In Unit 1, students read chapters of the text Patient Zero and explore two related questions that thread through the entire module. One question relates to the people who have sought to understand and manage epidemics: the scientists, curious individuals, and epidemiologists whom we refer to as “epidemic detectives.” What were these people’s mindsets and contributions, and how did they behave differently from those around them? The other question relates to what an epidemic is, in general, and what a medical or biological epidemic is, in particular. What characteristics did the large-scale disease outbreaks that we refer to as epidemics have in common, and how do they spread? Exploring these foundational questions about epidemics and the people who “fought” them provides the conceptual scaffolding and some of the terminology necessary for extending the study of medical epidemics to social epidemics in Unit 2.

Students will read three chapters from the anchor text, Patient Zero, examining examples of epidemics in the 17th century to the early 20th century. In the first half of the unit, students examine the wide variety of text features and structures incorporated in each chapter of Patient Zero, as well as how major sections contribute to the whole text and the development of ideas. Students will practice determining the meanings of words and phrases, especially technical terms associated with epidemiology. In the second half of the unit, students focus more on the interactions among the individual epidemiologists or scientists, the events during the epidemics, and the ideas about disease at the time, as well as consider the mindsets, tools, and character traits that enabled the scientists to solve these medical mysteries. Students also practice determining the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.

Please note that students do not read about the COVID-19 pandemic in this unit; however, there are references to this pandemic in some of the chapters in Patient Zero. Students are given opportunities to share and discuss their experiences of epidemics.

Patient Zero contains references to sensitive topics such as disease and death as well as the conditions that contribute to disease. These issues must be carefully and sensitively discussed, particularly when making connections to the COVID-19 pandemic, to give students context as they read the story. Consider speaking with students and families in advance, especially those who may have sensitivity to topics discussed.

In this unit, students begin to read nonfiction texts at their level as they choose independent research reading texts. There are Independent Reading Sample Plans (see the Tools page: http://eled.org/tools) with ideas on how to launch independent reading. Students should complete 20 minutes of independent research reading for homework when they are not reading a chapter from the anchor text. Students should also continue independent research reading over weekends.

In Unit 2, students transfer the knowledge about how scientists think about and investigate medical epidemics to the study of social epidemics. Students are introduced to the topic of social epidemics through various articles that describe the basic terms and theories behind social and emotional contagion. They practice summarizing the central ideas of the articles as well as delineating and evaluating their claims. In small groups, students engage in discussions in preparation for the mid-unit assessment, a text-based discussion in which students evaluate whether the authors of an article have provided sufficient evidence and reasoning for their claims connecting social and disease epidemics.

In the second half of the unit, students learn and practice the skills necessary for completing their end of unit assessment, an informative essay that answers the question: How do social scientists use ideas from the study of epidemics to understand and explain human behavior? Students engage in the full writing process, from planning to drafting to peer critique to revision. By the end of the unit, students will be able to think critically about the latest research about how emotions, ideas, and behaviors spread. This will prepare them for further investigation of the topic in Unit 3, as they engage in their own research and develop a podcast script related to a social or disease epidemic.

In this unit, students continue to read nonfiction texts at their level as they choose independent research reading texts. Students should complete 20 minutes of independent research reading for homework when they are not reading a chapter from the anchor text. Students should also continue independent research reading over weekends.

In Unit 3, students work in triads to create a podcast about a social or medical epidemic that concerns them or their community. Over the course of the unit, students will choose an epidemic topic, conduct research, write a script for their podcast, and use technology to record and sound edit their podcast. Students begin creating this podcast by listening to an exemplar podcast and reading a model podcast script. Students analyze what makes these model podcasts strong and build a criteria for success from their observations. Students then begin researching to gather information for their podcast, participating in a series of mini-lessons as needed to review research skills learned in Module 1, such as refining research questions, creating a research note-catcher, generating search terms, and evaluating the relevance and credibility of sources. Additionally, students consider how individuals, events, and ideas in their epidemic interact as they research. For students who may wish to research the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a chapter in Patient Zero that will support this research, as well as a lot of information available online. Encourage students who wish to research this topic to be sensitive to other students in the class who may have lost friends or family members in the pandemic or were significantly impacted in other ways. For the mid-unit assessment, students first read an article and answer questions to analyze the interaction of individuals, events, and ideas in a text. In the second part of the mid-unit assessment, students then conduct their own research to answer a question prompted by the article read in the first part of the assessment.

