Lead Wit & Wisdom Resource Packet

Lead Wit & Wisdom® Resource Packet

Professional Development Lead Wit & Wisdom Resource Packet WIT & WISDOM®

Contents

Wit & Wisdom K–8 Modules at a Glance...... 1 Kindergarten Module Synopses...... 3 Grade 1 Module Synopses...... 7 Grade 2 Module Synopses...... 11 Grade 3 Module Synopses...... 15 Grade 4 Module Synopses...... 19 Grade 5 Module Synopses...... 23 Grade 6 Module Synopses...... 27 Grade 7 Module Synopses...... 31 Grade 8 Module Synopses...... 35

Wit & Wisdom® K–8 Modules at a Glance

Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 The Five Senses Once Upon a Farm America, Then and Now The Continents How do our senses help us What makes a good story? How has life in America What makes the world K changed over time? fascinating? learn? Narrative Writing Informative Writing Informative Writing (Research) Opinion Writing A World of Books Creature Features Powerful Forces Cinderella Stories How do books change lives What can we discover about How do people respond to the Why do people around the 1 around the world? animals’ unique features? powerful force of the wind? world admire Cinderella? Narrative Writing Informative Writing (Research) Narrative Writing Opinion Writing A Season of Change The American West Civil Rights Heroes Good Eating How does change impact What was life like in the West How can people respond to How does food nourish us? 2 people and nature? for early Americans? injustice? Opinion Writing (Research) Informative Writing Informative Writing Narrative Writing The Sea Outer Space A New Home Artists Make Art Why do people explore the sea? How do people learn about How do stories help us What is an artist? space? understand immigrants’ 3 Informative Writing Informative Writing (Research) experiences? Opinion Writing Narrative Writing A Great Heart Extreme Settings The Redcoats Are Coming! Myth Making What does it mean to have How does a challenging setting Why is it important to What can we learn from myths 4 a great heart, literally and or physical environment change understand all sides of a story? and stories? figuratively? a person? Opinion Writing (Research) Informative Writing Informative Writing Narrative Writing Cultures in Conflict Word Play A War Between Us Breaking Barriers How do cultural beliefs and How and why do writers play How did the Civil War impact How can sports influence 5 values guide people? with words? people? individuals and societies? Informative Writing Narrative Writing Opinion Writing Informative Writing (Research) Resilience in the Great A Hero’s Journey Narrating the Unknown Courage in Crisis Depression What is the significance and How did the social and How can the challenges of a How can enduring tremendous power of the hero’s journey? environmental factors in the hostile environment inspire unknown world of Jamestown heroism? 6 hardship contribute to personal Narrative Writing transformation? shape its development and Informative Writing (Research) decline? Informative Writing Argument Writing Identity in the Middle Ages Americans All Language and Power Fever How does society both support How did World War II affect What is the power of language? How can times of crisis affect citizens and society? 7 and limit the development of individuals? Argument Writing identity? Informative Writing Informative Writing (Research) Narrative Writing The Poetics and Power of The Great War What Is Love? Teens as Change Agents Storytelling How do literature and art What is love? How do people effect social change? 8 What is the power of illuminate the effects of World Argument Writing storytelling? War I? Informative Writing (Research) Narrative Writing Informative Writing

Lead Wit & Wisdom Resource Packet • Kindergarten Module Synopses WIT & WISDOM®

Kindergarten Module Synopses

Kindergarten Module 1: The Five Senses Essential How do our senses help us learn? Question Literary Last Stop on Market Street, Matt de la Peña; Illustrations, Christian Robinson Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; Illustrations, Lois Ehlert Informational Core Texts My Five Senses, Margaret Miller and Visual My Five Senses, Aliki Art Rap a Tap Tap, Leo and Diane Dillon Visual Art Le Gourmet, Pablo Picasso Flower Day, Diego Rivera This module introduces students to the five senses and how they help humans and readers experience and learn about the world. Students become aware of how writers and artists tap into the five senses to communicate experience and Summary how they, as readers, rely on their own senses to process information and learn. They gain knowledge of how texts’ words and illustrations work together to provide rich, sensory experiences. Students write an informative/explanatory book describing how the five senses help both them and a character from End-of- a text learn about the world. They cut and paste the name of the text and character they choose, collect evidence from Module the class Evidence Chart about how that character uses one sense to learn about the world, and then draw and write to Task demonstrate their understanding of that evidence. Then, they draw and write about how they use their own sense of sight or hearing to learn from the text. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of the five senses, exploring how the senses help people learn about the world. They learn to listen and look to gather information from texts and illustrations. Reading: Students use a rich, question-based approach to unlock meaning from texts. They develop basic concepts of print, identifying parts of a book and the roles of authors and illustrators and differentiating between words and illustrations. Students identify rhyme and repetition in texts and consider their effects. Learning Writing: Module 1 introduces students to text-based informative writing. They learn to unpack prompts and respond Overview orally and in writing, collect evidence to answer a question, draw in response to texts, and use sentence frames to construct complete sentences. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on the reciprocal nature of conversations, learning to speak one at a time and listen with their eyes and ears. Language: Students apply question words to ask questions about key details in texts, use phonetic spelling in their writing, and use words acquired through reading in conversations about the text. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.K.1, RL.K.6, RI.K.1, W.K.2, W.K.8 SL.K.1 L.K.1.d, L.K.2.c, L.K.2.d Standards RI.K.4, RI.K.5

Kindergarten Module 2: Once Upon a Farm Essential What makes a good story? Question Literary The Little Red Hen, Jerry Pinkney The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Paul Galdone Three Little Pigs, Adaptation, Raina Moore; Illustrations, Thea Kliros Core Texts Informational and Visual Farm Animals, Wade Cooper Art The Year at Maple Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen Visual Art American Gothic, Grant Wood The Cornell Farm, Edward Hicks In this module, students explore the elements and craft of good stories through a group of texts united by a familiar and classic setting: the farm. Informational texts about farm animals and life on a farm activate and build content Summary knowledge. Students then turn their focus to classic stories such as The Little Red Hen, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Three Little Pigs to discover the universal elements of well-crafted stories. Building on their practice of writing a shared narrative as a class, students write an original narrative, set on Maple Hill End-of- Farm, featuring one farm animal they learned about in the module. Students use a story map to plan their narrative, Module drawing and labeling characters, setting, problem, response to the problem, and resolution. After rehearsing their Task story with a partner, students write one sentence and create an illustration for each event—problem, response to the problem, and resolution. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of farm life and animals in both fictional and informational text. As they explore well-known stories about farm animals, students identify story elements and how the elements work together to create a narrative. Reading: Students continue to use a question-based approach to unlock meaning from texts. They learn about story structure and how story elements work together to create a cohesive narrative. Learning Writing: Students build on their informative writing skills as they write about story elements in their reading. This Overview focus helps them develop the content knowledge and skills to write their own text-based narrative. Students build independence in writing with phonetic spelling, sentence organizers, word lists, and alphabet strips. Speaking and Listening: Students learn to speak with strong voices, use active listening in conversations with peers, and reflect on their discussions. Language: Students produce and expand sentences using common nouns, verbs, and prepositions; use phonetic spelling in their writing; and deepen understanding of words through categorization and real-life connections. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.K.2, RL.K.3, RL.K.9 W.K.3, W.K.6, W.K.8 SL.K.6 L.K.1.a, L.K.1.e, L.K.1.f, Standards L.K.2.c, L.K.2.d, L.K.5.a, L.K.5.c

Kindergarten Module 3: America, Then and Now Essential How has life in America changed over time? Question Literary The Little House, Virginia Lee Burton Informational Core Texts Communication Then and Now; Home Then and Now; School Then and Now; and Visual Transportation Then and Now, Robin Nelson Art Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, Gene Barretta When I Was Young in the Mountains, Cynthia Rylant Visual Art Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze While people’s basic needs may not change over time, the ways that people meet their needs do change, as new inventions and innovations take hold. In this module, students investigate ways in which life in America has changed Summary over time. They read about author Cynthia Rylant’s Appalachian childhood; changes in home life, school life, transportation, and communication in the informative Then and Now series; the inventions and influence of Benjamin Franklin; and how a fictional, personified little house experiences change around her. End-of- Students choose a topic—home life, school life, transportation, or communication—and create an informative poster Module to explain how that aspect of life in America has changed over time. Students write a topic statement, evidence-based Task detail sentences with illustrations, and a conclusion which they present on a poster to the class. Knowledge: Students explore America past and present, learning about different aspects of life—home life, school life, transportation, and communication—and how they have changed over time. Reading: Students learn about informational text structures and how key details in texts, illustrations, and photographs support the main topic. They chart details and make connections between texts. Learning Writing: Students hone informative writing skills through their study of informational texts. Using a writing model, Overview they learn how to write a topic statement and develop it with information from a text. Speaking and Listening: Students learn the importance of asking and answering questions in discussions. They learn to listen for order of occurrence to help sequence events from the past and the present. Language: Students craft sentences using frequently occurring nouns and verbs; learn to capitalize the word I; and continue to use phonetic spelling, drawing on sound-letter relationships. Focus Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Standards RI.K.2, RI.K.3, RI.K.6 W.K.2, W.K.7, W.K.8 SL.K.3, SL.K.5 L.K.1.b, L.K.1.c, L.K.2.a

