October 22, 2012 – November 30, 2012 (6 weeks)
Perseverance
Overview:
Students read multiple texts, literary and informational, to assist them as they reflect on the impact historical
events have on people. They will also explore internal and external conflict and the qualities these characters
possess that assist them in overcoming obstacles in their lives. In addition, students will continue to refine their
ability to analyze character development and it’s correlation to the events in the story or ideas in an
informational test.
Essential Question:
How do individuals, real and fictional use words and actions to demonstrate perseverance?
Focus Standards
Objectives
RL.7.3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or
drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters
 Define perseverance.
or plot).
 Read and discuss fictional and informational
texts featuring real people or characters that
demonstrate perseverance.
RI (Reading Informational Text)

Analyze how the setting (historical context) of
RI.7.2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text
a story or biography affects character
and analyze their development over the course of the
development.
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
 Explain authors’ use of literary techniques
such as diction and imagery.
W (Writing)
 Compare and contrast the play The Miracle
W.7.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a
Worker to film and other print versions.
question, drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions for further
 Conduct research on a person of interest who
demonstrated perseverance, such as Martin
research and investigation.
Luther King Jr. or Geronimo.
 Create a persuasive multimedia presentation.
SL (Speaking and Listening)
 Write a bio-poem and memorize and/or recite
SL.7.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
it for the class.
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
C. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to
others’ questions and comments with relevant
observations and ideas that bring the discussion back
on topic as needed.
D. Acknowledge new information expressed by others
and, when warranted, modify their own views.
L (Language)
L.7.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
B. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
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).
Assessments




Narrative writing
Informative Writing
Research Project
Unit 2 Common Core
Assessment
Word Study
[Continuing activity from the first
unit] Where do words come from?
How does knowing their origin
help us not only to spell the words,
but also to understand their
meanings? Add words found,
learned, and used throughout this
unit to your personal dictionary,
including synonyms for
perseverance (e.g., determination,
constancy, relentlessness,
obstinacy, tenacity, steadfastness,
stalwartness, drive, willpower,
etc.). This dictionary will be used
all year long to explore the
semantics (meanings) of words and
their origins, especially those with
Greek and Latin roots. (L.7.4)
Vocabulary
autobiographies
plagiarism
biographies
photo biographies
character’s conflict: internal and
external
diction
perseverance
resilience
Literary Text Links:
Novel/Short Story:
 The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Rodman Philbrick)
 The Voyage of Patience Godspeed (Heather Vogel Frederick)
 Jesse (Gary Soto)
 Lizzie Bright and the Buck minister Boy (Gary D. Schmidt)
 I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade (Diane Lee Wilson)
 Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Music:
Informational Text:
 African American Firsts: Famous Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of
Black in America (Joan Potter)
 The World at her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller (Joan Dash)
 Geronimo (Joseph Bruchac)
 The Civil Rights Movement in America (Cornerstones of Freedom Series)
(Elaine Landau)

