Smithtown Central School District: Secondary English Language Arts
Curriculum Map: Voices of Humanity
Grade 8 2003-2004
Themes & Essential Questions
Themes:
 Ethnic Diversity
 Multi-Culturalism
Essential Questions:
 How do our personal experiences
shape the way we view ourselves?
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Can literature serve as a vehicle for
social change?
Standards-based
Essential
Skills/Concepts to be
Targeted & Instructional
Strategies
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Does labeling and stereotyping
influence how we look at and
understand the world?
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What does it mean to be invisible?
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What creates prejudice and what can
an individual do to overcome it?
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Is freedom ever free?
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How does the media shape our
view of the world?
Listening activity
Persuasive writing
Debate
Analyze poetry
Analyze and interpret
elements of character
development
Draw conclusions
Make inferences
Evaluate the
development and
validity of ideas,
experiences and
themes.
Multi-genre Thematic
Formative/Summative
Texts, (Novels, drama,
Assessments
short story, poetry,
(Writing Assignments, Projects, nonfiction)
Performances)
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Connecting songs to theme
Metaphor Interpretation
Problem/Solution Essay
Narrative Writing
Compare/Contrast Essay
Poetry Portfolio “My Voice”
Identifying, recognizing, and
using Author’s Craft in
student writing.
Novels:

The Contender

The Little Prince
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*House on Mango
Street
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The Outsiders
Short Stories:
Thank You Man
Rules of the Game
Raymond's Run
The Challenge
Broken Chain
*Ellis Island
*Tears of Autumn
Achieving the American Dream
*The Day I Got Lost
Prospective Immigrants take
Note
Poems:
*On the Pulse of the Morning
For My Sister Who in Her
Fifties
Essays
*Tribute to M. L. King
*I Have a Dream
*Required