In the second half of Unit 3, students work in their triads to plan, write, and create their podcast. First each member of the triad drafts a narrative lead, being sure to include narrative elements such as a hook, characters, and the important events of the epidemic. Then triads spend time combining and refining these narratives into one strong lead for their podcast script, being sure to include narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description. Students then divide the rest of the script-writing among the members of their triad to write the remaining three sections of the script: the social and scientific ideas, the tools/mindsets/habits of character, and the message or lessons learned. Based on peer feedback from a tuning protocol, students revise their script to present their research findings in a coherent and engaging manner, using formal English when appropriate and eliminating wordiness and redundancy when necessary. Students also practice presenting their scripts in their triads and then for another triad of classmates to receive feedback on their presentation skills of adequate volume and clarity. For their end of unit assessment, students present their script to their classmates, focusing on all the skills they practiced and tuned throughout the unit: coherence and organization of information, volume, clarity, and formal, conventional English. During the performance task lessons, students turn their podcast presentations into actual podcast recordings with music and sound effects. Students must learn and use sound-editing skills as well as collaboration within and across triads to produce a high-quality podcast to publish for their classmates, community, or even the world by posting it online.

How do epidemics begin and spread? How do human responses help or hinder during trying times? Can the way we think about medical outbreaks tell us anything about how we should think about human behavior? In this module, students explore epidemics in many forms: historical and current, medical and social. While students learn about the scientific investigation and medical intervention in these outbreaks, they also focus on the social and cultural responses to develop a model of how best to respond to challenging circumstances. Students also examine the ways that the concept of “contagion” is applied to human behavior and ultimately explore the question of why we behave the way we do.

In Unit 1, students begin exploring the history of medical epidemics and focus on people’s mindsets and contributions, and how they behaved differently from those around them. Students define what a medical or biological epidemic is, answering questions such as: what characteristics do the large-scale disease outbreaks that we refer to as epidemics have in common, and how do they spread? Exploring these foundational questions about epidemics and the people who “fought” them provides the conceptual scaffolding and some of the terminology necessary for extending the study of medical epidemics to social epidemics in Unit 2. Students read three chapters from the anchor text, Patient Zero, examining the wide variety of text features and structures incorporated in each chapter of Patient Zero, as well as how major sections contribute to the whole text and the development of ideas. Students also practice determining the meanings of words and phrases, especially technical terms associated with epidemiology. In the second half of the unit, students focus more on the interactions between the individual epidemiologists or scientists, the events during the epidemics, and the ideas about disease at the time, as well as consider the mindsets, tools, and character traits that enabled the scientists to solve these medical mysteries. Students also practice determining the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.

In Unit 2, students transfer the knowledge about how scientists think about and investigate medical epidemics to the study of social epidemics. Students are introduced to the topic of social epidemics through various articles which describe the basic terms and theories behind social and emotional contagion. They analyze the articles both for central ideas and argument in order to evaluate whether the authors of an article have provided sufficient evidence and reasoning for their claims connecting social and disease epidemics. Students respond to the broader question of how learning from social epidemics is applied to medical epidemics both in formal discussion and informative writing.

In Unit 3, students begin by listening to exemplar podcasts and reading a model podcast script about epidemics and how people responded to them. They analyze what makes these podcasts strong and build criteria for success based off of their observations. Using these models as a template, students embark on researching an epidemic of their choosing. They gather research around the epidemic stories, toolkit, character traits, and message. In triads, students plan, write, and revise a narrative nonfiction podcast script. For their end of unit assessment, students present their script, focusing on coherence and organization of information, volume, eye contact, clarity, and formal, conventional English. Next, they find sound effects, and then finally, they record and splice together the podcast. In the end, they have a podcast created with craftsmanship to publish for their classmates, school, or even the world.

Please note that students do not read about the COVID-19 pandemic in the assigned reading in this module; however, there are references to this pandemic in some of the chapters in Patient Zero. For those students who may wish to research the COVID-19 pandemic in Unit 3, there is an entire chapter in Patient Zero dedicated to this topic.