Poem:
 Oranges (Gary Soto)
Art
 N.C Wyeth, All day he hung round the cove, or upon the cliffs, with a brass
telescope (1911)
Shared
Read Aloud
Language Connection:
Class discussion
 Compare and contrast characters from the various novels and biographies read. What similarities exist
between fictional characters and real people? Can you generalize about the types of experiences that
build perseverance? What destroys perseverance? After class discussion, create a Venn diagram in your
journal, or in an online template, that outlines the potentially positive and negative experiences. (SL.7.1,
RL.7.9)
 Continue utilizing a mechanics/grammar bulletin board that you will add to a checklist of editing
topics as they are taught through targeted mini-lessons. Once skills are taught in a mini-lesson and listed
on the bulletin board, students are expected to edit their work for those elements before they publish
 Mechanics: teach mini-lessons on the individual language standards. As a class talk about the strategy,
give examples, and then have students apply strategy to their own work.
Discussion Points
(Art)
Discuss how the
illustrations in
Treasure Island add
to or alter your
understanding of the
text. Can these
images stand alone
as a work of art or
do they require the
text in order to be
fully appreciated
and understood
Discussion Points
(Short Stories)
Compare and
contrast characters
and plots from the
various novels read
and discuss how
authors accurately
portray or alter
history.
Create a Venn
Diagram that
outlines the
similarities and
differences among
three of the
characters discussed
Discussion Points
(Informational Text)
Create a comic strip
or power point for
each text outlining
key events. Ensure
that the students are
mindful of details.
Include the page
number from the
text on each slide or
comic box so that
students can go
back and cite the
text during class
discussion.
Students should
make a new list of
vocabulary words
from each text they
read. Instruct
students how to take
notes from each text
read. They can take
notes on comic
strips or power
point slides.
Discussion Points
(Articles)
Practice taking
notes n various
sections of the
articles to highlight
the most important
points.
Discussion Points
(Poems)
Retell the overall
message and story
of the poem,
Oranges. Be sure to
note the details
within the poem.
Short Story
Strategies
Title: (All)
Graphic organizers: visual displays to organize information into things like trees,
flowcharts, webs, etc. They help students to consolidate information into meaningful
whole and they are used to improve comprehension of stories, organization of writing,
and understanding of difficult concepts in word problems.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 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, track progress toward specific goals and
deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and
comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on
topic as needed.
Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify
their own views.
Poem
Strategies
Informational Text
Strategies
Art
Strategies:
Title: Oranges by Gary Soto
Title: (see above)
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course
of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
When participating in collaborative discussions, follow rules for collegial discussions,
track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments
with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
When participating in collaborative discussions acknowledge new information expressed
by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
Genre:
View the works by N. C. Wyeth, which were drawn to illustrate Treasure Island. How
do these illustrations add to or alter your understanding of the text? Can these images
stand alone as a work of art or do they require the text in order to be fully appreciated
and understood? What does examining these works teach us about the difference
between fine art and illustration? (SL.7.2, SL.7.4, SL.7.5)
Compare and contrast a written story to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version,
analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color,
or camera focus and angles in a film).
Writing Connections: Focus Narrative / Explanatory/ Informative
Short Stories
Historical fiction such as The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman
Philbrick is based on true events. Write a response to this question in your journal: How
does the author’s style (i.e., word choice) affect the believability of the main character?
Justify your answer with specific details from the text. (RL.7.9, RL.7.3)
Poems
Students should annotate the poem, and follow this activity up by making a list of
memories for writing poems. Students then revisit the list and consider which memory is
the most vivid. Once the specific memory is selected, students begin to record as many
details of the event as they can recollect. Students then form stanzas from the grouped
words and begin to add words, move words around, revise, and reread the poem.
Informational Text
Informative Writing - Reflecting on the novels and biographies read and discussed in
class, write an informative/explanatory essay in response to the essential question: How
do individuals, real and fictional, use words and actions to demonstrate perseverance?
Cite specific details from texts read. After your teacher reviews your first draft, work
with a partner to edit and strengthen your writing, especially for sentence variety and
spelling. Be prepared to record your final essay and upload it as a podcast or as the
narrative to accompany a movie on the class web page for this unit. (W.7.9a,b, L7.1a,b,
L7.2a,b )
Narrative Writing/Recitation:
Write a bio-poem about an individual, real or fictional, who demonstrates the essence of
perseverance. Memorize and/or recite the poem for the class. Record your recitation
using a video camera so you can evaluate your performance. (SL.7.6, RL.7.4)
Art
View the works by N. C. Wyeth, which were drawn to illustrate Treasure Island. How
do these illustrations add to or alter your understanding of the text? Can these images
stand alone as a work of art or do they require the text in order to be fully appreciated
and understood? What does examining these works teach us about the difference
between fine art and illustration? (SL.7.2, SL.7.4, SL.7.5)
Fluency Building:
 Discuss similarities and differences of characters in the various stories
and articles read.
 Read “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” in small groups or as
a class with appropriate vocal expression.
 Present a dramatic reading of original bio-poems to class.
Extension Activities:
 Watch a video depiction of an historical event and compare to a written nonfiction account.
 As part of a persuasive argument, create a multimedia presentation to defend why an historical figure
demonstrated the most perseverance.
Additional/Suggested Text:
 readwritethink.org – “She Did What? Revising for Connotation”
 readwritethink.org – “Exploring Author’s Voice Using Jane Addams Award-Winning Books”
Read & Respond Topics:
 Write a response to the essential question based on the novel, stories, and other text read and discussed
in class: “How do characters, real and imagined, use words and actions to demonstrate perseverance?”
Cite specific details from texts read.
 As you read one of the novels or biographies about people or characters with perseverance, take notes in
your journal or on a shared online document about how the individuals are affected by the time period in
which they lived. Be sure to note page numbers with relevant information or mark your text with sticky
notes so you can go back and cite the text during class discussion.
 During what historical time period does the novel/biography take place?
 Where did the person or character live, and why?
 What was that individual’s historical context?
 What role, if any, does the person or character’s family play in his/her outlook on life?
 What obstacle(s) does the individual overcome? How?
 Prior to class discussion, your teacher may give you the opportunity to share your notes and/or
collaborate on a shared online document with a partner who read
Portfolio Documents
 Read and Respond Tasks
 Narrative Writing Piece
 Informational Writing Piece
 Poetry analysis
 Common Core Unit 2 Assessment