Unit Six Start Date: Thursday, February 21st

End Date: Tuesday, April 2nd

Note: This class meets every other day for 90-minute class periods. This language arts class meets on
silver days. The unit is 15 days long.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Burgundy Day Silver Day Burgundy Day Silver Day- Feb. 21st Burgundy Day
-Unit Six Begins
Week -Introduction to Speak
One
-Writing Prompt day
-Learning Target:
Students will consider
the educational benefits
of reading, analyzing,
and discussing whole
novels as a class.
-Success Criteria:
Students participate in a
Tea Party activity where
they make predictions
about Speak. I will walk
around the room and
track participation.

Silver Day- Feb 25th Burgundy Day Silver Day- Feb 27th Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 1st
-Independent reading -Continue reading -Continue reading
time Speak in class Speak in class
-Begin reading Speak -handout and work on -Socratic seminar:
in class character charts discuss the social issues
-Review classroom -LT: Students will that dominate this
policies before analyze how a section of the book.
upcoming Socratic character’s words and -Writing Prompt day
Week seminars. actions influence -LT: Students will
Two -“10 Lies They Tell circumstances. consider the different
You in 8th Grade” -SC: Students fill out ways people
activity graphic organizers to communicate.
-LT: Students will help them engage -SC: Students
understand the closely with the text. participate in an all-
necessary elements of class discussion to
an open-minded and -Homework: finish make connections
productive discussion. reading ‘Second outside the classroom. I
-SC: Students respond Marking Period’ will keep note of
to an exit slip that asks students’ responses and
them to choose one attention.
aspect of discussions
that is most valuable to -Homework: finish
them. reading ‘Third Marking
Period’
-Homework: finish
reading ‘First Marking
Period’
Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 5th Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 7th Burgundy Day
-Continue reading -Finish novel
Speak in class -Socratic seminar:
-Socratic seminar: discuss how the social
discuss the social issues issues prevalent in Speak
that dominate this connect to current events.
section of the book. What’s happening in our
-LT: Students will make society that reminds us of
real-world connections the events in the novel?
while analyzing a -LT: Students will make
Week novel’s themes and real-world connections
Three
events. while analyzing a novel’s
themes and events.
 -SC: Students will -SC: Students will
respond to a series of respond to a series of
discussion questions discussion questions that
that asks them to asks them to engage
engage closely with the closely with the text and
text and make make connections to
connections to social social issues in the real
issues in the real world. world.
-Writing Prompt day
-Homework: finish
reading Speak -Homework: No
Homework.
Silver Day- March 11th Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 13th Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 15th
-Introduce Creating a -Finish Creating a -Students are free to
Character project Character project in share their character
-Review project rubric class—project is due projects in front of the
and guidelines; in full next class class if they wish.
students will begin period. -Analyze Maya
brainstorming. -LT: Students will Angelou’s poem “Still I
-LT: Students will understand how a Rise”
Week practice working with character comes to be -LT: Students will make
Four dialogue and character and their role in a thematic connections
descriptions. novel. across multiple texts.
-SC: Students work on -SC: Students will -SC: Students will work
their Creating a complete their closely with another
Character project. I Creating a Character text that has similar
will walk around and project that asks them themes to Speak. I will
keep track of their to study dialogue, walk around the room
progress. interactions, and and track participation
character descriptions in the group activities.
-Homework: Finish in a novel.
character biography Homework: Finish -Writing Prompt day
and dialogue snippets if Creating a Character
not completed in class. project to be turned in -Homework: Work on
at the beginning of the vocabulary notecards
next class period. (due next Thursday)

Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 19th
-Drawing a tree activity
-Various non-verbal
communication
activities
-Introduce final writing
assignment; handout
rubric and prompt
sheet/directions
-LT: Students will
Week consider the different
Five
viewpoints of their
peers and consider ways
to communicate that are
non-verbal.
-SC: Students will draw
their own interpretation
of a tree.
Homework: Bring a
book/silent activity for
next class period. Begin
brainstorming and
researching for final
paper.
Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 21st Burgundy Day
-*Day of Silence*
-Students will work
silently on researching
and drafting for their
final projects.
-LT: Students will
consider the challenge of
being mute and
empathize with Melinda.
SC: Students will refrain
from speaking for an
entire class period. In the
last five minutes of class,
I will open the room to
discussion about their
reaction to the silent day.
I will keep track of their
participation.
-Writing Prompt day
-Homework: Short,
informal reflection on
their reaction/thoughts/
challenges of the Day of
Silence—due next class
period.
-Continue
researching/drafting final
essay
 Silver Day- March 25th
-Analyze Rupal’s poem
“Silence”
-Students will write
their own poems about
“silence”
LT: Students will make
connections between
Week various texts and relate
Six them to the themes in
Speak
SC: Students will
engage in a different
writing format and
craft a poem.
Homework: Finish
“silence” poem if not
completed in class.
-Introduction paragraph
and outline for body
paragraphs due for peer
editing the next class
period.
Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 27th Burgundy Day Silver Day- March 29th
-Watch clips from the -Students are given the
popular Netflix series entire class period to
“13 Reasons Why” workshop and peer edit
-Socratic seminar: how their final essays. The
does the protagonist of essay is due at the
the T.V show beginning of the next
compare/contrast to class period.
Melinda? We will LT: Students will work
make compare/ closely with a text to
contrast charts in class. make real-world
-Peer edit intro connections and
paragraph and outline develop formal writing
in pairs styles/habits.
LT: Students will SC: Students will draft
recognize thematic and a formal essay.
characters’ similarities
and differences across -Writing Prompt day
a diverse range of
media. -Homework: Finish
SC: Students will final essay to turn in for
connect to Speak by next class period.
watching a TV show
that has similar
themes. I will keep
track of students’
attention while
watching the clips.
Students will turn in
their compare/contrast
graphs.

Homework: Continue
drafting body
paragraphs of final
essay.
Burgundy Day Silver Day- April 2nd Burgundy Day Silver Day Burgundy Day
-Final Essays due at the
beginning of class
-Letter to My High
School Self writing
activity.
Week LT: Students will
Seven reflect on their
excitement, fears, etc.
about the upcoming
transition for the next
phase of their lives.
SC: Students will
reflect thoughtfully in
an individual and peer
setting. Students will
turn in their reflection
letters at the end of
class.

Unit 6 ends