ALEX Resources

Title: More than The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Description: Although Christopher Paul Curtis 's The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a read for Social Studies and English Language Arts in Grades 6-8, it can easily addressed as a reading assignment for grades 9-12 depending on the end result(s) desired of the teacher.  The study of Curtis' novel can be the primary text to foster a journey from poetry to fiction to music to history to food and finally, to writing.  This novel makes references to the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church and the four little girls who perished that Sunday morning.  This is a good lesson to study history, geography, and writing. Various discussions may arise in relationship to bullying, sibling rivalry, growing up, and Civil Rights. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan. 
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 31: 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.11-12.3]

Title: Never Forget Birmingham's Morning Glories
Description: Although The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a great read for Social Studies and English Language Arts students in Grades 6-8, it can easily be addressed as a reading assignment for Grades 9-12 depending on the end results desired of the teacher. Here, the teacher can travel back and forth from poetry to fiction to music to history to food, and finally to writing. This novel has references to the 16th Street Bombing and the four little girls who perished that Sunday morning. This is a good lesson to study history and geography with regard to writing.  This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 31: 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.11-12.3]

Title: Understanding Stream of Consciousness in "Bread" by Margaret Atwood
Description: In this lesson students will explore the impact of narrative technique on a work of stream of consciousness in a modern essay.  By the end of the lesson, students will evaluate how an author uses stream of consciousness and shifts from scene to scene extending the meaning and significance of a motif. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 21: 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]

Title: How will you face DEATH?
Description: This lesson can be tied to "Story of an Hour" through theme and connection to death. This lesson allows students time to think about the inevitability of death, life itself, and the survival extinct. The story is "The Law of Life" by Jack London. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 39: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. [L.11-12.5]

Title: The President's Great Idea
Description: In remembering President Kennedy's death, his quote, "A man may die. nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on," has become the theme for this year's celebration.  Banners with the end of that quote are hanging on street corners all over Boston, Massachusetts.  The JFK Library has a number of good resources reflecting on Kennedy's life.  This lesson may will address rhetorical strategies he used in his inaugural address in 1961.  This reading can come to life and address some good writing. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 25: 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.11-12.7]

Title: Roles of Women: "Story of an Hour"
Description: This lesson explores the idea of constraints and women's role in society in the late 1800s. Students will be expected to draw their own conclusions about theme and note the various stages of plot throughout the short story. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 27: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.11-12.9]

Title: Nothing's Great About Daisy
Description: Students will learn about life during the 1920s in the United States. The students will analyze how the setting, the characters and the plot of The Great Gatsby impacted the overall novel. At the completion of the lesson, the students will be asked to write a character analysis. By teaching the acronym “STEAL” which stands for Speech, Thoughts, Effects on Others, Actions, and Looks, students gain a tool they can use to analyze characters and the methods an author uses to develop the character. This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.  
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 20: Write informative or 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]

Title: The Challenges and New Inventions of the Great Plains Farmer.
Description: Students will work in groups of four to create presentations using their research on a particular farming invention that was created from (1837-1867) and also research specific elements about life on the Great Plains. Each group's presentation will be merged into a final class presentation.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 16: Explain the transition of the United States from an agrarian society to an industrial nation prior to World War I. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.c., A.1.d., A.1.e., A.1.h., A.1.i., A.1.k.]

Title: A Creative Twist to The Tragedy of Macbeth
Description: A Creative Twist to The Tragedy of Macbeth is a project that gives students an opportunity to express their understanding of Macbeth through their artistic ability. The activity appeals to the learning style of all students by allowing the students to establish their position as the reviewer of the play The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (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.11-12.4]

Title: Constitution or Articles? the Question or the Millennium
Description: In this lesson,students will observe the political climate at the time of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and read the writings of the delegates who refused to sign the proposed Constitution,as well as, those who supported it. Taking on the role of Mason, Gerry, Randolph and others, students will work together to create a modern-day document - a press release, advertisement, bill ,or declaration on PowerPoint that summarizes their objections or support of the proposed constitution. Students will be asked to quickly communicate thier position to the majority of state legislatures and to the citizenry.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USG (12) 3: Analyze major features of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights for purposes, organization, functions, and principles, including rule of law, federalism, limited government, popular sovereignty, judicial review, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

