Understanding By Design Unit Template

BLOOMFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003

Curriculum Guide

Passports to Power Supplemental ELA Grade 7-8

Prepared by: Catherine Lazen

Salvatore Goncalves, Superintendent of Schools Jaynellen Behre-Jenkins, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Suzanne Johnson, Supervisor of English Language Arts

Board Approved: July 28, 2015 Passports to Power (Supplemental ELA: grades 7-8)

Introduction: This document is a tool that will provide an overview as to what to teach, when to teach it, and how to assess student progress. As well, with considerations made for altered pacing, modifications, and accommodations; this document is to be utilized for all students enrolled in this course, regardless of ability level, native language, or classification. It is meant to be a dynamic tool that we, as educators, will revise and modify as it is used during the course of the school year. Below is a series of important points about this supplement and the English language arts course.

The Passports to Power curriculum is aligned with both the National Common Core Standards and the 21st century themes and mandates set forth in the 2010 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. Both sets of standards demand that English language arts curricula work to promote the selection of increasingly complex texts, a balanced approach to understanding fictional and informational reading and writing, and the integration of technology into the classroom. This document ensures that all prioritized English Language Arts standards will be met over the duration of the course. As well, the documents specifically cross-reference the four 21st Century themes (Global Awareness; Civic Literacy; Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy; and Health Literacy) and primary inter-disciplinary connections.

Mapping/Sequence: The format in which the curriculum is written follows the parameters of Understanding by Design. Each new course curriculum document is written as a series of units containing established transfer goals, enduring understandings, essential questions, and the necessary skills and knowledge a student must attain in a school year. In addition, each document stipulates works, activities, and assessments. Teachers are expected to design lessons that will meet the requirements stipulated in this document; however, they are provided flexibility in how they choose to meet these demands. Passports to Power is a remedial (basic skills) enrichment program designed for the elective (Encore) schedule block as a compliment to the core ELA class.

Pacing: Due to the differentiated and individualized nature of supplemental instruction, the Passports to Power curricula is written as a single unit to be achieved over the duration of the time period any individual student is enrolled in the course. Upon entry, students are assessed and assigned a individualized course of skill development. As well, Passports to Power employs holistic, strength-based approach that unites the head, heart and hand to address the causes of low or under-performance. This curriculum is based on an identified need for instructional support in the areas of reading, writing and usage of language. Standardized test scores show missing, under-developed or emergent skills in the CCSS categories listed in the prepared document below.

Resources: The curriculum framework for Passports to Power follows the formula of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey and employs the Notice and Note close reading technique developed by educators Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst to support learning goals aligned to Common Core Standards in narrative writing, reading and speaking. Other valuable sites that should be referenced in planning are http://www.corestandards.org/the- standards/english-language-arts-standards and http://www.heinemann.com/NoticeAndNote/ Bloomfield Public Schools Understanding by Design Unit Template

Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) Developed By Catherine Lazen, M.Ed (Bloomfield Middle School teacher) Desired Results (Stage 1) Established Goals Reading: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot). Writing CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.E Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Language CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3.a Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.*

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4.a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4.d Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5.b Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.

Primary Interdisciplinary Connections 21st Century Interdisciplinary Themes:

Civic Literacy: Texts expose students to social problems in which power is given/taken away. Injustice, imbalance of power in relationships, racism. The study of the hero’s journey invites students to consider their own role in contributing to or solving social/civic problems as they write (aspects of) their own Hero’s Journey. The Notice and Note “close reading” techniques empower students to “notice and note” and then take ownership of their own choices/actions/words in the context of their own Hero’s Journey and those of others.

