Unit 3 for Grade 7: Survival in the Wild
Unit Focus
Students encounter brushes with death through survival stories that explore classic literary conflict between the individual and nature.
Students evaluate factual, fictional, and film representations of survival against all odds. Evidence based writing focuses on how different
authors sequence events and information to build suspense and create tension.
SEL Pillar #2
Managing emotions and behaviors, persevering in overcoming obstacles; setting and monitoring progress toward achieving personal and academic goals.
Essential Questions
How does the way an author sequences events and information help to build suspense and create tension?
How does the author’s interpretation of information affect the reader’s understanding? Why is it important to recognize author’s bias?
How can the use of specific literary devices help convey suspense in literature, poetry, and film?
Give students a pre-test on the literary devices and terms to be discussed in the unit.
Possible Pre-Assessment
Possible Unit Summative
Assessment
(integrates multiple standards
and skills)
Focus Standards for This Unit
* Note that the following
standards need to be
addressed in every unit:
-RL.7.1
-RL.7.10
-RI.7.1
-RI.7.10
-W.7.9
-W.7.10
Standards that in the DC
Standards and Core Standards
that need to be covered in a
lesson.


Students write a narrative with a clear point of view, an organized and logical sequence of events, and appropriate plot elements. Include sensory details that
convey suspense and create tension.
Students complete a graphic organizer for a reading selection in which they identify the elements of plot in a selection (exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, resolution). Student should include an explicit indication of the problem in the story and the types of conflict found in the selection.
Reading Standards for Literature
RL.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.3: Analyze how particular elements of story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
RL.7.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other
repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
RL.7.7: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem 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).
RL.7.10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Reading Standards for Informational Text
RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.7.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between individuals, event and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or
events).
RI.7.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing
different interpretations of facts.
RI.7.10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
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Writing Standards
W.7.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis or relevant
content.
W.7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task purpose and audience.
W.7.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.10: Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening Standards
SL.7.2: analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a
topic, text, or issue under study.
Language Standards
L.7.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.
L.7.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a: Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b: Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel)
c: Consult reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
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).
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Suggested Works
LITERARY TEXTS
Each unit includes:
□ Close analysis of 3-5
short complex texts
□ In-depth study of one
complex extended
text (anchor text for
unit)
□ Practice of oral
reading fluency
through partner
reading, small group
reading, or teacher
small group reading
In the McDougal Little LITERATURE text:
□
□
Ongoing in-depth
comparisons of
complex texts
Write to complex
texts studied,
including 3-5
informative,
narrative and/or
opinion pieces
FICTION

Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse) --(novel) pg. 488
Set during the time of the Dust Bowl, the dust becomes a character and source of conflict in the story.
NONFICTION/INFORM ATIONAL TEXTS

What Do You Know About Sharks? (Sharon Guynup)—(magazine article) pg. 872
Great White Sharks (Peter Benchley)—(magazine article) pg. 884
Use these two articles together for comparison/contrast of author’s point of view and author’s bias. Emphasize analysis of what is fact and
what is opinion.

Stars with Wings (Therese Ciesinski)—(science article) pg. 588
POETRY

The earth is a living thing (Lucille Clifton)—pg. 556

Sleeping in the Forest (Mary Oliver)—pg. 558

Gold (Pat Mora)—pg. 559

Two Haiku (Matsuo Basho)—pg. 584

Fireflies (Paul Fleischman)—pg. 585

Fireflies in the Garden (Robert Frost)—pg. 586

Ode to enchanted light (Pablo Neruda)—pg. 616

Snow in the Suburbs (Thomas Hardy)—pg. 617
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AUDIOVISUAL
 Jaws (1975) Movie—Universal Studios
Use the movie to compare the way Peter Benchley viewed sharks when he wrote the novel & screenplay and the way he views them today in his
article Great White Sharks.
Websites and/or Additional Resources:
*Gary Paulsen AUTHOR STUDY




Hatchet (easier reading)—novel
The story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson's survival following a plane crash. Stranded in the desolate wilderness, Brian uses his instincts and
his hatchet to stay alive for fifty-four harrowing days.
Brian’s Winter (novel)
Instead of being rescued from a plane crash as in Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive
a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and a hatchet.
The River (novel)
Because of his success surviving in the wilderness for fifty-five days, fifteen-year-old Brian is asked to undergo a similar experience to learn
more about the psychology of survival.
Voyage of the Frog (novel)
When David goes out on his sailboat to scatter his recently deceased uncle’s ashes, he is caught in a fierce storm and must survive many days
on his own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3nooXplS50
The official JAWS movie trailer from 1975