Title: Is Romance Dead?
Description: As an introduction to the medieval romances, students compare and contrast the medieval rules of courtly love to the modern "rules" of courtship and romance. Students write a compare/contrast essay after group work and class discussion.
Standard(s):
[TC2] CA2 (9-12) 11: Critique digital content for validity, accuracy, bias, currency, and relevance.

Title: Interpreting Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Description: After a study of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, students working in small groups conduct research and create a slideshow presentation that emphasizes key aspects of the play and/or new ideas generated by the play.
Standard(s):
[TC2] CA2 (9-12) 11: Critique digital content for validity, accuracy, bias, currency, and relevance.

Title: Faulkner's ''As I Lay Dying'': Form of a Funeral
Description: This unit of five lessons, from EDSITEment, features lessons exploring the narrative voices and social concerns in William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying. In these lessons, students explore Faulkner's place in American literary history, research Faulkner's Southin the context of the historical South, and understand the use of multiple voices in narration.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 9: By the end of Grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the Grades 11-College and Career Readiness (CCR) text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.11-12.10]

Title: Chaucer's Wife of Bath
Description: This lesson from EDSITEment introduces students to one of the most admired characterizations in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath. Students read Chaucer's description of the Wife in the General Prologue to consider how he represents her, both as the poet of The Canterbury Tales and as a character in his own poem, then read the Wife of Bath's Prologue, where he has her speak for herself, to gain additional perspective on her character. Next, students investigate some of the literary sources that Chaucer drew upon as he created this portrait of a woman with her own ideas about matrimony, and examine evidence about marriage in the Middle Ages and the role that women played in medieval society. Finally, students read the Wife of Bath's Tale and explore the alternative readings of the tale in relation to the character of the Wife of Bath.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 19: 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]

Title: Unlocking the Underlying Symbolism and Themes of a Dramatic Work
Description: This lesson plan invites students to consider characters from Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Students explore a selected character and write poems about objects associated with that character.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 22: 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 19-21 above.) [W.11-12.4]

Title: Families in Bondage
Description: This two-part lesson from EDSITEment draws on letters written by African Americans in slavery and by free blacks to loved ones still in bondage, singling out a few among the many slave experiences to offer students a glimpse into slavery and its effects on African American family life. In Part I, students examine the letters of Hannah Valentine, an enslaved woman who lived on a Virginia plantation. In Part II, students read letters from a fugitive slave to his still-enslaved wife and from a black Union soldier to his still-enslaved daughters, confronting directly the anguish of separation that was a constant factor in African American family life during slave times, when children and parents, husbands and wives, were routinely sold away from one another. Students explore the emotional terrain revealed in these letters by comparing the response to separation voiced by Valentine with that voiced by the Union soldier and the fugitive slave.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 9: Explain dynamics of economic nationalism during the Era of Good Feelings, including transportation systems, Henry Clay's American System, slavery and the emergence of the plantation system, and the beginning of industrialism in the Northeast. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Weaving the Multigenre Web
Description: Students analyze the elements of a novel in many different genres and then hyperlink these pieces together on student-constructed Websites.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 9: By the end of Grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the Grades 11-College and Career Readiness (CCR) text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.11-12.10]

Title: Novel News: Broadcast Coverage of Character, Conflict, Resolution, and Setting
Description: This twist on readers theater has students prepare original news programs based on incidents in a recent reading, as they explore standard literary elements of character, conflict, resolution, and setting.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 34: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See Grade 12 Language standards 35 and 37 for specific expectations.) [SL.11-12.6]

Title: Walt Whitman's Notebooks and Poetry: The Sweep of the Universe
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students read the poetry of Walt Whitman to determine how he attempts to combine universal themes with individual experiences and feelings. Additionally, students reflect on how Whitman used his experiences in the Civil War in his poetry.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 33: 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. [SL.11-12.5]

