on all these levels, but in students’ reflective paragraph, consider the following success criteria: ƒ

Observations are drawn from the text; students engage with Momaday’s examples. ƒ

Some attention is paid to imagination, imagining, or dreaming and/or identity, community, and storytelling.

Observations are at least tangentially engaged with the universality of Momaday’s ideas about storytelling and identity—these are ideas inspired by Momaday’s cultural heritage, but the message is for everyone.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty understanding Momaday’s central ideas, encourage and tell them that they will revise this reflective paragraph over the next three lessons as their understanding of both the Momaday text and the incorporation of textual evidence develops. The Write to Learn activity is meant to support students’ initial engagement with the Momaday text, which, given some of the abstract or high-level ideas, might pose a challenge for some students. Struggle at this point in their reading is expected and can be productive.

Explore Content Vocabulary: Venerable

,

whimsy

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Time: 15 min.

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,

and conjure

Text: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Clarify the meanings of whimsy, venerable, and conjure, using a dictionary, to analyze the effect of their connotations in developing the character of Ko-sahn (L.8.4.c, L.8.5.c).

Launch

Students complete a Graffiti Wall, writing all the words that help them imagine Ko-sahn.

n Old.

n Venerable.

n Folded.

n Compacted.

n Distilled.

n Whimsy.

n Conjured. n Ancient.

n One-eyed.

Based on the words they’ve captured, students work in pairs to write a simile to express their understanding of Ko-sahn. Students’ similes may reflect on her age, knowledge, playfulness, or appearance.

Use Equity Sticks to call on three pairs to share their similes.

Learn

Inform students that they will dig deeper into three words to consider why the author chose these words to describe Ko-sahn. Remind students that words have denotations, which are literal definitions found in the dictionary, but that words also have connotations. Connotations are ideas or feelings that words evoke. By looking at the connotations of venerable, whimsy, and conjure, students will better understand the author’s impressions of Ko-sahn.

Assign groups of three one of the words designated in the Vocabulary Learning Goal. Students work in their small groups to record the definitions and connotations of their assigned words in their Vocabulary Journal.

Ask for at least one group for each word to share its findings. Discuss the fact that word choice is very important in storytelling because the connotations of words can drastically shape readers’ impressions of events, places, and characters.

n Based on the definition, it seems venerable is associated with love and respect for a very old, very wise person.

n Whimsy has the connotation of being slightly odd or playful.

n The definition of conjure links it to magic and mystery—maybe even a witch!

Land

Students complete an Exit Ticket to analyze the effects of the author’s word choices.

Ask students to identify an example in the text when the author chose a descriptive word to convey a particular detail about Ko-sahn. Have students explain the author’s choice. (For example, why might the author have chosen the word venerable instead of honorable, or whimsy instead of idea, or conjure instead of produce?)

Lesson 25: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Brainstorm: Facts vs. Story Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Discern the Imaginative Power of Storytelling (25 min.)

Analyze the Impact of Word Choice and Meaning (20 min.)

Incorporate Evidence in Writing (14 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Experiment with Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4

Writing ƒ W.8.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ

L.8.4, L.8.5 ƒ L.7.1.b*

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Analyze how key words and phrases develop the central idea of Momaday’s essay (RI.8.2, RI.8.4).

Complete Handout 25A. Incorporate textual evidence into sentences about Momaday’s essay (W.8.2).

Complete Handout 25B.

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Handout 25A: Five Important Words from “The Man Made of Words” ƒ

Handout 25B: Incorporating Textual Evidence ƒ

Handout 24A: An Excerpt from “The Man Made of Words”

Create complex and compound-complex sentences, and select the sentence that best represents understanding of the Focusing Question (L.7.1.b).

Evaluate how an annotated sentence demonstrates the author’s ideas.

*This lesson includes instruction and/or references to a standard(s) from an earlier grade level.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 25

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of word choice and phrases reveal about the power of in “The Man Made of Words”?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 25

Examine and Experiment: How does incorporating textual evidence work?

Students continue their work with N. Scott Momaday’s “The Man Made of Words,” analyzing how words and phrases in the essay work to develop their understanding of the power that stories have to help us imagine ourselves in the world. Additionally, students practice incorporating evidence from Momaday’s essay into their own writing in preparation for the fourth Focusing Question Task.

Welcome

5 MIN.

BRAINSTORM: FACTS VS. STORY

Pairs brainstorm about the following question: “What is the difference between telling someone a list of facts about an event and telling them a story about those events?”

Launch

5 MIN.

Pairs briefly share their responses.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “How does your response to the Welcome prompt connect to the Content Framing Question for this lesson?”

If students don’t make the connections, prompt them to connect their responses to information from “This Is Your Life (and How to Tell It).”

59 MIN.

DISCERN THE IMAGINATIVE POWER OF STORYTELLING 25 MIN.

Pairs

Pairs review their annotations of “The Man Made of Words” and jot responses to the following questions about the power of language and the imagination.

1. According to Momaday, why do we have language and stories? What function does language serve in relation to the ideas we have of ourselves (paragraphs 1 and 3)?

n Momaday says that the ideas we have about ourselves, our senses of self, are shown through the way we interact with other people and “the world in general.”

n The only way to understand these ideas we have of ourselves is to express them through language and storytelling.

n The relationship between language and experience is that experience is communicated and understood through language. The ways we “think and dream and act” are all communicated through language, as well as “the way we live our daily lives.” Momaday claims that we use language and stories for everything we do.

2. What happens when Momaday speaks the name “Ko-sahn”? How is this an example of the “magic of words” (paragraphs 13, 14, and 15)?

n After Momaday says Ko-sahn’s name, she “step[s] out of the language” and appears in front of him.

n Momaday has “conjured” Ko-sahn through his language in such a way that she actually appears in front of him!

3. How does Momaday react to Ko-sahn’s appearance? How does she respond? Why is existing in someone else’s imagination the “best of all kinds” of being (paragraphs 16 and 17)?

n Momaday reacts with surprise and tells Ko-sahn that she is “not actually here, not here in this room.” She responds by telling him that she has “existence” and “whole being” in his imagination.

n Existing in someone else’s imagination allows Ko-sahn to live on after death; when Momaday remembers her, she exists again through his language and imagination.

4. After Ko-sahn leaves, Momaday writes that he “imagined” he was “alone in the room.” What do you think he means by this (paragraph 21)?

n After the experience with Ko-sahn, Momaday is reconsidering his relationship to “imagination.” Since Ko-sahn was the creation of his imagination and language, but she was as real in the room as he is, he considers being in the room after she disappears to be a product of “imagination” as well.

n The idea is that he creates his reality out of everything around him—his memory, his imagination, his ideas, his environment.

Display or have students repeat their reflective paragraph responses from the last lesson.

n Momaday says we create who we are by imagining ourselves.

n We have the power to imagine how to define ourselves and who we want to be.

n The imagination is one of the things that can shape a person’s sense of self.

n The stories we tell to ourselves and to one another help us imagine ourselves.

n He talks about an Indian being an idea we give ourselves, so he also is talking about a group’s identity. Identity is created through the stories we remember as a group—the stories that get passed down from one generation to the next.

n Individual identity is formed through the things we believe about ourselves, and the way others understand and imagine us.

n When Momaday writes that we should imagine “that we are,” he means that it is essential to come up with our own image of what we are. Our identity should be defined in part through our imagination of ourselves.

Pairs use their TDQ responses and their reflective paragraph responses to write a summary of the central idea of the essay.

Briefly discuss student responses, guiding students to understandings such as the following:

n Momaday believes that it is essential for us to imagine our own identities and use the power of words and stories to express our imaginings.

n Momaday believes that imagination has the power to shape ourselves and our reality.

n Momaday believes that imagination, and specifically the act of imagining stories, gives humans our identity and gives our lives moral meaning.

ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF WORD CHOICE AND MEANING

MIN.

Explain that in keeping with Momaday’s emphasis on the power of language and stories, students decide on five words from the essay that are most essential to understanding the central idea.

Complete the first row of Handout 25A as a whole class, using the following exemplar.

Word Meaning Why is it important? Use it in a sentence

Forming pictures in your mind of things that have not happened or that you did not see or experience.

1. imagination (n.)

The ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.

Forming new ideas or concepts not present to the senses.

Momaday focuses on the idea that imagination has power to shape ourselves and our reality.

When I imagine myself being brave, even when I don’t feel that way, I am more confident to try new things.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion of the exemplar before instructing pairs to complete Handout 25A.

Pairs complete Handout 25A.

INCORPORATE

Pairs

EVIDENCE

IN WRITING 14 MIN.

Display the Craft Question:

Examine and Experiment: How does incorporating textual evidence work?

Inform students that they will now return to the reflective paragraphs they completed in the previous lesson and identify where and how to incorporate textual evidence into their writing.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What do you already know about using textual evidence in writing?”

Record student responses. Possible responses include:

n Textual evidence supports understanding of content.

n Textual evidence can offer examples that make the ideas of writing stronger.

n Textual evidence is necessary when explaining or arguing because it goes beyond the writer’s opinion.

n Textual evidence gives concrete examples that can help the reader understand the purpose of writing.

Explain that along with identifying strong textual evidence, it is necessary to consider how to use this evidence in writing.

Display and distribute Handout 25B: Incorporating Textual Evidence. Students begin experimenting with incorporating evidence in writing.

Pairs read Handout 25B silently to themselves.

Facilitate a brief whole-group discussion of the effectiveness of each set of examples before pairs complete the sentence frames at the end of the handout.

Momaday shows the imaginative power of stories when he states: “we are what we imagine.”

Pairs complete Handout 25B.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of word choice and phrases reveal about the power of stories in “The Man Made of Words”?

Ask: “How did your work with specific words build your understanding of Momaday’s ideas about the power of stories to help us make sense of ourselves and the world?”

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students identify three places in their reflective paragraphs from the previous lesson where they could incorporate evidence. Students revise these reflective paragraphs in the following lesson and complete their second New-Read Assessment.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students analyze how key words and phrases develop Momaday’s central idea of the imaginative power of stories (RI.8.2, RI.8.4). Consider the following success criteria when reviewing Handout 25A: ƒ

Did students choose words or phrases that are central to the text? ƒ

Are the words and phrases defined and used in context? ƒ

Are students connecting these words to bigger ideas in the text?

Next Steps

If students have difficulty structuring their sentences to incorporate evidence, consider showing more model sentences demonstrating the integration of evidence in writing.

Experiment with Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

Text: “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday ƒ

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Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Create complex and compound-complex sentences, and select the sentence that best represents understanding of the Focusing Question (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 25

Examine: How do complex and compound-complex sentences work?

Launch

Sentences Refresher

ƒ

Complex Sentences: Sentences that have one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses are called complex sentences. ƒ

Compound-Complex Sentences: Sentences that contain two or more independent clauses (simple sentences) and one or more dependent clauses are called compound-complex because they are a combination of the two sentence forms.

Identifying Clauses Refresher

ƒ

A clause is a group of words having a subject and a predicate. Clauses may or may not be able to stand alone as a complete sentence. ƒ

Clauses that stand alone as a complete sentence are called independent clauses ƒ Clauses that cannot stand alone are called dependent clauses. (They depend on another clause to form a complete sentence.)

Subordinate Conjunctions

since because even though G8 M1 Lesson 25 WIT & WISDOM®

if as where though while

until so that before that how

although whenever wherever unless 295 © 2023 Great Minds PBC

Display the above Refresher boxes and the following sentences from Momaday’s essay. Have students work in pairs to label the sentence structures as being either complex or compoundcomplex

ƒ

ƒ

“The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined” (complex).

“When I was born she was already old; she was a grown woman when my grandparents came into the world” (compound-complex).

Tell students to stand when they hear the correct sentence structure for each sentence. Recite “simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex” while displaying the two sentences, and ask students to justify their choices, correcting misunderstandings as needed.

Scaffold

Ask students to record the Refreshers in the Skills section of their Knowledge Journal.

Learn

Display the following three sentences. Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “How does the meaning differ depending on the sentence structures?”

ƒ

“We are what we imagine. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves” (Momaday).

ƒ

ƒ

We are what we imagine, and our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves.

Since we are what we imagine, our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves.

n

The first set of sentences are short and call attention to each idea.

n The simple sentences seem a little repetitive, but the author might be trying to make his point.

n In the second sentence, both of the sentences seem equally important.

n The compound second sentence ties the two ideas together with and, so it appears as though the author is elaborating on the first part of the statement.

n

In the third sentence, the point about “our very existence” seems most important because it’s the independent clause.

n

The complex third sentence makes the ideas seem like they have a cause-and-effect relationship.

Review with students the following:

ƒ

Simple sentences are the most common type of sentences and can be expanded with prepositional phrases and transition words. These sentences are best used to grab the reader’s attention or sum up a point. E.g., “We are what we imagine. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves” (Momaday).

ƒ

Compound sentences are useful when writing about two equally important ideas (and) or contrasting ideas (but, yet). E.g., “We are what we imagine, and our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves.”

Complex sentences can show a more specific relationship between ideas or reveal which idea is more important. (e.g., “Since we are what we imagine, our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves.”)

Compound-complex sentences can be used when expressing a complicated relationship and should be used sparingly since they can be confusing. ƒ Storytellers use a variety of sentences in their writing to express their ideas clearly and hold their readers’ interest.

