The Chocolate War
Brittney Walker
Nieko Ianni
Matthew Laamanen
Laamanen, Walker, Ianni
Unit Rationale
The Chocolate War
In our unit based upon the book The Chocolate War, our group has designed lessons that will do
more than simply look at the plot, characters, setting, and other miniscule details. Our unit will more
focus on bullying in the book and its effects on the characters and plot, the intertextuality in the book
and how it relates to the works of Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, and other authors, placing the students right
into to key events in the book and really helping students understand the emotions the chatterers were
experiencing during these key moments. This unit is extensive and at all times it is ensuring that
students are undergoing tasks and assignments that are at the highest level of cognitive complexity.
It happens all too often that when a book is taught in schools that the instructor does not do
anything entirely innovative (at least in our experiences), so we wanted to ensure that this unit will be
rewarding for both the students and ourselves all while learning about the book and all of the complex
issues it deals with. The unit will have students thinking critically at all times and relating artifacts that
are at first not related to the texts, but the students quickly learn during the course of the lesson how
each individual artifact relates to the book. Students will be creating meaningful projects along the
way and the projects main goal is to dive into the deeper issues contained within the texts, rather than
reading chapters and coming in the next day and being quizzed on the material because that type of
activity will not help the students understand the text in a critical manner.
Each night students will take the book home and complete around twenty pages per night, to
prepare them for the class discussions and activities that will be taking place the next day. It is an
integral part of the unit that each student completes the required readings and is prepared to discuss the
readings in class the following day. The instructor will focus on different topics each day and will pull
quotes directly from the texts and ask students: “Why the character said that?”, “What's the
significance of the quote?”, “Does this quote relate to any incidents you have ever been involved in?”,
“How does this quote shape your individual understanding of the text?” The quality and amount of
questions will do more than simply asking students “What does the quote mean?” Which accomplishes
no new understanding of the text. During the course of the unit students will be working in groups,
working individually, and creating projects and other artifacts. The unit is challenging and will have the
students constantly wondering about the issues in The Chocolate War and have them wanting to rush to
class to begin discussing the text each day. During the later part of the unit, students will begin writing
in journals daily and reflecting about what was discussed in class. The reflection journals is an
important part of the unit because it allows students to ask questions they didn't in class, dive in deeper
into specific issues or events from the book, and relate their own experiences with those contained in
the text.
Formative assessments and summative assessments will be given during the course of the unit.
Formative assessments will be given so the instructor can determine which items need to be reviewed
again, and if any students are having a hard time with the book and the unit. Summative assessments
will be in the unit as well. A performance assessment will be given at the end of the unit and the
projects completed during the course of the unit will go towards the final grade for the unit.
The issues in The Chocolate War are deep and all students will be able to relate to this book in
their own unique ways. The lessons that will take place during the course of this unit will help students
confront their issues and relate them to issues the students may be dealing with at the time, or has dealt
with at another time in their lives. The book is controversial and so are the issues, but the amount of
understanding that students will walk away with at the conclusion of the unit is something they will
never forget. Students will walk away with more than a one-hundred word summary about the book,
they will tell stories about how their teacher placed them in the role of the main characters, made them
reenact key scenes, related the text to the works of Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot, created poems based on
a compelling photograph from history, made a poster board and a handbook that shows resources
available to them at all times when they are dealing with their specific issues, and most of all enjoyed
the book and the unit from the beginning until the end.
The Chocolate War Unit Standards
Common Core Standards:
Key Ideas and details
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over
the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or
topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
Production and distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
1. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source
material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later
author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”).
2. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient;
identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
Comprehension and Collaboration
1.Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
a.Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b.Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual
roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to
broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when
warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.
Conventions of Standard english
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
1. Use parallel structure.*
2. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and
clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety
and interest to writing or presentations.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
1. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent
clauses.
2. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
3. Spell correctly.
Michigan Standards HSCES (High School Content Expectation Standards):
STANDARD 2.1 Develop critical reading, listening, and viewing strategies.
