Unit Concept or Theme: IDENTITY Evelyn Lashley

Grade level: 9
th
Grade English
Length of unit: 5-6 weeks
Stage 1 Desired Results

Meaning
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations:

Some aspects of our identity are chosen and some are beyond
our control.
Culture and experiences shape identity.
I am an individual with unique stories to tell.
Essential Questions:

How do experiences affect identity?
Do we choose our own identity?
How does our culture shape our perspectives of ourselves and the
world?
What makes you different from the people around you? What do
you have in common?
Knowledge & Skills Acquisition
Learning Goals: (e.g., Iowa/Common core standards.)

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. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot
lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

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.

IA.2. Read on-level text, both silently and orally, at an appropriate rate with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

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



Students will know
Concept of identity
o Nature vs. Nurture
o Experiences
o Cultural background
o Family traditions
o Personal interests
Techniques of narrative writing
Character development
Descriptive language
Literary techniques

Students will be able to
Discern between personal and social identity labels in discussion
and writing assignment
Write a poem to show how family and environment influenced
their identity
Discuss ideas with peers by using both academic and social
vocabulary
Analyze character development through class discussion and
written reflection
Write a narrative essay describing an event and applying that to the
development of their identity
Make connections between their lives and the text
Resources/Materials:
- Laptops for research and label activity
- Where Im From by George Ella Lyon
- Keep it Together by Madonna
- Article from One World, Many Cultures
- My Last Days video on YouTube
- What is Nature vs. Nurture video on YouTube
- Four articles for nature vs. nurture jigsaw
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Book on tape recording of Speak
- Movie Speak

Stage 2 Evidence (Assessment)
Types of assessment: Selected-Response (tests, quizzes); Personal Communication (interview, oral exam, discussion);
Written Response (short constructed response questions, entrance/exit slips, essays); Performance Assessment (role-play,
Simulation, labs, dramatization)
Pre-assessment:
Description paragraph of one personal identity trait and one social identity trait shows the understanding of multiple factors influencing
our identity
Written description of an important family tradition shows their ability to write a narrative style description.




Formative Assessment
Class discussions
Writing assignments Do they understand the character progression? Can they tell stories through writing?
Vocabulary presentations Do they understand what these words mean in context?
Character chart to show understanding of Melindas development

Summative Assessment:
Vocabulary tests for word knowledge
Epilogue shows text comprehension and understanding of character development
Narrative shows understanding of the aspects of identity and the skill of narrative writing
Stage 3 Learning Plan


Use these questions to help guide the creation of your learning plan.

How many days will your unit last?
How will you sequence/organize learning your unit in an iterative/incremental way?
What opening activity will you use to hook or engage student learning in this unit?
How will you ensure students know where the learning is headed in this unit?
How will you introduce students to your Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions? At what points will you have your
students re-consider these understandings/questions?
How will you sequence/organize your assessments in an iterative/incremental way?
How will you foster critical thinking and problem solving in this unit? Self-reflection? Curiosity and imagination? Collaboration?
Innovation/Creativity? Adaptive thinking? Accessing and analyzing information? Oral and written communication?
What active instructional strategies/learning activities might you use to engage students in learning (You need to use at least 3 different
types of instructional strategies)?
How will you differentiate for individual student needs in this unit? What differentiated instructional strategies will you use (e.g.,
student choice, flexible grouping, jigsaw, choice boards/menus, tiered assignments, anchor activities, etc.)?
How will you use technology to support and facilitate student learning in this unit?
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1 2 S 4 S
"What's in a name."
activity with laptops in
the ioom. Stuuents
ieseaich the histoiy anu
tianslation of theii
name. Class uiscussion
wheie each stuuent
shaies theii name stoiy
anu how it feels to have
theii name. (Bave you
evei wanteu to change
youi name. Bo people
make assumptions about
you baseu on youi
name. Bow is youi name
a pait of youi iuentity.
etc.)

BW: Nake a list of
nouns, aujectives, anu
labels that uefine you to
biing to class.
Nouel my own woiu
biainstoim foi the class
with vaiious labels anu
my name: Evelyn,
teachei, woman,
uaughtei, jokestei,
outgoing, biunette,
fieckleu, foou-lovei, etc.

0se laptops on
Tagxeuo.com to make a
visual woiu web of
uesciiptions. Pick layout,
coloi, anu shape to make
a peisonal "label" foi
youiself.

BW: Bighlight which of
the labels you chose foi
youiself anu which ones
weie given to you.
Stuuents shaie theii
woiu webs with theii
table gioups anu pick
thiee labels they chose
anu thiee labels that
weie given to them.