ƒ

Ask students to annotate the excerpt from Momaday’s “The Man Made of Words” to show a few examples of each type of sentence: ƒ Simple (S). ƒ Compound (C). ƒ Complex (CX). ƒ

Compound-complex (CC).

Land

Ask students to evaluate how one of the sentences they annotated demonstrates the author’s ideas.

Provide the following selection of sentence frames to assist students in their evaluation: ƒ

Momaday used the simple sentence (write sentence here) because he wanted to (e.g., “grab the reader’s attention” or “sum up a point”).

ƒ

Momaday used the compound sentence (write sentence here) because he wanted to write about two equally important ideas.

Momaday used the compound sentence (write sentence here) because he wanted to contrast ideas. ƒ

ƒ

Momaday used the complex sentence (write sentence here) to show a specific relationship between ideas or reveal which idea is more important. ƒ

Momaday used the compound-complex sentence (write sentence here) to express a complicated relationship.

Remind students that they will be writing an essay for Focusing Question Task 4 and should be aware of the sentence structures they use so they can clearly and accurately convey their ideas.

26

TEXTS

ƒ

ƒ

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript and video (http://witeng.link/0738)

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737)

Lesson 26: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Develop a Question and Mingle

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Incorporate Evidence (15 min.)

Complete a New-Read Assessment (35 min.)

Discern Central Ideas (9 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Execute Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RI.8.1, RI.8.2

Writing ƒ W.8.2

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.4 ƒ L.7.1.b*

MATERIALS

Handout 25B: Incorporating Textual Evidence ƒ

Assessment 26A: New-Read Assessment 2: “The Danger of a Single Story” ƒ

Slips of paper ƒ Chart paper

*This lesson includes instruction and/or references to a standard(s) from an earlier grade level.

Learning Goals

Analyze how Adichie’s examples define the ways stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world (RI.8.2).

Complete Assessment 26A.

Incorporate evidence into writing, using effective evidence (RI.8.1, W.8.2).

Write three sentences incorporating evidence from “The Danger of a Single Story” using sentence stems.

Choose from among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

Revise two sentences to demonstrate understanding of the punctuation rules for compound and complex sentences.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 26

Know: How does “The Danger of a Single Story” build my knowledge of the power of stories?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 26

Execute: How do I incorporate textual evidence in my writing?

Students complete their second New-Read Assessment of the module, examining the potential for stories to reinforce dangerous or hurtful stereotypes and the power of stories that contain multiple perspectives and complex representations of all kinds of people. Students continue to practice incorporating evidence in writing, considering how they might improve their incorporation and choose the strongest evidence to include.

Welcome

5 MIN.

DEVELOP A QUESTION AND MINGLE

Distribute slips of paper to each student. Students write a question they have about the power of stories.

Conduct a Mix and Mingle. Students find a partner and discuss their questions. Then they exchange questions and find a new discussion partner.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Ask: “Based on your Mix and Mingle, what have we learned about the power of stories so far?”

Explain that in this lesson, students complete New-Read Assessment 2.

INCORPORATE EVIDENCE 15 MIN.

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I incorporate textual evidence in my writing?

Students take out the reflective paragraphs they completed in Lesson 24, and Handout 25B.

Ask: “How did you decide which three places you want to revise to incorporate evidence?”

n A sentence that makes a statement about the language of the essay but doesn’t yet include any examples of that language.

n A sentence that paraphrases Momaday’s central idea and could use a quote to support that idea.

n A sentence that is a little boring or uninteresting that could use an example for interest.

Ask: “Which evidence in Momaday’s essay is most effective for incorporating into your writing?”

n The five most important words would be effective to incorporate because they are all connected to the central idea.

n Short phrases or sentences that support my ideas would be effective because they won’t overwhelm my ideas about the essay.

n Phrases that are particularly beautiful or powerful would be effective to include because they would add interest to my writing.

Remind students that they have been discussing how to incorporate evidence into their writing to support their ideas, but now they must also consider how to choose the strongest evidence to incorporate into their writing.

Ask: “What characteristics make a piece of evidence a strong choice for incorporating into writing?”

n The evidence has unique or distinct wording that makes it stand out.

n The evidence states the ideas more clearly or more effectively than I could through paraphrase.

n The evidence makes sense when taken out of the context of the original text.

n The evidence is not too long; it is concise.

Students revise their reflective paragraphs from Lesson 24 to add three examples of incorporating evidence using the Sentence Frames on Handout 25B.

Assessment 26A:

COMPLETE A NEW-READ ASSESSMENT 35 MIN.

Individuals

Transition to the New-Read Assessment. Display and distribute Assessment 26A: New-Read Assessment 2.

Name Date Class

New-Read Assessment 2: “The Danger of a Single Story”

Directions: Read “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie. After reading, answer the following questions.

1. Why did Adichie once believe all characters in books were White with blue eyes? a. Adichie did not understand what kind of books she was reading as a child. b. Adichie kept reading the same books over and over. c. Adichie had not discovered books by other European writers. d. Adichie only read books about British characters.

2. According to Adichie, what is one way a single story influences a person’s perspective about others? a. A single story makes it difficult for people to get along. b. A single story makes a person say mean things about others. c. A single story makes a person pity others without knowing them well. d. A single story makes a person unable to communicate with others.

3. According to Adichie, which description best describes America’s idea of an actual African person? a. A person who needs to be saved from harm and likes tribal music. b. A person who is irritated when someone thinks Africa is a country. c. A person who has a disease and does not have a lot of money. d. A person who does not have an education and cannot speak.

4. What is the relationship between power and stories? a. Knowing stories gives a person power over others. b. Telling stories gives a person power over others. c. Believing stories makes a person easier to control with power. d. Starting stories with “secondly” gives a person more power over others.

5. According to Adichie, what is wrong with stereotypes? a. Stereotypes are the reason for negative stories. b. Stereotypes are a mixture of truth and lies. c. Stereotypes are incomplete stories about people. d. Stereotypes are ways to divide people. e. Stereotypes are the reason people pity each other.

Inform students that for their short-answer responses to this New-Read Assessment, they should try at least two of the techniques they’ve learned for incorporating evidence from the text. Provide the following definitions for students to add to the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal:

Word Meaning

Synonyms representative (n.) A model example of something. example, sample normalize (v.) To come back to or reach a condition that is standard or conventional. assimilate, bring into line cultural (adj.) Having to do with culture. social, ethnic authentic (adj.) Accurate or genuine, not a copy. bona fide, true, honest-to-goodness, accurate stereotype (n.) A received and fixed idea lacking in subtlety or detail that is believed by a large number of people. generalization

Explain that the text for this New-Read Assessment is a transcript of a video. Show students the time signature on the left-hand side of the page and the bracketed sounds that are not part of the official speech. Play the video as a support for student understanding of this text.

TEACHER NOTE

Adichie’s speech is 18:30 in length. Playing the video will be a helpful support for students who need additional support when reading the text, and they will benefit from hearing and seeing Adichie tell her story. However, it will likely extend the length of the lesson.

Students complete New-Read Assessment 2.

DISCERN CENTRAL IDEAS

Whole Group

9 MIN.

Facilitate a whole class discussion of the central ideas of “The Danger of a Single Story.”

Ask: “According to Adichie, what power do stories have to help us make sense of ourselves and the world?”

n Stories help us understand other people better, which gives us a more developed sense of the world.

n Stories help us develop deeper understandings of emotions and situations, which can help us better relate to new people or new situations.

n Stories that we read or hear about can help us understand ourselves by seeing ourselves represented in them.

Land

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How does “The Danger of A Single Story” build my knowledge of the power of stories?

Facilitate a brief discussion about students’ understanding of the Content Framing Question.

Ask: “What is one new idea about stories you’ve learned from reading ‘The Danger of a Single Story’?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students reread and review their notes for “Your Brain on Fiction,” “The Man Made of Words,” and “The Danger of a Single Story,” to prepare for the Socratic Seminar in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students analyze how Adichie’s examples define how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world (RI.8.2). The goal of this New-Read Assessment is to introduce students to an additional perspective about how stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world, through dismantling stereotypes and helping to foster deeper and more empathetic connections among people from different cultures and backgrounds. Refer to Appendix C for the answer key for New-Read Assessment 2.

The goal of the craft revision in this lesson is to impart to students that it is their job to provide an adequate and accurate context for all textual evidence they include. That context is part of what shows that they have selected effective evidence. In other words, the quotation does not do all of the work! Future modules will develop this understanding.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty discerning the central ideas of the Adichie text, consider rewatching the video as a whole group. Students might return to books or stories they encountered as a young child, or stories they read in the news, and try to identify texts that exemplify “single stories” from texts that have multifaceted representations.

Lesson 26: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Execute Complex and Compound-Complex Sentences

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Time: 15 min.

ƒ

Text: “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737); “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript (http://witeng.link/0738)

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Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Choose from among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas (L.7.1.b).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 26

Execute: How do I use knowledge of sentence structure to make my writing clear and interesting?

Launch

For one minute, pairs brainstorm the benefits and drawbacks of the four sentence types they’ve reviewed: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. Write the names of the sentence structures on the board. Using Equity Sticks, select students to share their ideas, and write ideas on the board under the corresponding sentence type.

n Simple sentences are straightforward and easy to follow, but too many of them can make your writing seem choppy and immature.

n Compound sentences can indicate a basic relationship between ideas, but too many and sentences might make the writing seem disorganized.

n Complex sentences can show a clearer relationship between ideas. You have to remember to punctuate them correctly.

n Compound-complex sentences can group like ideas and clearly show relationships. However, they are very long and should be used sparingly.

Learn

Ask students to add the following information to Skills section of their Knowledge Journal:

Sentence Types and Punctuation

Ind. Clause, c. conjunction Ind. Clause. = Compound Dep. Clause, Ind. Clause. = Complex Ind. Clause Dep. Clause. = Complex Dep. Clause, Ind. Clause, c. conjunction Ind. Clause. = Compound-Complex Dep. Clause, Ind. Clause, c. conjunction Clause Dep. Clause. = Compound-Complex

Highlight that typically when a dependent clause appears at the end of a complex sentence, there is no comma needed. Remind students that comma placement is important because it allows readers to understand correctly the writer’s ideas. There is a big difference, for example, between, “Let’s eat Grandma” and Let’s eat, Grandma.”

TEACHER NOTE

Dependent clauses can be considered nonrestrictive, which requires them to be set off by commas. However, to keep this review simple, do not address this rule with students unless a student asks. Students have had instruction regarding how to determine whether a clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive in Grade 6. This skill, however, is not part of the Style and Conventions Learning Goal. The following refresher is provided, should a question arise:

Identifying Clauses Refresher

ƒ

Restrictive clauses identify the nouns that they modify and are essential to the meaning of the sentence. They are not set off by commas (e.g., “The person who is the tallest should put away the dishes”).

ƒ Nonrestrictive clauses are dependent clauses that provide more information about a noun in the sentence, but are not necessary to the sentence. Because they provide extra information, they are set off by commas (e.g., “My neighbor, who has lived next door for twenty years, plans to move this spring”).

ƒ The words who, whose, which, and that function as nouns in restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.

Ask students to write at least two sentences that incorporate textual evidence from “The Danger of a Single Story” and “Your Brain on Fiction.” Emphasize that students should be aware of the punctuation rules regarding compound and complex sentences.

Land

Ask students to switch papers with a partner. Instruct students to read their partners’ work, checking for comma placement and providing feedback on sentence variety: Are relationships between ideas clear? Does the response flow well?

Students revise their writing based on their peers’ feedback.

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson 27

TEXTS

“The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday ƒ

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737) ƒ

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript (http://witeng.link/0738)

Lesson 27: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Brainstorm Stories

Launch (10 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Collect Evidence (20 min.)

Participate in a Socratic Seminar (34 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Examine Academic Vocabulary: Patronize, repress, empower (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.5

Writing

ƒ W.8.10

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.4.a, L.8.5.b

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Select the strongest evidence from three informational articles to support a central idea about the power of storytelling (RI.8.1, RI.8.2).

Complete Handout 27A. Synthesize an understanding of the power of stories to help us make sense of ourselves and the world from multiple informational texts through collaborative conversation with peers (RI.8.2, SL.8.1, SL.8.6).

ƒ

Handout 27A: Evidence Collection ƒ Note cards

Participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Use context clues to infer the meanings of patronize, repress, and empower, and develop an understanding of the connotations of those words (L.8.4.a, L.8.5.b).

Students write a sentence for each word (patronize, repress, and empower), using examples from Adichie’s speech.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 27

Reveal: What do informational texts reveal about the power of stories?

Students synthesize their understanding of the power of stories to help us make sense of ourselves and the world, discussing ideas from the three informational texts they have read in this Focusing Question sequence. This Socratic Seminar scaffolds student understanding in order to prepare students to write Focusing Question Task 4 in the following lesson. Students collect evidence before their discussion that will support their success on the Focusing Question Task.

Welcome

BRAINSTORM STORIES

5 MIN.

Display the following question: “If you were writing the story of this class, what would you include?”

Pairs brainstorm.

Launch

10 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Pairs share responses to the Welcome brainstorm.

Ask: “What wouldn’t you include, and why? Is it possible to include every detail in your story?”

n It’s not possible to include every detail because there are too many.

n The details that are included are the most important ones to telling the kind of story I want to tell.

n The details that get left out are the ones that are obvious, or are not important to my story.

54 MIN.

COLLECT EVIDENCE 20 MIN.

Individuals

Display and distribute Handout 27A: Evidence Collection.

