Unit 4: Connections that Shape Us: Family, Culture & Identity

Students will interpret how structure and word choice distinguish prose from poetry and write a short poem about duality.

Students will use contrast language, first-person point of view, and concrete imagery to discuss and draft a poem about living between two worlds.

Students will determine a central idea and analyze how Amy Tan develops it through details and shifts in perspective in “Fish Cheeks.”

Students will explain how words connected to identity and emotion shape meaning using evidence-based discussion and writing frames.

Students will use context and word parts to determine and spell key words from the text.

Students will compare how a poem and an informational article present the experience of living between two cultures.

Students will use contrast language and textual evidence to compare how each author presents bicultural identity.

Students will read verse and informational sentences fluently, adjusting phrasing to line breaks and punctuation.

Students will analyze how lines, sentences, and the order of two poems develop meaning about blood, sacrifice, and belonging.

Students will explain the function of phrases and clauses and use precise syntax language to discuss how structure shapes meaning.

Students will read complex poetic sentences fluently by chunking phrases and clauses into meaningful parts.

Students will explore a theme about home and belonging in a set of poems and analyze how the sequence of poems develops that theme.

Students will explain how words, images, and memories build meaning using evidence-linking language in discussion and writing.

Students will use context and reference materials to determine the meaning of key words from the poem set.

Students will determine the meaning of technical language in “What Is Blood?” and analyze how two texts shape the same topic differently.

Students will compare texts using precise domain-specific vocabulary and contrast language in speaking and writing.

Students will read and pronounce multisyllabic science terms accurately and use those words in context.

Students will write an analytical paragraph explaining how LaRocca uses blood as both a literal and a symbolic force in Red, White, and Whole.

Students will use at least one complex sentence (although, because, while) and at least one analytical verb (symbolizes, reveals, suggests) to show relationships among claim, evidence, and explanation.

Students will analyze how structural choices (such as clauses, line breaks, and gaps) in poems from Red, White, and Whole develop meaning about identity, expectations, and belonging.

Students will explain how phrases and clauses convey Reha’s internal thoughts and how structural contrast reveals what she wants to say versus what she actually says.

Students will read and unpack complex poetic lines fluently by chunking phrases and clauses.

Students will cite several pieces of textual evidence to support inferences, identify and explain how connotative and figurative language affect tone, and analyze how text structure contributes to meaning.

Students will use academic language to write evidence-based explanations, describe the impact of connotations, and explain the relationship between structure and effect to discuss and write about a passage.

Students will read a short passage fluently enough to notice key words and details, repeated or charged phrases, and structural shifts.

Students will analyze how line breaks, contrast, and poem sequence shape meaning by showing both connection and division in the poem set “Pop Music” and “After School.”

Students will use compare-contrast and evidence-linking language to explain what connects people across differences, what still divides them, and whether those gaps are universal, specific to Reha, or both.

Students will read free-verse lines fluently, attending to pauses and phrasing created by line breaks to support meaning.

Students will analyze how physical details, tone, and poem placement interact to develop Reha’s experience of distance between two worlds.

Students will use word choice, contrast language, and structure vocabulary to explain tone shifts and poem sequence.

Students will read verse fluently by using line breaks and phrasing to support meaning.

Students will analyze how details in poems and story retellings interact to show when and why Reha shifts from receiving stories to making meaning through them.

Students will explain word meaning (including cultural terms such as dharma) and compare how two versions of a story contribute different kinds of meaning using context-clue language, contrastive phrases, and evidence-based explanation.

Students will use context clues and syllable chunking to pronounce and determine the meaning of unfamiliar cultural and academic words.

Students will analyze how a sequence of poems develops the theme of acceptance.

Students will explain contrast and sequence using comparison language and evidence from the poem set.

Students will read short free-verse poems accurately and phrase lines to preserve meaning across line breaks.

Students will analyze how the order of poems develops theme in Red, White, and Whole.

Students will examine how tone and theme develop across a sequence using precise evidence language and cause-effect connectors.

Students will use morphology and context clues to determine and spell key words related to illness and diagnosis.

