Twelfth Grade: ELA Core Standards Overview
 Understanding more from and making fuller use of written materials, including using a wider range of evidence to support an analysis
 Making more connections about how complex ideas interact and develop within a book, essay, or article
 Evaluating arguments and specific claims; assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient; and as appropriate, detecting
inconsistencies and ambiguities
 Analyzing the meaning of foundational U.S. documents (the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights)
 Making an argument that is logical, well-reasoned, and supported by evidence
 Writing a literary analysis, report, or summary that develops a central idea and a coherent focus and is well supported with relevant examples,
facts, and details
 Conducting several research projects that address different aspects of the same topic, using more complex books, articles, and other sources 1
 Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesizing comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; and resolving
contradictions when possible
 Sharing research, findings, and evidence clearly and concisely
 Making strategic use of digital media (e.g., animations, video, websites, podcasts) to enhance understanding of findings and to add interest
 Determining or clarifying the meaning of words and phrases, choosing flexibly from multiple strategies, such as using context, Greek and Latin
roots (e.g., bene as in benefactor or benevolent), patterns of words (conceive, conception, conceivable), and consulting specialized reference
materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses)
 Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyzing their role in the written materials
National PTA, 1250 N Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, PTA.org • info@pta.org © 2011 PTA All rights reserved.
Canyons School District
Twelfth Grade English Language Arts
Common Formative Assessments
Skill Building
& Senior Capstone Project
Selection and Purpose of 12th grade Common Formative Assessments
The CFAs in 12th grade are intended to build sequentially towards the skills needed in the Senior Capstone
Project. For each unit, complete mastery of any specific standard is not expected. Instead, each unit’s
CFA is designed to provide students with an opportunity to practice skills and receive teacher feedback on
progress towards mastery of those skills. CFAs are essential “check points” which help ready students for
the final task of producing a multi genre research project, called the Senior Capstone Project.
Unit 1
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Unit 2
Unit 3
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Unit 4
Unit 5
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Unit 6
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Sequential Skill Building for the Senior Capstone Project
Skill building check point: Synthesizing multiple sources; identifying rhetorical
strategies and their effectiveness
CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing: College Application Letter or Cover Letter for
employment
Skill building check point: Present information/findings in a multimedia format
CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing: Literary Analysis
Skill building check point: Begin research process for CAPSTONE topic; generate
research questions and analyze reliability of sources;
CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing: Rhetorical Analysis based on
a single text.
CFA Writing Focus- Argument Writing: Full synthesis essay from multiples sources
Capstone Project drafting, revision, and finalizing of all components (summative
product)
Capstone Project presentation and assessment
CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing: Letter of Advice to Incoming Freshmen
WHAT IS THE SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT?
Overview: The Senior Capstone Project is a personalized and culminating project focused on a relevant
and significant social/societal issue. As a citizen of this world, we inherit a variety of social issues and
debates. Your ability to evaluate and understand relevant social issues and to engage purposefully in
debate and discussion is necessary for your success as a 21st century learner.
Project Description:
The Senior Capstone Project is a compilation of student work that includes a variety of fiction and
nonfiction student writing as well as multi media products. Research and reflection notes will be
mandated as students move from choosing a relevant topic that explores a significant social issue to
compiling and organizing research information and finally to presenting research findings via a minimum
of six different genres, such as poetry, editorial writing, interviews, web sites, photographic essays, music,
timelines, letters, posters/flyers, newscasts, etc. as well as in a formal written argumentative research
paper.
Unit 1 CFA
12th Grade
CFA Task 1: Capstone Skill Building Check Point- synthesize multiple sources; identify rhetorical strategies
and their effectiveness
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Part 1- Read the articles and comics provided. (Teacher chooses from Option #1 or Option #2).
Within each option, there are two articles and two cartoons on a rhetorical topic.
o On the graphic organizer provided, students will summarize the central arguments and
identify the rhetorical devices.
Part 2- Identify the source with the most effective rhetorical device(s) and write a paragraph
explaining why this author’s rhetoric is the most effective. Cite evidence from the source to
support your claim.
Sources:
Option #1
o Essay: Has Technology Gone Too Far? by Jessica W., Teen Ink.
o Essay: Online Classes See Cheating Go High-Tech by William Lounsbury, The Chronicle
o Newspaper comics: by Dana Summers, The Orlando Sentinel
Option #2
o Article: Cost of Top Colleges Has Outpaced the Value by Andrew Hacker, usnews.com
o Article: College Costs are Dollars Well Spent by Ronald Daniels, usnews.com
*OBJECTIVES: Progress toward mastery of the following Focus Standards
 W.11-12.7,8: Synthesize information from multiple sources; assess the strengths and limitations
of each source.
 W.11-12.2 (b): Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts,
extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate
to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
 W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
 RI.11-12.1: 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. (Progress towards mastery for this unit will focus on
 RI.11-12.6: Determine author’s point of view of purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or
beauty of the text.
Unit 1, CFA Task 1: Synthesize multiple sources; identify rhetorical strategies and their effectiveness
Part 1- Graphic Organizer
The purpose of this assessment is for students to demonstrate the ability to analyze multiple texts on
the same topic, and synthesize the central arguments into
(suggested rhetorical devices students should know and be able to identify/analyze:
1. identify devices:
2. audience and purpose
Read the articles and comics provided. Then, for each source, summarize the central arguments and list
the rhetorical devices on the graphic organizer below.
Text #2
Summary
Text #1
Rhetorical Devices with textual examples
(minimum 2-4 Rhetorical Devices for each
text)
Summary of central arguments
Comics
Part 2: Short Answer- Select one rhetorical device and explain Identify the source with the most
effective rhetorical device(s) and construct a paragraph.
Teacher-supported Extension: explain why the author’s rhetoric is the most effective.
Unit 1, CFA Task 1- Option #1
Source A
Has Technology Gone Too Far?
By Jessica W., San Lorenzo, CA, student essay in Teen Ink
Too many times I recall witnessing all my younger cousins crammed in a dark room, all eight pairs of eyes focused
on the computer or television screen, taking turns expertly fighting off imaginary monsters of some sort, trying to
rescue the beautiful maiden to bring her back to her castle, the king waiting with a generous reward for the brave
hero who will bring his precious daughter home. However, as their tiny fingers fly across a joystick, these kids do
not realize that outside that room, beyond that fantasy they are so absorbed in, even more breathtaking wonders
await them. As they wait eagerly, anticipating for their chance to play, things they could be learning and
experiencing are passing them by.
Over the years, our society’s dependency on technology has unquestionably increased. Sure, it makes life a hell of a
lot easier having connection to the internet and unlimited access to the world with just the click of a button. Before
you start agreeing with me how brilliant technology is, look around for a minute. Everywhere you go, I’m sure
you’ve observed teenagers chatting animatedly into their cell phones, lost tourists frantically referring to their GPS
systems, hectic businessmen clutching their laptops in one hand, a coffee cup in another. Just the other day, I a
overheard a woman irritably complaining loudly about how preposterous it was, this meal took a whole 4 minutes
to heat up in the microwave! Her friends agreed with her dutifully. “Who has time for this? It’s absurd, why won’t
they invent something that is ready in 1 minute or something?”
It’s not hard to envision the day where people grumble that one minute is too lengthy of a wait for a meal to be
ready. Technology is so extremely fundamental and important for the majority of us, we’ll be adrift without it.
However, do we really need a machine that toasts cute animals onto bread? Is a machine where people imitate
jumping rope necessary when there is a perfectly fine jump rope put away in the garage? It’s understandable for
parents to resort to hand held games to keep mischievous, energetic children entertained and busy. Nevertheless,
it is a bit disheartening to imagine the future as technology enhances continuously, altering the way we live our
daily lives. I might sound a bit hypocritical, I admit it, since I am typing this rant on my laptop while listening to my
iPod. However, you get my point.
UNIT 1, CFA TASK 1- SOURCE B
Online Classes See Cheating Go High-Tech
William Lounsbury for The Chronicle
"It's important that the research community improve perhaps as quickly as the cheating community is improving," says
Neal Kingston, of the U. of Kansas, who organized a Conference on Statistical Detection of Potential Test Fraud.
By Jeffrey R. Young
Easy A's may be even easier to score these days, with the growing popularity of online
courses. Tech-savvy students are finding ways to cheat that let them ace online courses with
minimal effort, in ways that are difficult to detect.
Take Bob Smith, a student at a public university in the United States. This past semester, he
spent just 25 to 30 minutes each week on an online science course, the time it took him to
take the weekly test. He never read the online materials for the course and never cracked
open a textbook. He learned almost nothing. He got an A.
His secret was to cheat, and he's proud of the method he came up with—though he asked
that his real name and college not be used, because he doesn't want to get caught. It involved
four friends and a shared Google Doc, an online word-processing file that all five of them
could read and add to at the same time during the test.
More on his method in a minute. You've probably already heard of plenty of clever ways
students cheat, and this might simply add one more to the list. But the issue of online
cheating may rise in prominence, as more and more institutions embrace online courses, and
as reformers try new systems of educational badges, certifying skills and abilities learned
online. The promise of such systems is that education can be delivered cheaply and
conveniently online. Yet as access improves, so will the number of people gaming the system,
unless courses are designed carefully.
This prediction has not escaped many of those leading new online efforts, or researchers who
specialize in testing. As students find new ways to cheat, course designers are anticipating
them and devising new ways to catch folks like Mr. Smith.
In the case of that student, the professor in the course had tried to prevent cheating by using
a testing system that pulled questions at random from a bank of possibilities. The online tests
could be taken anywhere and were open-book, but students had only a short window each
week in which to take them, which was not long enough for most people to look up the
answers on the fly. As the students proceeded, they were told whether each answer was right
or wrong.
Mr. Smith figured out that the actual number of possible questions in the test bank was pretty
small. If he and his friends got together to take the test jointly, they could paste the questions
they saw into the shared Google Doc, along with the right or wrong answers. The schemers
would go through the test quickly, one at a time, logging their work as they went. The first
student often did poorly, since he had never seen the material before, though he would
search an online version of the textbook on Google Books for relevant keywords to make
informed guesses. The next student did significantly better, thanks to the cheat sheet, and
subsequent test-takers upped their scores even further. They took turns going first. Students
in the course were allowed to take each test twice, with the two results averaged into a final
score.
"So the grades are bouncing back and forth, but we're all guaranteed an A in the end," Mr.
Smith told me. "We're playing the system, and we're playing the system pretty well."
He is a first-generation college student who says he works hard, and honestly, in the rest of
his courses, which are held in-person rather than online. But he is juggling a job and classes,
and he wanted to find a way to add an easy A to his transcript each semester.
Although the syllabus clearly forbids academic dishonesty, Mr. Smith argues that the
university has put so little into the security of the course that it can't be very serious about
whether the online students are learning anything. Hundreds of students took the course with
him, and he never communicated with the professor directly. It all felt sterile, impersonal, he
told me. "If they didn't think students would do this, then they didn't think it through."
A professor familiar with the course, who also asked not to be named, said that it is not
unique in this regard, and that other students probably cheat in online introductory courses
as well. To them, the courses are just hoops to jump through to get a credential, and the
students are happy to pay the tuition, learn little, and add an A.
"This is the gamification of education, and students are winning," the professor told me.
Of course, plenty of students cheat in introductory courses taught the old-fashioned way as
well. John Sener, a consultant who has long worked in online learning, says the incident
involving Mr. Smith sounds similar to students' sharing of old tests or bringing in cheat sheets.
"There is no shortage of weak assessments," he says.
He cautions against dismissing online courses based on inevitable examples of poor class
design: "If there are weaknesses in the system, students will find them and try to game it."
In some cases, the answer is simply designing tests that aren't multiple-choice. But even when
professors assign papers, students can use the Internet to order custom-written assignments.
Take the example of the Shadow Scholar, who described in a Chronicle article how he made
more than $60,000 a year writing term papers for students around the country.
Part of the answer may be fighting technology with more technology, designing new ways to
catch cheaters.
Countering the Cheaters
When John Fontaine first heard about the Shadow Scholar, who was helping students cheat
on assignments, he grew angry. Mr. Fontaine works for Blackboard, and his job is to think up
new services and products for the education-software company. His official title is senior
director of technology evangelism.
"I was offended," he says. "I thought, I'm going to get that guy." So he started a research
project to do just that.
Blackboard's learning-management software features a service that checks papers for signs of
plagiarism, and thousands of professors around the country use it to scan papers when they
are turned in.
Mr. Fontaine began to wonder whether authors write in unique ways that amount to a kind of
fingerprint. If so, he might be able to spot which papers were written by the Shadow Scholar
or other writers-for-hire, even if they didn't plagiarize other work directly.
"People tend to use the same words over and over again, and people have the same
vocabulary," he says. "I've been working on classifiers that take documents and score them
and build what I call a document fingerprint." The system could establish a document
fingerprint for each student when they turn in their first assignments, and notice if future
papers differ in style in suspicious ways.
Mr. Fontaine's work is simply research at this point, he emphasizes, and he has not used any
actual student papers submitted to the company's system. He would have to get permission
from professors and students before doing that kind of live test.
In fact, he's not sure whether the idea will ever work well enough to add it as a Blackboard
feature.
Mr. Fontaine is not the only one doing such research. Scholars at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology say they are looking for new ways to verify the identity of students online as
well.
Anant Agarwal is head of MIT's Open Learning Enterprise, which coordinates the university's
MITx project to offer free courses online and give students a chance to earn certificates. It's a
leading force in the movement to offer free courses online.
One challenge leaders face is verifying that online students are who they say they are.
A method under consideration at MIT would analyze each user's typing style to help verify
identity, Mr. Agarwal told me in a recent interview. Such electronic fingerprinting could be
combined with face-recognition software to ensure accuracy, he says. Since most laptops now
have Webcams built in, future online students might have to smile for the camera to sign on.
Some colleges already require identity-verification techniques that seem out of a movie.
They're using products such as the Securexam Remote Proctor, which scans fingerprints and
captures a 360-degree view around students, and Kryterion's Webassessor, which lets human
proctors watch students remotely on Web cameras and listen to their keystrokes.
Research Challenge
Researchers who study testing are also working on the problem of cheating. Last month more
than 100 such researchers met at the University of Kansas at the Conference on Statistical
Detection of Potential Test Fraud.
One message from the event's organizers was that groups that offer standardized tests,
companies developing anticheating software, and researchers need to join forces and share
their work. "Historically this kind of research has been a bit of a black box," says Neal
Kingston, an associate professor of education at the university and director of its Center for
Educational Testing Evaluation. "It's important that the research community improve perhaps
as quickly as the cheating community is improving."
There seems to be growing interest in such sharing, says James Wollack, an associate
professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "If you go on
the Web and look, it's pretty clear that the people trying to game the system are learning
from each other," he says. "Unless the testing industry also pools its resources, we're always
going to be playing this game of catch-up."
A revolution in education thanks to online courses could be in store, as Thomas L. Friedman
recently predicted. But significant challenges remain, not least among them preventing Mr.
Smith from fraudulently claiming an education that he didn't get.
College 2.0 covers how new technologies are changing colleges.
UNIT 1, CFA TASK 1- SOURCE C
From The Chronicle of Higher Education
Examine the following comics for your analysis:
Unit 1, CFA Task 1- Option #2
UNIT 1, CFA TASK 1- SOURCE A
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2010/08/17/college-costs-are-dollarswell-spent
Cost of Top Colleges Has Outpaced the Value
The astronomical price of a liberal arts college is far beyond its return.
By Andrew Hacker
Aug. 17, 2010
Andrew Hacker teaches political science at Queens College and is coauthor, with
Claudia Dreifus, of the book Higher Education?
Let me be clear at the start: I strongly support a four-year liberal arts education. If I
had my way, all of our 16 million undergraduates would major in fields like
philosophy, history, and the sciences, rather than vocational programs. Pondering
enduring ideas is a far better use of precious college years than fashion
merchandising or sports management.
But $200,000 over a four-year span? That’s what tuition, fees, room, and board are
costing at colleges like Ken-yon ($50,400), Reed ($51,850), and Bowdoin
($52,880). It is true that not everyone pays the full sticker figure. But then the
posted prices don’t include travel, clothing, and nights out with friends. Even more
crucial, most of what you’re paying isn’t for education. Let’s look at where the tuition
and fees part of your check (about $40,000) is going.
Almost all college teams run a deficit. Even at the high-powered University of
Southern California, the men’s basketball program loses $888,673 annually, while
its golf team requires $33,961 per player. Bowdoin, with only 1,771 students, fields
37 money-losing squads, all with salaried coaches, travel costs, and customized
jerseys. Mens sana in corpore sano—a healthy mind in a healthy body—is fine. But
does anyone want to argue that golf is a liberal art?
And in academics, it’s no longer threadbare Mr. Chips. At research universities,
tuition bills include stratospheric salaries for star faculty. But even at Occidental
College, full professors now average $110,000 for a nine-month year, an
increasingly common sum. And due to tenure, they make up most of its faculty.
Intimate education, such as small seminars, is highly labor intensive. And
intensively expensive.
Liberal arts colleges like to boast of their low student-faculty ratios. But watch out.
Their professors may be taking leaves—which are largely paid under “tuition”—and
so won’t be teaching your offspring. At one school my coauthor and I visited while
researching our book on the cost of college, fully 40 percent of one department’s
faculty were away. Nor is it clear that doing research improves teaching. Much of it
is now so esoteric that it can only be deciphered by other professors.
Note the near-identical figures for Ken-yon, Reed, and Bowdoin. Coincidence?
You’re being asked for $50,000 not due to the cost of education, but because
colleges figure this is what the traffic (that’s you) will pay. Even super-endowed
Swarthmore is billing $51,500.
Let’s return to the four-year payout. Sadly, few parents are putting much, if
anything, into college savings. So the checks are more often being written by
students themselves, who are taking out larger and larger loans. Is a $200,000
degree worth it? Not if a generation of Americans will be commencing their adult
lives with huge debts, plus very real prospects of default.
Are we talking about a good education or a brand-name degree? There are several
hundred private liberal arts programs, either in universities or at freestanding
schools. Yet many without widely-known names are charging close to $50,000,
even though there’s no assurance their degrees will open doors. For our book, we
tracked graduates of a top college, and found most had quite average lives. On the
other hand, corporate CEOs are more likely to have attended regional schools, like
Louisiana Tech, Wichita State, and Central Connecticut.
[See U.S. News's list of best public universities.]
In visiting campuses, we found schools where you can get a fine liberal arts
education at a relatively modest price. Public universities like Arizona State and Ole
Miss have Honors Colleges, with caring professors and small classes. But we’d
also recommend considering taking your first two years at a community college.
They all have liberal arts sequences, also with small classes, where you can get to
know the faculty. At Oregon’s Portland Community College, we spoke with
enthusiastic students, who pay an annual $3,666. State systems make it easy to
transfer to a four-year campus, like Western Oregon in the coastal wine country,
which emphasizes the liberal arts. Its tuition, room, and board come to $15,294,
bringing a four-year total at the two schools to $37,920.
Opportunities like these exist in almost every state. Take a look.
UNIT 1, CFA TASK 1- SOURCE B
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2010/08/17/cost-of-top-colleges-hasoutpaced-the-value
College Costs Are Dollars Well Spent
A liberal arts education is worth every penny.
By Ronald Daniels
Aug. 17, 2010
Ronald Daniels is the president of Johns Hopkins University. Previously he was
provost at the University of Pennsylvania.
What does it cost to go to one of America’s top private liberal arts colleges or
universities for a year? $50,000? $20,000? Not a penny?
Answer: All of the above. It depends on what you can afford.
Not everyone can write a check for the full price of a year at a private college or
university. Fortunately, we don’t ask everyone to do so.
At our best private institutions, if you can’t afford the sticker price, you won’t pay it.
These colleges and universities are deeply committed to bringing the most
promising young scholars to campus, no matter their families’ wealth or income.
In fact, they are more committed than ever. Even in the face of the Great
Recession, the nation’s top private research universities and liberal arts colleges
are awarding larger financial aid packages to more students. Over the past five
years, the median need-based aid grant at those schools has increased in size by
a third; more than half of last year’s freshmen received aid.
At my own institution, for instance, undergraduate tuition is up 3.9 percent this fall
in our schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, but the financial aid budget is
up 11.3 percent from a year ago to $61.1 million. We admitted this year’s freshman
class on a need-blind basis; we will provide grant aid to 47 percent of freshmen this
fall, up from 34 percent last year. The average grant is up $2,300 to more than
$29,000.
At the top private colleges like Johns Hopkins, then, we open our doors not to
students whose parents can cut the check, but to those who can do the work and
benefit from the opportunities we offer.
[See U.S. News's list of top liberal arts colleges.]
What are those opportunities? At these top schools, you are taught by world-class
historians, philosophers, and literary scholars how to analyze, evaluate, critique—in
other words, how to think—and how to communicate your conclusions effectively.
You learn about discoveries in the hottest fields—neuroscience, public health,
astrophysics, economics—directly from the professors who make them.
You can, in fact, help make those discoveries. At Johns Hopkins, we send our
students into research labs on campus and to field research opportunities around
the world; they do important, original work, often published in scholarly journals.
Our undergraduates—apprenticing with senior faculty members—have controlled a
NASA satellite, documented the hazards of gold mining in Mongolia, investigated
the impact of change on impoverished families in Alabama, and written software to
direct robots in mapping their environment.
If working with the best faculty makes a difference, so too does working with the
best students. Inside the classroom and out, your intellect—and your world view—
is sharpened by exposure to the diverse ideas of fellow students from around the
country and around the world, and by their reaction to your own ideas.
And we are committed to helping you put what you’ve learned to use, in the
community and in the world. I would never argue that you can’t get an excellent
education at a public college or university with a less expensive “sticker price”
tuition. Of course you can! At Johns Hopkins, our faculty and graduate student
ranks are full of very talented, very well-educated graduates of public institutions.
But I would argue this: You should not automatically eliminate private colleges and
universities from your consideration any more than you should automatically
eliminate public schools.
And you especially shouldn’t eliminate them on the basis of cost. If a private
institution, even one with a daunting sticker price, is the right school for you, it’s
more than likely that the aid is there to make it possible for you to enroll.
Is it worth it? Don’t take my word for it. Ask a student at a private college or
university. Ask our alumni. I’ll bet they’ll tell you the same thing they tell us: Yes.
UNIT 1, CFA TASK 1- SOURCE C
Unit 1 CFA Task 2: CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing
Task:
 Write a narrative essay for either a college application or cover letter designed to accompany a
résumé.
Focus Standard(s):
 Write narratives to develop experiences using effective plot techniques, well-chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences. (Writing Standard 3a-e)
Option 1- College application essay: “Write about something that is important to you. It could be an
experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life. Don’t just recount—reflect!
Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the time they spent in Rome. When recalling
these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from
the experience and how it changed you.” –www.princetonreview.com/college/essay.aspx
*Resources: College Application Essay
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/essay
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/essay.aspx
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/49/
Option 2- Cover Letter:
“The cover letter is one of the most challenging documents you may ever write: you must write about
yourself without sounding selfish and self-centered. The solution to this is to explain how your values and
goals align with the prospective organization's and to discuss how your experience will fulfill the job
requirements. Write a cover letter which includes an Introduction, Argument, and a Closing.
Your argument or body of your letter is an important part of your cover letter because it allows you to
persuade your reader why you are a good fit for the company and the job.
From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/723/03/
College Application Essay
Tips for choosing a prompt
Have you selected a topic that describes something of personal importance in your life, with which you
can use vivid personal experiences as supporting details?

