English I Text Set By Jillian Lyles

The Cask of Amontillado

Revenge

The Most Dangerous

Game Hunter v. hunted

Chris KyleAmerican Hero

Katniss Everdeen

The Mockingjay

The Dixie ChicksGoodbye Earl

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Anchor Text

Lexile Level: 1070 LGrade Level: 8th-10th Grade Word Count: 47,094

Rational Because the The Great Gatsby is at the 8th-10th grade level, or an

1070L Lexile level, it is at the reading level of approximately 60% of the scholars in my classroom, but well within one grade level for a majority (<95%) of students. For a majority of students The Great Gatsby will be at their instructional comprehension level. With scaffolding and the provision of background knowledge through in-class instruction The Great Gatsby will be accessible to a majority if not all of the students my classroom, meaning that we can dedicate more time to motivating the students to increase their reading stamina by tackling what they would consider a long text, at least partially independently. Additionally, if most students can at least comprehend The Great Gatsby the class as a whole can focus on cloze reading or finding deeper meaning in the text and making meaningful text-to-me, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections while contemplating the focus of the unit: What is the human condition? Are humans predispositioned to kill one another or are they pushed into acting against their instincts by extreme situations (Fitzgerald, 2000)?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Qualitative Evaluations Meaning: Very Complex The Great Gatsby is deemed very complex because of the multiple meanings that are subtly found throughout the text. For example on the surface the novel seems to be the story between a man and a women, but if students take a more complex, larger scope of the text, it is also a commentary of a deterioration of the American dream and moral values during the rise of the 1920s. In order to grasp this and other themes or motifs in the novel, students will be required to read and analysis the book in its entirety (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Organization: Very Complex The organization of The Great Gatsby is very complex because although the story centers around Daisy and Gatsby, it is actually a personal memoir told from the perspective of Nick Carraway. Nick Carraway is simultaneously a representation of the Midwest during this time of societal decay that experiences his own moral crisis, the narrator, and the voice of the flashy Gatsby. To truly understand the text students are required to navigate this overlapping organizational structure (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Use of Visual Features: N/A

Conventionality: Very Complex This novel contains large amounts of abstract and figurative language that increase the conventionality of the text for the students. The most common types of figurative language found are personification, simile, metaphor, and symbolism. In particular the students’ ability to understand Fitzgerald’s use colors, locations, seasons, cars, and Daisy’s voices to communicate thematic meaning will affect their ability to understand the text (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Review of literary devices:https://ed.ted.com/on/sWBki6c5

Vocabulary: Very Complex The language in The Great Gatsby could be archaic for some students. There is a high likelihood that they would be unfamiliar with the language of the 1920s. The scholars would require vocabulary review and instruction before beginning and during the reading of the novel (Fitzgerald, 2000).

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Qualitative Evaluations Sentence Structure: Very Complex Similarly to the vocabulary the sentence structure of The Great Gatsby may seem archaic to students. The may potentially require scaffolding to comprehend an otherwise grade level text (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Life Experiences: Very Complex Some aspects of The Great Gatsby students may be able to relate to such as the desire to excessively party and the desire for success illustrated by Gatsby’s rags to riches stories. Some aspects that students may have trouble connecting to their own lives might be the excessive attitudes presented by the upper class in the novel and the seemingly all-encompassing love that Gatsby holds for Daisy, despite the absence they have experienced (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Cultural Experiences: Very Complex The Great Gatsby has numerous allusions to texts of the 1920s including; John L Stoddard Lectures, Hopalong Cassidy, and Castle Rackrent, and to the popular culture of the 1920’s, such as Frisco, Belasco, and the popular novel “Simon Called Peter.” Additionally, their ability to comprehend the text requires a knowledge of the life and times of The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Cross-curricular Opportunities● World Geography

○ Explore the politics of the 1920s ■ This was a time of prosperity and

progress in the United States, but also corruption following World War II.

■ Students can explore the historical significance of this time period so that they can better understand the novel.

● Money Matters ○ Investigate the economic implications of the

1920s■ Explore the economics gains made by

the upper class during this time so that students can better understand the mindset of Daisy and Gatsby.

