Core Values Literature Connection Middle School Quarter 3

The Core Values Literature Connection Guide will assist teachers in infusing Miami- Dade County Public Schools’ Core Values throughout the ELA curriculum. The document is aligned to the District Pacing Guides for the 2015-2016 school year. It is designed to help teachers make connections between literature and the District’s Core Values.

Grade 6 Week/Date s Text Core Value Connection In “for Gwen 1969” the poet celebrates the “For Gwen, life of her friend, fellow poet, Gwendolyn 1969” Brooks. It focuses on the lasting impact of (Margaret a special person on the lives of others. In Walker), p. 821 Maya Angelou’s poem, Life Doesn’t Frighten Respect/Pursuit of Me, the author celebrates the courage 21 “Life Doesn’t Excellence within each of us, young and old. From the Frighten Me” scary thought of panthers in the park to the (Maya unsettling scene of a new classroom, Angelou), p. fearsome images are summoned and 280 (poetry) dispelled by the power of faith in ourselves.

Risking his life in the coldest part of the world, Matthew Henson was the first American to discover the North Pole, as part of Robert “Matthew Peary’s expedition. He spent his life as a Henson at young boy the Top of traveling the world on the high seas and the World” craved the life of an explorer. Henson’s (Jim Haskins), survival skills in p.766 the Arctic was the difference between death 22-23 Pursuit of Excellence and the greatest discovery of this life. For (biography); 18 years, “Over the he searched for what was his to discover. Top of the Similarly, Over the Top of the World is true World” (Will story of five men and two women who Steger), p.781 traveled by dog sled and canoe over the (journal entry) Arctic from Siberia to Canada in four months. While they communicated with the outside world by Internet, they encountered shifting ice, powerful snowstorms, and unbelievably cold temperatures. 24-25 . “Words Pursuit of Words Like Freedom, by Langston Hughes, Like Excellence/Respect is a brief poem that conveys the pain of words like liberty that remind the Freedom” descendant of the slave of a long history of (Langston oppression. Dreams, also by Langston Hughes), p. Hughes, the poem addresses the concept of 384; a life without dreams as an ultimatum of “Dreams” desperation. You can clearly see that the (Langston poet compares it to being a broken-winged Hughes), p.388 bird, when either of those can't fly away. (poetry) Very accurately penned, because a life without dreams would be aimless. Great Reads: From Bud, Not Buddy is about ten-year-old Historical Bud Caldwell who is on the lam. Novel” from He is running from the barren, impersonal Bud, Not confines of a 1930s orphanage and a Pursuit of Buddy stupidly cruel and dysfunctional foster 26-27 Excellence/Fairness/Honeshome, he is off on a search for his birth (Christopher ty father. Paul Curtis), p. 100 (historical novel excerpt)

What Video The two articles deal with two opposing Games Can viewpoints in regards to exposure and use Teach Us” of video games. Each article examines the (Emily Sohn), pros and cons of video games on young p. 890 minds. (magazine article); “The 28-29 Citizenship/Respect Violent Side of Video Games” (Emily Sohn), p. 895 (magazine article) Grade 7 Week/Date Connection Text Core Value s 21 “The People Respect/Pursuit of The People Could Fly" is all about the dream Could Fly” Excellence of freedom. For the Africans who were (Virginia captured into slavery and brought to Hamilton), p. America, there was little reason for hope, 480 (folktale) but through folk tales like this one, they were able to at least imagine a day when they could become free. That's powerful. No matter how physically confined we might be, no one can ever truly trample the human drive for freedom. If that doesn't inspire you to get off your butt today and do something awesome, then we don't know what will. “A First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and A First Lady Speaks Speaks Out” Out are biographies/autobiographies of the (Eleanor First Lady who, despite her shyness, Roosevelt), p. 777 followed her conscience and devoted her Respect/Kindness/Fairnes 22-23 “Eleanor life to helping others and working for peace. Roosevelt” s/Honesty

(William Jay Jacobs), P. 760

Encounter with Martin Luther King Jr. is a “Encounter narrative where Maya Angelou recounts with Martin details of her surprise meeting with Martin Luther King, Luther King Junior. The Papers of Martine Jr.” (Maya Luther King Jr. are papers that reveal King's Angelou), p. concern about poverty, human rights, and 258 social justice was clearly present in his (autobiography earliest handwritten sermons, which Respect/Integrity/Kindnesconveyed a message of faith, hope, and 24-25 ) s love for the dispossessed. His enduring “The Papers message can be charted through his years of Martin as a seminary student, as pastor of Dexter Luther King Avenue Baptist Church, as a leader of the Jr.” Montgomery bus boycott, and, ultimately, (Memorandum) as an internationally renowned proponent p. 267 of human rights who saw himself mainly as a preacher and "advocate of the social gospel. The Noble The Noble Experiment he Noble Experiment Experiment” Jackie Robinson as Told to Alfred Duckett (Jackie camouflaged Robinson’s hurt feelings for Robinson as not getting fair treatment at the Red Sox told to Alfred tryout by pretending not to care. The other text sets include the same overarching Duckett), p. theme/central idea. All dealing with fairness 808 and respect. Montreal 26-27 Signs Negro Fairness/Respect Shortstop” p.823 (historical sports article) “Robinson Steals Home in Fifth” P. 825 Mixed Media: Using the Mixed media component Integrating determine which core value is illustrated 28-29 21st c. Teacher Choice the best. Literacies