Kindergarten Module 4: The Continents Essential What makes the world fascinating? Question Literary Moon Rope, Lois Ehlert The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf; Illustrations, Robert Lawson Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale, Verna Aardema; Illustrations, Leo and Diane Dillon Core Texts Informational and Visual World Atlas, Nick Crane; Illustrations, David Dean Art Introducing North America, Chris Oxlade Africa; Antarctica; Asia; Australia; Europe; South America, Rebecca Hirsch Visual Art Earth from Space, Reto Stöckli et al. Carta Marina, Olaus Magnus This module invites students to contemplate the world’s splendor as they examine Earth’s seven continents. Informational texts about each continent highlight the continents’ unique natural features, animals, and activities. Summary African and South American folktales invite students to explore animals and aspects of culture on each of these continents. Maps and visual art provide additional perspectives of the continents and develop students’ abilities to read and analyze visual texts. For Part 1 of their End-of-Module task, students sort module texts into informational texts and stories. For Part 2, End-of- students choose the continent other than North America that they would most like to visit. They create a travel Module brochure to show why someone should visit that continent by writing and illustrating an opinion statement, supporting Task reason sentences, and a conclusion. Knowledge: Students embark on a journey around the world, building knowledge about each of the seven continents, including their natural features, animals, and activities. Reading: Students demonstrate independence using words and illustrations in texts to understand key information. They compare two texts on the same topic and examine how authors support a point with reasons. They use informational text structures to guide evidence collection. Writing: Students focus on opinion writing, learning how to state an opinion and support it with information from Learning the text. They share their writing with peers, learn how to give feedback, and reflect on feedback to improve their own Overview writing. Speaking and Listening: Students learn to confirm their understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally. They also learn to draw on texts to provide additional details when discussing a topic. Language: Students learn to recognize and name end punctuation and begin sentences with a capital letter. They develop understanding of words by distinguishing shades of meaning, relating them to opposites, and applying knowledge of common inflections and affixes. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.K.4, RL.K.5, RL.K.7, W.K.1, W.K.5, W.K.8 SL.K.2, SL.K.4 L.K.1.f, L.K.2.a, L.K.2.b, Standards RI.K.7, RI.K.8, RI.K.9 L.K.4.a, L.K.4.b, L.K.5.b, L.K.5.d

Grade 1 Module Synopses

Grade 1 Module 1: A World of Books Essential How do books change lives around the world? Question Literary Tomás and the Library Lady, Pat Mora and Raul Colón Waiting for the Biblioburro, Monica Brown and John Parra Core Texts That Book Woman, Heather Henson and David Small Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss and Visual Art Informational My Librarian Is a Camel, Margriet Ruurs Visual Art Museum ABC, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Students learn about the joy and power that books bring to children everywhere. They read several literary picture books, some based on actual events, that show how books transform characters’ lives. In My Librarian Is a Camel, they discover the many ways that children around the world access books and the heroic efforts of those who dedicate their Summary lives to sharing the joy of reading with everyone. Through these module texts, students experience the power of books for themselves, including the delight of visual art in Museum ABC and the enduring classic of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. Students write and illustrate a narrative about a character whose life has changed because of books. They situate End-of- their story within a setting they learn about in My Librarian Is a Camel, establish characters, and provide a resolution Module to address the problem of not having access to books. Students include an illustration to accompany each page of their Task story. Knowledge: Students learn about the value of books and how literacy advocates, such as librarians, dedicate their lives to making sure that people everywhere have access to books and knowledge. Reading: Students focus on asking and answering questions about both literary and informational texts, using illustrations and photographs to understand texts more deeply. Students describe characters, settings, and events, and recount stories in sequence. Learning Writing: Students develop skills to execute narrative retellings and write their own original narratives. They use Overview sentence frames to help them construct complete sentences and sequence events.

Speaking and Listening: Students focus on listening with care and attention in their collaborative conversations and listening for pauses to decide when to speak and when to listen. Language: Students construct complete sentences with end punctuation, use frequently occurring nouns and adjectives, and determine meanings of unknown words in context. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.1.1, RL.1.2, RL.1.3, W.1.3, W.1.5 SL.1.1.a, SL.1.1.b L.1.1.b, L.1.1.f, L.1.1.j, L.1.2.b Standards RI.1.1, RI.1.7

Grade 1 Module 2: Creature Features Essential What can we discover about animals’ unique features? Question Literary Seven Blind Mice, Ed Young Informational Me … Jane, Patrick McDonnell Core Texts Never Smile at a Monkey, Steve Jenkins and Visual Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea, Chris Butterworth, John Lawrence Art What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, Steve Jenkins, Robin Page Visual Art Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer The Snail, Henri Matisse For as long as they have shared the planet, humans have been fascinated with observing, describing, and depicting animals. In this module, students explore what people can learn by observing animals and why this knowledge is Summary important. Through close readings of literary and informational texts, including fables and visual art, students discover diverse creature features, identify similarities and differences across species, and learn how naturalists observe animals’ bodies and behaviors. Using evidence gathered during shared class research, students create a large trading card for an animal they learn End-of- about in the module texts. On the front of their card, students draw the animal. On the back, students write an Module informative paragraph about their animal’s unique features and develop their ideas with two or more details from Task module texts. Knowledge: Students build knowledge about animals, including the form and function of animal body parts and how people use observation to learn about animals. Reading: Students learn how informational text structures, text features, and the interplay of text and visuals support readers’ understanding. They also learn to identify reasons authors give to support points in a text. Writing: Building on what they learn about informational texts, students learn to write informative pieces with Learning main topics and key details. They study models to understand structure and use sentence frames to produce complete Overview sentences with key details about a topic. Speaking and Listening: Students learn to prepare their bodies to listen and practice speaking in full sentences when asking and answering questions, orally rehearsing their writing, and participating in Socratic Seminars. Language: Students produce complete sentences with end punctuation and use determiners, prepositions, and phonetic spelling in their writing. They develop word knowledge, distinguishing shades of meaning and sorting words into categories. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.1.2, RI.1.2, RI.1.3, RI.1.5, W.1.2, W.1.6, W.1.7, W.1.8 SL.1.5, SL.1.6 L.1.1.h, L.1.1.i, L.1.1.j, Standards RI.1.8 L.1.2.b, L.1.2.e, L.1.4.a, L.1.5.b, L.1.5.d

Grade 1 Module 3: Powerful Forces Essential How do people respond to the powerful force of the wind? Question Literary Brave Irene, William Steig Owl at Home, “The Guest,” Arnold Lobel Gilberto and the Wind, Marie Hall Ets Core Texts Informational and Visual The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Art Feel the Wind, Arthur Dorros Feelings, Aliki Visual Art Oostzijdse Mill with Extended Blue, Yellow and Purple Sky; Windmill in the Gein; The Red Mill, Piet Mondrian Although no one can see the wind, its effects on our lives are powerful. From gentle breezes to raging storms, wind moves our physical and emotional world in countless ways. In this module, students investigate both scientific and social-emotional topics related to wind. They read an informational text to learn about how wind is created and Summary conduct research on hurricane winds. They encounter another kind of power—emotions—in Aliki’s Feelings and use this new knowledge to explore how characters in literary texts respond to the wind’s invisible power. Finally, students learn about a real-life young inventor, William Kamkwamba, who builds windmills to combat drought in Malawi. End-of- Students create an original story about a character who must respond to the powerful force of the wind to solve a Module problem. Students use a story map to plan their narrative and develop it with words that appeal to the senses and Task feelings to describe the wind and the character’s response to the wind. Knowledge: Students build their knowledge of the wind as a powerful force—how it is created and what it can do. To help them describe the wind, students develop understanding of words that apply to the senses and the range of feelings that the wind can evoke. Reading: Students predict and confirm a text’s genre, building their understanding of books that tell stories and give information. They examine descriptions that personify the wind; consider how texts and visuals work together to provide information; and identify an author’s point and reasons. Learning Writing: Students build on their narrative writing skills, focusing on narrative structure and using temporal, sensory, Overview and “feelings” words in their writing. Students also practice gathering evidence from multiple sources as they complete a mini-research project about the wind.

Speaking and Listening: Students focus on asking for more information from a speaker to clear up confusion and listen for a new idea each time a text is read aloud. Language: Students use adjectives to provide detail, singular and plural nouns with matching verbs, and verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future. They analyze words in context to determine meaning, distinguish shades of meaning, and make real-life connections between words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.1.4, RL.1.5, RI.1.4, W.1.3 SL.1.1.c, SL.1.3 L.1.1.c, L.1.1.e, L.1.1.f, Standards RI.1.6, RI.1.9 L.1.4.b, L.1.4.c, L.1.5.c, L.1.5.d

Grade 1 Module 4: Cinderella Stories Essential Why do people around the world admire Cinderella? Question Literary Adelita, Tomie dePaola Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella, Tony Johnston; Illustrations, James Warhola Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella, Robert D. San Souci Cinderella, Marcia Brown Core Texts The Korean Cinderella, Shirley Climo; Illustrations Ruth Heller and Visual The Rough-Face Girl, Rafe Martin; Illustrations, David Shannon Art Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella, Paul Fleischman; Illustrations, Julie Paschkis Visual Art First Steps, Jean-François Millet First Steps, Pablo Picasso First Steps, after Millet, Vincent van Gogh Versions of Cinderella have existed all over the world for centuries, united by common elements and themes. People throughout the world admire Cinderella for her ability to adapt as well as to endure. In this module, students read a diverse collection of Cinderella stories including Perrault’s well-known French version; the humorous Bigfoot Summary Cinderrrrrella; and traditional tales from Korea, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Algonquin tribe of North America. With each text, students explore the story’s narrative elements, study the character of Cinderella, and discover unique aspects as well as common threads among all Cinderella stories. End-of- Students write an opinion paragraph telling which Cinderella character they most admire and why. Students support Module their opinion with evidence from the module text that features their chosen Cinderella character. Task Knowledge: Students build their knowledge of the “Cinderella” story as they read versions from different cultures. They focus on studying the actions and experiences of each Cinderella character. Reading: Students learn how to closely read fictional texts by describing story elements, formulating and answering questions, inferring character traits, and comparing and contrasting characters. Writing: This module introduces opinion writing. Students learn to write opinion statements and provide reasons Learning to support their opinions. They develop research skills as they complete a mini-research project about textile design, Overview inspired by one of the module texts.

