Eci 521 Final Project

Running Head: OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT
Outsiders and Outcasts Book Club Unit

Courtney Samuelson
North Carolina State University
OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT
Unit Rationale
In this four-week unit, seventh grade students will be engaging in a Book Clubs style activity in which
they will read a novel in groups of two to four students. The five novels are a variety of genres (historical
fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy graphic novel, and memoir graphic novel), but they all focus on
the same theme: the main characters are outsiders or outcasts in society. The novels were chosen because
seventh graders are at the age where they are adopting their identity, and they must counteract stereotypes and
discrimination as they explore other cultures and develop their own unique self. These novels fit in with my
overall long-term plan, which includes other novels about identity such as The Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian, The Outsiders, and Bronx Masquerade.
The Book Clubs process accomplishes two goals. First, it allows the class to have a choice in what
they read, and they read a variety of genres about the same topic so that groups can learn from one another as
they compare and contrast. Secondly, the Book Clubs technique also allows students to develop the
important skills of collaboration and discussion. The groups will have to stay on pace with one another, and
together they will analyze and discuss to come up with the most important themes, vocabulary, and
characterization in the novels that they read.
My learning from our Teaching Young Adult Literature class influenced my decision to branch out of my
comfort zone and try two new instructional techniques: a book-club style unit and the teaching of graphic
novels. In Bushman and Haas Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom (2006), they discuss the
importance of thematic units, which I already teach: The thematic unit is designed to emphasize the process of
discovery, much like the reader-response approach in literature and the writing process (Bushman and Haas,
2006, p. 137). My unit aims to have students discover the answers to the thought-provoking unit essential
questions (listed below), allowing them to explore what it means to be an outsider. In the thematic unit that they
describe, students are placed in smaller groups where they each read the same book, while the class as a whole
reads a variety of books. What pushed me to try teaching this way was Bushman and Haas claim: If we
believe in the diversity that comes with most classes, more than one book may be needed to meet the interests
and abilities of our students (Bushman and Haas, p. 136). Thus my hope is that the novels I chose meet the
diverse interests and levels of my students.
Fassbender, Dulaney, and Pope discuss the value in using graphic narratives with students in their 2013
article Graphic Narratives and the Evolution of the Canon: Adapting Literature for a New Generation. I was
hesitant to teach graphic novels, because like the teachers described in the article, I feel a need to work from the
canon and explore works that have stood the test of time (Fassbender, Dulaney, and Pope, 2013, p. 23).
However, after reading Mr. Fassbenders account of reading American Born Chinese with his students and
learning a lot from Justins book talk on Persepolis in our class, I decided that teaching graphic novels would be
a worthy endeavor. What pushed me was the idea that ABC can expose students to explore complex and social
and cultural issues, reflect on their own lives, and provide a new way to engage students (Fassbender et al, p.
24). Since I knew American Born Chinese is a lot shorter than the other books, I decided that one group would
read two graphic novels, and I subsequently chose Maus to expose my students to the Holocaust, which they
will study more in depth in eighth grade.
Context
I am teaching this unit with my seventh-grade English Language Arts class at Maureen Joy Charter
School in Durham. Our school is a Title-1 school in Old East Durham, where 85% of the students qualify for
free or reduced lunch, 61% of the students are African American, 35% are Hispanic, and 4% are other races.
This class consists of 19 students with the following demographics: 74% female, 26% male; 63% African
American and 37% Hispanic. The average reading level of the students is a 6.7, which is a little misleading
because 5 of the students in the class read on a 9th grade level or higher. With those students taken out, the
average reading level is a 5.9. Over the time that I have known them, the students have expressed a great
interest in graphic novels; novels dealing with race, identity, and stereotypes; and fantasy/adventure genres. All
of this information weighed on my decision to choose the five novels that I did.
Unit Structure
The unit will be structured in such a way that each day, the lessons will follow the same pattern within a
62-minute class period: 1) brief vocabulary or grammar Do Now (alternates each day); 2) a 20-30 minute minilesson on literary skills applied to nonfiction texts on the same topic as the novels; 3) 20 minutes of group
reading time. Because of my schools pacing guide, I must accomplish a number of nonfiction-related literary
objectives this unit, and these nonfiction mini-lessons allow me to do so while also allowing the kids to read
their novels. Sometimes these mini-lessons will span 2-3 days, as some of the texts are long and we are only
spending 20-30 minutes a day on them. During the group reading time, students are filling out a Notes on
What I Read packet that asks them to analyze characters, setting, tone and mood, important quotes, and
themes; ask questions and make predictions; define unknown vocabulary words; and create their own multiple
choice questions about their book (see Appendix B for full packet). On Fridays, students take a ten-question
quiz on the section of the book they read that week (see Appendix C for a sample quiz.)
Unit Essential Questions
What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to be normal?

Are humans more successful when they live and work in groups and teams? Why or why not?
What can our struggles teach us about the power of the human spirit?
Unit Enduring Understandings
Good readers are theme detectives, constantly analyzing literary elements to uncover the authors meaning
and purpose.
Good readers closely analyze an authors persuasive techniques to find out their true purpose.
Good readers use a variety of strategies when they dont know the meaning of a word.
Literatureno matter the genrecan teach us something about our own lives.
Unit Objectives
1)SWBAT make inferences using details and evidence from a fictional text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2) SWBAT identify themes or central ideas of a text and cite evidence to support that theme.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over
the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
3)SWBAT analyze characters using their thoughts, actions, narration, and dialogue.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting
shapes the characters or plot).
4)SWBAT identify the setting of a text and analyze its effect on plot.
5)SWBAT identify the mood or tone of a text and analyze its impact on plot.
6)SWBAT identify symbols in a text and analyze how they impact theme.
7)SWBAT find the meaning of unknown words by using context clues.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings
8)SWBAT identify ways that nonfiction texts are organized and the purpose behind each type of text
structure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major
sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
9)SWBAT analyze an authors argument and the evidence as well as persuasive techniques used to
support those arguments.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether
the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Materials
Student Novel: Wonder by RJ Palacio (ATOS Book Level: 4.8; 320 pages; students read 18 pages per day)
o Related Texts
We Can Stop Bullies by Elizabeth Winchester, Time for Kids (persuasive article)
Are We a Nation of Bullies? by Jessica Bennett, Newsweek (persuasive article)
Student Novel: Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons (ATOS Book Level: 4.7; 144 pages; students read 8 pages
per day)
o Related Texts
A Fix for Foster Care by Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald (editorial)
Whaley CenterHome for Abused and Neglected Children by Sally Rummel, Tri-County
Times (editorial)
Student Novel: The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick (ATOS Book Level: 5.0; 224 pages;
students read 13 pages per day)
o Related Texts
Utopian and Dystopian Literature, adapted from Wikipedia.org (informational article)
The Garden of Eden, from theopedia.com (informational article)
Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost (poem)
Student Novels (one book club group will read both of these novels): American Born Chinese by Gene
Lang (ATOS Book Level: 3.3; 240 pages; students read 23 pages per day) and Maus by Art Spiegelman
(ATOS Book Level: 3.2; 160 pages; students read 23 pages per day)
o Related Texts
Hatreds Horrors: Three Personal Accounts from the Holocaust by Steph Smith
(informational article)
Paper Clips Project Brings Communities Together to Remember the Holocaust by Linda
Stein, Main Line News (informational article)
Reviews of American Born Chinese from VOYA, School Library Journal, and Amazon.com
SMART projector
Notes on What I Read weekly packet (see Appendix B)
Weekly Book Quizzes (See Appendix C for an example)
Performance Task Assignment (See Evaluation section and Appendix D)
Discussion Rubric and Self/ Group Evaluation (See Evaluation section and Appendix E)
Interim Assessment (school-wide; see Evaluation section)
Sequence Description
January- February 2014
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
10
SWBAT view a Power

