CADDO PARISH SAMPLE PLAN – English III (Unit I)
UNIT : 1
Anchor Text
Undaunted Courage:
Meriwether Lewis, Thomas
Jefferson, and the Opening of
the American West, Stephen
Ambrose (Informational)
Text Complexity Rationale
The readability of the anchor
text measures at the
beginning of the 11-CCR
grade band, which is
appropriate for the first unit.
The primary source
documents tend to be more
complex. The literary texts,
mainly O Pioneers! has a
readability that falls below
the 11-CCR grade band.
Students should
demonstrate their ability to
read that text independently.
Related Texts
Literary Texts
 “The Gift Outright,” Robert Frost
 “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” Bret Harte
 “Part 1: The Wild Land,” O Pioneers!, Willa Cather
 “Chapter 8,” “Chapter 24,” “Chapter 26” “Chapter 27” “Chapter
28” “Chapter 42” from Roughing It, Mark Twain
Informational Texts
 Paragraphs 21-26 of “Address by James K. Polk, 1845” and “John
O’Sullivan: Our Manifest Destiny”
 Indian removal: Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress “On Indian
Removal” (1830), Jackson’s Seventh Annual Message to
Congress (1835), and “Chief Joseph Speaks: Selected Statements
and Speeches by the Nez Percé Chief,” Archives of the West
 January 6, 1850, Letter from William Swain to George Swain, written
at "The Diggings" in California
 Excerpts from The Southern Counterpart to Lewis and Clark: the
Freeman and Custis Expedition of 1806 (if available.)
Nonprint Texts (e.g., Media, Website, Video, Film, Music, Art, Graphics)
American Progress, John Gast (Art) and an explanation
PBS video about the Lewis and Clark Expedition:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365034155
Unit Focus
Students will learn more about the
Louisiana Purchase and the
opening of the American west.
They will explore different
perspectives and consider the
motivation behind Western
expansion. Students will learn
evidence-based writing under
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1
Sample Research
Students will examine the idealism
of Western expansion. Was the
spirit and hope expounded by
American leaders and pioneers
real or myth? Do the texts of the
time present the full truth? Were
opportunities available to all
Americans? Students will
investigate self-selected topics of
the American West (e.g., York, the
Donner Party, the treatment of
American Indians, American
legislation, the Gold Rush, the
transcontinental railroad, etc.) and
create a written report that first
explains their topic and then
defends or disputes the idealism
of the American West. Students
will present their findings to the
class.
Common Core State
Standards
http://www.corestandar
ds.org/ELALiteracy/CCRA/R
You can find all of the
following Standards
through the above link.
Reading
RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2,
RL.11-12.3, RL.11-12.4,
RL.11-12.5, RL.11-12.6,
RL.11-12.9
RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2,
RI.11-12.3, RI.11-12.4,
RI.11-12.5, RI.11-12.6,
RI.11-12.8, RI.11-12.9,
RI.11-12.10
Writing
W.11-12.1a-e, W.1112.2a-f, W.11-12.3a-e,
W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5,
W.11-12.6, W.11-12.7,
W.11-12.8, W.11-12.9a-b,
and W.11-12.10
Speaking and Listening
SL.11-12.1a-d, SL.11-12.2,
SL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.5,
SL.11-12.6
Language
L.11-12.1a-b, L.11-12.2ab, L.11-12.3a, L.11-12.4ad, L.11-12.5a-b, L.11-12.6
Possible Teacher Resources
http://www.history.com/topics/manifest-destiny; http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/; http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/index_cont.htm; Lewis & Clark: The National
Bicentennial Exhibition, The Missouri Historical Society; Encyclopedia of Louisiana History, Culture and Community, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities; “Mark Twain’s
Interactive Scrapbook: Roughing It 1860-1864,” PBS; “The Complete Program Transcript” of The Donner Party on The American Experience, PBS
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CADDO PARISH SAMPLE PLAN – English III (Unit I)
What will students know and be able to do by the end of this unit?
