Curricular Framework
Unit Title: Colonial Literature
Curriculum Designer: Essence Sanders
Theme: Gender roles in Colonial America
Concepts
1. Gender roles in
Colonial America
Principles/Understandings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Students will explore
romantic ideals and
aesthetic features of
dark romanticism.
Students will explore
the relationship
between individuals and
society.
All literature reveals
truths about the human
experience that
transcends its time.
Students will explore
issues of individuality
and conformity in
colonial America and its
effects on American
identity and culture.
How do writers give
insight into the human
experience through
their writing?
Essential
Questions/Student
Inquiries
1. How does
remaining true to
oneself become
essential in order
to maintain one’s
identity?
2. How does society
influence our
actions and
values?
3. Why is the novel
considered a
Dark Romantic?
4. In what ways
does Hester
Prynne embody
the qualities of
the ideal
Romantic hero?
5. How does
society's
definition of "sin"
influence/affect
the individual?
Methodologies/Skills
1. Class Discussion
Instruction- This
time is for wholeclass discussion.
Regardless of a
student’s reading
level, this means
struggling
readers and Ells
get exposed to
grade-level texts.
With the support
of partners and
the teacher. This
language and
comprehension
development are
necessary for
continual reading
growth.
2. Independent
Skim This time is
for improving the
strength and
range of reading
that cannot be
achieved through
other instruction,
but this
independent skim
is necessary for
students to draw
their own
conclusions and
bring their own
questions to class
discussion,
partner work,
and writings.
3. Collaborative
reading- With
partner students
will exchange
thoughts,
questions,
insights, and key
terms. This step in
a way serves as an
informal
presentation and
gives students the
chance to present
their findings and
an opportunity for
oral language
development in a
more comfortable
setting.
4. Class
deconstructionNext we markup
the text as a class.
Students are
encouraged to
annotate the text
once more circling
or adding new
findings. This step
helps students
connect prior
knowledge, make
inferences,
identify features
of the text,
examine the
author's purpose
and style, and find
the meanings of
keywords that are
crucial to
understanding.
Model and think
aloud so students
hear and see the
reading strategies
you're using. Give
students the
language support
they need (such as
academic phrases
and sentence
frames) to
introduce,
develop, and
support their
claims.
Summary of four-week plan: This four-week unit plan was designed for students to look
critically at the gender roles in not only Colonial American but a modern America. By
looking at foundational Colonial speeches, poems, and text students can engage deeply with
text and think critically about gender roles in Colonial times and now.
Unit Summary/Rationale:
Students examine the role and influence gender had on the establishment of the American
colonies and its continued impact throughout the establishment of the American identity. The
inclusion of notable works, speeches, and poems from the Colonial period helps students analyze
the nature of gender influence on periods in US history. Other informational texts provide
students the opportunity to discuss the nature of gender influence in modern America.
Grade level-9-12
Time frame: Four-week unit plan
Standards: These are the main standards for the Presented lesson/ Unit plan
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over
the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Unit Title: Colonial American Literature
Course: 9th Grade
STANDARD
What do students
need to DO?
What do students
need to KNOW?
●
(Facts, Figures,
Details, Definition,
Vocabulary, Places,
People, Dates, etc)
What do students
need to
UNDERSTAND?
●
●
Standards:CCSS.E
LALITERACY.RL.910.2
Determine a theme or
central idea of a text
and analyze in detail
its development over
the course of the text,
including how it
emerges and is
shaped and refined
by specific details;
● Gender roles
in 1600s
puritanical
society.
● The lifestyle
and values of
Puritan New
England in
the mid1600s.
● Make
inferences
about the
Understand THAT
(not “the” or
“how” or ‘why”
(Big Ideas, the “point”
or “moral” of the
story, Principles,
Generalizations,
Essential
Understandings,
Answers to Essential
Questions)
● That men and
women been
viewed
differently
both during
Puritan times
and today
● Hawthorne
uses Romantic
elements to
understand the
stark contrast
●
●
Final Outcome
NOT Just a
classroom
activity
(Skills of the
Discipline, Basic
Skills, Behavioral
Objectives, Action
Verbs, Final (RealWorld) Outcomes)
● Examine the
themes,
symbols and
characters in
Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s
The Scarlet
Letter.
● Read a text
and identify
the meaning
of symbols,
provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.910.3
Analyze how
complex characters
(e.g., those with
multiple or
conflicting
motivations) develop
over the course of a
text, interact with
other characters, and
advance the plot or
develop the theme.
author’s
potential tone
and purpose
in the novel.
● The role and
impact
religion had
on the
establishment
of the
American
colonies.
● Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s
personal
connection to
the Salem
Witch Trials.
in gender roles
during his
time.
● Themes of
social isolation
written by
Hawthorne are
still relevant
today
Essential Questions
1. How is gender defined in these works of literature?
diction, and
imagery
● Analyze word
choices in
their own
writing to
convey bigger
ideas
● Produce
evidence of
their
understanding
of the text
● Discover how
literature can
reflect a time
period most
