8th Grade, Unit 2: Literature
Immigration
Introduction, Overview, Aims, and Calendar
Table of Contents
 Literature class unit introductions and overviews
 Lesson-Type Assessment Frame and Summative Assessment
 Aims for literature class
 Unit calendars for literature
Additional Resources
 Bundle Texts
 Middle School Annotation Rubric for Paraphrases and Summaries (required during close reading lessons)
 On Demand MS PBA Rubric (for performance task)
 Annotation Rubric (from High School)
 TDQ Response Rubric
 Seminar and Discussion Rubric
 NOTE: Corresponding vocabulary List will be available on better lesson by September 9th.
8th Grade Literature Unit 2 Overview – Bundle/Immigration/Nonfiction
Unit 2 is the first intensive nonfiction unit in 8th grade literature with a wide variety of texts on the complex and engaging issue of immigration. The texts for
the unit come from a variety of informational, editorial, and descriptive sources, and the text Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide will be used as an anchor
text for varying topics throughout the unit.
Teachers should access the following document for:
 Bundle Texts
Throughout Unit 2, scholars will be introduced to and engage in four key lesson types to build the thematic, genre, and analytical understandings necessary
to effectively analyze complex works of nonfiction. This unit will be a jumping off point for the intensive engagement scholars will have with common-core
aligned nonfiction throughout 8th grade literature.
Lesson Type
Purpose Within Unit / Role of Aim
Major Common Core Standards1 and Foci
Close Reading
Purpose Within Unit: Scholars will closely read Obama’s June
2013 speech on immigration reform and the poem, "The Latin
Deli: An Ars Poetica.” At its core, close reading requires
students to grapple, and this purpose should live in all close
reading lessons in every unit.
RI 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.
RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.
RI 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions
to other texts.
RI 8.5 Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in
a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing
and refining a key concept.
RI 8.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text
and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to
Role of Aim: During these lessons, scholars will work through
layers of meaning (literal comprehension, analysis and
inferencing, and thematic understanding) through multiple
readings, ultimately building deep and independent thinking.
The aim for all close reading lessons is the same: SWBAT
closely read a text and demonstrate deep understanding
through paraphrasing (literal comprehension), responses to
inferential questions (analysis), and by analyzing theme
through response or debate (theme).
1
Note that while all standards may be hit through TDQs or some form of practice, the table is meant to capture the most critical standards for the unit and those about
which students think most frequently.
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Reading Workout
(TDQs)
Purpose Within Unit: Scholars will frequently engage in
“Reading Workout” lessons, which serve to both ensure mileson-the-page and rich, text-based thinking around a rigorous,
text-dependent question.
Role of Aim: At the end of these lessons, scholars will
ultimately answer one, juicy TDQ – called a “Culminating TDQ”
–about what they have just read. Over the course of the
lesson, scholars answer smaller TDQs – called “Scaffolding
TDQs” – that (a) offer access points for scholars to deeply
thinking about, engage with, and understand the text, and (b)
build the necessary thinking and understanding to answer the
Culminating TDQ. The aim varies from class to class, but
always asserts that “SWBAT effectively respond to the
question…” followed by the end-of-lesson TDQ.
Reading to Learn
Purpose Within Unit: Scholars will occasionally engage in
lessons where the purpose is to read to build the world
knowledge necessary to understand the core text and build
conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
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 the text.
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.
RI 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.
RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.
RI 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions
to other texts.
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.
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.
RI 8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide
conflicting information on the same topic and identify where
the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective
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the relevant knowledge-based schema about the core text.
The selected knowledge should work to deep scholar access
and understanding of the core text.
Role of Aim: During these lessons, scholars will read texts
(frequently informational texts) that require them to acquire
the necessary information to access and understand the core
text and concepts. The aim varies from class to class, but is
phrased in a way that dictates the knowledge that scholars
should be able to demonstrate by the end of class (i.e.,
through an exit ticket).