Speaking and Listening: Students focus on paying close attention to peers’ comments and questions in class discussions and adding relevant details or asking questions. Language: Students produce compound sentences, use pronouns and conjunctions, apply rules for capitalization and commas in a series, use conventional spelling, and determine word meanings from context. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.1.6, RL.1.7, RL.1.9 W.1.1, W.1.8 SL.1.2, SL.1.4 L.1.1.a, L.1.1.d, L.1.1.g, Standards L.1.1.j, L.1.2.a, L.1.2.c, L.1.2.d, L.1.4.a, L.1.5.a

Grade 2 Module Synopses

Grade 2 Module 1: A Season of Change Essential How does change impact people and nature? Question Literary “Weather,” Eve Merriam The Little Yellow Leaf, Carin Berger A Color of His Own, Leo Lionni Informational Core Texts How Do You Know It’s Fall?, Lisa M. Herrington and Visual Why Do Leaves Change Color?, Betsy Maestro Art Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art, Thomas Locker Visual Art Paris Street, Rainy Day, Gustave Caillebotte Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder Bathers at Asnières, Georges Seurat Autumn Landscape, Maurice de Vlaminck Seasonal change shapes our yearly experience of nature, from our activities to our clothing choices. This module provides an opportunity for students to explore the concept of change as it relates to both nature and human experience. They examine how artists and poets capture seasonal change in paintings and poetry. They empathize with Summary the fear of change in Carin Berger’s Little Yellow Leaf and recognize, in Leo Lionni’s A Color of His Own, that change can be less daunting with a friend by your side. Through a variety of informational texts, students learn about seasonal changes, particularly those that happen in autumn. End-of- Students contribute to a class informational text titled “Changes in Fall” by writing an informative paragraph about Module how changes in weather impact plants or animals in fall. Students include a topic statement, evidence from at least two Task core module texts, a conclusion, and illustrations to support key words or ideas. Knowledge: Students explore the nature of change, its capacity to challenge and inspire, and the contradiction between changes that are fast and slow, big and small. They learn about how and why seasons change and how characters respond to change. Reading: Students closely read literary and informational texts, examining how authors employ language to capture change. They practice identifying details and story elements, especially problem and solution, and analyze how Learning characters respond to change. Overview Writing: Students develop their informative writing skills as they gather evidence, craft topic statements and strong conclusions, and provide and receive feedback on their writing. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on noticing a central message when listening and learn how to link their ideas to others’ ideas when speaking. Language: Students use adjectives to add detail in speaking and writing and produce simple and compound sentences. They develop word knowledge, using glossaries and dictionaries and context to determine word meanings. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.5, W.2.2, W.2.5, W.2.8 SL.2.1, SL.2.1.a, SL.2.1.b L.2.1.e, L.2.1.f Standards RI.2.1, RI.2.2

Grade 2 Module 2: The American West Essential What was life like in the West for early Americans? Question Literary Journey of a Pioneer, Patricia J. Murphy The Legend of the Bluebonnet, Tomie dePaola Johnny Appleseed, Steven Kellogg The Story of Johnny Appleseed, Aliki Core Texts John Henry: An American Legend, Ezra Jack Keats and Visual John Henry, Julius Lester Art Informational The Buffalo Are Back, Jean Craighead George Plains Indians, Andrew Santella Visual Art Among the Sierra Nevada, California, Albert Bierstadt Buffalo, open sky, and seemingly endless possibility inform the popular image of the American West. Building on the concept of change introduced in Module 1, students explore the landscape of the American West with a focus on the period of US westward expansion and settlement. Through a variety of informational texts, students examine what life Summary was like for Native Americans and early settlers and the social and environmental changes that resulted from westward expansion. Legends, including The Legend of the Bluebonnet and stories of Johnny Appleseed and John Henry, develop students’ knowledge of this genre as well as human response to challenges posed by the American West. Students write an informative paragraph in which they explain how the life of a legendary figure in the American End-of- West—either John Henry or Johnny Appleseed—differed from the lives of real pioneers. They include an introduction Module that describes a similarity; a topic statement that explains a key difference; two points, supported by text evidence; and Task a conclusion. Knowledge: Students build their knowledge of the American West—its history, its land, and its people. They develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of people and nature and learn from the courage, grit, and spirit of characters in the module texts as they face challenges. Reading: Students read literary and informational texts with a focus on identifying key events and details, determining how characters respond to challenges, and identifying theme. Students read several legends and compare two versions of the same story.

Learning Writing: Building on their skills from Module 1, students develop informative paragraphs with an introduction, topic Overview statement, evidence that is clearly explained, and a concluding sentence. They focus on adding topic-specific words to their writing and use digital tools to produce and share their writing. Speaking and Listening: Students consider how to listen effectively and vary their inflection when reciting a poem or when speaking in class discussions. Language: Students describe events using past tense verbs and use irregular plural and collective nouns. They choose and capitalize proper nouns to provide specific detail to their writing and apply strategies to determine the meanings of unknown words in their reading. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.9, W.2.2, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.8 SL.2.5, SL.2.6 L.2.1.a, L.2.1.b, L.2.2.a, Standards RI.2.4 L.2.4.a, L.2.4.b, L.2.4.c

Grade 2 Module 3: Civil Rights Heroes Essential How can people respond to injustice? Question Literary I Have a Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; paintings, Kadir Nelson Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington, Frances E. Ruffin; illustrations, Stephen Marchesi Core Texts Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story, Ruby Bridges and Visual The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles; illustrations, George Ford Art Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, Duncan Tonatiuh Visual Art Selma to Montgomery March, Alabama, 1965, James Karales America is a nation founded on the creed of liberty and justice for all. In this module, students examine how three civil rights heroes—Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Bridges, and Sylvia Mendez—fought for and defended this right Summary and how their actions effected change in the United States. A variety of informational and literary texts and historical photographs usher students into this volatile and defining period in our country’s history and challenge students to think about these heroic individuals’ actions in response to injustice. End-of- Students write an original narrative from the point of view of Ruby Bridges or Sylvia Mendez, describing a key moment Module from The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles or Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. Students show the Task character’s response to injustice by describing her thoughts, feelings, and actions. Knowledge: Students develop an understanding of how Civil Rights leaders brought about permanent changes in the United States. They learn how different responses to injustice—including speaking, protesting, and contesting in court—resulted in changes to segregation. Reading: Students read different accounts of the same event, exploring how authors can provide different information and points of view. They examine images to identify important points and consider how images build understanding of informational texts. They also recognize how repetition and rhyme can enhance meaning in songs and poems. Learning Writing: Students build on informative writing skills by drawing evidence from texts and by using research sources in Overview historical writing. Their primary focus is on structuring and writing narrative pieces by using a character’s perspective to describe thoughts, feelings, and actions. Speaking and Listening: Students practice listening for a main topic and then asking questions to gather information and deepen their focus of a topic. Language: Students expand and rearrange a variety of sentences, distinguish between and correctly use adjectives and adverbs, and use word knowledge to predict word meaning and distinguish shades of meaning. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.2.4, RL.2.6, RI.2.7, W.2.3, W.2.8 SL.2.1.c, SL.2.3 L2.1.e, L.2.1.f, L.2.4.d, Standards RI.2.9 L.2.5.b

Grade 2 Module 4: Good Eating Essential How does food nourish us? Question Literary Bone Button Borscht, Aubry Davis Stone Soup, Marcia Brown Informational The Digestive System, Christine Taylor-Butler Core Texts The Digestive System, Jennifer Prior and Visual Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition, Lizzy Rockwell Art The Vegetables We Eat, Gail Gibbons Visual Art The Beaneater, Annibale Carracci Cakes, Wayne Thiebaud Two Cheeseburgers, with Everything (Dual Hamburgers), Claes Oldenberg In the final module of the year, students explore how food nourishes our bodies both physically and emotionally. Through close reading of two informational texts, students learn about the human digestive process and the various Summary organs involved in digestion. They read two versions of a classic tale, Stone Soup and Bone Button Borscht, which highlight how food can build community. Finally, students consider the importance of making informed choices about food as they learn about how different nutrients nourish our bodies and about how different vegetables are grown. End-of- Students evaluate and choose between two different plates of food to nourish their body. They write an opinion Module paragraph in which they state their opinion and provide reasons and evidence from two module texts to support their Task choice of food plate. Knowledge: Students build knowledge about how food nourishes their bodies and how food connects and nourishes communities. They discover how the digestive system works, how food is grown, and how vitamins and minerals nourish the body. This knowledge empowers them to make healthy food choices in their own lives. Reading: Students learn how to navigate informational texts with various text structures and use text features to find information. They also read and compare two versions of a story. Learning Writing: Students develop research skills within the context of informative and opinion writing. They conduct Overview shared research ahead of writing and learn to describe steps in a process. They also learn to write opinion paragraphs, evaluating evidence from multiple sources to form a strong opinion statement.

