TH
Instructional Time: 6 weeks
Quarter One Two
Three
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Four
Grade Level: 8 th Grade
Unit Theme: The Road Not Taken Depth of Knowledge: Level 3, Strategic Thinking
Unit Summary: During this unit, students will focus on the decision making process. They will read and view texts about characters who face big decisions and evaluate the impact of their choices. Whenever possible, they will compare and contrast filmed and written versions of the texts.
Students will carefully examine a novel and gather evidence to support their conclusions on assigned topics. Students will do research on topics about which teens often make decisions and then write narrative stories related to their research. They will identify the claims in works such as public service announcements and evaluate the soundness of their arguments. Students will focus on using verbs with different voices (passive and active) and moods (subjunctive and conditional.)
North Carolina Information and Technology Essential Standards:
8.TT.1.1
8.TT.1.3
Use appropriate technology tools and other resources to access information (search engines, electronic databases, digital magazine articles).
Use appropriate technology tools and other resources to design products to share information with others
(e.g. multimedia presentations, Web 2.0 tools, graphics, podcasts, and audio files).
Common Core State Standards
Domain Title and Strand:
Reading Standards: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Reading Standards: Literature
Craft and Structure
RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RL.8.5
Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
Reading Standards: Literature
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.8.7
Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
RL.8.9
Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.
Reading Standards: Literature
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.8.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Reading Standards: Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Reading Standards: Informational Text
Craft and Structure
RI.8.6
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Reading Standards: Informational Text
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.8.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Reading Standards: Informational Text
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.8.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing Standards
Text Type and Purposes
W.8.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.8.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
Writing Standards
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–
3 above.)
W.8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 52.)
W.8.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Writing Standards
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.8.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
W.8.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.8.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”).
 Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
Writing
Range of Writing
W.8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two).
Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.8.1
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
SL.8.3
Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Speaking and Listening Standards
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.8.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL8.5
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
SL.8.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 52 for specific expectations.)
Language Standards
Conventions of Standard English
L.8.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*
L.8.2
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly.
Language Standards
Knowledge of Language
L.8.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).
Language Standards
Language and Acquisition Use
L.8.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its

part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.8.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
L.8.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Italicized standards notate Gap Standards that are new for North Carolina.
Bold standards notate Power Standards that are heavily weighted on Standardized Tests.
Italicized and Bold indicates the standard is both a Gap and a Power Standard.)
Essential Question(s):
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How do people make informed decisions?
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Why is it important to make informed decisions?
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What are the most important decisions that teenagers make?
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What can readers learn about making choices from fiction and poetry?
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How can taking a less popular path make a difference in a life?
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When might it be necessary to reevaluate a decision and start over?
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How do good writers express themselves?
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How do es process shape the writer’s product?
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How can viewers evaluate persuasive ads?
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How can word choice strengthen a written message?
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Why is it valuable to observe different versions of the same work?
 How does a listener decide if a speaker’s argument is valid and well-reasoned?
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How does a speaker communicate so others will understand the message?
Enduring Understanding(s):
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The decisions teenagers make can have a lasting impact on their lives.
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The less popular path may be the better path to take.
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At times, it may be necessary to reevaluate a decision and make a different choice.
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Fiction and other literature can help readers make good choices.
 The ability to evaluate a speaker’s claim can help make good decisions.
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Good writers develop and refine their ideas for thinking, learning, communicating, and aesthetic expression.

 A speaker’s choice of words and style set a tone and define the message.
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Words powerfully affect meaning.
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Rules, conventions of language, help readers understand what is being communicated.
Resource for some Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings: Florence Township School District
I Can Statement(s): (These are a few suggested learning targets. Some will need to be broken down further to meet the needs of your students.)
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I can determine the theme of a poem or other text.
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I can support my analysis of a poem or other text with evidence from the text.
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I can make comparisons between or among texts.
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I can evaluate the differences between visual and print versions of the same text.
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I can judg e the impact of the director’s decisions in filmed production.
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I can use the writing process to create a narrative story. (This will need to be broken down further into manageable steps.)
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I can create an interesting and well-structured narrative with relevant details. (This will need to be broken down further into manageable steps.)
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I can gather evidence in a novel to support my opinion about characteristics of the book. (This would need to be more specific dependent upon the assignment.