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Is your topic a gimmick? That is, do you plan to write your essay in iambic pentameter or make it
funny? You should be very, very careful if you are planning to do this. We recommend strongly
that you do not do this. Almost always, this is done poorly and is not appreciated by the
admissions committee. Nothing is worse than not laughing or not being amused at something that
was written to be funny or amusing.
Will your topic only repeat information listed elsewhere on your application? If so, pick a new topic.
Don’t mention GPAs or standardized test scores in your essay unless you feel your "stats" will be
impressive and relevant to the essay.


Can you offer vivid supporting paragraphs to your essay topic? If you cannot easily think of
supporting paragraphs with concrete examples, you should probably choose a different essay
topic.
Can you fully answer the question asked of you? Can you address and elaborate on all points
within the specified word limit, or will you end up writing a poor summary of something that might
be interesting as a report or research paper? If you plan on writing something technical for college
admissions, make sure you truly can back up your interest in a topic and are not merely throwing
around big scientific words. Unless you convince the reader that you actually have the life
experiences to back up your interest in neurobiology, the reader will assume you are trying to
impress him/her with shallow tactics. Also, be sure you can write to admissions officers and that
you are not writing over their heads.

Can you keep the reader's interest from the first word? The entire essay must be interesting,
considering admissions officers will probably only spend a few minutes reading each essay.

Is your topic overdone? To ascertain this, peruse through old essays. However, most topics are
overdone, and this is not a bad thing. A unique or convincing answer to a classic topic can pay off
big.
Will your topic turnoff a large number of people? If you write on how everyone should worship your
God, how wrong or right abortion is, or how you think the Republican or Democratic Party is evil,
you will not get into the college of your choice. The only thing worse than not writing a memorable
essay is writing an essay that will be remembered negatively. Stay away from specific religions,
political doctrines, or controversial opinions. You can still write an essay about Nietzsche's
influence on your life, but express understanding that not all intelligent people will agree with
Nietzsche's claims. Emphasize instead Nietzsche's influence on your life, and not why you think
he was wrong or right in his claims.

In this vein, if you are presenting a topic that is controversial, you must acknowledge counter
arguments without sounding arrogant.

Will an admissions officer remember your topic after a day of reading hundreds of essays? What
will the officer remember about your topic? What will the officer remember about you? What will
your lasting impression be?
College Application Essay Topics
1. What are your major accomplishments and why do you consider them accomplishments? Do not limit
yourself to accomplishments that were of a formal nature, the most interesting accomplishments are those
that just occur and then become crucial and important to you in that specific time of your life.
2. What attribute quality or skill do you possess that makes you unique? How did you develop and perfect
this skill.
3. Consider your favorite book, movies, music, and art; how have they influenced your life in a positive and
meaningful life?
4. What was the most difficult time of your life and why? How did your perspective on life change as a
result of this challenge?
5. Have you ever struggled mightily and succeeded? What made you successful?
6. Of everything in the world what would you most like to be doing right now? Where would you most like
to be? Who of everyone living or dead would you most like to be with at this time in your life? These
questions should help you to realize what you love most – what have you discovered?
7. Have you experienced a moment of epiphany (an AH HA moment), as if your eyes were opened to
something that you were previously “blind” to?
8. What is your strongest, most unwavering personality trait? Do you maintain strong beliefs or adhere to a
philosophy? How would your friends characterize you? What your friends write about you if they were
writing your admissions essay for you?
9. What have you done outside the classroom that demonstrates qualities sought after my universities? Of
these which means most to you?
10. What are your most important extracurricular or community activities? What made you join these
activities? What made you continue to contribute and participate in these activities?
11. What are your dreams of the future? When you look back on your life in thirty years, what would it take
for you to consider your life successful? What people, things, and accomplishments do you need? How
does the university you are applying for fit into your plans for the future.
College Application Essay
Writing Tips
1. If you are planning on writing an essay on how you survived poverty in Russia, your mother's suicide,
your father's kidnapping, or your immigration to America, you should be careful that your main goal is to
address your own personal qualities. Just because something sad or horrible has happened to you does
not mean that you will be a good college or graduate school student. You don't want to be remembered as
the pathetic applicant. You want to be remembered as the applicant who showed impressive qualities
under difficult circumstances. It is for this reason that essays relating to this topic are considered among
the best. Unless you only use the horrible experience as a lens with which to magnify your own personal
characteristics, you will not write a good essay. Graduate and professional school applicants should
generally steer clear of this topic altogether unless you can argue that your experience will make you a
better business person, doctor, lawyer, or scholar.
2. Essays should fit in well with the rest of a candidate's application, explaining the unexplained and
steering clear of that which is already obvious. For example, if you have a 4.0 GPA and a 1500 SAT, no
one doubts your ability to do the academic work and addressing this topic would be ridiculous. However, if
you have an 850 SAT and a 3.9 GPA or a 1450 SAT and a 2.5 GPA, you would be wise to incorporate in
your essay an explanation for the apparent contradiction. For example, perhaps you were hospitalized or
family concerns prevented your dedication to academics; you would want to mention this in your essay.
However, do not make your essay one giant excuse. Simply give a quick, convincing explanation within
the framework of your larger essay.
3. "Diversity" is the biggest buzzword of the 1990's. Every college, professional school, or graduate school
wants to increase diversity. For this reason, so many applicants are tempted to declare what makes them
diverse. However, simply saying you are an American Indian Buddhist female will not impress admissions
officers in the least. While an essay incorporating this information would probably be your best topic idea,
you must finesse the issue by addressing your own personal qualities and how you overcame stigma,
dealt with social ostracism, etc. If you are a rich student from Beverly Hills whose father is an engineer
and whose mother is a lawyer, but you happen to be a minority, an essay about how you dealt with
adversity would be unwise. You must demonstrate vividly your personal qualities, interests, motivations,
etc. Address specifically how your diversity will contribute to the realm of campus opinion, the academic
environment, and social life.
4. Don't mention weaknesses unless you absolutely need to explain them away. You want to make a
positive first impression, and telling an admissions officer anything about drinking, drugs, partying, etc.
undermines your goal. College admissions read more essays on ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) than
could ever be imagined. Why admit to weakness when you can instead showcase your strengths?
5. Be honest; your best, most passionate writing will be about events that actually occurred.

Be Original. Even seemingly boring essay topics can sound interesting if creatively approached. If
writing about a gymnastics competition you trained for, do not start your essay: "I worked long
hours for many weeks to train for XXX competition." Consider an opening like, "Every morning I
awoke at 5:00 to sweat, tears, and blood as I trained on the uneven bars hoping to bring the state
gymnastics trophy to my hometown."

Be Yourself. Admissions officers want to learn about you and your writing ability. Write about
something meaningful and describe your feelings, not necessarily your actions. If you do this, your
essay will be unique. Many people travel to foreign countries or win competitions, but your feelings
during these events are unique to you. Unless a philosophy or societal problem has interested you
intensely for years, stay away from grand themes that you have little personal experience with.

Don't "Thesaurize" your Composition. For some reason, students continue to think big words
make good essays. Big words are fine, but only if they are used in the appropriate contexts with
complex styles. Think Hemingway.

Use Imagery and Clear, Vivid Prose. If you are not adept with imagery, you can write an
excellent essay without it, but it's not easy. The application essay lends itself to imagery since the
entire essay requires your experiences as supporting details. Appeal to the five senses of the
admissions officers.

Spend the Most Time on your Introduction. Expect admissions officers to spend 1-2 minutes
reading your essay. You must use your introduction to grab their interest from the beginning. You
might even consider completely changing your introduction after writing your body paragraphs.
o
Don't Summarize in your Introduction. Ask yourself why a reader would want to read
your entire essay after reading your introduction. If you summarize, the admissions officer
need not read the rest of your essay.
o
Create Mystery or Intrigue in your Introduction. It is not necessary or recommended
that your first sentence give away the subject matter. Raise questions in the minds of the
admissions officers to force them to read on. Appeal to their emotions to make them relate
to your subject matter.

Body Paragraphs Must Relate to Introduction. Your introduction can be original, but cannot be
silly. The paragraphs that follow must relate to your introduction.

Use Transition. Applicants continue to ignore transition to their own detriment. You must use
transition within paragraphs and especially between paragraphs to preserve the logical flow of your
essay. Transition is not limited to phrases like "as a result, in addition, while . . . , since . . . , etc."
but includes repeating key words and progressing the idea. Transition provides the intellectual
architecture to argument building.

Conclusions are Crucial. The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress
upon them your qualifications. In the conclusion, avoid summary since the essay is rather short to
begin with; the reader should not need to be reminded of what you wrote 300 words before. Also
do not use stock phrases like "in conclusion, in summary, to conclude, etc." You should consider
the following conclusions:
o
Expand upon the broader implications of your discussion.
o
Consider linking your conclusion to your introduction to establish a sense of balance by
reiterating introductory phrases.
o
Redefine a term used previously in your body paragraphs.
o
End with a famous quote that is relevant to your argument. Do not try to do this, as this
approach is overdone. This should come naturally.
o
Frame your discussion within a larger context or show that your topic has widespread appeal.
o
Remember, your essay need not be so tidy that you can answer why your little sister died or
why people starve in Africa; you are not writing a "sit-com," but should forge some attempt at
closure.

Do Something Else. Spend a week or so away from your draft to decide if you still consider your
topic and approach worthwhile.

Give your Draft to Others. Ask editors to read with these questions in mind:
o
What is the essay about?
o
Have I used active voice verbs wherever possible?
o
Is my sentence structure varied or do I use all long or all short sentences?
o
Do you detect any clichés?
o
Do I use transition appropriately?
o
Do I use imagery often and does this make the essay clearer and more vivid?
o
What's the best part of the essay?
o
What about the essay is memorable?
o
What's the worst part of the essay?
o
What parts of the essay need elaboration or are unclear?
o
What parts of the essay do not support your main argument or are immaterial to your case?
o
Is every single sentence crucial to the essay? This MUST be the case.
o
What does the essay reveal about your personality?
o
Could anyone else have written this essay?
o
How would you fill in the following blank based on the essay: "I want to accept you to this
college because our college needs more."