Speaking and Listening: Students consider how good listening means having an appreciation for what is said. They continue practicing the skill of recounting stories or personal experiences when speaking about a topic. Language: Students use apostrophes in possessives and contractions, use reflexive pronouns, and consult reference materials to check spelling and clarify the meanings of words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.2.7, RI.2.3, RI.2.5, W.2.1, W.2.7, W.2.8 SL.2.2, SL.2.4 L.2.1.c, L.2.2.b, L.2.2.c, Standards RI.2.6, RI.2.8 L.2.2.d, L.2.2.e, L.2.3.a, L.2.4.e, L.2.5.a

Grade 3 Module Synopses

Grade 3 Module 1: The Sea Essential Why do people explore the sea? Question Literary Amos & Boris, William Steig Informational Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas, Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm Core Texts The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Dan Yaccarino and Visual Shark Attack!, Cathy East Dubowski Art Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster, Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F. E. Roper Visual Art Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai The Boating Party, Mary Cassatt The Gulf Stream, Winslow Homer This module introduces students to the ocean as a rich source of life, beauty, and inspiration. Through careful reading and analysis of literature, informational texts, and art, students learn that the ocean is a complex ecosystem, made up Summary of beautiful, mysterious, and important life forms. They discover how artists, poets, and writers explore the sea through words and images, and how scientists like Jacques Cousteau and Clyde Roper use technology to explore the sea. As part of their ocean studies, students develop deep knowledge about two sea creatures: sharks and giant squids. End-of- Students write two paragraphs in which they explain why an author, artist, or scientist explored the sea. In each Module paragraph, they expound on a different reason for the chosen person’s exploration. They develop their explanation with Task evidence from one of the module texts. Knowledge: With a focus on how people explore the sea through art, literature, and science, students begin a yearlong investigation of the value of asking important questions and persevering in the attempt to answer them. Students gain important knowledge about the ocean, its many life forms, and the value of curiosity as a driving force in human endeavors. Reading: Students develop critical skills in asking and answering text-based questions. They learn how to use text, illustrations, photographs, and informational text features to locate and use information efficiently. Learning Writing: Students learn to write informative paragraphs by using effective topic statements; grouping related ideas Overview together; developing a topic with facts, definitions, and details; and using linking words to connect ideas. Speaking and Listening: Students learn to monitor their curiosity, listen with wonder, and agree and disagree respectfully. Language: Students examine how parts of speech function in sentences, produce simple and compound sentences, learn how to correctly capitalize titles and spell by adding suffixes to base words, and determine word meanings using context and word parts. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RI.3.1, W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.8 SL.3.1.b L.3.1.a, L.3.1.e, L.3.1.i, Standards RI.3.2, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.7 L.3.2.a, L.3.4.a

Grade 3 Module 2: Outer Space Essential How do people learn about space? Question Literary Zathura, Chris Van Allsburg Informational Core Texts Moonshot, Brian Floca and Visual One Giant Leap, Robert Burleigh Art Starry Messenger, Peter Sís Visual Art Starfield, Vija Celmins Space Object Box: “Little Bear, etc.” motif, Joseph Cornell Long before Neil Armstrong’s “one small step” on the moon, outer space has fascinated humans and driven people to study, explore, and deepen their understanding of the universe. In this module, students explore the history of our Summary fascination with and understanding of the cosmos as they study works of art and read about Galileo Galilei’s scientific observations of the night sky, the Apollo 11 mission, and a science fiction book about two brothers’ intergalactic journey. End-of- Students write a four-paragraph essay in which they express their opinion about humankind’s most important attempt Module to learn more about space. For each supporting paragraph, students provide a reason and evidence from module texts Task to support their opinion. Knowledge: Students discover how outer space—like the sea—has long-driven scientists and artists to wonder about and explore it. Module 2 builds valuable knowledge about human endeavors to understand and explore space, including the work of Galileo, the Apollo 11 moon mission, the moon itself, and planet Earth. Reading: Students develop close reading skills by examining how authors organize complex ideas in informational texts. They compare how different authors present information about the same topic and learn to distinguish authors’ Learning points of views from their own. Overview Writing: Building on their learning about informative writing, students learn to write opinion pieces in which they clearly state an opinion and support it with reasons and text-based evidence. Speaking and Listening: As they engage in informal and formal text-based conversations with peers, students focus on clearly explaining their thinking. Language: Students experiment with sentence variety in their writing, using conjunctions to produce and expand sentences. They focus on determining word meanings in context, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.6, W.3.1, W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.5, SL.3.1.d, SL.3.2, SL.3.4 L.3.1.a, L.3.1.h, L.3.1.i, Standards RI.3.9 W.3.8 L.3.4.a, L.3.4.b, L.3.5.a, L.3.5.c

Grade 3 Module 3: A New Home Essential How do stories help us understand immigrants’ experiences? Question Literary Grandfather’s Journey and Tea with Milk, Allen Say Family Pictures, Carmen Lomas Garza The Keeping Quilt, Patricia Polacco Informational Core Texts Coming to America: The Story of Immigration, Betsy Maestro and Visual Art Visual Art The Steerage, Alfred Stieglitz “Untitled Photograph of Evacuees Seeing the Statue of Liberty,” History Extra Liberty Enlightening the World, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi Gateway Arch, Eero Saarinen Washington Monument, Robert Mills America is a nation of immigrants—and a nation of stories. This module offers an opportunity for students to explore the history, challenges, and rewards of immigration and, through the lens of stories, learn how traditions blend with Summary new experiences to create a rich, vibrant culture. Students gain a broad perspective of American immigration patterns in Betsy Maestro’s Coming to America and explore the immigration and acculturation of different families in literary books by Allen Say, Patricia Polacco, and Carmen Lomas Garza. Students write a short narrative from the point of view of a main character from one of the module’s core texts. End-of- Students describe a defining moment in that character’s life and experience as an immigrant based on their learning Module about immigration, traditions, and settling into a new home. Students develop their narrative with dialogue and Task descriptions of the character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Knowledge: Through their study of immigration in the United States, students learn about the challenges that many immigrants face and the diversity of traditions they bring. Students also build important cultural knowledge about the Statue of Liberty. Reading: Through close reading, students learn how authors develop characters. They identify the story’s narrator and consider how their own understanding of characters and events may differ from that of the narrator or characters. Building on Module 2 learning, they compare and contrast two stories by the same author. Writing: Students focus on creating original narratives that introduce a situation and characters, incorporate Learning dialogue, organize events in sequential order, and provide closure. In addition, students apply learning from Modules 1 Overview and 2 to write a compare-contrast essay. Speaking and Listening: In small group and whole group discussions, students practice listening for key words, preparing to speak, and using questions to check for understanding, elicit elaboration, link ideas, and keep a discussion on topic. Language: Students form and use a variety of regular and irregular verbs and plural and abstract nouns; ensure subject-verb agreement; and correctly use commas, quotation marks, and apostrophes. As they read, students use knowledge of roots as clues to word meaning and make connections between words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language RL.3.1, RL.3.3, RL.3.6, W.3.3, W.3.4 SL.3.1.a, SL.3.1.c, SL.3.3 L.3.1.b, L.3.1.c, L.3.1.d, Focus RL.3.9 L.3.1.e, L.3.1.f, L.3.2.b, Standards L.3.2.c, L.3.2.d, L.3.4.c, L.3.5.b

Grade 3 Module 4: Artists Make Art Essential What is an artist? Question Literary Emma’s Rug, Allen Say Informational Alvin Ailey, Andrea Davis Pinkney Core Texts A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant and Visual Action Jackson, Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan Art When Marian Sang, Pam Muñoz Ryan Visual Art I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold, Charles Demuth My Egypt, Charles Demuth Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) and Number 11, 1952 (Blue Poles), Jackson Pollock In this module, students explore the unique and shared characteristics of artists and consider what it means to be an artist. The module opens with a fictional story about a child artist and her source of inspiration. Students go on to read Summary texts about and engage firsthand with the work of dancer Alvin Ailey, poet William Carlos Williams, painter Jackson Pollock, and opera singer Marian Anderson. They learn about each artist’s creative process and successes and struggles involved in translating inspiration into movement, words, images, and sound. Students research the life and work of one of the artists they study in the module and then write an essay explaining End-of- why that artist is important. Students gather information from the core text, including the back matter, and a primary Module source. In their essay, they include important facts and details about the artist’s life, identify unique elements of their Task work, describe their accomplishments, and explain why their work is important. Knowledge: Students consider the relationship between inspiration and creativity as they learn about a range of iconic American artists who have contributed to the fabric of our society and how we view the world. They study the lives and work of Marian Anderson, Alvin Ailey, William Carlos Williams, Jackson Pollock, and Charles Demuth. Reading: Students focus on text structure, noticing the logical connections between specific paragraphs and sentences. They build on their knowledge of literal and nonliteral language and how illustrations support meaning in fiction. Learning Writing: Students conduct research using technology, sort evidence into categories, take notes, and write and publish Overview a multi-paragraph essay about the life and work of a great American artist.

Speaking and Listening: Students focus on speaking in complete sentences and providing details and clarification for listeners. They create oral presentations and audio recordings of poetry. Language: Students form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, recognize differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English, use spelling patterns and conventional spelling in their writing, and use reference materials to check spelling and determine word meanings. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.3.4, RL.3.5, RL.3.7, W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.6, W.3.7, SL.3.4, SL.3.5, SL.3.6 L.3.1.g, L.3.2.e, L.3.2.f, Standards RI.3.8 W.3.8 L.3.2.g, L.3.3.a, L.3.3.b, L.3.4.d

Grade 4 Module Synopses

Grade 4 Module 1: A Great Heart Essential What does it mean to have a great heart, literally and figuratively? Question Literary Love That Dog, Sharon Creech Core Texts Informational and Visual The Circulatory Story, Mary K. Corcoran; Illustrations, Jef Czekaj Art Visual Art Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic), Thomas Eakins The heart is a literal muscle that sustains human life and a figurative center of human emotions. In this module, students explore the literal and figurative meanings of heart. They develop a deep understanding of the human Summary circulatory system and what it takes to maintain a healthy literal heart. To understand the figurative meaning of great heart, they read biographies of people who demonstrate qualities of great heart and a novel-in-verse, Love That Dog, about a boy who finds his voice by examining his own broken heart. Students write an informative essay in response to the Essential Question, explaining what it means to have a great End-of- heart, literally and figuratively. They develop their essays using evidence from the two core texts, The Circulatory Module Story and Love That Dog. Essays include an introduction with a clear focus statement, two supporting paragraphs with Task evidence and elaboration to support the focus, and a conclusion. Knowledge: Students develop understanding of literal and figurative language as they examine multiple meanings of heart. They learn about the human circulatory system, historical figures who demonstrate a great figurative heart, and the power of poetry to express ideas and emotions. Reading: Students study and use text structure to help them identify main ideas and details and examine how authors use figurative language and illustrations to convey complex ideas. They read and analyze poetry, identifying poetic Learning elements and making inferences. Overview Writing: Students examine the structure of informative writing and employ it in their own writing. They learn to compose a focus statement using quotations and paraphrasing to support ideas in a paragraph and essay response. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on building and elaborating on others’ ideas in speaking and actively listening by concentrating on others’ words. Language: Students order adjectives in a series, use commas in compound sentences, identify capitalization rules, correctly punctuate quotations, and identify and explain figurative language. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.4.2, RL.4.5, RI.4.2, W.4.2, W.4.8 SL.4.1.b L.4.1.d, L.4.2.a, L.4.2.b, Standards RI.4.4, RI.4.7 L.4.2.c, L.4.5.a

