Academic Expectations

Program of Studies

Core Content for Assessment

·         1.11-Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

·         Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

·         EL-S-FF-S-3Students will use a variety of reading strategies to understand vocabulary and texts

·         EL-6-DIU-S-1-Students will use comprehension strategies (e.g., using prior knowledge, predicting, generating clarifying, literal and inferential questions, constructing sensory images, locating and using text features) while reading, listening to, or viewing literary and informational texts

·         EL-6-DIU-S-6-Students will demonstrate understanding of literary elements and literary passages/texts

·         EL-6-WP-S-

Students will focus: establish and maintain a controlling idea on a selected topic

·         RD-06-4.1- Students will connect info from a passage to their lives, real world issues, and other texts.

·         RD-06-4.2- Students will use evidence from a passage to formulate opinions in response to a reading passage.

·         RD-06-5.0.3- Students will identify and explain the use of literary devices.

·         Students will compare and contrast elements views, or ideas presented in the passages.

·         WR-07-10.4- Students will narrow a topic for a selected writing.

·         WR-M-4.8.0- Students will generate ideas by mapping, journaling, webbing, talking, etc.

There are many standards that are met through the teaching of this novel.  As the students read they will be practicing the Habits of Proficient Readers.  They will be activating their schema by participating in a WebQuest on the Civil Rights Movement.   They will practice and master making all three types of connections: text-to-text, text to self, and text to world.  During the reading of the novel they will learn several different types of humor authors used in writing that will be applied to the novel.  This connects with all three sources of standards including the national standards from the NCTE.  One of the important parts of writing a memoir is narrowing the topic.  The students will be selecting and narrowing a topic using graphic organizers and modeling from me.  I will gradually release the responsibility to them as I feel they are ready, or they show me they are ready.  This allows them to take control of their own writing, but helps me monitor to be sure they are doing it correctly. 

The Watsons go to Birmingham is a novel that is set in the 1960’s amidst all of the Civil Rights controversy.  It surrounds a family of five as they struggle with everyday problems and make a trip from the North to the South to visit their grandmother.  Little do they know the problems African Americans face down South.  During this unit students will learn many things.  To begin the unit, we do a WebQuest that introduces them to some of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.  They will complete the WebQuest and relay the info to their classmates.  This helps activate some schema and introduce one of the main themes of the book to them prior to reading.  Throughout the unit, we will be doing a lot of discussion and comparing and contrasting.  This helps the students to take what they are reading and apply it to real life situations.  They will be writing a humorous memoir about a funny experience they have had modeled after some of the writing techniques the author uses.  The students will be using the 7 Habits of Proficient Readers to help guide them through the reading.  They will be learning how to activate their schema, create images, make inferences, and ask questions to name a few.  They will also be learning some literary elements and applying them to the novel and their own writing.  The goals I have set for the students include: Identifying events that happened during the 1960’s and why they were important; knowing and recognizing the literary elements in the novel and applying them to their writing; Using and understanding the 7 Habits of Proficient Readers and showing evidence through their readers/writers notebooks and other class activities; and narrowing topics and focusing on one event for the humorous memoir. 

• What role did the Civil Rights Movement play in the novel?  How did it impact the Watson’s lives?
• What is humor to you and how does Christopher Paul Curtis use humor in the novel? 
• What literary devices did the author use?
• What do good readers do and why do you think these habits are so important?

The students will be doing a plethora of activities throughout the reading of the novel.  At the end of the novel, the students will write a memoir telling about a humorous experience from their life and turn in a finished writing piece.  They will focus on making connections and pulling in examples of humor that we discussed in class. The memoir will require the students to pull in all the info learned about each type of humor and apply it to their story.   For example, a student could tell me about a time when they took a family vacation and pull in text to self connections and types of humor such as exaggeration, dialogue, etc .that we discussed during class.

• Laptop computers to type memoirs and do research.
• Laptops to complete the WebQuest
• United Streaming to show the video of Civil Rights Movement
• Smart Board to show the video and presentations