World Literature Unit

Reflective Premise:
This unit creation, with all of the language elements, truly made me consider what work ​all ​of my
students would be doing. Of course I’ve worked with scaffolding as well as creating a goal all my
students can accomplish, but I realize that, while helpful, may not be enough. Thus, incorporating
language skills daily, I can track each student and aid those who need more help. My initial concern was
that, with students who struggle in academic English, how was I to have any time to add language
instruction within my lessons? This scope made me see, that if I put in effort for the students who need it,
I can easily transform a lesson into one that incorporates grammar and mechanics without it seeming out
of place. For example, my students who are ELL can still participate in all of the activities, because I tried
to always give the option for writing in one’s own code, students would not feel as though they were
missing a lesson. I really look forward to sentence combining activities with my students, because I feel
that it gives students the opportunity to ​really​ see how a sentence comes together. I also love the
combination of various cultures through my lesson, and that my students end this unit with a television
special about their Continent, making them act as a teacher for their peers.
What I fear, is accomplishing the opposite of the cultural awareness I aim to create in this unit.
Students should see how our culture and values are similar to others, while respecting all of the other’s
differences. It is possible for my students to otherize nations even more so. I must focus on the dialect
lesson closely, so students do not prioritize one dialect over another, no dialect is ​correct​, and my students
should be aware that academic English has its place, but so do other variations of language. I do worry it
is too large of a conversation in one day, I am curious as to how to continue this conversation in a unit
that doesn’t revolve around language usage.
Looking at the score guide, I feel that most of my effort went into my pedagogy and calendar.
These seemed to be where I really pushed for a perfectly organized and thoughtful unit, for all students. I
varied my days so that all students could participate in an important activity, even if one week was not a
good week for them. Also, I loved my final projects, I felt that they were fun, rational, and rhetorical.
With these areas, I focused most of my attention, thus I feel that I advanced in these areas. Elsewhere, my
unit somewhat fell into place nicely, so I feel like I did a proficient job overall. A grade between 7 and 9
(​B​ish-​A​ish) for most of my sections seems completely fair for the work I’ve completed.
Course Description: ​Welcome to our WORLD LITERATURE UNIT! Where we will read all the
world has to offer! Well, of course not ​all​ of it, but we will explore many countries in our
readings! In our English Language and Literature I, freshman class, all forty students will be put
into seven groups, representing one of the continents and the literature we study.​ ​This school is
just beginning, nonetheless there are, 605 Students (Grades 9-11), 50% low-income students on
free and reduced lunch, Black 31%; Hispanic 31%; White 31%; Asian 3% ,​ ​Two or more races
3%; American Indian/Alaska Native 1%; Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander <1%, and our class
stand within a similar demographic. Our class, with 30 students, will be provided with most of
our readings, and if there is an issue with finding and obtaining a reading, students can have it
emailed to them by me.
The school is close to becoming a full International Baccalaureate school for
upperclassman with various tracks. Currently the student's test average in their English tests. The
teachers at NHS are to provide project-based assessments, as well as incorporate service
learning. The school aims to provide an open and creative atmosphere, to encourage students to
follow and create goals around personal interest. There are currently three other teachers in the
ELA department, which includes one other English teacher (and Me!) and two Literature
teachers. These students begin in entry level courses their first years, like my English Language
and Literature class, in the school, and then move toward their I.B. courses as upperclassmen.
Though, many of my students struggle in sentence format and writing in academic English and I
hope to teach them the ability to code-switch prior to going into their I.B. courses.
This school is in DPS, in Stapleton, CO and near Northfield, CO. Stapleton has about
30,000 residents. Like this new school, Stapleton was created recently, and populated only in
2008. Because this city is in the heart of the district, students may come from many neighboring
areas. I have to be aware, that of the many different life-styles my students may have at home,
and thus homework may be an issue for my students, so there is always little and some
alternatives available. If students need assistance reading or writing, I am available for them
outside of the unit.
