Thematic/Conceptual Unit
Homelessness in Literautre, Film, and in America's Schools
Matthew Laamanen
ENGL 409
Prof. Tucker
Fall 2012
Course: English Language Arts 11
Unit: Exploring the impact of homelessness/difficulties attending school and the pros and cons of the
systems set forth by government structures. Also, discuss the role of schools in relation to the issue of
homelessness.
Texts:Tyrell by Coe Booth
Shame by Richard Gregory
The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara
The Pursuit of Happyness (film)
Form of Intertextual Study: Thematic/Conceptual
Purpose:
 To familiarize students with the impacts of homelessness
 To help students understand why some people have difficulties attending school
 To help students understand that some students do not have proper nutrition or food intake on a
daily basis
 To help students understand the rocky relationship with Tyrell and his parents
 To help students understand the link child welfare systems and family relationships
 To familiarize students with young adult African American literature.
Essential Questions:
 How does reading about different socio-economic classes alter our understanding of people in
those financial situations?
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How does literature affect our perceptions of people who live in poverty?
How does literature reveal cross-culture themes and connections?
How do people in hard situations maintain their hope for a prosperous future?
What factors influence our point of view of the literary characters we examine?
Unit Questions:
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What are the similarities and differences between Tyrell's life and your own?
What was life like for Tyrell and his family while going through their many struggles?
How do the characters in Tyrell display their emotions given the situations they are dealt with?
Why is Tyrell and other texts about homelessness/poverty important for students to read about and
understand?
Assessments:
 Formative: Reading journals, small group work/discussions, reading carousel, reading quizzes,
narrative and creative writing pieces.
 Summative: Craft a Powerpoint within a group, which will use textual evidence and examples from
all the texts we have viewed and craft an argument as to why homelessness is something that
should be discussed/not be discussed within schools.
Learning Activities:
 Whole class participates in a reading carousel to help familiarize with content that will
be discussed in Tyrell
 Class reads and discusses Tyrell
 Class reads and compares scenes from The Lesson
 Students work in groups to discuss excerpts Shame by Richard Gregory (What is it
about?, what does it mean?, and why does it matter?
 Students keep ongoing journals to connect and respond with the sensitive issues within
the novel
 Students respond to prompts in journals each time they read
 Students write a narrative/creative piece as one of the characters in the book detailing
the major events and using impactful quotations from the novel.
 Students use peer response workshops to craft an improved version of Tyrell's letter
which is to be presented in front of the class.
Unit Rationale: Tyrell
For the upcoming unit, students will be focusing on the thematic/conceptual elements and
intertextuality in the novel Tyrell by Coe Booth. Tyrell deals with many issues that are often not
discussed in schools such as: homelessness and how it can reflect on a student's literacy, incorporating
African American literature into a classroom, and the effect socio-economic status can have on a
student and their abilities to learn and comprehend the texts discussed in class.
Tyrell is the perfect novel to use for a unit that aims to accomplish all the goals set forth by the
instructor. Tyrell and the themes contained within will not only open student's eyes to issues within the
community, but also issues that are discussed within the text. A major part of Tyrell, is examining the
rocky relationship Tyrell has with his parents and also his peers and also the struggles Tyrell faces
being a member of the child welfare system. The intertextuality aspect of the unit, will not only
incorporate from The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, Shame by Richard Gregory, and the film “The
Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith, but it will also examine the texts that Tyrell uses to escape
the harsh realities of his every day life. Intertextuality will be fused together with slam poetry and also
hip-hop that Tyrell listens to during the course of the novel. Studying texts that Tyrell uses himself will
immerse students into the world of Tyrell, and will only enrich their understanding of all the texts they
will study during the course of this unit.
During the course of the unit, students will keep reading journals to discuss the reading for the
day, work in small groups to discuss what is happening within the novel/other texts, take place in a
reading carousel, take reading quizzes to make sure all students are comprehending and reading the
texts, and create their own pieces of creative writing, but it is important to note that the students will go
through an extensive drafting period until a final/polished piece of writing will be assessed. The unit
will conclude with students working in groups to create a Powerpoint which will be presented in front
of the class. The goal of the Powerpoint is to give textual evidence and examples from all the texts we
have read during the unit, and argue as to why homelessness is a problem that should be
discussed/should not be discussed in schools, and that school officials should be made aware of
students lives and understand that all students lead diverse lives outside of the classroom.
