Unit Overview
Content Area: English Language Arts
Unit Title: Victorian Era Historical Unit
Target Course/Grade Level: Eighth Grade
Unit Summary:
This unit focuses primarily on the period of history known as The Victorian Age(1837-1901). It pulls
heavily from resources that were written during that time period. The unit includes literature, analytical
writing, and a major research project.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Social Studies, Technology, Character Education
21st century themes and skills:
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Civic literacy, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving,
communication and collaboration
Information, media, and technology skills.
Flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross cultural skills,
productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility.
Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact critical
thinking and problem-solving skills.
Assess data gathered to solve a problem for which there are varying perspectives (e.g., crosscultural, gender-specific, generational), and determine how the data can best be used to design
multiple solutions.
Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and contributions to group activities.
Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying
out different tasks, assignments, and projects.
Model leadership skills during classroom and extra-curricular activities.
Demonstrate the ability to understand inferences.
Explain the meaning of productivity and accountability, and describe situations in which
productivity and accountability are important in the home, school, and community.
Establish and follow performance goals to guide progress in assigned areas of responsibility and
accountability during classroom projects and extra-curricular activities.
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standards for Reading:
R1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
R2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.
R3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
R4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative,
and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Anchor Standards for Writing:
W1.Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence.
W4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
W5.Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach.
W6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate
with others.
W9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W10. 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.
Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening:
SL.1.Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse
partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Sl.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate.
Anchor Standards for Language:
L1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
L2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
L3. 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.
L4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using
context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference
materials, as appropriate.
L5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific 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.
Learning Targets/Activities
Domain: Reading Literature, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Text Types and Purposes*, Production and
Distribution of Writing, Research to Build and Present Range of Writing Knowledge, Comprehension and
Collaboration, Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas, Conventions of Standard English, Knowledge of
Language, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Standard #
Standards
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says
RL.8.1.
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
RL.8.2.
the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective
summary of the text.
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action,
RL.8.3.
reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
RL.8.4.
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
W.8.1.
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.8.4.
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
W.8.5.
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
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.8.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
W.8.10.
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two.)
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.
SL.8.2.
Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind
its presentation.
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks demonstrating command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate.
SL.8.6
L.8.1.
L.8.2.
L.8.3.
L.8.4.
L.8.5
L.8.6.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling when writing.
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or
listening.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases
based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings.
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
 How can literature personalize historical
 Assumptions can lead to stereotypes and
events and facilitate understanding of
unfair judgments about individuals and
people’s lives?
groups.
 How can historical/multicultural literature
 Stereotypes, biases, and societal norms have
promote empathy and facilitate the
a profound impact on people’ behavior;
understanding of ourselves and others?
questioning them can have positive/negative
repercussions for the individual (or group)
 How does our cultural perspective
 Historical information is shaped by many
inform/influence our ideas about the
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"truths" of history?
How does the past influence the present
and, even the future?
influences.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 RL.8.1 –Analyze text using textual evidence to support thesis in writing.
 RL.8.2-Determine theme through analyzing the central idea of a text as determined by the events that
occur within the text.
 RL.8.3-Analyze the connections made in a text.
 RL.8.4- Utilize context clues and prior knowledge to extend vocabulary while comparing and
contrasting to other texts.
 SL 8.1-Collaborate with the students in flexible groupings to discuss the text and topics related to the
text, particularly as they relate to the student, other texts and world events.
 SL 8.6 - Deliver an appropriate speech using specific pre-determined requirements
 W.8.1.-Create an original character analysis using textual evidence to support claims.
 W.8.4-Write clearly to specific requirements keeping audience in mind.
 W. 8.5-Revise and edit writing focusing on improvement as directed
 W.8.6-Use technology as necessary to produce, revise, and edit writing tasks as well as collaborate with
peers and teacher.
 W.8.9-Use textual evidence from literary and/or informational texts to support analysis in any and all
formats.
 W.8.10-Regularly compile samples of writing whose topics are chosen by student or teacher.
 L.8.1-Students identify and adjust to audience when writing and speaking
 L.8.2- Students will know when to use commas, ellipses, and dashes in their writing.
 L.8.2- Students will use correct spelling.
 L.8.4-Students will use the following strategies to determine or verify word meanings:
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context clues
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Greek or Latin affixes or roots
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reference materials (dictionary, thesaurus, glossary)
 L.8.5-Students will recognize and interpret figures of speech such as verbal irony and puns.
 L.8.5-Students will use word relationships to deepen comprehension of individual words
 L.8.5-Students will examine and distinguish the connotations of words with similar meanings.
 L.8.6- Students will build a working vocabulary of grade-appropriate and academic language.
Learning Activities
 Contrasting Ebenezer Scrooge with Sherlock
 Peer Conferences
Holmes-Victorian literature
 Writing Conferences
 Recognizing and Explaining Theme
 Taking Good Notes
 Intro. to Victorian literary traditions
 Organizing an Outline
 Reviewing main eventsw
 Meeting Deadlines
 Evaluating Websites for sources
 A short biography of Charles Dickens
 Theme Responses (poverty, choices,
 A short biography of Edgar Allen Poe
redemption)
 A short biography of Arthur Conan Doyle
 Theme analysis brainstorming ideas
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Preparing a thesis
Connecting characters to theme
Recognizing symbolism
Writing clear body paragraphs
A Christmas Carol introductory ppt.
Use of archaisms in A Christmas Carol
Thematic anticipatory set
Vocabulary and grammar workshop
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Rules of a good detective story
Literature based Vocabulary Unit II, III
Using quotations in writing
Quotation analysis techniques
Properly annotating text
Recognizing parts of speech
Evidence of Learning
Formative Assessments
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 Responding to Writing Prompts
 Vocabulary Exercises
 Sentence Meaning
Quizzes
Group Discussions
Literature study questions
Reading Response Journal (theme)
Writing Response Journal (theme)
Summative Assessments
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Novel Test
Grammar Tests
Vocabulary Tests
Victorian News Research Project
Theme Analysis
Who Are You-Part II Collage
Quotation Analyses
RESOURCES/TECHNOLOGY
Teacher Instructional Resources:
 A Christmas Carol
 Flex-Text (short story compilation)
 A Short Biography of Charles Dickens
 The Annotated Christmas Carol
 A Christmas Carol Study Guides (Parts One-Five)
 Article of the Week-(one per week for six weeks)
 A Christmas Carol Movie
 Oliver Twist Movie
Short Story Resources:
 “The Gift of the Magi”-O Henry
 “The Red Headed League”-Arthur Conan Doyle
 “The Blue Carbuncle”-Arthur Conan Doyle
Poetry Resources:
 “The Road Not Taken”-Robert Frost
 “The Tell Tale Heart”-Edgar Allen Poe
 “The Black Cat” -Edgar Allen Poe
 “The Cask of Amontillado” -Edgar Allen Poe
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Integration of Technology: Powerpoint; Smartboard; Elmo; Internet
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:
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http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/
Opportunities for Differentiation:
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Selective Grouping
Modeling of Writing Techniques
Books on CD
Abbreviated Assessments
Various Questioning/Discussion Techniques
Previewing Literature
Extended Time
Teacher Notes: This is by no means a comprehensive compilation of activities and/or objectives;
however, this unit does give an ambitious sampling of what occurs during the unit and should be adjusted
to meet the individual students’ needs as well as teachers’ strengths.