Students begin the unit exploring collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance was an explosion and confluence of art, music, and literature. Throughout the first half of the unit, students explore literary texts, and the art and music they inspired, to develop their ability to compare and contrast these versions and analyze the effects of techniques unique to each medium and note thematic connections. First, students examine scenes and songs from the iconic Broadway musical Shuffle Along. They experience this celebratory text, which transformed American musical theater and was created through the collaboration of Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F. E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Students analyze the text’s literary techniques, including figurative language such as allusion and metaphor. Next, students analyze the songs’ musical techniques—volume, tone, and tempo—noting how the musical and textual techniques affect meaning and develop themes such as love persevering through tough times. For the mid-unit assessment, students examine the thematic connections between the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and the song and sculpture inspired by the text. Students compare the different versions, analyzing the effects of the techniques unique to each medium and how they develop themes around how black Americans collaborate to survive, thrive, and create art.

In the second half of the unit, students continue exploring Harlem Renaissance literature by analyzing poems that develop themes about drawing strength from the past and persevering to achieve dreams. First, students analyze “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes, learning how the structure and figurative language develops themes about black Americans connecting to and drawing strength from their African roots. Next, students analyze the poems “Calling Dreams” and “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson, noting how she uses more formal structures and figurative language to develop themes about black Americans achieving their goals despite great obstacles. For the end of unit assessment, student learning is assessed with selected and constructed response questions about the structure, language, and themes in Claude McKay’s “I Shall Return.” Finally, students compare McKay’s poem to artwork by Meta Warrick Fuller and Winold Reiss for thematic connections around drawing strength from and longing for home or Africa. The unit concludes with a collaborative discussion about how all the poems and artwork examined in the unit relate thematically.

Students launch the second unit with a Build Background Knowledge protocol, reading short informational texts and examining visual art to further develop their sense of the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance. They explore the context of the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance occurred during the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, and the racial violence of post-Civil War America. Students read two short stories, “His Motto” by Lottie Burrell Dixon and “The Boy and the Bayonet” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students explore character, plot, setting, theme, language, and point of view in these short stories. Additionally, students discuss how both stories develop themes about working hard to achieve dreams and how community helps to bring out our best selves. For the mid-unit assessment, students examine the third part of “The Boy and the Bayonet” for how particular elements of a story interact and how the author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters.

In the second half of the unit, students continue to explore the context of the Harlem Renaissance by analyzing how the theme of looking to the past for strength and hope connects examples of its artwork and text. Students begin this work by examining a model literary argument essay, discussing how three pieces of work from the Harlem Renaissance are connected by this theme. Next, students study the introduction, Proof Paragraphs, and conclusion of the model literary argument essay as they work collaboratively to plan and write their own pair literary argument essay. This pair essay explores the theme of how collaboration and community bring out the best in people. In the end of unit assessment, students independently write their own literary argument essay about how three works from the Harlem Renaissance are connected by the theme of dreams giving life meaning and purpose.

Students launch the third unit with a Build Background Knowledge protocol, examining short informational and literary texts, visual art, and performances to further develop their sense of how the Harlem Renaissance continues to impact us today. They explore the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance through Nikki Grimes’ poem “Emergency Measures,” original artwork associated with the poem, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s ballet, “Uptown,” which was inspired by the people, places, art, music, and writing of the Harlem Renaissance. In the first half of the unit, students study Nikki Grimes’ poetry in conjunction with the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. In her poems, Grimes uses the Golden Shovel method, whereby one line of text from a Harlem Renaissance poem becomes a part of her poetry. Grimes pairs her poem “On Bully Patrol” with Georgia Douglas Johnson’s “Hope” and her poem “David’s Old Soul” with Langston Hughes’ “A Negro Speaks of Rivers.” Students study these pairings for structure, language, and theme. They also explore the Golden Shovel approach by writing one or more poems borrowing lines from other Harlem Renaissance poems. For the mid-unit assessment, students examine the structure, figurative language, and themes in Nikki Grimes’ “The Sculptor” and its paired poem, Georgia Douglas Johnson’s “Calling Dreams”. Throughout the first half of the unit, students learn the relevance of the themes of the Harlem Renaissance in contemporary poetry.

In the second half of the unit, students continue exploring the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by creating a museum exhibit. It includes three pieces from the Harlem Renaissance and one contemporary piece that they have studied or created themselves, such as their Golden Shovel poems developed in the beginning of the unit. Students write a curator’s statement explaining how the works are connected by theme and create labels discussing the structure, language, and theme of each piece. For the end of unit assessment, students’ presentation skills are assessed in a presentation of a visual piece from the exhibit, the label for the piece, and the curator’s statement. Students revise their presentation, curator’s statements, and labels in two distinct Tuning Protocols: one for presentation skills and one for writing content. The unit concludes with a Harlem Renaissance museum, in which students contribute to making a better world by sharing these important works with their community.

