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Include an image that represents your writing assignment

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You will be writing a 4-5 page paper where you will be applying one of our critical theory lenses to your favorite piece of media. It can be a movie, book, short story, poem, album, etc. The point of this assignment is to see something that you have seen before through a new perspective. For example, Avatar: The Last Airbender could be seen through a postcolonialism lens.

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Introductory game of Kahoot where they guess the critical lens and what it means.  (10-15 minutes)

Then from there, we will have a short lecture about the first lens (undecided).               (15-20 minutes)

They will then add it to a glossary either on paper or on the computer that will eventually compile all of the terms. (N/A)

Then we will do a group activity where they share what they know about the lens and maybe some examples of where they have seen it. (10 minutes)

The class will come together and combine answers on the board. (10 minutes)

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First: Glossary making

Second: Picking out a lens and collecting the readings that are under that lens

Third: Pick or create a thesis statement using their lens and the novel in the class

Fourth: Draft out introduction and thesis statement/

Fifth: Present thesis to peers and receive feedback. Along with that, give constructive feedback to peers in the same time frame.

Sixth: Revise thesis statements and begin an outline of their body paragraphs.

Seventh: Conclusion workshop- what-to-do and what-not-to-do.

Eight: Peer feedback on essay rough draft.

Nine: Final draft time!

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The Call of The Wild Argumentative Essay

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The Call of The Wild Argumentative Essay

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Imagine yourself as a fictional character in a fictional world. Choose your favorite fictional world that you would like to be reborn in if you died. Write at least 3 paragraphs including:

1. State which fictional world you chose and explain why

2. A physical description of yourself in the fictional world

3. A description of your personality in the fictional world

4. Explain what makes you unique as a character

5. Write about if there was anything you chose to add/or not add to the fictional you, and explain why

6. Explain why your character would be a good addition to the story

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Choose one of the following themes present in The Call of the Wild. What is Jack London trying to tell us through this theme? Use textual evidence to support your claim on the theme's deeper message and meaning. Your claim should focus on matters deeper than the context of the book.

Survival of the Fittest

Things to consider:

Buck's character development over the course of the book

Hal, Mercedes, and Charles's death

The struggle for power between Spitz and Buck

The Power of Primitive/Primordial Instincts

Things to consider:

Buck beginning to leave John Thorton for experiences in the wild

John Thorton being murdered when Buck is not there to save him

Buck’s mind frame the deeper in the wild he goes / Buck’s overall transformation as the book progresses

Loyalty

Things to consider:

Club v fang

Buck’s different relationships with his various masters throughout the novel

The fact that Buck doesn’t fully commit to a life in the wild until John Thorton’s death

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Activity 1-Reading El Aguinaldo in Cajas de Cartón

I will hand out copies of the chapter El Aguinaldo in Francisco Jimenez’s  Cajas de Cartón. This chapter is about the first Christmas that an immigrant is spending in the United States. The family works in agriculture and does not have a lot of money. The story is from the point of view of a 12-year-old and he recounts the Christmas traditions that this family had when they still lived in Mexico and how it is both the same and different in the states.

The majority of my class is Latino and some come from immigrant families so I hope that this story connects with them on some level and if not gives the students a new perspective on what Christmas looks like

Before we begin the story I will show students examples of dialogue, pace, and descriptive language as well as how to identify a theme.

I will be the one reading the story out loud. After we finish reading it I will then give students some questions asking where they see descriptive language, dialogue, and the theme. The students will annotate their copy of the chapter with this information.

Activity 2-Sharing

After annotating their papers students will then share with a partner what they found and discuss the differences and similarities in what they found

We will then have a whole class discussion about their findings and together write a small summary of the findings

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Write a free verse poem about a social justice issue that is important to you. (Make sure the poem has a clear perspective, message, creative imagery, and purposeful line breaks.)

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“What is your greatest hope for your future?”

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“What is your greatest hope for your future?”

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Write to someone important in your life addressing this question

OR

Write three shorter essays to three different people or characters you don't know

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1. Prereading Teaching Jigsaw for book background
2. Presenting Themes
3. Setting Reading Expectations & Modeling TTT

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In the book Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, the character Amari says, “This is America. Supposed to be the land of the free, but we free? Nah. We got rules everywhere we step.”

Your task is to write a five paragraph expository essay answering the following prompts:

How did the different characters in the novel Harbor Me view freedom?

Include at least three pieces of text evidence in your response

What is your definition of freedom? Do you think you are free? Who is not free?

