Unit+Notes

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1) 3-5 Organizing Questions (key questions framing students learning experiences)
 * What obstacles have you overcome to be where you are today?
 * Can you think of any other literary characters who have struggled with a particular issue or life problem?
 * What exactly is a challenge and in what ways does this impact someone’s life?
 * What are some reactions to challenging decision that create both positive and negative effects?
 * Are there any specific challenges affecting you in middle school today?

2) 3-5 Goals (your hopes for what students will understand, accomplish, and appreciate)
 * Students will use their knowledge of young adult literature to work collaboratively and individually to perform a task.
 * Students will use persuasive writing skills to create writing of their own.
 * Students will understand how to use a flip camera educationally in a classroom.
 * Students will make real-life connections to a literary source.
 * Students will analysis the theme of a novel and examine its literary elements.

3) 5-10 General Unit Objectives
 * SWBAT understand the impact young adult literature has on their daily lives.
 * SWBAT define multiple literary elements in order to apply their knowledge to making connections with the in-common class read, __Fever 1793__.
 * SWBAT explore the Google Lit Trips website to virtually visit the destinations described in the novel.
 * SWBAT creatively plan and film a newscast set in the 1790’s to convey information learned from the text.
 * SWBAT use writing to express their emotions and opinions on a particular topic.

4) List of Possible Materials & Supplementary Texts (put titles, authors, and genres where applicable
 * articles on living conditions in Philly during the yellow fever epidemic
 * evidence (possibly images) to display disease, starvation, robbery, assault
 * Class Set of the novel __Fever 1793__ by Laurie Halse Anderson
 * Flip cameras (Exploris already has a bunch!)

5) List of Possible Learning Activities -incorporate mini-lesson on using context clues to make definitions -discuss how and why language changes across years/cultures
 * Using a vocabulary wall created throughout the reading of the novel, have students create a fictional diary entry using the words and phrases from the period. Student should make their social class, gender, occupation, and race very clear. Ex. ninny (p. 33); flagstones (p. 35); mucky (p. 69); headed for a lark (p. 76)
 * draw out a scene from the novel and write a couple sentences summarizing what is occurring, maybe have this be chronological to the story, use pixton (comic strip tech tool)
 * Write a condolence letter to Matilda regarding the deaths of her family members
 * Some sort of "internet scavenger hunt" to research information about historical points in the novel, as well as the author Laurie Halse Anderson
 * Culminating Activity: Group project using flip camera, tba
 * Google Lit Trips Activity, maybe a free-write beforehand predicting what the area looks like[]