serious issue.
2. To what extent is there still a gender double standard?
3. Do these double standards play out in contemporary culture?
A culminating performance task:
One Performance Task (Summative Assessment): Character debate activity where students are
given two-character foils ex. Dimmesdale vs. Chillingworth or Hester vs. Dimmesdale. Students
will have to state a claim about each character and use textual evidence to back that claim using
textual evidence. Students will have to choose a side about varied viewpoints and opinions.
Skills associated with debate include research, media and argument literacy, reading
comprehension, evidence evaluation, public speaking, and civic skills.
Other assessment/rubricsTwo Summative Assessment
1. Exit Tickets
2. Quiz on EdPuzzle
Rubric for short answer Final:
Rubric For Final Short Answer
5
This paper is
clear and
focused. It holds
the reader's
attention.
Relevant details
and quotes
enrich the
central theme.
4
This paper is
mostly focused
and has some
good details and
quotes.
3
2
1
The writer is
Topic is not
As of yet, the
beginning to
well-defined
paper has no
define the topic, and/or there are
clear sense of
even though
too many topics. purpose or
development is
central theme.
still basic or
To extract
general.
meaning from
the text, the
reader must
make inferences
based on
insufficient or
missing details.
Calendar depicting scope and sequence of classroom activities:
Monday:
Day 1
Tuesday:
Day 2
Wednesday:
Day 3
Thursday:
Day 4:
Friday:
Day 5:
Colonial Life
Nathaniel Hawthorn
Dark Romantic
Exit Ticket:
Turn in warm-up
Monday:
Day 6:
“Sinners in the Hands
of an Angry God” by
Jonathan Edwards
(1741)
John Winthrop’s
“City upon a Hill,”
(1630)
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Tuesday:
Day 7:
Selected poems from
Anne Bradstreet
(1650)
Selected poems from
Phillis Wheatley
(1767)
Lecture on Anne
Hutchinson
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Go over discussion
questions.
W/ partners
questions on a
separate sheet of
paper with
meaningful
answers.
Custom House MiniLesson:
Omniscient Narrator
Exit Ticket:
Turn in Warn up
Exit Ticket: Turn in
answers to questions
Wednesday:
Day 8:
Thursday:
Day 9:
Friday:
Day 10:
Selected Passages:
The Scarlett Letter
Selected Passages:
The Scarlett Letter
Selected Passages:
The Scarlett Letter
Summative
assessment
*Dark Romantic
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Close Reading
practice #1
*Group
Tuesday:
Day 12: Modern
America
Wednesday:
Day 13: Modern
America
Thursday:
Day 14: Modern
America
Friday:
Day 15: Modern
America
Selected Scenes:
The Scarlett Letter
film
Book vs. Film
Analysis activity
Book vs. Film
Short answer
Close Reading
practice #2
Monday
Day:16
Tuesday
Day:17
Wednesday
Day:18
Thursday
Day:19
Friday
Day:20
Selected Scenes:
Easy A
Selected Scenes:
Easy A
Book vs. Film
Analysis activity
Book vs. Film
Short answer
Close Read Final
Selected Passages:
The Scarlett Letter
*Gender focus
Morning warm-up
Monday:
Day 11: Modern
America
Selected Scenes:
The Scarlett Letter
film
Resources (All resources used in developing the unit and lessons will be properly
cited in APA format.):
English literature - The Romantic period. (2015). Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-Romantic-period
God In America. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/godinamerica/people/puritans.
html
Nathaniel Hawthorne. (n.d.). American Literature.Com. Retrieved November 21,
2020, from https://americanliterature.com/author/nathaniel-hawthorne
PHOTOS.com, et al. “The Salem Witch Trials.” Kids, 14 June 2019,
kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/salem-witch-trials/.
UDL Explanations:
PBL Unit Planner
Unit Title: Colonial America Literature
Total
Duration of
the Unit (in
hours): MonFri
Subject/Course: English Literature
Grade Level:
9th
Teacher(s): Essence
Sanders
James
Asiano
Other subject areas to be included, if any: History
(For cross-curricular PBL)
Unit Summary/Rationale:
Students examine the role and influence gender had on the establishment of the American
colonies and its continued impact throughout the establishment of the American identity. The
inclusion of notable works, speeches, and poems from the Colonial period helps students
analyze the nature of gender influence on periods in US history. Other informational texts
provide students the opportunity to discuss the nature of gender influence in modern America.
Learning Objectives (KUDs)
Which objectives will be my will be my focus?
Students will be able to describe Puritan gender roles in Colonial America
Students will be able to compare/contrast Colonial and Modern gender roles.
Students will be able to read a text and identify the meaning of symbols, diction, and imagery.
Students will be able to analyze word choices in a text to convey bigger ideas.
Students will be able to understand the elements of Romantic Literature.
Students will be able to analyze the historical and cultural framing of the novel.
Standard(s)
Knowledge
What will students need
to know at the
conclusion of this unit?
Big Ideas/
Understandi
ngs
Do
What will students be
able to do at the end of
this unit?
What are the Big Ideas
from the standards?
What specific
understandings about
them are desired? What
misunderstandings are
predictable?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write
informative/explanator
y texts to examine and
convey complex ideas,
concepts, and
information clearly and
accurately through the
effective selection,
organization, and
analysis of content.
Reading:CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or
central idea of a text
and analyze in detail its
development over the
course of the text,
including how it
emerges and is shaped
and refined by specific
details; provide an