● Professional Communications ○ Research the commercial gains made during the

1920s as materialism expanded and an astonishing rate

■ Professional sports grew ■ Movies and tabloid newspapers gained

popularity

TEKS(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts) derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words;(C) produce analogies that describe a function of an object or its description;(D) describe the origins and meanings of foreign words or phrases used frequently in written English (e.g., caveat emptor, carte blanche, tete a tete, pas de deux, bon appetit, quid pro quo); and(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their etymology.(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:(A) analyze how the genre of texts with similar themes shapes meaning;(B) analyze the influence of mythic, classical and traditional literature on 20th and 21st century literature; and(C) relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting.(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:(A) analyze non-linear plot development (e.g., flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot structures) and compare it to linear plot development;(B) analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range of literary devices, including character foils;(C) analyze the way in which a work of fiction is shaped by the narrator's point of view; and(D) demonstrate familiarity with works by authors from non-English-speaking literary traditions with emphasis on classical literature.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the role of irony, sarcasm, and paradox in literary works.(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the controlling idea and specific purpose of an expository text and distinguish the most important from the less important details that support the author's purpose.(24) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:(A) listen responsively to a speaker by taking notes that summarize, synthesize, or highlight the speaker's ideas for critical reflection and by asking questions related to the content for clarification and elaboration;(B) follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, solve problems, and complete processes; and(C) evaluate the effectiveness of a speaker's main and supporting ideas.(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give presentations using informal, formal, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience, purpose, and occasion, employing eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation, purposeful gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams, building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-building, and setting ground rules for decision-making.

Thematic Implications and Rationale Scholars will spend the unit exploring human

nature and how human beings reconcile their instincts with their developed senses of morality or humanity. Are we as humans preconditioned to turn to violence to solve our problems or is it the result of extreme pressures applied to otherwise moral individuals? The Great Gatsby will allow students to explore this and more through the examination of literary devices, figurative language, and the actions of characters (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Although Daisy Buchanan is the object of Gatsby’s devotion and is portrayed as a pure, otherworldly being, in the end she is revealed as being shallow and without a conscious when she kills Myrtle, her husband’s mistress and then abandons Gatsby, the man who loved her, to his death. What made Daisy a killer? How is she different than the other killers we have explored in this unit? The theme of morality and ethics in The Great Gatsby directly relates to the unit focus on humanity v. human nature (Fitzgerald, 2000).

A major reason to read The Great Gatsby is that it is accessible to ninth grade students. For a majority of the students the text is at their instructional reading level, meaning that because the text will be relatively easy to understand for a majority of the scholars, the class will be able to focus on analysis of the literary devices in the text and thematic components. The relatively easy comprehension level will also allow most scholars to continue to read the novel, despite its high word count (Fitzgerald, 2000).

Additionally, unlike many books in the cannon The Great Gatsby is accessible to all readers. The story has something that a majority of the scholars can relate to whether it be the American dream, love, materialism, jealousy, or wealth. I believe that The Great Gatsby will be an engaging read for a majority of my scholars, while still demanding higher order thinking skills and deeper analysis (Fitzgerald, 2000).

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe Quantitative Evaluations

Lexile level: 700L

Grade level: 3rd-4th Grade

Word count: 2328

Student Impact The lowest reading level in 9th grade is a

scholar who reads at an instructional 3rd grade level, meaning that for all of the 9th grade scholars, “The Cask of Amontillado” will be well below their instructional reading levels. Students should not struggle to comprehend the text and can instead focus on identifying possible themes for “The Cask of Amontillado” and literary devices, which is a focus of this unit. What the scholars will struggle with is the word length. Based on observations I have made of the 9th grade class, most students struggle with reading anything longer than about half of a page. “The Cask of Amontillado” will begin to stretch the students’ reading staminas as they prepare to read longer and longer texts in preparation for the anchor text: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Saffron & Poe, 1976).