Health Literacy: Program incorporates a therapeutic environment for learning in which social/emotional needs are addressed. Classroom culture (routines, rituals, modes of interaction, work habits etc) does the following to teach health literacy:

 promotes mind-body awareness  introduces relaxation, focusing, stress-management techniques  teaches emotional vocabulary as part of reading/writing curriculum  encourages kindness, acceptance  fosters self-confidence Transfer Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

1. Infer the meaning, lesson, purpose or theme of fiction and/or non-fiction texts which will:  Foster their own love of reading  Build stamina.  Build comprehension in both fiction/non-fiction texts in/outside ELA classrooms (and reading is so much more fun when you can answer the question “so what?”) 2. Plan and write a purposeful narrative story that successfully conveys meaning, lesson, purpose or theme. Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) 3. Derive personal insight and meaning from the real life “story” of personal past history and present experience. 4. Use the skills of self-awareness to practice self-control. Self-control includes positive action, expression, performance etc.

Meaning Understandings Essential Questions Students will understand that… Students will keep considering… 1. Authors don’t just write stories to entertain. They use 1. What is the author’s purpose, lesson, theme, or call-to- them as a vehicle to: teach, inspire action/change, action? communicate an important idea. 2. What do the “Contrasts and Contradictions”, “Ah-ha 2. Good Readers look for clues that help them infer (or Moments”, incidents of repetition (“Again and Again”), guess) the author’s purpose. “Words of the Wiser”, “Tough Questions” tell us about 3. Students can also be “teachers” and that their own the author’s purpose? personal and fictional narratives can teach, inspire 3. What lessons, ideas or actions do I want the action/change, and convey an important idea. readers/listeners of/to my stories to understand/take? 4. Every moment in time carries meaning and every human (And how can I use my characters to create clues interaction teaches a lesson. Skills in “Mindfulness” and about my purpose for my reader?) attention to detail improve reading/writing skills and 4. What can I learn from this moment that will empower improve quality of life: wellness/success. me to be happier, smarter and more effective? What can I learn from the past to empower me to be happier, smarter and more effective?  What is/was my body telling me?  What is/was my heart telling me?  How can I use my senses and emotions to inform my thinking about what happened/what is currently happening?  How can I use my head to make a good/healthy/kind decision?

Acquisition Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) Knowledge Skills Students will know… Students will be able to… (Six) Notice and Note Signpost Clues Use the following to plan and write a purposeful narrative story that successfully conveys meaning, lesson, purpose or theme: Academic, Emotional, Sensory Vocabulary  Signpost clues:  Action (show don’t tell) to convey character traits, The stages/steps of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey emotions  Figurative language Symbols/Metaphors  Dialogue The impact of racism, imbalance of power, injustice in  Sensory Detail relationships, communities and cultures. Use personal insight and meaning from the “story” of personal past The impact of small/large kindnesses, acts of courage. history and present experience and then use the resulting self- awareness to: The difference between “showing” and “telling” in  make wise decisions writing/reading.  take purposeful action in both personal and academic settings The difference between “general” and “specific” examples.  interact with kindness, compassion and a spirit of teamwork. The difference between an “inference” about author’s purpose Coordinate sensory experience, emotions and rational thinking as a and a “prediction” of the outcome/end of a fiction or non-fiction way to understand and create meaning in reading, writing and in story. life.

Understand and use sensory, emotional and academic vocabulary.

Use six signpost skills to infer/create meaning in fiction/non-fiction texts and in life.

Use relaxation/mindful meditation skills to cope with stress and to increase focus for learning.

Use text evidence to effectively support an inference. Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) Evidence (Stage 2) Evaluation Criteria Assessment Evidence Performance is judged in terms of… N&N (Notice & Note) Signpost Transfer Task(s) definitions/rubrics (Summative)

32 pt Narrative Writing Rubric Timed narrative writing benchmarks. (three times per year) Students are asked to write a narrative story with a beginning, middle 100 pt Portfolio Rubric and end.

100 pt Comic Book Rubric Passport Portfolio: Students submit collections of artwork, polished narrative writing, annotated texts and reading response essays. Final Portfolios Comic Book: Students submit comic book-style narrative stories using 100 pt End-of-quarter Review tests/worksheets the Hero’s Journey formula that showcase all six signposts clues that teach a “lesson”. Students demonstrate the ability to use signpost clues to help the reader infer purpose/lesson/theme.