Inform students that part of their task in this Socratic Seminar is to synthesize their understanding of the power of stories across the three informational texts. As they collect evidence, students should consider their overall understanding of the power of stories and how that overall understanding is informed by each of the three texts.

Remind students of their work selecting the strongest evidence to incorporate into their own writing in the previous lesson. Students must also consider the strongest evidence as they return to these texts to collect evidence.

Ask: “What characteristics make a piece of evidence a strong choice for incorporating into your Socratic Seminar discussion?”

n The evidence directly connects to the central idea I want to talk about.

n The evidence states the idea more clearly or persuasively than I could by myself.

n The evidence is supported by other ideas in the text; I can return to the text to find additional evidence to support the idea I am expressing.

n I can restate the evidence in my own words; I understand what it means and how it connects to my ideas about stories.

Students complete Handout 27A.

PARTICIPATE IN A SOCRATIC SEMINAR

Whole Group

34 MIN.

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar on the power of storytelling, discussing the way this idea is defined and developed in the three informational texts they have read in this Focusing Question sequence.

Students choose three to five words to use strategically in their Socratic Seminar discourse to develop or enhance their ideas. Students who require additional support can use teacher-generated or student-generated word banks.

The Socratic Seminar revolves around the following questions:

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What is the most significant way stories help us understand ourselves and the world around us?

Are stories effective at helping us understand ourselves and the world? In what ways might they not be effective?

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Is helping us make sense of ourselves and the world the most important thing stories do?

Students participate in a Socratic Seminar.

Land5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Reveal: What do informational texts reveal about the power of stories?

Students complete an Exit Ticket: “What is the biggest takeaway from your Socratic Seminar conversation?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students review “The Man Made of Words,” “Your Brain on Fiction,” and “The Danger of a Single Story” as well as their notes about those articles in preparation for the Focusing Question Task in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students integrate an understanding of the power of stories from multiple informational texts through collaborative conversation with peers (RI.8.2, SL.8.1, SL.8.6). During this Socratic Seminar, check for the following success criteria: ƒ Makes connections across the texts. ƒ Expresses an overall understanding of the power of storytelling.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty identifying characteristics of strong evidence for incorporation, consider modeling several examples that compare the use of evidence that is too long to evidence that is concise; evidence that is inelegant to evidence that is beautiful; evidence that flows grammatically to evidence that is choppy, etc.

Examine Academic Vocabulary: Patronize

,

repress

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Time: 15 min.

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,

empower

Text: The Danger of a Single Story” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie transcript (http://witeng.link/0738)

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Use context clues to infer the meanings of patronize, repress, and empower, and develop an understanding of the connotations of those words (L.8.4.a, L.8.5.b).

Launch

Display the following sample paragraph:

The dictator repressed his citizens for so long that their initial fear and dislike of him eventually grew into rage and hatred. Though several countries had tried to intervene, the foreign soldiers patronized the citizens by flaunting their wealth and power instead of empowering the people to take action and rid themselves of their violent, corrupt leader.

Ask: “Using context clues, what do repress, patronize, and empower mean?”

In pairs, students answer the question and verify their definitions using a dictionary, writing the definitions in the New Words section of their Vocabulary Journal. Using Equity Sticks, select pairs to share their inferences and context clues.

n Repress must mean “mistreat or restrain,” because dictators have total control. Also, the passage says that the citizens were afraid of him and calls him “violent,” so repress might be “to hold back by force.”

n The soldiers from other countries show off how rich they are, so patronize must mean “to make someone feel badly by showing off.”

n Empower looks like the word power, and the sentence it’s in reads that “the people [had] to take action,” so empower might mean “to give someone power to do something.”

Instruct students to verify their definitions using a dictionary. Inform students that they will now consider the connotations or feelings associate with those words.

Learn

Conduct a Word Line Up.

Display the following words: accept dismiss patronize repress empower

Check that students know the meanings of accept and dismiss. Then, put students into groups of five, and give each student a note card with one of the five words on it. Give students five minutes to discuss and line up in order from the word with the most negative connotation to the word with the most positive connotation.

Tell students to freeze after those five minutes, and ask for at least two groups to share their rationale for the order that they chose.

n We chose repress as the worst. Then, we chose patronize, dismiss, and accept. We decided empower was the most positive. Repress actually means “to use violence,” and while patronize hurts people, it is an emotional hurt. To dismiss someone or something might be rude, but it’s not extremely hurtful. Accepting a person is good but doesn’t necessarily show an appreciation for or care of that person. Finally, empower is the most positive because it means “giving power over to someone else.”

Land

Direct students back to the transcript of “The Danger of a Single Story.” Ask students to write a sentence for each word (patronize, repress, and empower), using examples from Adichie’s speech. They should also refer back to the sentence frames they were given about introducing evidence.

Ask: “Which of those three words is the most meaningful in storytelling? Why?”

Complete a Whip Around, giving students ten seconds or less to respond.

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Lesson 28

TEXTS

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737) ƒ

“The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday ƒ

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript (http://witeng.link/0738) ƒ

Fat Man Kicks Man in Hat illustration (http://witeng.link/0739)

Lesson 28: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Determine Multiple Perspectives Launch (5 min.)

Learn (54 min.)

Plan for the Focusing Question Task (14 min.)

Create: Focusing Question Task (40 min.)

Land (10 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Style and Conventions Deep Dive: Excel: Sentence Variety (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RI.8.1., RI.8.2

Writing ƒ W.8.2

Language ƒ L.7.1.b*

MATERIALS

Learning Goals

Explain how stories have the power to help us make sense of ourselves and the world, using effective evidence from multiple informational texts (RI.8.1, RI.8.2).

Complete Assessment 28A Revise writing to establish a variety of sentence structures and clarity of ideas (L.7.b.1).

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Assessment 28A: Focusing Question Task 4 ƒ

Handout 28A: Identify and Revise Sentence Structure ƒ

Revise one paragraph of Focusing Question Task 4 for sentence variety.

Handout 27A: Evidence Collection

*This lesson includes instruction and/or references to a standard(s) from an earlier grade level.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 23–28

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 28

Know: How do informational texts build my knowledge of the power of stories?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28

Excel: How do I incorporate the strongest evidence in Focusing Question Task 4?

Students complete Focusing Question Task 4, synthesizing their understanding of ideas about the power of stories from informational texts. Students choose two of the three texts to analyze, forming a thesis statement about the power of storytelling that draws on both of these texts. This is the last Focusing Question Task before students begin to work on their own narrative writing for the EOM Task, and this assessment scaffolds students’ understanding of this module’s key theme: the power of stories and storytelling.

Welcome

5 MIN.

DETERMINE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Display the following illustration for students: (http://witeng.link/0739).

Pairs brainstorm two possible stories to explain the situation in the picture.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Pairs share the results of their brainstorm.

Ask: “What kind of information did you have to infer, assume, or imagine to be able to explain the situation in the picture?”

54 MIN.

PLAN FOR THE FOCUSING QUESTION TASK 14 MIN.

Individuals

Display and distribute Assessment 28A: Focusing Question Task 4.

Review the handout with students, allowing time for questions.

Students take out the three informational texts from this Focusing Question sequence, as well as Handout 27A: Evidence Collection.

Inform students that they need to make an overall statement about the power of stories, and this overall statement will be their thesis. Students should review the last row of Handout 27A to support their writing of the thesis statement. They then examine the idea stated in their thesis in two of the informational texts.

Students individually complete the planning portion of Assessment 28A.

CREATE: FOCUSING QUESTION TASK

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Name Date Class

Assessment 28A: Focusing Question Task

40 MIN.

Include the following items in your paragraphs: A thesis statement expressing your overall understanding of how stories help us understand ourselves and the world. Two To-SEEC paragraphs, each focused on a different informational text. Incorporation of evidence from both of the informational texts you chose. § Three different sentence stems when incorporating evidence. Incorporation of three vocabulary words. ©

Excel: How do I incorporate the strongest evidence in Focusing Question Task 4?

Students reference their work with incorporating evidence and sentences stems from previous lessons as they draft.

Using the completed Assessment 28A, students independently write two To-SEEC paragraphs in response to the Focusing Question Task.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How do informational texts build my knowledge of the power of stories?

Students complete an Exit Ticket: “What is the biggest takeaway from your Socratic Seminar conversation?”

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Facilitate a brief discussion of students’ responses to the Focusing Question Task.

Students respond to the following question in the Reflections section of their Knowledge Journal: “What is the strongest piece of evidence you selected for your Focusing Question Task?”

Lesson 28: Style and Conventions Deep Dive

Excel: Sentence Variety

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Time: 15 min.

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Texts: “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times (http://witeng.link/0737); “The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday; “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, transcript (http://witeng.link/0738); Studentgenerated writing, Focusing Question Task 4

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Style and Conventions Learning Goal: Revise writing to establish a variety of sentence structures and clarity of ideas (L.7.b.1).

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 28

Excel: How do I improve my use of sentence structures to make my writing interesting and clear?

Launch

Distribute Handout 28A: Identify and Revise Sentence Structure, and instruct students to complete PART 1.

Call on students to share their responses.

Learn

Tell students they will now work in pairs to complete PART 2 of Handout 28A. Circulate as they work to provide additional instruction and correct any misunderstandings.

Volunteers share their answers to the three prompts.

Ask: “How can you improve the sentence variety and clarity in your writing from Focusing Question Task 4?”

n We can follow a similar process on the handout: identify the types of sentences and revise if there is too much of one kind.

n We can read our Focusing Question Task writing to ourselves to see if there are any areas that sound choppy or wordy. Then, we can revise those areas.

n We can read our Focusing Question Task writing to a partner and ask them to listen for choppy or wordy areas that need revision.

n We can read our Focusing Question Task writing to see we correctly explained the relationship between the authors’ ideas. If we need to get more specific, we can revise, using a complex sentence.

Wrap up the discussion by telling students that they will spend the remainder of the time revising one of their paragraphs from Focusing Question Task 4, as they did with the paragraph on Handout 28A. This time, though, they will work alone.

Land

Students revise one of their paragraphs from Focusing Question Task 4 for sentence variety.

Emphasize that students should always reread their writing to check for sentence variety and clarity before submitting.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students apply an understanding of the power of stories have to help us make sense of ourselves and the world from multiple informational texts (RI.8.2). With its emphasis on the synthesis of learning, this Focusing Question Task prepares students to reflect on an understanding of themselves as storytellers during the EOM Task.

The exemplar for this Focusing Question Task can be found in Appendix C. This essay should be assessed particularly for students’ proficiency at incorporating evidence into their response, a key part of the craft instruction in this Focusing Question sequence.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with this task, consider reviewing the exemplar from the EOM Task in detail before assigning students their poetry portfolio in the upcoming lessons.

Group students with similar needs, and plan small group support for these skills to set students up for success with the upcoming EOM Task.

Lesson 29: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Conduct a Debate on Module Texts

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (49 min.)

Examine the EOM Task (10 min.)

Examine the EOM Task Exemplar Poems (10 min.)

Deconstruct the EOM Task Exemplar Poems (29 min.)

Land (15 min.)

Express Knowledge Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Examine Academic Vocabulary: Stereotype, authentic (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

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RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RI.8.1, RI.8.2

Writing

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W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.c, W.8.3.d, W.8.3.e, W.8.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ

SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.4.c, L.8.6

MATERIALS

Assessment 29A: End-of-Module Task ƒ

Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet

Handout 29B: End-of-Module Task Exemplar Poems ƒ

Highlighters

Learning Goals

Identify narrative arc and descriptive and sensory language in the EOM Task exemplar poems (W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d, W.8.3.e; W.8.5).

Annotate the EOM Task exemplar poems.

Investigate authentic and stereotype using a Relationship Map, and apply these words to analyze a poem’s main idea (L.8.4.c, L.8.6).

Write three to five sentences using these vocabulary words to describe the main idea in “Nikki-Rosa.”

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 29–32

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 29

Execute: How do I use narrative arc and descriptive and sensory language in a poetry portfolio?

In this first lesson focused on the EOM Task, students examine the EOM Task assignment—a portfolio of three poems with a cover letter. After the introduction to the EOM Task, students deconstruct a portfolio of exemplar poems, identifying descriptive and sensory language and narrative arc in order to demonstrate understanding of the components of a high-performing written product. After thoroughly reading and discussing the exemplar poems, students reflect on their knowledge of the module texts to mark their transition from a reader to a teller of stories.

Welcome

5 MIN.

CONDUCT A DEBATE ON MODULE TEXTS

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “Who was the most memorable speaker or narrator in the texts we read in this module? Why?”

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Drawing from their Welcome debate, students write a brief response to the Content Framing Question.

Lead a brief whole-group discussion of responses.

49 MIN.

EXAMINE THE EOM TASK 10 MIN.

Whole Group

Display, distribute, and review Assessment 29A: End-ofModule Task and Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet.

Explain that students will work with a planning checklist, both in class and for homework, to guide the development of their EOM Task over these final five lessons.

Differentiation

Have students complete the first two steps of Handout 29A as homework. Depending on the needs of the classroom, consider reviewing these steps in detail to ensure understanding. In particular, the flowchart in Step 2 requires students to evaluate their ideas from brainstorming, and this may benefit from teacher modeling.

EXAMINE THE EOM TASK EXEMPLAR POEMS

10 MIN.

Whole Group

Display and distribute Handout 29B: End-of-Module Task Exemplar Poems.

Explain that students will read the poems in the portfolio.