Revise, Revise, Revise. You only are allowed so many words; use them wisely. If H.D. Thoreau
couldn't write a good essay without revision, neither will you. Delete anything in the essay that
does not relate to your main argument. Do you use transition? Are your introduction and
conclusions more than summaries? Did you find every single grammatical error?
o
Allow for the evolution of your main topic. Do not assume your subject must remain fixed
and that you can only tweak sentences.
o
Editing takes time. Consider reordering your supporting details, delete irrelevant sections,
and make clear the broader implications of your experiences. Allow your more important
arguments to come to the foreground. Take points that might only be implicit and make
them explicit.
College Application Essay
Sample 1
Hello. I’m John Anonymous from a once rural, now sprawling suburbia named Draper, Utah, at the foot
of the Wasatch Mountains.
As you peruse these applications piled before you, you’ll encounter candidates who will claim athletic
prowess along with impressive academic records; others will favor the arts: musicians, artists, writers; still
others will shine through extensive community service and impressive leadership.
You’ll no doubt scan application after application of dedicated, accomplished students vying for the envied
laurels of national merit—but…
How many applications offer a young person forged from the fires of all these elements? A 17-year-old
who places in a national wrestling tournament and boasts over 100 wins, but who also can sit serenely at
a Steinway and play a Chopin?
A teenager, who conquered three AP tests so far with perfect scores, nailed the ACT with a 33 composite
and maintains a humble 4.0 GPA, but who can also slice Utah powder and plow waves on a wakeboard
with a zeal and respect for nature that only an Eagle Scout and Silver Palm recipient can have?
A young man who knows himself to be a deeply religious soul, with an allegiance to his Heavenly Father
and an appreciation for the beauty and life around him, but who also yearns to face the fearsome ravages
of disease, pain, and death as a medical doctor someday.
Over the next several years, I long to make the absolute most of myself through all channels: physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual—to be a modern “Renaissance Man.” Then it will be my privilege to give
back…to my wife and children, my friends and neighbors, my community and my world.
College Application Essay
Sample 2
Sometimes, the most significant accomplishments stem from a seemingly minor life event. My parents
bought my first bicycle (a pink Disney princess model) the summer of my 5th year. I rarely even tried it.
The following two summers I tried, but failed. I remember teetering along the sidewalk leaning heavily on
my left training wheel watching the other kids my age zoom past on their sleek two-wheelers. It was
classic childhood humiliation.
Then, miraculously, one June morning before my 8th birthday, I simply got on my bike (the same one I
received three years back) and pedaled. Sure, I skidded into the holly bush and face-planted a time or
two. But I was off! Zooming, speeding, with that wind-in-your-hair and nothing-can-stop-me sensation that
happens far too little in life. My parents tell me that the same deal happened when I potty-trained. After
months of parental cajoling, bribing, stickers on calendars, M&Ms, and Parent Choice Award DVDs and
books, I just decided one day to do it.
And I never looked back.
So what does all this mean? What have I learned? What really are my accomplishments? Well, let’s gently
put aside for now my good grades (Honor Roll and National Honor Society; GPA 3.86), my extra-curricular
activities (Madrigals, School Musical, Key Club), and my job experience (two years at Chili’s-bussing,
waiting tables, and now manager trainee), and look at what I have learned about myself. I’m a bit of a late
bloomer…but, when I bloom, it’s 110%. I am social and outgoing, but I have to push myself to take risks
and go out of my comfort zone. I study hard, but I know that I could study even harder by taking the most
challenging classes and by improving my time management skills. So, yes, I have a shelf of
“accomplishments,” but the most significant accomplishments occurred along the path to the goal, the
insights I gained about myself, and the desires to make the most of my opportunities—and make the most
opportunities I possibly could. To trust myself.
Accomplishments are always awards, trophies, and certificates, but rather frames of mind, an
understanding of one’s weaknesses and either compensating for them or completely overcoming them.
Accomplishment is more of a journey of self-discovery, adaptation, and acquisition of knowledge through
experiences both small and great.
College Application Essay
Sample 3
A mighty struggle, you say? Ah, where to begin. I suppose Dickens is a good place…”it was the best of
times, it was the worst of times... it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...”
First, the best of times. I was a motivated and enthusiastic student taking challenging classes and
participating on the school newspaper staff my junior year. I was vivacious, clever, optimistic, funny, and
dare I say a bit impish and immature. A typical fun-loving boyish lad who absolutely enjoyed life and
people and noise and movement. I recall one day wrapping myself in aluminum foil, jousting upon desks
with an imaginary light sword. My passions were two-fold: writing and Photoshop special effects. I created
the most bizarre and entertaining edited photographs for the paper, and my writing was light-hearted. I’m
sure my teachers don’t remember me without a smile on my face.
In the fall of my senior year, the worst of times arrived.
Cancer.
I was summarily withdrawn from school, which included my AP Literature class, and placed on Home and
Hospital leave. I had no idea what to expect. In the following months, I was at my most vulnerable and my
most victorious. The treatments were brutal, and I wasted away. My body was shrinking, my skin
translucent. Certain colors and smells nauseated me, my strength left. My hair shed. I started out with
stacks of makeup work and my English teacher, who volunteered to work with me on my Home and
Hospital program…I was buried under silly chapters in a Health book about eating nutritious foods and
exercising and dating do’s and don’ts, short essays on government, and endless explications of poetry.
It was soon obvious that I did not have the strength to keep up with the incessant string of assignments
typical in a high school curriculum. While my English teacher liaison agonized and debated and worked
deals with teachers, I quietly wrote a letter to them explaining precisely my condition and asked that they
provide meaningful and substantive assignments for me rather than piles of busy work.
A new me was emerging. A young man, who with dignity and maturity, communicated his predicament
and his needs, who wanted to learn but realized the limitations he shouldered. And so, a new journey
began. We forgot about study guides and chapter outlines and started talking about life, and literature, and
faith, and pain, and endurance, and fear, and survival. We drew connections between the real and the
surreal, the past and the future, the child and the adult.
I transformed from a carefree kid to an empathetic adult who walked “through the valley of the shadow of
death” and discovered that elusive “meaning of life.” I come to you with an unquenchable thirst for
knowledge, a deep reservoir of compassion, an acute understanding of life’s ironic humor and deep
despair, and a bright, quick mind.
Unit 1 Resource for CFA Task #2- Cover Letter
Cover Letter Workshop - Formatting and Organization
Media File: Cover Letter Workshop - Formatting and Organization
This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Download the free Acrobat Reader
The cover letter is one of the most challenging documents you may ever write: you must write about
yourself without sounding selfish and self-centered. The solution to this is to explain how your values and
goals align with the prospective organization's and to discuss how your experience will fulfill the job
requirements. Before we get to content, however, you need to know how to format your cover letter in a
professional manner.
Formatting your cover letter
Your cover letter should convey a professional message. Of course, the particular expectations of a
professional format depend on the organization you are looking to join. For example, an accounting
position at a legal firm will require a more traditional document format. A position as an Imagineer at
Disney might require a completely different approach. Again, a close audience analysis of the company
and the position will yield important information about the document expectations. Let the organization's
communications guide your work.
For this example, we are using a traditional approach to cover letters:

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





Single-space your cover letter
Leave a space between each paragraph
Leave three spaces between your closing (such as "Sincerely" or "Sincerely Yours") and typed
name
Leave a space between your heading (contact information) and greeting (such as, "Dear Mr.
Roberts")
Either align all paragraphs to the left of the page, or indent the first line of each paragraph to the
right
Use standard margins for your cover letter, such as one-inch margins on all sides of the document
Center your letter in the middle of the page; in other words, make sure that the space at the top
and bottom of the page is the same
Sign your name in ink between your salutation and typed name
Organizing your cover letter
A cover letter has four essential parts: heading, introduction, argument, and closing.
The heading
In your heading, include your contact information:




name
address
phone number
email address
The date and company contact information should directly follow your contact information. Use spacing
effectively in order to keep this information more organized and readable. Use the link at the top of this
resource to view a sample cover letter - please note the letter is double-spaced for readability purposes
only.
Addressing your cover letter
Whenever possible, you should address your letter to a specific individual, the person in charge of
interviewing and hiring (the hiring authority). Larger companies often have standard procedures for dealing
with solicited and unsolicited resumes and cover letters. Sending your employment documents to a
specific person increases the chances that they will be seriously reviewed by the company.
When a job advertisement does not provide you with the name of the hiring authority, call the company to
ask for more information. Even if your contact cannot tell you the name of the hiring authority, you can use
this time to find out more about the company.
If you cannot find out the name of the hiring authority, you may address your letter to "hiring professionals"
- e.g., "Dear Hiring Professionals."
The introduction
The introduction should include a salutation, such as "Dear Mr. Roberts:" If you are uncertain of your
contact's gender, avoid using Mr. or Mrs. by simply using the person's full name.
The body of your introduction can be organized in many ways. However, it is important to include, who
you are and why you are writing. It can also state how you learned about the position and why you are
interested in it. (This might be the right opportunity to briefly relate your education and/or experience to the
requirements of the position.)
Many people hear of job openings from contacts associated with the company. If you wish to include a
person's name in your cover letter, make certain that your reader has a positive relationship with the
person.
In some instances, you may have previously met the reader of your cover letter. In these instances it is
acceptable to use your introduction to remind your reader of who you are and briefly discuss a specific
topic of your previous conversation(s).
Most important is to briefly overview why your values and goals align with the organization's and how you
will help them. You should also touch on how you match the position requirements. By reviewing how you
align with the organization and how your skills match what they're looking for, you can forecast the
contents of your cover letter before you move into your argument.
The argument
Your argument is an important part of your cover letter, because it allows you to persuade your reader
why you are a good fit for the company and the job. Carefully choose what to include in your argument.
You want your argument to be as powerful as possible, but it shouldn't cloud your main points by including
excessive or irrelevant details about your past. In addition, use your resume (and refer to it) as the source
of "data" you will use and expand on in your cover letter.
In your argument, you should try to:

Show your reader you possess the most important skills s/he seeks (you're a good match for the
organization's mission/goals and job requirements).



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Convince your reader that the company will benefit from hiring you (how you will help them).
Include in each paragraph a strong reason why your employer should hire you and how they will
benefit from the relationship.
Maintain an upbeat/personable tone.
Avoid explaining your entire resume but use your resume as a source of data to support your
argument (the two documents should work together).
Reminder: When writing your argument, it is essential for you to learn as much as possible about the
company and the job (see the Cover Letter Workshop - Introduction resource).
The closing
Your closing restates your main points and reveals what you plan to do after your readers have received
your resume and cover letter. We recommend you do the following in your closing:
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Restate why you align with the organization's mission/goals.
Restate why your skills match the position requirements and how your experience will help the
organization.
Inform your readers when you will contact them.
Include your phone number and e-mail address.
Thank your readers for their consideration.
A sample closing:
I believe my coursework and work experience in electrical engineering will help your Baltimore division
attain its goals, and I look forward to meeting with you to discuss the job position further. I will contact you
before June 5th to discuss my application. If you wish to contact me, I may be reached at 765-555-6473,
or by e-mail at jwillis3@e-mail-link.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Although this closing may seem bold, potential employers will read your documents with more interest if
they know you will be calling them in the future. Also, many employment authorities prefer candidates who
are willing to take the initiative to follow-up. Additionally, by following up, you are able to inform
prospective employers that you're still interested in the position and determine where the company is in
the hiring process. When you tell readers you will contact them, it is imperative that you do so. It will not
reflect well on you if you forget to call a potential employer when you said you would. It's best to
demonstrate your punctuality and interest in the company by calling when you say you will.
If you do not feel comfortable informing your readers when you will contact them, ask your readers to
contact you, and thank them for their time. For example:
Please contact me at 765-555-6473, or by e-mail at jwillis3@e-mail-link.com. I look forward to speaking
with you. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Unit 2 CFA
12 th Grade
CFA Task 1: Capstone Skill Building Check Point- present information/findings in a multimedia format
Task:
 Pick your favorite movie/book/play. Identify the archetypal character(s), setting(s), theme(s) and
motif(s). Present your information using digital media (e.g. Prezi, PowerPoint, website, blog site,
tumblr, Pinterest board, imovie, haiku deck (and other apps) facebook page, etc.).
Focus Standard:
 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective,
such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning.
 Communicate information through multi-media.
Unit 2 CFA Task 2: CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing (Literary Analysis)
Task:
Based on the excerpt provided by your teacher, write a response where you identify a possible theme and
the most likely purpose of the work. Then, explain how the author utilizes literary devices to 1.) develop
the theme and 2.) achieve his or her purpose.
Focus Standard:
 Develop a topic by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge
of the topics.
Resources:
 Teachers select a literary work or excerpt of their choice to use for the Literary Analysis CFA.
Unit 3 CFA
12th Grade
Unit 3 Supporting Lesson: Capstone Skill Building Check Point
Task 1: In an effort to formulate your research questions for the Capstone Project, students will
 Generate 1 or 2 potential research topics that are socially significant/relevant and that inherently
embody multiple positions or points of view (i.e. “arguable” topics).
 Use the SOAPSTone tool and Audience Assessment tool included to guide and focus their research
efforts and assignments:
 Prepare for research by reviewing and referring back to the following chart to help guide and
organize your research experience:
Pattern
Description
Category of the research that must be covered
What are the key statistics/terms/people associated with your topic?
Sequence
Why is your topic a relevant social issue? What is the background
and historical basis for your issue?
Compare and Contrast
What are the multiple perspectives surrounding your topic? Rarely
there is a “right” or “wrong” way to view things…
Cause and Effect
What other issues contribute to your topic? How does your topic
affect other issues/people/ nations, etc.
Problem and Solution
It is clear your topic is an issue. Now what? What does the future
look like? What happens now?
Narrative Embedding
How does the topic relate to you personally? Your community? The
world as a global community?
Reflection
Why are you interested in this topic? What potential challenges do
you think might arise in your research of this topic? What do you think
you will learn by researching this topic?
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
Find multiple sources (6+) and evaluate each source using the “CRAAP test.” (See link below.)
Write a summary of their findings: what is the value and the validity of each source?
Formulate 1-3 preliminary research questions for their chosen topic.
Focus Standard(s):
 Conduct research to begin the process of answering a question or solving a problem; narrow or
broaden inquiry as needed to find sufficient and relevant sources of information.
 Gather relevant information from multiple, authoritative print and digital resources, using
advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the
task, purpose, and audience.
Resources:
Information on the CRAAP Test: http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/eval_websites.pdf
CRAAP Test Evaluation Worksheet: http://www.juniata.edu/services/library/instruction/handouts/craap_worksheet.pdf
SOAPSTone

Originally conceived as a method for dissecting work of professional writers, SOAPSTone provides
a concrete strategy to help students identify and understand the main components of writing.

SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of
questions that students must first ask themselves, and then answer, as they begin to analyze texts
and/or plan for their own writing assignments.
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story. Whose voice is going to be heard. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional
character or to the writers themselves, students should determine how a writer develops the
personality/character/credibility of the speaker or narrator that will influence the overall meaning of the
text. Think about: What assumptions can you make about the speaker? (e.g. age, gender, emotional
state, etc.) What is the speaker’s point of view?
What is the Occasion?
The context and circumstances of the piece that prompted the writing. Writing does not occur in a
vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and
emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that
catches the writer's attention and triggers a response.
what is the rhetorical occasion of the text (to relate a memory, a description, an observation, an argument,
a critique?) Think about: What is the setting? What is the intended emotional effect? What else was
going on in the world when the author was writing? What is the rhetorical occasion of the text (to relate a
memory, a description, an observation, an argument, etc.)
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. Successful writers must determine who the
audience is that they intend to address. It may be one person or a specific group. This choice of audience
will affect how and why writers write a particular text. Think about: Who does the author want to be
affected by the text?
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. Writers need to clearly consider the purpose of their text in order to develop
the thesis or the argument and its logic, or in the case of fiction, to develop a theme. Writers should ask
themselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?" What is the
writer’s message and how does he convey it?
What is the Subject?
Students should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. This step helps them to
focus on the intended task throughout the writing process. Subjects, or topics, are then developed into full
ideas, arguments, or themes. What is the speaker literally saying?
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author toward his/her subject. The spoken word can convey the speaker's attitude
and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice. With the written word, tone is created by conscious
choices in diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery and selection of details to extend meaning beyond
the literal. The ability to manage tone is one of the best indicators of a sophisticated writer. Think about:
Diction – is the writing tight and efficient (economical) or elaborate and long-winded (expansive)? Does
the writer use proper and formal language? Tone – What is the speaker’s attitudes about the subject?
About the audience? Does the speaker seem sarcastic, aggressive, wistful, pessimistic, hopeful, bitter,
reflective, skeptical, etc.?
Expanding: Audience Assessment: How do you determine the knowledge, opinions, needs, and wants of your
target audience?
What are you trying to get your audience to know, feel/do?
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Persuade
Motivate
Inform
Excite
Scare
Warn
You need to consider the following questions:
1. Who:
a. Who is your audience?
2. Understanding:
a. What does the audience already know about the topic?
b. What background does the audience need to have in order to have a better understanding of your
topic?
3. Demographics:
a. What is the age, gender, and educational background of your audience?
4. Interest:
a. Why in the world is your audience going to be reading/listening/partaking in your topic?
b. Will the audience be interested by your topic? Why?
c. Why should your audience care about your topic?
5. Environment:
a. Where will this information be received?
6. Needs:
a. What are the needs of the audience? Do they need to be informed, entertained, and amused?
Should they be motivated to action?
7. Customize:
a. What specific needs should you address?
b. What values to you share with the audience?
c. What values of yours are different?
i. Will the audience object to your values?
ii. How to you address any objections within your topic? (Remember: you may not change
everybody’s mind, but you can sway them to consider reasonably sound arguments).
8. Expectation:
a. What does the audience expect to learn from your topic?
Multi Genre (MG) Project Possible Topics
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Elements of the perfect urban space.
Social Media accessibility and use and its impact on American politics/international politics
Healthcare quality, cost and access: private vs. government based systems
Access to clean water in 3rd world countries
Racism and Intolerance in American history
News Media accessibility, accuracy, and impact
Transition to democratic governments in dictatorship countries
Affect/Impact/Process of bidding for and hosting Olympic Games
Is college worth it?
Music and its reflection of and influence on Societal Change in American History
Doping and professional sports; consequences-what should they be? Influence on young athletes
Demise of print journalism and the future of journalism today; media integrity
Health foods, vitamins and supplements: legit or bogus? Health effects, cost, quality control, etc.
Alternative fuels: solar, electric, wind, nuclear, methane, etc.
Removal of God/religion from American life
American K-12 education: public, private charter, voucher, successes, failures, and the future
Immigration: hot topics, concerns, laws, proposed solutions for border protection, amnesty, etc.
Reality TV: viewership demographics, sponsors, costs to produce, real or “fake,” money made by
show, best and worst, appeal, etc.
Unit 3: OPTIONAL Task: To experience the dynamic of a small collaborative team assignment, students
will read an outside-of-class dystopian novel and work together in a trio to promote/present the book in a
multimedia format. Project description and Dystopian book list follows.
Project: “MADMEN”- Promote your novel to book consumers
Step One- Choose teams and select dystopian novel. Review SOAPSTone before you begin your project
to be sure you are creating the most effect promotional vehicle for your novel.
S=speaker: your group-you may choose one or more spokespersons to help present
O=occasion: a multimedia society competing for consumer dollars spent on books
A=audience: book consumers who are looking for a good book to purchase or download
P=purpose: to promote the book
S=subject: your selected book
Tone: persuasive and enthusiastic and knowledgeable
Step 2- Choose your format: Prezi, Web, Gallery, iMovie
Prezi (multimedia)
www.prezi.com
Using the Prezi program, create a multimedia Prezi (www.prezi.com)
15-20 elements required on this presentation; variety of text, video, and photos
Website/Blogsite/Tumblr (multimedia)
www.weebly.com
www.blogspot.com
www.tumblr.com
Using a website creation tool/program of your choice, (such as weebly.com or
blogspot.com or tumblr.com) create a multimedia website to promote your novel.
Minimum of 10 elements on the site; combination of photos, videos, and text
iMovie (multimedia)
http://www.apple.com/apps/imovie/
Make one original movie trailer OR book trailer for your novel-about 3 minutes long
Preface your trailer with additional promotion information/persuasion to create interest in
your book-at least a 3-5 minute promotional presentation to gain interest in the book
Make a movie poster (digital, not physical product) that includes a dominant visual
element, information on actors, director, producer, and 3 quotes from book critics who
have praised and recommended the book, and any other element to improve the impact of
the poster
Gallery (original art and text)
Using a minimum of 10 original art pieces and/or photos, create a “gallery walk” that
promotes the book. Each piece should have a placard with information typed and mounted
or framed in a professional-looking way to accompany each art piece. The information will
fulfill the required elements listed above; the art/photos should be displayed in an
attractive manner in the classroom before class begins, using lighting, music, tablecloths,
easels, or whatever manner of display the group decides
Step 3- Delegate required elements and set your deadlines for work and progress checks
Step 4- Practice as a group for quality and timing. Presentation lengths should not exceed 10-12
minutes.
Step 5- Present to Class and submit self and peer grade sheets
Dystopian Novels: a short list
The Road-Cormac McCarthy
Brave New World-Alduos Huxley
1984-George Orwell
Farenheit 451-Ray Bradbury
Divergent-Veronica Roth
Maze Runner-James Dashner
Snow Crash-Neal Stephenson
Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood
Uglies-Scott Westerfield
Ready Player One-Ernest Cline
World War Z-Max Brooks
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-Douglas Adams
Things We Didn't See Coming-Steven Amsterdam
The Host-Stephenie Meyer
The Sphere-Michael Creighton
The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins
UNIT 3 CFA Task: CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing (Full Rhetorical Essay)
Task:
Analyze the rhetorical strategies used by Clarence Darrow to address a jury in a notorious 1 st degree
murder case. Brief background to frontload students: “On May 21, 1924, two brilliant, wealthy, Chicago
teenagers attempted to commit the perfect crime just for the thrill of it. Nathan Leopold and Richard
Loeb kidnapped 14-year-old Bobby Franks, bludgeoned him to death in a rented car, and then dumped
Franks' body in a distant culvert. Although they thought their plan was foolproof, Leopold and Loeb made
a number of mistakes that led police right to them. The subsequent trial, featuring famous attorney
Clarence Darrow, made headlines and was often referred to as ‘the trial of the century.’” http://history1900s.about.com
Identify the three strongest arguments in his closing speech to the jury. Acting as a prosecuting attorney,
how would you counter and refute Darrow’s arguments? Write a paragraph for each argument you
intend to refute, using effective rhetorical strategies such as ethos, logos, pathos, etc. to support your
position and procure a guilty verdict!
 Read and annotate the text together as a class. You may utilize a number of “during-reading”
strategies such as “Charting the Text” and/or “Writing in the Margins.”
 The teacher will lead the class to collectively develop argument #1 using the graphic organizer
below. Teacher and students will fill in the components of the graphic organizer and then
compose the paragraph for argument 1 together, modeling a strong analytical paragraph (topic
sentence, evidence/examples, analysis, well-chosen transitions, and a concluding and/or
transitional sentence).
 Next, students will work in pairs to brainstorm (filling in the graphic organizer) and then compose
a paragraph for argument #2. Teacher will facilitate and provide feedback on partner work to
refine ideas and writing.
 For the final step, each student will work independently to brainstorm (completing the graphic
organizer) and then produce a paragraph for argument #3.
 To finish the essay, teacher will review and model “Opening and Closing Strategies” following the
graphic organizer below and assign students to individually compose their own opening and
closing paragraphs.
Standards:
 Reading standard 5- Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his
or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing,
and engaging.
 Reading standard 6- Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric
is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness,
or beauty of the text.
AmericanRhetoric.com
Transcription by Stephanie Worley. Property of AmericanRhetoric.com ©2010. All rights reserved. Page 1
Clarence Darrow
A Plea for Mercy
Delivered 24 September 1924
Now, your Honor, I have spoken about the war. I believed in it. I don’t know whether I was crazy or
not. Sometimes I think perhaps I was. I approved of it; I joined in the general cry of madness and
despair. I urged men to fight. I was safe because I was too old to go. I was like the rest. What did they
do? Right or wrong, justifiable or unjustifiable which I need not discuss today it changed the world.
For four long years the civilized world was engaged in killing men. Christian against Christian,
barbarian uniting with Christians to kill Christians; anything to kill. It was taught in every school, aye
in the Sunday schools. The little children played at war. The toddling children on the street. Do you
suppose this world has ever been the same since? How long, your Honor, will it take for the world to
get back the humane emotions that were slowly growing before the war? How long will it take the
calloused hearts of men before the scars of hatred and cruelty shall be removed?
We read of killing one hundred thousand men in a day. We read about it and we rejoiced in it if it was
the other fellows who were killed. We were fed on flesh and drank blood. Even down to the prattling
babe. I need not tell you how many upright, honorable young boys have come into this court charged
with murder, some saved and some sent to their death, boys who fought in this war and learned to
place a cheap value on human life. You know it and I know it. These boys were brought up in it. The
tales of death were in their homes, their playgrounds, their schools; they were in the newspapers
that they read; it was a part of the common frenzy what was a life? It was nothing. It was the least
sacred thing in existence and these boys were trained to this cruelty.
It will take fifty years to wipe it out of the human heart, if ever. I know this, that after the Civil War in
1865, crimes of this sort increased, marvelously. No one needs to tell me that crime has no cause. It
has as definite a cause as any other disease, and I know that out of the hatred and bitterness of the
Civil War crime increased as America had never seen before. I know that Europe is going through the
same experience today; I know it has followed every war; and I know it has influenced these boys so
that life was not the same to them as it would have been if the world had not made red with blood. I
protest against the crimes and mistakes of society being visited upon them. All of us have a share in
it. I have mine. I cannot tell and I shall never know how many words of mine might have given birth
to cruelty in place of love and kindness and charity.
Your Honor knows that in this very court crimes of violence have increased growing out of the war.
Not necessarily by those who fought but by those that learned that blood was cheap, and human life
was cheap, and if the State could take it lightly why not the boy? There are causes for this terrible
crime. There are causes as I have said for everything that happens in the world. War is a part of it;
education is a part of it; birth is a part of it; money is a part of it all these conspired to compass the
destruction of these two poor boys.
Has the court any right to consider anything but these two boys? The State says that your
Honor has a right to consider the welfare of the community, as you have. If the welfare of the
community would be benefited by taking these lives, well and good. I think it would work evil that no
one could measure. Has your Honor a right to consider the families of these defendants? I have been
sorry, and I am sorry for the bereavement of Mr. And Mrs. Frank, for those broken ties that cannot be
healed. All I can hope and wish is that some good may come from it all. But as compared with the
families of Leopold and Loeb, the Franks are to be envied and everyone knows it.
I do not know how much salvage there is in these two boys. I hate to say it in their presence, but what
is there to look forward to? I do not know but what your Honor would be merciful to them, but not
merciful to civilization, and not merciful if you tied a rope around their necks and let them die;
merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not merciful to those who would be left behind.
To spend the balance of their days in prison is mighty little to look forward to, if anything. Is it
anything? They may have the hope that as the years roll around they might be released. I do not
know. I do not know. I will be honest with this court as I have tried to be from the beginning. I know
that these boys are not fit to be at large. I believe they will not be until they pass through the next
stage of life, at forty-five or fifty. Whether they will then, I cannot tell. I am sure of this; that I will not
be here to help them. So far as I am concerned, it is over.
I would not tell this court that I do not hope that some time, when life and age have changed their
bodies, as they do, and have changed their emotions, as they do that they may once more return to
life. I would be the last person on earth to close the door of hope to any human being that lives, and
least of all to my clients. But what have they to look forward to? Nothing.
And I think here of the stanza of Housman:
Now hollow fires burn out to black,
And lights are fluttering low:
Square your shoulders, lift your pack
And leave your friends and go.
O never fear, lads, naught’s to dread,
Look not left nor right:
In all the endless road you tread
There’s nothing but the night.
I care not, your Honor, whether the march begins at the gallows or when the gates of Joilet close
upon them, there is nothing but the night, and that is little for any human being to expect.
But there are others to consider. Here are these two families, who have led honest lives, who will
bear the name that they bear, and future generations must carry it on.
Here is Leopold’s father and this boy was the pride of his life. He watched him, he cared for him, he
worked for him; the boy was brilliant and accomplished, he educated him, and he thought that fame
and position awaited him, as it should have awaited. It is a hard thing for a father to see his life’s
hopes crumble into dust.
Should he be considered? Should his brothers be considered? Will it do society any good or make
your life safer, or any human being’s life safer, if it should be handled down from generation to
generation, that this boy, their kin, died upon the scaffold?
And Loeb’s the same. Here are the faithful uncle and brother, who have watched here day by day,
while Dickie’s father and his mother are too ill to stand this terrific strain, and shall be waiting for a
message which means more to them than it can mean to you or me. Shall these be taken into account
in this general bereavement?
Have they any rights? Is there any reason, your Honor, why their proud names and all the future
generations that bear them shall have this bar sinister written across them? How many boys and
girls, how many unborn children will feel it? It is bad enough as it is, God knows.
It is bad enough, however it is. But it’s not yet death on the scaffold. It’s not that. And I ask your
Honor, in addition to all that I have said to save two honorable families from a disgrace that never
ends, and which could be of no avail to help any human being that lives.
Now, I must say a word more and then I will leave this with you where I should have left it long ago.
None of us are unmindful of the public; courts are not, and juries are not. We placed our fate in the
hands of a trained court, thinking that he would be more mindful and considerate than a jury. I
cannot say how people feel. I have stood here for three months as one might stand at the ocean trying
to sweep back the tide. I hope the seas are subsiding and the wind is falling, and I believe they are,
but I wish to make no false pretense to this court.
The easy thing and the popular thing to do is to hang my clients. I know it. Men and women who do
not think will applaud. The cruel and thoughtless will approve. It will be easy today; but in Chicago,
and reaching out over the length and breadth of the land, more and more fathers and mothers, the
humane, the kind and the hopeful, who are gaining an understanding and asking questions not only
about these poor boys, but about their own these will join in no acclaim at the death of my clients.
These would ask that the shedding of blood be stopped, and that the normal feelings of man resume
their sway. And as the days and the months and the years go on, they will ask it more and more. But,
your Honor, what they shall ask may not count. I know the easy way. I know the future is with me,
and what I stand for here; not merely for the lives of these two unfortunate lads, but for all boys and
all girls; for all of the young, and as far as possible, for all of the old. I am pleading for life,
understanding, charity, kindness, and the infinite mercy that considers all. I am pleading that we
overcome cruelty with kindness and hatred with love.
I know the future is on my side. Your Honor stands between the past and the future. You may hang
these boys; you may hang them by the neck until they are dead. But in doing it you will turn your face
toward the past. In doing it you are making it harder for every other boy who in ignorance and
darkness must grope his way through the mazes which only childhood knows. In doing it you will
make it harder for unborn children. You may save them and make it easier for every child that
sometime may stand where these boys stand. You will make it easier for every human being with an
aspiration and a vision and a hope and a fate. I am pleading for the future; I am pleading for a time
when hatred and cruelty will not control the hearts of men. When we can learn by reason and
judgment and understanding and faith that all life is worth saving, and that mercy is the highest
attribute of man.
I feel that I should apologize for the length of time I have taken. This case may not be as important as
I think it is, and I am sure I do not need to tell this court, or to tell my friends that I would fight just as
hard for the poor as for the rich. If I should succeed, my greatest reward and my greatest hope will be
that for the countless unfortunates who must tread the same road in blind childhood that these poor
boys have trod, that I have done something to help human understanding, to temper justice with
mercy, to overcome hate with love.
I was reading last night of the aspiration of the old Persian poet, Omar Khayyam. It appealed to me as
the highest that I can vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all:
So I be written in the Book of Love,
I do not care about that Book above.
Erase my name or write it as you will,
So I be written in the Book of Love.
Clarence Darrow, “A Plea for Mercy”
Argument 1,2,3
Task:
Paraphrase/quote
the best three
arguments
#1 (“We do”- teacher
with the class)
Paraphrase/quote:
#2 (“Ya’ll do”- student
pairs)
Paraphrase/quote:
#3 (“You do”- student
works alone)
Paraphrase/quote:
Rhetorical
Device(s)
(Ethos, pathos,
logos, etc.)
What makes the
argument strong? (How
does style and content
contribute to the power,
persuasiveness and
beauty of the text?)
Brainstorming on rhetorical
devices to counter and
refute the argument
Wrap-up: Students write their own introduction and concluding paragraphs using effective Opening
and Closing strategies reviewed in class
ESSAY OPENING AND CLOSING STRATEGIES
ARGUMENT WRITING
Claim-a claim is your reasonable, defendable position or assertion; grab the reader’s attention with one of the
following opening strategies that best “fits” your claim, purpose, and audience.
OPENING PARAGRAPH STRATEGIES
1. Quotation, smoothly integrated
2. Acknowledgment of an opinion opposite to the one you will defend
3. Short anecdote or narrative
4. Analogy
5. Specific example or description
6. Personal experience
7. Startling statement (could be a paradoxical or ironic)
8. Interesting fact (NOT dictionary definition)
9. Pose a question that relates to your claim
CLOSING PARAGRAPH STRATEGIES
1. Confirm your main point-finish argument by drawing your best thoughts together into a logical conclusion;
make a final appeal to your audience as a clear and compelling reiteration of your claim.
2. Summarize/synthesize using different diction than what you used in the introduction, and add additional
insight arrived at as a result of your close examination of your topic. SYNTHESIZE—don’t just summarize.
Show how the points you made and the evidence you used fit together to add up to something more
expansive than each individual item.
3. Show the importance of the implications your argument and evidence reveals; i.e. why should we care?
4. Make a proposal of the logical and next step given the current understanding of your topic; a “CALL TO
ACTION”
5. End with a powerful quotation that sums up and encapsulates the claim.
6. Echo the beginning, tying your conclusion back to your introduction by repeating key words, phrases and
ideas.
7. Envision the future given acceptance of your argument or findings.
8. Suggest how the conclusion might impact or apply to a larger audience or setting, a “universal” application
of your findings.
9. Don’t end with a question or introduce a new comment that does not further your main claim…it’s your
job to ANSWER the questions and PROVE the assertions you present in your paper, not introduce new ones
at the end.
Closing strategies: SAMPLES for fiction and nonfiction essays
1. Confirm your claim: So, based on the nauseating evidence of how oil, money, and power were the
true motives behind the Iraqi war, in spite of individuals’ honest patriotism, Americans cannot
afford to not be more discriminating in the future when politicians, liberal or conservative, “cry
havoc and let slip the dogs of war.”
2. Summarize: So, whereas politicians’ perceptions of spreading freedom in Iraq are tarred and
feathered with oil and money, and while they starve for power, hopefully Americans begin to fear,
rather than worship, war.
3. Emphasize importance of implications: Thus, Romantic idealism, manifested in Angel’s seemingly
harmless idealization of Tess as “Artemis,” can ironically and monstrously smother the subtler,
more down-to-earth, but nonetheless breathtaking beauties and wonders of the real life, or, in
this case, the real girl.
4. A proposal: So, I gave some money to the beggar, realizing that my conscience is all I own;
material possessions will dissolve in time and space. And I urge conscientious people everywhere
to not, by withholding their money, compromise their sole possession.
5. End with quotation that encapsulates claim: So while, “amid the grey half-tones of the morning,”
Angel mistakes Tess Durbeyfield for Artemis, flattering as that may be, his idealization of her
blinds him to the complex, “gray,” layered depths of Tess’ womanhood. The beautifully tangible.
6. Different Scenario/same implications: Therefore, while inky, innate darkness, according to
Golding, blackens humanity’s every cell—to acknowledge and confront it face to face may redeem
both the human condition and the human soul.
7. Circle back to opening strategy: So, while I don’t actually hate puppies, sunshine, and symmetry—
ugly, broken things/people have a shine and a symmetry that perhaps more strongly evokes our
deeper emotional responses.
8. Envision the future: War is not inherently bad. But I envision a future where the reasons for
waging war will be presented objectively, and with illuminating clarity, to the general populous—
before, not after, the war.
9. Conclusion applied to larger audience: Oedipus is mauled by bear-like Fate—eyeless. Songless.
But the fear of fate’s arbitrary will is relevant today and still affects peoples’ choices. Humanity, as
a whole, broods on like one, big self-fulfilling prophecy.
10. Answer your question: Therefore, Angel did not truly love Tess, at least at the time of their
marriage. Yet, with time and profound reflection, he felt his loss of Love in the end.
Opening strategies: SAMPLES for fiction and nonfiction essays
1. Quote: “Fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air…” Indeed, into the air,
Shakespeare’s Macbeth suspends the possibility that Macbeth’s vision of himself as king—while
being a prophetic and juicy idea—may, in reality, be a self-destructive delusion.
2. Opposite opinion: Many Americans believe that going to war with Iraq in 2003 was a moral
obligation to free the Iraqis from oppression; however, this essay will explore how oil, money, and
power, more than altruistic duty, incentivized the declaration of war.
3. Analogy/Anecdotal: Like moonlight filtering through ocean waves— like brooding prisms,
Golding’s Lord of the Flies gives transparency to the frightening, organic evil swimming in the
human psyche.
4. Specific example: As sweet as it may seem when Angel Clare calls Tess his “Artemis,” these
flatteries forecast what Hardy later reveals as the terrible consequences of Romantic Idealism.
5. Personal experience: Stumbling towards me in the darkness, the homeless man begged through
twisted, toothless lips for money. Uncomfortably, I reached for my wallet, realizing that more
unnerving than his artless, groveling petition, would be for me to think I am better than he and
that I somehow deserve the possessions I own.
6. Startling statement: I hate puppies. I shrug off sunshine. I loathe symmetry. To me, beautiful
things, while pleasing to the senses, do not emotionally move me the way broken, ugly, heartbreaking things do.
7. Interesting fact: In Latin, the word “Philosophy” actually denotes the Love of Wisdom, which leads
one to believe that philosophers are more than just know-it-alls, but passionate learners.
8. Rhetorical Question: Did Angel truly Love Tess, or does Hardy’s novel reveal the tragic tendency of
people to pursue an illusion of perfection rather than embrace the imperfect but sweet realities.
Unit 4 CFA
12 th Grade
Unit 4 CFA Task: CFA Writing Focus- Argument Writing
Task:
 The following prompt is based on the accompanying six sources. This question requires you to
synthesize a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. When you synthesize sources,
you refer to them to develop your position and cite them accurately. Your argument should be
clear and focused; the sources should support your argument. Avoid merely summarizing the
sources. Remember to attribute both direct and indirect references.
Introduction
Much attention has been given lately to the ubiquitous presence of information technologies. Our daily
lives seem to be saturated with television, computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and
MP3 players, to name just a few of the most common technologies. Many people extol the ability of such
technologies to provide easy access to information and facilitate research and learning. At the same time,
however, some critics worry that the widespread use of information technologies forces our lives to move
too quickly. We encounter images and information from the Internet and other sources faster than we
can process or evaluate them, and even though electronic communication has been enhanced, both the
quality and quantity of face-to-face interaction is changing.
Assignment
Read the following sources carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for
support, evaluate the most important factors that a school should consider before using particular
technologies in curriculum and instruction. You may refer to the sources by their titles (Source A, Source
B, etc.) or by the descriptions in parentheses.
Source A (Rotstein)
Source B (Delaney)
Source C (Dyson)
Source D (Johnson)
Source E (Gelernter)
Source F (cartoon)
Focus Standard(s): Synthesize multiple sources on a subject demonstrating an understanding of the
subject under investigation.
Source A
Rotstein, Arthur H. “Books Are Out, iBooks Are In for Students at Arizona High School.” St. Louis
PostDispatch 19 Aug. 2005: C2. Print.
The following is excerpted from an article in a local newspaper.
Students at Empire High School here started class this year with no textbooks—but it wasn’t because of a
funding crisis.
Instead, the school issued iBooks—laptop computers by Apple Computer Inc.—to each of its 340
students, becoming one of the first U.S. public schools to shun printed textbooks.
School officials believe the electronic materials will get students more engaged in learning. Empire High,
which opened this year, was designed specifically to have a textbook-free environment.
“We’ve always been pretty aggressive in use of technology and we have a history of taking risks,” said
Calvin Baker, superintendent of the Vail Unified School District, with 7,000 students near Tucson.
Schools typically overlay computers onto their instruction “like frosting on the cake,” Baker said. “We
decided that the real opportunity was to make the laptops the key ingredient of the cake . . . to truly
change the way that schools operated.”
Used with permission of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.
Source B
Delaney, Kevin J. “Teaching Tools.” Wall Street Journal 17 Jan. 2005: R4. Print.
The following is excerpted from an article in a national newspaper.
Pioneering teachers are getting their classes to post writing assignments online so other students can
easily read and critique them. They’re letting kids practice foreign languages in electronic forums instead
of pen-and-paper journals. They’re passing out PDAs to use in scientific experiments and infrared gadgets
that let students answer questions in class with the touch of a button. And in the process, the educators
are beginning to interact with students, parents and each other in ways they never have before.
The issue is, “how do we communicate with students today who have grown up with technology from the
beginning?” says Tim Wilson, a technology-integration specialist at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka,
Minn.
Reprinted with permission of Kevin J. Delaney/Wall Street Journal. Copyright © 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Source C
Dyson, Esther. Untitled essay. What We Believe But We Cannot Prove: Today’s Leading Thinkers on Science
in the Age of Certainty. Ed. John Brockman. New York: Harper, 2006. 192-194. Print.
We’re living longer and thinking shorter.
It’s all about time.
Modern life has fundamentally and paradoxically changed our sense of time. Even as we live longer, we
seem to think shorter. Is it because we cram more into each hour, or because the next person over seems
to cram more into each hour? For a variety of reasons, everything is happening much faster, and more
things are happening. Change is a constant.
It used to be that machines automated work, giving us more time to do other things, but now machines
automate the production of attention-consuming information, which takes our time. For example, if one
person sends the same e-mail message to ten people, then ten people (in theory) should give it their
attention. And that’s a low-end example.
The physical friction of everyday life—the time it took Isaac Newton to travel by coach from London to
Cambridge, the dead spots of walking to work (no iPod), the darkness that kept us from reading—has
disappeared, making every minute not used productively into an opportunity lost.
And finally, we can measure more, over smaller chunks of time. From airline miles to calories (and carbs
and fat grams), from friends on Friendster to steps on a pedometer, from real-time stock prices to
millions of burgers consumed, we count things by the minute and the second. Unfortunately, this carries
over into how we think and plan: Businesses focus on short-term results; politicians focus on elections;
school systems focus on test results; most of us focus on the weather rather than on the climate.
Everyone knows about the big problems, but their behavior focuses on the here and now. . . .
How can we reverse this?
It’s a social problem, but I think it may also herald a mental one—which I imagine as a sort of mental
diabetes. Most of us grew up reading books (at least occasionally) and playing with noninteractive toys
that required us to make up our own stories, dialogue, and behavior for them. But today’s children are
living in an information-rich, time-compressed environment that often seems to stifle a child’s
imagination rather than stimulate it. Being fed so much processed information—video, audio, images,
flashing screens, talking toys, simulated action games—is like being fed too much processed, sugar-rich
food. It may seriously mess up children’s informational metabolism—their ability to process information
for themselves. Will they be able to discern cause and effect, put together a coherent story line, think
scientifically, read a book with a single argument rather than a set of essays?
I don’t know the answers, but these questions are worth thinking about, for the long term.
Source D:
Johnson, Steven. Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We Create and
Communicate. New York: Basic, 1999. Print.
The following is an excerpt in which the author reflects on his early experience using a computer. Fastforward a decade or two, and I can’t imagine writing without a computer. Even jotting down a note with
pen and paper feels strained. . . . I have to think about writing, think about it consciously as my hand
scratches out the words on the page, think about the act itself. There is none of the easy flow of the word
processor, just a kind of drudgery, running against the thick grain of habit. Pen and paper feel profoundly
different to me now—they have the air of an inferior technology about them, the sort of contraption well
suited for jotting down a phone number, but not much beyond that. Writing an entire book by hand
strikes me as being a little like filming Citizen Kane with a camcorder. You can make a go at it, of course,
but on some fundamental level you’ve misjudged the appropriate scale of the technology you’re using. It
sounds appalling, I know, but there it is. I’m a typer, not a writer. Even my handwriting is disintegrating,
becoming less and less my handwriting, and more the erratic, anonymous scrawl of someone learning to
write for the first time.
I accept this condition gladly, and at the same time I can recall the predigital years of my childhood,
writing stories by hand into loose-leaf notebooks, practicing my cursive strokes and then surveying the
loops and descenders, seeing something there that looked like me, my sense of selfhood scrawled onto
the page. On a certain level these two mental states are totally incompatible—bits versus atoms—but the
truth is I have no trouble reconciling them. My “written” self has always fed back powerfully into my
normal, walking-around-doing-more-or-less-nothing self. When I was young that circuit was completed by
tools of ink and paper; today it belongs to the zeros and ones. The basic shape of the circuit is unchanged.
Source E
Gelernter, David. “Should Schools Be Wired To The Internet?” Time. Time Inc., 25 May 1998. Web. 18 Aug.
2006.
The following is excerpted from an article by a computer scientist
I’ve never met one parent or teacher or student or principal or even computer salesman who claimed
that insufficient data is the root of the problem. With an Internet connection, you can gather the latest
stuff from all over, but too many American high school students have never read one Mark Twain novel or
Shakespeare play or Wordsworth poem, or a serious history of the U.S.; they are bad at science, useless at
mathematics, hopeless at writing—but if they could only connect to the latest websites in Passaic [New
Jersey] and Peru, we’d see improvement? The Internet, said President Clinton in February, “could make it
possible for every child with access to a computer to stretch a hand across a keyboard to reach every
book ever written, every painting ever painted, every symphony ever composed.” Pardon me, Mr.
President, but this is demented. Most American children don’t know what a symphony is. If we suddenly
figured out how to teach each child one movement of one symphony, that would be a miracle.
And our skill-free children are overwhelmed by information even without the Internet. The glossy
magazines and hundred-odd cable channels, the videotapes and computer CDs in most libraries and many
homes—they need more information? It’s as if the Administration were announcing that every child must
have the fanciest scuba gear on the market—but these kids don’t know how to swim, and fitting them out
with scuba gear isn’t just useless, it’s irresponsible; they’ll drown.
And it gets worse. Our children’s attention spans are too short already, but the Web is a propaganda
machine for short attention spans. The instant you get bored, click the mouse, and you’re someplace else.
Our children already prefer pictures to words, glitz to substance, fancy packaging to serious content. But
the Web propagandizes relentlessly for glitz and pictures, for video and stylish packaging. And while it’s
full of first-rate information, it’s also full of lies, garbage and pornography so revolting you can’t even
describe it. There is no quality control on the Internet.
Permission granted by David Gelernter
Source F
Boligan, Angel. Cartoon. El Universal [Mexico City]. Cagle Cartoons, 9 Jan. 2008. Web. 17 Aug. 2009.
The following is a cartoon commentary
© Copyright 2008 Angel Boligan. All Rights Reserved.
Unit 5
12th Grade
Task: SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Overview: The Senior Capstone Project is a personalized and culminating project focused on a relevant
and significant social/societal issue. As a citizen of this world, we inherit a variety of social issues and
debates. Your ability to evaluate and understand relevant social issues and to engage purposefully in
debate and discussion is necessary for your success as a 21st century learner.
Project Description:
The Senior Capstone Project is a compilation of student work that includes a variety of fiction and
nonfiction student writing as well as multi media products. Research and reflection notes will be
mandated as students move from choosing a relevant topic that explores a significant social issue to
compiling and organizing research information and finally to presenting research findings via a minimum
of six different genres, such as poetry, editorial writing, interviews, web sites, photographic essays, music,
timelines, letters, posters/flyers, newscasts, etc. as well as in a formal written argumentative research
paper.
Student Learning Objectives:
 I can choose a topic, analyze the rhetoric of opposing views, and apply those views to support my
own claim.
 I can determine if a source is useful and accurate for answering my research question; I can utilize
information to from these sources without plagiarizing other’s words and ideas.
 I can identify and apply the elements of writing rhetoric in order to:
o answer a self-generated question
o solve a problem
o narrow or broaden my inquiry when appropriate
o synthesize multiple sources on my subject of inquiry
o demonstrate understanding of the subject of investigation.
 I can write arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence;
alternate or opposing perspectives are explored and addresses.
 I can identify strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while anticipating the
audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values and possible biases.
 I can present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct
perspective.
 I can make strategic use of digital media in a presentation to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
 I can adapt speech to the context of a formal Capstone Project presentation, demonstrating a
command of formal English
Project Parameters:
 Research, discoveries and results of this project will be connected in some way to the
community (e.g. interviews, job shadow, volunteer hours, start a petition at
www.change.org, presentation to a business or community member, etc.)
 Incorporate all 3 types of writing (Informative/Explanatory, Argument, Narrative) in your
project.
 Provide 1.) Bibliography/Works Consulted page (recommended 15 sources) and 2.) an
annotated Works Cited page (recommended 6 sources).
Skill Building for the Senior Capstone Project
Unit 1
 Skill building check point: Synthesize multiple sources; identify rhetorical
strategies and their effectiveness
 CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing: College Application Letter or Cover
Letter for employment
Unit 2
 Skill building check point: Present information/findings in a multimedia
format
 CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing: Literary Analysis
Unit 3
 Skill building check point: Begin research process for CAPSTONE topic;
generate research questions and analyze reliability of sources;
 CFA Writing Focus- Informational/Explanatory Writing: Rhetorical Analysis
based on a single text.
Unit 4
 CFA Writing Focus- Argument Writing: Full synthesis essay from multiples
sources
Unit 5
 Capstone Project drafting, revision, and finalizing of all components
(summative product)
Unit 6
 Capstone Project presentation and assessment
 CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing: Letter of Advice to Incoming
Freshmen
Unit 6 CFA
12th Grade
Unit 6 CFA: CFA Writing Focus- Narrative Writing
Task: Write a “Letter of Advice” for Incoming Freshmen (Narrative Writing)—to be delivered to freshman
in their English classes in the fall.
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Table of Contents
Introduction (for instructor)
Senior Capstone Project Overview
Genre Choice list
Senior Capstone Formal Argument Research Paper
Senior Capstone Project: patterns
Genre Suggestions for Unites 1-4
Sample Graph Genre assignment: Who is responsible?
Sample Recipe Genre assignment
Senior Capstone Project Reflection Paper
Audience Assessment Assignment
Senior Capstone Project Endnotes
INTRODUCTION:
The Senior Capstone Project is a personalized and culminating Senior project focused on a
relevant and significant social/societal issue. As a citizen of this world, we inherit a variety of social issues and
debates. Students’ ability to evaluate and understand relevant social issues and to engage purposefully in debate
and discussion is a necessary skill for success as a 21st century learner and citizen.
The Senior Capstone Project culminates in a compilation of research-based student work which includes a formal
argument research paper and a portfolio with six multi-genre products that present research findings in narrative
and expository, fiction and nonfiction formats.