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the unit focus and meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards on the unit assessments.
Unit Focus
The “big ideas” of this unit include:
1) Students will learn about the Louisiana
Purchase and the opening of the American
west. They will explore different perspectives
and consider the motivation behind and some
of the adverse effects of Western expansion.
2) Students will learn evidence-based writing
under CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 when
writing about selected texts. Students will cite
strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the texts say explicitly
and make inferences from the texts, including
determining where the texts leaves matters
uncertain.
Unit Assessment
Daily Performance Tasks
Students will demonstrate understanding of the “big
ideas” through various assessments:
Daily instruction and tasks aligned to the CCSS
prepare students to meet the expectations of
the unit assessments.
1. A culminating writing task, which assesses
whether students met the expectations of the
CCSS while demonstrating understanding of the
anchor text.
2. An extension task and accompanying
presentation, which assesses student ability to
apply understanding of the “big ideas” to other
texts, their lives, and/or the real world.
3. A cold-read assessment, which assesses whether
students can read “new” text(s) and apply the
same level of understanding and mastery of the
CCSS.
Students will demonstrate their daily:
1. Understanding of texts and the “big ideas”
by meeting grade level CCSS expectations
for reading, listening, and language;
2.
Ability to express their understanding by
meeting grade level CCSS expectations for
speaking, writing, and language.
3) Students will investigate self-selected topics
of the American West and create a written
report that first explains and then defends or
disputes their topic. Students will present their
findings to the class.
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CADDO PARISH ENGLISH III – UNIT 1 – ASSESSMENTS (OVERVIEW)
TYPE
CONTENT
CCSS ALIGNMENT
Student Prompt (1): In Chapter 15 of Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose describes the suffering of the Arikira Indian nation. He
describes the Corps of Discovery’s journey past a series of recently abandoned Indian villages. He writes “[t]hese had once been home
to the mighty Arikira tribe. About thirty thousand persons strong in the year the United States won its independence, the tribe had
been reduced by smallpox epidemics in the 1780’s to not more than one-fifth of its size. Another epidemic swept through in 1803-4,
devastating the tribe. What had once been eighteen villages the previous year had been reduced to three by the time Lewis arrived.”
Select two themes from the selections we have read from Undaunted Courage. Write an essay about these themes and analyze their
development over the course of the text selections, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex
account of the characters and their purposes and activities. In so doing, provide an objective summary of the text. Use proper
grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.
Culminating
Writing Task
Student Prompt (2): making inferences and using evidence-based writing. Read Chapter 27 of Undaunted Courage entitled “Return
to the Nez Perce”. Then read “Chief Joseph Speaks: Selected Statements and Speeches by the Nez Percé Chief,” Archives of the West.
Make an inference or inferences about why the relations between the Americans and the Nez Perce changed so much over a period of
less than 70 years. Using information obtained from these and other texts read in this unit, write an essay which identifies and
explains your inference or inferences as to why relations between these two peoples changed over this period of time. Cite strong
and thorough textual evidence (at least one example from each text you refer to) in support of your arguments.
Teacher Note: Students are asked to
 determine two themes of Undaunted Courage and analyze how those themes are developed over the course of the text
selections, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account of the characters’ purposes and
activities through the conflicts, motivations, and interactions.
 explore the perspectives of different characters and consider the motivation behind Western expansion.
 Make inferences about informational texts and cite textual evidence in support of those inferences.
 Demonstrate evidence-based writing.