Peisonal anu social
iuentity wheels activity.
Stuuents fill in giaphic
oiganizeis foi both theii
peisonal iuentity
(favoiite foou) anu social
iuentity (ieligion,
genuei)

BW: Wiite a paiagiaph
uesciibing one peisonal
iuentity tiait anu one
social iuentity tiait anu
explain why it affects
who they aie
Reau "Wheie I'm Fiom
Poem" (once foi
enjoyment, once foi
analysis). Nouel
annotating the text as we
talk about it.

Biscuss what we notice
about the poem, wheie
we think the speakei
came fiom, which
specific uetails give us an
iuea about the speakei.
What uoes this poem tell
us about the iuentity of
the speakei.

Complete giaphic
oiganizei sheet foi theii
"Wheie I'm Fiom" poem
biainstoim.

BW: Wiite youi own
"Wheie I'm Fiom" poem
Shaie "Wheie I'm Fiom"
poems with a paitnei.
Paitnei shoulu note a
specific pait that
impacteu them in some
way, why uiu you like
that pait. 0ppoitunity to
shaie youi own wiiting.

Banu out lyiics anu
listen to song "Keep it
Togethei" by Nauonna.
What uo we leain about
hei family anu loyalty.

BW: "Keep it togethei in
the family, they will
ieminu us of oui
histoiy." Wiite about
something that is
impoitant to youi family.
It can be baseu on
ieligion, foou, family
values, anything. Biaw a
visual oi biing a pictuie
of what this family
tiauition looks like.
6 7 8 9 1u
Shaie family tiauitions
in table gioups. Reau
with gioups the piece
fiom "0ne Woilu, Nany
Cultuies" about the
tiauition of not cutting
haii.

Whole class uiscussion
of cultuial tiauitions.
Bow uoes cultuie anu
family shape oui
iuentity.

Switch to the othei
essential question of
how expeiiences shape
iuentity. Watch "Ny
Last Bays" viueo about
Zach Sobiech anu his
battle with cancei (22
minutes).

Biscussion: Bow uiu his
uisease shape his
iuentity. Bo
expeiiences affect
iuentity as much as
cultuie anu family
uoes. Bo an opinions-
baseu "foui coineis"
activity foi stuuents to
voice theii opinions.


Lectuie PPT: Natuie vs.
Nuituie. Scientific
examples, watch viueo
on YouTube "What is
Natuie vs. Nuituie"

Bieak into a jigsaw
activity anu hanu out
foui uiffeient aiticles to
stuuents. Stait ieauing
the aiticle silently.

BW: Finish anu
annotate youi aiticle
foi class.
Neet with expeit gioups
at the beginning of class.
Each gioup will uiscuss
theii aiticle anu the
main aiguments
piesenteu. Neet back
with home gioups anu
shaie about youi aiticle
anu the implications it
gives about natuie vs.
nuituie.

As an exit slip, stuuents
neeu to wiite uown theii
final opinion on the
combination of natuie
vs. nuituie on iuentity
anu cite one uetail fiom
the text as theii
ieasoning.

Intiouuce the book
Speak. Bon't open the
book, but stuuy the
covei. What uoes the
covei pictuie show you.
What uoes the title mean
to you. Reau the back.

In-class jouinaling: Bow
uiu you feel when you
fiist staiteu high school.
Biu you feel ieauy, oi uiu
you feel alone like
Nelinua.

Enu with "Paint chip
vocabulaiy" activity
using the list fiom Speak.
uive each stuuent a paint
chip with a vocab woiu
fiom the book in its
noun, veib, aujective
foim. 0n the othei thiee
shaues of the coloi, the
stuuent neeus to wiite
the uefinition, a
synonym, anu an
antonym.

BW: Finish paint chip

11 12 1S 14 1S
Explain that stuuents
will piesent theii
woiu on the uay we
uiscuss the chaptei it
was mentioneu in.
They will shaie theii
paint chip
infoimation, point it
out in the text, make
theii own sentence,
anu post it on the
vocabulaiy wall.

Silent tea paity
activity foi pie-
ieauing. Stuuents get
quotes fiom the book
anu have to answei a
pie-ieauing sheet with
questions about
Nelinua anu the
settingtheme of the
book.
Biscuss answeis to the
tea paity questions.
What aie oui oiiginal
thoughts about the
book anu this
chaiactei.

Teachei ieaus alouu
the fiist 12 pages of
the book, asking
questions along the
way.

BW: Wiite a iesponse
to "The Fiist Ten Lies
They Tell you in Bigh
School" What iumois
uiu you heai about
high school that
tuineu out to be
untiue.

Small gioup ieau alouu
to page 24 (stop at
"Buiiowing")

What weie we iight
about so fai. What uo
you notice about the
style of this wiiting
anu the uialogue. Is it
uiffeient than what we
aie useu to. What
uoes the "tiee"
symbolize in ait class.