TEACHER NOTE

Students will read and deconstruct the portfolio’s cover letter in Lesson 30.

Students silently read the poems in Handout 29B.

Josh gets suspended from the basketball team, and their father gets sick and dies. The poetry of the novel conveys not only the details of these events but also Josh’s response to them, their effects on his sense of self, and his growing awareness of what is important to him and to his family.

Task Over the course of the four remaining lessons of this module, you will write, revise, and perform a portfolio of three poems, including a cover letter, that together tell a story about a significant time in your own life. Writing for a general audience, one that has an understanding of free-verse poetry but no familiarity with your personal experience, you must consider how to draft a narrative in verse that is engaging and accessible to a wide group of people. The purpose of this task is for you to: 1) demonstrate your understanding of narrative writing, by writing a series of poems within a single narrative arc and 2) synthesize your understanding of the power of storytelling through your narrative writing and by reflecting on your writing process.

Include the following items in your portfolio: A narrative sequence of three poems. Use of three distinct poetic types. A clear narrative arc. Use of descriptive, sensory, and figurative language. A cover letter explaining

Ask: “What do you notice about these poems? What story does the series of poems tell?”

n Each poem is a different type.

n The second poem has a different voice than the first and the third.

n The speaker of the poems seems strong and angry.

n The story of the poems is about someone getting cancer and surviving.

n The story is about how getting sick with cancer affected the speaker’s life.

n The story of the poems is about how an illness, cancer, made the speaker stronger and impacted her life at school and her sense of self.

DECONSTRUCT THE EOM TASK EXEMPLAR POEMS 29 MIN.

Small Groups

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use narrative arc and descriptive and sensory language in a poetry portfolio?

Assign students a home group for a Jigsaw activity. Students will break out from their home groups and form new groups to reread, annotate, and discuss the aspects of the exemplar. Then they will bring information back to share with their home group.

Group A: descriptive and sensory language

Group B: poetic types

Group C: narrative arc

In groups, members reread the poems aloud and respond to the following corresponding sets of questions:

Group A:

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Where does the writer use descriptive and sensory language in these poems? ƒ What is the effect of the descriptive and sensory language in these poems? ƒ What mood is the speaker evoking with the descriptive and sensory language in these poems?

Group B: ƒ

Briefly summarize the story of each poem. ƒ Review the criteria of the poetic types (refer to your notes and the Poetic Types Anchor Chart). ƒ Why is each poetic type an effective choice for its story?

Group C:

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How would you define the beginning, middle, and end in this poem sequence?

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What shifts occur with each section? What changes in events, settings, or character occur?

How does the poet signal shifts in time in the portfolio?

Students return to their home groups and share their responses, recording evidence from the other groups in their Response Journal.

Students check off completed items on Handout 29A.

Land15 MIN.

EXPRESS KNOWLEDGE

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Students independently brainstorm a list of at least five ways this task connects to ideas from the module.

Ask: “Why does this assignment make sense as a culminating task?” How is telling a personal story powerful?”

Sample student responses for the Knowledge Journal:

Knowledge of World Knowledge of Ideas

n A story with rich language and details can make an experience come alive for the reader.

n Telling a personal story gives the writer the freedom to go beyond assumptions or stereotypes others might have about them.

n Reflecting on an experience and telling it as a story, with a narrative arc, can help the writer make better sense of that experience.

n Telling a story can be powerful because we can imagine ourselves in new ways.

Knowledge of Skills

n This task requires evaluating the relationship between form and content in narrative writing.

n Framing a personal story as a narrative arc requires notes and details in order to accurately describe the experience.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students complete Step 1 and Step 2 in Handout 29A for homework.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students identify descriptive and sensory language, poetic types, and narrative arc in this lesson’s CFU (W.8.3.a, W.8.3.b, W.8.3.d, W.8.3.e). Each student must be able to recognize the various components of the model in order to align students’ planning their own portfolios (W.8.5). Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Explains why the exemplar’s use of the criteria makes it a high-performing task.

ƒ Summarizes the effect of form and meaning in the exemplar.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with identifying the particular components of the exemplar poems, consider reviewing each section from the Jigsaw activity with the whole group. Or, consider annotating the poems in a modeled Think Aloud. This will allow students to have clearly identified the elements of a high-performing EOM Task that they can use in the next and final four lessons. This activity requires a synthesis of the different skills students have learned throughout the module, and it is crucial for students to have a strong understanding of the task before they continue in this EOM Task lesson sequence.

Examine Academic Vocabulary: stereotype, authentic

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Time: 15 min.

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Text: The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; “Nikki Rosa,” Nikki Giovanni

ƒ Vocabulary Learning Goal: Investigate authentic and stereotype using a Relationship Map, and apply these words to analyze a poem’s main idea (L.8.4.c, L.8.6).

Launch

Display the words stereotype and authentic. Direct students back to “The Danger of a Single Story” transcript (http://witeng.link/0738).

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and say: “Identify the examples of stereotypes mentioned in the transcript.”

n Adichie thought all Europeans had blonde hair with blue eyes, talked about the weather, and drank ginger beer.

n Her American roommate assumed she liked tribal music and didn’t know how to work a stove.

n Adichie pitied Fide’s family so much that she assumed they didn’t have anything beautiful or valuable to offer.

n An American university student assumed all Nigerian men were physically abusive.

n Adichie thought Mexicans were mostly poor immigrants before traveling to Mexico.

Remind students of the questions and responses from their Socratic Seminar earlier in the module. Poets and storytellers have the ability to change readers’ views of the world and can provide authentic insights into people and places unfamiliar to readers.

Learn

Have students refer to the definitions of stereotype and authentic they wrote in their Vocabulary Journal (Lesson 26).

In pairs, students create a Relationship Map to reveal how stereotype and authentic relate to each other. Explain that their Relationship Map can be an image depicting an action or event or it can be a graphic organizer or mind map.

NOTE

Relationship Maps are effective ways to study words that have a significant relationship to one another. In later modules, students can select words from the text to create images or graphic organizers to denote the relationship(s) between words. For now, students’ Relationship Maps should capture that these words are opposites. Some students may argue that stereotypes may result from basic truths; however, it is important that they understand that a stereotype is an idea that has evolved into a widely held notion that is usually untrue and often offensive.

Have several pairs share their images. Then ask students to create a headline or a three- to fiveword phrase or sentence that sums up the relationship between these two words.

Land

Students review “Nikki Rosa” (http://witeng.link/0735) and draft three to five sentences explaining the poem’s main idea using the words stereotype and authentic.

Lesson 30: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (10 min.)

Discuss Homework Launch (5 min.) Learn (44 min.)

Read the EOM Task Cover Letter (20 min.)

Analyze the EOM Task Cover Letter (24 min.)

Land (15 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.2, RL.8.5, RI.8.1, RI.8.2

Writing

W.8.2, W.8.3, W.8.3.c, W.8.5

Speaking and

ƒ SL.8.1

MATERIALS

Listening

Learning Goals

Analyze the components of an EOM Task exemplar cover letter (W.8.5).

Collaboratively complete Handout 30B.

Using effective evidence, apply understanding of main ideas about the power of storytelling to a specific personal experience (RI.8.1, RI.8.2, W.8.5).

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Handout 30A: End-of-Module Task Exemplar Cover Letter ƒ

Handout 30B: Drafting Cover Letter Paragraphs ƒ

Handout 30C: Narrative Writing Checklist ƒ

Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet

Complete a Quick Write.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 29–32

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 30

Execute: How do I use my understanding of poetry and storytelling in a cover letter?

Students begin the lesson by discussing their homework and planning progress for the EOM Task in order to maintain accountability and address any issues in the writing planning process. Students discuss and deconstruct the second part of the EOM Task, a cover letter for their poetry portfolio. In a whole-group discussion, students analyze the structure of the cover letter. The cover letter requires that students demonstrate the following: 1) an analysis of the relationship between the content and structure of their poetry portfolios and 2) their understanding of the power of storytelling from one of the module texts and their own experience writing the EOM Task. At the close of the lesson, students consider the relationship between the experience they plan to write about and a central idea about the power of storytelling from a module text.

Welcome

DISCUSS HOMEWORK

10 MIN.

Pairs discuss their homework from the previous lesson, sharing two experiences they evaluated in Step 2 of Handout 29A.

Students check off completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist.

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that in this lesson, students focus on the second part of their poetry portfolio, a cover letter. A cover letter is “a letter that explains the purpose of a document or mailed correspondence.”

Explain to students that a cover letter is often associated with a job application, but it can be an explanatory document for any purpose. Ask: “What might the relationship be between a cover letter and a portfolio of poems?”

n The cover letter could explain the theme of the poetry portfolio.

n The cover letter could give information about the person who wrote the poems.

n The cover letter could explain the poet’s choices, like the narrative arc or the poetic types used in the portfolio.

Explain that even though a cover letter serves as an introduction, in this instance (and many others), it is written last because it explains the content of the portfolio.

44 MIN.

READ THE EOM TASK COVER LETTER 20

Pairs

MIN.

Display and distribute Handout 30A: End-of-Module Task Exemplar Cover Letter and Handout 30B: Drafting Cover Letter Paragraphs.

Explain that the cover letter for the EOM Task will consist of three To-SEEC (Topic Sentence, Evidence, Evaluation, Concluding Statement) paragraphs, each with a focus on aspects of poetry and storytelling students have encountered throughout the module.

Pairs read Handout 30A, and together complete Handout 30B.

The fall after turned fourteen, my doctor found a lump on my throat. At first they thought it was just nothing, but they decided to check for thyroid cancer anyway. They told me there was only a one in one million chance that it was, but it turned out I was that one in a million! I was diagnosed, had surgery, and went back to school all in less than a month. In this series of poems, A One in a Million Chance I explain the experience of going back to school after my surgery, feeling like the world was moving fast and slow at the same time, and realizing that I am capable of overcoming really difficult experiences.

The first poem, “Diagnosis,” is a time-stamp poem. chose a time-stamp structure because it allowed me to show exactly how quickly everything happened from the time was diagnosed until I was back in school. The second poem, “Report Card,” is a poem using found materials. This poem shows someone else’s perspective on my situation and this time in my life, and it shows that even if felt totally out of place and weird, that I was actually really brave and capable of being OK after my surgery. Finally, my third poem, “How I Got This Scar,” is an occasional poem of all the responses I gave when people asked how got my scar. This poem shows how humor helped me to talk about what happened and helped me get back to a “new normal” after my experience.

These poems show the narrative of my illness and recovery and the growth went through as a person because of this experience. I struggled with how emotional it was for me to write and share these poems—writing about personal issues is so difficult! Exploring the way that retelling difficult stories can help us process them, Benedict Carey explains: “Mental resilience relies in part on exactly this kind of autobiographical storytelling.” This is particularly true in my first poem, “Diagnosis,” because had to think about my reactions to this illness step-by-step. Ultimately, telling my story in these poems helped me better understand my own reactions to my diagnosis, and that is a powerful way stories can shape the way we understand ourselves.

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use my understanding of poetry and storytelling in a cover letter?

Display and distribute Handout 30C: Narrative Writing Checklist. Allow time for students to review the checklist. Explain that this checklist will guide their writing and revision for the EOM Task.

Direct students to the Reading Comprehension portion of the checklist, focused on aspects of the cover letter.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion.

Ask: “What background information about the story does the writer provide?”

Students record notes from their discussion in their Response Journal.

n The writer provides her age and the season of the experience. It happened in the fall when she was fourteen.

n The writer talks about the experience of going back to school after this experience to give context to her poems.

n The writer acknowledges that it was a surprising experience. She was “one in a million,” and this was not a usual situation or form of cancer.

Ask: “How does the writer explain the relationship between each poetic type and the content of the poem in her cover letter?”

n The writer explains that she used a time-stamp poem to show how quickly the events of the illness happened.

n The writer explains they used a Found Materials type because this showed how everyone else viewed her experience.

n The writer chose an Occasional poetic type because of the occasion of returning to her ordinary life and getting so many questions about what happened. It shows how she responded to questions about her experience and to getting well.

Ask: “How does the writer apply an understanding of and incorporate evidence from one informational article in her cover letter?”

n The writer uses evidence from the Benedict Carey article about how retelling stories can help someone process and understand her experiences.

n The writer uses an example from the first poem, “Diagnosis,” to demonstrate how she had to reprocess this experience and show how quickly it all happened.

Ask: “How does the writer reflect on what she learned about herself as a storyteller in her cover letter?”

n The writer discusses how writing the portfolio helped her understand her own reactions to her illness.

n The writer acknowledges the difficult emotional content of these poems and her struggle to write them.

Students check off the completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist.

15 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Students respond to the following prompt in a Quick Write:

Consider the experience you chose in Step 2 of Handout 29B. Return to one of the informational texts you studied in the last Focusing Question sequence, and use effective evidence to explain how the ideas about storytelling in this text relate to the experience you are going to write about in your portfolio.

Students independently review their notes and responses from the last Focusing Question sequence and complete the Quick Write.

1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students complete Step 3 and Step 4 on Handout 29A.

Tuesday,

21th, 7:30

Analyze

Context and Alignment

With the second CFU (the Quick Write), students consider how the power of stories and storytelling applies to their experience as they continue to plan for the EOM Task (W.8.5). It is not necessary that students make a final decision about which text they will use in their cover letter in this lesson. Rather, the goal is for them to engage with the ideas about the power of storytelling in relationship to their own thinking and experience. That is, they begin to apply their understanding of abstract concepts to concrete examples. Check for the following for success criteria:

ƒ Explains the experience succinctly.