Were you ever been called out by an elder for your behavior when you were younger? Or maybe you made a mistake and Thank You someone gave you a second chance? M’am” Langston Hughes' short story, Thank You, (Langston Ma'am, published in 1958, captures both Hughes), p. 62 situations. If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking is by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). (Short Story) Pursuit of Like all the rest of her poems, the poem 30 “If I Can Stop Excellence/Honesty does not have a title and is called by the One Heart first line of the poem. Dickinson had the gift From of saying a tremendous amount in a few Breaking” perfectly succinct words. The poem's (Emily message is simple and self-explanatory. If I Dickinson), p.68 can ease the burden of a fellow living creature, "I shall not live in vain".

Grade 8 Week/Date Connection Text Core Value s Louisa May Alcott is best known for penning Little Women, but few are aware of the experience that influenced her writing most-her time as a nurse during the Civil War. Caring for soldiers' wounds and writing Civil War letters home for them inspired a new Journal realism in her work. When her own letters (Louisa May Integrity/Pursuit of home were published as Hospital Sketches, 21 she had her first success as a writer. The Alcott), p. 327 Excellence acclaim for her new writing style inspired (journal) her to use this approach in Little Women, which was one of the first novels to be set during the Civil War. It was the book that made her dreams come true, and a story she could never have written without the time she spent healing others in service of her country 22 Barbara Pursuit of Barbara Frietchie is an inspiring story of one Frietchie” Excellence/Integrity old woman’s act of patriotism during a (John Greenleaf Confederate advance in the civil war. The Whittier), poem John Henry also celebrates the work (poetry) of John Henry and his pursuit of excellence. “John Henry”, P. 282-291 (traditional poetry)

From Harriet Tubman is a biography of a heroic woman who led more than three hundred people out of slavery into freedom. The writer brings Harriet Tubman to life in a narrative that imagines conversations and thoughts but also includes facts, anecdotes, and quotations from contemporary accounts and newspaper articles. Most from Harriet chapters end with an italicized summary of Tubman a historical event in the concurrent (Ann Petry), P. antislavery conflict. Letter by Frederick 258 Pursuit of Douglass seems obvious to us that slavery was awful. But part of Douglass's journey, 23-24 (biography) & Excellence/Honesty/Fairn believe it or not, is his discovery of what “Letter by ess slavery really is. When he is young, he Frederick doesn't really understand what it means to Douglass” be a slave; he only starts to get it when he sees his Aunt Hester being whipped by his master. His real introduction to suffering occurs when he goes to work for Covey, and its here that he learns to overcome suffering. When he vows to die rather than let himself be whipped again, he gains the strength of will he will eventually need for his journey north to freedom. The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" is about a young boy in the army during the Civil War. He is the drummer boy of the unit at the Battle of Shiloh. The story is based on “The the life of John Clem. Clem ran away from Drummer Boy home when he was 9 years old and joined of Shiloh” Pursuit of the army. He was the drummer boy for the 25 (Ray Bradbury), 22nd Michigan Infantry during the Battle of Excellence/Integrity P. 316 (short Chickamauga. Clem was wounded but did story) not die during the battle. Captured by the Confederate Army, Clem was released as part of a prisoner exchange. He went on to become a Brigadier General in the Quartermaster Corps before retiring from military service. This narrative is basically an autobiography. It's the story of his life from the time he was born a slave to the time of his escape to freedom in the North. But it's also a piece Narrative of with a strong political message. When the Life of Douglass wrote this book in 1845, slavery Frederick was still legal in much of the United States. Douglass An Integrity/Honesty/Pursuit He became a public speaker and writer to 26-28 American try to stop it. He believed that if he showed of Excellence Slave- people what slavery was really like, they supplemental would understand why it needed to be text abolished. And who better than a former slave to tell the truth about slavery? So even though he wants to tell us his personal story, he never forgets the larger goal of abolishing slavery.

This is a lively account of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood, his career as a country lawyer, and his courtship and marriage to Mary The Todd. Then the author focuses on the Mysterious presidential years (1861 to 1865), skillfully Mr. Lincoln” explaining the many complex issues Lincoln grappled with as he led a deeply divided 29 (Russell Integrity/Honesty nation through the Civil War. The book's Freedman), P. final chapter is a moving account of that 274 tragic evening in Ford's Theatre on April 14, (biography) 1865. Concludes with a sampling of Lincoln writings and a detailed list of Lincoln historical sites.