The Capstone includes table of contents, end notes, a works consulted page, a works cited page, and
ongoing reflection notes as students choose a relevant and significant social issue, research, compile and
organize research information, and present findings in both an MLA-formatted argument research paper
and a multi-genre portfolio that showcases research findings.

Examples of multi-genre products include poetry, editorial writing, cartoons, interviews, web sites,
catalogs, photographic essays, maps, timelines, letters, posters/flyers, newscasts, etc.

Teaching a variety of genres (see Genre Suggestions for Units 1-4) throughout the year is
recommended to prepare students for their Capstones.

This resource packet contains a variety of documents to help you organize and teach the Senior Capstone
Project. Please feel free to modify and supplement as you go through the process. We would love to hear
about your experiences and get copies of any supplements, student samples, etc. as we continue to
compile district-wide supports for ELA maps and assessments. (send to: Arna Clark
(arna.clark@canyonsdistrict.org), Michelle Ritter (michelle.ritter@canyonsdistrict.org), or Leslie
Robinette (leslie.robinette@cayonsdsitrict.org).

The CFAs for Units 4-6 revolve around the Senior Capstone Project and include additional descriptions and
explanations for you and for students.

Students will submit the formal paper to you and present the portfolio to their classmates. Giving out
prizes or bonuses for class winners adds a little friendly competition. Inter-class competitions can be judged
by other teachers, counselors, administration with prizes going to the grand winners. Administration
usually has a few gift cards and T shirts floating around to donate to the cause. Members of our
community could also be brought in for judging or elements of the formal presentation.
Senior Capstone Project Overview
For this project you will select and research a significant social issue. You will report your findings in both a formal
MLA-format argument research paper that states and defends a claim with research evidence and a multi-genre
portfolio made up of six products that creatively and effectively convey your research findings. You will submit
your paper to your teacher and present your portfolio to your classmates.
What should you create based on all the research, reading, sharing and writing you will do?
I don’t know what your Senior Capstone will look like, how long it will be, or what forms it will take. I hope that you
use your individuality and interests to choose different topics, to research topics in different ways, and to create
final produces that reflect the uniqueness of your personality. These are the things I DO want: I want your papers
to be thorough; I want to know your subject when I am through reading your formal papers and watching your
portfolio presentations. I want your papers to be creative; I want to see imaginative uses of words, unique types of
writing, graphics or artwork to convey the information, and fascinating arrangements of the pieces of writing both
on individual pages and within the portfolio as a whole. I want your projects to convey that you were completely
involved with your subject, that you were willing to take risks, that because you care, you gave your very best
effort. I want to be able to turn to whoever is around when I am reading your paper and say, “Wow! Listen to
this!” Your classmates should leave the room after your presentation feeling like they truly understand your topic.
What to consider as you begin your research.

You will select six genres to tell the story of your research topic.

Information about your subject should not be repeated in several pieces.

Choose the best genre for the research information; e.g., a map would not be the best genre choice to
present biographical background on a scientist!

The multi-genre pieces should look professional and authentic.

The multi-genre pieces should be arranged in some logical order.

Not all genres are created equal! Some genres may not earn as many points as others because they do not
require the same amount of effort OR they do not incorporate sufficient information from your research.
Therefore, choose wisely! More “light-weight” genres are included at the bottom of the genre choice boxes
below. They can be included for to enhance your portfolio and truly make it stand out.