CE 2.1.1- Use a variety of pre-reading and previewing strategies (e.g., acknowledge own prior
knowledge, make connections, generate questions, make predictions, scan a text for a particular
purpose or audience, analyze text structure and features) to make conscious choices about how to
approach the reading based on purpose, genre, level of difficulty, text demands and features.
CE 2.1.7. - Demonstrate understanding of written, spoken, or visual information by restating,
paraphrasing, summarizing, critiquing, or composing a personal response; distinguish between a
summary and a critique.
STANDARD 3.1 Develop the skills of close and contextual literary reading.
CE 3.1.2- Demonstrate an understanding of literary characterization, character development, the
function of major and minor characters, motives and causes for action, and moral dilemmas that
characters encounter by describing their function in specific works.
CE 3.1.3- Recognize a variety of plot structures and elements (e.g., story within a story, rising
action, foreshadowing, flash backs, cause-and-effect relationships, conflicts, resolutions) and
describe their impact on the reader in specific literary works.
Lesson Plan 1
Objective/Standard
1) To examine a compelling photograph and formulate a response to it in the form of poetry
2) To examine a photograph or piece of artwork of their own choosing and creating a poem in response
to it.
Materials needed: The teacher will need a copy of the famous picture of the little Polish boy with his
hands raised, with a Nazi soldier holding a gun standing behind him, from Warsaw, 1943. The teacher
will also need a copy of the poem by Peter L. Fischl about the picture.
Methods: Discuss the history behind the photograph. Discussion questions (adapted from Gorrell’s
article): If you could speak to the boy, what would you say? If you could speak to someone else in the
picture, what would you say? What do you think any one of the people in the photograph were saying
at the time? Give students time to write a poem about the photograph—either addressed to one of the
people in the picture, or from the viewpoint of someone in the picture. Ask if anyone wants to share
their poem.
Homework: Read chapters 1-2. Students will find a photograph/artwork/memorial that strongly affects
them, and write a poem about it, from the point-of-view of a person in the photograph, etc., or to
someone in the artwork. Give students a couple of days to complete this assignment. Give time for
sharing and revision in small groups.
Assessment: For the first objective, all students need to have a poem, even if they do not share it. For
this assignment, the teacher will acknowledge the poems and give them a small amount of points.
Lesson Plan 2
Objectives/Standards
1) To design a courage bulletin board using whatever resource the student chooses.
2) To demonstrate interviewing skills.
Method: Beginning of class have the students write in their journal an embarrassing moment in their
life. After journaling students will start a courage bulletin board. Students are allowed to use poetry,
clippings, stories, etc. to post on their board. The students will be given class time to print off things in
the computer lab. I will give an example of my own courage bulletin board with quotes and images.
Homework: Students will read chapter 3-4, and read Anne Sexton’s poem “Courage.”
The students will also interview a parent/guardian/family member about the bullying the encountered
or observed in their school years. Notify students that they might be called on to share these
experiences with the class.
Lesson Plan 3
Objective/Standard:
1) To explain the different types of bullying—not only small children are bullied
2) To examine why bullies torment others
3) To describe how bullies choose their victims
Materials needed: An excellent website about bullying is found at
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bully.htm.
Methods: Have students’ journal their feelings about Brother Leon’s decision about going to Archer for
help with the chocolate sale. Afterwards show students short clips of Nelson from The Simpsons.
Explain that Nelson is funny, but that there is a reason he is a bully. Discuss Nelson. Why does he
pick on other kids? What is Nelson’s background? Does anyone know a Nelson? What type of
emotion does Nelson’s disparaging “ha-ha” cause in his victims?
Assessment: By the end of the class period, each student should have information for each of the
objectives: types of bullying, why bullies torment others, and how bullies choose their victims. Each
student should have their bully handout completely filled in. These sheets should be worth a small
amount of points.
Divide students into groups of three. Hand out sheets to be filled out on bullies.
Homework: Students will read chapters 5-6. Students will be given a 10 homework question sheet that
needs to be completed by the next class.