TEKS

(3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:(A) infer the implicit theme of a work of fiction, distinguishing theme from the topic;(B) analyze the function of stylistic elements (e.g., magic helper, rule of three) in traditional and classical literature from various cultures; and(C) compare and contrast the historical and cultural settings of two literary works.

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe Qualitative Evaluations

Qualitative Strengths of the Text

Organization: Exceedingly Complex

The organization is intricate for students because of the narrative viewpoint. “The Cask of Amontillado” is told from first person point of view, which the reader can ascertain because of the narrator’s use of “I”, but it is not until the very last line of the story that students learn that the difference in time between when Montresor committed the murder and when he is retelling the murder is close to 50 years. The narrative viewpoint of this story allows the reader to make inferences between how Montresor felt in the moment and how he feels about his actions 50 years later. For example, because so much time has passed, the reader can infer that Montresor is an old man, making a deathbed confession about the murder he had committed half a century prior (Saffron & Poe, 1976).

Use in Class Identify the theme of “The Cask of

Amontillado”. How does Poe use literary devices to enhance the theme?

Scholars will work to complete an essay in response to the following prompt in order to begin to explore themes addressing the human condition and what happens when humans are pushed to the extreme.

Rational Scholars will begin their

examination of human nature and human motivations by exploring the justifications of a killer, in a short text that they should be able to comprehend independently. Scholars will examine literary devices to contemplate whether or not it is possible to take another human’s life and not feel guilty. Is guilt just a much a part of the human conditions as the ability to kill (Saffron & Poe, 1976)?

“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

Quantitative ReasoningStudent Impact Because the selected text is at the 6th-8th Lexile level, or

800L, it is within the reading level of 68% of the scholars in the 9th grade, according to their most recent assessment data. The majority of the 9th grade class should not have difficulty comprehending the text, but based on observational data collected from my students over the year 8,010 words, although still considered a short story, is significantly more taxing than the reading stamina of majority of my scholars. If The Most Dangerous Game is read in class I will have to read aloud to the students or play an audiobook to ensure that word length does not significantly restrict my student’s ability to engage with the text long enough to understand it. According to the qualitative evaluations of this text the words will not be particularly challenging and many of the students should be able to identify basic plot points largely independently. This will allow the class to spend more time examining themes and literary devices, a skill that has been a priority during this unit (Connell, 2016).

Lexile level: 800L Grade level: 6th-8th Grade Word Count: 8,010

TEKS(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:(A) analyze non-linear plot development (e.g., flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot structures) and compare it to linear plot development;(B) analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range of literary devices, including character foils;(C) analyze the way in which a work of fiction is shaped by the narrator's point of view;

“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

Qualitative ReasoningQualitative Strengths Conventionality: Very Complex

The sole complexity of the text itself stems from the use of figurative language that enhances the story. This can best be highlighted through the use of imagery and figurative language in the beginning of the story. Although Rainsford is not afraid of Ship Trap Island, it can be inferred from the use of imagery to describe the darkness of the night and the island and the figurative language used to highlight the way that the crew feels about the island that the danger on Ship Trap Island is more than rumors (Connell, 2016).i.e. An example of figurative language that illustrates the fear that Rainsford should be feeling in regards to Ship Trap Island is when Whitney says, “even that tough-minded old Swede, who’d go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light” (Connell, 2016). This is an example of a hyperbole. The captain of the ship does not actually talk to the devil, but the figurative language is used to illustrate that even though the captain is tough and not afraid of anything, he still fears Ship Trap Island (Connell, 2016).

Life Experiences: Very Complex The text does explore themes of varying levels of complexity because the situation that the protagonist, Rainsford, finds himself in is so far outside of the experiences of most high school students. While students might have contemplated the morality of hunting they are unlikely to have been in a situation where they were hunted themselves or where they had to make the choice to kill another human being. This reading might require a few discussion and/or warm-up activities to activate student’s prior knowledge and make connections to the themes found in The Most Dangerous Game (Connell, 2016).