Students will analyze how Sujata Bhatt structures Search for My Tongue and uses unfamiliar language to develop meaning about language and identity.

Students will use context-clue language and structure-based explanation frames to explain how unfamiliar language, structure and metaphor shape meaning in discussion and writing.

Students will read lineated verse fluently by phrasing across line breaks to preserve meaning

Students will engage effectively in a collaborative discussion about how symbols in two poems develop ideas about identity loss and return.

Students will build on others’ ideas using discussion stems and evidence-based explanation during a Socratic Seminar.

Students will develop a clear argument about whether symbolism is an effective way to express living between two cultures using evidence from two poems.

Students will use precise language and evidence-explanation sentences to draft a body paragraph and counterclaim paragraph.

Students will revise and strengthen a literary analysis essay so the claim about symbolism remains clear throughout the essay.

Students will use precise verbs, commentary phrases, and varied sentence structures to connect evidence to a claim during revision and editing.

Students will engage effectively in a fishbowl discussion by building on others’ ideas and evaluating claims with relevant evidence from the poems.

Students will use claim language, text-landmark references, and counterargument language to present and respond to ideas in discussion and reflection.

Students will demonstrate mastery of grade-level skills and concepts by applying their knowledge and critical thinking in a summative assessment environment.

Students will interpret academic vocabulary and complex sentence structures within assessment stems to identify precise relationships between ideas.

Students will analyze how language and structure shape meaning and tone in a short literary passage.

Students will use precise academic language to explain connotation, structure, and figurative meaning in speaking and writing.

Students will reread a short verse passage with attention to phrasing and form.

Students will conduct short research to answer a self-selected question about a biology-of-connection topic and synthesize information from multiple sources.

Students will use source-evaluation language, corroboration language, and evidence-linking phrases to explain how scientific evidence supports a synthesis claim about connection and belonging.

Students will assess the credibility and accuracy of health-related research sources and follow a standard format for citation.

Students will use evaluative language and citation language to explain whether a source is reliable, current, biased, and responsible to share.

Students will analyze figurative language and connotative word choice in selected poems from Red, White, and Whole.

Students will explain how personification and symbolism shape meaning using precise literary vocabulary and evidence-based discussion frames.

Students will analyze the morphemes in personification and accurately encode the word in their Personal Dictionary.

Students will analyze how the repeated title “Two” shapes meaning across two poems in Red, White, and Whole.

Students will use compare-contrast language and evidence-based discussion stems to explain how the meaning of two shifts after Amma’s diagnosis.

Students will reread poem titles, key lines, and short verse sections fluently to support comparison and discussion.

Students will analyze how Rajani LaRocca uses a key comparison (simile) to develop and contrast points of view about routines, ritual, and endurance across a group of poems.

Students will explain contrast using comparative language, evidence-linking phrases, and terms such as simile, comparison, and point of view in discussion and writing.

Students will read free-verse lines fluently by phrasing across line breaks and attending to repeated words and punctuation.

Students will analyze how LaRocca develops Reha’s perspective by showing support from multiple characters across a set of poems.

Students will explain the author's craft using precise evidence language and cause/effect connectors to discuss why LaRocca spreads support across several characters.

Students will analyze a word and use associations with its root word and context to support meaning.

Students will write an explanatory paragraph that analyzes how imagery reveals that Reha is not alone.

Students will use embedded quotations, analytical verbs, and cause/effect language to explain the effects of word choice in a literary analysis paragraph.

Students will analyze how Rajani LaRocca develops Reha’s point of view across poems about Amma’s transplant search.

Students will compare explanation and perspective using contrast language and precise academic vocabulary in discussion and writing.

Students will use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar academic words in an informational text.

Students will analyze how Rajani LaRocca’s word choice and repeated references to blood develop meaning as a symbol across a cluster of poems.

Students will explain how repeated words, symbolic language, and text placement shape meaning using comparison language and cause-effect connectors.

Students will read repeated lines fluently and attend to stress and phrasing to clarify meaning.

Students will analyze how LaRocca’s repeated title and verse structure shape meaning across the two poems titled “The River.”