Point and watch book
trailers about each book
and then select which
novel they want to
read.
SWBAT use the

four types of
context clues to
define the
meanings of
unknown words in
isolated sentences.
(lesson plan
attached)
SWBAT use the

substitution strategy
to define the
meaning of unknown
words, as well as
types of context
clues, with the
article Utopian and
Dystopian Fiction
and in multiplechoice situations.
(lesson plan
attached)
SWBAT define the

meaning of
unknown words
and identify
elements of
chronological
order, main
idea/details, and
compare and
contrast text
structures with the
article Hatreds
Horrors. (2-day
lesson)
Weekly Quiz:
-Book Clubs,
Week 1
-Context Clues
SWBAT analyze the

use of rhetorical
questions, anecdotes,
the cause and effect,
and problem/
solution text
structures in the
article Are We a
Nation of Bullies?
(2-day lesson; lesson
plan attached)
SWBAT analyze
the use of text
features such as
headings,
subheadings, and
statistics, as well as
all 5 text structures,
with the article We
Can Stop Bullies.
(lesson plan
attached)
SWBAT read their

book club books and
fill out 5 entries in
their weekly packets.
SWBAT read their

book club books
and fill out 5 entries
in their weekly
packets.
SWBAT complete an
anticipation guide
about the essential
questions of the unit
and discuss their initial
thoughts as a class.
SWBAT read their

book club books
and fill out 5
entries in their
weekly packets.
13`
14
SWBAT define and

identify the cause and
effect and
problem/solution text
organization structures
and distinguish them
from the three other
text structures we have
learned.
SWBAT define
and identify
rhetorical
questions and
anecdotes in
persuasive writing.
SWBAT read their

book club books and
fill out 5 entries in their
weekly packets.
SWBAT analyze
the use of
rhetorical
questions,
anecdotes, cause
and effect, and
problem/ solution
text structures in
the article Are We
a Nation of
Bullies? (2-day
lesson; lesson plan
SWBAT define
the meaning of
unknown words
and identify
elements of the
chronological
order, main
idea/details, and
compare and
SWBAT read their
contrast text
book club books and SWBAT read their
structure with the
book club books
article Hatreds
their weekly packets. and fill out 5 entries Horrors. (2-day
in their weekly
lesson)
packets.
SWBAT read
their book club
books and write a
summary of what
they read that
week.
15
16
17
Weekly Quiz:
-Book Clubs,
Week 2
-Text Structures
SWBAT read
their book club
books, fill out
their five
remaining entries,
and write a
summary of what
they read that
week.
attached)
20
NO SCHOOL: MLK,
JR. DAY
27
SWBAT practice
summarizing a
nonfiction article, The
Garden of Eden and
then connecting it with
the poem Nothing
Gold Can Stay from
The Outsiders.
SWBAT read their
book club books and
fill out 5 entries in their
weekly packets.
SWBAT read their

book club books
and fill out 5
entries in their
weekly packets.
21
22
23
24
SWBAT define and

identify emotional
appeal, call to
action, expert
opinion, and loaded
language in the
editorial A Fix for
Foster Care. (lesson
plan attached)
SWBAT define and

identify previous
persuasive
techniques as well
as testimonial and
credibility in the
article Whaley
Center: Home for
Abused and
Neglected
Children.
Weekly Quiz:
-Book Clubs,
Week 3
-Persuasive
Techniques
29
30
31
SWBAT analyze
how word choice
affects tone in the
article Paper
Clips Project
Brings
Communities
Together to
Remember the
Holocaust. (2-day
lesson)
SWBAT analyze
how word choice
affects tone in the
article Paper Clips
Project Brings
Communities
Together to
Remember the
Holocaust. (2-day
lesson)
SWBAT engage in
a Socratic Seminar
related to the unit
essential questions
and support their
reasoning with
textual evidence
from their novels.
Weekly Quiz:
Final Book Club
Quiz
SWBAT read their

book club books
and fill out 5
entries in their
weekly packets.
SWBAT read their

book club books and
their weekly packets.
SWBAT use facts,

opinions, and word
choice to
determine an
authors bias in
various reviews of
the book American
Born Chinese;
SWBAT analyze
the effectiveness
of the authors
argument in each
review.
SWBAT read their
book club books
and fill out 5
entries in their
weekly packets.
28
SWBAT read
their book club
books, fill out
their five
SWBAT read their
remaining entries,
book club books and
and write a
SWBAT read their
summary of what
their weekly packets. book club books
they read that
and fill out 5 entries week.
in their weekly
packets.
SWBAT learn
about their
performance task,
choose a task, and
begin working
(Performance
Task due
Wednesday, 2/5)

3
INTERIM
ASSESSMENT
TESTING WEEK
4
INTERIM
ASSESSMENT
TESTING WEEK
5
INTERIM
ASSESSMENT
TESTING WEEK
9
6
INTERIM
ASSESSMENT
TESTING WEEK
7
INTERIM
ASSESSMENT
TESTING WEEK
Sample Lesson Plans

There are five sample lesson plans for this unit located in Appendix A.
Evaluation of Unit
Interim Assessment
Students will be taking a school-wide Interim Assessment at the end of this unit. The objectives I taught
in this unit align to the content on the interim assessment. This test is set up like a Reading End-of-Grade test: it
consists of fiction and nonfiction passages with multiple choice and short answer questions that accompany
each passage.
Socratic Seminar
Students will engage in a Socratic Seminar at the end of the unit for me to test their learning of the unit
essential questions and big concepts. On the second to last day of the unit, students will fill out the chart in
Appendix D to prepare for the Socratic Seminar. During the Seminar, all desks will be placed in a circle. The
discussion follows the format of the chart; I prompt students to being with the first question, then I take
volunteers to share their answers to each question and/or to respond to each others thoughts or build off one
anothers comments. The students receive Discussion Dollars, on which they write their names. The
students spend a dollar in order to speak. All students must have spent a dollar (participated) before a
student can spend their second dollar. They may also ask for more dollars if theyd like to speak a third or
fourth time. This ensures that all students get a chance to speak during the seminar. At the end, I draw a
dollar out of the bank and that person wins a prize. This is a way to reward or acknowledge those who
participated more.
10
Self and Group Evaluation

