Lesson 15 | Defining America | 7th Grade English

Objective

Gather and synthesize information on DACA and DREAMers from diverse sources in preparation for creating an informational poster.

Readings and Materials

Article: “American Dreamers” by Kok-Leong Seow
Article: “What is DACA and Who Are the DREAMers?” by Anti-Defamation League
Video: “DACA, explained” by Vox

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Target Task

Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved

Assign

Writing Prompt

Working in groups, use information you have gathered to create an informational poster that answers the following questions:

What is the Dream Act? Who are the DREAMers?
What is DACA?
How did DACA change the lives of undocumented people? Provide specific examples.
What are the risks of eliminating DACA? Provide specific examples.

Key Questions

Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding

Close Read Questions

What risks do undocumented people face?
Who qualifies for DACA?
What is the DREAM Act?
What were the benefits of DACA?
Why do some people oppose DACA/The DREAM Act?

Notes

Suggestions for teachers to help them teach this lesson

This is a sensitive and controversial topic. Be mindful that some of your students may be or know undocumented immigrants, while others may have strongly negatively views of undocumented people. This lesson is an opportunity to explore a complex issue through the voices of the people who are most directly impacted by these laws and policies.
This issue is changing rapidly. Be sure to search for the most up-to-date information possible before beginning this project.

Homework

Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.

Each student should select two more "American Dreamers" essays and continue to fill out graphic organizers.

To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

Article: “American Dreamers” by Kok-Leong Seow

Enhanced Lesson Plan

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Common Core Standards

W.7.7 — Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

Writing Standards

W.7.7 — Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
W.7.8 — Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Writing Standards

W.7.8 — Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Supporting Standards

Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit

L.7.6

RI.7.1

RI.7.2

RI.7.10

SL.7.2

SL.7.3

W.7.2

W.7.2.a

W.7.2.b

W.7.4

W.7.7

W.7.9

W.7.9.b

W.7.10

Lesson 14

Lesson 16

Lesson Map

“What Does It Mean to Be American?”

Identify recurring themes/words/concepts and definitions of what it means to be American.

L.7.6 RI.7.2

“Trends in Migration to the U.S.”

Briefly summarize historical trends in migration, and explain the meaning of words and phrases related to immigration to the United States.

L.7.4 L.7.4.a L.7.4.c L.7.4.d RI.7.2 RI.7.4

“The New Colossus”

Determine the impact of specific words, phrases, and literary devices on meaning in the poem, “New Colossus.”

L.7.5 RL.7.2 RL.7.4

“America and I” — Paragraphs 1-49

Identify examples of figurative language used in “America and I,” and explain the impact of these on meaning.

L.7.5 L.7.5.a RI.7.4 RL.7.4

“America and I” — whole text

Explain how setting and specific experiences shape Yezierska's perspective and beliefs about America.

RI.7.3 RI.7.6

Writing

“America and I”

Unpack a prompt, study a mentor text, and gather evidence in preparation for writing a paragraph response.

RI.7.3 W.7.1 W.7.5

Writing

“America and I”

Outline and draft a paragraph response, including a strong claim statement, quoted textual evidence, and a concluding statement.

RI.7.3 W.7.1 W.7.1.a W.7.1.b W.7.1.e W.7.5

Writing

“America and I”

Draft and revise a paragraph response, focusing on writing strong analysis.

L.7.1 L.7.1.a RI.7.3 W.7.1 W.7.1.c

Sheena Jacob and Juliet Jegasothy
Philomena Luciani and Alison Purcell
Blanca Alvarez and Connie Alvarez
Philip and Andy

Compare and contrast stories presented in different forms of media, and explain how these stories illustrate aspects of the immigrant experience in America.

RI.7.2 RI.7.7

“An Iraqi Immigrant’s Unexpected Role”

Explain the meaning and impact of specific words and phrases in the essay, “An Iraqi Immigrant’s Unexpected Role,” and reflect on what the essay reveals about the immigrant experience.

RI.7.3 RI.7.4

“Hello, My Name Is ______”

Explain how setting and specific experiences shape the writer's sense of his identity in the essay, "Hello, My Name Is _______."

RI.7.3 W.7.1.c

“Peaches”

Explain how poet Adrienne Su uses word choice to develop the speaker's perspective on being the child of immigrants.

RL.7.3 RL.7.4 W.7.1.c

“Who’s Irish?”

Explain how the author develops the speaker’s point of view in the short story, “Who’s Irish,” and contrasts it with other characters in the text.

RL.7.6

“Where You From?”

Explain how the structural choices in the poem, “Where You From?” help to develop meaning.

RL.7.4 RL.7.5

“American Dreamers”
“What is DACA and Who Are the DREAMers?”
“DACA, explained”

Gather and synthesize information on DACA and DREAMers from diverse sources in preparation for creating an informational poster.

W.7.7 W.7.8

“DACA, explained”
“American Dreamers”
“What is DACA and Who Are the DREAMers?”

Work collaboratively to create a poster that educates others on the topic of DACA and the DREAM Act, and effectively present their poster to the class.

SL.7.5 W.7.7 W.7.8

Call Me American

Explain how beliefs and environment shape the behavior of individuals in "Call Me American."

RI.7.3

Writing

Call Me American
“American Dreamers”

Plan and draft a paragraph response to a prompt, drawing strong evidence from a source text.

W.7.1 W.7.1.a W.7.1.b W.7.5

Writing

Call Me American
“American Dreamers”

Draft and revise paragraph responses.

L.7.1 L.7.1.b W.7.1 W.7.1.c

Socratic Seminar

All unit texts

Take a clear position on a question and share evidence to support that point of view in a Socratic dialogue.

SL.7.1 SL.7.1.a SL.7.1.b SL.7.4

Writing

Narrative Writing Rubric (G7, U1, L21-24)

Unpack the expectations of a Writing Task, study a Mentor Text, and begin to plan a personal narrative.

W.7.3 W.7.5

Writing

Draft a body paragraph that includes descriptive, sensory details about a specific food.

W.7.3 W.7.3.b W.7.3.d

Writing

Draft an engaging introductory paragraph and experiment with narrative pacing while writing body paragraphs.

W.7.3 W.7.3.a W.7.3.b

Writing

Narrative Writing Rubric (G7, U1, L21-24)

Write strong conclusions, differentiate between sentence types, and engage in peer feedback.

L.7.1 L.7.1.b W.7.3 W.7.3.e W.7.5

Assessment – 2 days

Defining America: Poems, Essays, and Short Stories

Objective

Readings and Materials

Target Task

Writing Prompt

Key Questions

Close Read Questions

Notes

Homework

Enhanced Lesson Plan

Common Core Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Supporting Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Lesson Map

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