The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

This project unit—a multimedia self-portrait published in digital form—is the capstone of your students' high school careers. It is a chance for them to pause and reflect on where they've been, where they're going, and who they are as a person. Students will reflect on what they want others to know about them: what they want their message to be and what types of media they might use to convey that message. Students will have the opportunity to express themselves in many different formats—through writing, of course, but also through other media of their choosing. Students will be able to convey your message through visual art, photography, a graphic novel, audio, poetry, or video—practically any type of media they want!

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students will complete a multimedia self-portrait, capturing important aspects of the essence of themselves.
Students will contribute one chapter from their multimedia self-portrait to a class anthology.
Students will present one chapter from their multimedia self-portrait to the class.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

How is late adolescence a moment of internal and external change?
What are the most important qualities of your character—past, present, and future?
How can you portray these key aspects of yourself using multimedia?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

Now it’s time for students to start planning their written chapter. They’ll read prior journal entries and written assignments to help them decide what they want to write about. As they start planning, they’ll consider what anecdotes and memorable characters to include and create a timeline of events.

How can students enhance the written chapter of their self-portrait? They’ll review different types of artifacts that they can add to their written chapter, such as images, video, and audio. They’ll decide which artifacts they want to include and make plans to create them.

Today, you will demonstrate how much you know about writing an effective argument.In this lesson, you will administer a Benchmark Assessment (Cold Write) to determine what students have learned about argument writing. Students will respond to a prompt, and then you will assess each student’s argument using the scoring guide. Students have had the opportunity to write an argument earlier in the year; this final assessment will show their growth as writers and their mastery of the genre. To see individual students’ progress in argument writing, compare the scoring guides from previous Cold Writes.

In our lives, we are constantly telling stories to ourselves and to others in an attempt to both understand our experiences and present our best selves to others.  But how do we tell a story about ourselves that is both true and positive? How do we hold ourselves up in the best possible light, while still being honest about our struggles and our flaws? Students will explore ways of interpreting and portraying personal experiences.  They'll read Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart , analyzing the text through the eyes of one character. They'll get to know that character's flaws and strengths, and they'll tell part of the story from that character's perspective, doing their best to tell an honest tale that presents their character's best side. Then they'll explore their own stories, crafting a personal narrative about an important moment of learning in his or her life.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students read and analyze Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart , viewing the events and conflicts of the novel through the eyes of one of the central characters.
Students write a two-part narrative project: one narrative told through their character’s perspective and one personal narrative about an incident in their own life.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

How do our conflicts shape and show our character?
How can we tell a story about ourselves that’s both honest and positive?
How do definitions of justice change depending on the culture you live in?
What are ways individuals can react to a changing world? To a community that doesn’t accept us?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

In this lesson, students will work with their writing groups to revise the first draft of their narrative, looking closely at descriptive language, as well as introductions and conclusions.

An excellent tip sheet on how to evaluate and edit a completed draft of a research paper. Includes in-depth information and examples.

The application of Cas9-fusion proteins creates a greater cellular toolbox beyond gene disruption.

Lists five "deadly sins" to purge from your writing. If you're not sure how to correct these errors, just click on the list item to link to more information.

This site examines all aspects of the rewriting process. Includes advice on how to use computers during the process, comments on peer editing, links to related topics, and an editing checklist.

This writing lesson teaches students how to become self-editors by learning to judge and critique their work.

This interactive introduces how mistakes in the genome can cause disease. The gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 can correct these mistakes and potentially cure disease.

Did you know a photograph can tell a story? A photojournalist tells stories with his photographs. We learn about his cameras and lenses. Watch him take photos and observe as he edits them. Say cheese! Included are links to age-appropriate lesson plans. [9:26]

Learn how to create, format, and save a document in Microsoft Word. This Beginner lesson is approximately 17 mins.

In this lesson, students explore the many characteristics of a newspaper and try their hands at becoming reporters. They can expand their knowledge about Ernest Hemingway, and author a newspaper focusing on his life, especially his interests and travels. While this lesson is designed in conjunction with the PBS program, "Hemingway Adventure," access to the program is not essential to the lesson.

This lesson introduces the concept of proofreading. It is 1 of 2 in the series titled "Proofreading." [3:22]

Put in commas wherever they are needed in the sentences provided. Answers are included at the end of the exercise.

This lesson contains strategies for proofreading your assignments. Use the links on the left for a step-by-step method for proofreading and editing for grammar and mechanics. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5

Welcome to Research 4 Success (R4S)! The course is designed to supplement the instruction of research and information literacy skills for students in grades 9-12. Purpose and Design of the CourseR4S consists of six learning units. The six units can be used together or they can be used individually. Each unit contains three lessons. Each lesson has resources and activities to supplement the instruction of research, inquiry, and information literacy skills.Students learn key skills using a combination of videos, digital texts, and eBooks.Students practice key skills using a combination of templates, tasks, and interactives. Students apply the skills they have learned and practice as they develop a research project under the guidance of an educator.