Skill-acquisition
Purpose Within Unit: Scholars will occasionally engage in
lessons where the purpose is to acquire and practice a skill
aligned to the common core and the demands of the text. The
selected skill should work to deepen scholar access and
understanding of the core text. The skill-acquisition lesson
should require scholars to practice it coupled with
independent reading.
Role of Aim: During these lessons, scholars will learn and
practice a skill with gradually increasing independence.
Ultimately scholars will be able to demonstrate mastery and
transfer of the skill. The aim varies from class to class, but is
summary of the text.
RI 8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and
distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g.,
through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
RI 8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide
conflicting information on the same topic and identify where
the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
Topics:
 Basic history of US immigration policy
o Informative timeline of changes in policies
 Process of immigration
o Policies and procedures
o Requirements to obtain citizenship
o Focus on the difficult nature of immigrating
(and particularly becoming a citizen) given US
policies
 The DREAM Act
o Components of the Act and expected
ramifications for current and future
immigration policies
 Arizona Immigration Law
o Meant to contrast informative study of
DREAM Act
RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.
RI 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions
to other texts.
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.
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heavily rooted in the language of the common core in order to
(a) prevent myopic instruction, and (b) dictate the skill that
scholars should be able to demonstrate by the end of class
(i.e., through an exit ticket on a new text, new section of text,
or in a new scenario). It should be noted that the aims for
these classes always come from a list of 20-35 “power aims”
(as rooted in the CCSS, across literature and informational
texts) rather than the extensive list of aims generated in prior
years.
RI 8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video,
multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
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.
RI 8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide
conflicting information on the same topic and identify where
the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
Foci:



Analysis of evidence
Evaluation of conflicting claims
Text structure
This unit is designed to build scholars historical, cultural, and political knowledge of the complex issues of immigration, as well as engross them in the
processes of deeply engaging with complex nonfiction texts. The selected texts have been chosen for the unique ways in which they present controversial
issues. Scholars will engage with historical, informative, and legislative texts to build rich background knowledge, and will supplement this knowledge with
first-hand accounts and editorial pieces revealing more personal stakes in the immigration debate. Scholars will also have the opportunity to build on the
knowledge of immigration they will gain during their second history unit, which will focus for a week and half on the earlier immigration policies of the 1800s.
The texts of this unit will be supplemented with a series of political cartoons, as well as 1-2 videos to supplement transcripts of public speeches. Teachers
may use these resources as they see fit, but recommendations for their use are included in the Aims Calendar.
This unit is considerably longer than Unit 1, to accommodate for the need to focus more heavily on nonfiction with Common Core instruction, and should
take about 5 weeks to complete. There are two built-in flex days, in which teachers may choose to expand an analysis of any core topic of the unit or embed
shorter fiction texts (a short story or a poem) if need be.
Scholars will be assessed on their performance and mastery in a multitude of ways:
Lesson Type and Expectation
Lesson-level assessment
Unit-level assessment (end of unit)
Close Reading
Each close reading lesson or series of lessons culminates in
a performance task about the text’s theme or message,
most frequently in the form of an extended response.
Close reading is not explicitly assessed at the end of units,
although arguably standard 1 (citing evidence) should be
strong on the end-of-unit assessment if close reading
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Reading Workout (TDQs)
Reading to Learn
Skill-acquisition
Teachers should be noting scholar performance over the
course of all close reading lessons to measure and evaluate
growth.
Reading Workout lessons assessed at the end of each lesson
with a rigorous Culminating TDQ evaluated against an
exemplar and a rubric. Scholar performance should be
measured over the course of the unit on Culminating TDQs
as tagged to particular standards, which should provide
both a picture of a scholar’s average performance and
growth. Additionally, scholar annotations for Scaffolding
TDQs are a helpful measure of scholar thinking and
performance.
Where applicable, a lesson may end with an exit ticket that
requires scholars to demonstrate their knowledge
acquisition. This exit ticket may take many forms, but
should evaluate if scholars have gained the necessary
knowledge to deeply understand the text and its relevant
schema.