At the end of the seminar, students will have a chance to complete two evaluations (located in Appendix
E). The students will first assess their own participation in the Socratic Seminar and the participation of the
class as a whole. They will then complete a self and group evaluation of their book club group. They will give
themselves, as well as each person in their group, a grade on how they performed throughout the four weeks
they will consider how they kept track of their reading, whether they comprehended, and how good their
discussions were. I will use these as well as my own observations to give students a participation grade for the
entire unit.
Performance Task
Lastly, students will have five days to complete a performance task related to their book (located in
Appendix F). The students will choose one project to complete out of the options listed. The projects range
from written work to more creative and artistic tasks, so that all students feel that they have a chance to
showcase their learning in a way that works for them.
References
Bennett, Jessica (2010, October 24). Are We Teaching our Kids to Be Bullies? Newsweek, Web.
http://www.newsweek.com/are-we-teaching-our-kids-be-bullies-74207.
11
Boston Herald Editorial Staff (2013, December 6). A Fix for Foster Care. Boston Herald, Web.
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/editorials/2013/12/a_fix_for_foster_care.
Bushman, J. and Haas, K. (2006). Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom. Upper Saddle
River: Pearson.
Dymock, S. and Nicholson, T. (2007). Teaching Text Structures: A Key to Nonfiction Reading Success. New
York: Scholastic.
Fassbender, W.J., Dulaney, M. and Pope, C. (2013). Graphic Narratives and the Evolution of the Canon:
Adapating Literature for a New Generation. Voices from the Middle, vol 12 (issue 1), pages 19-25.
Frost, Robert (1923). Nothing Gold Can Stay. Accessed 8 Dec 2013.
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19977.
Gibbons, Kaye (1987). Ellen Foster. Chapel Hill: Algonquin.
Multiple authors (2013). Utopian and Dystopian Literature. Adapted from http://www.wikipedia.org.
Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Philbrick, Rodrick (200). The Last Book in the Universe. New York: Scholastic.
Rummel, Sally (2013, December 6). Whaley CenterHome for Abused and Neglected Children. TriCounty Times, Web. http://www.tctimes.com/news/whaley-center-home-for-abused-and-neglectedchildren/article_d35bce70-5ec1-11e3-a26f-001a4bcf887a.html.
Smith, Steph (2005). Hatreds Horrors: Three Personal Accounts from the Holocaust. Scholastic News, vol
73 (issue 22), pages 4-6.
Spiegelman, Art (1973, 1986). Maus: A Survivors Tale (1) My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon.
Stein, Linda (2013, November 7). Paper Clips Project Brings Communities Together to Remember the
Holocaust. Main Line News, Web.
http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/11/07/main_line_times/life/doc527bcd70901b1979415440.tx
t.
12
Theopedia (2013). The Garden of Eden and Paradise. Theopedia.com. Accessed 8 Dec 2013.
http://www.theopedia.com/Garden_of_Eden.
Vacca, R., Vacca, J. and Mraz, M. (2011). Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the
Curriculum. Boston: Pearson.
Various Authors (2007-2013). VOYA, School Library Review, and Reader Reviews of American Born
Chinese. Accessed 8 Dec 2013. http://www.amazon.com/American-Born-Chinese-GeneLuen/dp/0312384483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386860317&sr=8-1&keywords=american+born+chinese.
Winchester, Elizabeth (2010). We Can Stop Bullies! Time for Kids. Web.
http://c2106572.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/stop_bullies.pdf.
Appendix A. Sample Lesson Plans

Day 2 of Unit
13
Objective
SWBAT use the four types of context clues to define the meanings of unknown words in isolated sentences.
Materials
Classwork sheet; Power Point; book club novels and Notes on What I Read packets
Hook (1 min)
1) Ask students what they do when they dont know the meaning of an unknown word and a dictionary or
teacher or friend is not nearby to help you. (use context clues).
2) Yes, we use context clues. However, what does it actually mean to use context clues? What are the
types of clues that are out there? Thats what well be learning today.
Intro to New Material (10 min)
Key Point #1: Good readers find the meaning of words they do not know by using a variety
of strategies. One strategy is to know the TYPES of context clues there are to determine
the meaning.
Key Point #2: There are four types of context clues.
Students will fill in the following chart with notes from the Power Point:
Type of Clue Clue words
Example in a sentence
synonym
My opponent's argument is
Like
fallacious, misleading plain
such as
wrong.
comma followed by
antonym
definition or synonyms
but
not
unlike
Ed was known for being

cantankerous, unlike his goodnatured brother.
although
however
on the other hand
on the contrary
explanation
while
Is
means
meaning
comma sandwich
example
lists
I went to sleep in the hammock,

a giant spread of fabric hanging
from tree to tree, and I didnt wake
up til morning.
The patient is so somnolent that
she requires medication to help
her stay awake for more than a
short time.
Celestial bodies, such as the

including
such as
14
sun, moon, and stars, are
governed by predictable laws.
Modeling/ Guided Practice (10 min)

Teacher will model how to find the type of clue in the first sentence. Then students will try sentences 2-5 with
their partner, filling in the graphic organizer as they annotate the sentences and figure out the meanings of the
words.
1) The room was full of her kin, such as her brother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and
cousins.
Meaning of Word
Clue
Type of context clue
2) His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.

Meaning of Word
Clue
3) Rather than be involved in clandestine meetings, they did everything quite openly.
Meaning of Word
Clue
4) Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers, and pastors, should set models of behavior
for their congregants.
Meaning of Word
Clue
5) Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that every
building in the area was completely burned to the ground.

Meaning of Word
Clue
15
Independent Practice (10 min)

After we have reviewed some of the more tough questions in the guided practice and I have addressed any
misconceptions, students will complete questions #6-10 on their own:
6) Although some men are loquacious, others hardly talk at all.
Meaning of Word
Clue
7) She said the music would be cacophonous, but it sounded beautiful to me.
Meaning of Word
Clue
8) Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and colleges,

require community support to function efficiently.
Meaning of Word
Clue
9) He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few pennies they
needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part with his money.
Meaning of Word
10)
Clue
Melissa sauntered over to our table while Cheryl hurried over.
Meaning of Word
Clue
16
Book Club Breakouts (25 min)

Before students begin their first day in their book club groups, I will take 5 minutes to explain the Notes on
What I Read packet to them and model how to fill out entries. Suggest that with any new book you are
reading, it is good to track characterization and ask questions during the first couple pages. Try to focus on
those two today.
Students then begin reading in their groups. Students are using a voice level 2 and are taking turns reading
aloud. Together they can stop and fill out their entries.
Homework
Students read the assigned number of pages in their novel and complete 5 entries in their packet.
Day 3 of Unit
Objective
SWBAT use the substitution strategy to define the meaning of unknown words, as well as types of context
clues, with the article Utopian and Dystopian Fiction and in multiple-choice situations.
Materials
Classwork sheet, with Dystopian and Utopian Literature text; Power Point; book club novels and Notes on
What I Read packets
Bridge/ Hook (2 min)
1) Ask for volunteers to recall the four types of context clues we learned yesterday.
2) Cold call on students to tell me the meaning of each type.
3) Today were going to learn two new ways to find the meaning of unknown words.
Students are filling in these notes on the classwork sheet as the teacher goes through the Power Point.
Key Point #1: Good readers find the meaning of words they do not know by using a variety of strategies. Two
more strategies are to use substitution and background knowledge to find the meaning of a word.
Key Point #2: How to do this:
1)
First, read the sentence and comprehend what the sentence is saying. You may have to read
the sentences _before or after the word, or even a nearby paragraph, to comprehend what is
going on in the text.
2)
Figure out the part of speech of the unknown word.
3)
Take that word out of the sentence.

