Curriculum / ELA / 9th Grade / Unit 13: Visibility & Invisibility in Short Texts / Lesson 6
ELA
Unit 13
9th Grade
Lesson 6 of 15
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Analyze how Alexie uses literary devices to illustrate his complex experience as an Indian on the reservation.
Essay: “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
In “Superman and Me,” we learn about Sherman Alexie’s experience in school and outside of school on the reservation. Write a response in which you analyze how Alexie uses devices such as metaphor, repetition, and parallelism to illustrate his complex experience as an Indian on the reservation.
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What lines, words, or phrases reveal the speaker's complex experience on the reservation? What is Alexie doing with language to reveal the speaker's complex experience in those lines, words, or phrases?
Why were Indian children “expected to be stupid”? (Paragraph 6)
What are the various ways that Indian children failed inside of school? Conversely, how did those same children excel outside of school on the reservation? What does this juxtaposition suggest?
Why does Sherman Alexie repeat the parallel phrases “I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky”? What do these phrases mean? What effect does he achieve through their repetition?
How and why is Sherman Alexie’s experience living on the reservation complex?
In what ways is your own identity or experience living in your neighborhood complex?
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
Prepare for tomorrow’s mini Socratic Seminar by crafting key points and selecting and citing strong evidence per question.
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LO 1.2B — Explain how the rhetorical features of an argument contribute to its effect and meaning.
RI.9-10.6 — Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
LO 1.4B — Synthesize ideas from multiple texts and explain how the texts may convey different perspectives on a common theme or idea.
LO 5.1A — Extend the conversation around an idea, topic, or text by formulating questions and recognizing the claims and perspectives of others.
LO 5.1B — Cite relevant evidence and evaluate the evidence presented by others.
RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
W.9-10.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Next
Formulate and share unique arguments about meaning in and across “How to Date…,” “Imitation,” and “Superman and Me.” Support arguments with strong and thorough textual evidence in a Socratic Seminar.
Analyze how word choice and structure impact meaning in the opening paragraph of Nobody.
Standards
RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.5
Explain Hill’s perspective on invisibility including how specific details, lines, and words help to develop that perspective.
LO 1.2BRI.9-10.6
Analyze how Emily Dickinson uses literary devices to convey meaning in “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”
LO 1.3BRL.9-10.4
Analyze the techniques Junot Diaz uses to characterize Yunior, the narrator.
LO 1.3BRL.9-10.3
Characterize Nkem and interpret the symbolic shifts in her character.
LO 1.4BRI.9-10.2RL.9-10.2
Explain Frank’s perspective on coming out and being queer including how word choice and figurative language help to develop that perspective.
Analyze “Thank You, Frank Ocean” as a response to Frank Ocean’s coming out letter.
Formulate and share unique arguments about meaning in and across Frank Ocean’s Open Letter on Tumblr, and “Thank You, Frank Ocean.” Support arguments with strong and thorough textual evidence in a Socratic Seminar.
Analyze how a character or speaker struggles with visibility and how this struggle contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole in a multi-paragraph response.
L.9-10.2.aLO 1.3ALO 1.3BLO 2.3ALO 2.3BLO 2.3CLO 2.3DRI.9-10.1RL.9-10.2W.9-10.2
Analyze how the author uses literary devices to convey the boy’s complex experience as a child of immigrant parents.
Analyze how the author uses literary devices to convey the speaker’s complex experience.
Formulate and share unique arguments about meaning in and across all texts from Unit 1. Support arguments with strong and thorough textual evidence in a summative Socratic Seminar.
LO 1.4BLO 5.1ALO 5.1BRI.9-10.1RI.9-10.2RL.9-10.1RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3SL.9-10.1
4 days
Complete the performance task to show mastery of unit content and standards.
L.9-10.2.aLO 1.4BLO 5.1ALO 5.1BLO 5.2ALO 5.2BLO 5.2CLO 5.2DRI.9-10.2RL.9-10.2SL.9-10.1W.9-10.2
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