This unit is very extensive, but at the conclusion of the unit, students will have a better
understanding of the thematic/conceptual/intertextual elements of not only Tyrell, but of all the
texts the class will study during the course of the unit.
Lesson Plans: First Ten Days:
Day One
Purpose:
Introduce the unit's main text Tyrell by Coe Booth and get students to apply their prior
knowledge about the setting and themes contained within Tyrell.
Preparation
The class will split into groups of five, and each group will start at a poster board
posted on the wall's of the classroom, students will also be given a marker color which will
correspond with the heading on the poster board.
Procedure
Students will write down all information they know about the heading at the top of the
poster board. The headings will include: Homelessness, New York in the 90s, Welfare
systems and single parent homes. After students have written down all they know on the
poster board, they will shift to the poster board to their right, and the reading carousel will
continue on until all groups have visited each station.
Assessment
Once students return to their original stations, they will be asked to go over the things
contained on their poster boards. The student groups will also be asked to create groupings
for all the information on the poster board, and to explain the connections between the
diverse things each student group wrote about. Read Chapters 1-3 for the next day's class.
Day Two
Purpose
Students will be reading the short story Shame by Dick Gregory in class within small
groups.
Preparation
Students will have read Tyrell up to chapter three and will be discussing the fact that
Tyrell does not have a father, and how that affects his life and his families life.
Procedure
After reading Shame in class students will be asked to examine the impact of both
characters not having a father and how it shapes their experiences in their respective stories.
Assessment
Groups will record their findings in their daily journals, and they will be assessed by the
teacher using audio podcasting to respond to the individual journal entries. The teacher audio
snippets will be sent to students emails the night after class. Read Chapters 4-7 and bring in a
piece of music (school appropriate) that has helped you in a hard time, or just simply makes
you happy.
Day Three
Purpose
Students will share their piece of music with the class and explain why they chose their
song.
Preparation
Students will have chosen the song the night before, and upon entering the class they
will share their song with one other student, but not go into the details as to why they pieced a
particular song.
Procedure
After the students have shared their song with a student then they will share it in front
of the class and explain why they chose that song. This will continue until all students have
shared their song with the class
Assessment
In their journals, students will compare their musical choice to that of Tyrell. Tyrell uses
the music of RUN-DMC and Boogie Down Productions to deal with the stress of his home life,
and also to have something normal to discuss with his peers. The reason the students will
have chosen a song is the more than likely going to be very different from Tyrell, but point is
to show that people like certain music/songs for their own reasons. Journal entries will be
assessed by the teacher via podcasts sent to the students. Read chapters 8-11.
Day Four
Purpose
Students will be looking at the effects Tyrell's first eviction has on his family, and what
actions did he take that we appropriate/not appropriate.
Preparation
Students will have read chapters 8-11 and the eviction takes place in chapter 10.
Students will be working individually and analyzing the ways in which Tyrell acted as a result
of his family being evicted.
Procedure
The teacher will write down all the actions that Tyrell took because of his family's
eviction and students will be asked to decide whether the action Tyrell took was appropriate or
not. Some actions include: Smashing his grandmother's urn, going to the housing commission
and asking for answers to the situation, screaming at his mother to get a job, blaming the
eviction on his father, and going out with friends and getting high.
Assessment
The lesson is quite simple, but for the assessment, the students will take the role as an
outsider giving advice to Tyrell. In their journals, students will explain better ways for Tyrell to
deal with his problem, and incorporate textual evidence to show why some of the way Tyrell
dealt with his problem was not only inappropriate, but also lacking in maturity as an adult in
charge of a household. As for all journal entries, they will be assessed through teacher
podcasts. Read Chapter 12-15 and be ready to share about a time that you were charitable.
Day Five
Purpose
Students will examine the idea of charity and how the idea is viewed in both Shame
and Tyrell.