ƒ Defines an experience that shapes or changes their sense of self or the world.

ƒ Demonstrates an understanding of the main ideas about storytelling from an informational text in the module.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty with the CFU, consider displaying different textual evidence from one of the informational texts to cue student thinking about the power of storytelling. Students may need a reminder of their previous work in order to provide a scaffold expanding on their original analysis now that they are telling their own stories.

* Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

Lesson 31: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Discuss Homework Launch (5 min.) Learn (54 min.) Create a Poetry Portfolio Land (10 min.) Answer the Content Framing Question Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading

ƒ

RL.8.5

Writing

ƒ W.8.3, W.8.3.c, W.8.4

MATERIALS

ƒ Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet

Learning Goals

Apply an understanding of the relationship between storytelling and sense of self through independent narrative writing (W.8.3, W.8.4).

Draft an EOM Task poetry portfolio.

Compare the use of poetic types between an exemplar and a self-generated poem (RL.8.5).

Complete a Quick Write.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 29–32

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 31

Execute: How do I use my understanding of descriptive and sensory language and narrative arc in a poetry portfolio?

Students begin to draft their poetry portfolios using their prewriting and planning from the previous lessons and their homework. Students spend most of their time writing, creating a strong foundation of work to complete for homework. Students also demonstrate their understanding of poetic types by checking their work with an exemplar poem from their reading.

Welcome

DISCUSS HOMEWORK

5 MIN.

Pairs discuss their homework from the previous lesson and partners share at least two poetic types they chose for the EOM Task with each other.

Students check off the completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist (Handout 29A).

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Explain that in this lesson, students begin drafting their poetry portfolios.

MIN.

CREATE A POETRY PORTFOLIO

Individuals

Display the Craft Question:

Execute: How do I use my understanding of descriptive and sensory language and narrative arc in a poetry portfolio?

Students gather their notes, get comfortable, and begin drafting their three poems.

Inform students that they are now ready to begin drafting their EOM Task poetry portfolios.

Students independently draft their EOM Task poems using the planning work completed in Handout 29A.

TEACHER NOTE

Set a goal of interacting with each student at least once. Keep conferences brief and specific, focusing on one or two areas for improvement and providing cues that take students back to the text, previous writing lessons, or exemplars as necessary.

TEACHER NOTE

Students must begin drafting in this lesson, and any work they do not complete in class they must finish before the following lesson.

Students check completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist.

10 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Students choose one of the poems from their portfolio and consider their use of this specific poetic type in comparison to an exemplar of that same poetic type from The Crossover.

Students individually complete a Quick Write.

Wrap1 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students complete a first draft of their poetry portfolio and Step 5 of Handout 29A.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students apply their understanding of narrative writing and their sense of self by beginning to draft their poetry portfolios (W.8.3, W.8.4). Students’ engagement with RL.8.5 in this lesson, the comparison between their own poem and an exemplar from The Crossover, will contribute to the drafting of their cover letter in the following lesson.

Check for the following for success criteria for the Quick Write:

ƒ

Understands the way the exemplar poem connects form and content.

ƒ Explains a rationale for the student’s use of this poetic type and its connection to the content of their poem.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty assessing their use of the poetic type, either review the Poetic Types Anchor Chart created in Lesson 3 with the whole group, or model a Think Aloud comparing a poem from the EOM Task exemplar (Handout 29B) with a poem from The Crossover. Consider using conference time to direct students to their prewriting and planning as well as previous writing assignments. It is crucial that students have a first draft of their poems by the following lesson in order to participate in peer review. Students may want to consider deviating from their planning if they become frustrated with drafting the poem. Allow students to form small groups for the purpose of brainstorming ideas to further develop their understanding of their experience, and provide additional material to support their writing outside of class.

* Note that there is no Deep Dive in this lesson. Use any additional time to support practice of the vocabulary and/or style and conventions skills introduced in the module.

Lesson 32: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Discuss Homework Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Participate in Peer Review (20 min.)

Review Feedback (15 min.)

Create: Draft the EOM Task Cover Letter (26 min.)

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Assign Homework

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Reading ƒ

RL.8.5, RI.8.2

Writing ƒ W.8.3, W.8.3.c, W.8.4, W.8.5

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1

Language ƒ L.8.5 ƒ L.8.6

MATERIALS ƒ

Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet ƒ

Handout 30C: Narrative Writing Checklist ƒ

Assessment 32A: Vocabulary Assessment 1

Learning Goals

Revise narrative writing in response to peer and teacher review (W.8.3, W.8.5).

Plan revisions for the poetry portfolio.

Express an understanding of the components of narrative verse in a poetry portfolio and the power of telling a personal story (RL.8.5, RI.8.2, W.8.4).

Draft a cover letter.

Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Create accurate definitions.

Prepare

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lessons 29–32

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 32

Excel: How do I improve my draft through revision?

In the penultimate lesson of the EOM Task, students apply their understanding of narrative writing in a round of peer review. Students use the feedback from you and their peers to come up with a plan for revision before they begin to draft the final component of their EOM Task, their cover letter. By the end of this lesson, students have a working draft and firm plan for their final draft of the EOM Task.

Welcome

DISCUSS HOMEWORK

5 MIN.

Pairs discuss the homework from the previous lesson, sharing one poetic type they used and its relationship to the content of their poem.

Students check completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist.

Launch

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What are some ways we can help others become better storytellers?”

n We can help others become better storytellers by listening to their story and offering advice.

n We can help others become better storytellers by explaining our understanding of their story.

n We can help others become better storytellers by encouraging them to tell their story.

59 MIN.

PARTICIPATE IN PEER REVIEW 20 MIN.

Pairs

Display the Craft Question:

Excel: How do I improve my draft through revision?

Pairs read their partner’s portfolio and complete Step 6 of their partner’s copy of Handout 29A, as well as complete the Peer column of Handout 30C.

REVIEW FEEDBACK

Individuals

15 MIN.

Students independently review teacher and peer feedback and complete Step Seven of Handout 29A.

CREATE: DRAFT THE EOM TASK COVER LETTER 26 MIN.

Individuals

Instruct students to return to their work with Step 5 of Handout 29A and begin drafting their EOM Task cover letter.

Students being to draft their EOM Task cover letter, taking into account teacher and peer feedback as well as their own reflections on the writing process.

Students check completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist (Handout 29A).

1 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How do the module texts build my knowledge of narrative writing?

Students complete an Exit Ticket in response to the following question: Which of the module texts do you plan to use in your cover letter, and why?

5 MIN.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Students implement their plan for revisions to their poetry portfolios, complete their cover letter, complete the Self column of Handout 30C, and practice reading aloud at home to prepare for the poetry performance in the following lesson.

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students consider the feedback on their work from multiple sources in the first CFU in this lesson (W.8.5). While feedback may not always be implemented, Step 7 on Handout 29A ensures that students analyze and consider the suggestions from peers and any suggestions from you. Criteria for success include the following: ƒ

Considers multiple sources of feedback. ƒ Analyzes the intent of the feedback. ƒ

Plans for next steps and revisions.

The To-SEEC paragraphs in the cover letter align to students’ work in the various Focusing Question Tasks of the module. In paragraph one, students consider their experience and the content of their poems. In paragraph two, students analyze the relationship between the content and the form of each poem, explaining their reasons for the particular poetic type (RL.8.5). Finally, in the third paragraph, students demonstrate their understanding of the power of storytelling (RI.8.2) by incorporating evidence from one of the informational texts in the module and writing about what they learned about the power of storytelling from completing this task (RI.8.2). Refer to the annotated exemplar cover letter in Appendix C for criteria of a highperforming product.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty engaging in peer review, consider modeling an effective exchange of feedback for the whole group. It may be helpful to provide students with cues and sentence frames to help facilitate their analysis of their peers’ work if Step 6 of Handout 29A does not provide enough structure. Consider reviewing the EOM Task exemplar cover letter (Handout 30A) with students before they begin drafting in this lesson. To-SEEC paragraph organizers would be another helpful resource if students need scaffolding for this part of the EOM Task.

Lesson 32: Vocabulary Deep Dive

Vocabulary Assessment

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: N/A

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Launch

Students will now take the first half of the Vocabulary Assessment. All the words on the assessment have been discussed in class. Remind students that this handout is not a test of reading, writing, or spelling ability. Its purpose is to measure understanding of the words studied over the course of the module. Prompt students to raise their hands if they have questions regarding word pronunciation.

Learn

For each sentence, students consider the word in bold and the context around it and write a definition for the word. Remind students that the answer does not have to be in complete sentences or spelled perfectly; the main concern is the definition of the word.

This is part one of two assessments. The second part will be administered in the next lesson.

Distribute Assessment 32A: Vocabulary Assessment 1. Circulate to answer questions, pronounce words, or give spelling support.

Create accurate definitions for vocabulary words in context.

Land

Students complete an Exit Ticket describing one aspect of their learning that helped them succeed on their assessment.

Lesson 33: At a Glance

AGENDA

Welcome (5 min.)

Prepare for a Performance

Launch (5 min.)

Learn (59 min.)

Present Portfolios

Land (5 min.)

Answer the Content Framing Question

Wrap (1 min.)

Vocabulary Deep Dive: Vocabulary Assessment (15 min.)

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

The full text of ELA Standards can be found in the Module Overview.

Writing

ƒ

W.8.3, W.8.3.c

Speaking and Listening ƒ SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6

Language ƒ L.8.6

MATERIALS

Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist ƒ

Handout 29A: End-of-Module Task Poetry Portfolio Planning Packet ƒ Handout 30C: Narrative Writing Checklist ƒ

Assessment 33A: Vocabulary Assessment 2

Learning Goals

Present narrative writing (W.8.3, SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6).

Participate in a poetry reading for classmates.

Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Create accurate definitions for vocabulary words.

FOCUSING QUESTION: Lessons 29–33

What does it mean to be a storyteller?

CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION: Lesson 33

Know: How does my work with poetic expression build my knowledge of performing poetry?

CRAFT QUESTION: Lesson 33

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

In the final lesson of the module, students present their poetry portfolios to one another. This performance allows students to apply their understanding of poetic performances and oral expression they have learned throughout the module.

5 MIN.

PREPARE FOR A PERFORMANCE

Students review their finalized portfolios and Handout 21A: Poetry Performance Checklist and make annotations for expression for their performance.

5 MIN.

Post the Focusing Question and Content Framing Question.

Instruct students to Think–Pair–Share, and ask: “What is one aspect of poetic expression you learned in the module that you plan on using in your performance?”

Encourage students to enjoy their experiences as storytellers as they perform their poems from their poetry portfolio.

59 MIN.

PRESENT PORTFOLIOS

Whole Group

Display the Craft Question:

Excel: How do I improve oral expression in a poetic performance?

TEACHER NOTE

Plan and conduct this reading in whatever way makes sense for your classroom—this could be an in-class reading, part of an assembly or studentorganized talent show, or as an afterschool event, such as a poetry slam.

Students present their poetry portfolios to an audience.

Students check off completed items on the Planning Packet Checklist (Handout 29A).

Students submit their final, published EOM Task poetry portfolios together with Handout 30C.

5 MIN.

ANSWER THE CONTENT FRAMING QUESTION

Know: How does my work with poetic expression build my knowledge of performing poetry?

Facilitate a discussion of the following questions: “How did your performance as storyteller build your knowledge of the power of storytelling? What was your favorite thing you learned in this module? What knowledge are you going to carry forward?”

ASSIGN HOMEWORK

Congratulate students on their performances as storytellers!

Analyze

Context and Alignment

Students present their final drafts using their work with oral expression in this module (SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6), particularly thinking about how to adapt their speech to an audience. What is most important in this performance is students’ intentionality of expression. Refer to Handout 21B: Poetry Performance Checklist and Grade 8 Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric in Appendix C for expectations of style and conventions for student performances. Check for the following success criteria:

ƒ Uses gestures to connect with the audience and convey emotion.

ƒ Applies different tone or volume for emphasis.

ƒ Demonstrates attention to rhythm and pronunciation.

Next Steps

If students have difficulty recalling the features of a poetic performance, consider reviewing Handout 21B: Poetry Performance Checklist and rewatching Bassey Ikpi and Nikki Giovanni’s video performances on Def Jam poetry. If time is limited, consider dividing the class into small groups in order to ensure each student has an opportunity to perform their portfolio. Or, consider extending the performance to two lessons, depending on the number of students performing.

Lesson 33: Vocabulary Deep Dive

Vocabulary Assessment

ƒ

Time: 15 min.

ƒ

ƒ

Text: N/A

Vocabulary Learning Goal: Demonstrate acquisition of grade-appropriate academic and domain-specific words (L.8.6).

Launch

Students will now take the second half of the Vocabulary Assessment. All the words on the assessment have been discussed in class. Remind students that this handout is not a test of reading, writing, spelling ability. Its purpose is to measure understanding of the words studied over the course of the module. Prompt students to raise their hand if they have questions regarding word pronunciation.

Learn

For each sentence, students consider the word in bold and the context around it and write a definition for the word. Remind students that the answer does not have to be in complete sentences or spelled perfectly; the main concern is the definition of the word.

Distribute Assessment 33A: Vocabulary Assessment 2. Circulate to answer questions, pronounce words, or give spelling support.

Create accurate definitions for vocabulary words in context.