Grade 4 Module 2: Extreme Settings Essential How does a challenging setting or physical environment change a person? Question Literary Hatchet, Gary Paulsen “All Summer in a Day,” Ray Bradbury “Dust of Snow,” Robert Frost Core Texts “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost and Visual Informational Art Mountains, Seymour Simon SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere, John “Lofty” Wiseman Visual Art Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright This module leads students on a journey through various extreme settings—to a fictional Venus where it rains nonstop, into mountains around the world, and deep into the Canadian wilderness. As they explore a variety of literary and Summary informational texts, students learn about the kinds of challenges that harsh environments present to humans, what it takes to survive in them, and how people’s experiences in, and responses to, extreme settings can shape who they become. Students write an original survival story in which they imagine they are lost on a mountain and must rely on their End-of- own survival skills. Their stories include sensory details, descriptive snapshots and thought shots, details about Module mountainous environments and survival techniques, dialogue that reveals the character’s attitude, and a natural Task conclusion. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of extreme environments, including mountainous regions; how they can affect humans; and what characteristics and techniques human can use to survive in such settings. Reading: Students develop close reading skills, using details to help explain the interaction of setting, characters, and plot and determine theme. They describe the structure of ideas and events in informational texts and make connections between a story and visual representation of the text. Learning Writing: Students learn the key elements of a narrative and develop their own narratives by establishing a situation, Overview adding sensory details, and incorporating dialogue to show characters’ responses to situations. Speaking and Listening: Students practice elaborating on and responding to others’ ideas and reporting on a topic, using visuals to enhance a presentation.

Language: In their own writing, students focus on choosing precise language and expanding sentences with relative clauses and prepositional phrases to add details. They employ various strategies to determine meanings of unknown words in texts. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.4.1, RL.4.3, RL.4.7, W.4.2, W.4.3, W.4.4, W.4.5, SL.4.4, SL.4.5, SL.4.6 L.4.1.a, L.4.1.e, L.4.3.a, Standards RI.4.1, RI.4.5 W.4.8 L.4.3.b, L.4.4.a, L.4.4.b, L.4.5.a

Grade 4 Module 3: The Redcoats Are Coming! Essential Why is it important to understand all sides of a story? Question Literary Woods Runner, Gary Paulsen The Scarlet Stockings Spy, Trinka Hakes Noble Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak, Kay Winters Core Texts Informational and Visual George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides, Rosalyn Schanzer Art Visual Art The Boston Massacre, Paul Revere Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze Raising the Flag at Ground Zero, Thomas Franklin “The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming!” These famous words attributed to Paul Revere sounded an alarm across the American colonies that would forever change the country’s identity. As students read a variety of Summary literary and informational texts about the American Revolution, they learn about the conflict between the American colonies and the British empire from multiple perspectives. By viewing these events with a critical eye, students deepen critical thinking skills and understanding of history. Students write an opinion essay to convince a friend that the American patriots were, or were not, justified in fighting End-of- for their independence from Britain. They include an introduction with a clear opinion statement and two supporting Module reasons; two supporting paragraphs to explain and elaborate on each reason, backed by specific evidence from module Task texts; and a conclusion. Knowledge: As students build knowledge about the events leading up to and surrounding the American Revolution, they learn the importance of examining all sides of a story when attempting to understand it. Reading: Students identify differences between first- and third-person narration and compare different accounts and points of view of the American Revolution. Students also determine theme, summarize texts, and explain how authors use reasons and evidence to support points. Learning Writing: Through opinion writing, students learn to support a viewpoint with reasons and textual evidence. Students Overview also conduct short research projects on topics related to the American Revolution. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on self-monitoring during extended discussions, posing and responding to questions. They practice identifying reasons and evidence a speaker gives to support points in a discussion.

Language: Students correct fragments and run-on sentences, incorporate progressive verb tenses and relative adverbs to increase specificity, use a comma before coordinating conjunctions, and develop word knowledge using reference materials and relating words to their opposites. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.4.2, RL.4.6, RI.4.3, W.4.1, W.4.6, W.4.7 SL.4.1.a, SL.4.1.b, SL.4.1.c, L.4.1.a, L.4.1.b, L.4.1.f, Standards RI.4.6, RI.4.8 SL.4.3, SL.4.4 L.4.2.c, L.4.3.c, L.4.4.c, L.4.5.c

Grade 4 Module 4: Myth Making Essential What can we learn from myths and stories? Question Literary Pushing Up the Sky: Native American Plays for Children, Joseph Bruchac Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words & Wisdom from Greek and Roman Mythology, Lise Lunge-Larsen Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech Core Texts Informational and Visual Understanding Greek Myths, Natalie Hyde Art Visual Art Parthenon Winged Victory of Samothrace Pandora, Dante Gabriel Rossetti Pandora, Odilon Redon Through immersion in mythology from different cultures and a contemporary novel, students learn about the relevance of mythology and the power of stories to impart important life lessons. Students build knowledge about ancient Greek culture and mythology and engage in comparative study of familiar Greek myths such as “Pandora’s Box” and “Demeter Summary and Persephone” and Native American myths written as children’s plays in Joseph Bruchac’s Pushing Up the Sky. Sharon Creech’s novel Walk Two Moons, a tapestry of stories within stories—each with ties to mythology—provides a backdrop for understanding how authors convey important truths through stories. Students write an essay to explain two themes that myths and stories can teach. They draw on evidence from two End-of- informational texts—Understanding Greek Myths by Natalie Hyde and introductions in Pushing Up the Sky by Joseph Module Bruchac—to describe ancient Greeks and Native American tribes. They provide examples from two of the module’s Task literary texts to explain what myths and stories can teach people. Knowledge: Students learn how different cultures, including ancient Greeks and Native American tribes, have used myths and stories to explain phenomena in the natural world and teach important life lessons. They develop understanding of words in the English language that derive from Greek and Roman mythology. Reading: Students compare topics and themes across myths and stories and make connections between written myths and visual representations. They extend critical and close reading skills as they analyze author’s craft in Walk Two Moons. Learning Writing: Students develop informative writing skills, demonstrating an ability to identify and paraphrase strong Overview evidence to support their ideas and synthesize information from multiple texts in a written paragraph or essay. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on paraphrasing portions of a text read aloud and speaking clearly when presenting ideas. They differentiate between contexts that call for formal English versus informal discourse. Language: Students correctly use modal auxiliaries, grade-appropriate spelling, and frequently confused words in their writing. They also determine word meanings using roots and affixes and explain the meanings of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.4.4, RL.4.5, RL.4.7, W.4.2 SL.4.1.d, SL.4.2, SL.4.4 L.4.1.c, L.4.1.g, L.4.2.d, Standards RL.4.9, RI.4.9 L.4.3.c, L.4.4.b, L.4.5.b

Grade 5 Module Synopses

Grade 5 Module 1: Cultures in Conflict Essential How do cultural beliefs and values guide people? Question Literary Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, Scott O’Dell and Elizabeth Hall Core Texts Informational and Visual “Lincoln Hall Speech,” Washington D.C., January 14, 1879, Chief Joseph, Nez Perce Art Visual Art The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas, George Catlin Portrait of George Washington, Gilbert Stuart Students explore ways in which cultural beliefs and values guide people’s actions, individually and collectively. Their study focuses on one group, the Nez Perce, during a tumultuous and tragic era of US westward expansion. Through a variety of literary and informational texts, including a speech by Chief Joseph and the historical novel Thunder Summary Rolling in the Mountains, students learn about impacts of US westward expansion; traditional Nez Perce culture and the significance of the Nez Perce homeland; and the conflict between the Nez Perce, led by the Chief Joseph, and the United States government. Students write an informative/explanatory essay to explain how Chief Joseph’s “Lincoln Hall Speech” conveys two End-of- important beliefs and values of the Nez Perce people. Students develop their ideas with specific evidence from the Module speech and elaboration to explain how each belief or value is conveyed in the speech and how it guides Chief Joseph’s Task words. Knowledge: Students develop understanding of what it means to belong to a culture and how cultural values guide people’s actions. They learn how US westward expansion disrupted cultural heritage and ways of life for Native Americans, specifically the Nez Perce, and led to conflicts that resulted in unjust displacement and destruction of native peoples. Reading: Students determine main ideas and details in informational texts and key story elements in fiction, applying these skills to summarize texts. They compare and contrast fictional characters and analyze a primary source speech to understand how words and actions reveal beliefs and values. Learning Writing: Students learn to write informational text summaries and informative pieces, including compare-contrast Overview paragraphs and essays. They focus on crafting topic and thesis statements and developing them with evidence and elaboration. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on speaking collaboratively with peers during small group and whole group discussions. Listening to notice word choice during read alouds helps them pay attention, observe details, and improve reading comprehension. Language: Students expand and combine sentences using prepositional phrases and conjunctions; punctuate and capitalize titles correctly; and determine meanings of unknown words and phrases, including figurative language. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.5.3, RL.5.9, RI.5.2, W.5.2, W.5.4 SL.5.1.b L.5.1.a, L.5.2.d, L.5.3.a, Standards RI.5.3 L.5.5.a