Preparation
Students will answer a prompt given on the board, which is “Describe a time you were
charitable, how did it make you feel, and why did you act this way?”
Procedure
Students answer the prompt in their journals and share with classmates that are seated
near them. After the classmates have exchanged, it is the other classmates job, to compare
the charitable action described by the fellow classmate in relation to the charitable moment in
Tyrell (Gives his last bit of change to his mother, so she can take the bus to a job interview)
and Shame (Richard gives 15 dollars to the Community Chest)
Assessment
Students will exchange journals with each other and they will be asked to brainstorm
what they think will be the outcome of the charitable moment in Tyrell. Their ideas must be
based upon textual evidence, or knowledgable assumptions about the characters in Tyrell.
Students will write until the end of class and then they will turn in their work, which will be
assessed by the teacher via audio podcast and sent to students the night after class. Read
chapters 16-19.
Day Six
Purpose
Students will be comparing/contrasting the differences between Tyrell and his family
and Chris Garderner and his family in the film The Pursuit of Happyness
Preparation
Students will take out their journals and be ready to answer the prompt after viewing
the two key scenes from the film.
Procedure
The class will view the scene in which Chris Gardener has to argue with the leader of a
church to keep his spot in line, in order to receive aid and shelter. Also, students will view the
scene in which Chris and his son are forced to live in the bathroom of a subway station.
Assessment
After viewing these scenes, students will be asked to compare Tyrell and his family to
Chris and his son. The comparison piece must feature evidence from the texts, and must also
show and explain the psychological effects being homeless has on the people involved in
Tyrell and The Pursuit of Happyness. Read chapters 20-23.
Day Seven
Purpose
To talk about and analyze Tyrell's letter that he sends to the New York Housing
Commission.
Preparation
Students will take journals out, and be ready to answer the prompts given by the
instructor in reference to Tyrell's letter.
Procedure
Read the letter out loud to the class, after the first time ask them: What does it say?,
second time, what does it mean?, third time, why does it matter? After each step is
completed, have the students share their answers either with the class, or with a classmate.
Assessment
After the discussion has been completed, students will take home Tyrell's letter, and rewrite it, so that it is more clear and readable, both in content and in quality. Read chapters 2427.
Day Eight
Purpose
Students will take place in a peer response workshop (In groups of 3) for their drafts of
a revised Tyrell letter.
Preparation
Students will follow the first two steps of the peer response handout, and work in small
groups to learn about and revise aspects of their draft from their peers.
Procedure
Students will be following the peer response handout, step by step. They will only
complete the first two steps in class, and the next two steps will take place at a later time.
Worksheet is attached below this lesson plan.
Assessment
After completing the first two steps of the peer response workshops, students will be
given the journal prompt asking them: What were your feelings during the first part of the peer
response workshop? Was it hard forming questions for your readers as the author? Journals
will be collected at the end of class, and podcasts will be sent to students assessing their
journals the night after class. Read chapters 28-31 and be prepared to work through the last
two steps of the peer response workshop.
4 Steps for Peer Response to Writing
STEP ONE: The Author
 Re-read your piece.
 Make whatever changes you would like to make. (You can make these on the paper itself
in pen/pencil).
 What question(s) about the piece would you like to know the answer(s) to? Write your
question(s) somewhere on the essay itself so that readers will see it.
 Pass the piece to Reader #1.
STEP TWO: Reader #1
 Put your name/email/phone # somewhere on the paper so that the Author can see it.
 Read through the Author’s piece.
 Answer the question(s) asked by the Author.
 Ask your own question(s) to the Author. Write these somewhere on the paper itself so that
the Author can see them.
 Offer other suggestions if you have time.
 Pass the piece to Reader #2.
STEP THREE: Reader #2
 Put your name/email/phone # somewhere on the paper so that the Author can see it.
 Read through the Author’s piece.
 Answer the question(s) asked by Reader #1 as you think the Author would respond.
 Make whatever suggestions (as Reader #2, not as ‘the Author’) you can for the next
version of this piece.
 Return the piece to the Author.
STEP FOUR: Author Redux
 Re-read your piece with the questions and comments from Reader #1 and Reader #2.
