MS VITI'S ENGLISH CLASS
Reading & Writing Units
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING THIS YEAR?
UNIT 1
Teacher's College Reading Workshop
Critical Literacy
Genre: Realistic Fiction
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Essential Question: How do we increase our activism by using empathy to examine power?
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Students will explore various perspectives on social issues in today’s society.
Through reading contemporary fiction students will analyze various perspectives to better understand the concepts and themes of the novel. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive, critical, and personal in their respective Book Clubs. Students will practice reading aloud and silently to improve their skills in each area. Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of power dynamics through discussion.
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Students will find joy through exploring various perspectives on relatable topics that impact their communities. Students will collaborate throughout the unit in their designated Book Clubs. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss contemporary fiction, all while having opportunities to challenge their thinking and better equip themselves for what’s happening in the world today
Genre: Historical Fiction
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Essential Question: When is it right to take a stand?
Students will learn about controversial topics that relate to their communities. Moreover, students will learn to read and analyze both perspectives of a topic before forming their own opinions and conclusions. Students will support their positions with evidence and reasoning.
Students will learn the importance of advocacy and Social Action when it comes to social issues.
UNIT 2 - ARGUMENTATIVE
Genre: Nonfiction
Essential Question: How can literature help us remember and honor victims of the Holocaust?
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Students will explore their feelings on the mass extinction of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. They will read Night by Elie Wiesel that demonstrates everyone has bravery, faith, hope, and courage; how it is used will make an impact.
Students will discover more about themselves, history, and the world we live in. Furthermore, students will be able to sympathize with and make connections with the main character Elie, a 14 year old boy whose world completely changes when the Nazi’s send him to a concentration camp in Auschwitz.
Students will learn how our identity is shaped by the circumstances we encounter and how tragedy and trauma influence an individual's identity and choices.
UNIT 3 - EXPOSITORY
UNIT 4 - LITERARY ANALYSIS
Genre: Drama
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Essential Question: In what different ways can people be intelligent?
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Students learn that sometimes, a small choice has monstrous consequences, and there's no better example of this predicament than the story told in Walter Dean Myers's award-winning novel Monster. A teenager named Steve Harmon finds himself on trial, facing the death penalty, for being the "lookout" during what turned out to be a lethal burglary.
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Students will explore themes of justice, institutional racism, deception, guilt, and the effects of peer pressure.
Additionally, the role Steve's race plays in how he is perceived by the jury can lead to an in-depth discussion about prejudice and discrimination.
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