Make
inferences
about the
author’s
potential
tone and
purpose in
the novel.



Read a text
and identify
the meaning
of symbols,
diction, and
imagery used
Gender roles
change
depending on
societal
norms of the
time period.

Certain
truths,
morals,
and/or
messages are
explored
repeatedly
through
fictional and
non-fictional
works

Produce
evidence of
their
understandin
g of character
development
in journal
entries.
Use textual
evidence to
explore
meanings of
symbols and
engage in
discussion
about
meaning.
objective summary of
the text.
because they
are indicative
of human
nature.
http://www.corestandards
.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/1112/
Writing: CCSS.ELA-

Identify
debatable/
substantive
issues
explored in
the novel.

Discover
how
literature can
reflect a time
periods most
serious issue.
(gender
roles)
LITERACY.W.11-12.7
Conduct short as well as
more sustained research
projects to answer a
question (including a
self-generated question)
or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the
inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating
understanding of the
subject under
investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3
Analyze the impact of
the author's choices
regarding how to
develop and relate
elements of a story or
drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the
action is ordered, how
the characters are
introduced and
developed).

An author's
personal life
experiences
might impact

Analyze
word choices
in their own
writing to
convey
bigger ideas

Levels of
morality/
standards are
different for
men and
women.

Predict how
Puritan
values may
play out in
The Scarlet
Letter
Assessment
What am I looking for? How will I know the students have achieved these goals? How will we use formative
assessment to give students feedback during the unit?
What evidence will show that students understand? Through what authentic performance tasks will students
demonstrate the desired understandings? By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?
Include project rubric(s) and an assessment plan so that students know how they will be assessed.
Rubric(s)/Assessmen
t Activity
The Scarlet Letter contains
several significant symbols.
Write a literary analysis (short
answer) that examines how
Hawthorne’s choices in
character development, setting
development, and the structure
of events contribute to the
development of two central
ideas of The Scarlet Letter. In
the analysis, focus on how word
choice, tone, and symbolism
contribute to the development of
characters, setting, and events of
the novel. Provide strong and
thorough textual evidence that is
integrated while maintaining the
flow of ideas and including
proper citation.
Creating quizzes by using will
give a review/ test of
knowledge.
Knowledge,
Understanding,
Skill being
Assessed
Formati Individu
ve or
al or
Summat Group?
ive?
This assessment
Summative
activity assesses
whether learners
have gained the
ability to develop a
central idea. In this
short answer activity
students must prove
their ability to use
textual evidence to
prove their claim.
Finally, learners will
have to prove their
knowledge of literary
movements.
This gives learners the
opportunity to showcase
their knowledge of Puritan
Gender roles.
Formative
Individual
Group
Essential
Questions
What provocative questions
will foster inquiry,
understanding, and transfer
of learning?
Classroom
Activities
What sequence of teaching
and learning experiences
will equip students to
engage with, develop and
demonstrate the desired
understandings?
1. How does Hawthornes portrayal of Hester and Dimmesdale
contrast typical depictions of their gender?
2. Do you see any traces of Colonial gender roles in modern
day America?
3. Are women held to a different moral standard from men?
4. What role did Hawthorne believe women should play in
society? Does he choose a side?
5. What does Hawthorne want the reader to consider about
Puritanism?
6. Through Hester’s actions how can this novel be considered
a feminist text?
7. What elements of the novel categorize it as a dark
Romantic?
8. How have men and women been viewed differently both
during Puritan times and today?
1. Close Reading activity:
a) What is the primary significance of the passage?
b) Identify the literary techniques used by Hawthorne. Relate them
explicitly to the content.
c) Which techniques are typical of Hawthorne in his novel and his
short story,
d) What are the effects of the dominant images/themes used in this
passage?
e) What do you think the important theme is expressed?
This Close Reading activity ensures that students can take specific
and comprehensive understanding from The Scarlett Letter.