Title: Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students explore the idea of democratic poetry by reading Whitman's words in a variety of media, examining daguerreotypes taken circa 1850, and comparing the poetic concepts and techniques behind Whitman's I Hear America Singing and Langston Hughes Let America Be America Again. Finally, using similar poetic concepts and techniques, students have an opportunity create a poem from material in their own experience.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 30: 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.11-12.2]

Title: The ''Secret Society'' and Fitzgerald's ''The Great Gatsby''
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students explore the nature of the secret society implied in The Great Gatsby through a close study of the text, an examination of Fitzgerald's letters and other statements, and a consideration of class, wealth, and status during the turbulent 1920 s. Students combine critical thinking, textual analysis, and imaginative writing skills to write a credo for the secret society implied in The Great Gatsby.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 32: 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 of formal and informal tasks. [SL.11-12.4]

Title: Renaissance Humanism in Hamlet and The Birth of Venus
Description: After reading Shakespeare's Hamlet, students identify, analyze, and explain how elements in Botticelli's painting Birth of Venus and examples from the play illustrate the philosophy of Renaissance Humanism.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 40: Acquire and use accurately 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. [L.11-12.6]

Title: Charlotte Perkins Gilman's ''The Yellow Wall-paper''-The ''New Woman''
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from EDSITEment, students study the historical context of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, The Yellow Wall-paper. Students focus particular attention on the economic conditions and social roles of 19th-century middle-class women.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US11 (11) 2: Evaluate social and political origins, accomplishments, and limitations of Progressivism. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.c., A.1.d., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.i., A.1.k.]

Title: Get ready to celebrate Banned Books Week!
Description: Students brainstorm reasons why certain books might have been banned and discuss common reasons why books are challenged.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 25: 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.11-12.7]

Title: Poet Emily Dickinson was born in 1830.
Description: Students discuss Dickinson's poem '' This Is My Letter To The World'' and use it to focus on how audience affects voice.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 24: 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.11-12.6]

Title: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on this day.
Description: Students compare the film versions of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's novels. Students then imagine how a scene in a current novel that they are reading would be filmed.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 9: By the end of Grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the Grades 11-College and Career Readiness (CCR) text complexity band independently and proficiently. [RL.11-12.10]

Title: Jacob Grimm, one of the Brothers Grimm, was born today.
Description: Students compare different versions of the fairy tale Cinderella and then rewrite a lesser-known Grimm story and explain the changes they made.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 21: 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]

Title: Poe's '' The Raven'' was published in 1845.
Description: As Poe's '' The Raven'' is read aloud, students note their reactions and discuss the changes or development of their first impressions as the poem continues.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 22: 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 19-21 above.) [W.11-12.4]

Title: Poet Robert Burns was born in 1759.
Description: Students read examples of traditional Scottish ballads and use this information to write and perform their own ballads.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 22: 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 19-21 above.) [W.11-12.4]

Title: Today is World Poetry Day.
Description: Students read and respond to Billy Collins' poem '' Introduction to Poetry.'' Students then write about a favorite poem and imagine the perfect way to read it.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (12) 28: Write routinely over extended time frames, including time for research, reflection, and revision, and shorter time frames such as a single sitting or a day or two for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. [W.11-12.10]

Title: Black Poetry Day is celebrated.
Description: Books and webpages are gathered that focus on the work of African American poets and students explore the resources and find a poem to contribute to a poetry reading.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (11) 32: 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 of formal and informal tasks. [SL.11-12.4]

Title: The Importance of Being Dad
Standard(s):
[TC2] CA2 (9-12) 12: Use digital tools to publish curriculum-related content.


Unit Plan Overview: In this unit, students will explore the important role that fathers play in a child's development.  Students will research the impact a father can have, whether positive or negative, in his child's life.  Students will then compete in a "Digital Stories for Change" STAR Event.