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I can use passive and active voices correctly in both speech and writing.
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I can use the subjunctive and conditional moods correctly in both speech and writing.
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I can use the internet to research questions. (This may need to be broken down further into manageable steps.)
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I ca n identify a speaker’s claim or argument.
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I can evaluate the effectiveness of a claim and its supporting details.
Vocabulary:
Diverge Passive Voice Subjunctive Mood Conditional Mood
Claim Active Voice Version
Transdisciplinary Connections
Social Studies8.C&G.2.2 Analyze issues pursued through active citizen campaigns for change (e.g. voting rights and access to education, housing and employment). (This would relate to the public service announcements the students make.)
Evidence of Learning (Formative Assessment):
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Writing rubrics based on the CCSS.
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Writing Samples
Summative Assessment:
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As determined by DPS and NC Public Schools
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Responses to essential questions

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Multimedia presentations
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Quizzes/formative assessments
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Participation in group discussion
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Durham Public S chools’ Small Goal Assessment

Unit Implementation:
Week 1 : (CCSS RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, RL.8.7, RL.8.10, W.8.2, W.8.3, W.8.5, W.8.5, W.8.6, SL.8.1, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6, )
This week starts with the study o f Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” Though the most frequent interpretation of theme of this poem is that it is desirable to take the road less traveled, careful analysis shows that this is not exactly what the poem says. Since there is a divergence of thought here, like the speaker in the poem, you can decide which approach to take in interpreting the poem. Either will work with the recommended activities.
During the first activities, students will explore the poem and come to an understanding of its theme. The speaker in the poem is faced with a decision as he looks at two similar roads. The suggested literature and texts for this unit are about individuals who face a big decision or who face the consequences of a decision already made.
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Analyze the poem- use this plan to annotate and then analyze
“The Road Not Taken”
by Robert Frost. After the class has annotated the poem, continue on to the analysis piece. The students should write at least one paragraph responding to the poem using stated or implied evidence from the text. You might assign groups of 4 to work together with member to responding to one stanza in the poem. If done for homework, the students could collaborate using Google.docs. Assess the paragraphs with a rubric.
 Watch and discuss this ppt analysis of the poem. Is this a good way to analyze a poem? Does the class agree or disagree with the analysis? What is the theme of the poem? What commentary does the poem make on decision making? What does the speaker say about his own decision?
 Play the audio of Robert Frost reading his poem . Watch a video version of the poem. Use this graphic organizer to compare and contrast these versions and the text version. Use the organizer to guide in writing a comparative paragraph or essay on the three versions. (You may want to draw larger versions on the board or on chart paper.)
Allow peers assess the paragraphs with a rubric that you have shown the students prior to writing.
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Formative assessment on “The Road Not Taken.” Complete corrective instruction as needed.
 Quick Write: What important decisions have your made in your life? What strategies did you use to make the decision? Or What big decisions will you need to make in the next five years? How will you make them? Share responses with the class or in small groups.
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Story-
“New Direction.” Complete a possible sentence activity based on 8-10 vocabulary words that you select from the passage. Allow students to work in pairs to complete the sentences. Then have 2 pairs join together to form a group. Share responses and allow students to generate the definitions of the words. Don’t correct the definitions, but rather guide students to use context clues as the words are encountered in the reading.
Read the story “
New Direction s
” by Maya Angelou. (It can be printed out on one page, front and back.) Have students look back at the possible sentences and refine them based on what they now know about the words. Use a dictionary (print or online) to confirm or clarify definitions of key word. Have students briefly summarize the story. ( Suggested template if students need help summarizing.) Discuss the story.
Questions to include: What particular incidents in this story prompt the narrator to take specific actions? What do Annie Johnson’s actions reveal about her character? What impact does the setting have on the story? What is the theme of the story? Explain why you agree or disagree with the central message of this true story. Discuss whether it is important to choose another path as the narrator suggests. In upcoming readings, identify times when it would have been a good idea for the character to reevaluate their path and make another choice.
 Have students compare “New Direction” to the poem “The Road Not Taken.” How does the structure influence each work? Examine the point of view of the speaker of the poem and Mrs. Annie Johnson. How are they similar or different? How does their point of view have an impact on the theme of each work?