Second, this Close Reading activity is a tool that encourages
students to read the text with a critical lens. This means students
can critique an author’s choices within the novel noting why the
author made specific stylistic and structural choices. Does that help
with the development of the theme? What do those choices say
about our deeper theme of Gender in Colonial America? By doing
this activity students learn to ask themselves tough questions about
the text with the eye of a careful reader. This also helps students
read carefully with the eye of a writer, which means this will help
students develop their writing skills.
2. Thinking Activities:
Another activity will follow the essential question “Why gender
roles so defined in the literature?” The class discusses this question
with the teacher’s guidance using their own prior knowledge and is
ended by making predictions for the next chapter. One activity
makes use of the Direct Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)
strategy with Structured Notes on the male and female characters in
the story. The teacher guides the reading while student volunteers
read the section paragraph by paragraph. The teacher directs the
readings, selecting new readers between paragraphs and direct
breaks in the reading to clarify key ideas. By the third day, there is
an activity that puts the students into small groups for a post
reading Think-Pair-Share. Each group will now review the
essential question the class was given during the Think Aloud
earlier. Groups will discuss what they think the answers to the
essential question are now that the class has finished the first
reading. Groups will then pick group speakers to discuss the
group’s opinion with the other groups of the class.
A copy of The Scarlett Letter, Activity worksheets, ContentSpecific Vocabulary, Author background, Handouts from selected
works and passages.
Our classroom environment will be used by having students
‘Experience the known’ and refer to times in their own life and
What resources are available communities where gender was a discussion. Students can recall on
to us?
times in their own lives where they have witnessed gender bias.
How will our classroom
This might be something that students can share in the class or in
environment, local
their journals.
environment and/or the
Resources and
Materials
Needed
community be used to
facilitate students’
experiences during this unit?
Calendar
Four Week Unit Calendar
Depict the scope and
sequence of classroom
activities.
Monday:
Day 1
Tuesday:
Day 2
Wednesda
y:
Thursday:
Friday:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Go over
discussion
questions.
W/ partners
questions on
a separate
sheet of
paper with
meaningful
answers.
Custom
House MiniLesson:
Omniscient
Narrator
Day 3
Colonial
Life
Nathaniel
Hawthorn
Dark
Romantic
Exit Ticket:
Turn in
warm-up
“Sinners in
the Hands of
an Angry
God” by
Jonathan
Edwards
(1741)
Selected
poems from
Anne
Bradstreet
(1650)
John
Winthrop’s
“City upon a
Hill,” (1630)
Selected
poems from
Phillis
Wheatley
(1767)
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Lecture on
Anne
Hutchinson
Monday:
Tuesday:
Day 6:
Day 7:
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Wednesda
y:
Exit Ticket:
Turn in
answers to
questions
Thursday:
Day 9:
Exit Ticket:
Turn in Warn
up
Friday:
Day 10:
Day 8:
Selected
Passages:
The Scarlett
Letter
*Gender
focus
Morning
warm-up
Selected
Passages:
The Scarlett
Letter
*Dark
Romantic
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Selected
Passages:
The Scarlett
Letter
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Tuesday:
Day 11:
Modern
America
Day 12:
Modern
America
Group
Work*
Summative
assessment
Close
Reading
practice #1
*Group
Exit Ticket:
Annotations
Monday:
Selected
Scenes:
Selected
Passages:
The Scarlett
Letter
Wednesd
ay:
Thursday
:
Friday:
Day 15:
Day 13:
Modern
America
Day 14:
Modern
America
Modern
America
*Individuall
y
The Scarlett
Letter film
(1995)
Selected
Scenes:
The Scarlett
Letter film
(1995)
Book vs.
Film
Analysis
activity
Book vs.
Film
Short
answer
Close
Reading
practice #2
Monday
Tuesday
Friday
Day 17:
Group
Work*
Selected
Scenes:
Easy A
(2010)
Wednesd
ay
Thursday
Day 16:
Selected
Scenes:
Easy A
(2010)
Day 19:
Book vs.
Film
Short
answer
Day 20:
Day 18:
Book vs.
Film
Analysis
activity
Close Read
Final
Universal Design for Learning – Teaching/Learning Strategies
and Tools
Multiple Means
of Representation
●
●
What different
teaching
methodologies
will we employ?
How are we
differentiating
teaching and
learning for all?
Have we
considered those
learning in a
language other
In this unit plan we will be utilizing a ‘learner-centered
methodology’ an example of this is utilizing Marzano's Vocabulary