4)
5)
17
Read the sentence and use your background knowledge to consider what word would
typically go there. (give examples: You can infer that zorked means walked in the
sentence, I zorked down the street because you have background knowledge. You also
know a verb must go here.)
Re-read the sentence and substitute in the answer choices, or words that you thought of in step
5, into the sentence.
Modeling/ Guided Practice (13 min)

I will model this in 2 short multiple-choice questions first (3 min)
1. I looked at the plans for your new house. This is earthquake country. You need to fortify the frame or youll
have a disaster with the first tremor.
a. shake
b. build
c. strengthen
d. destroy
2. .Your cousin claimed to be late because the doors of his house were frozen shut. Even though I have my
doubts, his explanation is plausible. It got really cold last night. I'll just have to take his word for it.
If a statement is plausible, __________.
a. you must always believe it
b. you should never believe it
c. it's hard to understand because it makes no sense
d. it's believable enough to possibly be true
Text Intro/ Modeling: 10 min
I will then tell students that we are reading a text today that connects to The Last Book in the Universe. Ask
students to tell me what they already know about dystopian or utopian literature (if students need prompting,
tell them The Hunger Games is an example.) This will lead into our reading of the article.
Read the first paragraph of the article with the students, and model filling in the chart for the meanings of
degraded and oblivion. Ask for student input as I fill in the chart.
Utopian and Dystopian Literature (The Last Book in the Universe)
The utopia and its offshoot, the dystopia, are genres of literature that explore social and political structures.
Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal or perfect society, or utopia, as the setting for a novel. Dystopian
fiction (sometimes referred to as apocalyptic literature, apocalyptic meaning end of the world) is the opposite:
creation of an utterly horrible or degraded society that is generally headed to an irreversible oblivion, or
dystopia. Many novels combine both, often as a metaphor for the different directions humanity can take in its
choices, ending up with one of two possible futures. Both utopias and dystopias are commonly found in science
fiction.
Word
degraded
Meaning of Word
Clue
Word
Meaning of Word
Clue
18
oblivion

Students will then read the next 2 paragraphs on their own. They will define the meanings of the unknown
words. We will go over the answers together as a class (15 min)
Dystopia is defined as a society characterized by a focus on mass poverty, squalor, suffering, or oppression, that
society has most often brought upon itself. Most authors of dystopian fiction explore at least one reason why
things are that way, often as an analogy for similar issues in the real world. In the words of Keith M. Booker,
dystopian literature is used to "provide fresh perspectives on problematic social and political practices that
might otherwise be taken for granted or considered natural and inevitable.
Dystopias usually extrapolate elements of contemporary society and are read by many as political warnings.
Many dystopias warn of a horrible future world by suppressing justice, freedom and happiness. Samuel Butler's
Erewhon can be seen as a dystopia because of the way sick people are punished as criminals while thieves are
cured in hospitals. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale describes a future North America governed by strict
religious rules which only the privileged dare defy.
Word
Meaning of Word
Clue
Meaning of Word
Clue
Meaning of Word
Clue
Meaning of Word
Clue
squalor
Word
extrapolate
Word
suppressing
Word
defy
19
Assessment: Students will complete the exit ticket with multiples choice questions from excerpts of The Last
Book in the Universe:
Ryter was this gummy that changed my life, and if youre reading this, maybe he changed the world, too.
Gummies are like geezers, and the Ryter was so ancient, the hair on his chin beard was white
Word
Meaning
Type of clue
gummy
I take the choxbar from my pocket and unwrap it so he can see, but he looks even more scared. I break off half
and give it to him and go, Eat it. Come on, it aint going to kill you, and he kind of flinches and thats when I
realize hes never had a choxbar and he thinks it might be poison Finally he eats a piece. When the taste
starts to hit him, all velvety chocolate, Little Face finally stops crying.
Which best explains what a choxbar is?
A. some kind of food
B. a poisonous snack
C. a chocolate bar
D. a candy bar that makes you choke
I write down each word by hand, like they did in the backtimes (times of long ago). Its primitive, but it
works.
Word
Meaning
Type of clue
primitive

Students continue reading in their groups. Students are using a voice level 2 and are taking turns reading
Homework
Students read the assigned number of pages in their novel and complete 5 more entries in their packet. (10
total).
Days 7-8 of Unit (2-Day Lesson)
Objective
1) SWBAT define and identify rhetorical questions and anecdotes in persuasive writing.
2) SWBAT analyze the use of rhetorical questions, anecdotes, cause and effect, and problem/ solution text
structures in the article Are We a Nation of Bullies? (2-day lesson)
20
*This lesson will be split over 2 days.

Materials
Classwork sheet, with Are We a Nation of Bullies? text; Power Point; book club novels and Notes on What I
Read packets
Many of our books, especially Wonder, deal with issues of bullying and taunting those who are considered
outsiders by society. Answer these brief questions about bullying in your own life:
1) Why do you think that teens bully each other? You may describe multiple reasons.
2) What, in your opinion, is the best way to go about stopping bullying?
Students will share with their partner and then share out with the class briefly.
Students are filling in these notes on the classwork sheet as the teacher goes through the Power Point.
Key Point #1: Authors can use two strategies to get their point or opinion across to the
reader.
Key Point #2: Anecdotes are personal stories that give the reader an emotional
connection to the point the author is making
Key Point #3: Rhetorical questions are questions that dont have a direct answer or that
the author will answer later; they are just to make a point.
Before we read this text, you must know what a vigilante is. A vigilante is someone who
takes the law into their own hands. (example: Batman)
Modeling/ Guided Practice (25 minutes each day; stop at the end of paragraph 4 on first day of lesson)
We will read the entire text together as a class. I sometimes will stop and cold call or take volunteers to read a
section.
For the vocabulary questions, students will be able to work with a partner. For all other questions, students
answer independently and then we will go over some as a class.
After Paragraph 2
1. What is happening to Sharon at this point?
2. What do you think it means when they say it began with a web site where
anonymous vigilantes posted her (Sharons) photo, phone number, and address?
3. What could we call the story her Mom tells? Why?
After Paragraph 5
4. How is paragraph 4 organized? How do you know?
5. Who is Velasquez, after we have read this section?
6. Who reacted to Phoebes suicide?
7. What persuasive device is being used in Paragraph 5? Describe it.
21
8. How are Phoebes bullies being treated? Why?