How does the author’s word choice strengthen or weaken the work? Have students write an informative or explanatory essay comparing and contrasting the two works. Use the writing process to produce this work. Refer to standards W.8.2 and W.8.4 for writing guidelines. Have students publish their work in the form of Google Docs and allow at least one other student to edit their work online.
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Introduce the novel(s). Select a novel from the list provided in the Resource section of this document or another similar novel. It may be advantageous to your students to use literature groups and read different novels at various levels. Each novel has resources listed with it that will assist you in creating assignments and guiding discussion. When the students receive their novels, have them spend a few minutes looking them over. They should examine the front and back covers carefully, and flip through the pages. Have students make a written prediction about the novel. Collect the predictions to be returned at the end of reading the book, or intermittently during reading to review and revise predictions.
 The Language focus standard for this unit is L.8.3. Any of the following activities and lesson plans can be implemented during the unit to help your students understand using verbs in the active or passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive moods. Have students use these forms in their writing to achieve a particular effect as described in the standard. Students should also look for examples in what they read, especially when reading older literature.
Active and passive voices lesson plans -including when it should be active and passive explanations, charts (including conditional voice) exercises
Finding passive voice in an online text (Marked copy and an original version. This really helps clarify the use of passive voice in writing a narrative.)
Conditional lesson plans
Songs for teaching conditional , passive (and other voices) Old and contemporary songs that contain phrases. I would use the ones listed for 2 nd conditional as subjunctive mood

Article on subjunctive mood
Mini tutorial and exercises
Weeks 2 and 3: (CCSS RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.7, RL.8.9, RL.8.10, W.8.1, W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, W.8.9, SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.6, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6)
During weeks 2 and 3, you should focus on reading the class novels. Below are many different before, during, and after reading activities that you can use in addition to the activities in the lesson plans associated with each novel. Several of the activities are on-going and will be used throughout the reading of the novel.
Suggested reading activities:
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Before reading: Talk, Talk, Talk - this activity will help activate prior knowledge about themes in the selected novel.
 Literature Circles - Not just for lower levels! This description of literature circles is directed toward upper middle and high school students and would work well in classrooms reading more than 1 novel.
 Tracking cause and effect - Use graphic organizers from this website for students to track cause and effects in thei r novels. In the “cause” boxes, have students note places that the character is required to face a decision. There are many other graphic organizers at this website that can be used with the novel.
 Story Map : Students can use this graphic organizer (page 1 page 2 to take guided notes on plot, theme, and character development on the novel as they read.
 What are you thinking?
Interacting with the novel. This activity directs students how to use post-it notes or a journal to keep track of their insights and questions as they read. Use in conjunction with What WERE you thinking?
Which will guide students in compiling their notes after they finish reading to use as evidence in writing about the novel.
 Paired discussion for discussion.
during reading- Use a variation of Mindstreaming to encourage pairs of students to discuss the novel. Give specific topics related to the reading
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Tracing Character Development in the story. This worksheet will help students understand how the author uses direct and indirect characterization in the novel.
 Book Journal - Have students respond to about the assigned reading. This overview gives prompts, guidelines, and questions to ask. (This is from an AP Lit website)
 Personal Dictionary-Assign students to create a personal dictionary of words that are encountered in reading that are unfamiliar or unique. They should use context clues to determine meaning and then use resources to confirm when needed.
 Figurative Language -Track examples of figurative language and its impact in the novel. This workshee t (From AVID) will help students will help students recognize examples of figurative language. After they use the worksheet, they could create their own chart to find examples in their reading. The next step would be a discussion of the impact of figurative language.
 Symbol Synopsis - At the completion of each chapter, have students create a symbol to represent the events of the chapter. This can be recorded i n a table with 1” cells or online. Another alternative: use an online collaborative drawing site such as http://flockdraw.com/ to complete this activity together. The drawings can be very simple. Drawing a non-verbal symbol is a good way to help students remember the story better.
 One line chapter summaries -At the end of each chapter, have students write a 1 sentence summary of the chapter. When they are finished with the book, they will have a very concise summary of the entire novel.
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Say Something -Partner reading- Have pairs of students read together. Tell Reader 1 to read aloud and to stop intermittently (after 2 paragraphs or at a specified signal). Then the Reader 1 “says something” about the reading. Reader 2 then reads and ‘says something.’