 If you have questions for the readers regarding their feedback, take some time now or by
email, phone, or in person after class, to confer with them.
 Consider the feedback from these readers and the feedback from me (on the other copy of
this piece).
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Complete a Y version of this piece to be submitted on Day 11. When you submit
this next version include the X versions with comments from your peers and me.
(Adapted from a lesson by Professor John Staunton)
Day Nine
Purpose
Students will finish up their work in the peer response workshop, and be given
instructors for the final revised Tyrell letter to the New York Housing Commission
Preparation
Students will be instructed to take out their peer response draft to Tyrell's letter and
form into the same groups they were in yesterday to complete the last two steps of the peer
response workshop.
Procedure
Each student will hand their draft to the student who did not see it yesterday and be
asked to complete step 3 and and one step 3 has been completed they will be asked to hand
it back to the original author. The teacher will instruct the original authors that their completed
revised letters will be do on Day 11, and all the necessary steps needed for completing step 4
and the “y version” of the letter can be found on the peer response workshop worksheet.
Assessment
Students will take out their journals and be asked to answer the following prompt: “After
reviewing your draft with all the comments and questions answered, do you think your “y
version” will convey what Tyrell was trying to accomplish in his first draft? How will your draft
differ from your y-version, and do you see the peer response workshop as a worthwhile
process? Why or why not? Complete reading of Tyrell chapters 32- 35. Journals will be
collected and podcasts reviews will be sent to students the night after class.
Day Ten
Purpose
Students will read The Lesson by Toni Bambara and decide as a group whether or not
Sugar's assessment of society is a correct one, and how it differs from Tyrell's view of society.
Preparation
Students will break into groups and read The Lesson as a group.
Procedure
After students have read The Lesson, they will come to a group consensus as to what
they believe is Sugar's assessment of society in The Lesson. Using this information, students
will debate amongst themselves what they think Tyrell's view of society is and how it differs
from Sugar's view. (It is imperative that students reflect on the scene in which Tyrell goes to
his school and asks for assistance, and the teachers tell Tyrell that he is not worth their time
or when Tyrell and his family receive money from the school as a result of charity donations
and one student finds out that the money is going to Tyrell, so he tells the whole school on the
morning announcements, and begins being ridiculed by his fellow classmates)
Assessment
Students will share their findings in front of the class, and the teacher will assess their
responses based on the amount of textual evidence/quotations they apply to their arguments
from the readings. Students will be asked to find pamphlets from either library/school that
discuss the issue of homelessness and the steps that can be done to prevent it (these
materials will be used for the summative assessment, and if students cannot find pieces the
teacher will offer assistance) Students will also be reminded that y-version of Tyrell's letter is due the next day.
Summary Lesson Plans
Day Eleven:
Students will turn in their “y-version” of Tyrell's letter, and the rest of class will consist of
students bringing in the artifacts they found relating to the topic of homelessness. Students
will share their artifact with the class, and the teacher will offer some anchor texts in the form
of annotated bibliography (attached below) relating to the idea of homelessness . The teacher
will explain that the anchor texts can be used during the creation of their summative
assessment (last project of the unit) Which will be discussed next class.
Homework: Students will be asked to research one of the anchor texts, and be ready to
discuss the summative assessment next class.
Day Twelve:
Students will share with the class the anchor text they decided to research further for
homework. After each student has presented, the teacher will create groups for the last
project based upon the anchor texts that each student chose to research further. Meaning
that, if two students chose to research Care Factor Zero and Almost Home, they would be
placed in a group together because their anchor texts correlate with each other. One groups
are formed the teacher will explain the last project, which is to create a powerpoint as a group
detailing why they believe (as a group) that homelessness is something that should/should
not be discussed in schools.Worksheet will be handed out showing guidelines and a rubric for
the final project. (worksheet attached below)
Day Thirteen
The teacher will hand back the y-version of Tyrell's letter and reveal to students that the
piece was not graded, but it will be placed into their yearly file, which they can view at the end
of the year to see how their writing has improved. Day thirteen will be used to begin working
on the presentations in groups. The teacher will take students down to computer lab and help
the students with any problems they may be running into either with Powerpoint, group
members, or content/argument in their presentation. Homework: Students may choose to
work on Powerpoint at home but not required.
