Lesson title: What Shapes Who You Are? Exploring Our Identities Through Literature
DESIRED RESULTS
Students will be able to analyze the influence of an author’s background, analyze the influence
of historical and cultural context, recognize how cultures and time periods are represented in
literature, identify and interpret cultural symbols, and identify and analyze voice and dialect.
They will recognize that writers respond to the world around them.
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES:
1. Introduce the lesson question – “What shapes who you are?” Solicit student input,
sharing students’ insights with the class.
2. Students will be provided a list of the following literary works:
Title
Author
Genre
The Butterfly
Pavel Friedmann
Poem
House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros
Short story
Fish Cheeks
Amy Tan
Short story
The Lost Boys
Sara Corbett
Magazine article
Going to Japan
Barbara Kingsolver
Essay
The Circuit
Francisco Jimenez
Short story
Farewell to Manazar
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
Book (excerpt)
The Son from America
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Short story
3. Students will choose one of the works to read and work with for this lesson.
4. Student will read the selection and then access and read the biographical data about the
author. For some authors, the biographical data is available at the Literature Center at
www.classzone.com. For the other authors, students will obtain the biographical data
from the unit resource cabinet.
5. Students will work in groups based on the selection they chose to consider the following
questions after reading both the selection and the author’s biographical data:
1. Which of these personal factors – gender, ethnicity, national identity, family
– influenced the writer’s work?
2. What values are conveyed? (Look for direct commentary as well as
characters’ actions.)
3. What is the tone? (Notice characters and ideas that are respected or
criticized.)
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4. Which of these historical influences – political, social, economic,
environmental – influenced the writer’s work?
5. Which of these cultural influences – ethnicity, technology, values/beliefs,
arts/entertainment – influenced the writer’s work?
6. How does the biographical information impact your interpretation,
understanding, or appreciation of the work?
7. Identify some of the author’s word choices and explain how they
demonstrate his or her feelings toward the subject of the selection.
6. Students will work independently to create a rough draft of an essay in which they
explore their ideas about the historical or cultural influences might affect their own
writing.
7. After conferencing with the teacher, students will produce a final copy of their essays.
PRODUCTS/ASSESSMENTS:
1. Students will respond to the selection they chose on an SSR (sustained silent reading)
log as they read.
2. An elected group member will maintain notes of the group’s discussions. These will
ultimately be submitted to the teacher and assessed for evidence of quality and insight.
3. Teacher will circulate in the room to observe and facilitate as needed. Students will be
scored on the quality of their discussions and the dynamics of their group interactions
using a teacher-made rubric.
4. Students will use PowerPoint or Prezi to create a presentation to share their findings
with the class.
5. Students will produce a rough draft of an essay that contains evidence of editing and
revision.
6. Students will produce a final copy of the essay that will be scored using the writing
rubric provided by the state department.
STANDARDS:

RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over
the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot;
provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel
the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
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
RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the
audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects
as suspense or humor.

RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary
of the text.

RI.8.3. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between
individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories.)

RI.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

RI.8.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the
author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

W.8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
o
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
o
Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and examples.
o
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the
relationships among ideas and concepts.
o
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
o
Establish and maintain a formal style.
o
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation presented.
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
W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and
present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact
and collaborate with others.

W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated
question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused
questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

W.8.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search
terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or
paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.

W.8.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.

SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

o
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the
topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
o
Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress
toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as
needed.
o
Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to
others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations,
and ideas.
o
Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted,
qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.
SL.8.4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent
manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use
appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
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
SL.8.5. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information,
strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

SL.8.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.

L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.


o
Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general
and their function in particular sentences.
o
Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
o
Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional,
and subjunctive mood.
o
Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*
L.8.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
o
Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.
o
Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
o
Spell correctly.
L.8.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
o
Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
o
Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each
of the words.
o
Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar
denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent,
resolute).
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