Can we “find fuel for the future in the past”? Poet Nikki Grimes asks this question in her poem “Emergency Measures,” the first in her collection One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. As Grimes does in her book, students will spend the module pondering the wisdom from works created during the Harlem Renaissance. First students will explore scenes and songs from a play, poems, and artwork to experience the explosion of creativity and ideas of collaboration and innovation. Then students examine political artwork and cartoons, informative articles, and short stories to explore the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance. Finally, students explore the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, turning back to Nikki Grimes and her collection of poems crafted with lines from Harlem Renaissance poets. Students consider whether they and contemporary writers, singers, and musicians truly can “find fuel for the future in the past.”

In Unit 1, students explore collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance was an explosion and confluence of art, music, and literature. Students first examine scenes and songs from the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, experiencing this celebratory text that transformed American musical theater and was created through the collaboration of Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F. E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Students analyze how the musical and textual techniques in the play affect meaning and develop themes such as love persevering through tough times. Similarly, students explore the thematic connections of triumph over hardships in the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and the song and sculpture inspired by the text. Students then analyze iconic poems such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes, “Calling Dreams” and “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson, and Claude McKay’s “I Shall Return.” In each of these poems, students analyze the structure, figurative language, and themes such as drawing strength from the past and overcoming adversity to fulfill one’s dreams. Students conclude their exploration of collaboration and cultural confluence in a collaborative discussion comparing McKay’s poem to artwork by Meta Warrick Fuller and Winold Reiss for thematic connections around drawing strength from and longing for home or Africa.

In Unit 2, students explore the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance by reading short informational texts and examining visual art. Students learn how the Harlem Renaissance occurred during the era of the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, and the racial violence of post-Civil War America. They then read two short stories, “His Motto” by Lottie Burrell Dixon and “The Boy and the Bayonet” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, analyzing point of view and the interactions between story elements, such as character, plot, and setting. Additionally, students discuss how both stories develop themes about working hard to achieve dreams and how community helps to bring out our best selves. Students continue their exploration of the Harlem Renaissance context by engaging with literary argument writing. Students examine a model literary argument essay then write pair and independent essays, discussing how three pieces of work from the Harlem Renaissance are connected by themes such as looking to the past for strength, collaboration and community to bring out one’s best self, and dreams giving life meaning and purpose.

In Unit 3, students explore the contemporary legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by examining short informational and literary texts, visual art, and performances to further develop their sense of how the Harlem Renaissance continues to impact us today. To develop their background knowledge about this legacy, students analyze Nikki Grimes’ poem “Emergency Measures,” original artwork associated with the poem, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s ballet, “Uptown,” which was inspired by the people, places, art, music, and writing of the Harlem Renaissance. Then students study several of Nikki Grimes’ poems in conjunction with the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, learning how Grimes uses lines from poets such as Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson to create her own poems which develop themes similar to those of the Harlem Renaissance but in a contemporary context. Students continue their exploration of the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by creating a museum exhibit, which includes three pieces from the Harlem Renaissance and one contemporary piece that they have studied or created themselves. Students write a curator’s statement explaining how the works are connected by theme and create labels discussing the details of structure, language, and theme in each piece. Students practice and revise the presentation of their curator’s statements and labels preparing for the Harlem Renaissance museum, in which students contribute to making a better world by sharing these important works with their community.

In the first half of Unit 1, students are introduced to the topic of plastic pollution and how it affects humans, animals, and the environment. First, students infer the topic of plastic pollution through a scavenger hunt throughout the school (or classroom), in which they document plastic use, waste, and pollution in their environment. Students then begin studying the documentary A Plastic Ocean, noting the transcript’s portrayal of a subject as compared to the film’s portrayal. Students also analyze the film’s main ideas and supporting details, as well as how the ideas in the video introduce the issue of plastic pollution. Students identify and analyze the speakers’ arguments by evaluating their claims as well as the soundness of their reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of their evidence. In each lesson throughout the first half of the unit, students view a film clip as a class several times. Then they work collaboratively to complete note-catchers and engage in discussions to compare the film and transcript portrayals of subjects as well as to evaluate the speakers’ arguments. Students then complete the mid-unit assessment, in which they watch a clip of A Plastic Ocean and answer selected and constructed response questions to demonstrate their ability to identify main ideas and supporting details, compare the portrayal of a subject in the film and transcript, and evaluate the speakers’ arguments.