Day Fourteen
Day fourteen is the last day to work on presentations with groups. Presentations will be
crafted in the computer lab by all group members and the last ten minutes of class will consist
of the teacher choosing the order of the presentations based upon the progress viewed in the
lab over the span of the last two days. Homework will consist of finishing presentation, if the
group did not finish in class, and coming to class prepared to present the following day
Day Fifteen
Day fifteen is the last day of the unit and it will consist of all groups presenting their
presentations. After all groups have presented their projects, the teacher will then hand out
group evaluation forms. The ticker out of the classroom is a completed group evaluation form.
No homework.
Possible Homelessness Anchor Texts
Anonymous. Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager’s Life on the Streets.
HarperTeen, 1996. ISBN# 9780380783410.
This is the real-life story of Sam, the torment of his own self-loathing, how he survived on the street,
and came home to overcome his negative and dark feelings. Gr. 9-12.
Allison, Anthony. Hear These Voices. Dutton, 1999. ISBN# 9780525453536.
This non-fiction book presents case studies of teenagers living with homelessness, prostitution,
alcoholism, and neighborhood violence. It also includes interviews with staff members from
organizations committed to helping teenagers in crisis. Gr. 9-12.
Banks, Russell. Rule of the Bone. Vintage, 1996. ISBN# 9780394281650. Rule of the Bone is the
story of a troubled fourteen-year-old boy who, upon leaving an abusive
home, lives on the edge of society, and struggles to find himself. Gr. 9-12.
Bayless, Maureen. No Fixed Address. Scholastic Canada, 1997. ISBN# 9780590123785.
Thirteen-year-old Sabie’s Mom has just died, leaving her on the street. Sabie is determined to forge a
family, any way she can. Gr. 6-8.
*Bedard, Michael. Stained Glass. Tundra Books, 2002. ISBN: 0887766021.
While skipping his piano lesson one day, Charles witnesses a stained glass window break in the local
church. The window appears to have shattered on top of a homeless girl sleeping in the pew. She has a
cut on her forehead and no recollection of who she is or where she comes from. Feeling concerned for
her injury, Charles decides to accompany her around the city in the hopes that she will see something
that jogs her memory. Over the course of the day he is forced to confront his own memories and in
doing so comes to terms with his father’s death. A subplot involves Mr. Berkeley reflecting on his past.
After his wife’s death he became a homeless drifter. When he regained his faith and sense of purpose
he found a literal home in the church building. Gr. 8-10.
Blank, Jessica. Almost Home. Hyperion Press, 2007. ISBN# 9781423106425.
Why would anyone choose to live on the streets? The characters of Almost Home examine the answers
to this question. There is Eeyore, twelve years old when she runs away from her privileged home, who
harbors a secret she’s too ashamed to tell anyone. Rusty is a sensitive gay teen who winds up alone
when his older boyfriend ditches him in Hollywood. Squid has gone through too many foster homes to
count. Scabius is a delusional punk from Utah who takes the “me against the world” motto to
dangerous extremes. Critter is a heroin dealer with movie star looks and a vulnerable heart. Laura
should be home studying, but she can’t face another one of
her mom’s boyfriends. And then there’s Tracy, the damaged thread that ties them all together,
irrevocably changing each person’s life she touches. This unlikely band of characters forms their own
dysfunctional family, complete with love and belonging, abuse and betrayal. Each will make their way
home, wherever that may be. Gr. 9-12.
Bowsher, Melodie. My Lost and Found Life. Bloomsbury USA, 2007 ISBN# 9781599901558. When
her mother is accused of embezzling a million dollars and vanishes, spoiled, selfish
Ashley must fend for herself by finding a job and a place to live. Gr. 6-8.
Brooks, Martha. Being with Henry. Dorling Kindersley, 2000. ISBN# 9780789425881.
Kicked out of his house and now homeless, Lake Wyatt meets eighty-three-year-old Henry Olsen, a
lonely widower with family troubles of his own. Lake’s stay with Henry leads him to a deeper
understanding of the mysteries and difficulties of love. Gr. 10-12.
