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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Four Corners: Taking a Stand in To Kill a Mockingbird (Chapters 24-26 Plus Synthesis of Scenes in Previous Chapters)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Think outside the box! Scholars work on the Frayer Model, completing boxes for the word integrity. They turn and talk with partners to discuss real-life examples and some from To Kill A Mockingbird. Readers then discuss integrity, taking...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Model Essay: Studying Argument (Chapter 27 Plus Synthesis of Scenes in Previous Chapters)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars partner up to review a model essay and talk through the process leading up to writing their essays. During a second reading of the essay, learners locate and underline the claim given, reasons, and counterclaim. They then...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing an Argument Essay: Evaluating the Model and Crafting a Claim (Chapter 28, Including Synthesis of Scenes in Previous Chapters)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars use the model essay from the previous instructional activity to create their own argumentative essays. Readers make a claim about Atticus defending Tom in To Kill A Mockingbird. They then use graphic organizers to develop and...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Text to Film Comparison: Bottom’s Transformation

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars meet in a drama circle to discuss what they remember from reading A Midsummer Night's Dream Act III, Scene 1 in the last activity. They then take turns reading the scene aloud, stopping to answer questions as they read. Learners...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Characters’ Decisions: The Flow of Consequences in Midsummer

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members meet in their drama circles and share their thoughts on why it might be necessary for the audience to know something the characters don't. They read Act 3 Scene 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream and complete consequence flow...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Text to Film Comparison: Bottom the Fool

For Teachers 8th Standards
Pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp. Oxymorons are awfully good! Scholars reread Act I, scene 2 from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream while participating in a drama circle. Next, they begin working on anchor charts to dissect Shakespeare's...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Text Structure: “The Shakespeare Shakedown”

For Teachers 8th Standards
Pupils continue reading and discussing Simon Schama's article "The Shakespeare Shakedown." They work together to analyze the article's paragraph structure, completing a note-catcher worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1: Drafting The Argument Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars write the draft of their essays about Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. They support their claims with reasons, details, and quotes from the novel.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Identifying the Characters, Settings, and Conflicts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars form a drama circle and begin reading Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They also use a play map to identify the setting, characters, and conflicts from the text.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing How Shakespeare’s Play Draws upon Greek Mythology: Part 1

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars read the story "Pyramus and Thisbe," analyzing word choice, tone, and meaning. They then try to find the gist of the story and discuss how Shakespeare used the myth in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading Shakespeare: The Play within the Play

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars continue reading the Greek myth "Pyramus and Thisbe," analyzing why it was written into Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, they complete a Venn diagram to compare the two texts.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Single Draft Narrative

For Teachers 8th Standards
Put it in your own words. Scholars work independently on their mid-unit assessments by responding to a writing prompt. They write about Miné Okubo’s life and the moments when Okubo became visible again.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Narrative Writing: Planning Narrative Techniques

For Teachers 8th Standards
It's all in the technique. Scholars revisit the model narrative they covered in lesson four to analyze the author's writing techniques. Readers compare techniques they spot in the narrative to those in the essay rubric. They then work to...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: “War in the Pacific,” Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
Who did what? Readers take a closer look at War in the Pacific to determine each country's actions. As they read, scholars underline American actions in one color and actions of Japan in another. They then begin completing Pearl Harbor...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Studying Conflicting Information: Varying Perspectives on the Pearl Harbor Attack, Part 1

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars read President Roosevelt's Day of Infamy speech and analyze the speech's words using close reading guides. Readers determine Roosevelt's point of view after reading the speech and filling in the guides.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing a Thematic Concept: Becoming Visible Again, Part 2 (354–380)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars take a close look at the life of Louie in Unbroken. They discuss events considered turning points in their life and use several graphic organizers and guides to help direct their thinking. After thinking about their responses,...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching the Performance Task: Thematic Statement and Narrative Prompt

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars think about what message Laura Hillenbrand tries to convey to readers in Unbroken. They begin by sharing their thoughts as thematic statements. After sharing, learners work on explaining their ideas in an Unbroken Thematic...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Narrative Writing: Planning the Plot

For Students 8th Standards
You will never forget that moment. Scholars read a model narrative and analyze the moment a character became visible again. They compare the narrative to Okubo in Unbroken. Readers also assess the narrative essay according to a rubric...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching The Performance Task: Building Background Knowledge: “War in the Pacific,” Part 1

For Teachers 8th Standards
It's all about a bit of give and take. Scholars silently read War in the Pacific and circle any unfamiliar words. Using context clues, they write each word on a strip of paper along with the inferred definition. After looking the word up...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Studying Conflicting Information: Varying Perspectives on the Pearl Harbor Attack, Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars take another look at Japan's Fourteen-Part Message. They then take turns adding ideas to sentence starters to create ideas about the different perspectives of government. To finish, groups mix and mingle to share their sentences...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment and Author’s Craft: Narrative Techniques

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars work together to compile a list of things good writers do to perfect their craft and write the ideas on a whiteboard. They then discuss the differences between passive and active sentences and use their knowledge to identify...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Author’s Craft: Analyzing Narrative Techniques (Pages 73–113)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars discuss a reading selection in Unbroken by writing to a partner about text selection. After completing the writing, learners revisit the use of active and passive sentences by reviewing a second Active and Passive Sentences...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing a Thematic Concept: The Invisibility of Captives during WWII (Pages 182-188)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Readers complete a word web-based on the word dignity. They use their Understanding Invisibility note catcher to discuss how dignity relates to the theme of invisibility. After group discussion comparing invisibility and loss of dignity,...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Key Incidents Reveal Aspects of Character: Survival at Sea (Pages 114-168)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Learn from experience. As part of their study of Unbroken, scholars use a turn-and-talk strategy to discuss Louie's experiences and the presence of God while he is lost at sea. They then read quotes from the text and infer what the words...