“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell Use in the Classroom Tag

After reading “The Most Dangerous Game” the students can go outside to play a short game of tag (approximately 5 minutes). After the students play the game, have them answer the following questions to further explore the violent tendencies of the human nature:

● Did/do you enjoy playing tag or hide and seek? Why? What do you like about it?● Do you think everyone enjoys playing tag/hide and seek? Why? What about it do we like?● Aren’t humans just animals? Are we predispositioned to enjoy the hunt?● Is it in humans’ nature to hunt? Is it in humans’ nature to kill?

Audiobook Project As students continue to explore how literary devices enhance themes have them create audiobook recordings of specific pages of “The Most Dangerous Game”, having them add sound effects that make the effects of selected literary devices clear to the reader. Paper Identify the theme of “The Most Dangerous Game”. How does Richard Connell use literary devices to enhance this theme?

RationalStudents will use The Most Dangerous Game to further explore the idea of the human condition and whether or not humans are predisposed to kill one another. Before reading The Most Dangerous Game students will have read The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe which also represents the killing of one human being by another as a dark and sadistic moral sin that extends beyond the norm of humanity. However, students will be able to compare Montresor’s justification for killing one human being, and the potential guilt he felt, to General Zaroff logic for killing multiple human beings purely for sport and absent of guilt. Scholars will be able to compare killing for revenge to killing for sport and explore the implications both themes could have on the human condition and our ability or willingness to kill one another (Connell. 2016).

Chris Kyle, America’s Deadliest Sniper, Offers No Regrets by Alan Dukes

Student Impact

Because the selected newspaper article is at the 9th-10th grade level, or an 1170L Lexile level, it is at or above the reading level of approximately 60% of the scholars in my classroom, but within one grade level for a majority of students. According to the quantitative evaluation of this text it would be a text to push a majority of students into their zone of proximal development with the intention of increasing their reading level through the use of a text that is above their current quantitative reading level, but not above their instructional comprehension level. With scaffolding and the provision of background knowledge through in-class instruction, I believe that Chris Kyle, America’s Deadliest Sniper, Offers No Regrets can be an appropriate grade level, nonfiction texts that offers a differing perspective to the intended text (Duke, 2015).

Lexile level: 1170LGrade level: 9th-10th GradeWord count: 1,203

TEKS(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the literary language and devices used in memoirs and personal narratives and compare their characteristics with those of an autobiography.

Chris Kyle, America’s Deadliest Sniper, Offers No Regrets by Alan Dukes

Qualitative Strengths

Purpose: Very ComplexInitially, the purpose of the article seems to be a factual, biographical account of the life of Chris Kyle, but upon further evaluation it is apparent that Duke is subtly implying ideas of morality and patriotism onto his audience which need to be inferred in order to be fully comprehended.

Example: “…Kyle developed a deadly reputation in Iraq, prompting insurgents to put a bounty on his head, according to his autobiography” (Duke, 2015).

On first glance this sentence could appear to be simply stating facts of Kyle’s life but the addition of, “according to his autobiography” (Duke, 2015), at the end of the sentence implies that it was only ever substantiated by Kyle’s own claims of his importance in Iraq. Duke is either unable or unwilling to provide further evidence of Kyle’s achievements and claims to fame in Iraq. This could be interpreted as a lack of belief in Kyle’s accomplishments or certainty of Kyle’s own words as being sufficient proof of a bounty that illustrates a significance to the fight.

RationalThe article “Chris Kyle, America’s Deadliest Sniper, Offers No Regrets” will allow students to explore a different view of killing. The respect Chris Kyle receives as a war hero and the lives he is credited with saving by serving as a sniper with the U.S. Armed Forces in the American-Iraq War, despite any controversy he received with the publication of his autobiography, directly contradict the main characters that the scholars would have previously explored as takers of human lives (Duke, 2015)

Chris Kyle, America’s Deadliest Sniper, Offers No Regrets by Alan Dukes

Use in the Classroom

Compare and Contrast

After students read and annotate the article independently, have them engage in a small group discussion using the following discussion questions:

Fill out K-W-L chart

How do you think Alan Dukes feels about Chris Kyle? Cite evidence in the text to support your answer.