In the second half of Unit 1, students address big ideas about where and how plastic pollutes, as well as what can be done about plastic pollution. Students analyze the anchor text Trash Vortex for author’s purpose and central ideas. Students then learn to analyze the text for how the author distinguishes her position from that of others. Throughout the second half of the unit, students work together as a class and in small groups to read and analyze the anchor text, completing note-catchers and participating in discussions to practice analyzing the central ideas and the author’s purpose and positions on plastic pollution. During the end of unit assessment, students read and analyze the end of Trash Vortex to analyze central ideas as well as the author’s purpose and how she distinguishes her position from others.

In Unit 2, students continue exploring the problem of plastic pollution by focusing on what can be done to address the problem. They read three articles and revisit their anchor texts to understand what interventions can be taken at each stage of the plastic life cycle: beginning, middle, and end. Students also learn about new materials being invented to replace plastic at the beginning of the life cycle, what consumers can do to use less plastic at the middle of the life cycle, and efforts by governments and organizations to stop single-use plastic and invent ways of cleaning up plastic pollution at the end of the plastic life cycle. With the first two articles, students practice analyzing how authors develop their points of view as well as how different authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information. Students also practice finding the meanings of words using relationships between words. For their mid-unit assessment, they read a new article and answer selected response questions to demonstrate their understanding of point of view and how authors present similar information differently as well as how word relationships can help them discover the meaning of unfamiliar words. As students analyze these articles, they also practice debating which part of the plastic life cycle is the best place to intervene to reduce plastic pollution. By the middle of the unit, students will take a stand about which part of the plastic life cycle would be most effective to target. They will have the opportunity to defend their position in a debate with their classmates. Although this debate will not be assessed, students’ preparation and work in participating in the debate will continue to prepare them for their end of unit assessment and performance task in the following unit.

In the second half of the unit, students use the evidence and reasoning they’ve collected and organized from their reading to practice on-demand argument essay writing about which place in the plastic life cycle is the best place to target to reduce pollution. They work first in pairs to plan, draft, and revise argument essays before following the same routine for independent writing, while practicing revising sentences to avoid using dangling and misplaced modifiers as well as properly using coordinate adjectives. By the end of the unit, students will have strengthened their arguments about which part of the plastic life cycle they think would be the most effective place to intervene. In Unit 3, students will continue to develop this idea through experiential research and storytelling as they plan and execute a documentary about their attempts to solve the problem of plastic pollution for their performance tasks.

In the first half of Unit 3, students delve deeper into their chosen areas of intervention in the life cycle of plastic. Students choose a personal action to respond to the issue of plastic pollution, such as deciding to use less plastic or recycle more, communicating with officials, or researching an invention. They will form triads with classmates who have chosen the same category of action plan; together, they will determine how to coordinate their personal actions to be used in their documentary clip. Each homework includes the opportunity to enact and take notes on this personal action. Each lesson includes in-class time to discuss the results of the action plan and to further enact it through research or other efforts. In addition to working on their action plan, students will write their documentary script over the course of the first half of the unit. First, they review the Model Documentary Script, determining the characteristics of a strong narrative lead. Then each member of the triad practices these narrative writing skills by creating a lead to their documentary script. Triads work together to choose, revise, or combine their narrative drafts into one lead for their documentary script, focusing on eliminating redundancy and wordiness. Students then divide the remaining three sections of their documentary script among their triad, so that each student writes either the argument, action plan description, or conclusion. Before the mid-unit assessment, students engage in a Tuning protocol to improve the content of the script, focusing on presenting findings (including descriptions, facts, details, and examples) in a focused and coherent manner. For the mid-unit assessment, students demonstrate their revision skills, using the knowledge gained from the Tuning protocol to improve their section of the script.

In the second half of Unit 3, students work in their triads to create a storyboard, using visuals to clarify their claims and findings as well as to emphasize the points in their documentary script. They then learn how to pitch their documentary to potential film producers, observing a model pitch and using a Tuning protocol to practice and refine their presentation skills, such as using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Finally, in the end of unit assessment, each student in the triad pitches a part of their documentary script, focusing on using formal English, domain-specific vocabulary, their storyboard visuals, and their presentation skills.