Burgess, Melvin. Baby and Fly Pie: Could a Kidnapped Baby Be The Key to a Better Life for
Three Homeless Kids?. Simon and Schuster, 1996. ISBN-13: 9780689804892
In a London of the future, three homeless teens stumble upon a kidnapped baby worth 17 million
pounds. They could use her to make all their dreams come true, if only they handle things in the right
way. But the three can’t agree on what the “right” approach is. The teens’ struggle with each other and
with the harsh society in which they live in is a compelling, and often chilling, tale.
*Burgess, Melvin. Smack. Henry Holt and Company, LLC., 1996.
Fourteen-year-old Tar decides he can no longer suffer the physical abuse of his father and runs away
with his girlfriend, Gemma. The two find company in other homeless squatters who introduce them to
drugs; Tar and Gemma quickly become junkies. As their lives spiral out of control, Gemma becomes
pregnant and it is only then—after three years of experiencing the streets, drugs, prostitution, and
robbery—does she move back home with her new baby girl, and without Tar. Gr. 9-11.
Carey, Janet Lee. The Double Life of Zoe Flynn. New York: Aladdin Books, 2007. ISBN:
1416967540.
When Zoe’s family has to live in their van for months after moving from California to Oregon so her
father can find work, Zoe tries to keep her sixth-grade classmates from discovering that she is
homeless. Gr. 6-8.
Clark, Margaret. Back on Track: Diary of a Street Kid. Random House Australia, 1995. ISBN#
9780091831622.
Fifteen-year-old Simone is lured away from home by her new boyfriend with promises of a better life
in a big city. On the run from a dangerous environment and her drug-addicted sister, she arrives in
Palmino with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart.
Clark, Margaret. Care Factor Zero. Sagebrush Education Resources, 2000. ISBN # 9780613277594.
An explosive story of a teen runaway and her life on the streets. Larceny is a wild child. She’s been
hassled by cops and shuffled between foster homes. She’s afraid of walls and bars—and of the voices
that bring with them the wild, consuming, killing rage that drove her to the streets in the first place. But
most of all, she’s afraid of being betrayed by the only person she’s ever been able to trust: herself.
Creel, Ann. A Ceiling of Stars. Middleton: American Girl, 1999, ISBN # 978-1562477530. In a series
of letters and journal entries, twelve-year-old Vivien describes being abandoned by
her mother and struggling to survive on the streets of a big city while searching for her family.
*Cooley, Beth. Shelter. Delacorte Press: Random House Inc., 2006.
After her father’s unexpected death, Lucy Durbin, along with her mother and younger brother, is forced
to live in a homeless shelter. Initially Lucy feels as if she is living a nightmare, but by the time her
mother earns enough money to move her family out of the shelter, Lucy has formed close relationships
with the other residents and has accepted the reasons for her own homelessness. Gr. 9-12.
Criswell, Sara Dixon. Homelessness. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998. This book discusses the causes
of homelessness, life on the streets, homeless children, the shelter
system, and help for the homeless.
*Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
One night in medieval England, a girl with no home, no parents, and no name struggles to keep warm
in a roadside dung heap. The town’s midwife, Jane, takes the newly named “Dung Beetle” into her
home as an ill-used and poorly-fed apprentice. For the first time “Beetle” has the semblance of a home,
makes friends, and decides her own identity as “Alyce.” But, she leaves all this behind and runs away
to a nearby Inn after failing an assignment—she was unable to help a woman give birth without the
midwife. After spending time at the Inn, and learning how to
read and write, Alyce realizes she does have a name and a place in the world and returns to be the
midwife’s apprentice. Gr. 6-8.
De La Pena, Matt. Ball Don’t Lie. Random House Children’s Books, 2005. ISBN# 9780385732321.
Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell
so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line
seems nearly unreachable. He’s a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn’t seem to
belong. But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he
doesn’t have to be the person everyone else expects him to be. Gr. 9-12
Deuker, Carl. Runner. HMCo Children’ Books, 2005. ISBN# 9780618542987.