Grade 5 Module 2: Word Play Essential How and why do writers play with words? Question Literary Core Texts The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster and Visual Visual Art Art The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dalí Time Transfixed, René Magritte The English language, with its rich, hybrid history and innumerable sounds and word choices, is rife with opportunity for wordplay. In this module, students explore the richness and complexity of the English language from a humorous angle as they examine how authors use wordplay to engage audiences, create humor and meaning, and express themes. Summary Their study centers on Norton Juster’s classic modern fantasy novel, The Phantom Tollbooth, in which the young hero, Milo, must complete an impossible quest to rescue princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Mountains of Ignorance and restore them to the Kingdom of Wisdom. Students write an exploded moment narrative in which Milo, the main character in The Phantom Tollbooth, encounters End-of- one of the demons from the Mountains of Ignorance and helps him resolve a conflict related to the wordplay of his Module name and experiences in the story. Students establish setting and characters, create dialogue that clearly introduces the Task demon’s problem and shows how Milo helps him resolve it by imparting wisdom learned on his journey. Knowledge: Through an in-depth study of wordplay, this module fosters students’ sense of humor, vocabulary, and understanding of how writers play with words for different purposes. Reading: Students trace and analyze narrative structure, focusing on how a series of events fits together to provide an overall “hero’s quest” structure. They analyze how characters change and consider how these changes can help them identify key themes. Writing: Tapping into their creativity and ability to play with words, students develop short snapshots of original Learning settings and characters and longer exploded moments that include key narrative elements, descriptive language, Overview dialogue, and Juster-like wordplay. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on adapting their speech to a specific audience during expressive read alouds. As they listen, they practice visualizing, by using descriptions and details to enhance meaning. Language: Students expand and rearrange sentences to include introductory elements; choose precise words in writing; apply rules for comma use in writing dialogue; and determine meanings of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, including idioms, puns, and adages. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.4, W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5 SL.5.4, SL.5.6 L.5.1.a, L.5.2.b, L.5.2.c, Standards RL.5.5, RL.5.7 L.5.3.a, L.5.4.a, L.5.4.c, L.5.5.b

Grade 5 Module 3: A War Between Us Essential How did the Civil War impact people? Question Literary The River Between Us, Richard Peck Core Texts Informational and Visual The Boys’ War, Jim Murphy Art Visual Art Photographs of Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Gardner This module offers students a look at the watershed event of American history—the Civil War—from various perspectives, including boy soldiers in the North and South, girls and women on the home front, and free people of Summary color in New Orleans. Through close analysis of a historical novel and informational texts, including primary source journals, students examine ways in which the Civil War irrevocably changed lives of individuals and families. End-of- Students write an opinion essay to express their opinion about whether the Civil War has a mostly positive or mostly Module negative impact on the Pruitt family in The River Between Us. Students provide two reasons to support their opinion Task and develop them with evidence from the novel and elaboration. Knowledge: Students learn how the Civil War affected various groups of people in immediate and lasting ways. They learn how young soldiers’ romanticized visions of war differed from its harsh realities and what a unique group of free people of color in the South stood to gain and lose in the war. Reading: Students build their close reading skills with literary and informational texts. They analyze point of view, identifying similarities and differences; examine how authors support reasons with evidence; and interpret figurative language. Learning Writing: Students transfer knowledge of informative writing to develop opinion pieces—including those from Overview characters’ points of view—with clear opinion statements, reasons, and evidence. They learn the importance of gathering evidence for all sides before forming an opinion. Speaking and Listening: Students listen for how their peers use reasons and evidence to support points and practice summarizing aloud across a variety of situations and discussions. Language: Students compare and contrast varieties of English used in stories; apply knowledge of verb tenses, including the perfect tense; and determine the meanings of unknown words and phrases in texts using a variety of strategies. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.5.6, RI.5.4, RI.5.6, W.5.1, W.5.4, W.5.5 SL.5.1.a, SL.5.1.c, SL.5.2, L.5.1.b, L.5.1.c, L.5.1.d, Standards RI.5.8 SL.5.3 L.5.3.b, L.5.4.a, L.5.4.b, L.5.5.a

Grade 5 Module 4: Breaking Barriers Essential How can sports influence individuals and societies? Question Informational Core Texts We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, Kadir Nelson and Visual Visual Art Art The Fall of Icarus (1943), Henri Matisse Joie de Vivre, Mark di Suvero In this module, students explore the power of sports to bring people together, challenge injustices, and provide hope for the future. Students study examples of athletes, teams, and organizations that have challenged and overcome barriers Summary through sport, including an apartheid-era rugby team, a spunky girl named Squeaky, little-known players of the Negro Leagues, and a youth soccer team made up of refugees from war-torn countries. Students apply their research skills to research one of three soccer organizations and write an essay that explains how End-of- the organization uses soccer to transform individuals and societies. Students read an article about the organization and Module then research additional information from two other sources. Then, they write an essay to introduce the organization Task and its mission, state their thesis, and develop their ideas with evidence and elaboration from their research. Knowledge: Students learn how people, past and present, have challenged barriers through sports. They discover positive ways in which sports can affect individuals, teams, communities, and society as a whole. Reading: Students refine their ability to navigate and understand informational texts, comparing and contrasting text structures and synthesizing information from multiple sources to answer research questions. Writing: Building on their understanding of informational writing from previous modules, students develop research Learning skills such as finding, synthesizing, and citing evidence from multiple sources and using technology to produce and Overview publish writing. Speaking and Listening: As students prepare to deliver speeches and multimedia presentations to classmates, they practice sequencing ideas logically, supporting main ideas with relevant facts and details, and listening to understand. Language: Students develop their writing using conjunctions and items in a series and through combining and reducing sentences. They work on spelling grade-appropriate words correctly and deepen understanding of word meanings using relationships between words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RI.5.1, RI.5.5, RI.5.7, RI.5.9 W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.6, W.5.7, SL.5.1.d, SL.5.4, SL.5.5 L.5.1.a, L.5.1.e, L.5.2.a, Standards W.5.8 L.5.2.e, L.5.3.a, L.5.4.b, L.5.5.c

Grade 6 Module Synopses

Grade 6 Module 1: Resilience in the Great Depression Essential How can enduring tremendous hardship contribute to personal transformation? Question Literary Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis Core Texts Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse and Visual Art Visual Art Kentucky Flood, Margaret Bourke-White Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange Readers are drawn to stories of transformation and redemption and admire characters who, through wit and will, persevere in difficult circumstances. Through literary and informational texts and visual art, students envision what Summary life was like during the Great Depression and explore the hardships that people faced—from bank failures to the Dust Bowl to the loss of jobs, homes, and farms and the forced migration of thousands of people in search of opportunities. Students learn how characters demonstrate resilience and transcend challenges to find hope and even joy. Students choose one of the protagonists—Bud from Bud, Not Buddy or Billie Jo from Out of the Dust—and write a End-of- cause-and-effect essay to explain how that character’s responses to the hardships they face during the Great Depression Module contribute to their personal transformation. This task captures students’ understanding of how hardship can, ironically, Task contribute to the resilience of the human spirit. Knowledge: Students begin a year-long examination of individuals who experience challenging environments. They build knowledge of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, which supports their understanding of the novels’ social and historical contexts. Reading: Students examine how word choice and figurative language develop characters and support theme. They analyze how multiple texts present ideas and information with similar topics or central ideas, building background knowledge of historical events. Learning Writing: With a focus on informative writing, students learn to compose paragraphs and essays, including cause- Overview and-effect essay, with topic and thesis statements, develop their ideas with evidence and elaboration, and craft strong conclusions. Speaking and Listening: Students develop skills in effective communication, focusing on the ability to disagree strategically and defer politely to another speaker in academic discussions. Language: Students use appropriate transitions, vary sentence lengths and patterns, and determine meanings of unknown words or phrases, including figurative language. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3, W.6.2, W.6.4, W.6.5 SL.6.1.b L.6.1.e, L.6.3.a, L.6.3.b, Standards RL.6.4, RL.6.9, RI.6.1, L.6.4.a, L.6.5.a RI.6.2, RI.6.9

Grade 6 Module 2: A Hero’s Journey Essential What is the significance and power of the hero’s journey? Question Core Texts Literary and Visual The Odyssey, Gillian Cross; Illustrations, Neil Packer Art Ramayana: Divine Loophole, Sanjay Patel Stories of transformation are timeless and speak to the shared human experience of facing and responding to challenges. In this module, students read enduring epics—Homer’s The Odyssey and the Indian epic The Ramayana— in contemporary forms. Students explore how these monomyths include timeless archetypes and a structural Summary framework that play essential roles in the hero’s growth. Though ancient, these myths offer students deeply relevant, human models of heroes: extraordinary but flawed individuals who endure hard-fought struggle, experience transformation, and change the world for the better. Students use their knowledge of the monomyth to create an original hero’s journey. They outline their narrative using End-of- the Character Archetypes and Stages of the Hero’s Journey tables; compose two narrative scenes that each showcase a Module stage from different phases of the hero’s journey; use technology to create a presentation; and perform a fluent reading Task of one of their narrative scenes for the class. Students’ stories reflect their understanding of the monomyth as a journey of vital, personal growth that collectively benefits all people. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of the hero’s journey, the monomyth genre, and mythological archetypes. They explore how the stages of the hero’s journey mirror real life: a hero follows the call to adventure, faces fears, and overcomes flaws to improve people’s lives. Reading: Through close reading, students analyze how parts of a text fit into its larger structure. They track character development to support understanding of archetypes and explore how translations of a text alter the narrative. Learning Writing: Students experiment with building context, employing narrative techniques, and using precise language to Overview convey meaning in narrative writing. They use technology to present their ideas. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on the ability to listen effectively and paraphrase their peers’ insights and contributions in academic discussions. Language: Students recognize and correct vague pronoun-antecedent relationships, use intensive pronouns, choose and correctly use punctuation, and edit their writing for correct spelling. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.6.3, RL.6.5, RL.6.7 W.6.3, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.6 SL.6.1.d, SL.6.4, SL.6.5, L.6.1.b, L.6.1.d, L.6.2.a, Standards SL.6.6 L.6.2.b, L.6.4.b, L.6.5.a, L.6.5.c