Land

Students complete an Exit Ticket describing one aspect of their learning that helped them succeed on their assessment.

Appendix A: Text Complexity

Great Minds® carefully selects content-rich, complex module texts. Module texts, especially the core texts, must be appropriately challenging so that students develop their literacy skills and progress toward meeting Anchor Standard for Reading 10 by year’s end. Great Minds evaluates each core module text using quantitative and qualitative criteria outlined in both the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (http://witeng.link/0483)and the updated CCSS Appendix A guidance on text complexity (http://witeng.link/0093).

This Appendix provides text-complexity details for each core text in order of appearance in the module. The analysis supports teachers and administrators in understanding the texts’ richness and complexity and the module’s knowledge building and goals. Alongside the Family Tip Sheets, this information can also support conversations with families about texts.

Core Module Text

Title and Author The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Description of Text This Newbery Award-winning novel in verse tells the story of Josh Bell, a middle school boy who is also a skilled poet, star basketball player, son of a retired NBA player, and twin to his brother, JB. The novel chronicles a challenging and transformative time in Josh’s life as he struggles to understand the ways his world is changing—his father grows ill, his brother gets a girlfriend and stops spending time with him, he is suspended from the basketball team. Throughout all these challenges, Josh turns to language to help him make meaning of these experiences.

Complexity Ratings

Quantitative: 750L

Qualitative:

Meaning/Purpose: While the narrative is straightforward, it provides a complex account of a young boy’s experience of familial relationships, conflict, and loss.

Structure: This novel in verse is built as a single narrative divided into discrete poems that are further sectioned into four quarters, like those of a basketball game. The novel can be studied at both a macro and micro level, analyzing individual poems or the full narrative.

Language: The language is straightforward, with some slang and vocabulary specific to basketball. More challenging words are often defined in the text. Ample descriptive, figurative, and sensory language creates a rich depiction of Josh Bell’s experience.

Knowledge Demands: Understanding some situations and references could be challenging for students unfamiliar with basketball or with rap, hip-hop, and jazz.

Text-Reader-Task Considerations

This novel provides an accessible entry for students’ exploration of how stories help humans make sense of themselves and the world around them. Students will likely find the work engaging, appropriate, and easy to comprehend, and will likely enjoy using the text as a model for their own work as storytellers.

Rationale for Placement

Module 1 launches students’ exploration of the power of storytelling as a way of making sense of personal experiences, the complex emotional and social lives of others, and the world. This work serves as a catalyst to ignite Grade 8 students’ deeper understanding of the power of language and narrative as they embark on a year of tackling big questions around abstract concepts such as sense of self, empathy, estrangement, love, agency, and personal and social advocacy. Winner of the John Newbery Medal, this novel is a strong, accessible, and engaging work to open the year.

Appendix B: Vocabulary

As a text-based curriculum, Wit & Wisdom focuses on teaching and learning words from texts. Students develop word consciousness: an awareness of how words are built, how they function within sentences, and how word choice affects meaning and reveals an author’s purpose.

The purpose of vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom is to achieve the following three key student outcomes:

ƒ Improve comprehension of complex texts.

ƒ

Increase students’ knowledge of words and word parts (including affixes, Latin or Greek roots, etc.).

ƒ

Increase students’ ability to solve for unknown words on their own.

To achieve these outcomes, vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom emphasizes the following three categories of vocabulary words:

ƒ

Content: Words and phrases necessary for understanding a central idea of the domain-specific text and/or module topic.

ƒ

Academic: “High-priority” words that can be used across disciplines and are likely to be encountered in other texts; often abstract, with multiple meanings; unlikely to be known by students with limited vocabularies.

ƒ Text Critical: Words and phrases essential to students’ understanding of a particular text or excerpt.

Vocabulary study in Wit & Wisdom will occur within the following types of instruction:

ƒ

“Core” 75-minute daily lessons: Vocabulary study that is essential to understanding text that students are reading. Instructional strategies are explicitly introduced and practiced during vocabulary instruction and put into practice during a reading of a text.

ƒ

Vocabulary Deep Dives: Vocabulary instruction and practice that advances student knowledge of high-value words and word-solving strategies, focusing on aspects such as abstract or multiple meanings, connotation, relationships across words, and morphology.

Vocabulary learning is assessed indirectly through application and directly through two-question assessments (Kindergarten–Grade 2) and sentence assessments (Grades 3–8).

ƒ

ƒ

I

ndirect Assessment: Students are expected to use and incorporate words from the below list into their academic discourse, through speaking and listening (during Socratic Seminars) and writing (during formal writing tasks, such as the EOM Task).

Direct Assessment: In Module 2 and beyond, vocabulary assessment will ramp up as students’ word knowledge will also be evaluated directly through definition assessments.

Assessment words are selected because of their importance to the module’s content as well as their relevance and transferability to other texts and subject areas. Teachers should make this list available to students. (The list of assessment words can also be broken down into smaller word banks for ease of use.)

MODULE VOCABULARY LIST

The following is a complete list of all words taught and practiced in the module. Those that are assessed, directly or indirectly, are indicated.

Note that work with many of these words, like form and sense of self, occurs in the majority of lessons. Therefore, all of the lesson numbers are not listed. Listed lesson numbers refer to the first lesson in which the word is defined and any other lessons in which the word is a major focus of instruction.

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Lesson Word Content Academic Text Critical Strategy Assessment 1 form  

Teacherdefined; apply understanding Focusing Question Task 2, EOM Task 1 content

Teacherdefined

Studentgenerated; teacherdefined; apply understanding

Socratic Seminar 3, Focusing Question Task 4, EOM Task 1 power

Studentgenerated; Teacherdefined; apply understanding

New-Read 2, Socratic Seminar 3, Focusing Question Task 4, EOM Task 1, 17 novel-in-verse 

Studentgenerated CFU (Lesson 17) 1 basketball terms

Teachergenerated; defined in text

CFU, Focusing Question Task 1 G8 M1 Appendix B: Vocabulary WIT & WISDOM® 366

Teacherdefined; apply understanding CFU

Teacherdefined; apply understanding CFU

New-Read 1, Focusing Question Task 1, EOM Task

enshrine 

entwine 

mythical 

Deep Dive, Handout 21A, Focusing Question Task 3

4, 21 phenomenal 

5 metaphor  

Teacherdefined word history; apply understanding 5

Teacherdefined;



Teacherdefined

Deep Dive, Handout 21A, Focusing Question Task 3, EOM Task

© 2023 Great Minds PBC G8 M1 Appendix B: Vocabulary WIT & WISDOM® 367

StudentGenerated CFU, Socratic Seminar 1, EOM Task

Teacher-

Teacherdefined; apply understanding TDQs 7, 8; CFU

Teacherdefined;

Context clues; Outside-In; apply understanding New-Read 1

Outside-In; apply understanding Deep Dive

Studentgenerated; apply understanding TDQ 6, Deep Dive

Studentgenerated; apply understanding Deep Dive “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul Lesson Word Content Academic Text Critical Strategy Assessment

Teacherdefined; apply understanding TDQ 5

“The Man Made of Words” (excerpt), N. Scott Momaday

Lesson Word Content Academic Text Critical Strategy Assessment 24 utterance  Teacher-defined 24 conjure  Connotations Deep Dive 24 distilled   Teacher-defined 24 whimsy  Connotations Deep Dive 24 venerable  Teacher-defined; connotations Deep Dive 24 recede Teacher-defined 24, 25 imagine  

Context clues; Studentgenerated CFU (Lesson 24), TDQ 4 (Lesson 25) 25 imagination   Apply understanding Handout 25A 25 Student-selected essential vocabulary 

Studentgenerated; Identify words essential to essay’s central idea; apply understanding

Handout 25A

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Lesson Word Content Academic Text Critical Strategy Assessment 26 representative  Teacher-defined 26 normalized  Teacher-defined 26 cultural 

Teacher-defined 27 patronize 

Context clues; connotations; apply understanding Deep Dive

26, 29 authentic



Teacher-defined; Frayer Model Deep Dive 26, 29 stereotype 

Teacher-defined; Frayer Model Deep Dive 27 empower 

Context clues; Studentgenerated Deep Dive 27 repress  Apply understanding Deep Dive EOM Task Lesson Word Content Academic Text Critical Strategy Assessment 30–33 cover letter   Teacherdefined; class discussion; apply understanding

WORDS TO KNOW

EOM Task

Understanding vocabulary and building background knowledge are essential for students’ comprehension of complex text. Wit & Wisdom students study topics for an extended period of time, building background knowledge. However, students may need additional support with unfamiliar vocabulary as they access complex text.

The words listed here may pose a challenge to student comprehension. Provide definitions or a glossary for these challenging words so that students will comprehend complex text. Use a free resource such as Wordsmyth (http://witeng.link/glossary) to generate glossaries for students.

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Crêpes suzette (page 4)

podiatry (page 29)

amateurs (page 61)

comradery (page 80)

moony (page 89)

seed (page 113)

melee (page 155)

autopsy (page 225)

“Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul ƒ virtues (paragraph 1)

futile (paragraph 1)

neuroscience (paragraph 1)

olfactory (paragraph 4)

cortex (paragraph 4)

cognitive (paragraph 5)

emeritus (paragraph 5)

redolent (paragraph 6)

replica (paragraph 6)

motive (paragraph 7)

medium (paragraph 8)

hones (paragraph 9)

myriad (paragraph 11)

pedant (paragraph 11)

averred (paragraph 11)

“This is Your Life (And How to Tell It),” Benedict Carey

neuroses (paragraph 1)

psychotherapy (paragraph 3)

quicksilver (paragraph 3)

dimensional (paragraph 3)

generative (paragraph 11)

emancipation (paragraph 12)

atonement (paragraph 12)

cloyingly (paragraph 12)

pious (paragraph 12)

tandem (paragraph 12)

neuroticism (paragraph 30)

extraversion (paragraph 30)

dissonance (paragraph 32)

“The Man Made of Words,” N. Scott Momaday

indicate (paragraph 1)

consists (paragraph 1)

moral(ity) (paragraph 1)

dimension (paragraph 1)

ecology (paragraph 3)

epilogue (paragraph 4)

manuscript (paragraph 4)

kiowa (paragraph 5)

penultimate (paragraph 5)

Venus (paragraph 6)

phenomenon (paragraph 6)

transcends (paragraph 7)

eminently (paragraph 7)

compacted (paragraph 7)

continuity (paragraph 7)

grudgingly (paragraph 10)

quest (paragraph 11)

purveyor (paragraph 11)

humanize (paragraph 12)

stammering (paragraph 14)

cackled (paragraph 15)

pronouncements (paragraph 17)

rebuked (paragraph 18)

antelope (paragraph 23)

relate (paragraph 24)

exerts (paragraph 24)

ƒ impressionable (1:43) ƒ vulnerable (1:43) ƒ domestic (2:58) ƒ raffia (3:42) ƒ default (4:48) ƒ Sub-Saharan (7:04) ƒ vacancy (13:24) ƒ recognition (13:44) ƒ dignity (13:44) ƒ contemporary (15:32) ƒ resilience (16:46) ƒ infrastructure (16:46)

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Appendix C: Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lesson 4A: New-Read Assessment 1 Answer Key

Lesson 7A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

Lessons 15A, 20A, and 27A: Socratic Seminar Grade 8 Speaking and Listening Process Rubric

Lesson 16A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

Lesson 21A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

Lesson 26A: New-Read Assessment 2 Answer Key

Lesson 28A: Focusing Question Task 4 Sample Response

Lessons 29A–33A: EOM Task Annotated Sample Response

Lesson 32A: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

Lesson 33A: Grades 6–8 Narrative Writing Rubric

Lesson 33A: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

Lesson 4: New-Read Assessment 1 Answer Key

Multiple-Choice Answer

1. D

2. Part A: C

Part B: D

3. S, M, S, M

4. Part A: C

Part B: A

5. B

6. Part A: B

Part B: A

7. B

Relevant Standards

1. RL.8.1

2. Part A: RL.8.2

2. Part B: RL.8.3

3. RL.8.4

4. Part A: RL.8.4

4. Part B: RL.8.3

5. RL.8.3

6. Part A: RL.8.3

6. Part B: RL.8.2

7. RL.8.2

Criteria for success in the T-chart and short-response question:

8. How does Yusef Komunyakaa use descriptive and sensory language to develop a central theme of the poem?

ƒ Identify descriptive and sensory language that develops the intensity of mythical qualities of the game such as “so hard/Our backboard splintered,” “hot/Swish of strings,” and “Muscles were a bright motor.”

ƒ Demonstrate an understanding that the vivid and detailed language of the poem develops the sense of the basketball game being a place where players are protected from harm and become larger-than-life, almost mythical figures.

8. RL.8.2, RL.8.4

Lesson 7A: Focusing Question Task 1 Sample Response

What shapes Josh Bell’s identity?

PART 1, Poem:

Four Reasons Josh Bell is Like an Orange

4. Because he glows brightly in a neon color.

3. Because he’s been plucked directly from the (family) tree.

2. Because nothing rhymes with him. But most of all,

1. Because underneath that tough skin is tender flesh.

PART 2, Analysis:

4. Josh is bold and stands out from the crowd. He acts and talks in a colorful way. In “Josh’s Play-by-Play” (67–68), he is the center of attention, and all eyes are on him.

3. Josh takes after his dad and has a strong sense of family. In “Sundays After Church” (50) Josh, his dad, and his brother all play basketball together, and playing together shows their connection.