Where applicable, a lesson may end with an exit ticket that
requires scholars to demonstrate transfer of a learned and
practiced skill. This exit ticket may take many forms, but
should evaluate if scholars have mastered the skill and can
apply it to a new text, new section of text, or new scenario.
Common Core State Standards: Literature
Reading Standards:
lessons are successful.
This unit, unlike the previous, will culminate with a
structured, positional discussion, as well as a performance
task in the form of a rich, multi-step TDQ. Scholars will
respond to this TDQ independently. It will frequently rely
upon both the world knowledge developed and the
scholar’s ability to think critically about a rigorous TDQ and
the text. Performance in the discussion and on the TDQ will
be evaluated against an exemplar and a seminar rubric.
This unit, like most, has a performance task that relies on
the knowledge scholars should have gained. Given that
Reading to Learn should always be included so that scholars
more deeply understand the text and its relevant schema,
the assessment should evaluate scholar understanding of
the knowledge not in isolation, but as it relates to the text
understandings. This unit’s performance task requires
scholars to first demonstrate knowledge acquisition and
then apply it to the text-dependent task.
For this unit, the corresponding IA, given after Week 11 (1-2
weeks after the close of this unit), will contain a series of
nonfiction texts focusing on the skills built in this unit.
Teachers should use this portion of the IA as the summative
assessment of skill-acquisition for the unit.
Standard (Power Aim)
RI 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.
Frequency of Occurrence
(# of Days in Unit)2
3
2
Note that some power aims intersect on particular days (see the aims calendar for specific examples of overlap); therefore, there are naturally more days totaled in this
column than there are total days in the unit calendar.
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RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI 8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through
comparisons, analogies, or categories).
RI 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to
other texts.
RI 8.5 Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in
developing and refining a key concept.
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.
RI 8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video,
multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
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.
RI 8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where
the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
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 the text.
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.
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7
1
2
10
3
9
1
1
1
Essential Questions:
KNOWLEDGE & TEXT:
 How have American political policies toward immigration evolved over time?
 How can we use personal accounts from immigrants to inform an understanding of the cultural and political significance of immigration policies?
 Does everyone have access to the American dream?
SKILL:
 How do authors present or interpret evidence differently to convey conflicting ideas?
 How can the use of a variety of types of sources better represent complex issues?
Enduring Understandings:
KNOWLEDGE & TEXT:
 The increasingly fragmented political landscape has brought more controversy to the immigration debate.
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

Engaging with stories from people of varying immigrant-status creates a more complete picture of the issue than political policies can convey.
American immigration policy is often at odds with the ideals on which the country was founded.
SKILL:
 Authors utilize the structure of their text and their commentary on evidence to present facts in different ways.
 Good readers consider the biases and intentions of authors when evaluating their presentation of ideas.
Unit Goals
Readers will:
 Reading to Learn Identify and evaluation the trajectory of American immigration and the policies of immigration reform, specifically the DREAM Act
and the recent Arizona immigration law.
 Reading to Learn Identify and analyze the procedures required to obtain legal citizenship status as an immigrant to the United States.
 Reading Workout Analyze how details about and commentary on modern immigration issues impact the failure or success of immigration reform.
 Reading Workout Consider how personal narratives about immigration in the United States can inform a deeper understanding of the ramifications
of US policies and goals.
 Skill-acquisition Analyze the point of view of varying authors and evaluate how specific evidence can be used to support or refute differing ideas.
 Skill-acquisition Evaluate the value of the use of different mediums to express complex issues.
 Close Reading Closely read a transcript of a recent speech, moving through multiple levels of meaning and analysis to access the larger repercussions
of the dialogue on the issues.
 Close Reading Closely read a poem and draw connections between the craft and thematic components presented in the poem and similar first-hand
accounts of the immigrant experience.
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Unit Assessments
Below are descriptions of the diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments for Unit 9. The formative assessments may be used daily, weekly, and in
combination to measure scholars’ progress toward unit goals. The summative assessment should be delivered uniformly across the grade in order to
accurately measure scholars’ achievement.