RL.11-12.1, RL.1112.2, RL.11.3,
RL.11-12.6, RL.1112.10; W.1112.2a-f, W.1112.4, W.11-12.5,
W.11-12.6, W.1112.9a, W.1112.10; L.11-12.1ab, L.11-12.2a-c,
L.11-12.3
Return to Unit Overview
Return to Sample Pacing Chart
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CADDO PARISH ENGLISH III – UNIT 1 – ASSESSMENTS (OVERVIEW)
TYPE
Extension
Task and
Formal
Presentation
CONTENT
 Student Prompt: In Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose describes some of the first interaction between European-based
Americans and the Native American peoples west of the Mississippi River in 1804-1806. In “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” Bret Harte
describes life in a mining camp in California less than fifty years later. As reflected in these two stories, the relationship between
Americans and Native Americans has changed a lot. Students will do research on one or more of the following themes: examining
the idealism of Western expansion, was the spirit and hope expounded by American leaders and pioneers real or myth? Do the
texts of the time present the full truth? Were opportunities available to all Americans? Using the texts from this unit and
additional information gathered from at least two other reliable sources located through independent research, students will
investigate one or more topics of the American West which they select (e.g., York, the Donner Party, the treatment of American
Indians, American legislation, the Gold Rush, the transcontinental railroad, etc.) and create a written report that, first, explains
their topic and then defends or disputes the idealism of the American West. Students will present their findings to the class.
 Then, working collaboratively in a small group, students will create an informative multimedia product and presentation which
synthesizes and then presents the research findings and evaluations of each group member. Use a combination of images,
graphics, and specific examples from the readings and research as support. In order to avoid the appearance of plagiarism,
students will use proper citations and attributions to all sources used in research following MLA guidelines.
Teacher Note: Students are asked to
 Do research on one or more self-selected topics,
 evaluate these topics as addressed in Unit-specific texts as well as other texts selected through independent research,
 create a multimedia presentation to present the group evaluation and gathered information.
CCSS ALIGNMENT
RI.11-12.1, RI.1112.2, RI.9-10.8
RI.11-12.7, RI.1112.10, W.11-12.1,
W.11-12.2, W.1112.4, W.11-12.7,
W.11-12.8, W.1112.9; SL.11-12.1,
SL.11-12.2, SL.1112.4, SL.11-12.5,
SL.11-12.12.1.
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TYPE
Cold-Read
Assessment
CONTENT
Student Prompt: Read excerpted sections (to be selected by the teacher) of Jackson’s Seventh Annual Message to Congress (1835),
and the entirety of “The Gift Outright”, by Robert Frost. Also, think about the selections that we have read so far from Undaunted
Courage. Then answer a combination of questions (questions to be selected by the teacher. Sample questions include:
1. What is one of the possible themes of Robert Frost in “The Gift Outright”? What are Frost’s stated and unstated beliefs about
whether or not the Native Americans have any ownership interests in the land. How do you think the Robert Frost's views about
Indian ownership of land differ from the views of President Jackson as expressed in the speech Jackson’s Seventh Annual
Message to Congress (1835)? Cite specific textual evidence from both works to support your analysis.
2. In his speech entitled Jackson’s Seventh Annual Message to Congress (1835), Jackson implies that that the Native Americans are
not civilized when he says they “cannot live in contact with a civilized community and prosper.” In Undaunted Courage, Stephen
Ambrose describes numerous Indian tribes as having religion, chiefs selected by the group, hunting and military rituals, and
territorial boundaries. With these things in mind, how or why do you think President Jackson could describe the Indians as
uncivilized? What role does the author's point of view play in this assessment? In other words, do you think the Arikira and the
Mandans, as described in Undaunted Courage, would consider themselves as civilized or uncivilized? Cite specific textual
evidence from both works to support your analysis.
3. After reading “The Gift Outright”, what inference can you draw about Robert Frost's view of the right of Native Americans to own
CCSS ALIGNMENT
(Note: Standards
alignment depends
on question content)
R.11-12.1, R.1112.2, RL.11-12.6,
R.11-12.7; W.1112.1, W.11-12.1.e,
W.11-12.2.b,
W.11-12.3.e
W.11-12.4, W.1112.9a; L.11-12.1,
L.11-12.2
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CADDO PARISH ENGLISH III – UNIT 1 – ASSESSMENTS (OVERVIEW)
land? What inference can you draw about his view of whether or not Indians are, in fact, Americans? Cite specific textual
evidence from both works to support your analysis.