Grade 6 Module 3: Narrating the Unknown Essential How did the social and environmental factors in the unknown world of Jamestown shape its development and decline? Question Literary Blood on the River: James Town 1607, Elisa Carbone Informational Core Texts Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland, Sally Walker and Visual Art Visual Art Nighthawks, Edward Hopper The Lighthouse at Two Lights, Edward Hopper Lighthouse Hill, Edward Hopper How do we understand the past and unlock mysteries of long-ago events and time periods? In this module, students examine what happened at America’s first permanent settlement of Jamestown. Through the lenses of historical fiction, Summary primary source documents, forensic anthropology, and visual analysis, students explore the factors that shaped and led to the decline and near extinction of Jamestown. Students evaluate the factors that had the most significant impact on the Jamestown colony’s development and End-of- decline and write an essay in which they argue whether the social or environmental factors were most significant to the Module settlement’s struggle to thrive. Students support their claim with clear reasons, evidence from at least two module texts Task (including Blood on the River), and elaboration to explain how the evidence supports their reasons. Knowledge: Students build extensive knowledge of the Jamestown settlement. Through multiple lenses, they learn about leadership, collaboration, and nature’s capacity to undo man’s plans. Students also learn how archaeologists uncover stories of the past. Reading: Students examine how characters transform in literary texts. They contrast literary and scientific accounts of survival in Jamestown and identify how authors introduce and develop ideas in informational texts. Learning Writing: Focusing on argument writing, students learn to organize arguments, evaluate evidence before crafting a Overview claim, and select the strongest reasons and evidence to support a claim. Speaking and Listening: Students cultivate stronger understanding of how to develop and support a claim when speaking. They integrate visual displays in mini-research presentations to clarify their findings. Language: In their writing, students vary sentence patterns and use correct number, person, and case of pronouns. Students use reference materials and word relationship to better understand word meanings. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.6, W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.5 SL.6.2, SL.6.4 L.6.1.a, L.6.1.c, L.6.3.a, Standards RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.8, L.6.4.c, L.6.4.d, L.6.5.c RI.6.9

Grade 6 Module 4: Courage in Crisis Essential How can the challenges of a hostile environment inspire heroism? Question Informational Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance, Core Texts Jennifer Armstrong and Visual I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World, Malala Yousafzai and Art Patricia McCormick Visual Art Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth, Joseph Mallord William Turner This module features extraordinary true stories of individuals who act heroically in the most hostile, challenging environments. Students read the harrowing account of how Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men survive in Summary Antarctica after their ship is destroyed. They also read Malala Yousafzai’s personal account of her experiences as a young activist speaking out against girls’ limited access to education in war-torn Pakistan. Students choose an individual whose heroic action during a time of challenge or controversy affected others’ lives. End-of- They apply their research skills to find information from relevant and credible sources, take notes, and then synthesize Module information across multiple sources to write an informative essay about how the individual’s heroic actions in response Task to a hostile environment positively affected others. Students compile their essays into a class anthology . Knowledge: Students study what constitutes and inspires heroic action, examining examples of leadership and courage in the face of extreme environments and political hostility. Reading: Students analyze how text features, structure, language, and content work to develop ideas in nonfiction texts. They consider how an author conveys his or her point of view about subject matter by emphasizing certain details. Learning Writing: Students develop research and informative writing skills. They learn how to find and evaluate credible Overview sources, take notes on evidence, and synthesize information from multiple texts in their writing. Speaking and Listening: Students learn effective ways to balance questions and statements when engaging in formal discussions. Language: In their writing, students establish and maintain consistent formal style and tone and recognize and correct vague pronoun-antecedent relationships. Focus Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Standards RI.6.4, RI.6.5, RI.6.6, RI.6.7 W.6.2, W.6.4, W.6.7, W.6.8 SL.6.1.a, SL.6.1.c, SI.6.3 L.6.1.d, L.6.3.b

Grade 7 Module Synopses

Grade 7 Module 1: Identity in the Middle Ages Essential How does society both support and limit the development of identity? Question Literary Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, a Young Page, Richard Platt The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Core Texts The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman and Visual Art Visual Art Pilgrims Leaving Canterbury, from Lydgate’s Siege of Thebes Joachim among the Shepherds, Giotto di Bondone The Three Living and the Three Dead, Master of the Dresden Prayer Book In a literary expedition across medieval Europe, students explore the concept of identity formation and the ways that society can support and limit one’s identity. Students learn about the rigid social hierarchy of medieval Europe—nobles, Summary servants, knights, clergy, tradesmen, peasants, even poachers—and how this hierarchy played out in everyday life. They explore the lives of fictional characters, examining these characters’ efforts to carve out a place for themselves within this hierarchy. Students write an exploded moment narrative in which they expand on a scene from one of the module literary texts End-of- to demonstrate how medieval society supports or limits a character’s identity. Students choose from a list of specific Module characters and events and then develop their narratives with a beginning that establishes character, point of view, Task and setting; dialogue, descriptive details, and sensory details; a clearly organized plot sequence; and an ending that provides a resolution. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of the Middle Ages, a period characterized by a rigid social order. Texts from and about this period explore concepts of identity, social class, hierarchy, and the tensions between societal forces and individuals who challenge them. Reading: Students summarize texts and determine themes supported by text evidence. They analyze narrative elements and techniques, inferring how a narrator’s point of view shapes a story and how setting affects character development. Learning Writing: With a focus on narrative writing, students examine and experiment with narrative techniques, including Overview dialogue, pacing, description, and sensory language. They blend content and craft to write historical narratives.

Speaking and Listening: Students focus on setting discussion goals for speaking and listening and tracking their progress toward those goals. Language: Students use a variety of sentence types in their writing and avoid redundancy and wordiness. They interpret figurative language and apply it in their own writing, and they use affixes and roots to help them determine word meaning. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, W.7.3, W.7.4 SL.7.1.b L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a Standards RL.7.4

Grade 7 Module 2: Americans All Essential How did World War II affect individuals? Question Literary Code Talker, Joseph Bruchac Core Texts Informational and Visual Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston Art Visual Art Manzanar from Guard Tower; Roy Takeno, outside Free Press Office; School Children, Ansel Adams Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Germany’s declaration of war shattered America’s isolationist mood and swept the country into World War II. Americans were called to serve the nation and defeat a common enemy, yet many faced prejudice and discrimination at home. Through fiction and memoir, students explore the experiences of a Navajo Summary teenager called to serve in the war and a Japanese-American girl and her family who were interned at Manzanar camp. These stories offer insight into how different Americans experienced the war and the opportunities and challenges it presented. Students write an informative essay to explain the effects that World War II had on the lives and identity development End-of- of either Ned Begay in Code Talkers or Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston in Farewell to Manzanar. Students include an Module introduction summarizing the protagonist’s background and wartime experience; develop their ideas with relevant Task facts, details, and quotations from the text; and provide a conclusion. Knowledge: Students build knowledge of World War II and how it affected different Americans. They continue to explore questions of identity as they consider the influences of race, culture, war, and patriotism on individual and national identity. Reading: Students continue to examine the interactions of setting, plot, and character development. As they read informational texts, they analyze the interaction among individuals, events, and ideas such as citizenship. Learning Writing: Students focus on informational writing. They learn how to craft strong introductions and apply techniques Overview they learned in narrative writing, such as description, to help them develop ideas. Speaking and Listening: Students learn how to emphasize important points when speaking and overcome listening barriers when listening. Language: Students focus on using precise language and eliminating repetition and wordiness. They use transitional phrases and clauses to connect ideas and develop word knowledge by exploring Greek and Latin affixes and analyzing relationships between words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RI.7.1, W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5 SL.7.4, SL.7.6 L.7.1.a, L.7.1.c, L.7.2.b, Standards RI.7.2, RI.7.3 L.7.3.a, L.7.4.b, L.7.5.b

Grade 7 Module 3: Language and Power Essential What is the power of language? Question Literary Core Texts Animal Farm, George Orwell and Visual Visual Art Art The Temple at Abu Simbel The Great Sphinx of Giza Poets strive to inspire, advertisers strive to persuade, and leaders strive to influence citizens. In every facet of their lives, as people navigate an onslaught of information from myriad sources, they experience the power of language Summary in personal, political, commercial, and civic arenas. Centering on George Orwell’s classic Animal Farm, this module cultivates students’ abilities to analyze the logic and validity of arguments; consider perspectives of differing sources; and recognize the power of language to inspire and manipulate. End-of- Reflecting on the power of language, students write an argument essay about whether language is more powerful when Module it is used to uplift and inspire people to think or act in positive ways, or when it is used as a negative tool to manipulate Task or control people. Students develop their claim with evidence from Animal Farm and at least one other module text. Knowledge: Students examine the power of words to influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior as they study poetry, advertisements, propaganda, book reviews, and historical accounts and read George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Reading: Students analyze word choice and other techniques that authors and speakers use to inspire, uplift, persuade, manipulate, or control their audiences. They consider the allegorical meaning of Animal Farm, comparing it Learning with the real-life events that inspired it. Overview Writing: Building on their informative writing skills, students formulate sound argument paragraphs and essays, supporting claims with logical reasons and evidence. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on elaborating on key points, listening for off-topic responses, and evaluating arguments. Language: In their writing, students purposefully use a variety of sentences and choose words carefully to avoid wordiness and redundancy. They determine meanings of unknown words, including figurative language. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.6, W.7.1, W.7.4 SL.7.1.a, SL.7.1.c, SL.7.3 L.7.1.b, L.7.3.a, L.7.4.a, Standards RL.7.7, RI.7.7, RI.7.8 L.7.4.b, L.7.5.a, L.7.5.c