2. Josh sees himself as one-of-a-kind. This attitude is most obvious in “Josh Bell” (4–5). Josh feels no comparisons can be made because no one else is like him.

1. Josh acts tough, but he is actually sensitive. Josh pays attention to what his parents are talking about, and considers what their conversations mean. In “Hy-perten-sion” (76), Josh wonders and worries about his father’s health.

RL.8.2, W.8.3.b, W.8.3. d

Lessons 15A, 20A, and 27A: Socratic Seminar Grade 8 Speaking and Listening Process Rubric

Grade 8—Speaking and Listening Grade Level Rubric

4 (Exceeds expectations)

Process ƒ Comments effectively balance questions and statements contribute significantly to discussion.

ƒ Upholds rules for collegial discussions for self and others and carries out defined individual roles.

ƒ Sets specific and effective goals and deadlines.

ƒ Builds and elaborates on other’s comments and contributes positively to a collaborative group process.

ƒ Agrees and disagrees respectfully and strategically, using knowledge of common categories of disagreements.

ƒ Routinely and adeptly identifies and refocuses irrelevant and offtopic discussion.

3 (Meets expectations) 2 (Partially meets expectations) 1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

ƒ Comments balance questions and statements that contribute to discussion.

ƒ Follows rules for collegial discussions and defines individual roles.

ƒ Sets goals and deadlines.

ƒ Builds and elaborates on other’s comments.

ƒ Agrees and disagrees respectfully and strategically.

ƒ Identifies and refocuses irrelevant and off-topic discussion.

ƒ Contributes both questions and statements in conversations.

ƒ Follows rules for collegial discussions or defines individual roles.

ƒ Sets goals or deadlines.

ƒ Links comments to comments of others.

ƒ Agrees and disagrees respectfully.

ƒ Acknowledges when the discussion is off topic.

ƒ Does not yet contribute both questions and statements in conversations.

ƒ Follows few, if any, agreed-upon rules for conversations.

ƒ Does not yet set goals or deadlines.

ƒ Does not yet link comments to comments of others.

ƒ Does not yet indicate agreement or disagreement.

ƒ Does not yet acknowledge when the discussion is off topic.

Listening

ƒ Facial expressions and body language demonstrate curiosity.

ƒ Attends in a structured conversation for as long as needed.

ƒ Listens actively and cues the speaker with gestures and facial expressions.

ƒ Reflects and paraphrases strategically to consider multiple perspectives.

ƒ Eye contact and body language demonstrate attention.

ƒ Attends in a structured conversation for at least 30 minutes.

ƒ Cues the speaker with gestures and/or facial expressions.

ƒ Reflects and paraphrases to consider multiple perspectives.

ƒ Tracks speakers. ƒ Attends in a structured conversation for at least 20 minutes.

ƒ Sometimes gives the speaker cues. ƒ Reflects or paraphrases to consider multiple perspectives.

ƒ

Sometimes track speakers.

ƒ Attends in a structured conversation for less than 20 minutes.

ƒ Does not yet give the speaker cues.

ƒ Does not yet reflects or paraphrases to consider multiple perspectives.

Lesson 16A: Focusing Question Task 2 Sample Response

How does form shape a story’s meaning?

Paragraph 1

The structure of a definition poem like “cross-o-ver” reveals Josh’s confidence in The Crossover. Josh defines the word, “A simple basketball move” (29), which displays his love and understanding of language. The poems are structured like a dictionary entry, the ultimate authority on language, and after providing a definition Josh gives an example specific to his own experience: “As in: Dad taught me / how to give a soft cross first” (29). Josh displays his understanding of the world in a definition poem through his confidence with language, the only way he can truly express himself.

Paragraph 2

The structure of an occasional poem such as “Mom, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so angry” shows Josh’s frustration with his circumstances through repetition. Josh uses the repetition of “because” to list each reason he is upset, “Because I want to win the championship” (204). This repetition continues as Josh discusses more personal issues, like his separation from Jordan, “Because Jordan doesn’t talk basketball anymore” (204). These issues, big and small for Josh, all stack up and the structure of repetition achieves this effect in the poem. The occasion of Josh’s anger grows through the repetition by repeating and emphasizing all the negatives in his life.

RL.8.2, RL.8.5, W.8.2

Paragraph 3

The definition poem and the occasional poem show opposite parts of Josh’s experience in The Crossover. By providing the meaning of words in a definition poem, Josh shows that he understands his world and has a measure of control, “hit ‘em / with the hard crossover” (29). By defining and acting out an effective basketball move Josh shows he is strong. On the other hand, the occasional poem shows Josh without any control, angry, and even questioning his crossover, “my crossover should be better” (204). Josh is upset and has no idea how to cope with his ailing father and distant brother and the occasional poem shows this large number of thoughts and concerns through repetition. Both the definition poem and occasional poem show different parts of Josh’s experience and the effect of the events in the novel on his character.

Lesson 21A: Focusing Question Task 3 Sample Response

What is the role of expression in storytelling?

a–lined [ah-line-d] verb

To bring (oneself) into agreement with another viewpoint.

As in: If JB agreed with me that Converse is better than Nike we would be aligned.

As in: Mom makes us the same tuna salad on wheat because our tastes are aligned.

As in: Waiting twenty-five minutes alone eating a fruit cup is not as bad as seeing JB aligned with Miss Sweet Tea.

RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, W.8.3

Lesson 26: New-Read Assessment 2 Answer Key

Multiple-Choice Answer

1. D

2. C

3. C

4. B 5. C

Relevant Standards

1. RI.8.2

2. RI.8.2, RI.8.6

3. RI.8.2, RI.8.6

4. RI.8.2, RI.8.3

5. RI.8.2

Criteria for success in the T-chart and short-response question:

6. T-chart about stories:

ƒ Provide three reasons why stories are important, such as “Stories are important because they can stir our imaginations.”

ƒ Provide three reasons why stories can be harmful, such as “Stories can be harmful because they can rob ‘people of dignity.’”

7. Give a brief description of a story that would not result in stereotypes.

ƒ Demonstrate an understanding of the way that a single or incomplete story results in stereotypes.

ƒ Use evidence from the text to support an explanation of a story that would allow for multiple interpretations.

6. RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3

7. RI.8.2

Lesson 28A: Focusing Question Task 4 Sample Response

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves and the world?

Thesis:

Stories have the power to help us understand ourselves and the world by increasing our ability to empathize with other people and ourselves.

To-SEEC 1: “The Man Made of Words,” N. Scott Momaday

Stories allow us to better understand ourselves. N. Scott Momaday shows how important stories are to our understanding of ourselves when he states: “we are what we imagine” (3). Momaday writes about how stories from his own Kiowa culture help him better understand his own identity, and this process is powerful as well as being difficult to explain. Momaday’s use of words like “magic” (2) accurately describes his idea that stories can help us create a sense of personal and cultural identity.

To-SEEC 2: “Your Brain on Fiction,” Annie Murphy Paul

Stories help your brain get better at understanding other people. Annie Murphy Paul writes about brain doctors who study how reading stories creates a “vivid simulation of reality” (n.p.) in the brain. This simulation helps the brain build understandings of situations and experiences that we only read about. According to Murphy Paul, “individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people” (n.p.), which supports the idea that stories make us more empathetic to other people.

RI.8.2; W.8.2

Lessons 29A–33A: EOM Task Sample Response

A One in a Million Chance

By Sara Clarke

Cover Letter:

The fall after I turned fourteen, my doctor found a lump on my throat. At first they thought it was just nothing, but they decided to check for thyroid cancer anyway. They told me there was only a one in one million chance that it was, but it turned out I was that one in a million! I was diagnosed, had surgery and went back to school all in less than a month. In this series of poems, A One in a Million Chance, I explain the experience of going back to school after my surgery, feeling like the world was moving fast and slow at the same time, and realizing that I am capable of overcoming really difficult experiences.

The first poem, “Diagnosis,” is a time stamp poem. This poem discusses my main motivation for leaving the city and my reasons for starting over elsewhere. I chose a time stamp structure because it allowed me to show exactly how quickly everything happened from the time I was diagnosed until I was back in school. The second poem, “Report Card,” is a poem using found materials. This poem shows someone else’s perspective on my situation and this time in my life, and it shows that even if I felt totally out of place and weird, that I was actually really brave and capable of being OK after my surgery. Finally, my third poem, “How I Got This Scar,” is an occasional poem of all the responses I gave when people asked how I got my scar. This poem shows how humor helped me to talk about what happened and helped me get back to a “new normal” after my experience.

These poems show the narrative of my illness and recovery and the growth I went through as a person because of this experience. I struggled with how emotional it was for me to write and share these poems—writing about personal issues is so difficult! Exploring the way that retelling difficult stories can help us process them, Benedict Carey explains, “Mental resilience relies in part on exactly this kind of autobiographical storytelling.”

Ultimately, these poems helped me to better understand my own reactions to my diagnosis, and that is a powerful way stories can shape the way we understand ourselves.

W.8.4: The cover letter serves as a hybrid author’s note and also demonstrates student thinking behind the development, organization, and style with which they chose to approach this task.

W.8.2: This final paragraph incorporates evidence from an informational text in the module.

Diagnosis

Friday, October 3rd, 3:15 pm

Mom picks me up after school I can tell she has been crying, black rivers Streaking down her face. We are both silent on the drive to the doctor’s office.

Friday, October 3rd, 4:45 pm

On the way home from the doctor We both cry.

Tuesday, October 7th, 5:10 am

I am so thirsty but they don’t let you Drink anything for 12 hours before surgery. A week ago right now I was sleeping, I was about to wake up and watch TV, Eat my cereal, have a totally normal day. Today is the new normal, I think, as I get sleepy From the anesthetics.

Tuesday, October 21th, 7:30 am

I am going back to school today. It doesn’t Seem real that two weeks ago I was on an Operating table, a week before that I didn’t know any of this was real. I have a big angry scar, like the world’s ugliest Necklace, hiding underneath my scarf. I guess this is the new normal, even if Nothing really feels normal anymore.

Report Card

English – A+ Math – A–Social Studies – A Science – A

Sara missed two weeks of school this semester due to surgery.

She is a quiet student she hasn’t talked about her illness and she hasn’t missed a beat.

W.8.3.a: The first poem in the sequence, “Diagnosis,” serves as the “beginning” of the narrative, and sets the narrative tone for the sequence.

W.8.3.d: Sensory language (I am so thirsty; as I get sleepy) and descriptive details (black rivers / streaking down her face) provides detail that captures the narrator’s physical and emotional state during this experience.

W.8.3.d: Figurative language is also employed through the use of simile (like the world’s ugliest / necklace) and metaphor (black rivers / streaking down her face).

W.8.3.c: Individual poem titles (Diagnosis; Report Card) provide transitional cues between poems, as well as demonstrating the relationship of each individual poem to the narrative whole.

W.8.3.b: Narrative techniques vary between poems depending on the chosen form, in “Report Card,” the inclusion of found material (a school report card and teacher notes), develops the reader’s understanding of the narrator from an outside perspective.

W.8.3.e: The final poem in the series follows from the narrative that has been established in the preceding poems but also reflects on the narrated experiences in some way. Here, the final couplet suggests the narrator is coming to terms with her experience and finding the ability to discuss these events with others.

Let Me Tell You How I Got This Scar

I got in a fight with a tiger, a dragon, and a really mean cat.

I went sky diving and got hit by lightning.

I got into a knife fight with pirates, and won.

I can’t tell you where I hid the gold, though.

I sang in an opera and hit the hit the high C note. It’s just a cool new trend, I’m ahead of the curve.

I have magic powers, like Harry Potter.

Scar? What scar? I think you must be seeing things. Actually, I had cancer and I beat it.

And no, I’m not contagious, and yes, I’ll have this scar forever.

And, yes, I am OK. Thanks for asking.

Content Knowledge: This portfolio narrates an impactful experience from this student’s own experience. It follows the narrative structure presented to students in the module: that of a beginning, a middle, and an end. The portfolio uses three distinct poetic forms, all free verse, to tell a story from the first-person perspective. In the cover letter, the student demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between forms and ideas and the way that form contributes to meaning. The student ultimately uses language as a way to understand the different facets of an experience and both to understand and express her own identity. The use of language and form adds humor and meaning to her experience, which follows from discussions on identity and worldview from throughout the module.

Assessment 32: Vocabulary Assessment 1 Answer Key

Instructions: Under each sentence below, write a brief definition of the bolded word. If a part of the word is bolded, only define that word part (morpheme).

TEACHER

NOTE

The sample answers below are only illustrations: answers of course will vary, as there are many acceptable ways to define each word. When evaluating student responses, consider what level of specificity you will require for a correct answer. For example, “Her rude comment elicited looks of disapproval” might provide enough context for a student to easily answer “evoked,” but to demonstrate understanding of the particular meaning of elicit, a student would need to indicate that the action draws out a behavior as opposed to just an emotion.