Students will compare specific word choices and structural shifts using comparative language and cause-effect phrasing in discussion and writing.

Students will use morphemes and context to spell and explain key words that shape tone and meaning.

Students will determine a theme of the final poems and analyze how Amma’s letter develops that theme.

Students will use claim-and-evidence language and structure words to explain why LaRocca lets Amma speak directly at the end of the novel.

Students will analyze meaningful word parts and spelling patterns in key title words to support close reading.

Students will analyze how LaRocca’s “Author’s Note” and Kunnath’s article present bicultural identity through different evidence and perspectives.

Students will compare and qualify ideas using contrast language and evidence-based frames in discussion and writing.

Students will read short nonfiction passages fluently, using phrasing and punctuation to support meaning.

Students will analyze how LaRocca’s “Author’s Note” and Kunnath’s article shape different interpretations of bicultural identity.

Students will compare perspectives using contrast language and evidence-linking phrases in discussion and writing.

Students will use morphology and context to determine the meanings of key words that shape perspective across texts.

Students will write an informative response explaining how one photograph and one poem work together to develop ideas about culture, identity, and belonging.

Students will use precise analysis verbs and evidence-linking phrases to connect visual details and poem evidence and explain how those details work together to support an explanatory claim.

Students will revise a literary analysis paragraph by strengthening a claim, sharpening image-based evidence, and embedding and explaining poem evidence to deepen analysis.

Students will refine precise word choice, sentence boundaries, and punctuation around quotations to increase clarity, coherence, and style in analytical writing.

Students will engage in collaborative discussions about how peer writers connect a photograph and a poem to the unit’s essential question, focusing on the strength of claims, evidence, and explanation.

Students will use specific feedback stems, evidence-based explanations, and respectful discussion moves to respond to peers’ claims and evidence and to build on one another’s ideas.

Students will demonstrate mastery of grade-level skills and concepts by applying their knowledge and critical thinking in a summative assessment environment.

Students will interpret academic vocabulary and complex sentence structures within assessment stems to identify precise relationships between ideas.

Students will strengthen informative/explanatory writing by introducing a topic clearly, developing ideas with relevant details, and using transitions to connect ideas.

Students will use introduction frames, evidence-based explanation language, and transition words to make their informative writing more cohesive.

Students will plan an explanatory literary analysis by selecting a poem and explaining how imagery or symbolism reveals an important connection in Reha’s life.

Students will use precise analytical verbs and explanation frames to describe what an image, symbol, or weighted word choice does in a poem and to justify their analytical choices.

Students will develop and strengthen a literary analysis draft by planning and drafting a thesis, evidence, and commentary about a key symbol or image in a poem from Red, White, and Whole.

Students will explain the difference between description and analysis and use clearly placed phrases and clauses to write commentary that explains what a poetic choice reveals.

Students will revise and complete a literary analysis draft with clear organization, a thesis, evidence, and commentary, and strengthen their analysis by explaining what an image or symbol accomplishes and what it reveals.

Students will connect ideas logically with precise verbs, cause/effect language, and well-placed phrases and clauses to clearly explain the effect of imagery or symbolism during peer review and revision.

Students will revise informative writing to use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary, strengthen writing by establishing and maintaining a formal style, and craft concluding statements that follow from and support the information presented.

Students will use precise analytical verbs, formal academic phrasing, and concluding frames to explain revision choices.

Students will develop an original poem that uses a specific image or symbol to carry meaning and earn its place by revealing a meaningful connection.

Students will explain why an image or a symbol is effective by using cause/effect and conditional clauses in speaking and writing.

Students will write an author’s note that explains why a specific image or symbol was chosen and how it reveals meaning. Students will also revise their poems for clear development.

Students will use cohesive transitions, expanded noun phrases, and precise language to explain why they chose a specific symbol and what that choice does to shape meaning.

Students will present an original poem and author’s note with clear pacing, deliberate emphasis, and relevant details, and listen actively by identifying and explaining the impact of a specific line or image.

Students will use temporal transitions, comparative language, and clarification stems to explain an image or symbol choice and respond to others’ ideas with specific, evidence-based comments.