Lesson Plan 4
Objective/Standard:
1. To scrutinize the types of feelings bullies cause in their victims.
2. To examine and write about their own experiences with bullies/peer pressure.
Methods: The teacher will explain that every student needs to take a marble out of the box. If a student
draws one of the black marbles, he or she to write a three page paper on a topic the class has had
trouble with (comma usage, for example). The students who draw a white marble will get to read a fun
book to a small group of elementary school kids (or some other equally fun activity/assignment). No
matter what the turnout is, allow the students will discuss the assignment. Ask how they feel about it—
is it fair? Explain that they will be starting unit on bullies—“Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?” Just
like the assignment, bullies and oppressors are not looking to treat their victims fairly, either.
Assessment: Have the students free write about their feelings about the marble “assignment” and their
own experience with bullies and peer pressure. If they are comfortable doing so, they can share it with
the class.
Homework: Students will read chapters 7-9. Students will write a letter to their past or present selves
about worries they had/have about an enemy/bully/intimidator at school. What would they have said or
say to themselves? How would they encourage themselves?
Lesson Plan 5
Objectives/ Standard:
1) To collaborate with fellow classmates to come up with mottos.
2) To relate T.S Eliot’s poem to the “Chocolate War.”
3) To compare and contrast the two different text.
Method: Have students’ journal about their feelings about the assignment Goober had to do. Then
break class into four or more groups based on student choice. The students will brainstorm on
motto/saying about bullying and peer pressure—students choose one. They will share their final
mission statement with the class. After that the students will Read “The Lovesong of J. Alfred
Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot in their groups. The students will come up with a list of differences and
similarities between the two different texts. Each group will share their group answers with the class.
Homework: Read chapters 10-12. Students will be given a 10 homework question sheet that needs to
be completed by the next class.
Lesson Plan 6
Objectives/ Standards
1) To understand characters development.
2) To make character connections.
3) To develop the skills of close and contextual literacy reading.
Methods: Students will be placed in groups of 4 and they will be given questions that they have to
discuss amongst each other and find evidence to support their findings. The members in the group will
be assigned a position as a writer, speaker, and seekers. There can be more than one person for each
role. Once the groups are done they will share with the class. Each group will be given 30 minutes to
finish the questions.
Homework: Read chapters 13-14.
Lesson Plan 7
Objectives/ Standards
1) To determine themes.
2) To develop a handbook using research.
Method: Have students create a handbook of guidelines for dealing with peer pressure, including a list
of local resources. Divide students into groups. Have each group discuss what they already know about
peer pressure and then brainstorm about where to find more information. Then have students do
preliminary research using such resources as: health, psychology, and sociology textbooks,
the school, or public library the Internet, the school nurse and guidance counselors, local telephone
directory listings of organizations providing health or mental health counseling, the mayor's office,
public or mental health department, police department, and community organizations such as the
YMCA. Once students have assessed their resources, they should assign specific research tasks. After
completing their research, have group members prepare the written guidelines, which they can post or
distribute to the class.
Homework: Read chapters 15-17 and finish up task for handbook. It is due in the next three days.
Lesson Plan 8
Objectives/Standards
1) To identify key ideas.
2) To recognize plot structure.
Method: In chapter 16 Brother Leon is shown at his worst. He is talking with one of the best, straightA students at the school, Caroni. Caroni, for the first time ever, has received an "F" on a test, and wants
to know exactly what he did wrong. Brother Leon leads him in circles for a while, telling him that
teachers sometimes make mistakes, but sometimes on pass/fail tests if a student is not exactly right, he
may fail. Caroni struggles to make sense of the conversation until Brother Leon brings up Jerry, and
mentions what a troubled kid Jerry must be to refuse selling the chocolates. Students will have to
rewrite this chapter as they see it. The students will have class time to do this, and must be finished by
next class time.
Homework: Read chapters 18-20. Finish their Chapter 16 rewrite assignment. Work on handbook.
Lesson Plan 9
Objectives/ Standard
1) To design a poster relating to the text.
Material: Poster board will be given as well as writing utensils to design the posters.
Method: Have students review the description of Jerry's poster. Then have them design a poster for
another character in the book. They should choose a literary quotation or one from the character's own
speech. Students should draw a fitting picture and write the quotation on the poster. Remind them to
attach a label with the character's name to the poster.