You will see several samples of genre work by former students so you know what you are expected to do.
Genre Choice List
Informational
Trivia game
Biography
Speech
Medical Records
Resume
Encyclopedia Entry
How-to/Tutorial
Poll/Survey
FAQs
Brochure
Will
Public Service Announcement
Creative
Play
Short Story
The ABCs of…
Two Voice poem
Found poem
Diary entry
Letters b/w 2 people
Recipe
Personal Data/Favorites
Scrapbook Page
Book Jacket
Brochure
Monologue
Visual/Digital Display
Artwork
Glogster (collage)
Wordle
Map
Facebook page
Prezi
Playlist
Trailer/Video
Commercial
Wiki/Website/Blogspot
Podcast
Pinterest Board
Statistical
Graph
Chart
Timeline
Map
Flow Chart
Diagrams
Catalog
Calendar
Nutritional Label
Journalism
Newspaper article
Obituary
Editorial
Letter to the Editor
Advice Column
Magazine article
Interview
Want Ads
Other Options
Board game
Shopping list
Song lyrics
Eulogy
Various presentation apps-clear with
teacher first
Visual with Words
Advertisement
Trading cards
Wanted poster
Invitation
Birth Certificate
Death Certificate
Photo journal
GENRE CHECKLIST





Are there 15-20 facts?
Is this the best genre for the
info?
Does it look authentic?
Is it my original work?
Are the info & purpose
clear?
Additional genre options (for use as extras, for effect or “above and beyond” components)
Telegram
Death Certificates
Wordle
Invitations
Cartoons
Caricatures
Birth Certificates
Comic Strips
Wanted Posters
Medical Records
Job Applications
Six Word Memoirs
Shopping List
Aphorisms
Bumper Stickers
Eulogy
Menu
Personal Data/Favorites sheet
SENIOR CAPSTONE FORMAL ARGUMENT RESEARCH PAPER
GETTING STARTED
You should have a topic that is interesting to you. You need to narrow the topic down and generate a thesis statement for
your topic. For example, my topic may be world hunger. That is far too broad and will not get me anywhere. I might want to
focus on a specific area of the world that experiences hunger; however, will that provide me with enough information? I
might want to research what causes world hunger which narrows the field again, but will that give me enough sides of the
issue to examine? I might want to look into what people are doing to stop/alleviate world hunger; and more specifically, I
might want to argue that countries such as the United States (or other developing nations) should provide their resources to
fledgling nations in order to stop the spread of world hunger. There. Now I am getting somewhere. After you have a topic
and a thesis statement you need to provide for me the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are you going to be researching and then presenting?
What is your thesis statement?
Why are you interested in this topic? How is this topic relevant to you and your audience?
What do you think you will learn by researching this topic?
Do you think there may be any potential challenges with the topic you have chosen to research?
Your proposal needs to be typed, double spaced, AT THE VERY LEAST ONE PAGE, with complete thoughts and all the above
questions answered fully that demonstrate critical thinking. This is an assignment that cannot be late. No Exceptions. If your
topic and thesis are sound, then I will give you the go ahead to proceed with the Capstone Project.
Due:
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT: patterns
Students can use the organizational patterns and corresponding research questions below to effectively
convey research information in their formal argument paper and in their multi-genre portfolios.
Pattern
Description
Cue Words
Description
Students describe a topic by listing characteristics, features, and
examples
for example, characteristics are
Sequence
Students list items or events in chronological order.
next; then; finally
Compare
and
Contrast
Students explain how two or more things are alike and/or how
they are different.
different; in contrast; alike; same
as; on the other hand
Cause and
Effect
Students list one or more causes and the resulting effect or
effects.
reasons why; if...then; as a result;
therefore; because
Problem and Students present a problem and lists one or more solutions for
Solution
the problem. A variation of this pattern is the question- andanswer format in which students pose a question and then
answers it.
Narrative
Embedding
problem is; dilemma is; puzzle is
solved; question... answer
Students embed narratives within the researched information for
This reminds me of…
specific purposes, such as clarification, elaboration on a point or
I remember a time when…
connections between the subject matter and personal
I can relate to this because…
experiences.
Questions to ask
Category of the research that must be covered
Pattern
Description
What are the key statistics/terms/people
associated with your topic?
Sequence
Why is your topic an issue? What is the
background and historical basis for your issue?
Compare and Contrast
What are the multiple perspectives surrounding
your topic? Rarely there is a “right” or “wrong”
way to view things…
Cause and Effect
What other issues contribute to your topic?
How does your topic affect other issues/people/
nations, etc.
Problem and Solution
It is clear your topic is an issue. Now what?
What does the future look like? What happens
now?
Genres that link to the pattern and
category. (To be determined by
students).
Narrative Embedding
How does the issue relate to you personally?
Your community? The world as a global
community?
Genre Suggestions for Units 1-4
Unit One: The Power of Words
 Letter to the Editor
 Editorial
 Cartoon/Comic
 Found Poem
 Two-Voice Poem
Unit Two: Archetypes and the Archetypal Hero
 Recipe for a Hero*
 Interview
 Facebook Page
 Character Pie Chart*
Unit Three: Utopia and Dystopia
 Book jacket/folder
 Board Game
 Photo journal
 Trading Cards
 Travel Brochure
Unit Four: Equity and Disparity
 Charts, diagrams*
 Trivia Game
 Magazine/News Article
 Interview
 Nutritional Labels
Who Is Responsible? (SAMPLE GRAPH GENRE)
Directions: You will be determining who was responsible for creating the Holocaust and to what extent they are guilty of crimes against
humanity. Keep in mind Moshe the Beadle’s council to Eli in Night: “He explained to me, with great emphasis, that every question
possessed a power that was lost in the answer.” Below are the criteria for the assignment:
o
o
o
Create a pie chart where you assign the person(s)/group(s) listed below a percentage of responsibility you believe
they should bear for their role in the Holocaust. Remember, all percentages must add up to 100%. In addition, you
must include all person(s)/group(s) in some capacity.
The pie chart should have a key and be clearly labeled. Use colors listed below for each graph section.
After you have made the designations of responsibility for each person(s)/group(s), you must also provide written
evidence indicating why you assigned the given amount. Each person(s)/group(s) will have a claim and a minimum
of two pieces of logical evidence substantiating your claim. Logical evidence could include the following
suggestions: statements that explain their role in the Holocaust; specific government policies or reports; quotes from
individuals; statistics from reputable historical sites; media reports; propaganda. Keep in mind what are credible
sources vs. what are not. Additionally, keep in mind what is considered evidence.
For example: stating that Hitler should be assigned 70% of the blame (claim) and then indicating he was a man who
hated everyone because he is prejudice (evidence) is not sufficient evidence to support such a large portion of blame.
While it could be deduced that he was indeed prejudice, that is not enough to merit 70%. Your evidence should be of
logical quality to support the percentages you choose to assign…
o
o
You will also need a works cited page indicating your sources.
You will be evaluated based on the professionalism of your graphic, the quality of your evidence, and the credibility
of your sources.
RED: Residents of Auschwitz and other towns near concentration camps who knew about the camps but did nothing to stop
them.
BLUE: Minor Nazi soldiers who carried out the mass extermination orders without questioning their superiors.
GREEN: Hitler, the leader of the German nation, who hated Jews and wanted them destroyed.
YELLOW: German citizens who voted for Hitler and the Nazi Party to revitalize their morally and economically depressed
country.
ORANGE: The Jews who did not try to escape from the Nazis prior to their departure to the camps.
PURPLE: Top SS officers who designed and executed the "final solution" for Hitler.
BROWN: Non-Jewish Europeans who turned against their Jewish friends and fellow citizens for fear that they too would be
imprisoned as Jewish sympathizers.
WHITE: Leaders of the Allied countries who saw evidence of the Holocaust but refused to get involved or voice opposition to
Hitler's plan of extermination.
PINK: Churches of all denominations who remained silent and refused to intervene when confronted with evidence of the
Holocaust.
BLACK: Yahweh, the God of the Jewish faith, who seemed absent and silent during this destruction of His chosen people.
Writing a recipe (SAMPLE GENRE)
What are the causes of inequity in a community?
Today, I would like us to answer one of the essential questions from our unit: what are the causes of inequity in a
community? To answer the question, you are going to write a recipe including “ingredients” you feel contribute to
imbalances in society. You will be creating these recipes in small groups. Groups will decide on what the ingredients are and
then how to put the recipe together using appropriate nouns, verbs, and directions. In the end, the group should have a
recipe that answers our essential question for today. Be creative, have fun, but please take it seriously as the recipe should
reflect aspects of your research. Below are the criteria for your recipe:
1) Use the recipes I have brought as examples to look for various nouns and verbs used in a typical cooking recipe. In
addition, use these recipes as the model for yours. For example: in most cookie recipes, flour and sugar are the
greatest ingredients in use. However, the use of smaller ingredients such as vanilla, baking soda, or salt is just as
important. What will be the four and sugar for your recipe? What ingredients may be smaller in amount (salt,
vanilla, etc.), but without them, the recipe would undoubtedly be altered?
2) Your recipe should have a minimum of 10 ingredients of varying amounts.
3) Your recipe should use nouns and verbs that would be found in a typical recipe.
4) Your recipe should have a minimum of seven directions. Recipes indicate which ingredients to add when and what to
do with them. Label the directions clearly and use concise language reflecting the appropriate outcome of your
recipe.
5) When you group has brainstormed and made decisions, you will be writing your recipe on a “recipe card”. We will
evaluate these recipes and decide which one accurately reflects our essential question: what are the causes of
inequity in a community?
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Reflection Paper
Name:
/Topic
1. Why did you choose your topic? Do you think that this was a good decision? Why or why not?
2. What goals did you have for your research? Did you meet them?
3. What about your topic interested you the most?
4. How easy/hard was it to collect your information? Explain.
5. What did you learn about the research process from this project? Be specific.
6. What criteria did you use in deciding on the genres to include in your paper?
7. What genre was the hardest/most challenging to write? Why?
8. What genre was the most interesting/fun? Why?
9. How did you decide on the organization of the pieces into a cohesive whole?
10. Did you enjoy this project? Why or why not? What changes would you make?
Finally, please provide an overall assessment of your project based on content, organization, creativity, mechanics and effort.
How many points out of a 100 would you give yourself?
Overall Assessment (by Student) _______/100
AUDIENCE ASSESSMENT: How do you determine the knowledge, opinions, needs, and wants of your target audience?
What are you
Trying to get your
 Persuade
Audience to know,
 Motivate
Feel/do?



Excite
Scare
Warn
You need to consider the following questions:
9. Who:
a. Who is your audience?
10. Understanding:
a. What does the audience already know about the topic?
b. What background does the audience need to have in order to have a better understanding of your topic?
11. Demographics:
a. What is the age, gender, and educational background of your audience?
12. Interest:
a. Why in the world is your audience going to be reading/listening/partaking in your topic?
b. Will the audience be interested by your topic? Why?
c. Why should your audience care about your topic?
13. Environment:
a. Where will this information be received?
14. Needs:
a. What are the needs of the audience? Do they need to be informed, entertained, and amused? Should they be
motivated to action?
15. Customize:
a. What specific needs should you address?
b. What values to you share with the audience?
c. What values of yours are different?
i. Will the audience object to your values?
ii. How to you address any objections within your topic? (Remember: you may not change everybody’s
mind, but you can sway them to consider reasonably sound arguments).
16. Expectation:
a. What does the audience expect to learn from your topic?
The Assignment: Your task is to complete an audience assessment evaluating these questions in a written form. If you do not
know the answers to these questions, then you have not considered the full scope of your topic.
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Endnotes
Your endnotes analyze your research experience at the conclusion of the Capstone Project. How did you decide to use this
genre? What difficulties did you have with finding/organizing information? What did you like best about it? Where is the
source of information for the piece?
This is the second to last page of your project, typed on a separate sheet. NOTE: This is not your works consulted or works
cited page. Each endnote should be at least 100+ words in length.
You will number your endnotes by genre number. This means that your first genre in your booklet will correspond to endnote
#1 and so on.
Two examples of endnotes:
1. This has to be my favorite genre. I documented many facts from Rogers and John Swick’s Boondock’s information.
These facts were scattered in various web sources, so I had to finally compile a complete impression I had of Uncle
Sam. While writing the poem, I had trouble rhyming phrases with “Wilson” though. In the end, it was worth the
hours of rhyming to produce such an impressive piece. In order to make Uncle Sam seem like a playful person, I used
the ABAB rhyme scheme.
2. The first part of my research had contained an overwhelming amount of information about the Gilded Age. Cartoons
arrived in that period with the father of political cartoons, Thomas Nast. In The Ungentlemanly Art, the beginning
chapters focused on Nast’s accomplishments. I further used the Thomas Nast biography for specifics. I used a
newspaper article for this genre because Nast often drew for Harper’s Weekly. I also used the alternative writing
style of double voice between Nast and Tweed, as if the two were indirectly arguing. The genre went smoothly
because of the amount of information I had.
HELPFUL HINTS