9. Consider the three rhetorical questions posed in this section.
a. What anecdotes do they relate to?
b. How do these rhetorical question relate back to the authors main claim about
bullying?
After Paragraph 8
10. In paragraph 6, the author uses an anecdote to illustrate the motivation behind
parents actions to be mean to other children. She then poses a rhetorical question
that states, But how far is too far in the name of protecting children? Based on this
anecdote, how would you answer the question according to the authors point of
view?
11. In paragraph 8, the author talks about the larger issue through a rhetorical
question. What is the larger issue? Where do children learn this behavior from?
12. What do the anecdotes in this section tell us about where the problem with
bullying lies?
13.
How is paragraph 8 organized? How do you know?
Context Clues
Word
Meaning
Clue/ Strategy You Used
Meaning
Meaning
empathize/ empathetic
Word
hailed
Word
narcissistic
Text
Are We a Nation of Bullies?

by Jessica Bennett, in Newsweek, December 15, 2010
The recent suicides of Tyler Clementi, Phoebe Prince, and others have sparked mass outrage against the
22
kids believed to have bullied them to death. But our response may be more harmful than the crime.
For Sharon Velasquez, it began with a Web site where anonymous vigilantes posted
her photo, phone number, and address. Soon reporters were showing up at all hours, and
her brother was being harassed on his way home from school. There were the kids (and
parents) who would shout slurs when Sharon left her house in South Hadley, Mass.; the
friends who stopped speaking to her; along with phone calls and death threats, and
ultimately, a rock through her fathers window a town away. (1)
But most shocking were the letters: dozens of them, arriving in the mailbox with no
return address; calling for 17-year-old Sharon to be raped and killed, smeared with
threats of retaliation, and racial slurs. I hope you die a long-suffering death, one person
wrote. Another called her ugly, stupid, fat, lazy and a pig. It got to the point where Id
go to the mailbox and my hands would start shaking, says the girls mother, Angeles
Chanon. Eventually, I thought, I cant live like this, and I stopped reading. (2)
Its the kind of behavior that, in the wake of high-profile teen suicides around the
country, would certainly be worthy of an investigationor more. Except that Sharon
Velasquez is no simple victim. She may have suffered at the hands of neighborhood
tormenters and anonymous online mobs, but she is also accused of being a bully herself:
charged in connection with the suicide of another young girl, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince,
who hung herself last January after suffering months of alleged aggression by her highschool peers. (3)
Princes story ignited an immediate firestorm: by parents, terrified for their own
children; by schools, where teachers wondered if they should be doing more; by law
enforcement, and, of course, by the media, who broadcast the case around the globe.
This tangled case has been followed by a wave of teen suicidesAsher Brown, Seth
Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Tyler Clementi, the list seems never endingall of whom are
believed to have been tormented. Yet while the massesfrom advocates to Snooki
have been quick to condemn kids capable of such torment, nobody has seemed to want
to acknowledge what has become all too obvious to those of us watching it all happen.
What kind of lesson are we teaching kids when, in the name of punishing bullies, we turn
into bullies ourselves? We have this idea in this country that everything is good and
evil, legal and illegal, right and wrong, says Ofer Zur, a psychologist who studies teen
violence. But the fact that there is a victim does not mean theres only one victim. In
other words, by treating the aggressor as something less than human, our response to
these highly publicized cases may be creating another set of victims. (4)
23
In many of these cases, the only difference between the behavior of the so-called
bullies and the behavior of the public wanting to punish those bullies is that the public is
perceived to be right, says Sam Goldberg, a former New York state prosecutor. What
happened to innocent until proven guilty? (5)
One reason these cases can spin off into a kind of mob vigilantism, say experts, is
avoidance: we hate the bully because its easier than hating the action of the bullying.
It allows us, says Sameer Hinduja, the codirector of the Cyberbullying Research Center,
to convince ourselves that bullies are categorically different from us. But are they? The
teens charged with bullying Prince are accused of taunting her with many of the same
names now being hurled back at them by the public yet they face criminal charges that
could lock them away for 10 years, while their tormenters roam free. And while its easy
to empathize with a parent who wants to stop his childs bully, how far is too far? In
Wisconsin, a man was recently sentenced to eight months in prison for head-butting his
13-year-old sons bullies, and punching out a gym teacher. In Florida, the dad who
climbed onto his daughters school bus, threatening to kill the boys whod bullied her,
has been hailed as a hero and good father. How far is too far in the name of
protecting children? (6)
Its easy, of course, to point the finger at the teens themselves: indeed, research has
shown that youth today are more narcissistic and less empathetic, reared on technology
that makes it easy for them to tune out others problems. One study, of 14,000 college
students, even managed to determine that this generation is some 40 percent less
empathetic than the coeds of three decades ago. Yet as any parent knows, nothing about
kids (or teens) is as simple as black and white. One in five students may be bullied each
year, but many students also play the role of both victim and aggressor. And whether or
not you want to call it bullying, its safe to assume that most kids have engaged in
something of the sort. (7)
But looking only to the kids for blame is to minimize the larger issuewhich is where
they learn this behavior in the first place. It doesnt take much more than a quick flip
through the cable channels, from Real Housewives pulling each others hair to an entire
genre of reality television, to see: we are a culture thats increasingly focused on others
humiliation. How can we expect kids not to mimic our behavior when everything from
politics to entertainment is telling them the opposite? By exceptionalizing [these cases]
and talking about the kids, says Rachel Simmons, the author of Odd Girl Out, were
missing the elephant in the room, which is us. (8)
Students answer the comprehensive question at the end that ties the main idea of the text together. They do this
silently and independently.
14. In three sentences, summarize the authors main argument in this article. How
does the author convey her argument? Include two examples of how she conveys her
point to the reader.
24