Scope of Language Instruction and Final Project of the Unit:
As my students enter high school, I see that a majority of my students struggle code-switching and
sentence structure. Within this unit, we must explore several genres that play and alter structure and
message, but before my students can admire and analyse such literature, they must know how to switch
into academic English and vary their language with purpose.
● Formative: Group Presentation FEATURE STORY
● Summative Assignment: Final Reflection Essay
Content Application:
● Dialect​ (Code-switching)- How does dialect affect your understanding of a text? Discover your
own dialect.
○ Students will be able to discern the difference between a casual code and an academic
code by writing and reading both and understanding the reasoning.
● Parts of speech​-Utilize, Identify, and Question!
○ Students will be able to identify parts of speech, as well as
● Identify​ ​independent and dependent clauses
○ By writing sentences and identifying them on their own, as well as using sentences that I
chop up into only dependent clauses, students will see how to utilize both types of clauses
while still writing grammatically correct.

CALENDAR​:
 Suggested Pedagogy:
DAY OF UNIT &
LANGUAGE LEARNING GOAL
Day 1: INTRO
Intro to World Literature, continue
connection with Frederick Douglas
(past unit American Lit)
Focus on ​usage ​and ​mechanics​.
Day 2: Douglas→ World Lit
Perceptions​ of countries and others with class. ​How can so many have a
around the world.
Day 3: Wrap up Douglas!
Choice​ in Language and ​Dialect
Day 4: Representation and opinions
Focus on ​Dialect
Day 5: Single Stories
Focus on ​Independent Clauses
and Dependent Clauses
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Read ​Emily Dickinson ​poem, ​Because
I did not stop for Death, ​together,
have students underline and identify
wrong ​mechanics or usage. Then
discuss how Dickinson uses language
to her advantage. ​Answer in INB:
How do you use your language
differently every day?
Read and Finish Fredrick Douglas
different view of their country?​ ​Try
and begin thinking about literature
from your continent, what does it
immediately make you think? SILENT
DISCUSSION on opinions of
Continents. Be assigned continents!
Reflect in notebook about Douglas as
a person.​ Think about his past, his
future, his choices, as well as how he
uses language. After, talk in your
groups about dialect and share
research on your continent.
Students will ​story-tell, silently​ on
paper about things they know about a
continent. Did they hear that Asia has
a lot of poverty? Or that Africa is a
starving continent?
After listening to ​Adichie ​discuss
single stories while marking when
they hear either clauses, students will
begin reading the short stories ​Then
ind and dep worksheet.
I’ve assigned for one of the countries
in their continent creating a two
column chart. Then, they will ​discuss
other stories they know of that
country​ with their group.
HOMEWORK &
SEQUENCES AND
LINKS
Dickinson will preface their poems
they must read with their groups, and
allow them to think more broadly about
language usage.
Beginning with perceptions, allows
students to see how many different
opinions there are about people, there
will also be opinions about Americans
I have written. Students will then have
the frame of attempting to be open
minded.
HW:​ Do some research about your
continent, begin reading some of the
poems I gave to group.
Students will use Douglas, one dialect
of Americans at his time, to place
themselves and understand what
Dialect really means.
HW: ​Language/Code Switching
ONLINE TEST due before class
Wednesday
This will introduce students to the
continents and also allow me to see
what they know about their continent.
HW​: Read Douglas Chapters
By recognizing that countries and the
people within them have various
stories, students can create a better
understanding and cultural acceptance
to prepare for their group feature story.
HW​: Read two poems assigned,
highlighting the lines you want to
discuss next class!
Day 6: GROUP MEET!
