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Unit 1: What attracts us to the mysterious? (12 class days)

August 9 - September 13

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Parts of Speech, Sub/Verb Agreement, Pronoun Agreement, Verb Tenses

Types of Sentences

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The Tell-Tale Heart - a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

How do we know when a narrator is reliable? In Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the central mystery about the main character concerns his sanity in the midst of a terrible murder confession. Will he give himself away, or get away with murder?

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The Landlady - a short story by Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda.

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Sorry, Wrong Number - a play by Louise Fletcher

What happens when a woman hears a phone conversation she wasn’t meant to hear? In this excerpt from the first scene of Act I of Lucille Fletcher’s play Sorry, Wrong Number, the playwright develops the suspenseful plot through the use of a party line, or a shared telephone line in the days when operators used manual switchboards to connect one caller to another.

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A Poison Tree - poem by William Blake

This poem will allow the students to analyze how character’s motivations and behavior influence the resolution of the conflict as well as the theme.

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optional

 

The Lottery - a short story by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s short story caused a sensation when it was first published. How could a tale about a tradition in an ordinary American town create such powerful interest?

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The Lady or the Tiger - a short story by Frank Stockton

Frank Stockton, an engraver by trade, was said to have been influenced at an early age by the royalty and mythical creatures in fairy tales, as well as by a fourteen-year-old servant girl who amused him by reading blood-curdling stories aloud in his kitchen. Both influences are evident in "The Lady, or the Tiger", the most famous of all his works. The ambiguity of the story is the likely reason its popularity persists.

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Unit 2: Who are you in a crisis? (16 class days)

September 18 - October 25

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prepositions, prepositional phrases

short constructed responses

extended constructed responses

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When the Waters Rise - non-fiction by Alex Shultz

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A Kenyan Teen's Discovery - non-fiction by Nina Gregory

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Who's the Real Hero? - non-fiction

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optional

 

Priscilla and the Wimps - a short story by Richard Peck 

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Parallel Journeys - non-fiction by Eleanor Ayer

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Unit 3: What makes you, you? (13 class days)

October 29 - December 13

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elements of poetry 

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Abuela Invents the Zero - a short story by Judith Ortiz Cofer

How can generational and cultural differences affect a family?

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My Mother Pieced Quilts - a poem by Teresa Palomo Acosta

How do our parents shape who we become?

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Inside Out and Back Again - a selection of poems by Thanhha Lai

How can moving to a new place change one’s sense of self?

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Not this year

Slam, Dunk, Hook - a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa

Ode to the Selfie - a poem by Megan Falley

How can the significance of the selfie convey a positive message about its effects?

The House on Mango Street - a collection of short story/ vignettes by Sandra Cisneros

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Unit 4: Which qualities of character matter most? (13 class days)

January 9 - February 15

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Gaming Communities - non-fiction by Joshua Vink

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Mandatory Volunteer Work for Teenagers

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optional

Speech to the Ohio Women's Conference: Ain't I a Woman - speech by Sojourner Truth

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Unit 5: Trust and Responsibility (12 class days)

February 20 - April 5

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It Doesn't Take a Concussion for Head Hits to Harm Young Brains

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Unit 6: Research and Novel Study (17 class days)

April 8 - May 17

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some novel options: Night, The Giver, That Was Then, This is Now, The House on Mango Street

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