1 The coach was thrown out of the game for being confrontational. (aggressive to the point of causing conflict)

2 The famous pop star was also a phenomenal dancer. (outstanding or fantastic—perhaps even uniquely so)

3 The description evoked images of stark mountains in the reader’s mind. (called to mind an image or an emotion)

4 Soldiers considered the elderly veteran venerable. (respectable or honorable, generally because of wisdom, accomplishment, or character)

5 Storytelling was the tribe’s main method of recording history. (using words and actions to illuminate theme, story, or imagination; two-way interaction between teller and listener)

6 Please don’t patronize me because you are older and think you are wiser. (talk down to or treat someone as though they are childish, immature, or unintelligent)

7 The video game provides a simulation of reality. (an imitation of an experience, action, or location)

8 Her rude comment elicited looks of disapproval. (prompted or drew out information or a behavior)

9 The city’s reconstruction of the downtown waterfront took many years. (rebuilding or refinement).

10 Her speech offered a coherent argument against homework. (logical, well-constructed, organized; having smaller parts that fit together to form an organized whole)

Grades 6–8 – Narrative Writing Rubric

Grades 6–8—Narrative Writing

4 (Exceeds expectations)

Structure ƒ Responds thoroughly to all elements of prompt.

ƒ Engages and orients the reader by establishing a context and consistently controlled point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters.

ƒ Organizes a wellstructured event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

ƒ Provides a strong conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated events.

ƒ Skillfully uses a variety of transitions to convey sequence, signal shifts in chronology and setting, and show relationships among events.

3 (Meets expectations) 2 (Partially meets expectations)

ƒ Responds to all elements of prompt.

ƒ Engages and orients the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters.

ƒ Organizes an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

ƒ Provides a conclusion that follows from the narrated events.

ƒ Uses a variety of transitions to convey sequence and signal shifts in chronology and setting.

ƒ Responds to some elements of prompt.

ƒ Orients the reader by partially establishing a context and briefly or unclearly introducing a narrator and/or characters.

ƒ Organizes an event sequence that may be occasionally confusing or have logical gaps.

ƒ Provides a conclusion that is incomplete or may not follow from the narrated events.

ƒ Inconsistently uses transitions to convey sequence; shifts in chronology and setting may be confusing.

1 (Does not yet meet expectations)

ƒ Does not respond to prompt; off-topic.

ƒ Does not establish a context for the reader; narrator and/or characters are lacking or undefined.

ƒ Events unfold in a random or confusing manner so that reader cannot follow a sequence.

ƒ Does not provide a conclusion.

ƒ Does not use transitions to convey sequence; shifts in chronology and setting are confusing.

Development

ƒ Uses narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection to effectively and thoroughly develop events and characters.

ƒ Uses relevant descriptive details and sensory language to capture action and vividly convey events.

Style ƒ Varies sentence patterns for clarity, interest, emphasis, and style.

ƒ Uses precise words and phrases to vividly convey events.

ƒ Writing shows exceptional awareness and skill in addressing audience’s needs.

Conventions ƒ Shows strong command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; errors are minor and few.

ƒ Uses narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to effectively develop events and characters.

ƒ Uses relevant descriptive details and sensory language to convey events.

ƒ Uses a few narrative techniques to develop events and characters.

ƒ Uses some descriptive details or sensory language to convey events.

ƒ Does not use narrative techniques to develop events and characters.

ƒ Includes few or no descriptive details and sensory language.

ƒ Varies sentence patterns for clarity and interest.

ƒ Uses precise words and phrases to convey events.

ƒ Writing is appropriate to audience.

ƒ Varies sentence patterns occasionally for clarity or interest.

ƒ Uses some precise words and phrases to convey events.

ƒ Writing is somewhat appropriate to audience.

ƒ Sentence patterns are basic and repetitive.

ƒ Includes few or no precise words and phrases.

ƒ Writing is inappropriate to audience.

ƒ Shows consistent command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; occasional errors do not significantly interfere with meaning.

ƒ Shows inconsistent command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; some errors interfere with meaning.

ƒ Does not show command of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage; errors significantly interfere with overall meaning and writing is difficult to follow.

Assessment 33: Vocabulary Assessment 2 Answer Key

Instructions: Under each sentence below, write a brief definition of the bolded word. If a part of the word is bolded, only define that word part (morpheme).

TEACHER

NOTE

The sample answers below are only illustrations: answers of course will vary, as there are many acceptable ways to define each word. When evaluating student responses, consider what level of specificity you will require for a correct answer. For example, “The exhibit was a retrospective of the artist’s life” might provide enough context for a student to easily answer “something in the past,” but to demonstrate understanding of the particular meaning of retrospective, a student would need to indicate that this definition pertains to a particular showcase of someone’s past.

1 There is a strong correlation between cold winter weather and feelings of depression. (a link, connection, or relationship between multiple things)

2 His funny friend’s frequent whimsy made him grin. (playfulness or oddity)

3 The new laws repress immigrants’ rights to work in this country. (to forcibly restrain, potentially with violence)

4 The exhibit was a retrospective of the artist’s life. (a showcase that highlights what happens over a lifetime)

5 The song on the radio conjured up long forgotten memories. (called to mind; alternatively, made appear; had magical or fanciful connotations)

6 She had an authentic Cowboys jersey.* (genuine or real)

7 During her visit to the country, she discovered that the stereotypes she heard weren’t true. (ideas that have evolved to represent truths about a person or a group of people, which are untrue or dismissive)

8 He has the power to say no.* (ability or influence)

9 This dress is representative of Nigerian culture. (symbolic of; portrayal or model of something)

10 We will empower her to make the decision for the team. (give someone or something the power to act)

* Source: Words Worth Teaching: Closing the Vocabulary Gap, Andrew Biemiller (SRA/McGraw-Hill, 2009)

Appendix D: Volume of Reading

Students may select from these recommended titles that support the module content or themes. These texts can be used as part of small-group instruction or as part of an independent and/or choice reading program. In addition, the Volume of Reading Reflection handout located in the back of the Student Edition provides response questions for these texts.

A text with (NP) code indicates a book in which more than 50% of the text is nonstandard or nonconforming prose and therefore cannot be given a Lexile measurement.

Books designated (HL) refer to texts that are high interest but low readability. These are texts with a low Lexile measure but a subject matter that is appropriate for more mature developmental levels.

Poetry

(NP) Spoon River Anthology, Edgar Lee Masters ƒ (NP) Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices, Walter Dean Myers

(N/A) I Am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices, Paul Fleischman

(910L) 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, Naomi Shihab Nye

Novels

(HL620L) The Red Pencil, Andrea Davis Pinkney*

(750L) One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia*

(800L) Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha Lai*

(900L) Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson

(NP) Witness, Karen Hesse

(720L) A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park

*This title currently out of print.

Appendix E: Works Cited

“200 Basketball Terms for Players, Parents, and Coaches.” ultimate-youth-basketball-guide.com Accessed 2016.

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” Online video clip. TED. TED Conferences, LLC, Jul. 2009. 6 Apr. 2016.

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.

Associated Press. “Gators Fall in Quarterfinals.” The New York Times. 24 Mar. 2016. 9 Apr. 2016.

Bearden, Romare. The Block. The Met. 1971. 7 Apr. 2016.

Bruegel, Pieter the Elder. Children’s Games 1560. Digital image. Wikimedia. Google Art Project. 7 Apr. 2016.

Carey, Benedict. “This Is Your Life (and How You Tell It).” The New York Times. 22 May 2007. 6 Apr. 2016.

“The Danger of a Single Story.” (Subtitles and Transcript). Oct. 2009. 9 Apr. 2016.

Fat Man Kicks Man in Hat illustration. openclipart, Fabricatorz. Accessed 2016.

Giovanni, Nikki. “Nikki-Rosa.” Poetry Foundation. 6 Apr. 2016.

Ikpi, Bassey. “Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise.” Badilisha Poetry PanAfrican Poets. 6 Apr. 2016.

Image of Michael Jordan. AIGA Design Archives, AIGA. Accessed 2016.

Komunyakaa, Yusef. “Slam, Dunk, & Hook.” Poetry Foundation. 2001. 6 Apr. 2016.

Momaday, N. Scott. “The Man Made of Words.” Nothing But the Truth: An Anthology of Native American Literature. Eds. John Purdy and James Ruppert. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 8295. University of Kansas.

Naves, Mario. “Bearden’s Collages Encompass Bruegel’s Babel, Harlem Blues.” The Observer. 23 Oct. 2006. 9 Apr. 2016.

“Nikki-Rosa.” Def Jam Poetry. Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 4 Jan. 2014. 6 Apr. 2016.

Reading Rockets. “The Human Soul Distilled – Kwame Alexander.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 21 Mar. 2016. 9 Apr. 2016.

“Romare Bearden: Let’s Walk the Block.” Interactive web page. Metmuseum.org. The Met, n.d. 6 Apr. 2016.

Silver, Horace. “Filthy McNasty.” Doin’ the Thing. The Horace Silver Quintet. 1961. Online video clip. You Tube. YouTube, 3 Jul. 2011. 9 Apr. 2016.

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 3 Aug. 2009. 6 Apr. 2016.

“Sometimes Silence Is the Loudest Kind of Noise.” Def Jam Poetry. Online Video Clip. YouTube YouTube, 1 Dec. 2010. 6 Apr. 2016.

“What Is Storytelling?” National Storytelling Network. Accessed 2016.

CREDITS

Great Minds® has made every effort to obtain permission for the reprinting of all copyrighted material. If any owner of copyrighted material is not acknowledged herein, please contact Great Minds® for proper acknowledgment in all future editions and reprints of this module.

ƒ All material from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

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All images are used under license from Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted.

For updated credit information, please visit http://witeng.link/credits.

Great Minds® Staff

The following writers, editors, reviewers, and support staff contributed to the development of this curriculum.

Karen Aleo, Elizabeth Bailey, Ashley Bessicks, Sarah Brenner, Ann Brigham, Catherine Cafferty, Sheila ByrdCarmichael, Lauren Chapalee, Emily Climer, Rebecca Cohen, Elaine Collins, Julia Dantchev, Beverly Davis, Shana Dinner de Vaca, Kristy Ellis, Moira Clarkin Evans, Marty Gephart, Mamie Goodson, Nora Graham, Lindsay Griffith, Lorraine Griffith, Christina Gonzalez, Emily Gula, Brenna Haffner, Joanna Hawkins, Elizabeth Haydel, Sarah Henchey, Trish Huerster, Ashley Hymel, Carol Jago, Mica Jochim, Jennifer Johnson, Mason Judy, Sara Judy, Lior Klirs, Shelly Knupp, Liana Krissoff, Sarah Kushner, Suzanne Lauchaire, Diana Leddy, David Liben, Farren Liben, Brittany Lowe, Whitney Lyle, Stephanie Kane-Mainier, Liz Manolis, Jennifer Marin, Audrey Mastroleo, Maya Marquez, Susannah Maynard, Cathy McGath, Emily McKean, Andrea Minich, Rebecca Moore, Lynne Munson, Carol Paiva, Michelle Palmieri, Tricia Parker, Marya Myers Parr, Meredith Phillips, Eden Plantz, Shilpa Raman, Rachel Rooney, Jennifer Ruppel, Julie Sawyer-Wood, Nicole Shivers, Danielle Shylit, Rachel Stack, Amelia Swabb, Vicki Taylor, Melissa Thomson, Lindsay Tomlinson, Tsianina Tovar, Sarah Turnage, Melissa Vail, Keenan Walsh, Michelle Warner, Julia Wasson, Katie Waters, Sarah Webb, Lynn Welch, Yvonne Guerrero Welch, Amy Wierzbicki, Margaret Wilson, Sarah Woodard, Lynn Woods, and Rachel Zindler

Colleagues and Contributors

We are grateful for the many educators, writers, and subject-matter experts who made this program possible.

David Abel, Robin Agurkis, Sarah Ambrose, Rebeca Barroso, Julianne Barto, Amy Benjamin, Andrew Biemiller, Charlotte Boucher, Adam Cardais, Eric Carey, Jessica Carloni, Dawn Cavalieri, Janine Cody, Tequila Cornelious, David Cummings, Matt Davis, Thomas Easterling, Jeanette Edelstein, Sandra Engleman, Charles Fischer, Kath Gibbs, Natalie Goldstein, Laurie Gonsoulin, Dennis Hamel, Kristen Hayes, Steve Hettleman, Cara Hoppe, Libby Howard, Gail Kearns, Lisa King, Sarah Kopec, Andrew Krepp, Shannon Last, Ted MacInnis, Christina Martire, Alisha McCarthy, Cindy Medici, Brian Methe, Ivonne Mercado, Patricia Mickelberry, Jane Miller, Cathy Newton, Turi Nilsson, Julie Norris, Tara O’Hare, Galemarie Ola, Tamara Otto, Christine Palmtag, Dave Powers, Jeff Robinson, Karen Rollhauser, Tonya Romayne, Emmet Rosenfeld, Mike Russoniello, Deborah Samley, Casey Schultz, Renee Simpson, Rebecca Sklepovich, Kim Taylor, Tracy Vigliotti, Charmaine Whitman, Glenda Wisenburn-Burke, and Howard Yaffe

Early Adopters

The following early adopters provided invaluable insight and guidance for Wit & Wisdom:

Bourbonnais School District 53 • Bourbonnais, IL

Coney Island Prep Middle School • Brooklyn, NY

Gate City Charter School for the Arts • Merrimack, NH

Hebrew Academy for Special Children • Brooklyn, NY

Paris Independent Schools • Paris, KY

Saydel Community School District • Saydel, IA

Strive Collegiate Academy • Nashville, TN

Valiente College Preparatory Charter School • South Gate, CA

Voyageur Academy • Detroit, MI

Design Direction provided by Alton Creative, Inc.

Project management support, production design and copyediting services provided by ScribeConcepts.com

Copyediting services provided by Fine Lines Editing

Product management support provided by Sandhill Consulting