Homework: Read chapters 21-23. Work on handbook and poster.
Lesson Plan 10
Objectives/ Standards
1) To share projects with the class.
2) To demonstrate understanding of the text, characters, themes, and plot.
Method: Each student will share their poster boards with the class. After each student shares their
posters each group will share their handbooks with the class. The students will pass out copies of their
handbook to each student.
Homework: Read chapters 24-26.
Assessment: Students will have a multiple choice test . Points will be given as a test grade.
10 Lessons—Synthesis and Assessment
Lesson 1: Begin reading some individual passages out loud to the class, focusing on Jerry’s character.
Begin with some description playing football in the first chapter. Discussion will focus on the type of
person Jerry seems to be. Read then from chapter 9 to discuss Jerry’s vulnerability and relationship
with his father.
Journal topic: Describe a time in your life when you felt especially vulnerable
Lesson 2: Continue discussing specific characters. Students will work in small groups designing a
character sketches for Archie, Brother Leon, Obie, and The Goober. Character traits listed will be
defended with examples from the book. Following the group work, discussion will focus on certain
questions about each character: What are their motives/concerns, and what do they reveal about their
character?
Journal topic: Describe a bullying incident that you were involved in—as the bully, the victim, or a
bystander. Do not use people’s real names. Simply describe the incident. How is it similar or different
from some of the instances in the book?
Lesson 3: Class will begin with a discussion of bullying. Students will look at and discuss statistics,
different definitions and roles, and short/long-term effects. Students will separate into groups to
discuss different roles in the text: Brother Leon and Archie as bullies, Goober and Obie as bystanders,
and Goober and Jerry as victims. After meeting in groups, students will reconvene for a class
discussion.
Lesson 4: Class will shift its focus from bullying to intertextuality within the novel. Teacher will lead a
short discussion about the meaning of intertextuality. After the short, teacher-led discussion, students
will split into six small groups to discuss three topics. Two groups will analyze the relationship
between the novel and T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” specifically lines 37-48.
Two other groups will analyze the relationship between the novel and the Bible, specifically the
reference to Peter on page 5. The remaining two groups will focus on different Shakespeare references
throughout the novel such as The Goober’s reference to Hamlet on page 151 (“something rotten”),
Janza’s reference to The Merchant of Venice on page 227 (“Cut me, do I not bleed?”), and Jerry’s last
thoughts for Goober, another reference to Hamlet.
Journal: Write a reflection of the discussion that occurred in your group. How are the themes of the
texts related?
Lesson 5: Students will split into four groups. The teacher will give the students a writing prompt:
“How to survive freshman year.” Each group will write its own advice for surviving freshman year.
After about 10 minutes the groups will pass their writing to the other groups, each of which will add
one piece of advice. Following this activity, the groups will list advice for the prompt “How to survive
at Trinity High School.” Once they have finished, the teacher will list some of the responses to each
prompt on the board. Class discussion will focus on the similarities and differences between the two
lists.
Lesson 6: This lesson will be a cultural look at the politics in the U.S. around the time the novel was
written. Students will bring to class short research that they had conducted prior about the time period
of the mid-70s. Students will share some of their research with the class, and whole class discussion
will focus on Cormier’s use of Trinity High School as a symbol for society at the time: the Vietnam
War (Draft—p. 230), President Nixon’s abuse of his powerful position, etc.
Journal: Reflect on some of the power structures that you have observed in our society. In what ways
might power be abused? Who would be abusing this power? Who would be negatively affected by this
abuse?
Lesson 7: This lesson will examine some aspects of Cormier’s writing. The teacher will read aloud
different parts of the book and lead a discussion on the conventions of the writing in the readings.
Discussion will examine the first sentence: “They murdered him,” and the meaning of it by the end of
the book. Another discussion will focus on the last paragraph of chapter 17: “Cities fell. Earth opened.
Planets tilted. Stars plummeted. And the awful silence.” A third group will examine the language used
to describe Emile’s punch on page 239 and how the length and description of the sentence compares
with Cormier’s normally short, concise sentences.