5 pt Reading Response Rubrics Other Evidence (Formative Checks for Understanding)

3 pt Homework/quick-write Rubrics Instructional Approaches:  Frequent Conferencing

5 pt Homework assignments rubrics  Short-writes (do-nows) reading response questions 5-25 pt Vocab Tests  Peer evaluations Title of Unit Passports to Power Grade Level 7-8 Curriculum Area Supplemental ELA: Basic Skills Time Frame Semester Course (meets every other day) “Tweet” rubric  Word war --vocab game (spelling bee style)  Read-alouds from mentor texts Story-listening/storytelling rubric  Class discussions

 “Tweets”—students post examples of signposts (text excerpts taken from independent reading and text assignments with hashtags indicating signpost: #CC, #WW, #AA etc) onto classroom “twitter wall”

 Hands-on activities: art-making, three-dimensional story building

 Read-aloud reading comprehension tests

 Peer discussion/Socratic Seminars

 Notated mentor texts

 “Filmmaker storyboards” narrated 3D tableaus: Students demonstrate ability to use action to convey character trait, emotion. Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Teach the hero’s journey formula. Explore types of Tools for Travel: Art-making activities—making “tools” Notice and Note Lesson Planning Overview “special powers” discovered for the Hero’s Journey. These tools aid in overcoming by fictional and real life challenges, the discovery of personal power etc. See Notice and Note, by Probst and Beers. heroes. Resources for list of “what every traveler needs” as Contains mentor texts and lesson scripts. Quarter 2 Goals: inspiration for “journey-related” activities. For demo/mini lessons, Use picture books: Teach the remainder of the Incorporate Signpost lessons as a way to “notice and (signposts indicated with initials before 6 signposts, note” stages/phases of the hero’s journey in texts and each.) Explore more make inferences about the lesson/theme represented by themes/lessons in stories the hero’s discovery and final “sharing” or impact of AHA: Somebody Loves You, Mr.Hatch and more examples of hero his/her power. Learning Plan (Stage 3)

The Instructional Approaches include arts and play-based activities that are designed to prompt narrative, free writing activities during class. The activities are strategies to model the use of sensory language, leads, conflict, conflict resolution/end, craft, elaboration, and basic grammar/sentence structure. Students will write narrative stories that are based on personal experiences. These stories will culminate in a personal memoir story that demonstrates four parts of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” literary formula. powers. (Eileen Spinelli) Twitter game: Students look for signposts in texts and WOW: The Big Orange Splot (Daniel post excerpts with signpost hashtags to bulletin board Pinkwater) “twitter wall” for prizes. TQ: Train to Somewhere (Eve Bunting) AA: Each Kindness (Jacqueline Woodson) “Taboo”. Students build 3D scenes that “show don’t tell” MM: Tough Cookie (David Wisniewski) a secret character trait word or emotion. Students then 6th: narrate the “story” to peers without revealing the secret CC: Tea With Milk (Allen Say) word. Peers try to guess the secret word based on clues AHA: Arnie the Doughnut (Laurie Keller) given by the action/dialogue of the characters. WOW: Mr. Lincoln's Way (Patricia Polacco) TQ: Thank You Mr. Falker (Patricia “Day of the Dead” (in October around Halloween). Polacco) Students choose an object from a collection of miniatures AA: Going Home (Eve Bunting), Henry’s that reminds them of a person alive or dead that has/had Freedom Box (Ellen Levine) a compelling character trait. Students decorate a Mexican MM: Baseball Saved Us (Ken Mochizuki) Day of the Dead display of autumn/Halloween- themed images/elements with the representative objects and then Short Film Resources: write narrative stories that “show don’t tell” the character trait with action and dialogue. “ What is love”—teaches author theme: Love is unconditional using action/story. Independent reading/notice and note signpost Example of “show don’t tell”. logs. “ Sidecars”—includes signpost clues to Book talks. Students read aloud excerpts of texts that teach lesson. Everyone has a disability. It’s exemplify signposts and have peers guess which signpost like a sidecar that follows you around- it is. Signpost example is the starting point for a “why maybe slows you down, but it doesn’t keep would the character do/say that?” discussion. you from moving forward. Our strengths are like the motorcycle- the part with the “Wise Mind Camera”; Students build or draw art engine and the steering. Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Improv Writing: Students look for a visual image in a What every traveler needs: Tools for the doodle, squiggle line or abstract image. They describe that Hero’s Journey. image in action, connect that action to a feeling or concept in a short descriptive writing that helps students learn Passports to Power Curriculum Powerpoint figurative language. Students learn that they can find presentation. “meaning” even in a “coil of rusty wire” – or in a squiggle or doodle drawing.