Teacher Note: Students are asked to
 Are asked to evaluate the theme of early-American optimism about westward expansion and how that optimism was or was not
corrupted by the European-Americans treatment of the Native Americans.
 Consider the differences of opinion held by different writers on the same subject based upon their different points of view.
 make inferences about written texts and support their inferences through evidence-based writing.
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Return to Sample Pacing Chart
INSTRUCTIONAL
DAYS1
Day 1
Days 2-4
Days 5-8
Day 9-10
Days 11-12
TEXT(S)2
(The following are suggested activities involving the suggested texts
only. Obviously, individual teachers may want to include additional
activities, some of which may be unrelated to the texts such as bellringers, mini-lessons on grammar and usage, practice activities for
the EOC, reading selection from non-suggested texts, short writing
assignments, etc. The following guide is simply a suggested pacing for
the use of the focus texts.)
Obtain student data and review class rules, etc. “The Luck of Roaring Camp,”
Bret Harte. Introduction to Stephen Ambrose and Undaunted Courage.
Introduce evidence-based writing and the related Common Core Standards.
Review “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” Bret Harte. Read chapters 14-15 and 20
of Undaunted Courage, read chapters 13-14.
Review and practice evidence-based writing and the related Common Core
Standards. Review chapters 14-15 of Undaunted Courage and read chapters
21-22. Introduction to Robert Frost and read “The Gift Outright,” by Robert
Frost.
Review and practice evidence-based writing. Review chapters 21-22 of
Undaunted Courage and read chapter 23 of Undaunted Courage. Introduction
to Robert Frost and read “The Gift Outright,” by Robert Frost.
Read “Chapter 8,” and “Chapter 24,” of Roughing It, Mark Twain. Do
brainstorming on Culminating Writing Task with an emphasis upon employing
evidence-based writing. Read chapters 23-24 of Undaunted Courage. Read
“Address by James K. Polk, 1845” or “John O’Sullivan: Our Manifest
CCSS ALIGNMENT3
(The Sample Daily Performance Tasks and Unit Assessments
should be prepared by the individual teachers as part of their
lesson planning to implement the requirements of the Common
Core Standards. Therefore, the hyperlinks for these items, below,
lead to blank pages which should be replaced with each
individual teacher's lesson plans.)
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Unit One Assessments
1
While the pacing guides in the sample curricula derived from Louisiana Believes contemplate 45 instructional days, this sample pacing guide is spread over 22 instructional days
to reflect the allocation of time under the Block system.
2
Texts can be written or visual, print or multimedia.
3
Activities, tasks, prompts, and resources are considered aligned to the CCSS when they create an environment conducive for students to meet the expectations of the CCSS.
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CADDO PARISH ENGLISH III – UNIT 1 – ASSESSMENTS (OVERVIEW)
Destiny”.
Read Chapter 26” and “Chapter 27” of Roughing It, Mark Twain. Review
Days 13-15
Days 16-18
Days 19-21
chapters 23-24 of Undaunted Courage and read chapter 25 of Undaunted
Courage. Practice evidence-based writing and do rough draft of the
Culminating Writing Task.
Review chapters 25 of Undaunted Courage and read chapters 27-28 of
Undaunted Courage. Read “Chief Joseph Speaks: Selected Statements
and Speeches by the Nez Percé Chief,” Archives of the West.
Culminating Writing Task work time: process, writers’ workshop,
publishing. Read chapter 29 of Undaunted Courage. Review “Chief
Joseph Speaks: Selected Statements and Speeches by the Nez Percé
Chief,” Archives of the West. Show portions of PBS video about the Lewis and
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Unit One Assessments
Clark Expedition:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365034155
Day 22
Culminating Writing Task work time: process, writers’ workshop,
publishing. Read chapters 29-30 of Undaunted Courage. Review “Chief
Joseph Speaks: Selected Statements and Speeches by the Nez Percé
Chief,” Archives of the West Show portions of PBS video about the Lewis and
Sample Daily Performance Tasks
Clark Expedition:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365034155
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