Homework
Day 9 of Unit
Objective
SWBAT analyze the use of text features such as headings, subheadings, and statistics, as well as all 5 text
structures, with the article We Can Stop Bullies.
Materials
Classwork sheet, with We Can Stop Bullies! text; Power Point; book club novels and Notes on What I Read
packets
Many of our books, especially Wonder, deal with issues of bullying and taunting those who are considered
outsiders by society. Today we continue to read an article about bullying.
Big Review!
What are the FIVE text structures we have learned?
Today were going to be reviewing text structures but also we are talking about text
features. Take a skim through this article, We Can Stop Bullies. What is unique about
this text? Thats right, it has lots of subheadings and bulleted lists.
Key Point #1: Authors use subheadings and titles to divide up information and to present
main ideas to readers. They also help readers skim and scan and find information
quickly.
Key Point #2: Authors use bulleted lists to give information that can be read quickly
instead of in paragraph form, or sometimes to present the way something should be
done in order.
Key Point #3: Authors also use bolded words to highlight important ideas.
With this in mind, I want you to go through the text and label all of the titles, subheadings, bulleted lists,
numbers, and bold words that you see. (4 min). Then we will read the first 2 paragraphs of the text together.
We Can Stop Bullies! BY ELIZABETH WINCHESTER
1
Colten Boyle, 10, knows how badly it hurts to be teased, called nasty names and left out by other kids.
"I used to get bullied a lot at my old school," he says. Classmates used words to hurt Colten, but
25
bullies pick on others in many ways. Sometimes the abuse is physical, like kicking, shoving and
hitting. Sometimes it takes the form of mean online or text messages.
2
No matter how it's done, bullying is damaging. It can cause victims and bullies to feel badly about
themselves, and can lead to other problems. Experts say that as many as one in 10 children are bullied
at school. Each day, about 160,000 U.S. students miss school because they are afraid of being
harassed. Preventing bullying is an important issue for kids, parents and teachers. Last week, almost
800 people from 42 states and eight countries attended an International Bullying Prevention
Association meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. They discussed the latest research and ways to prevent
aggressive behavior in schools.
A Bully's Bulls-Eye
3
Why are some kids singled out as targets for bullies? A new study suggests it has to do with how kids
act early in life. Researchers studied 1,970 children in Canada from when they were 4 months old
until they turned 7. The research team found that toddlers who regularly pushed and hit other
children did not become bullies. Instead, they were more likely to be picked on. The researchers
recommend that parents and teachers start early to stop children from acting aggressively toward
others.
4
Some experts are not yet convinced that angry toddlers are more likely to become bully magnets.
Nancy Mullin, the director of Bullying Prevention Inc., in Natick, Massachusetts, believes the subject
needs more study. But she agrees that, as early as possible, children should be taught how to get along
with others.
Let The Bully Beware
5
Communities across the globe are fighting back against bullies. "Bullying has been found in every
country that has been studied," Edward Barker, an author of the Canadian study, told TFK. He
believes schools should promote kindness, communication and conflict-resolution skills.
6
In the U.S., at least 39 states have laws that address bullying in schools. A variety of prevention
programs are available. But for a program to work best, "youth must be a part of the solution," says
Stephanie Bryn, head of the Stop Bullying Now Campaign.
7
Kids are tackling the issue together at Rosa Parks Middle School in Olney, Maryland. Through a
program called You Have the Power!, high school students are working with 20 students to spread
anti-bullying messages. "When I see someone being bullied, I sometimes don't know what to do,"
admits middle-schooler Haley Nachlas. "I feel this program will give me answers."
Some Specific Information on Cyber Bullying
8
According to a survey conducted in June of 2000 by The National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children on 1,500 children aged 10-17, 1 in 17 youths had been threatened or harassed over the
Internet and about one-third of those found the incidents extremely distressing.
9
According to a CBS 2 (television) Special Report, conducted in 2005, more than 50% of 4-8th grade
students have been bullied online. A recent nationwide survey of children and pre-teens by i-Safe
America found that 57% of kids in grades 4-8 said someone had said hurtful or angry things to them
26
online, 13% "quite often"; 53% admitted to saying mean or hurtful things to others, 7% "quite often";
35% had been threatened online, 5% "quite often"; 42% had been bullied online, 5% "quite often"; and
58% had not told their parents or another adult about receiving mean or hurtful comments.
10
The Internet and cell phones have become, in large part, the fabric of the social lives of teens and are
prime targets for this kind of attack. The first thing kids need to understand about Instant Messaging
and blogs is that the more personal information you give, the more it can be used against you by those
whom you wanted to read it, as well as by others you didnt. Whenever you type something online,
you have just given up your privacy. Additionally, people online can pose to be people they arent for
purposes of deception and in many cases, to commit crimes.
Some helpful tips for kids and teens regarding Cyber Bullying
11 Know that there are ALWAYS people available to help you that will make cyber bullies stop. These
people are law enforcement; your school teacher, school counselor, principal; your parents or a
nurturing, responsible adult; Cyber crime reporting sites such as: www.cybertipline.org.
12 Dont give out any personal information such as your name, your schools name or the name of any
of the sports teams in which you play, your home telephone or cellular phone number, your address-including the city where your other parent lives if they are divorced.
13 Dont ever use your real name as your user or screen name.
14
If you find that you are a victim of cyber bullying:
Do not respond to the harassers directly because that is exactly what they want. Dont give
them the pleasure of knowing that youre upset by it -- Stay cool.
Save and print out all messages DO NOT ERASE THE EMAILS.
Report this crime to the police. If possible, report it as it is happening.
Take notes: State the name of the harassers, if you know it, and all the details about the
incident(s)
If you are afraid to call the police, email a report of the incident(s) to cyber crime reporting
sites such as: www.cybertipline.org or www.wiredsafety.org.
REMEMBER: YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR ONLINE EXPERIENCE. IT IS

UNACCEPTABLE FOR YOU TO BE VERBALLY ABUSED OR THREATENED
15
If you want to BLOCK USERS from contacting you via email, do the following:
1. Look for the Block button. Sometimes it is in your Inbox.
2. Highlight or check the box next to their email and then click on the Block button. When you do
this, all the emails from the address you blocked will not go through to your Inbox.
If youre still getting messages from someone who is harassing you online, after you do the above,
change your email address.
Modeling/ Guided Practice (8 Min)
27
I will call on students to tell me what they labeled and together we will fill out the chart. I will ask student input
for the right-hand column, purpose of each text structure, and we will refer back to the key points while doing
so.
Feature of an
Informational Text
Example from Text
Its Effect in the Text:

What is the feature used for?
Heading/
Title
Subheading/
Subtitle
Number
Bullets
Bold/Caps
Italics/Underline

Students are then to read the rest of the text on their own and answer the multiple choice questions as they go,
using their chart to help them.
1. How does the title at the beginning of the article help readers?
a. It points out the most important idea in the article
b. It lets the reader know in advance what its going to be about
c. It details the steps in a process
d. It gives the reader a visual representation of the main idea
2. Why are the subheadings in this article important?
a. They tell the reader the order in which to complete a task
b. They outline the argument the author is trying to make
c. They detail all of the effects of the problem mentioned in the article
d. They break the information up into smaller, easy-to-read sections
3. What are the multiple numbers in paragraphs 2 and 9 used for?
28
a. To show how large of a problem bullying is

b. To list out the steps of stopping a bully
c. To make the article more interesting
d. To show the reader how to block someone from the internet
4. In the section, If you find that you are a victim of cyber bullying, why does the author use a bulleted list?
a. To make the article more interesting to read
b. To show the reader which order to complete the steps in
c. To make each suggestion easy to distinguish from the others
d. To let the reader know what the section is all about
5. In the section, Some helpful tips why is the word always capitalized and underlined?
a. To emphasize how important it is
b. Because its the most important idea in the section
c. Because its the title of another text
d. To show that its the beginning of a new section
6. What is the authors purpose in including the first 2 paragraphs of the selection?
7. Which best describes authors tone in the sixth paragraph?
A. angry and frustrated
B. neutral and informative
C. opinionated and bossy
D. enthusiastic and lighthearted
8. Which best describes the authors tone in the tenth paragraph?
A. concerned and giving warning
B. neutral and informative
C. hostile and sharing frustrations
D. humorous and giving personal stories
9. What text structure does the 14th paragraph use?
A. main idea and supporting details
B. cause and effect
C. compare and contrast
D. simple listing
10. What text structure does the 3rd paragraph use?
A. compare and contrast
B. problem and solution
C. chronological order
D. cause and effect
29
Homework
Day 12 of Unit
Objective
SWBAT define and identify emotional appeal, call to action, expert opinion, and loaded language in the
editorial A Fix for Foster Care.
Materials
Classwork sheet, with A Fix for Foster Care text; Power Point; book club novels and Notes on What I Read
packets
1) What are the three types of authors purpose in texts that we have talked about? (inform, persuade,
entertain)
2) When persuasive texts are biased, what does that mean? (they lean to one side)
3) Today we are going to learn about how authors persuade us. Think of a commercial that you can easily
remember. How do the makers of that commercial persuade you to buy that product?
Students take notes on their graphic organizer as I go through the Power Point.
Key Point #1: Authors use many techniques to persuade their readers or consumers to support an idea, buy a
product, or believe the claim the author is making.
Key Point #2: There are many persuasive techniques authors use. We have already learned 2: anecdotes and
rhetorical questions. Lets learn 5 more today.
Technique
Definition
Example
A personal story that causes the
reader to emotionally connect with I, too, learned this lesson when
Anecdote
the authors argument
Rhetorical Question
A question that does not have an

answer; it is only used to make a
point
What does it mean to be successful?