Grade 7 Module 4: Fever Essential How can times of crisis affect citizens and society? Question Literary Fever 1793, Laurie Halse Anderson Core Texts Informational and Visual An American Plague, Jim Murphy Art Visual Art The Artist in His Museum, Charles Willson Peale The Long Room, Interior of Front Room in Peale’s Museum, 1822, Charles Willson Peale In this module, students travel back in time to Philadelphia, 1793, and the nightmarish yellow fever epidemic. Through their close study of Jim Murphy’s detailed historical account, An American Plague, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Summary historical novel, Fever 1793, as well as various other texts, students explore the effects of this crisis on Philadelphia and its citizens and how the city’s leadership and citizens responded. This module inspires larger questions about human behavior, driven by fear, compassion, and a desire to understand—and survive—the unknown. Students write a research essay explaining two or three ways that members of a selected group of Philadelphians—the End-of- medical community, the black community, or government leaders—responded to the yellow fever crisis and evaluating Module whether these responses were helpful, harmful, or both. Students support their ideas with evidence from An American Task Plague by Jim Murphy and at least two additional texts. Knowledge: Students build knowledge about a historical yellow fever epidemic in America and how citizens responded. They consider questions of how individuals and societies respond to crises, and how crises can reveal human strengths as well as failures. Reading: Students develop analytical reading skills as they compare and contrast depictions of the yellow fever epidemic in different sources in order to better understand the crisis and authors’ craft. Learning Writing: Students apply their informative writing skills as they engage in and learn about the research process. They Overview form research questions, search for and select sources, communicate their findings in an organized research essay, and use technology to publish their writing. Speaking and Listening: Students focus on effectively expressing their ideas and listening to understand classmates’ insights. Language: In writing, students correctly use coordinate adjectives. They deepen word knowledge using reference material and Greek and Latin affixes and roots and distinguish among connotations of words with similar denotations. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.9, W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.7, SL.7.1.d, SL.7.2, SL.7.4, L.7.2.a, L.7.4.b, L.7.4.c, Standards RI.7.4, RI.7.5, RI.7.6, RI.7.9 W.7.8 SL.7.5 L.7.4.d, L.7.5.c

Grade 8 Module Synopses

Grade 8 Module 1: The Poetics and Power of Storytelling Essential What is the power of storytelling? Question Literary Core Texts The Crossover, Kwame Alexander and Visual Visual Art Art The Block, Romare Bearden Children’s Games, Pieter Bruegel the Elder In this module, students examine storytelling as personal, social, and cultural forms of expression that we use to make sense of ourselves and our worlds. Through various forms of storytelling and texts about storytelling— Kwame Alexander’s novel-in-verse, The Crossover; poetic performances by Bassey Ikpi, Nikki Giovanni, and Yusef Summary Komunyakaa; a speech by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and an essay excerpt by N. Scott Momaday—students learn the power of stories to help humans navigate complex social situations, develop empathy, and understand different worldviews. Students write a portfolio of three poems, each of a distinct poetic type, that together tell a story about a significant End-of- time in their lives. Students’ poems demonstrate clear narrative arcs and use descriptive, sensory, and figurative Module language. Students write a cover letter explaining the story, relationship between form and content, and reflections on Task the power of storytelling, and then perform their poems for an audience, with attention to poetic expression. Knowledge: Students explore the power of storytelling as a way of making sense of personal experiences, the complex emotional and social lives of others, and the world. They explore complex articles about storytelling’s effect on individuals and culture. Reading: Students examine the roles of content, form, and expression in creating a powerful story. They analyze the effects of figurative language and poetic types in literary texts. Learning Writing: Students write narrative pieces by using descriptive, sensory, and figurative language to appeal to readers’ Overview senses, convey abstract ideas, and deepen readers’ understanding. They experiment with narrative structure and sequence. They incorporate evidence in creative and logical ways in their informative writing. Speaking and Listening: Students consider the role of expression in reading aloud and the effect of an audience on a speaker’s delivery. Language: Students use commas, ellipses, and dashes; verbs in different moods; and a variety of sentence types in their writing. They analyze figures of speech in context and apply strategies to determine meanings of unknown words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.5 SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1.c, L.8.2.a, L.8.5.a Standards RL.8.5, RI.8.2

Grade 8 Module 2: The Great War Essential How do literature and art illuminate the effects of World War I? Question Literary Core Texts All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque and Visual Visual Art Art Gassed, John Singer Sargent Soldiers Playing Cards, Fernand Léger World War I is but one example of how increasing modernization led to a new kind of warfare with grave consequences. Tanks, gas, and the trenches that snaked across the European countryside are symbolic of the physical and mental devastation that soldiers and those at home faced as a result of the war. In this module, students experience Summary World War I through the eyes of Paul Bäumer, the narrator of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Informational articles, poetry, and film build students’ understanding of the effects of war on individuals and communities. Students examine how literature and art represent those effects. Students write an informative essay that explains how Paul’s experiences in All Quiet on the Western Front illuminate End-of- the effects of World War I on individuals and suggest larger reverberations in society at large. They choose one Module psychological effect of war and establish it as a broad category in their thesis. Then, they identify subcategories and Task develop the essay by demonstrating how three incidents in the novel reveal different aspects of this effect. Knowledge: Students cultivate a deep understanding of the ways in which literature and art express the psychological and emotional trauma of those who experienced World War I. Reading: Students examine character development and psychological effects of war in a complex novel and analyze how specific incidents develop complex themes. They study informational texts, poetry, painting, and film, analyzing the effect of medium on meaning. Writing: Focusing on well-chosen evidence, students incorporate different types of evidence to develop a specific Learning purpose. They experiment with different organizing structures and write conclusions that state the larger significance Overview of a piece of writing. Speaking and Listening: Students practice elaborating on and responding to others’ thinking by listening from a speaker’s perspective, and, in the process, revising and rearticulating their own ideas. Language: Students employ different verb moods, active and passive verb voices, and clear and precise language in their writing. They apply strategies to help them define unknown words and distinguish among the connotations and denotations of words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.8.3, RL.8.7, RI.8.1, W.8.2, W.8.4 SL.8.1.b, SL.8.1.d L.8.1.b, L.8.1.d, L.8.2.b, Standards RI.8.3 L.8.5.b, L.8.5.c

Grade 8 Module 3: What Is Love? Essential What is love? Question Literary Core Texts A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare and Visual Visual Art Art The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck Birthday, Marc Chagall In this module, students explore a deceptively simple question, one that has vexed humans for centuries. What is love? William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream anchors the module, offering a compelling and humorous Summary way for students to think about love. This and other module texts compel students to examine ideas about the roles of individual choice, fate, power, social status, and science in the development of seemingly personal relations. Ultimately, students discover that love is neither simple nor static but nonetheless remains a powerful force in our lives. Students choose one of the characters from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and write an End-of- argument essay that asserts whether the outcome of this character’s romantic relationship by the end of the play is a Module result of agency or an outcome directed by fate. Students assert and develop an evidence-based claim with reasons, Task supported by well-chosen evidence and elaboration. Knowledge: Students examine personal agency, contemplating questions about fate, individual choice, and love. They explore how love can undermine or empower one’s sense of self, and how, because of factors outside one’s control, one cannot always act on love. Reading: Students analyze the figurative language, dramatic irony, and sophisticated themes of Shakespearean drama. Students analyze claims about love to evaluate arguments. Writing: Students explain and evaluate the claims, logic, and validity of arguments and demonstrate their ability Learning to construct arguments that include clear and persuasive claims, logical reasoning, relevant evidence, elaboration, Overview transitional language, and a conclusion. Speaking and Listening: Students listen for a speaker’s logic and pose questions that connect ideas from multiple speakers. Language: Students focus on correct spelling and use of verbs in a variety of moods. They develop word knowledge using reference materials and grade-appropriate morphemes and distinguish among connotations of words with similar denotations. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.5 SL.8.1.a, SL.8.1.c, SL.8.3 L.8.1.c, L.8.1.d, L.8.2.a, Standards RL.8.9, RI.8.4, RI.8.8 L.8.2.c, L.8.4.b, L.8.4.c, L.8.4.d, L.8.5.a, L.8.5.c

Grade 8 Module 4: Teens as Change Agents Essential How do people effect social change? Question Informational Core Texts Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, Phillip Hoose and Visual Art Visual Art Ladder for Booker T. Washington, Martin Puryear The story of Claudette Colvin and her fight for social change during the Civil Rights Movement launches deeper exploration of the Civil Rights Movement and broader examination of how people, individually and collectively, can Summary effect real, lasting change. Through a variety of informational texts as well as visual art, this module engages students in studies and conversations about social justice and research on other teen change agents. Using the research they have gathered throughout the module, students write an informative essay in which they End-of- explain how a teen (or teen group) has responded to an important social issue, why that social issue matters to teens Module and their communities, the motivations for the teen’s actions, and the strategies and goals of those actions. Then, they Task translate their essay into a multimedia presentation to present their findings to a wider audience. Knowledge: Students explore the events of the Montgomery bus boycott and consider how individual and collective actions challenged segregation. They examine the power of language and action to effect social change. Reading: Students extend critical and close reading skills as they study texts in a variety of media and consider author’s purpose. They apply their understanding of author’s purpose to analyze articles that disagree on the topic of social media as a strategy for social change. Learning Writing: Students learn research skills and engage in independent research. They assess the relevance and credibility Overview of sources, synthesize evidence from multiple sources, and write a research essay. Speaking and Listening: Students present research findings in a multimedia presentation, making strategic choices about how to present summative information that develops audience understanding of the topic and adds interest. Language: Students use active and passive verbs and conditional and subjective moods in speaking and writing; use verbals and explain their functions; and deepen understanding of words through context clues and relationships between words. Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Language Focus RI.8.5, RI.8.6, RI.8.7, W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.6, W.8.7, SL.8.2, SL.8.4, SL.8.5 L.8.1.a, L.8.3.a, L.8.4.a, Standards RI.8.9 W.8.8 L.8.4.d, L.8.5.b