Curriculum / ELA / 7th Grade / Unit 1: Defining America: Poems, Essays, and Short Stories / Lesson 8
ELA
Unit 1
7th Grade
Lesson 8 of 25
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Draft and revise a paragraph response, focusing on writing strong analysis.
Essay: “America and I” by Anzia Yezierska
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
How and why does Yezierska's perspective of America change over the course of the text? Provide at least three pieces of quoted evidence from the text to support your claim and carefully explain your thinking.
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
Complete any unfinished writing and revisions.
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L.7.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.7.1.a — Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
RI.7.3 — Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
W.7.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.1.c — Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.7.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.7.2.b — Spell correctly.
L.7.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.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.
RI.7.2 — Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.7.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.7.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.7.1.a — Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.7.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.7.1.d — Establish and maintain a formal style.
W.7.1.e — Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
W.7.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.7.5 — With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.7.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.9.b — Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. "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").
W.7.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson 7
Lesson 9
Identify recurring themes/words/concepts and definitions of what it means to be American.
L.7.6 RI.7.2
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
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
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
Explain how setting and specific experiences shape Yezierska's perspective and beliefs about America.
RI.7.3 RI.7.6
Writing
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
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
L.7.1 L.7.1.a RI.7.3 W.7.1 W.7.1.c
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
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
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
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
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
Explain how the structural choices in the poem, “Where You From?” help to develop meaning.
RL.7.4 RL.7.5
Gather and synthesize information on DACA and DREAMers from diverse sources in preparation for creating an informational poster.
W.7.7 W.7.8
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
Explain how beliefs and environment shape the behavior of individuals in "Call Me American."
RI.7.3
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
Draft and revise paragraph responses.
L.7.1 L.7.1.b W.7.1 W.7.1.c
Socratic Seminar
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
Unpack the expectations of a Writing Task, study a Mentor Text, and begin to plan a personal narrative.
W.7.3 W.7.5
Draft a body paragraph that includes descriptive, sensory details about a specific food.
W.7.3 W.7.3.b W.7.3.d
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
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
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