Diagnostic
F&P scores
7th grade IA5 data (with a
particular focus on
nonfiction sections)
Summative data from Unit 1
(particularly assessments
from nonfiction Do Now
texts)
On-demand writing prompts
Prior close reading
performance







Formative
Do Nows, as deliberately
linked to necessary world
knowledge
Class work artifacts from
reading notebooks, graphic
organizers, class or smallgroup discussions, etc.
Scholar-teacher conferences
Close reading performance
Weekly Quizzes, either
about knowledge and the
text, skills and the text, or
both
Homework
Exit tickets


Summative
IA 2
End-of-Unit Performance
Task (Multi-step TDQ and/or
class discussion)
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Summative Assessments
Summary
IA2 will assess skill-acquisition, mastery, and transfer from Unit 2. The following performance task will assess student performance and growth for close
reading and text-dependent responses.
Assessment
After an independent reading of the “Immigration Across the Globe” section of Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 12 – Looking Around and
Looking Ahead, scholars will respond to the questions below through a structured class seminar (see Seminar & Discussion Rubric) and/or a written
extended response (see On-Demand PBA Rubric).
TDQ:
(1) Compare and contrast the United States’ recent immigration policies with those of one of the following countries: France, Spain, Australia, or the
United Arab Emirates.
(2) Building on your understanding of the debate surrounding immigration in the United States and the ramifications of current or proposed policies,
choose one policy from the country you selected that you think would address a concern regarding American immigration. Your response should
articulate a specific problem within American immigration policy and the precise ways the policy of the country you have chosen will address that
problem.
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Exemplars
TDQ (1): Compare and contrast the United States’ recent immigration policies with those of one of the following countries: France, Spain, Australia, or the
United Arab Emirates.
Possible Similarities/Differences for all countries
U.S. to France
U.S. to Spain
U.S. to Australia
U.S. to UAE
 Immigrants make up >10% of
 Spanish pop. of immigrants =
 Australian restrictive history is
 80% of UAE pop. = immigrants
French population
12%, U.S. = ~13%
race-based (no non-white
 BUT definition of immigrant is
immigrants until 1975)
 French immigration policies are  Spain has a history of welcoming
diff. – only a citizen if father is a
geared toward keeping national
policies toward immigrants
citizen
 Larger percentage of immigrants
identity in tact (very diff. than
(could be presented as a
now than US (25%) – though
 UAE citizens get free healthcare;
U.S.)
similarity or a difference to U.S.)
25% of pop. under 18 are
all others have to pay (some
immigrants/children of
 French policies focus on religion  All Spanish immigrants
similarity/some difference to
immigrants in U.S.
(very diff. than U.S.)
(documented or not) have free
U.S.)
health insurance (very diff.)
 Australian Immigration Reform
 Citizenship policies (French-born
 Low-wage labor often
Act of 1992: stricter than US
children of immigrants aren’t
 Both countries: Influx of
completed by immigrants
policy (detains anyone w/o a
citizens)
immigrants has benefitted
(similar to U.S.)
visa – including children)
economy, and recession has
 French “crimes of solidarity”
 Immigrant workers can’t form
made
native
population
less

Indian
students
in
Australia
are
workers unions (same)
 Main similarity: controversial
receptive to immigrants
the targets of most antinature of immigration policies
immigrant violence
 Senegalese commercial = similar
to some state advertising re:
Mexican immigrants
TDQ (1) Full Response, Possible Exemplar:
Though the United States has a unique history of immigration policies, the handling of immigration in Spain is perhaps the best comparison to the
U.S. presented in Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 12 – Looking Around and Looking Ahead. The two nations can be seen as similar in the
ways their population has historically responded to immigration issues, and different in the handling of benefits for immigrants.