It involves
Loaded language
Descriptive words that have a

strong effect on the reader
Happiness, peace, freedom
Expert Opinion/ Big Name
Experts approve this product, or

suggest this action
Expert psychologist Dr. Phil says.
Research/ Statistics
Data or a study proves that the

claim is true or that the product
works.
In a study conducted in May 2009,

58% of the results showed.
Emotional Appeal
Call to Action/ Sense of

Urgency
30
The author says things to make you

The poor, sad, animals left alone
feel sad, happy, or emotional
without an owner
toward the product or claim
Ask or demand your audience to
take some course of action, often
times urgently
Vote. Take charge. Act NOW! Time

is running out!
Modeling/ Guided Practice (8 Min)

We are now going to read a text that relates to one of our books, Ellen Foster. Who can tell me the difference
between adoption and foster care? What might be a potential pitfall of the government paying people to take
care of foster children?
I will read the first three paragraphs of the text to the class. Students will follow along and will highlight or
label when they see persuasive techniques. I will model highlighting the loaded language in these paragraphs
and fill out the chart discussing the purpose/ effect of the loaded language.
A Fix for Foster Care
Friday, December 6, 2013
By: Boston Herald editorial staff
Caring for the most vulnerable among us is the very essence of what a well-functioning government must be
able to do.
And now we find out yet again that this state, which has never pinched pennies when it comes to funding
services to children and to families, is still failing too many of them.
A disturbing new report by the Office of the Child Advocate found evidence supporting 249 allegations of
physical and sexual abuse and neglect involving children in state-monitored settings. A shocking 30 percent
involved children in foster care (more than 70 incidents) and another 29 percent were in residential treatment
programs (other incidents took place in day care or school-based settings).
Now admittedly the number of substantiated abuse and neglect cases for those in foster care represents a small
percentage of the more than 7,300 kids currently in that program, but these are vulnerable children. Many have
already experienced dysfunctional birth families only to be placed in other dysfunctional and/or abusive
settings. And taxpayers are footing the bill for this.
Unlike homes where unfortunately some individuals become parents and theyre not prepared to do so well,
when youre dealing with foster care, these are hand-selected providers to be trained and overseen by the state,
said Sara Bartosz, an attorney for Childrens Rights, a group that unsuccessfully sued the Department of
Children and Families for failing to protect kids in its care.
The groups suit was dismissed by a judge in October, but is being appealed.
The appropriate standard in foster care, Bartosz insisted, is zero tolerance. This should be a safe haven.
31
Many foster parents are among the most selfless and caring individuals on the planet. Others, sad to say, see it
as a business, a cottage industry to which hard-pressed state officials looking to place sometimes troubled
children too often turn a blind eye.
That there now is an Office of the Child Advocate represents a measure of progress. But better screening and
training on the front end can help prevent a heap of trouble and tragedy later on.
Find one of each type of persuasive technique we learned today and write its purpose or intended effect
on the reader.
Type
Loaded
language
Example from Text
Purpose/ Effect on Reader
Failing, disturbing
The author uses these words to show

that the government isnt doing enough
to help foster children.
Emotional
appeal
Expert
opinion
Statistics
Call to
action

I will tell students that the third paragraph we just read could have 2 other persuasive techniques, as well
(research/statistics and emotional appeal.) They should re-read this paragraph and look for those.
Then students will take 15 min to finish reading the text on their own and filling out the chart.
At end of 15 minutes we will take 5 minutes to go over certain parts of the chart I saw students struggling with.
Homework
32
Appendix B. Weekly Notes On What I Read Packet

Name: __________________________ Week of: _______________ Pages per day: _____By Friday:
p. ____
Book I am reading: ______________________________________________________

A summary of what happened in the book this week:
Somebody
Wanted
But
33
So
Then
In paragraph form:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Write a paragraph about whether you like or dislike this book so far and explain why.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Page
Numb
er
Questions or Predictions
Answers or confirm prediction
Page
Numb
er
Important
Quotes
Why I think they are important
34
Page
Number
Character
35
Word to describe character and evidence (thoughts, dialogue,

actions, interactions, narration)
Page
Setting Detail
OR
36
--Explain the setting detail and why it is

Number
Tone or mood of a
particular scene
37
important
--What evidence supports that particular tone
or mood
Page
Number
Unknown Vocabulary
Word
My Definition
38
Actual Definition
Type of
Question
Main Idea
Vocabulary
Characteriza
tion
Cause and
Effect
Inference
Your Multiple Choice Style

Question
3 Answer Choices
39
Correct Answer
40
Come up with THREE multiple choice questions to go with your readings this
week (choose 3 types of questions)
Appendix C. Sample Student Weekly Quiz
Quiz #1
Wonder
1) Who is the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary Auggie is?
A. his parents
B. his sister, Via
C. Jack Will
D. himself
2) Why is Auggie initially mad at his parents when he finds out they want him to go to
school?
A. He is afraid to go to school because of how he looks.
B. He thinks his mom is the best teacher and he doesnt want anyone else.
C. He is mad at his parents for hiding it from him for a whole year.
D. both A and C
E. A, B, and C
3) Which set of words best describes Mr. Tushman?
A. intimidating and fierce
B. kind and warm
C. strict and no-nonsense
D. pleasant but serious
4) Everything goes really well on the Grand Tour with Jack Will, Charlotte, and Julian,
except
A. Charlotte wont shut up about she was in the school play, which makes
Auggie nervous
B. Jack Will keeps staring at Auggie and acts afraid to go near him
C. Julian asks Auggie what the deal is with his face and if he got into a fire
D. Auggie refuses to speak even when they ask him questions
5) What
A.
B.
C.
D.
does Auggie do to hide his face on the first day of school?

constantly looks down and tries to keep his hair over his eyes
sits in the back of classrooms and buries his head in books
keeps his head high and hope that no one will make fun of him
cups his hands over his mouth for most of the day
6) Why does Auggie most likely cut off his Padawan braid when he gets home from
his first day of school?
A. Summer made fun of it at lunch and embarrassed him.
B. Julian made a comment that he looked like a Star Wars character whose face
was burned.
41
C. He is afraid that people will tug at it in order to make fun of him.

D. He thinks it will help him not look like a tortoise when he eats.
7) What
A.
B.
C.
D.
is a precept?
an important decision
a quotation from a famous author or genius
a rule or motto to guide you
a persuasive essay
8) Overall, based on evidence from the text, how does Auggie feel after his first day
of school?
A. hurt and dejected
B. confused and flabbergasted
C. tired and overwhelmed, but happy
D. ecstatic and joyful
9) How do the kids at school mostly act during the first month August is there?
A. they constantly and openly ridicule and tease him
B. they mostly ignore him and not look at him
C. they act surprised by his face and pretend not to stare
D. they are friendly to him and dont mind his face
10)
What sentence most correctly uses the word aversion, Augusts vocab word,
the way it is used in the text?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The lamb to the slaughter entered the aversion without noticing anything.
The vegetarian had an aversion to eating meat; it made her sick.
The doctor did an operation to create an aversion of the boys face.
She has an aversion to Justin Bieber; she collects posters of him to hang all
over her room.
Appendix D. Socratic Seminar Discussion Sheet
42
43
44
Appendix E. Self Evaluations