Focus on our continents, ​parts of
speech, and clauses
Day 7: WWII Era
Focus on ​Ind. and Dep. clauses
Day 8: ​Dialect​ day
Day 9: ​Presentations: South
America, North America, Australia
Day 10: ​Presentations: Europe,
Asia, Africa, Antarctica
In their groups, they’ll use a sentence
from your homework, together, to
point out the varying parts of speech
using the example sentence on the
board. The, when you have also
identified the clauses, switch them
around into a different order. ​They
will do so with all of their sentences.
Begin reading ​Between Shades of
Gray ​by Ruta Sepetys ​to entire class.
Reflect in your INB alone about the
sentence I placed on the board. ​How
would you say this?​ Can you break it
down into parts of speech? What
about creating independent clauses
and dependent clauses? Can you
switch them?
Read ​Between Shades of Gray ​to
class. Dialect discussion. Find the
parts of language in the sentences I
provided.​ Write this sentence how you
would say it, now how you’d write it in
an essay? How does that change the
meaning and interpretation?​ Do this
with the short stories (reread them!)
from last time. Then conduct research
and begin writing your script with your
group
EXIT TICKET:​ you should finish a
second draft today with your groups!
For those presenting:​ You must have
all elements of the script complete,
and be ready to present your story to
the class. Relax before and after your
speeches.
For those ​not​ p
​ resenting:​ Identify
your favorite part, a new story you’ve
learned about another culture, and
one sentence that wasn’t typically
written that catches your eye.
For those presenting:​ You must have
all elements of the script complete,
and be ready to present your story to
the class. Relax before and after your
speeches.
For those ​not​ p
​ resenting:​ Identify
your favorite part, a new story you’ve
learned about another culture, and
one sentence that wasn’t typically
written that catches your eye.
This will help them see their continent
from various points of view of their
group members and of their continent’s
countries.
HW: ​In INB, write about your current
perceptions of your assigned continent
Discuss the line you choose and it’s
importance to the culture of the piece.
This novel gives insight into Lithuania,
a country that is not talked about
frequently, and thus adds to the single
story of WWII.
HW:​ Read two chapters of ​Between
Shades of Gray.
By rereading their short stories, they
can identify pieces they want to
highlight in their feature stories or in
their final papers.
HW:​ ​Read one chapter of ​Between
Shades of Gray ​and turn in first draft of
the script for your feature story.
By Jigsaw learning about other
countries and stories, students act as
experts and teachers when learning
about language and other cultures.
HW: ​ Write in INB your most valued
fact or information from another
group's presentation​.
By Jigsaw learning about other
countries and stories, students act as
experts and teachers when learning
about language and other cultures.
HW:​ Write in INB your most valued
fact or information from another
group's presentation.
Terminology:
● Dialect
● Parts of Speech
○ Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Pronouns;
○ Particles, Conjunctions, Prepositions (Benjamin 29)
■ By providing sentences that have a variety usage of all these parts of speech,
students should be able to recognize and use the various types on their own.
○ Forms/ Tenses
■ Also, by using Benjamins charts, students can change and identify the form or
tense of a word.
● Independent and Dependent Clauses
○
Summary:
Students will be able to identify parts of speech, because of their work with them in their writing
as well as with the other authors they will read. Daily, students will be able to explain a sentence’s
structure, with independent and dependent clauses as well. As students begin to recognize and play with
structure, they will also see and understand how dialect and casual codes vary from our practice in
academic English.
While we discuss Dickinson and Sepetys, students will adhere to standard ​CLA 9.2.1C​, as well as begin
to treat themselves as authors.
Students will also accomplish standard​ CLA 9.1.2,​ during Adichie’s speech, as they listen and mark her
speech. Also, students participate in a silent discussion, which allows for more personal critical thinking
and overall participation
Also, students will study their authors under the frame of decision-making and structure, following
standard ​CLA 9.2.2.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Amy, and Tom Oliva. ​Engaging grammar: practical advice for real classrooms​.
National Council of Teachers of English, 2007.
Ortmeier-Hooper, Christina. The ELL writer: moving beyond basics in the secondary classroom.
Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2013.