Make sure to properly cite any outside sources you use in your answers

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Students will be asked to visualize their life one, five, and twenty years from now. They will write one paragraph on each of these time frames

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1. Hook/Gateway Activity | Timeline: 1 day

2. Critical Reading Logs (gathering evidence) | Timeline: 2-4 weeks

3. Small Group Brainstorm | Timeline: 1 day

4. Drafting | Timeline: 1 week

5. Revising | Timeline: 2 days

6. Peer editing | Timeline: 2 days

7. Publishing + Final Evaluation | Timeline: 1 day

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Activity 1-Reading El Aguinaldo in Cajas de Cartón

I will hand out copies of the chapter El Aguinaldo in Francisco Jimenez’s  Cajas de Cartón. This chapter is about the first Christmas that an immigrant is spending in the United States. The family works in agriculture and does not have a lot of money. The story is from the point of view of a 12-year-old and he recounts the Christmas traditions that this family had when they still lived in Mexico and how it is both the same and different in the states.

The majority of my class is Latino and some come from immigrant families so I hope that this story connects with them on some level and if not gives the students a new perspective on what Christmas looks like

Before we begin the story I will show students examples of dialogue, pace, and descriptive language as well as how to identify a theme.

I will be the one reading the story out loud. After we finish reading it I will then give students some questions asking where they see descriptive language, dialogue, and the theme. The students will annotate their copy of the chapter with this information.

Activity 2-Sharing

After annotating their papers students will then share with a partner what they found and discuss the differences and similarities in what they found

We will then have a whole class discussion about their findings and together write a small summary of the findings

Activity 3- Brainstorming

Students will be asked to reflect on their own Christmas traditions including their favorite Christmas memory

They will write down a couple of these memories and begin to think of a theme that they want to focus on in their retelling of the story. I will give some examples such as family, culture, compassion, and so on.

This will all be written down

Activity 4- Writing Draft

Students will be handed the writing prompt and rubric that comes with the prompt. The rubric is not going to be used to grade them but rather to serve as a guide to what boxes they need to hit for the assignment.

I will write my short memoir in real time and call out the different elements that I want in the story when I am writing it.

Students will then write their stories and focus on nothing except hitting those elements as this is their first draft.

Activity 5- Revision

Students will then share their rough drafts with the same partner that they have been working with for the other activities and offer feedback, corrections, and advice on how to improve the story.

The student who is revising will fill out the grading rubric with comments

Activity 5-Editing

Students will then be able to edit their next draft which I will then revise again and hand back for them to write their final draft.

Activity 6-Presentation

Students will then present their Christmas traditions and will be encouraged to bring an item from home to tie everything together. (or food to share)

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Up until this point, many students will have only engaged with more traditional poetry, so I want the gateway activity to encourage exploration. I plan on splitting the class into groups and having each group read a single poem out loud together. I’m going to select poems by Ocean Vuong, Richard Siken, Ada Limon, and Tracy K. Smith and assign them randomly. Once students read the poems, they will have an opportunity to discuss what they read with their groups, focusing on how the poet uses imagery, themes, and style to create an impact. They’ll underline some of the lines and words that were most impactful for them and then we’ll then bring all of these ideas into a class wide discussion and create an anchor chart that features some of the poetic tools and elements that students noticed. Students will be able to use these ideas as they go back into their groups and transform their original text into an illustrated blackout poem. At the end of class, we’ll do a gallery walk so that students can appreciate and learn from one another’s work.

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In a 3 paragraph essay, analyze a song of your choice. Explore how the musician(s) use literary devices and storytelling elements to creatively communicate a perspective and impact the listener. 

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In a 3 paragraph essay, analyze a song of your choice. Explore how the musician(s) use literary devices and storytelling elements to creatively communicate a perspective and impact the listener. 

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- Think-Pair-Share around qualities of a good leader, leading to class discussion and class list
- Explain Characterization and using DEATS graphic organizer to analyze Olaf as a character together (as a class)
- Watch short recap video of Frozen
- Students pick which of the 4 main characters they think would make the best leader and form groups of 3-5.
- Using DEATS, analyze their chosen character and form a short argument for why their character is the best leader
- Present arguments to the class and vote
- Short time of reflection to wrap-up

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1. Hook/Gateway activity (see part 1)

2. Line Breaks

1. The whole class reads and and discusses two poems that use line breaks and formatting in different ways.

2. Launch into a mini lesson about how contemporary poets use form as a tool to pace the poem and emphasize powerful sections. Incorporate think, pair, shares for active engagement.

3. Students will then receive a handout with a classic poem that’s line breaks have been removed. In small groups, they’re going to practice breaking it into lines. As a class, we read the poem together and students raise their hands whenever they put a break. I can then call on students to explain why they broke up the poem the way they did. The point of this is to show that there isn’t a right or wrong way to format a poem as long as all of the stylistic choices contribute something to it.

4. At the end of the class, I’ll introduce students to the prompt that they will be working on and have them think about which poems they want to use as inspiration. This inspiration brainstorm will be their exit ticket for the day.