Socratic Seminar Evaluation
Your Name _____________________________
Overall, I give myself a grade of ____________ on our Socratic seminar today because
________________________________________________________________________________.
One way I could have improved was:
________________________________________________________________________________.
Overall, I give our class a grade of ____________ on our Socratic seminar today because
________________________________________________________________________________.
One way we all could have improved was:
________________________________________________________________________________.
Book Club Groups Self and Group Evaluation
Yes
I read and understood the main events of the story.
I actively participated in the group discussions.
I listened to what others had to say about the story.
I kept track of my Notes on What I Read packet.
Somewhat
No
45
Give yourself an overall rating for the week and explain why you deserve that rating.
Wasted Time (F)
Needs Improvement (D)
Satisfactory (C)
Very Good (B)
Excellent (A)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Group Evaluation
How did each of your groupmates
do with reading through the text,
filling out entries in the Notes on
What I Read packet, and
discussing throughout the whole
unit?
Wasted
Time (F)
Needs
Improve
ment (D)
Satisfactory
(C)
Very
Good (B)
Excellent
(A)
Name
____________________________
Name
____________________________
Name
____________________________
Think about how well your group worked together. Give your group an overall rating and explain why your
group deserves that rating. Group Grade: __________Explain your answer:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
46
Appendix F. Novel Unit Performance Tasks and Rubrics

Pick ONE of the following options for showing your understanding of the memoir you
read in class for a 200 point test grade.
Make a brochure advertising the book
o Use a piece of paper divided into three sections
First section (cover): title of the book and author and some sort of creative
illustration. Include a quote or phrase that will make your brochure attractive
to people.
Second, third and fourth panels (inside sections): describe the setting, the
characters, the plot and the themes for this book.
Back left panel: write a short description of the author
Back center panel: put your name, the date and the name of our class.
Make sure your brochure looks attractive, colorful and easy-to-read!!
Make a poster advertising the book
o Make sure it includes the following information:
Plot
Setting
Characters
Themes
Reasons to read the book
Quotes from the book
Small section about the author
Write a book review
o Pretend you are a book reviewer for a newspaper or a magazine
Decide what newspaper or magazine you report for (can be real or made up)
Model your review after a real newspaper/magazine article (title, date,
author)
Decide if you are giving it a favorable or unfavorable review (stars?)
Include a summary of the book (the characters, plot, setting, themes)
Critique the authors writing
Create a diary for a character from the book
o You should be writing from the characters point of view!
Pick a character and create a diary for him or her
Base your diary entries on events in the plot, themes you uncovered in the
book and the relationships between characters
47
Write at least 4 diary entries (each is at least half a page long)

Turn the book (or a series of chapters from the book) into a comic strip
o If your book is short, please use the whole story. If it is long, use a section of it (a
series of chapters, etc).
o Use illustrations and captions
o Be specific! Dont clump a whole chapters worth of information into one box.
Create a book jacket
o Design a front cover (title, author, illustration, quote from a reviewer, any awards)
o Summarize the book on the back cover make sure to include the main points and
draw the reader in!
o Create reviews from different book reviewers (examples: New York Times,
Newsweek, USAToday, Barnes and Nobel, Las Angeles Times, Boston Globe,
Readers Digest). These reviews should be listed on the inside cover (one or two
may be located on the back and front covers as well).
Brochure Rubric/ Checklist

The front cover clearly states the title and the author
The front cover contains an appropriate quote (from the book or from a reviewer)
The front cover has a well-thought-out, appropriate illustration
The inside panels clearly describe the setting of the story
The inside panels clearly describe the plot (answers who, what, when, where, why)
The inside panels fully describe the main characters of the story
The inside panels discuss the themes found in the book
The back left panel (the first panel you see when you open the brochure) includes a short description
of the author (accomplishments, other books, where he or she lives)
The back cover includes your name, the date and the name of our class
All panels are set up logically, are easy to read and include creative illustrations.
Poster Rubric/ Checklist

Poster includes the title of the book and the authors name
Includes a description of the plot (could be a list, a summary, a diagram, etc)
48
Includes a description of the setting (could be a list, a summary, a diagram, etc)

Includes a description of the characters (could be a list, a summary, a diagram, etc)
Includes a description of the themes seen in the book (could be a list, a summary, a diagram, etc)
Includes a small section about the author
Includes at least 3 quotes from the book (that are important or that you liked)
Includes creative artwork and is pleasing to the eye
Book Review Rubric/ Checklist
The review has a clear, creative title.
The authors name and the date the review was written are clearly stated beneath the title.
The name of the newspaper or magazine in which the review in included is clearly stated.
The article resembles one found in an actual newspaper/magazine.
The review includes a complete summary
o Setting
o Plot
o Characters
Includes a critique of the book (good, bad, alright). The authors writing is also critiqued. Specific
examples from the book are used to back up the critique.
The review includes the themes that are found in the book and addresses the importance of these themes.
Character Diary Rubric/ Checklist

There are at least 4 diary entries.
Entry #1:
The diary is written from the characters point of view.
The diary is believable (based on the plot, the characters relationships with other characters, the setting,
the themes, etc).
The entry is at least half a page long.
49
Entry #2:
the themes, etc).
Entry #3:
the themes, etc).
Entry #4:
the themes, etc).
Comic Strip Rubric/ Checklist
A chronological series of chapters from the story are used to create the comic strip.
The comic strip squares are specific (not too much information crammed into one).
Each square contains an appropriate, creative drawing.
Each square contains a caption (description, dialogue between characters).
The comic strip follows a logical progression (the story makes sense).
In reading the comic strip, the reader gets a solid idea of the plot, characters and setting of the story
(basically the story is retold in a comic strip fashion).
You included a one-paragraph summary about the scene you chose, why you chose it, and what is
happening in the scene.
50
Book Jacket Rubric/ Checklist

Front cover:
Creative and unique (not copied from the original book cover!)
Contains the title and the authors name
Includes a creative, appropriate illustration
Includes any awards and a short quote from a reviewer to entice the reader
Back cover:
The books plot, setting and characters should be summarized on the back cover in way that draws the
reader in
Inside cover page:
Create book reviews from at least five known book reviewers. These reviews should be made up by you
based on your reaction to and knowledge of the book! Each review should be at least 4 sentences.
o Examples of common book reviewers:
New York Times
Newsweek
Amazon.com

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Running Head: OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Outsiders and Outcasts Book Club Unit

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Unit Essential Questions

What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to be normal?

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

SWBAT view a Power

SWBAT use the

SWBAT use the

SWBAT define the

SWBAT analyze the

SWBAT read their

SWBAT read their

SWBAT read their

SWBAT define and

SWBAT read their

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

SWBAT read their

SWBAT define and

SWBAT define and

SWBAT read their

SWBAT read their

SWBAT use facts,

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Sample Lesson Plans

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Self and Group Evaluation

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Appendix A. Sample Lesson Plans

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Ed was known for being

I went to sleep in the hammock,

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Modeling/ Guided Practice (10 min)

Type of context clue

2) His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.

Type of context clue

Type of context clue

Type of context clue

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Independent Practice (10 min)

Type of context clue

Type of context clue

8) Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and colleges,

Type of context clue

Type of context clue

Melissa sauntered over to our table while Cheryl hurried over.

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Type of context clue

Book Club Breakouts (25 min)

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Modeling/ Guided Practice (13 min)

Type of context clue

OUTSIDERS AND OUTCASTS BOOK CLUB UNIT

Type of context clue

Independent Practice (18 min)

Type of context clue