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Character Change question and organizer- this will help students respond to the questions (after reading the novel) How has the main character changed from the beginning of the book to the end of the book? Explain what the character was like in the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the novel or memoir. What causes this change?
Graphic organizer
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Connection Question and organizer - this will help students respond to the questions (after reading the novel) What are the major conflicts that the main character experiences in the book? What connection can you make to these conflicts in the novel or memoir? Identify and explain and connect at least one personal experience, television program, movie, or work of art to the conflicts in the literature.
Graphic Organizer

 Mandala Project - (post reading) Have students work in groups to create a Mandala to represent characters in the novel. After creating the mandalas, the students can write about why they selected the symbols they included. Students can also view other mandalas and write about why the symbols represent the character mentioned.
(This is from AVID.)
 The Final Word - use this protocol for directed conversations about the theme or other aspects of the book.
 When the novel is complete, assign one of the following writing prompts to the students. They should cite evidence from the novel to support their thesis. Use the
CCSS writing standards when writing. Allow peers to edit the papers prior to revision and final draft.
1. Explain the significance of the title of the novel. Explore other titles which might (or might not) have been more appropriate.
2. Select what you consider to be the most important chapter in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole.
3. Select what you consider to be the most important quotation in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole.
4. Select what you consider to be the most important symbol or image in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole.
5. Select whom you consider to be the most important character in the novel and prove your opinion by relating him to the novel as a whole.
6. Discuss any archetypal characters, images, symbols, or motifs in the novel and analyze their significance.
7. Discuss any allusions in the novel to myth, the Bible, folklore, or other literary works and analyze their significance.
8. Relate some aspect, character, event, chapter, or quotation in the novel to something of importance in your own life.
9.
Explain the important decisions the main character in the novel faced, how he/she made the decision, and the resulting consequences. Evaluate the whether he/she made the correct decision.
Source: http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/Novel.pdf
 View excerpts of available movie versions of your novel and compare and contrast with the print version. Use this worksheet to compare.
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Complete one or more of the Language activities listed in week 1. Reinforce these ideas in both reading and writing.
Week 4: (CCSS RI.8.8, RI.8.10, W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, W.8.7, W.8.8, W.8.9, W.8.10, SL.8.1, SL.8.3, SL.8.5, SL.8.6, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.3, L.8.4, L.8.5.6)
Research on decision making and writing a narrative.
 Have students examine websites that give steps in making decisions. Compare and contrast the information. Evaluate how trustworthy the source is.
Create your own hybrid decision making process. Create a flow chart or other graphic that shows the process. See Decision making resource list below for suggested websites.
 Brainstorm a list of major decisions students will face in the next few year. List should include topics related to what author Sean Covey calls the 6 most important decisions a teen makes: School/education, friends, Dating and Sex, Addictions, and Self-Worth. (See this site for preview pages of Covey’s book for more information.) Discuss the decisions and the possible outcomes. They also might include whether to cheat on a test, to get a tattoo, which parent to live with, etc.
 Have students select one topic from the list to research online. Use online resources such as http://jjot.com/ or http ;//ubernote.com
to take notes on what they learn. Collect facts that would help make an informed decision.
 Use chain notes to share the information that the students learn from their research. Chain notes: Write a topic at the top of a lined piece of paper. Use several topics on different papers. Start the papers with various students. They should write one thing that they know or have learned about the topic and then passes the paper on. The next student responds either to the topic at the top of the paper or to a comment from a classmate. Continue passing until the papers have circulated around the room. Share the compiled information with the class.
Students can use the compiled information in their wriitng
 Begin brainstorming for the narrative writing assignment. Resources for writing short stories 1 2 Discuss what decisions your students have made in their lives and what decisions they will need to make in the next 5 years. (Refer back to week 1 quick writes.) Help students differentiate between major and minor decisions. Discuss steps in making decisions. Students will write a STORY
—either real or fictional about making a big decision and its outcome. They can make the wrong decision, because sometimes this teaches us more than the right decision. The story should include: A real or fictional major decision, the choices and their outcomes, also indicating which would be the most popular choice, the process used in deciding, the decision (can be a good or bad one), other people’s reaction to the decision, the character’s reaction, the final outcome. Then, rewrite the ending with a different choice and its outcome. Include evidence learned from the research as support for choices. Use the writing process to complete this work, including peer editing for usage, spelling, word choice, etc. (This should take 2-3 days to complete in class and for homework.)