Lesson 8: Teacher will conduct a minilesson on the Theory of Carnival and the metaphor “bread and
circuses.” The class will then discuss how these are relevant to The Chocolate War. Discussion will
also touch on past lessons, referring to bullying and abuse of power by authorities. Formative
assessment will be an exit card for each student on which the student will describe an example of these
theories in other texts they have read or in their community.
Lesson 9: Small group discussion will focus on the end of the novel. Groups will discuss why it ends
the way it does, how it is different from most of the books they have read, and how it would be
different if it ended happily. Students will then view the ending of the film version.
Journal topic: In what ways do the film’s ending change the context of the novel? Which version do
you prefer? Why?
Lesson 10: For this lesson, the teacher will begin by giving the students a writing prompt: “What would
have happened if…?” The teacher will also list acceptable endings to this question:
4) Jerry’s mother had not died?
5) Jerry hadn’t been approached by the hippie at the bus stop?
6) The Goober had objected to his quota being filled?
7) Jerry had chosen not to fight Janza?
Each student will pick an ending to the question and write their response. After about 10 minutes of
writing, students will break into groups based on the prompt they chose. After discussing their writing
and their hypotheses, the groups will open their discussion to the rest of the class.
On an exit card, students will list any burning questions they may still have in regard to the novel.
The Chocolate War
Assessments for 2nd 10 lessons
8) Journals—6 points each
a. Entry draws 1-2 inferences from the text
/2
b. Entry cites textual evidence for each claim /2
c. Entry is organized logically
/2
9) Word collage—10 points
a. Students can be given time in class to work on this, or they can complete it over the
course of a couple days outside of class.
b. Write the title of the novel, The Chocolate War, in the center of a sheet of paper. Think
about why Cormier might have chosen this as a title. What is its meaning? What did
you initially think the novel would be about? How does that differ from what you know
about it now?
c. Collect words, phrases, or sentences from magazines or newspapers that exemplify the
meaning of the title and paste them on the sheet of paper. Fill the paper as thoroughly as
possible. Be prepared to defend some of your choices.
10) Scene depiction OR iPod playlist—10 points
a. Students can choose one of the two options. Work will be done at home over the course
of two days.
b. Scene depiction: Choose one scene from the novel and draw your representation of it.
Once you have finished drawing the scene, add yourself to the picture as if you are a
character in the novel. Where are you situated in the scene? What is your role? What
character(s) are you close to? Be prepared to defend your position.
c. iPod playlist: Create a playlist of ten songs for the character of your choice. Consider
why the character you chose would be listening to that music—for motivation, as an
escape? Be prepared to share your reasoning with the class.
Bullying Handbook Performance Assessment
Each student in the handbook groups (4 members) MUST contribute at least two pieces for
the handbook. This piece could be a poem, an article, a letter, artwork, tips, confessions of a
former bully, etc.
The first piece: This can be something the student has already worked on for an
assignment, but it must meet the group’s approval before it will be added to the
handbook. If the piece does not meet the groups approval then a new piece must be
created/obtained.
The second piece: This must be a piece created outside class or during independent
group time. Students must use at least 2 reference sources (only one website, journal
articles)
Final Product: Each group will present their bullying handbook to the class. During the
presentation, each student in the group will show their artifacts inside the handbook,
and how they relate to the bullying/peer pressure issues detailed within The Chocolate
War with SPECIFIC examples from the text with page citations.
A rubric is attachted to help guide you and detail exactly what I want the final product to
look like and be presented as.
Rubric
Handbook has well-crafted table of contents
/10
Handbook presents introduction that is through and describes what will be presented in
handbook
/15
Handbook features a total of 8 artifacts
/25
Handbook is easy to read and of professional quality
/20
Works cited page is formatted correctly (MLA)
/5
Artifacts are compiled in handbook in a logical manner (Section division used)
Student presentation is of professional quality
/15
Artifacts in presentation are linked to examples from the text /35
Total Points for handbook and presentation:
Group evaluations will be done day after presentations.
/135 points
/10