There are many notable similarities between the immigration policies of the United States and Spain. Both countries have populations that are
represented by roughly 12-13% immigrants (though the number of immigrants in the U.S. is clearly larger). The text notes that Spain has “a history of
relatively tolerant and even welcoming policies toward immigrants” (pg. 209). In many ways, the U.S. can be credited with a similar attitude – though antiimmigrant policies and prejudices have occurred frequently in the U.S., it is still “a nation of immigrants” and thus can be seen as having a welcoming
attitude in general toward immigration. Beyond this, recent immigrants to both the U.S. and Spain have been beneficial to the economic well-being of
their respective countries (and, in fact, citizens of both countries have been less-receptive to immigrants during times of financial stress).
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However, there is at least one notable way in which the two countries have handled immigration distinctly differently. As is evidenced by almost
every recent discussion of immigration in the United States, the population is incredibly divided on how to handle the allowance of benefits for
immigrants. In large part because of this controversy, the U.S. is still relatively strict when providing for undocumented citizens, especially adults. In Spain,
however, “all immigrants in the nation, regardless of documentation status, have been provided with free health insurance.” This is distinctly different
than in the U.S., and is presumably a policy which would not be well-received by many anti-immigration hardliners in the U.S.
In many ways, the United States and Spain have handled complex issues of immigration similarly. It seems, however, the U.S. may still serve to
learn from Spain how to better support its immigration population.
TDQ (2): Building on your understanding of the debate surrounding immigration in the United States and the ramifications of current or proposed policies,
choose one policy from the country you selected that you think would address a concern regarding American immigration. Your response should articulate
a specific problem within American immigration policy and the precise ways the policy of the country you have chosen will address that problem.
Possible Policy Solutions for all countries
France
Spain
Australia
UAE
To limit immigration, U.S. could:
To regulate/improve lifestyle of
To limit or control influx of
(Less viable options for a connection
immigrants, U.S. could:
between UAE and U.S. for this Q)
 Adopt a policy similar to “crimes current immigrants, U.S. could:
To dissuade immigration, U.S. could:
of solidarity” and make it illegal  Guarantee all immigrants,
 Adopt a policy similar to the
to aid in the entrance or
regardless of documented
Australian Immigration Reform
 No longer grant citizenship to
employment of an
status, health insurance (would
Act of 1992 – detain all
children born in the U.S. whose
undocumented immigrant (i.e.
lessen burden on employers,
undocumented immigrants
children are immigrants (might
employers would be less likely
would likely decrease use of
(adults and children) or anyone
dissuade immigration if children
to hire immigrants)
emergency services by
who enters without a visa
won’t be granted citizenship)
immigrants who would then
(would dissuade some from
have better preventative care)
entering; might provide
mechanism for investigating
current undocumented
population)
TDQ (2) Full Response, Possible Exemplar:
Responses to immigration, in their most general forms, can be broken down into two categories: exclusion and accommodation. Though idea that
there needs to be some better means to document individuals entering into and living in the United States is not contested, any casual suggestion or
official policy describing how to treat or support those individuals already in the country is met with intense debate. The immigration policies of France,
Australia, and the United Arab Emirates all have possible applications to dissuade immigration into the United States, but Spain has a policy that may
prescribe how to better support individuals already here. The Spanish policy will thus be considered for this analysis.
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In Spain, all immigrants, whether they are of documented status or are “out of status,” are afforded free health care. In the United States, this
policy would be sure to incite intense debate and resentment from some. However, there are at least two distinct ways in which adopting this policy in the
U.S. could solve some current problems related to immigration. First, the children of immigrants (who themselves might be U.S. citizens) do not often
have health care because their undocumented parents do not have access to it (nor would they seek it out, for fear of being deported). As a result,
immigrant children do not receive the basic care during their early years that keeps all other children well and allows them to grow up as healthy as
possible. Beyond this, undocumented immigrants and their children who do not have health care are more likely to go to the emergency room when they
are sick because they did not have access to preventative care that could have precluded their need of more expensive medical care. Second, employers
of undocumented citizens are often under a higher burden to ensure that their workers are healthy because they are unable to provide them with
protective insurance. Adopting Spain’s policy of universal healthcare for all immigrants would begin to solve these problems.
This policy, along with legalization programs, was met with “minimal debate” in Spain. If the clear benefits to all U.S. citizens are articulated up
front, it is possible that a similar policy could be effective in the United States.