Choose a point of view from which to convey the information (concerned citizen, activist, college student, small
business owner, taxpayer, etc.)
Use effective transitions between genres-put genres in a logical sequence
Make effective choices of genres
Make sure the genres make sense with your topic
Appearance matters- from the cover of your project to the fonts, colors pictures, etc. that you use affect your
presentation in every way!
Twelfth Grade
English Language Arts
2014-15 Year at a Glance
Unit Theme
Essential
Question
8 weeks
5 weeks
7 weeks
5 weeks
5 weeks
6 weeks
UNIT 1: The Power of
Words
UNIT 2: Archetypes in
Life & Literature
Where do archetypes
originate, what
explains their
longevity, and what
societal values do they
reflect?
UNIT 3: The Quest for
Utopia
What are the
elements of an ideal
society---and who
decides?
UNIT 4: Equity &
Disparity
UNIT 5: Change and
Tradition
How does literature
depict and inform the
reader’s perceptions
of equity and
disparity?
How does the
dissonance between
tradition and change
shape individuals and
societies?
UNIT 6: Transition to
Adulthood
What qualities,
characteristics, and
events contribute to
shaping your
identity?
What power do words
have over individuals
and societies?
Narrative
(college application or
letter of intent)
Writing Focus
Informative/
Explanatory
Informative/
Explanatory
(literary analysis)
(effectiveness of rhetoric
and text structures)
Social Studies
Connections
How does geography
affect language?
How does language
evolve over time?
What historical events
shaped our definition of
an archetype?
Science
Connections
How do we use language
to clearly communicate
and represent scientific
ideas to different
audiences?
What limitations or
advancements does a
society place on
scientific research?
Rhetorical Device &
Triangle, Claim, Logical
Fallacy, Logos, Ethos,
Pathos, Diction, Parody,
Irony, Figurative Language,
Tone, Satire, Structure,
Allusion, Analogy, Speaker,
Propaganda, Purpose
Archetype, Allegory,
Conflict (internal v.
external), Paradox, Tragedy,
Hubris, Hamartia, Catharsis,
Epiphany, Myth,
Characterization
Key Terms
Informative/
Explanatory
Narrative
Argument
Argument
(letter of advice for
incoming Freshmen)
(synthesis essay)
(Capstone research paper;
begin Multi Genre
Portfolio)
How do we negotiate the
demands of
development, the
responsible allocation of
resources, and
environmental
conservation?
How can individuals and
societies protect human
rights and dignity?
Who or what determines
whether a tradition is
changed or sustained?
How do we grow up by
adapting to our
environment?
How has science
improved society?
How does science
influence the politics
and economics of a
society?
How has science affect
superstition and shift
perspectives and
paradigms?
What is the role of
environment versus
DNA in shaping
identity?
Equality, Cultural
Identity, Disparity,
Ethnocentrism,
Oppression, Pluralism,
Ethics, Tolerance,
Multiculturalism,
Assimilation, Equity
Cognitive Dissonance,
Paradigm Shift,
Metacognition
Quest, Bildungsroman
(rhetorical analysis)
Argument
(foundational research
skills)
Propaganda, Satire,
Utopia, Dystopia,
Humanism,
Humanities,
Existentialism
(completion and
presentation of Capstone
project)
Twelfth Grade Unit 1 Theme: The Power of Words
In this unit students will have an overview of the power of words through reading and writing. Students will learn terms and skills for argument,
informative/explanatory, and narrative writing and produce short samples of all three areas of writing focus.
Essential
Question
What power do •
words have over •
individuals and
societies?
Supporting Questions
READING
What are the purposes of communication?
How does the ability to communicate affect
our social, economic, and academic
opportunities?
• What are the components of effective rhetoric
and literary expression?
• What is the role of social media in shaping
perception?
• How does social media affect communication
styles and relationships?
• What ethical considerations should guide our
use of media and technology?
• In what ways does academic language foster
and convey clear, analytical, critical thinking in
all subject areas?
• How does language evolve over time?
(BOLD = priority standard building towards Senior Capstone Project)
ELA Core Standards
Key Terms
Writing Focus
Rhetorical Device,
Rhetorical Triangle,
Claim/Thesis, Logical
Fallacy, Logos, Ethos,
Pathos, Diction, Satire,
Irony, Figurative
Language, Tone,
Structure, Allusion,
Analogy, Speaker,
Propaganda, Purpose,
Parody
Informative/
Explanatory
(effectiveness
of rhetoric and
text structures)
&
Narrative
(college
application or
letter of intent)
Science
Connections
How do we use
language to clearly
communicate and
represent scientific
ideas to different
audiences?
Social Studies Connections
How does geography affect
language?
How does language evolve
over time?
How does language shape
identity?
Student Learning Targets
RI.11-12.2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the
text.
•
•
I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact together to
provide meaning.
I can summarize the text.
RI.11-12.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses
in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points
clear, convincing, and engaging.
RL.11-12.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific
parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide
a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well
as its aesthetic impact.
RI.11-12.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the
rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the
power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
•
•
I can analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the author's structure.
I can analyze and evaluate use of structure in creating a clear, convincing, and
engaging text.
I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
I can evaluate the style of the text and how it adds to the meaning of the text.
•
•
•
•
•
I can determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text.
I can analyze how a text's style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of a text.
ELA Core Standards
W.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex
ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.11-12.2 (a): Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information
so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole;
include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.11-12.2 (b): Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and
relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (c) Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex
ideas and concepts.
WRITING
W.11-12.2 (d): Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques
such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (e): Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
W.11-12.2 (f): Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or
the significance of the topic).
W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.11-12.3 (a): Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences
or events.
W.11-12.3 (b): Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
Student Learning Targets
•
I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
• I can effectively select, organize, and analyze content in my
informative/explanatory writing.
• I can introduce a topic, and build complex ideas and concepts to create an
organized and unified whole.
I can use formatting, graphics and multi-media to aid comprehension when useful.
●
I can identify my audience and use relevant concrete details (facts, extended
definitions, quotations, or other information) to develop the topic thoroughly.
•
●
I can use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax (sentence fluency) to link
major sections of the text.
I can create cohesion and clarify relationships, complex ideas, and concepts through
the use of transitions.
●
I can use precise word choice and relevant vocabulary to direct the reader
through the topic.
●
I can use metaphor, simile, and analogy to direct the reader through the topic.
•
●
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
●
I can provide a concluding statement that supports the information or
explanation presented.
I can use my conclusion to articulate the implication or significance of the topic.
• I can write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences or events.
I can use effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences to write my narrative.
• I can create a problem, situation, or observation that is engaging and
communicate its importance to the reader.
• I can establish one or more points of view and introduce a narrator and/or
characters.
• I can create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
• I can use narrative techniques (such as dialogue, packing, description, reflection,
and multiple plot lines) to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (c): Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on
one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and
outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
•
I can use a variety of techniques to sequence events that build on one another to
create a meaningful whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome.
W.11-12.3 (d): Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language
to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
•
I can use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the events, setting, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (e): Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
•
I can write a conclusion that reflects on what is experienced and resolved over
the course of the narrative.
•
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
SL.11-12.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
•
SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range
or formal and informal tasks.
•
•
•
•
I can evaluate how a speaker uses evidence, reasoning, point of view, and
rhetoric.
I can evaluate the speaker's stance, premises, word choice, connects among
ideas, points of emphasis, and tone used.
I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point of
view.
I can present information so that listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a
command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
•
• I can change my speech depending on my audience, situation and task.
I can demonstrate that I know how to use English properly.
ELA Core Standards
●
Student Learning Targets
L.11-12.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to
comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
•
•
I can understand how language functions in different contexts.
I can make choices in language to understand reading or listening.
L.11-12.3 (a). Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g.,Tufte’s Artful
Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of
complex texts when reading.
•
I can use a variety of references to understand syntax (sentence fluency) when
reading complex texts.
Unit 1 Text Resources
Literary
Short Story: Catbird Seat by James Thurber
Short Story: There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
Short Story: Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston (L-1080)*
Short Story: Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
Epic Poem: Book 24 The Iliad (L-1040)*
Poem: Miniver Cheevey by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Literary nonfiction essay: A History of The World Richard Lederer
Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish
Poem: Riprap by Gary Snyder
Poem: Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the recommended
Lexile range for that grade level.
Informational
Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural by Abraham Lincoln
I Have a Dream ABC News (coverage of MLK Memorial)
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. (full speech)
Not by Math Alone by Sandra Day O’Connor
1997: Princess Diana dies in Paris crash BBC News
Queen Elizabeth's Diana Princess of Wales tribute- Queen Elizabeth's Speech Audio
file, A Granada Production
Earl Spencer's Eulogy for Diana Audio file, American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales Wikipedia
Death of The "Death" of a Princess Diana Mave’s Blog, (BBC, Queen Elizabeth, Earl
Spencer, Wikipedia)
Youtube: Bobby Kennedy’s speech when MLK died
Propaganda posters: Change, German Propaganda Archive,
Twelfth Grade
Unit 1
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Rhetorical Device
Definition
A technique that an author or speaker uses to motivate or persuade the audience; e.g., irony, understatement, hyperbole,
syntax, allusion, analogy, diction, repetition, et al.
Rhetorical Triangle
a.k.a. Aristotelian Triangle (speaker, audience, topic, purpose, and context)
Speaker/Voice/Persona The personality, attitude or character “speaking” in the text (not necessarily the author)
Audience
The intended readers or listeners of the text/speech
Purpose
The reason for creating the text or speech (i.e. to shock, to persuade, to entertain, to inform…)
Claim/Thesis
main argument, assertion; the central idea to be proven by supporting evidence and analysis
Logical Fallacy
An incorrect or false application of logic; common error in reasoning that undermines the logic of the argument
Logos
Ethos
Pathos
Diction
Logos (Logical)—Aristotle's favorite. The logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and
statistics used to help support the argument.
Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, refers to the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority and trustworthiness.
Pathos (Emotional)—the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details
that appeal to the heart rather than the intellect.
Word choice and the impact of connotations and denotations of words.
Figurative Language
A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.
Examples include hyperbole or exaggeration, litotes or understatement, simile and metaphor, and personification.
Structure
The physical organization of a text (e.g. chapters, sections, stanzas) and the content/topical organization of the text (e.g.
organizing a story around significant events in a character’s life, or organizing a poem around the seasons). In a literary text,
structure can include exposition, conflict, climax, falling action/denouement, and resolution.
Irony
A contrast or discrepancy between what is said and what is meant or between what happens and what is expected to happen in
life and in literature. In verbal irony, characters say the opposite of what they mean. In irony of circumstance or situation, the
opposite of what is expected occurs. In dramatic irony, a character speaks in ignorance of a situation or event known to the
audience or to the other characters.
Satire
A literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies,
abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into
improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit
as a weapon.
Parody
A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule. The genre of literature
comprising such works. Something so bad as to be equivalent to intentional mockery; a travesty.
Tone
A literary element that is a part of a text, which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied
in a literary work.
Allusion
A short, informal reference to a famous person, place or event especially from the Bible, Shakespeare, and Greek mythology.
Analogy
Compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult
idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one. E.g. To explain to a surfer what snow boarding
is like by comparing the two sports.
Propaganda
Information which is false or which emphasizes just one part of a situation, used by a government or political group to make
people agree with them.
Unit 1 Planning and Notes
Twelfth Grade Unit 2: Archetypes in Life & Literature
In this unit students will analyze literature with archetypal characters and draw conclusions about society’s values.
Informational/Explanatory writing will be emphasized.
Essential Question
Where do archetypes
originate, what explains
their longevity, and what
societal values do they
reflect?
Supporting Questions
•
•
•
•
•
How have our definitions of
archetypal characters remained
constant or shifted according to
our evolving cultural
values? Why?
How are archetypes manifested
in modern media, literature and
current events?
How do archetypal characters,
themes and settings embody
specific values?
How do these characters or
themes inform us today in the
context of current events,
technologies, cultures, and
values?
What are the characteristics and
values of an archetypal
character? (e.g. Odysseus v. real
or literary heroes of today)
Key Terms
Writing Focus
Science Connections
Archetype, Allegory,
Conflict (internal v.
external), Paradox,
Campbell’s heroic cycle,
Tragedy, Hubris, Hamartia,
Catharsis, Epiphany, Myth,
Characterization
Informative/
Explanatory
(literary
analysis)
How do societal values
define the limitations and
advancements of
scientific research?
READING
ELA Core Standards
RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the
text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as
well as other authors.)
RL.11-12.6: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing
what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony,
or understatement).
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,
recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how
each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and
one play by an American dramatist.)
Social Studies
Connections
What historical
events shaped our
definition of an
archetype?
Student Learning Targets
•
•
•
I can use text to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
I can determine an author's tone through analysis of word choice.
I can determine the figurative and connotative meaning of words and phrases.
•
I can analyze a text's point of view that specifically requires using satire, sarcasm,
irony, or understatement.
•
•
I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
•
RI.11-12.1: 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.
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
•
•
•
•
•
•
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
•
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order
to address a question or solve a problem.
•
I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact together to
provide meaning.
I can summarize the text.
I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the
text.
I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
W.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex
ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and analysis of content.
●
I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
I can effectively select, organize, and analyze content in my
informative/explanatory writing.
W.11-12.2 (a): Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information
so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole;
include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.11-12.2 (b): Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and
relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (c) Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex
ideas and concepts.
●
I can introduce a topic, and build complex ideas and concepts to create an
organized and unified whole.
I can use formatting, graphics and multi-media to aid comprehension when
useful.
I can identify my audience and use relevant concrete details (facts, extended
definitions, quotations, or other information) to develop the topic thoroughly.
W.11-12.2 (d): Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques
such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (e): Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
W.11-12.2 (f): Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or
the significance of the topic).
W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
●
●
●
I can use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax (sentence fluency) to link
major sections of the text.
I can create cohesion and clarify relationships, complex ideas, and concepts through
the use of transitions.
●
I can use precise word choice and relevant vocabulary to direct the reader
through the topic.
●
I can use metaphor, simile, and analogy to direct the reader through the topic.
●
●
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
I can provide a concluding statement that supports the information or
explanation presented.
I can use my conclusion to articulate the implication or significance of the topic.
●
I can draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
W.11-12.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a
range of tasks, purposes.
•
Student Learning Targets
S&L
ELA Core Standards
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range
or formal and informal tasks.
●
●
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
reflections and research.
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point of
view.
I can present information so that listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
Student Learning Targets
L 11-12.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.

I can determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words.
L 11-12.4 (a): Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text;
a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
L 11-12.4 (b): Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate
different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
L 11-12.4 (c): Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its
standard usage.
L 11-12.4 (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).
●
I can use the strategy of context clues to determine the meaning of words.
●
I can use understanding of the parts of speech to indicate different meanings of
words.
●
I can use print and digital references to determine the pronunciation, precise
meaning, part of speech, etymology, and standard use of words.
●
I can check context or reference materials to verify the meaning of a word.
Unit 2 Text Resources
Literary
Epic poem: Beowulf , by anonymous (L 1090)*
Excerpts from Grendel, by John Gardner (L 920)*
Informational
An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope (Suggest Epistle II)
Carl Jung archetypes, www.carl-jung.net
Tragic play: Hamlet, by Shakespeare (L 1390)
Tragic play: Macbeth, by Shakespeare (L 1350)
Epic poem: The Odyssey, by Homer (L 1210) *
Tragic play: Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles (L 1090)*
Tragic play: Antigone, by Sophocles (L 1090)*
Tragic play: Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller
Tragic play: Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams
Novel: Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khalid Hosseini (L 830)*
Nobody's Archetype (Condoleeza Rice), The Washington Post
A New Method of Identifying Archetypal Symbols and their Associated Meanings,
European Journal of Social Sciences
Michelle Obama’s Popularity and America’s Obsessive Gaze, Washington Post
‘A Difficult Woman- The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman’ by Alice
Kessler-Harris, Washington Post
Reopened civil rights cases evoke painful past (Southern archetype), The Washington
Post
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, PBS interview
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the
recommended Lexile range for that grade level.
Excerpt from Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, with Bill Moyers,
www.whidby.com
Excerpt from The Power of Myth: Sacrifice and Bliss, by Joseph Campbell,
mycaravanofdreams.com
Twelfth Grade
Unit 2
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Allegory
Archetype
Campbell’s heroic
cycle
Catharsis
Characterization
Internal conflict
External conflict
Epiphany
Definition
Any writing that has a double meaning. Allegory acts as an extended metaphor in which persons, abstract ideas, or events
represent not only themselves on a literal level, but also stand for something else on a symbolic level. An allegorical reading usually
involves moral or spiritual concepts that may be more significant than the actual, literal events described in a narrative.
An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made, especially a character, an action, or situation that seems to
represent common patterns of human life. Often, archetypes include a symbol, a theme, a setting, or a character that some critics
think have a common meaning in an entire culture, or even the entire human race. These images have particular emotional
resonance and power.
Joseph Campbell’s seventeen stage description of the heroic cycle from his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
The purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art or literature, particularly
tragedy.
The creation and convincing representation of fictional characters.
Psychological struggles within the mind of a literary or dramatic character.
Struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character, which drives the action
of the plot.
An experience of sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe breakthrough scientific, religious or
philosophical discoveries but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be
understood from a new and deeper perspective.
Hamartia
Hamartia, also called tragic flaw, inherent defect or shortcoming in the hero of a tragedy, who is in other respects a superior being
favored by fortune. Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics in describing the tragic hero as a man of noble rank and nature
whose misfortune is not brought about by villainy but by some “error of judgment” (hamartia). This imperfection later came to be
interpreted as a moral flaw, such as Othello’s jealousy or Hamlet’s irresolution. Importantly, the hero’s suffering and its farreaching reverberations are far out of proportion to his flaw.
Hubris
Arrogance, excessive self-pride and self-confidence. The word was used to refer to the emotions in Greek tragic heroes that led
them to ignore warnings from the gods and thus invite catastrophe. It is considered a form of hamartia or tragic flaw that stems
from overbearing pride and lack of piety.
Myth
A story involving man’s encounters with the divine which is passed down through a culture in an attempt to teach the customs and
ideals of a society.
Paradox
A statement that is apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really contains a possible truth. Sometimes the term is applied to a
self-contradictory false proposition. It is also used to describe an opinion or statement that is contrary to generally accepted ideas.
Often, a paradox is used to make a reader consider the point in a new way.
The term is from the Greek paradoxos, meaning “contrary to received opinion” or “expectation.”
An example of paradox is contained in Caesar’s speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar:
Cowards die many times before their deaths.
Act II, scene ii : line 32
Tragedy
A dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a
flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall, death or destruction.
Unit 2 Planning and Notes
Twelfth Grade Unit 3 Theme: The Quest for Utopia
In this unit students will analyze the societal structures and man’s place within those structures which contribute to the quest for an ideal society.
Essential
Question
What is an
ideal
society—and
who decides?
Supporting Questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What systems of government exist
What drives us to seek a utopian society?
Is utopia attainable? At what cost?
What is the “good life”?
Has the concept of “utopia” changed over
time or across cultures and societies?
Why do dystopian societies emerge?
How has science improved society?
Who benefits from technologies? / What are
the societal concerns?
Why do our attempts at building utopias
fail?
How do we negotiate the demands of
development and responsible allocation of
resources and environmental conservation?
How does Science Fiction reflect our innate
desire for utopia?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Key Terms
Writing Focus
Propaganda
Satire
Utopia
Dystopia
Humanism
Humanities
Existentialism
Informative/
Explanatory
READING
RL.11-12.6: Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing
what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm,
irony, or understatement).
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
Argument
(foundational
research skills)
Who benefits
from
technologies?/
What are the
societal concerns
of technology?
What are some
legitimate and
illegitimate uses
of genetic
engineering?
Social Studies Connections
How do we negotiate the
demands of development
and responsible allocation
of resources and
environmental
conservation?
How do different
government systems
(democracy, theocracy,
republic, aristocracy,
monarchy, anarchy)
influence society and the
individual’s quality of life?
How do socio-economic
systems (Capitalism,
Socialism, Communism,
Feudalism) influence
society and the individual’s
quality of life?
ELA Core Standards
RL.11-12.1: 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.
(rhetorical analysis)
Science
Connections
How has science
improved
society?
Student Learning Targets
•
•
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
•
I can analyze a text’s point of view that specifically requires using satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement.
•
I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the
text.
•
I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the
text.
•
I can understand the sequence and development of individuals, ideas, and
events.
I can understand that individuals, ideas, and events can interact and develop
over the course of a text.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in
order to address a question or solve a problem.
•
•
•
I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media
or formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
WRITING
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the
significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying
the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level,
concerns, values, and possible biases.
W.11-12.1 (c). Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and
counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient
evidence.
• I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
• I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
•
•
•
I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
•
I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
W 11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, re-writing, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing on
what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.
• I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while
anticipating the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
•
I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my
claims, reasons, and counterclaims.
•
•
I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop writing
pieces with purpose
•
•
I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing products
in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
W.11-12.7: Conduct short (as well as more sustained) research projects to answer
a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and
digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for
citation.
W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
W 11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
•
I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem through
short as well as sustained research.
I can narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate and combine multiple
sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.
• I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources and
identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
• I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
• I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
• I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
• I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work and
cite my sources in a standard citation format.
• I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
•
ELA Core Standards
SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.
Student Learning Targets
•
•
SPEAKING & LISTENING
•
•
SL.11-12.1 (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, wellreasoned exchange of ideas.
SL.11-12.1 (b): Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and
decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as
needed.
SL.11-12.1 (c): Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that
probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a
topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote
divergent and creative perspectives.
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
I can initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led).
I can initiate and participate with diverse partners on grade 11 topics, texts,
and issues.
I can initiate and participate in discussions and build on others’ ideas.
I can initiate and participate in discussions and express my own ideas clearly
and persuasively.
•
I can come to class prepared, having read and researched the material.
I can use my reading and research as evidence for a thought, well-reasoned
class discussion.
•
I can work with peers to help create a civil and democratic discussion and
promote decision-making.
I can work with peers to set clear goals, deadlines, and establish individual
roles.
•
•
•
•
•
I can pose and respond to questions that examine reasoning and evidence.
I can listen to a variety of positions on a topic or issue.
I can clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
I can promote differing and creative perspectives.
SL.11-12.1 (d): Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize
comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve
contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or
research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a
clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a
range or formal and informal tasks.
SL.11-12.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio,
visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of
findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
•
•
•
I can respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives.
I can blend comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue.
I can use research to provide additional information to investigate, resolve
contradictions, and complete the task.
•
I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point
of view.
I can present information so listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can address alternative or opposing perspectives.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
•
•
•
•
•
I can use digital media in presentations to increase understanding of evidence
and reasoning.
I can effectively use digital media to add interest.
•
ELA Core Standards
LANG
UAGE
L 11-12.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies.
L 11-12.4 (a): Use contexts (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or
text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
Student Learning Targets