“It is past time that we tackle the plastic problem that blights our oceans. Plastic pollution is surfing onto Indonesian beaches, settling onto the ocean floor at the North Pole, and rising through the food chain onto our dinner tables.” So explains Erik Solheim, the environment director of the U.N., quoted in Danielle Smith-Llera’s book Trash Vortex. Craig Leeson, one of the narrators of the documentary A Plastic Ocean, also conveys the urgency of the situation: “The problem with that is that today only a fraction of the plastic that we produce is recycled. The rest ends up in our environment, and it's coating our land and our oceans like a disease.” Students spend the module learning about how plastic pollution became such a widespread problem, particularly in our oceans, and what can be done to reduce pollution. Students use their anchor text, the documentary, and additional articles in Units 1 and 2 to gather background knowledge about the problem, as well as explore possible solutions to reducing plastic pollution at different points in the plastic life cycle. As students transform their understanding into action plans and documentary clips to share with their communities, they help make into reality the final part of Erik Solheim’s quote: “We’ve stood by too long as the problem has gotten worse. It must stop.”

In Unit 1, students are introduced to the topic of plastic pollution and how it affects humans, animals, and the environment. Students study the documentary A Plastic Ocean, noting the transcript’s portrayal of a subject as compared to the film’s portrayal. In each lesson throughout the first half of the unit, students view a film clip as a class several times. Then they work collaboratively to complete note-catchers and engage in discussions to compare the film and transcript portrayals of subjects as well as to evaluate the speakers’ arguments. In the second half of Unit 1, students address big ideas about where and how plastic pollutes, as well as what can be done about plastic pollution. Students analyze the anchor text Trash Vortex for the author’s purpose and central ideas. Students then learn to analyze the text to discover how the author distinguishes her position from that of others. During the end of unit assessment, students read and analyze the end of Trash Vortex, answering selected and constructed response questions to analyze central ideas as well as the author’s purpose and how she distinguishes her position from others.

In Unit 2, students continue exploring the problem of plastic pollution by focusing on what can be done to address the problem. They read three articles and revisit their anchor texts to understand what interventions can be taken at each stage of the plastic life cycle: beginning, middle, and end. Students also learn about new materials being invented to replace plastic at the beginning of the life cycle, what consumers can do to use less plastic in the middle of the life cycle, and efforts by governments and organizations to stop single-use plastic and invent ways of cleaning up plastic pollution at the end of the plastic life cycle. By the middle of the unit, students take a stand about which part of the plastic life cycle would be most effective to target. They have the opportunity to defend their position in a debate with their classmates. Although this debate is not assessed, students’ preparation and participation in the debate continues to prepare them for their end of unit assessment and performance task in the following unit. In the second half of the unit, students use the evidence and reasoning they’ve collected and organized from their reading to practice on-demand argument essay writing about which point in the plastic life cycle is the best place to target to reduce pollution.

In Unit 3, students delve deeper into their chosen areas of intervention in the life cycle of plastic. Students choose a personal action to respond to the issue of plastic pollution. Actions might include using less plastic or recycling more, communicating with officials, or researching an invention. They form triads with classmates who have chosen the same category of action to determine how to coordinate their personal actions to be used in their documentary clip. In addition to this action plan work, students write their documentary film clip script over the course of the first half of the unit. In the second half of Unit 3, students work in their triads to create a storyboard, using visuals and captions to clarify their claims and emphasize the points in their documentary script. They then learn how to pitch their documentary to potential film producers, observing a model pitch and using a Tuning protocol to practice and refine their presentation skills. These include using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Finally, in the end of unit assessment, students work in triads to each pitch a part of their documentary script, focusing on their use of formal English, domain-specific vocabulary, storyboard visuals, and presentation skills.

Students begin Unit 1 by reading Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. Theme and point of view are introduced through the text, as well as discussion norms, as students discuss their responses to the text. They also analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the reader create effects like suspense or humor. While reading Summer of the Mariposas, they closely read complex informational texts about the folklore of Mexico. In the second half of Unit 1, students analyze how incidents in the story reveal aspects of a character in order to prepare for a Socratic Seminar discussion. Theme is introduced and tracked in preparation for Unit 2.

Summer of the Mariposas contains references to sensitive topics such as a family’s abandonment by their father, a murder and children’s discovery of the corpse, illegal crossing of the border between the United States and Mexico, and Latin American folklore that includes references to magic, spells, witchcraft, and monsters. The issues presented must be carefully and sensitively discussed to give students context as they read the story. Speak with students and families in advance, especially those who may have sensitivity to topics discussed.

