6th GRADE: CULTURE, CONFLICT & EXPERIENCE
UNIT 2: Growing Up & Transformation
ANCHOR TEXT: Number the Stars
Essential Questions:
•
•
Do we have a duty to risk our own safety in order to protect the powerless?
How are we transformed by our experiences?
Enduring Understanding:
•
Demonstrating moral responsibility may require risking one’s personal safety.
Guiding Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Why is it important to understand the historical context of a text?
In what ways can war affect the daily lives of civilians?
How can difficult circumstances bring people closer together?
Why should people stand up for those who cannot protect themselves?
How do ordinary people exhibit courage?
How does knowledge impact bravery?
How can difficult circumstances affect people’s pride?
How can prior experiences influence behavior?
What is bravery?
How do we choose the best evidence to support our ideas?
What goals can we set to improve our learning in the next unit?
NYS Common Core Standards for English Language Arts Assessed:
Reading Standards for Literature (Grade 6)
RL6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Writing Standards (Grade 6)
W6.2b, 6.4
Language Standard
L6.2
See alignment of standards and indicators to authentic task.
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Teacher Designed Standards Assessed:
1. Students will reflect upon their work by:
a) identifying strengths.
b) identifying struggles.
c) setting goals to improve their work.
d) revising their work to make it better
e) asking questions to improve their understanding.
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ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Authentic Performance Task(s):
ê
1.
At the end of Chapter 3, the text says,
“Annemarie admitted to herself,
snuggling there in the quiet dark, that
she was glad to be an ordinary person
who would never be called upon for
courage.” Based on the text, write a
paragraph demonstrating 3 examples of
Annemarie being an ordinary girl.
2.
In Number the Stars, we learn that the
Johansson’s and the Rosen’s are good
friends through actions and events in the
novel. In the graphic organizer, provide
evidence of friendship between the two
families. Then, explain how each
example demonstrates friendship. Be
sure to use textual evidence to support
your answer.
3.
One theme which the author explores in
Number the Stars is courage. Write a
paragraph in which you explain what
courage is in your own words. Then
describe two examples from the novel
that demonstrate courage. Be sure to
use textual evidence to support your
answer.
Alignment to Common Core Standards for
Literacy:
1.
RL6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
L6.2 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of
Standard English capitalization, punctuation and
spelling when writing.
2.
RL6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
3.
RL6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
L6.2 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of
Standard English capitalization, punctuation and
spelling when writing.
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Diagnostic and Pre/Post Assessments:
1. Students will respond to the essential question at the start of the unit and at the end of the
unit. (pre/post)
§ Do we have a duty to risk our own safety in order to protect the powerless?
§ How are we transformed by our experiences?
Formative Assessments:
1. Class work
2. Homework assignments
3. Performance tasks
4. Readers’ Notebooks/Reading Response
Summative Assessments:
1. Short Essay:
Transformation occurs as a result of our experiences. Annemarie changes from the beginning
of Number the Stars to the end based on the events she goes through. Write an essay in
which you describe 2 ways Annemarie changes from her personal experiences. Be sure to
cite specific textual evidence to support your ideas.
CCLS: RL6.1, RL6.3, W6.2b, L6.2
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TEACHING AND LEARNING PLAN
Teaching and Learning Activities:
1. Use the essential question as a pre-assessment.
2. Read literature together.
3. Introduce unit vocabulary and have students use vocabulary strategies to learn the
words.
4. Have students make inferences based on events from the text and support them with
textual evidence.
5. Have students recall and question information from the text to deepen their
understanding.
6. Have students examine specific literary elements, such as plot, character, theme etc.
through analysis of the text. (class discussions and journal entries)
7. Use unit guiding questions to frame lessons and class activities
8. Have students examine and interpret quotes using textual evidence.
9. Have students work independently to complete the summative task for the unit.
10. Use essential question as a post-assessment.
11. Have students self-select pieces for the portfolio, reflect on selections and set goals for
improvement.
Resources Needed:
Unit Text:
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Supplemental Resources (optional):
Nonfiction Texts:
• Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust by Gay Block & Malka Drucker
• Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of a Children’s Holocaust Memorial by Peter W. Schroeder
Picture Books:
• Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocente
• The Harmonica by Tony Johnston
• The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
• Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Eve Bunting
Biography:
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•
Lois Lowry
Poetry:
• Little Polish Boy – by Peter L. Fischl
• The Butterfly – by Pavel Friedman
DVDs:
• Number the Stars by Sean Astin
• Paper Clips by David Smith
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UNIT 2: Growing Up & Transformation
Week
1
Chapters
1-2
WEEKLY CALENDAR (January to March)
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
1. Why is it important
to understand the
historical context of
a text?
2. In what ways can
war affect the daily
lives of civilians?
•
•
Building
Background
Knowledge – World
War II
Implicit vs. Explicit
Information
•
Respond to
Essential Questions
Key Vocabulary
Impassive, jubilee,
intricate, sabotage, sneer
Standards RL 6.1
Assessed:
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Week
2
Chapters
3–4
Guiding Questions
3. How can difficult
circumstances bring
people closer
together?
4. Why should people
stand up for those
who cannot protect
themselves?
Topics/Lessons
•
Character Motivation
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Performance Task #1
Key Vocabulary
Disdain, synagogue,
ration, exasperate,
stunned
Standards RL 6.1, L6.2
Assessed:
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Week
3
Chapters
5-6
Guiding Questions
5. How do ordinary
people exhibit
courage?
Topics/Lessons
•
•
Symbolism
Foreshadowing
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Performance Task #2
Key Vocabulary
Fascination, tentative,
reluctantly, murmur,
frantically, distort
Standards RL 6.1
Assessed:
9|Page
Week
4
Chapters
7-9
Guiding Questions
6. How does
knowledge impact
bravery?
Topics/Lessons
•
Predicting
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Reading Responses
Key Vocabulary
Wade, awe, dismay, hazy,
gesture, sulk
Standards RL6.1
Assessed:
10 | P a g e
Week
5
Chapters
10 -12
Guiding Questions
7. How can difficult
circumstances
affect people’s
pride?
Standards RL 6.1, L6.2
Assessed:
Week
Guiding Questions
6
Chapters
13-15
8. How can prior
experiences
influence
behavior?
Topics/Lessons
•
Evaluating
Predictions
Topics/Lessons
•
Story Map
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Reading Responses
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Performance Task
#3
Key Vocabulary
Ragged, exhausted, heap,
bulky, protrude
Key Vocabulary
Vast, segment, anchor,
hobble, wriggle, tantalize,
stricken, vivid
Standards RL 6.1, L6.2
Assessed:
11 | P a g e
Week
7
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
9. What is bravery?
Chapters
16 - 17
•
Recurring
Themes
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
Reading Responses
Key Vocabulary
Shriek, bleak, warily,
enrage, wither, lighthearted,
permeate
Standards RL 6.1, RL 6.3, W6.2, L6.2
Assessed:
12 | P a g e
Week
8
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
10. How do we choose
the best evidence
to support our
ideas?
11. What goals can we
set to improve our
learning in the
next unit?
•
•
Relevance
Reflection
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
•
•
Summative Task
Post Assessment: Respond to
Essential Questions
Key Vocabulary
Goals, strategy,
reflect
Standards RL 6.1, RL 6.3, W6.2, L6.2
Assessed:
13 | P a g e