3. Poetry as Activism

1. As a class, we’re going to learn about the history of the Harlem Renaissance by watching a short documentary and reading and discussing poems by Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Helene Johnson, and Georgia Douglas Johnson.

2. The central question of this lesson will be “what role does art play in social/political movements?” Students will generate ideas about this throughout the lesson and then write a short reflection at the end of class.

3. As an exit ticket, students will also choose a social justice issue that they want to center in their final poem.

4. Metaphor

1. Start with a close reading of Harlem and examine how Hughes uses an extended metaphor to make his point.

2. Metaphor game (students randomly pick two nouns and have a minute to come up with as many things as possible that the two things have in common). This will prepare them to think abstractly and draw connections based on sensory details, feelings, and other observations.

3. At the end of class, students will think about some of the feelings that are connected to the topic of their poem. They will then brainstorm some metaphors and imagery that convey that feeling.

5. Drafting

1. Students will start the class by looking over all of their inspiration and brainstorming materials, then they will pick a perspective that they are going to write their poem from.

2. As a class, we’ll review the prompt and expectations for the final writing assignment and then do a 10 minute quick write.

3. Students will have the opportunity to work with their peers to develop some of the ideas that came up during the quick write before jumping back into the writing process.

6. Workshop

1. We’ll begin class by watching the “Austin’s Butterfly” video to think about the purpose and power of feedback.

2. Students will then take their first drafts and break into workshop groups to share and give one another constructive feedback. They will use handouts to guide this process and ensure that everyone is getting what they need to improve their work.

3. They will spend the rest of class revising and adding to their work

7. Poetry Slam and Gallery Walk

1. The final part of this sequence will be an opportunity for students to share and celebrate their work with their peers. I’ll also encourage students to think about how they can share their work outside of the classroom community as a form of activism.

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Students will brainstorm in class

Students will write essays at home

Teacher will offer feedback in the form of questions

Students will go home and revise

Students will share final product with their chosen person, or share their essays to people they don't know with the class

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Write about how your family's Christmas traditions and/or your favorite Christmas memory. (prompt still in the works)

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Think-Pair-Share:

What words come to mind when you hear the word “freedom”?

Poem Analysis:

Students will read Freedom's Fool Poem by Robert William Service

Reflect in notebooks:

What were your initial thoughts after reading this poem?

Did any elements of the poem change your views on freedom?

What are some specifics that Service named as forces that take away or prohibit freedom?

Six Word Stories:

Students will write six word stories about what the definition of freedom is to them

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Step 1 - Prewrite

Students will brainstorm for their essays

Outlining, mapping, charting, brain dumping, etc.

Collect evidence

Text evidence, examples from other sources, personal experiences

Step 2 - Create first draft

Rough draft of five paragraph essay

Step 3 - Peer Review #1

Students will find at least three other people to peer review their work

Can share on Google Docs so peers can leave comments and suggestions

Comments can be in regards to the following: organization, transitions, thesis statement, topic sentences, flow, spelling and grammar sentence variety, analysis of examples, strength of stance

Step 4 - Revision  #1

Students will revise and make edits from comments peers made and from teacher

Step 5 - Peer Review #2

Students will find at least two other people to peer review their work

Repeat steps from first peer review

Step 6 - Revision #2

Students will revise and make edits from comments peers made and from teacher

Step 7 - Final Draft

Construct final draft

Complete five paragraph essay answering prompt question

Focusing on:

Overall organization

Strong thesis statement

Effective use of examples throughout (from text, other sources, and personal experiences)

Effective use of transitions

Demonstrates sentence variety

Proficient in grammar and spelling conventions

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Rationale: high interest topic, encourages personal reflection, requires choice, prompts passion, unique responses, more fun to grade ;) 

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Rationale: high interest topic, encourages personal reflection, requires choice, prompts passion, unique responses, more fun to grade ;) 

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1. Hook/Gateway Activity
2. Brainstorming + Organizing Info: narrow down choice of fictional world and start using the DEATS organizer to write about themselves as a character
3. Start drafting their writing
4. Peer-Editing and Revising
5. Final Drafting
6. Artistic component to accompany their writing

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This is a cumulating assignment for the spring (after we explore personal narratives, story arcs, literary devices, and poetry)

Hook/gateway activity

Teacher model: we simply listen and react to the song; students provide their responses casually, we get deeper over the course of 2 class periods, I take their thoughts into consideration and answer the prompt in a teacher model essay. I introduce the assignment and essay prompt.

Students brainstorm their own song choice based on the criteria.

Students submit 3 song options and write a brief rationale.

Teacher approval.

Students complete 3 pre-thinking handouts/graphic organizers to use for their essays.

Essay drafting

Teacher and peer feedback

Essay editing

Teacher and peer feedback

Submission

Extension activities