Compare and contrast Chris Kyle to Montresor and Rainsford. How are they similar? How are the different?

Do you think Chris Kyle is a hero? Why or why not?

In what way can this article relate to your theme from “The Most Dangerous Game”?

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.In Class:

Quick write. What does this sentence mean to you? Can you be a terrorist and a freedom fighter.

Watch “I volunteer as tribute” clip from The Hunger Games.

Class debate:Is Katniss a terrorist or a freedom fighter? Is she good or bad? Is she a hero or a murderer? Is she both?

TEKS(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

RationalScholars will now begin to craft persuasive arguments and

argue effectively in support of or against those who they view as killers or heros. Scholars will contemplate whether taking her sister’s place to kill other children made Katniss a terrorist or a freedom fighter. Katniss is a hero many of the students know so they can begin to familiarize themselves with the complexity required in crafting a strong, persuasive response to opposition, while continuing to explore the complexities of the human condition (Ross, 2012).

Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks TEKS

(13) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:(A) explain messages conveyed in various forms of media;(B) recognize how various techniques influence viewers' emotions;(C) critique persuasive techniques (e.g., testimonials, bandwagon appeal) used in media messages; and(D) analyze various digital media venues for levels of formality and informality.

RationalMany of the text and media supports

have examined situations outside of the scholar's’ life experience and knowledge. Examining this song by the Dixie Chicks will allow scholars to once again analyze literary devices like tone and mood and their effect on the audience as well as giving students the opportunity to explore what it takes to be a killer in an extreme situation they might relate to. We have all had to deal with the strong feelings of hatred elicited when someone hurts someone we love (Dixie Chicks goodbye Earl, 2009).

In class students will work independently and then in groups to answer the following questions:1. What is the tone of

“Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks? What message are they trying to convey?

2. Does their tone match their message? Why or why not?

3. How does this representation fit with our current exploration of what makes a killer?

4. Have students find another song that talks about killing and identify the tone that the song uses to discuss the theme.

The Great Gatsby the Movie

TEKS

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the similarities and differences in the

setting, characters, and plot of a play and those in a film based upon the same story line.

After finishing the novel students will watch the movie. While watching the movie students will fill out graphic organizers comparing scenes in the novel to scenes in the book, rating and explaining which scenes were more effective by comparison.

After watching the movie are you more or less sympathetic to Daisy? Is she a cold-blooded killer or a jilted lover? How is she similar and different from other characters we have looked at in this unit?

Rational

Watching the movie will allow students to explore how visual representations of theme and mood compare to the same in writing. Additionally students can discuss if seeing Daisy changed their opinions of

her actions (Luhrmann, 2013).

Final project: Watch CNN Special on OJ Simpson (The OJ Simpson trial: drama of the century, 2015)

Choose one main character we have discussed in this unit.

You will write a persuasive essay from the point of view of that character's defense attorney or public attorney.

Were their actions wrong? Should they be celebrated as a hero? Should they be condemned as a villain?

RationaleOJ Simpson will allow the scholars one last opportunity to explore the human condition by allowing the students to compare how OJ, who was a famous football player and member of the upper class, was treated by the American public to how Daisy is treated in The Great Gatsby (The OJ Simpson trial: Drama of the century, 2015).

(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and include sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of alternatives

ReferencesConnell, R. E. (2016). The most dangerous game. Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Independent Publsing Platform.Dixie Chicks goodbye Earl [Video file]. (2009). Vevo. Retrieved February 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Gw7gNf_9njs.Duke, A. (2015, February 25). Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper, offered no regrets. CNN.Fitzgerald, F. S. (2000). The great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books.Luhrmann, B. (Director). (2013). The Great Gatsby [Motion picture on DVD]. Hollywood: Paramount.The O. J. Simpson trial: Drama of the century (2015). (2015, January 14). Retrieved February 14, 2017, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU2V7Hzead4Ross, G. (Director). (2012). The Hunger Games [Motion picture on DVD]. Lions Gate Entertainment Inc.Saffren, H. W., & Poe, E. A. (1976). A cask of amontillado. Philadelphia, PA: HS Press.