In this unit, students begin to read literary nonfiction texts at their level as they choose independent research reading texts. There are Independent Reading Sample Plans located on the Tools Page (http://eled.org/tools) with ideas on how to launch independent reading. Students should complete 20 minutes of independent research reading each evening that they are not prereading a chapter from the whole-class anchor text and should also continue independent research reading over weekends.

In Unit 2, students will continue to read Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. The first half of the unit will focus on theme in Summer of the Mariposas, analyzing how the theme has developed over the text and writing summaries. In the second half of the unit, students write a new scene for Summer of the Mariposas in which they modernize a different Latin American folklore monster in a similar manner to the other monsters chosen by McCall. In order to do this, students research a monster from Latin American folklore to choose.

As English Language Arts educators know, theme is a nuanced concept. It is a big idea, a message that develops over the course of the text, emerging from the events and character responses in the text itself. In The Summer of the Mariposas, as in other literary works, several notable and thought-provoking themes develop over the course of the text. EL Education has chosen to emphasize two prominent and important themes of the text (“Being kind and pure of heart can help people live fuller, more meaningful lives” and “Things are not always as they appear”) in order to allow students to track the development of these themes over multiple chapters of the text. This will not only help students deeply understand this particular text—it will also allow students to better understand the concept of theme development, so it can become one of the habits of mind they bring to any rich literary text.

It is important to note that EL Education has decided to include a theme statement at the end of chapter summary paragraphs. A summary is an objective synthesis of the key ideas of the chapter. It is true that a theme statement is not a core requirement of a summary, and not all summaries that students write anywhere else will include this type of analysis. However, this approach of ending with a theme statement (as a sort of “so what” after the synthesizing summary) helps students make a connection between summarizing and analysis.

For homework in Unit 2, students will continue to preread chapters of Summer of the Mariposas before discussing them in class. On any day that a prereading of a chapter is not assigned, students should continue their independent research reading by reading for at least 20 minutes and responding to a prompt. Additionally, students should continue independent research reading over the weekends.

In the first half of the unit, students read informational texts relevant to Summer of the Mariposas and the topic to determine central idea. In the second half of the unit, students write a literary analysis essay using the Painted Essay® structure to compare and contrast how La Llorona was portrayed in Summer of the Mariposas with the original story, to explain how Guadalupe Garcia McCall has rendered the story new. For their end of unit assessment, students write another essay explaining how they modernized their own monster in the narrative piece they wrote in Unit 2.

For homework, students will continue to preread chapters of Summer of the Mariposas before discussing them in class. On any day that a prereading of a chapter is not assigned, students should continue their independent research reading by reading for at least 20 minutes and responding to a prompt. Additionally, students should continue independent research reading over the weekends.

Why do we see evidence of myths and traditional stories in modern narratives? How and why can we modernize myths and traditional stories to be meaningful to today's audiences? In this module, students develop their ability to analyze narratives and create their own stories and to analyze informational essays and create their own as they learn about Latin American folklore.

Students begin Unit 1 by reading Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. Theme and point of view are introduced through the text, as well as discussion norms, as students discuss their responses to the text. They also analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the reader create effects like suspense or humor. While reading Summer of the Mariposas, they closely read complex informational texts about the folklore of Mexico. In the second half of Unit 1, students analyze how incidents in the story reveal aspects of a character in order to prepare for a Socratic Seminar discussion. Theme is introduced and tracked in preparation for Unit 2.

In Unit 2, students continue to read Summer of the Mariposas. The first half of the unit focuses on theme in Summer of the Mariposas, analyzing how themes have developed over the course of the text and writing summaries. In the second half of the unit, students write a new scene for Summer of the Mariposas in which they modernize a different Latin American folklore “monster” as a replacement for one of the other monsters chosen by McCall. In order to do this, students research a monster from Latin American folklore to choose.

In the first half of Unit 3, students read the informational author’s note for Summer of the Mariposas as well as a model essay to determine central idea and write a summary. In the second half of the unit, students write a literary analysis essay using the Painted Essay® structure comparing and contrasting how La Llorona was portrayed in Summer of the Mariposas with the original story to explain how McCall has rendered the story new. For their end of unit assessment, students write another essay explaining how they modernized their own monster in the narrative piece they wrote in Unit 2.