I can determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words

I can use the strategy of context clues to determine the meaning of
words.
Unit 3 Text Resources
Literary
Novel: Utopia, by Thomas More (L 1390)
Novel: Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift (L 460)*
Informational
A Primer on Existentialism by Gordon Bigelow
“At Issue: Genetic Engineering” by ProQuest Staff, ProQuest LLC (L 1180)
Short Story: A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Connor
Short Novel: News From Nowhere, by William Morris
Essay: The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Novel: The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand (excerpt, Howard Roark’s courtroom
speech) (L 780)*
Novel: Brave New World, by Aldus Huxley (L 1060)
Novel: Brave New World Revisited, by Aldus Huxley (L 1360)
Short Story: Earth’s Holocaust, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the recommended
Lexile range for that grade level.
“Wake Me Up When Men Get Pregnant” by Tim Cavanaugh, Reason (L 1200)
“Choosing Babies” by Emily Singer, Technology Review (L 1340)
“Coalition Urges Tighter Controls on ‘Extreme Genetic Engineering’” by Brian
Vastag, Washington Post (L 1410)
Creation of a Transgenic Animal, from Animation Archive on www.learner.org
Twelfth Grade
Unit 3
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Democracy
Republic
Aristocracy
Constitutional
Monarchy
Anarchy
Definition
Literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratiā, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos
(“rule”) in the middle of the 5th Century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.
Form of government in which a state is ruled by representatives elected by its populace. The term was originally applied to a form of
government in which the leader is periodically appointed under a constitution; it was contrasted with governments in which
leadership is hereditary. A republic may also be distinguished from direct democracy, though modern representative democracies
are by and large republics.
Government by a relatively small privileged class or by a minority consisting of those felt to be best qualified to rule. Conceived by
the Greek philosophers Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC), aristocracy means the rule of the few best—the
morally and intellectually superior—governing in the interest of the entire population. Such a form of government differs from the
rule of one (by a monarchy or tyrant), of the ambitious, self-interested, or greedy few (oligarchy), or of the many (democracy).
System of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de
facto head of state or a purely ceremonial leader. The constitution allocates the rest of the government’s power to the legislature
and judiciary. Examples: Great Britain, Belgium, Cambodia, Jordan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Thailand.
Cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary. Derived from the Greek
root anarchos (“without authority”).
Capitalism
Economic system in which most of the means of production are privately owned. Production is guided by and income distributed
largely through the operation of markets. Also referred to as Free Market Economy.
Satire
An artistic form in which human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule,
derision, irony, parody, caricature, or other methods, sometimes with an intent to inspire social reform.
Socialism
Social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources.
According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another. Furthermore,
everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to the production of a good is
entitled to a share in it. Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members.
Communism
The political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and
communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society.
Thus, communism is considered a form of socialism, a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates. Exactly how
communism differs from socialism has long been a matter of debate, but the distinction rests largely on the communists’ adherence
to the revolutionary socialism of Karl Marx.
Feudalism
1. A political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to about the 15th century, based on the holding of all land in fief or fee
and the resulting relation of lord to vassal and characterized by homage, legal and military service of tenants, and forfeiture.
2. A political, economic, or social order resembling this medieval system.
Existentialism
Chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an
unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any
certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad.
Classical
Humanism
A group of philosophies and ethical perspectives which emphasize the value and agency of human beings, individually and
collectively, and generally prefers individual thought over established doctrine or faith; originating in the Italian Renaissance (tied to
classical Greek and Latin literature and the Humanities)
Humanities
Academic disciplines that study human culture, including ancient and modern languages, literature, philosophy, religion, visual and
performing arts
Propaganda
Biased or misleading information used to promote a particular political cause or point of view
Utopia
An ideal place or state; any visionary system of political or social perfection
Dystopia
A society characterized by human misery (i.e. squalor, disease, oppression and overcrowding)
Unit 3 Planning and Notes
Twelfth Grade Unit 4 Theme: Equity & Disparity
In this unit students will explore the causes of inequality citing textual evidence, author’s point of view while evaluating and analyzing text.
Essential Question
How does literature
depict and inform the
reader’s perceptions
of equity and
disparity?
What is the role of
equity in society?
Supporting Questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is the difference between equity and
equality?
What are the positives and negatives of the
quest for equality?
Is equity attainable?
How does education and learning affect
equity and disparity?
To what degree am I responsible for equity
in my community?
How can individuals and societies protect
human rights and dignity?
What are the causes of inequity in a
community?
What are the consequences of inequity in a
community?
What systems of segregation are
institutionalized in our society?
How does accessibility affect equity and
disparity?
Key Terms
Writing Focus
Science Connections
Equality, Cultural
Identity, Disparity,
Ethics,
Ethnocentrism,
Oppression,
Pluralism,
Tolerance,
Multiculturalism,
Assimilation,
Equity
Argument
(synthesis essay)
How does science
influence the
politics and
economics of a
society?
READING
ELA Core Standards
How does scientific
knowledge and
technology
influence equity or
disparity between
people?
Social Studies
Connections
How can individuals
and societies protect
human rights and
dignity?
To what degree am I
responsible for
equity in my
community?
What systems of
segregation are
institutionalized in
our society?
Student Learning Targets
•
•
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,
recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how
each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare
and one play by an American dramatist.)
•
•
I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
•
I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
RL.11-12.1: 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.
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the
text.
RI.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author
uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g.,
how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
•
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order
to address a question or solve a problem.
•
I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
•
WRITING
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
•
I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient
evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance
of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create
an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
•
•
•
I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying
the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations
of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns,
values, and possible biases.
•
•
I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while
anticipating the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
W.11-12.1 I. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and
counterclaims.
•
I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my claims,
reasons, and counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
•
•
•
•
•
I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
•
I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W 11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, re-writing, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing on what
is most significant for a specific purpose and audience
•
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
•
•
I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop writing
pieces with purpose
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including
new arguments or information.
•
I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing products
in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
W.11-12.7: Conduct short (as well as more sustained) research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
•
W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of
each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into
the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and
overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
•
W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
•
W 11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
•
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
•
Student Learning Targets
•
I can include multiple sources of information, in a variety of formats and media,
to make decisions and solve problems.
I can evaluate the credibility of sources and note the differences among the
sources.
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and
noting any discrepancies among the data.
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem through
short as well as sustained research.
I can narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate and combine multiple
sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.
I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources and
identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work and
cite my sources in a standard citation format.
I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
L.11-12.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
•
I can demonstrate an understanding of standard English conventions including
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
L.11-12.2 (a): Observe hyphenation conventions
•
I can use hyphens correctly.
L.11-12.2 (b): Spell correctly.
•
I can use correct spelling.
L.11-12.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
•
I can demonstrate an understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and the distinction in words meanings.
•
I can identify figures of speech in the text.
I can analyze the impact of figures of speech in the text.
•
I can analyze the nuances (tone) in the meaning of words with similar meanings.
L.11-12.5 (a): Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and
analyze their role in the text.
L.11-12.5 (b): Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Unit 4 Text Resources
Literary
Informational
Play: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1340L)
Essay: Meditation XVII by John Donne
Novel: Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1160L) *
Economic inequality is the wrong issue, The Washington Post
Novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1070L) *
“Buffet Tax” and truth in numbers, The Washington Post
Novel: Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (900L)*
Down with rent, up with fairness, The Washington Post
Literary nonfiction: Mao’s Last Dancer by Mao (810L)*
Why Social Security is welfare, The Washington Post
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
Why Social Security is NOT welfare, Economist’s View
Children’s literature: If the World Were a Village (1350L)
What is fair about 47 percent in U.S. paying no federal taxes?, The Deseret News
Novel: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
I’m counting every penny, The Daily Beast
Novel: Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Student loans require homework, The Washington Post
Novel: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Cruel and unusual—a test case, The Washington Post
Literary nonfiction: Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell
Texas man wrongly put away for 18 years denied compensation, Yahoo News
Poetry: Junior College by Gary Soto
Should the U.S. legalize hard drugs?, The Washington Post
Poetry: Elements of the San Joaquin Valley by Gary Soto
Getting back in the game, The Salt Lake Tribune
Novel: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
An end to AIDS is within our reach, The Washington Post
Solitary torture, The Washington Post
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the recommended
Lexile range for that grade level.
Same-sex marriage: empathy or right?, The Washington Post
Twelfth Grade
Unit 4
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Equality
Cultural Identity
Disparity
Ethics
Ethnocentrism
Oppression
Pluralism
Definition
The state of being equal in quantity, degree, value, rank or ability.
The identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture.
The lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference
A branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong.
Judging another culture solely by the standards and values of one’s own culture; the belief of superiority in one’s own ethnic group
The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
State of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain their traditional culture within a common
civilization
A fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom
Tolerance
from bigotry.
Multiculturalism A body of thought in political philosophy about the proper way to respond to cultural and religious diversity, in which recognition and positive
accommodation of group differences are the norm
A process by which a group’s native language or culture conforms to those of another group
Assimilation
Equity
Equity (law), a branch of jurisprudence in common law jurisdictions
Equity (economics), the study of fairness in economics
Educational equity, the study and achievement of fairness in education
Intergenerational equity, equality and fairness in relationships between people in different generations (including those yet to be born).
Equity theory, on the relations and perceptions of fairness in distributions of resources within social and professional situations.
Employment equity (Canada), policy requiring or encouraging preferential treatment in employment practices for certain designated groups
Health equity, fairness and justice in health and healthcare
Unit 4 Planning and Notes
Twelfth Grade Unit 5 Theme: Change and Tradition
In this unit students will explore the processes of constructing their own world views.
They will pose and answer a question or solve a problem through sustained, multi-media research.
Essential Question
How does the dissonance
between tradition and
change shape individuals and
societies?
How does my current
knowledge and experience fit
with or conflict with new
knowledge and experience?
•
•
•
•
Supporting Questions
What are the variables that
discourage or encourage
change in society?
How has science shaped
career paths over history?
What is my mental schema?
How do individuals react to
change and cognitive
dissonance?
Key Terms
Cognitive
Dissonance,
Paradigm
Shift,
Metacognition
Writing Focus
Argument
“Capstone
research
project”
•
•
•
•
ELA Core Standards
READING
RL.11-12.1: 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.
RL.11-12.3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is
ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the
text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as
well as other authors.)
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the
text.
Science Connections
How has science affect
superstition and shift
perspectives and
paradigms?
How does science affect
the quality of life, how
have technology advances
influence the progress of
science?
How are theories and
scientific evidence
validated?
How does the quantity and
quality of evidence
influence decision-making
and change?
Social Studies Connections
Who or what determines
whether a tradition is
changed or sustained?
What factors and social
movements elicited social
change, and what factors
have discouraged change?
Student Learning Targets
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•
•
•
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
I can analyze how the author's choices impact the development of a story or
drama.
•
•
•
I can use text to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
I can determine an author's tone through analysis of word choice.
I can determine the figurative and connotative meaning of words and phrases.
•
•
I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact together to
provide meaning.
I can summarize the text.
•
RI.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order
to address a question or solve a problem.
•
•
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
•
I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient
evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance
of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create
an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
•
•
I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying
the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level,
concerns, values, and possible biases.
• I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while
anticipating the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
W.11-12.1 (c). Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and
counterclaims.
•
I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my claims,
reasons, and counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
•
•
I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
•
I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
•
I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–
12 on page 54.)
•
I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop writing pieces
with purpose.
•
I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including
new arguments or information.
•
•
W.11-12.7: Conduct (short as well as) more sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and
digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and over-reliance on any one source and following a standard format
for citation.
•
W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
•
W.11-12.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
for a range of tasks, purposes.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student Learning Targets
SPEAKING & LISTENING
ELA Core Standards
SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and
noting any discrepancies among the data.
•
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a
range or formal and informal tasks.
•
•
•
•
•
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
L.11-12.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
L.11-12.1 (a): Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can
change over time, and is sometimes contested.
L.11-12.1 (b): Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references
(e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American
Usage) as needed.
I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem through
short as well as sustained research.
I can narrow or broaden inquiry when appropriate and combine multiple
sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.
I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources and
identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work and cite
my sources in a standard citation format.
I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
I can include multiple sources of information, in a variety of formats and media,
to make decisions and solve problems.
I can evaluate the credibility of sources and note the differences among the
sources.
I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point of
view.
I can present information so listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can address alternative or opposing perspectives.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
Student Learning Targets
•
I can correctly use standard English conventions, grammar, and usage in writing
and speaking.
•
I can understand that usage changes throughout time and apply it appropriately.
•
I can use references to resolve issues of complex and contested usage.
Unit 5 Text Resources
Literary
Essay: Allegory of the Cave by Plato (L 1370)
The Myth of Assimilation (L 1300)
Essay: The Apology by Plato
One Nation, Indivisible? (L 1530)
Essay: The High-Minded Man by Aristotle (930)*
Sweat of their brows reshapes economy (L 1320)
Novel: Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (L 940)*
Ethnic Shifts Graph
Novel: A Light In August, by William Faulkner
Foreigners Adapt Quickly (L 1350)
Short Story: Barn Burning, by William Faulkner
Powerpoint Immigration Survey
Short Story: A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (L 1270)
A Muslim American reflects on Osama bin Laden’s Death, The Washington Post
Novel: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini (L 830)
Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, by Clarence Page
Novel: Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini (L 840)*
Transgender at 5, The Washington Post
Short Story: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Afghan Girls Who Live as Boys, BBC News Magazine
Novel: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Novel: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Footbinding chapter) by Lisa See
Novel: The Chosen by Chaim Potok (L 970)*
Novel: Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya (L 840)*
Literary nonfiction: The Color of Water by James McBride
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the recommended
Lexile range for that grade level
Informational
Twelfth Grade
Unit 5
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Dissonance
Cognitive
Dissonance
Paradigm Shift
Metacognition
Definition
Lack of agreement, consistency, or harmony; conflict
A discomfort caused by holding conflicting cognitions (e.g., ideas, beliefs, values, emotional reactions) simultaneously. In a state of
dissonance, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment. The theory of cognitive dissonance in social psychology
proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by altering existing cognitions, adding new ones to create a
consistent belief system, or alternatively by reducing the importance of any one of the dissonant elements.
A radical change in underlying beliefs or theory; a fundamental change in approach or assumptions.
"Cognition about cognition," or "knowing about knowing." It includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for
learning or for problem solving.
Unit 5 Planning and Notes
Twelfth Grade Unit 6 Theme: Transition to Adulthood
In this unit students will examine the internal and external forces that shape their identity and maturity.
Essential
Question
What qualities,
characteristics,
and events
contribute to
shaping your
identity?
Supporting Questions
•
•
•
•
•
What is maturity?
What external forces shape your
identity?
What personal choices shape
your identity?
How do we grow up by adapting
to our environment?
How do you navigate the journey
from adolescence to adulthood?
Key Terms
Quest, Bildungsroman
RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and
analyze their development over the course of the text, including how
they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account;
provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.11-12.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is
set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
Narrative
(letter of advice
for incoming
Freshmen)
Science Connections
Social Studies
Connections
What is the role of
How do we grow up
environment versus DNA in by adapting to our
shaping identity?
environment?
(completion and
presentation of
Capstone project)
ELA Core Standards
READING
Writing Focus
Student Learning Targets
•
•
•
•
I can determine two or more themes of a text and analyze their development
over the course of a text.
I can determine how texts interact and build on one another to produce a
complex account.
I can provide an unbiased summary of the text.
I can analyze how the author's choices impact the development of a story or
drama.
RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires
distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
•
I can analyze a text's point of view that specifically requires using satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement.
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem
(e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry),
evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
RL.11-12.10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–
•
•
I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
•
•
I can read and comprehend difficult texts independently and proficiently.
CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop
over the course of the text.
RI.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or
terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in
Federalist No. 10).
RI.11-12.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an
author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
RI.11-12.10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction in at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
•
•
•
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.
•
•
•
I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
I can evaluate whether the structure is clear, convincing, and engaging.
•
I can read and comprehend difficult texts independently and proficiently.
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured
event sequences.
W.11-12.3 (a): Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem,
situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or
multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
W.11-12.3 (b): Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (c): Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that
they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward
a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense,
growth, or resolution).
W.11-12.3 (d): Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events,
setting, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (e): Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on
what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the
narrative.
I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of
the text.
Student Learning Targets
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I can write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences or events.
I can use effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences to write my narrative.
I can create a problem, situation, or observation that is engaging and
communicate its importance to the reader.
I can establish one or more points of view and introduce a narrator and/or
characters.
I can create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
I can use narrative techniques (such as dialogue, packing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines) to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
I can use a variety of techniques to sequence events that build on one
another to create a meaningful whole and build toward a particular tone
and outcome.
•
I can use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the events, setting, and/or characters.
•
I can write a conclusion that reflects on what is experienced and resolved
over the course of the narrative.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 11–12 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.
•
•
I can come to class prepared, having read and researched the material.
I can use my reading and research as evidence for a thoughtful, well-reasoned
class discussion.
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decisionmaking, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as
needed.
•
I can work with peers to help create a civil and democratic discussion and
promote decision-making.
I can work with peers to set clear goals, deadlines, and establish individual
roles.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on
a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and
promote divergent and creative perspectives.
• I can pose and respond to questions that examine reasoning and evidence.
• I can listen to a variety of positions on a topic or issue.
• I can clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
I can promote differing and creative perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments,
claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions
when possible; and determine what additional information or research is
required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
•
•
•
•
•
LANGUAGE
I can respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives.
I can blend comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue.
I can use research to provide additional information to investigate, resolve
contradictions, and complete the task.
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
L.11-12.6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domainspecific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and
listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate
independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
I can initiate and participate in discussions.
I can discuss with diverse partners about texts, and issues, while building on
others ideas.
I can express my ideas clearly and persuasively.


I can gather and use academic words and phrases sufficient for reading,
writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level.
I can independently determine a word or phrase's importance.
Unit 6 Text Resources
Literary
Literary nonfiction: Growing Up by Russel Baker (L 1090)*
Novel: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (L 770)*
Novel: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (L 790)*
Novel: Tess of D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (L 680)*
Novel: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (L
840)*
Novel: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (L 730)*
William Blake Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience (ex: The
Chimney Sweep)
Short Story: Child by Tiger by Thomas Wolfe
Novel (excerpt): The Adrian Mole Diaries, by Sue Townsend
Novel: Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard (L 1130)
Informational
Modern love: My drop-out boyfriend kept dropping in, The New York
Times
Modern love: Let's not get to know each other, The New York Times
Modern love: Let's not get to know each other better, New York Times
Modern love: Sharing the shame after my arrest, New York Times
Katy Butler: A new voice against bullying, Washington Post
High school student pretends to be pregnant for senior
project, Fox News
Gaby Rodriguez high school student faked pregnancy, The Daily Mail
An ideal of service to our fellow man (by Albert Einstein), NPR.org
Making room for dad's new girlfriend The Daily Beast
CAUTION - * Indicates that the Lexile level of the text is below the
recommended Lexile range for that grade level.
How to Grow up in Nine Easy Steps, Wikihow
Commencement Speaker Blasts Students, The Washington Post
Twelfth Grade
Unit 6
Glossary of Key Terms
Key Term
Definition
Quest
1. A search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something: a quest for uranium mines; a quest for knowledge.
2. An adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something: the quest of the
Holy Grail.
Bildungsroman A novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character.
Unit 6 Planning and Notes