Chance Taylor and his father live on a boat. But the weather-beaten sailboat Chance Taylor and his
father call home is thirty years old and hasn’t sailed in years. One step from both homelessness and
hunger, Chance worries about things other kids his age never give a thought: Where will the money
come for the electricity bill, grocery bill, and moorage fees? So when a new job falls his way, he jumps
at the opportunity. He knows how much he will earn; what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.
Gr. 6-8.
Easton, Kelly. Walking on Air. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2004, ISBN# 9780689848759.
In 1931, a young girl travels around the country performing on a tightrope during revival meetings held
by her father, and seeking her own answers about God, her family, and her life of poverty and
homelessness.
Ellis, Deborah. Looking for X. Groundwood Books, 2001. ISBN# 9780888993823.
Khyber is an eleven-year-old girl living in poverty with her single mother and autistic twin brothers.
When she is falsely accused of vandalism, she must track her friend X, a homeless woman, to verify
her alibi. Gr. 6-8.
*Ellis, Deborah. Parvana’s Journey. Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, 2002. ISBN:
0888995148.
Parvana and her father have been living in a refugee camp since losing their home in Kabul. After her
father dies of pneumonia, Parvana sets off in search of her mother and siblings, who had gone to a
wedding out of town when their home was lost. Parvana is joined along the way by three other
displaced children, all of whom have suffered from the Taliban and constant warring in Afghanistan.
They endure freezing nights, exhaustion, and starvation before finally arriving at a crowded refugee
camp. Space is limited because the camp is adjacent to a mine field, but Parvana and her friends decide
to remain, relieved to finally be among adults again. One day a relief plane flies over the camp and
drops food parcels to the refugees. Many of the parcels fall in the mine field. Leila runs out onto the
field to get one and is injured by mine
Homelessness in America's schools
Final Unit Project
Instructions:
In your student groups, you will be making a Powerpoint presentation that
will argue for or against the question: Should Homelessness be taught in
America's schools, why or why not? The group must come to a unanimous
decision as to which way they will argue the question. The presentation will be
scored based upon the rubric attached. Powerpoints will be due to the teacher
on Day 15 and you will have three full class periods to work on the presentation
with your group. Make sure to ask the teacher if you have any questions
regarding the project. The project is out of a possible 225 points. Group
evaluations will be completed after the presentations.
Summative Assessment Rubric
Criteria x 5
Student used
time given in
class wisely,
turned in
presentation on
time.
Presentation
offers direct
textual evidence
to support
argument from
Tyrell, The
Lesson, and
Shame
Argument is
clearly outlined
during the
presentation
(Groups must
choose a side)
Scor
e
Quality of Performance
Excellent
5
Student used in
class work time
wisely, completed
product in a timely
fashion, and turned
in on time.
Good
3
Student turned in
completed product
on time, but did not
use class time
wisely.
Unsatisfactory
1
Student did not
complete
assessment, or
use class time
wisely.
Excellent
25
Presentation offers
4 examples from
each text to
support argument
Good
15
Presentation offers
less than four
examples from each
text to support
argument
Unsatisfactory
5
Presentation
offers textual
evidence that is
not related to
argument
Excellent
5
Argument for or
against is
displayed in the
presentation
Good
3
Argument is not
clearly defined as for
or against in the
presentation
Unsatisfactory
1
No argument is
presented in
presentation
Presentation
details how
anchor text was
used to
strengthen
argument
presented
Presentation is
visually appealing
(incorporates
graphics,
bibliography,
quotes from texts
.
Excellent
5
Presentation
makes reference to
anchor texts and
connects it to the
argument and the
the main texts read
during the unit
(Tyrell, The
Lesson, Shame)
Good
3
Presentation makes
reference to anchor
texts but does not
connect it to the
argument in a clear
manner
Unsatisfactory
1
No mention of
anchor texts
during
presentation
Excellent
5
Presentation is
visually appealing
contains minimum
of three graphics,
completed
bibliography, and a
minimum of 10
quotes from the
various texts
Good
3
Presentation is
visually appealing
but does not contain
minimum amount of
graphics or quotes,
and bibliography is
not complete
Unsatisfactory
1
Presentation is
not visually
appealing, not
organized
correctly, cotains
no
graphics/quotes
or bibliography