Finally, for their performance task, students create a webpage for both their narratives and their essays, enriching their communities by raising awareness about Latin American folklore.

In this module, students explore the array of options, access, and information Americans have when deciding what to eat through the topic of Food Choices. As in previous modules, in Lesson 1 of Unit 1, students discover this topic by examining multiple artifacts, and they are introduced to the guiding questions of the module and the culminating performance task. In the second lesson, students begin reading their anchor text, The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and they analyze the author’s point of view and perspective. Throughout the subsequent lessons in the first half of the unit as they continue to read excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma, students also analyze the structure Pollan uses and how it contributes to key points. Students begin to delineate and evaluate Pollan’s arguments, as well as arguments presented in video format. When reading and watching videos to delineate and evaluate arguments, they consider whether the evidence is sound and sufficient. This work prepares students for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment.

In the second half of Unit 1, students continue to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma while exploring other mediums such as digital print, video, and photographs that express information about food choices. Students analyze the purpose and motive behind information presented in these different mediums and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present information. Students also analyze cases in which two sources disagree. This work prepares students for the end of unit assessment.

In Unit 2, students are introduced to new research skills as they work together to research how GMOs impact access to healthy food. Students choose a second topic about access to food—pesticides, organic food, food deserts, or high-fructose corn syrup—and begin to conduct internet research independently. This prepares students for their mid-unit assessment, in which are given a new research question and are assessed on their research skills.

In the second half of Unit 2, students plan and draft an informative essay using the Painted Essay® structure, explaining how the topic they chose to research impacts access to healthy food. For their end of unit assessment, students prepare a short lesson to present their findings to their classmates and include visuals in their presentations.

In the first half of Unit 3, students analyze language and connotations in The Omnivore’s Dilemma in order to understand what Michael Pollan intends his readers to understand. In the second half of Unit 3, students consider the many food choices they have researched and formulate an argument about a choice their community can make to eat healthily and sustainably. Students plan and draft argument essays to defend their claim.

For their performance task, students create an infographic to visually depict their argument and prepare prompt cards to present their argument to an audience of classmates, teachers, and community members.

Where does our food come from? How do we analyze arguments about how food should be grown and processed? What factors influence our access to healthy food? How do we research this? What factors should we prioritize when making choices about our food? How do we share these recommendations with others? In this module, students develop their ability to research, weigh different aspects of complex dilemmas, and formulate opinions supported by evidence and reasoning as they explore the topic Food Choices.

In the beginning of Unit 1, students discover this topic by examining multiple artifacts and being introduced to the guiding questions of the module and the culminating performance task. Throughout the module, students read excerpts from their anchor text, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and they analyze video clips of the Nourish: Food and Community documentary. Students learn how to analyze the author’s purpose and point of view, as well as structural elements he uses to convey key ideas. In addition, students learn how to delineate and evaluate the author’s arguments by tracking his central claim, supporting points, evidence, and reasoning. Students evaluate whether the author’s evidence and reasoning are sufficient and sound and consider if and how he addresses conflicting viewpoints. Students then evaluate an author’s motives for conveying information and consider the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to do so. All of these skills further students’ abilities to be critical consumers of information and to be thoughtful about what is presented to them.

In Unit 2, students research GMOs and a second topic of their choice (pesticides, high-fructose corn syrup, organic food, or food deserts) that bring to light influences on Americans’ access to healthy food. Students learn new research skills as they explore ways in which access to healthy food can be increased or decreased. After researching GMOs as a whole class, students choose their own topic and utilize the research skills they learned in the first half of the unit to research their topic of choice. Students then write an expository essay on how their research topic impacts access to healthy food. At the end of Unit 2, students participate in a Desktop Teaching Activity that will allow them to teach a mini lesson on the topic they research, and to participate in their classmates’ mini lessons on other case studies.

In Unit 3, students analyze language used in The Omnivore’s Dilemma to better understand the author’s intended meaning. Students begin to consider the food choices at play in the many texts and topics they have examined and begin to formulate their own opinions about which food choice would be the most beneficial for themselves and those in their community. For the final assessment, students write an argument essay defending this recommendation. In preparation for this, students analyze a model essay, plan and draft a practice essay, and plan and draft their assessment essay.

For their performance task, students create an infographic and talking points to defend their argument. Students will present to an audience of community members in roundtable presentations.