steps for new vocabulary words. Learners will also engage in
Inquiry based learning as well as corporative learning. Finally, by
utilizing a multimodal approach students can think critically about
gender roles in Colonial times and now.
In a ‘Learner-Centered approach’ a variety of learners are included
in instruction. This way students of ELL background, SPED
background, and underserved learners' populations are included in
instruction. When using a multimodal approach teachers can use
technology that assists ELLs comprehension with language-based
apps and genre modeling instruction. Research shows SPED
●
●
than their mother
tongue? Have
considered those
with special
educational
needs?
How will students
know what is
expected of
them? Will they
see examples,
rubrics,
templates, etc.?
How will we know
if the students
have enough prior
knowledge?
students benefit from predictable and visual schedules so by
explicitly stating standards and learning objectives students can
predict what's to come. We will also be printing visual schedules so
if a student does get off track at any point in the unit, they can
easily find their way back into instruction. Finally, as opposed to
asking each student to purchase the book teachers will be choosing
and supplying passages for students.
Students will know what is expected of them by use of showing
detailed examples of past students work. Educators will be showing
examples of needs improvement, average, above average, and
expectational work on a scale from 1-5. This will serve as a rubric
and students will know what is expected of them.
Teachers will utilize a morning Warm-Up and Social-Emotional
questions that will measure students' level of prior knowledge of
Colonial America.
Multiple Means
of Expression
●
●
How will students
acquire the
knowledge and
practice the skills
required? How will
they practice
applying these?
How will students
demonstrate their
learning?
Students acquire the knowledge they need during lectures where
students are encouraged to agree, disagree, and raise concerns
about anything mentioned in subject matter. They will be
practicing the skills required in learning objectives by practicing in
a group and collaborative setting. Both the Close-Read activity and
Thinking activity were created for learners to showcase the skills of
choosing a theme and using textual evidence to back up a claim. By
doing this both with a partner and again individually learners can
practice the skills of close reading and writing before their final
exam.
Students will demonstrate their learning by completing a final close
read demonstrating their ability to determine a theme and back it up
with textual evidence.
Multiple Means
of Engagement
●
How do we help
students engage
and keep their
interest in learning?
Reflection
Methods
How individual, team,
and/or whole class will
reflect during/at end of
unit?
We will help keep learners engaged by first setting clear goals, so
they know explicitly what is expected of them. Then making sure
you have high quality; meaningful content is one of the easiest
ways to keep learners fully engaged and motivated to learn. We
tried to stray away from offering general “nice-to-know”
information that doesn’t add value to the unit. We stuck to essential
information that will help learners improve their overall skill set
and knowledge of gender roles in Colonial America. We will also
be using multimedia, a Pear Deck, videos, and films.
Individually: At the end of the unit, students will engage in a close
read final. This will allow students the opportunity to individually
reflect on their own ideas and thoughts when it comes to gender
roles then and now.
Collaboratively: At the end of the unit, students will do a
collaborative analysis/ Class deconstruction of the film adaptation
of The Scarlett Letter/Easy A. This will allow students the
opportunity to state a claim and prove that claim with textual
evidence collaboratively. How is the movie different from the 1995
vs. 2010. This gives students the opportunity to share their own
insights and get new insights from their partner.
Reflectively: After the unit, students will go on Padlet and
anonymously give their final reflections of the novel. Did they
learn anything new? Does this change the way you look at gender
and the American identity?
Team: After the unit, the class a team will go on Padlet and reflect
as a team on both the 1995 and 2010 film adaptations of The
Scarlett Letter. Noting any major similarities/ differences in the
modern adaptations. Noting if there are any traces of Colonial
gender roles in the newer adaptations. Students will collaborate as a
team making one group comment on Padlet.