Virtual Field Trip
http://www.whalingmuseum.org/online_exhibits/online_main.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/whaling
Students navigate through this informational text and related videos as they learn about the whaling industry of early America. Students
should note the challenges faced while trying to survive the dangers of the sea and the whales.
.
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O
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Key Terminology and
Academic Language

point of view

fact

opinion

textual evidence

objective point of view

inference

nonfiction

author’s purpose
*5-10 terms per reading
should be selected for each
short complex text
*5-10 words per week should
be selected for extended
complex text

conflict

summarize

external conflict

man vs. technology (conflict)

man vs. man (conflict)

recall

man vs. society (conflict)

man vs. nature (conflict)

figurative language

clarify

connotation

text features

personification

visualize

denotation

haiku

simile

internal conflict

context clues

symbol

metaphor

man vs. himself (conflict)

survey

repetition

chronological order
Additional Interdisciplinary
Connections
Social Studies
Students discuss and/or research the challenges that early Americans faced
during the time of U.S. settlement. What dangers to their survival did nature
present (e.g., weather, terrain, animals)?
What dangers were dealt with during Westward Expansion? During the Dust
Bowl?
.
Parts of this document were adapted from CommonCore.org.
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Science
Students research various land forms and type of weather found in various
climates and regions of the world. How do humans and other living things
survive in these areas?
Music
Students can write songs about survival and/or the strength of the human
spirit. What types of melodies best convey a tone of struggle and challenge?
What famous songs discuss some type of survival?
PLANNING WORKSHEET: Use the additional space in this tool to further develop the plan for instruction

RL.7.1
ELA Standard

Critical Sub-skills
(Knowledge that students
should understand and skills
they should demonstrate)

Cite textual evidence to
support explicit statements
in text.
Cite textual evidence to
support implicit statements
about text.
Gather textual evidence to
form a generalization or
analysis statement about
text.


RL.7.3


RI.7.7


Analyze how a particular
line of dialogue in a story or
drama reveals aspects of a
character.
Analyze how a particular
line of dialogue in a story or
drama provokes a decision.
Identify commonalities
between textual and nontextual version of the same
content.
Identify the impact of audio,
video or multimedia
versions of content on
comprehension.
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
Possible Learning Tasks
*Tasks may be accomplished over multiple literacy block periods or repeated for emphasis over
several periods.
*Some tasks address multiple standards and more than one knowledge or skill item.
*Tasks that may apply to more than one ELA standard are cited in multiple rows.

Provide students with an accurate explicit statement about the text; contrast textual evidence that supports the
statement with textual evidence that does not. Repeat with an implicit statement.

Students classify statements about a text as explicit or implicit.

Provide students with a set of textual evidence; partners or groups use the evidence to form true explicit or
implicit analysis statements about the text.

Give each student a newspaper article with three relevant graphics. Students are to choose the one graphic they
find most effective for the article and write a response identifying their choice and their reasons for choosing it.
Differentiation: Mini-lesson on vocabulary before starting, Provide real-world examples of explicit statements vs. implicit
statements, Clarify misunderstood meanings, Use a T-chart for classifying new statements.

Differentiation: Provide step-by-step real-world examples to demonstrate cause and effect and help students understand
how events impact the resolution and how a character’s traits influence his/her actions.

After close reading and clarifying understanding of the selected text, students view or listen to alternate
representations (e.g., audio, film clip, visual) of the same text. During this experience, students stop and jot
reactions, thoughts and changes in comprehension.

After clarifying the impact of audio/visual and textual representations of a text, students judge which had a
greater impact on their individual comprehension and use specific evidence from both mediums to explain why
one had the greater impact

. (Use the video of the movie JAWS to compare to description of sharks provide by selections in the textbook.
The novel JAWS can be used with more advanced readers.)
W.7.2

Evaluate and explain which
had a more powerful impact
on comprehension: textual
or non-textual
representation of common
content.

Introduce a topic clearly,
previewing what is to
follow.
Develop the topic with
relevant, well-chosen facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other
information examples.
Use transitions
appropriately.
Establish and maintain a
formal style.
Provide a concluding
statement of section that
follows form and supports
the information explained.


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SL.7.2


Identify various purposes
for presenting information
to a reader or audience.
Analyze information
presented in a variety of
media and formats to
determine the purpose of
the presentation.
8 RELA Unit 3 Grade 7| MACPS



With teacher guidance, students will choose an informational topic of interest to them and write a proper fiveparagraph essay. Essay should be properly organized including transitions and supporting details.
EXTENSION: Students will take their five-paragraph easy and extended it into research paper.
As an ongoing activity throughout the school year, students should develop a list of transitional words and
phrases to be used in their writing.
Differentiation: Vary the length of text required, provide sentence starters, Provide a list of descriptive details for
students to use during the writing and/or revision process. Provide a 3-step graphic organizer to help students classify
sentences from their own written work (need work, like it, love it), provide sentence starters

Students will take a virtual field trip (see websites list in resources above). Students will discuss the author’s
purpose for the presentation and its effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
Differentiation: Vary the length of text required, provide sentence starters