Criteria for Success
To assess students during the discussion, teachers should use the Seminar & Discussion Rubric or create a modified version of the History seminar rubric.
To assess students on an extended response, teachers should refer to the On-Demand PBA Rubric.
For TDQ (1), whether responses are written or expressed during discussion, scholars should:
 Focus on the immigration policies of one country
 Present both similarities and differences between the U.S. and the country of their choosing
 Clearly explain why the details they present as similarities/differences should be interpreted as such
 Use at least 2-3 pieces of textual evidence to support their ideas
 Reference specific details about U.S. immigration policy (though they need not directly cite these details)
For TDQ (2), whether responses are written or expressed during discussion, scholars should:
 Focus on the immigration policies of one country
 Clearly articulate a “weakness” of U.S. immigration policy (students may choose to frame their weakness as one that makes U.S. immigration
policy either too lenient or too strict)
 Clearly articulate how the policy/policies in the country they selected will address the U.S. concern
 Clearly articulate how immigration in the U.S. would change as a result of the policy
 Use at least 2 pieces of textual evidence to support their ideas
 Reference specific details about U.S. immigration policy (though they need not directly cite these details)
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Literature Class Aims
Reading Aims
1. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide – Chapter 1: SWBAT define immigration and identify the major events in US immigration history.
2. “Putting Out the Welcome Mat”: TDQ – How have the foundational beliefs of the United States made immigration an increasingly
complex issue?
3. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide – Chapter 9: TDQ – How might “regularization” of the immigrant population address each of the
distinct “debates” addressed in this chapter?
4. “Let Them In”: TDQ – How do the statistics presented at the end of the article represent the counterintuitive beliefs about immigrants
presented throughout the text?
5. “Immigration: 'things are bad out there'”: SWBAT determine an author’s point of view and/or purpose in a text
6. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide – Chapter 10 and ““Dream on? Immigration Bill Rouses spirited debate”: SWBAT identify the main
policies of US immigration reform, and describe the intentions of the DREAM Act.
7. “Immigration: A Dream Deferred…”: TDQ – How do the concerns of the young immigrants interviewed in this text reflect the specific
goals of the DREAM Act?
8. “Should Benita Veliz be deported? An American-in-waiting needs the Dream Act. So does America” and “Dream bill could become
nightmare”: SWBAT identify where two or more texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation of the same topic
9. “Obama moves on immigration, fulfills a DREAM”: TDQ – How might Obama’s decision to enact portions of the DREAM Act affect the
future success of the policies?
10. “Illegal immigration: agents sue to block Obama's 'DREAM Act'”: TDQ – How are the complaints about the effects of the President’s
“power grab” indicative of the larger immigration debate?
11. Obama’s June 2013 Speech (day 1): SWBAT closely read a text and demonstrate deep understanding through paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses to inferential questions (analysis), and by analyzing theme through response or debate (theme).
12. Obama’s June 2013 Speech (day 2): SWBAT closely read a text and demonstrate deep understanding through paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses to inferential questions (analysis), and by analyzing theme through response or debate (theme).
13. “Arizona on edge: people face off over a state immigration law”: SWBAT Identify and describe the main goals of the Arizona immigration
law
14. “Supreme Court mostly rejects Arizona immigration law; gov says 'heart' remains”: TDQ – In what ways did constitutional beliefs about
states’ rights prevent the Supreme Court from considering the implications of the law?
15. “Immigration System Won’t Be Solved by Militarizing the Border”: SWBAT assess whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient to support the claims in a text
16. FLEX: (Skill-Acquisition Recommended Aim) Documentary: “Alienated: Undocumented Immigrant Youth”: SWBAT evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present a particular topic or idea
17. Excerpts from: Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 8 – Encountering Discrimination: TDQ – How do the varying stereotypes
about immigrants impact members’ of those populations ability to be successful in the United States?
18. “Jose Antonio Vargas”: TDQ – How do Vargas’ motivations for revealing his immigrant status relate to the intense political disagreement
15
on immigration?