 Complete one or more of the Language activities listed in week 1. Reinforce these ideas in both reading and writing.

Week 5 : (CCSS RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, RL.8.7, RL.8.9, RI.8.1, RI.8.8, W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, SL.8.3, SL.8.5, L.8.1, L.8.3, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6)
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Use a site such as www.voicethread.com
to make a multimedia presentation of the story. Use copyright free pictures (See list of sources below), videos, and music in the presentation. Share the presentations with the class. Have students evaluate the presentations by a rubric. (This should take 1-2 days to take to complete.)
 “The Tell-Tale Heart”-use pre-reading activities to prepare students to read “The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. (Textbook page 536) Look for unfamiliar vocabulary words that are essential to understanding the story that will have lasting value and introduce them using the RIVET strategy. [For other words, refer students to the footnotes or just tell them the meaning.] Next, talk about what factors can hinder making decisions. Ask if people who have some sort of mental illness are able to make good decisions. Read the story together. Stop after reading the second paragraph and ask:
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What decision did the narrator make? What reason does he give for making this decision? (Have students write the decision.) As you read on, have them write down what the narrator does to carry out his decision (things like going to the old man’s room, opening the door slowly, etc)
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After you have read the 3 rd paragraph, ask: Why did the narrator decide not to kill the old man after the first 7 days?
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Read on. Stop after he has killed the man. Ask: Once he has killed the man, what does the narrator decide to do?
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Read on until he has spoken to the police. Ask: What does the narrator decide to do after the police arrive?
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Finish the story and then ask: At the end of the story, what final decision does the narrator make? Look back over the decisions and action that man takes.
Ask: At what point could the man have changed his mind and chosen another outcome?
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Ask: What clues tell you that the narrator was indeed mad, in spite of what he says. (Point out that this is irony.)
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What is the meaning of the title?
 Ask: How did his ‘madness’ impact his decision making process?
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Other discussion points: figurative language, use of passive or active voice, point of view, allusions, theme
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Watch an animated version of the story, and if time, excerpts from the movie version with Vincent Price. Use this worksheet to compare the versions. You can also use this graphic organizer .
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Homework: Distribute this article or a similar one about teen brain development. Have students read the article and write a summary.
 Follow-up on Homework- Quickwrite: What impact does brain development have on a teen’s ability to make decisions? Discuss, though the narrator in “The Tell-Tale
Hear”t was extremely impaired in his decision making ability, how could reading this work help us be aware of our own ability to make a wise choice? Compare the structure of the two texts.
 Share videos or audio public service announcement that are directed at teens regarding making good choices even when it is not popular. (suggestions: Textual Harrassment
Preventing Dropouts Hiphop AntiSmoking Antibullying (By Tween stars) Donate jeans teen stress ) Create a spreadsheet with these headings: Topic/Claim, Evidence/Facts/, Persuasive techniques, Audience, Effectiveness of arguments. Watch the ads and complete the spreadsheet. Talk about what a PSA consists of. Ask how a PSA differs from a regular commercial.
Explain that next week you will be creating PSAs to show making a decision. Invite students to research PSAs over the weekend.
 Complete one or more of the Language activities listed in week 1. Reinforce these ideas in both reading and writing.
Week 6 : (CCSS RL.8.1, RL.8.3, RL.8.10, RI.8.1, RI.8.8, RI.8.10, W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.10, SL.8.1, SL.8.3, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, SL.8.6, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.3, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6)
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Show this student created PSA. Making Good Choices . Evaluate the effectiveness of this video. Use it as an example for students. Break the students into groups. Assign them to develop a public service announcement that makes a claim, gives facts, and tries to persuade other teens to make a choice. Create a rubric to evaluate the PSAs or have students use the spreadsheet from last week to evaluate the PSAs. The PSAs can be recorded or live. (2 days)
 If you have not completed final projects on the novels, spend 1 day completing them. (Respond to the final writing prompts.)
 Complete one or more of the Language activities listed in week 1. Reinforce these ideas in both reading and writing.
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Reread both The Road Not Taken and New Directions. Complete the Jammin to the Text Activity with these texts. Discuss if views on these works have changed over the unit.