Campfire Storytelling: Students write “ah ha moments”, “tough questions”, “words of wisdom”, questions, expressions of gratitude, observations, worries, compliments to peers and “brags” onto construction paper flames that are added to an artificial campfire. Students practice identifying signposts in real life moments. Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Create end of year superhero multi-media projects that showcase student special powers. Strategies for Differentiation For all Students:

Provide active rather than passive learning experiences.

Employ expressive-arts based strategies to unite head, heart and hand in the process of learning, practicing and demonstrating reading, writing and speaking skills. The expressive arts “head-heart-hand” approach is a powerful differentiation strategy that is particularly effective with struggling, reluctant, disengaged or emergent readers/writers because they:

 Address the unmet social/emotional needs that contribute to low performance.  Engage students through discovery play, which naturally activates curiosity and ownership of learning  Support creative development, which is important for higher level thinking: making inferences, evaluating/synthesizing ideas, solving problems and applying skills.

Examples:

Utilize 3D story-building as a scaffold for narrative writing practice. In small, contained sandboxes or construction paper platforms, students think like a “filmmaker”, --infer/create character traits and emotions from/using action, setting and mood.

Connect meaning/memory/idea to an object or image “prompt” (use an object, thing or image to “spark” creative writing, by analyzing its purpose/function, sensory details, role/place in a memory and/or emotional associations.

These strategies are outlined in the following online resource:

Other, more widely known strategies for differentiation.

 Pre-test to assess readiness and background knowledge  Provide a box or line to the left of each direction or step, for check-off as completed  Highlight, bold or underline the verbs in directions  “Give one, Get one”. Students first generate their own list of answers and/or ideas (rubric/standards/instructions/criteria) and show them in a “give one list”. Then they, put their list of ideas/answers out for display. Then, they “shop” peer lists, choosing ideas/answers according to rubric/standards/instructions/criteria  Tiered Products/Activities (Utilizing Higher level Bloom’s)  Interest-based mini-lessons  Pre-teach vocabulary  Provide independent reading materials at the independent reading level  Use visual/auditory stimuli to stimulate creative writing ideas.  Utilize a multisensory approach  Use graphic organizers  Use computer where appropriate  Teach outlining skills  Write key words on the chalkboard to enable student to organize sentences and paragraphs.  Provide series of questions to organize thoughts into a well constructed paragraph or report.  Teach student how to ask and respond to who, why, what, where, when and how questions.  Emphasize creative hands-on projects.  Establish learning buddies  Advance notice of assignments  Structured Teaching- Step 1: I do it, Step 2: We do it, Step 3: You do it (paired)  Visual Cues found on worksheets—represent signpost clues with pictures/visual symbols.  Role play  Guided Practice  Interest-based mini-lessons

Students Below Target Students Meeting or Exceeding Target

Independent Study (for example, students can study a famous, biographical Encourage, but do not force, oral reading. figure and tell the story of that hero’s journey according to Campbell’s formula.)

Provide independent reading materials at the independent reading level Provide independent reading materials at the independent reading level

Test modifications/ time extensions Choice menus

Use oral and written questioning to check comprehension.

Arrange a series of pictures in correct sequence and develop a written passage describing them.