19. Selected political cartoons and “Raided!”: SWBAT evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present a
particular topic or idea
20. Excerpts from: Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 2 – Immigration Stories: TDQ – In what ways do the individual stories
present both unified and conflicting narratives about the process of immigrating?
21. "The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica": SWBAT closely read a text and demonstrate deep understanding through paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses to inferential questions (analysis), and by analyzing theme through response or debate (theme).
22. Excerpts from: Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 11 – Becoming American: SWBAT determine and evaluate the
procedures required to obtain citizenship in the United States
23. FLEX: (Skill-Acquisition Recommended Aim) “Destination America” and excerpts from Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide: Chapter 7
– A Multilingual America: SWBAT evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present a particular topic or
idea
24. Performance Task Day 1
25. Performance Task Day 2
16
Literature Aims Calendar
Note: Lesson types are listed next to each day.
Week 1
Day 1 – (Reading to Learn)
Day 2 – (Reading Workout)
Aim: SWBAT define
immigration and identify the
major events in US
immigration history.
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 1 History, Demography and
Terminology (supplemented
with “Interactive Timeline:
U.S. Immigration Reform”)
Day 3 – (Reading Workout)
Day 4 – (Reading Workout)
Day 5 – (Skill-acquisition)
Aim: TDQ – How have the
foundational beliefs of the
United States made
immigration an increasingly
complex issue?
Aim: TDQ – How might
“regularization” of the
immigrant population address
each of the distinct “debates”
addressed in this chapter?
Aim: TDQ – How do the
statistics presented at the end
of the article represent the
counterintuitive beliefs about
immigrants presented
throughout the text?
Aim: SWBAT determine an
author’s point of view and/or
purpose in a text
Shared Texts: “Putting out the
welcome mat”
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 9 Immigration Debates
Shared Text: “Let Them In”
Note: The opening of this text
references the DREAM Act,
which is not introduced until
Week 2. This article should be
used as an introduction to the
more informed discussion
scholars will have in Week 2
about the DREAM Act.
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.6, RI 8.8
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.8
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.6
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2
Shared Text: “Immigration:
'things are bad out there'”
Relevant Standard: RI 8.6
Week 2
Day 6 – (Reading to Learn)
Day 7 – (Reading Workout)
Day 8 – (Skill-acquisition)
Day 9 – (Reading Workout)
Day 10 – (Reading Workout)
Aim: SWBAT identify the
main policies of US
immigration reform, and
describe the intentions of the
DREAM Act.
Aim: TDQ – How do the
concerns of the young
immigrants interviewed in this
text reflect the specific goals
of the DREAM Act?
Aim: SWBAT identify where
two or more texts disagree on
matters of fact or
interpretation of the same
topic
Aim: TDQ – How might
Obama’s decision to enact
portions of the DREAM Act
affect the future success of
the policies?
Aim: TDQ – How are the
complaints about the effects
of the President’s “power
grab” indicative of the larger
immigration debate?
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 10 –
Shared Text: “Immigration: a
dream deferred: what's going
to happen to all the young
Shared Text: “Should Benita
Veliz be deported? An
American-in-waiting needs the
Shared Text: “Obama moves
on immigration, fulfills a
DREAM”
Shared Text: “Illegal
immigration: agents sue to
block Obama's 'DREAM Act'”
17
Laws and Policies, and
“Dream on? Immigration Bill
Rouses spirited debate”
people who admitted they
were illegal immigrants to
lobby for passage of the
Dream Act?”
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2
Dream Act. So does America”
and “Dream bill could
become nightmare”
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.5, RI 8.6
Relevant Standard: RI 8.9
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.6
Note: To provide additional
background for this lesson, it
is recommended that teachers
use “Obama has through
executive fiat enacted a law
rejected by Congress…” as a
Do Now text.