Talk about the characters that you have read and written about, as well as the other works studied, Were characters willing to make decisions? Did they take a less popular path? We any of them willing to change paths if needed?
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Have students respond to one or more of the essential questions in writing. Use evidence from the reading completed during this unit or the year. Evaluate according to a rubric.

Supportive Unit Resources:
(Please note that these are resources that can be used to supplement instruction before or during a lesson.)
Instructional
Activities:
Scaffolding Option 1:
Intervention
(CCSS RL.8.2, RL.8.5)
New Directions
Have students draw a flow chart (they could do this with a computer and use the flowchart graphics) to portray the events in the story. They could complete the same activity for “The Road Not Taken” and use their flowcharts to compare and contrast the two works.
Scaffolding Option 2:
Maintenance
(CCSS RL.8.1 )
Picture books
Share children’s picture books about characters who make choices. Have students analyze the decisions according to the process you have adapted for your class. Evaluate the outcome. Discuss the impact of this format on the content of the book. Create a similar children’s story.
Scaffolding Option 3:
Extension
(CCSS RL.8.1)
Mandala Advanced!
Instead of completing the mandala as outlined above, use the directions found here . They are more involved and require a more rigorous vocabulary. Cite evidence from the test to support the symbols used.
Technology Integration: (Please note that these are resources that can be used to supplement instruction before or during a lesson.)
Multimedia
Activities:
(CCSS RL.8.3)
Character Talking
Have students find or draw a picture of what they believe a character in their novel would look like.
Next, write a paragraph from the character’s point of view telling about an important incident inf the story. Go to http://blabberize.com/ and upload the picture. Follow the easy instructions on how to trace around the mouth and upload words for the character to speak.
Then, watch the character talk! Share results with class.
(CCSS X.X.X)
Novel Activities
Many of the suggested activities are in the form of web quests. These can be completed independently, or students can collaborate with them using a cobrowsing tool www.twiddla.com
. This allows students to look at and mark websites together. The basic service is free, and an upgraded version is also available for free to educators. When you sign up for the service, they tell you other ways to use this site in the classroom.
(CCSS X.X.X)
Cyber Book Discussions
Go to this Skype website to find opportunities for cyber book discussions. Teachers from other classrooms around the world list topics they would like to share with other classes. The books and projects listed may change from time to time, but as of May 2012, The Outsiders was a book listed. You could also list a project. (You will need to plan in advance for this!)
Though many of these books have lower Lexile levels, the content is appropriate for 8 th grade students. All are about characters who either face an important decision or the results of a decision they have made. Many are also about characters who take a road less traveled.
Book Thief , Zusak, Markus., Lexile 730
Dogsong , Paulsen, G., Lexile 930
Homecoming , Voight, C., Lexile 630
Lesson plans
Lesson plans Author Webpage
Lesson plans

Hunger Games , Collins, S., Lexile 810 Lesson plans Web Quest Web Quest
I, Juan de Pareja , Borton, E., Lexile 1100 Lesson plans
Illustrated Man , Bradbury, R., Lexile 680 Lesson plans
Jacob Have I Loved , Paterson, K., Lexile 880 Lesson plans
Little Women , Alcott, LM, Lexile 1210 Lesson plans
Monster , Myers, W.D., Lexile 670 Lesson plans Web Quest
Speak , Anderson Halse, L., Lexile 690
The Outsiders , Hinton, SE, Lexile 750
Lesson plans Web Quest
Stargirl , Spinelli, J., Lexile 590 Lesson plans
The Giver , Duncan, L , Lexile 820 Lesson plans
The Old Man and the Sea , Hemingway, E., Lexile 940 Lesson plans
Web Quest
Lesson plans Web Quest Web Quest
The Pigman , Zindel, P., Lexile 950 Lesson plans Web Quest
Pics4learning: http://pics4learning.com
EduPics: http://www.edupics.com
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Free Stock Photos: http://freestockphotos.com
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Large Free Pictures: http://www.free-pictures-photos.com
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Animal Pictures/Animal Trial: http://www.animaltrial.com
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Hubble Site Science Pics: http://hubblesite.org
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NSSDC Photo Gallery: http://cre8tiv.me/nasapics
Flickr Commons: http://cre8tiv.me/fcommons
Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/
Open Clip Art Project: http://openclipart.org
/ stock.xchng: http://www.sxc.hu
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