BW: Finish the fiist
maiking peiiou section
of the book p.46

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi pages
1-46

What is inteiesting
about hei "iepoit caiu"
at the enu of this
section. Who is IT anu
what uo we know about
this chaiactei.

BW: Reau thiough p. 64
to "Peeleu anu Coieu."
Choose a significant
event in this section to
ieflect on. Bo you ielate
to any of these
scenaiios. Tiouble with
a teachei's lesson, hectic
family gatheiing,
positive teachei
feeuback. Tell me about
it.

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 47-
64

Nake chaiactei chait as
a class foi those we
know so fai: Nelinua,
mom, uau, Rachel,
Beathei, Ni. Neck, etc.
Who aie the most
impoitant. Bow uoes
Nelinua poitiay them.
(ex. iefeiiing to heiself
as "victim" when talking
to hei mom)

BW: Reau thiough page
82 to "Nouel Citizen."
16 17 18 19 2u
vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 6S-
82

Biscuss the ieauing. Talk
with gioups about family
ielationships. What is
Nelinua's ielationship
with hei paients like.

BW: Finish the seconu
maiking peiiou section.

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 8S-
92

Biscussion of suiciue.
Bow uoes this intimate
moment with Nelinua
enhance hei naiiative.
What emotions uoes it
convey.

Wiiting activity: Wiite a
lettei to Nelinua. uive
hei auvice as if you weie
one of hei fiienus. What
can she uo to change hei
situation.

BW: Reau thiough p.
116 "NISS"

vocabulaiy quiz foi all
woius fiom p. 1-92

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 9S-
116

Look closely at the
conveisation between
Nelinua, hei paients,
anu the piincipal.
Pietenu you aie
Nelinua; what woulu
you say if you weie to
speak up. Why won't
she uefenu heiself to hei
paients.

BW: Reau thiough p.
1S2 to "A Night to
Remembei"

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 117-
1S2

In-class ieau alouu of
section "A Night to
Remembei." What uo we
uiscovei in this section.
What uoes this tell us
about Nelinua's tiust
issues with Baviu. What
uo we leain fiom hei
iepoit caiu.

BW: Reau thiough page
1S9 to "The Beast
Piowls"

vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 1SS-
1S9

Biief uiscussion of the
suffiagettes anu
Nelinua's iepoit. Bow is
this significant in the
stoiy. Bow uo specific
uetails make the stoiy
engaging.

BW: Reau thiough page
176 to "Piom
Piepaiation." Wiite a
iesponse about the
inciuent in the
bathioom. Why is this
significant. What uoes it
show about Nelinua's
voice.
21 22 2S 24 2S
vocabulaiy
piesentations foi page
16u-176

Biscuss stuuent
iesponses to the
significance of the
bathioom stall note.

BW: Reau thiough p.
191 to "Piey." Wiite a
paiagiaph as if you weie
Rachel. What is hei point
of view on Nelinua anu
Anuy's situation.






vocabulaiy
piesentations foi p. 178-
197

Listen to book on tape to
finish the book. Biscuss
the bieakthiough at the
enu of the novel. Bow
uiu Nelinua's chaiactei
change. Bow is the
miiioi significant. Bow
uoes she finally get help.

BW: Wiite an epilogue
to the novel fiom
Nelinua's point of view.
Bow uoes she stait hei
sophomoie yeai.

vocabulaiy quiz foi all
woius fiom page 9S-197

With a paitnei, make a
chait of Nelinua at the
beginning anu enu of the
book. Refei to chaiactei
chait maue at the
beginning. Bow uiu hei
expeiience shape hei
iuentity. Bow has she
changeu.

BW: Biainstoiming
giaphic oiganizei of
expeiiences oi family
tiaits that have
influenceu who you aie.
You can look back at
pievious jouinal entiies
to ieminu youiself.

Lectuie: What is
naiiative wiiting.
Piopei techniques anu
best piactices. Neeu to
set the stage, uesciibe
the action, anu show a
conclusion. In the
conclusion you shoulu
uesciibe how it has
shapeu who you aie
touay.

Table gioup uiscussion
to shaie out iueas foi a
naiiative. uet gioup
feeuback on iueas.

BW: Begin youi
naiiative. Shoulu have a
iough uiaft foi Nonuay.

Watch the movie of
"#$%& in class. Stuuents
can woik on theii
naiiative if they choose.

BW: Rough Biaft uue
Nonuay
26 27 28 29 Su
Paitnei peei ieview of
iough uiaft. uive each
othei feeuback.
Woikshop time, ask
teachei foi help in aieas
of neeu.

BW: Final Biaft uue
Weuneuay
Continue watching
"#$%&. Woik on final
uiaft if necessaiy.



BW: Final Biaft uue
Weunesuay
Finish the last few
minutes of "#$%&' Tuin
in final uiaft of naiiative.

Stait new unit.