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.4, RI.6, RI 8.8
Week 3
Day 11 – (Close Reading)
Day 12 – (Close Reading)
Day 13 – (Reading to Learn)
Day 14 – (Reading Workout)
Day 15 – (Skill-acquisition)
(Day 1 of 2)
(Day 2 of 2)
Aim: SWBAT closely read a
text and demonstrate deep
understanding through
paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses
to inferential questions
(analysis), and by analyzing
theme through response or
debate (theme).
Aim: SWBAT closely read a
text and demonstrate deep
understanding through
paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses to
inferential questions
(analysis), and by analyzing
theme through response or
debate (theme).
Aim: SWBAT Identify and
describe the main goals of the
Arizona immigration law
Aim: TDQ – In what ways did
constitutional beliefs about
states’ rights prevent the
Supreme Court from
considering the implications of
the law?
Aim: SWBAT assess whether
the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and
sufficient to support the
claims in a text
Shared Text: “Arizona on
edge: people face off over a
state immigration law “ (+
additional teacher-acquired
resource on Arizona
immigration law)
Shared Text: “Supreme Court
mostly rejects Arizona
immigration law; gov says
'heart' remains”
Shared Text: “Immigration
System Won’t Be Solved by
Militarizing the Border”
Relevant Standard: RI 8.8
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2
Shared Text: Obama’s June
2013 Speech on Immigration
Reform
Shared Text: Obama’s June
2013 Speech on Immigration
Reform
Relevant Standard: RI 8.1, RI
8.8 (and others)
Week 4
Day 16 – (FLEX: Skill-
Relevant Standard: RI 8.1, RI
8.8 (and others)
Day 17 – (Reading Workout)
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.6, RI 8.8
Day 18 – (Reading Workout)
Day 19 – (Skill-acquisition)
Day 20 – (Reading Workout)
18
acquisition)
Recommended Aim: SWBAT
evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of using
different mediums to present
a particular topic or idea
Shared Texts: Documentary:
“Alienated: Undocumented
Immigrant Youth,” and a
transcript of teacher-selected
portions of the documentary
Aim: TDQ – How do the
varying stereotypes about
immigrants impact members’
of those populations ability to
be successful in the United
States?
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 8 –
Encountering Discrimination
Relevant Standards: RI 8.7
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.3, RI 8.6, RI 8.8
Week 5
Day 21 – (Close Reading)
Day 22 – (Reading to Learn)
Aim: SWBAT closely read a
text and demonstrate deep
understanding through
paraphrasing (literal
comprehension), responses
to inferential questions
(analysis), and by analyzing
theme through response or
debate (theme).
Aim: SWBAT determine and
evaluate the procedures
required to obtain citizenship
in the United States
Shared Text: "The Latin Deli:
An Ars Poetica"
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2
Relevant Standard: RL 8.1, RL
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 11 –
Becoming American
Aim: TDQ – How do Vargas’
motivations for revealing his
immigrant status relate to the
intense political disagreement
on immigration?
Aim: SWBAT evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages
of using different mediums to
present a particular topic or
idea
Aim: TDQ – In what ways do
the individual stories present
both unified and conflicting
narratives about the process
of immigrating?
Shared Text: “Jose Antonio
Vargas”
Shared Text: Selected political
cartoons and “Raided!”
Relevant Standard: RI 8.3, RI
8.5, RI 8.6
Relevant Standard: RI 8.7
Shared Text: Excerpts from:
Immigration: The Ultimate
Teen Guide: Chapter 2 –
Immigration Stories
Relevant Standard: RI 8.2, RI
8.6, RI 8.8
Day 23 – (FLEX: Skillacquisition)
Recommended Aim: SWBAT
evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of using
different mediums to present
a particular topic or idea
Day 24 – Performance Task
Day 25 – Performance Task
Day 1 of the performance task
(see the suggestions in
“Summative Assessments”
above for more guidance).
Day 2 of the performance task
(see the suggestions in
“Summative Assessments”
above for more guidance).
Shared Text: Selected clips
from documentary:
“Destination America” and
excerpts from Immigration:
The Ultimate Teen Guide:
Chapter 7 – A Multilingual
America
19
8.4 (and others)
Relevant Standard: RI 8.7
20