This two-day lesson focuses on the reading and analysis of “The Circuit” by Francisco Jiménez. The goal of this lesson is for students to make inferences about the challenges and changes required of the story’s character, Panchito, and to find evidence of the author’s craft that develops the narrative.Students will reflect upon the relevance of the essential question (In what ways does our need to feel a sense of belonging conflict with our individuality?) to the narrator's experience.  In particular, students should recognize that the reality of the narrator's individual situation acts as an impediment to his efforts to belong to a community.Although "The Circuit" is classified as a work of fiction, the author states that the stories represent the lives of his family members.  Students will appreciate Jimenez's descriptive, character-driven writing. 

This lesson focuses on the chapter “Chinatown” from Laurence Yep’s memoir, The Lost Garden.  Students will consider the factors that contributed to Yep’s struggle to find a sense of belonging with his peers and in his community.  Students will determine in what ways the essential question (In what ways does our need to feel a sense of belonging conflict with our individuality?) is relevant to Laurence Yep’s experience as he describes it in “Chinatown”.

Lesson Overview Each student will write a journal entry about how motivation and perspective influence a dream. In addition, students will focus on how these influences can lead to a flawed dream. Students will read, analyze, and discuss the poem, “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, excerpts from Chasing Lincoln’s Killer—Introduction—From 1861 through 1865 and pages 138-139, and the article, “Booth’s Reason for Assassination” by Christopher Hamner. Students will write an  essay about John Wilkes Booth. In successive days, students will draft, revise, edit, and publish their essays. Image source:  "Dream" by EvelynGiggles on Flickr.com. Licensed with CC-BY-2.0

In this lesson, students will read chapters 9-14 in James L. Swanson’s, Chasing Lincoln's Killer to analyze and discuss how Swanson presents the repercussions of John Wilke’s Booth’s assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  Students will also compare Swanson’s account to a multimedia version of Booth’s escape after the assassination of Lincoln. Cover image source: "John Wilkes Booth Wanted Poster" edited from the original from the Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/item/96521960/

Lesson seeds are ideas that can be used to build a lesson aligned to the CCSS. Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners. It is also important to build checkpoints into the lessons where appropriate formative assessment will inform a teacher’s instructional pacing and delivery.Text Model: Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural SpeechPrologue to Chasing Lincoln’s KillerIMPORTANT NOTE: Consider the need for Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) and/or for captioned/described video when selecting texts, novels, video and/or other media for this unit. See “Sources for Accessible Media” for suggestions. See Maryland Learning Links: http://marylandlearninglinks.org.Cover image: Abraham Lincoln Birthday Observance at the Lincoln Memorial from the National Park Service at nps.gov

Lesson seeds are ideas that can be used to build a lesson aligned to the CCSS. Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners. It is also important to build checkpoints into the lessons where appropriate formative assessment will inform a teacher’s instructional pacing and delivery. This lesson assumes students have already read through Chapter 3 in preparation for this lesson. Teachers could use a modified version of the PARCC scoring rubric to assess student writing. Full rubric can be found in the resources for teachers to modify for use in their classroom:IMPORTANT NOTE: Consider the need for Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) and/or for captioned/described video when selecting texts, novels, video and/or other media for this unit. See “Sources for Accessible Media” for suggestions. See Maryland Learning Links.Cover Image: "The Assassination of President Lincoln" from Cornell University Library at Flickr.com

This multiple day lesson focuses on Booker T. Washington’s life as a slave and as a free man trying to receive an education.  Students will read chapters 1-4 of the text to gain an understanding of the obstacles that Booker T. Washington encountered and what motivated him to pursue his education.  Students will identify the central ideas in the text and participate in a discussion which will inform their routine writing. Image source: "Bookert T Washington" by Harris & Ewing from the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, Library of Congress.

This lesson spans multiple days and explores the value of debate teams in schools. During the first week of the unit, students learned to identify claims and warrants in texts. This week, students will build upon that knowledge by writing a basic argument and learning about the types of support that are used to build an argument. This will culminate with an assessment in which the students choose a position to take after reading a text and develop their claims and warrants with appropriate support and analysis.Cover image: "[Booker T. Washington, half-length portrait, seated]" by Frances Benjamin Johnston from the Prints & Photographs Onlince Catalog at loc.gov  

This lesson is intended to be taught over multiple days, focusing on Chapter XIII: Two Thousand Miles for A Five-Minute Speech from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington.  The students will also complete a close read of The Atlanta Exposition Address by Booker T. Washington.  Through the two texts, students will read about the events that led Booker T. Washington to deliver a speech at the Atlanta Exposition.  Students will write and deliver their own speech, supporting their arguments with claims and evidence. Image source: "Booker T. Washington" by skeeze on Pixabay.com

This lesson spans multiple days. Students will watch three videos about Booker T. Washington in order to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using a video to present information on Booker T. Washington.

This lesson seed involves students analyzing President Obam's back to school speech.  In reading the transcript of the speech, students will identify claims and the evidence supporting their claims.

In ths lesson seed, students will compare a poem and a text about Booker T. Washington.  Students will identify the central idea and supporting evidence in each text. 

In ths lesson seed, students will compare a poem and a text about Booker T. Washington.  Students will identify the central idea and supporting evidence in each text. 

In this lesson, students will read and analyze "The Interlopers" by Saki (H. H. Munro). Lesson 1 from the Author's Craft unit focuses primarily on character. Students will examine how the motivations of Georg and Ulrich drive the plot, develop the theme, and enhance the irony. The lesson requires student to collect evidence, discuss, and complete a writing assignment. It also offers additional stories to extend the lesson. Image source: "Forest" by flo222 on Pixabay.com.

In this lesson students will read and analyze “The Flowers” by Alice Walker. Lesson 2 from the Author’s Craft unit focuses on diction.  Students will examine how Walker’s word choice creates tonal shifts in the story that support the theme. The lesson requires student to collect evidence, discuss, and complete a writing assignment in which they continue the story while using diction to maintain the tone. Image source:  "Rose" by Kapa65 on Pixabay.com.

This website is a comprehensive set of resources for students K-12, parents and teachers. The topics include online security, digital relationships and cyberbullying, digital footprint, digital citizenship, student data, copyright and maintaining a healthy balance of digital exposure.

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling Question: Is gerrymandering inconsistent with our representative democracy?EL Modifications: identify key vocabulary and add images to improve comprehension; consider adapting content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA Descriptors Image source: "Election" by OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay.com

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling Question: Support or Refute: The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment support the Declaration clause of “all men are created equal.”EL Modifications: identify key vocabulary, add images to improve comprehension.  graphic organizer, talk aloud before writing. Consider adapting Content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA Descriptors Image source: "Declaration of Independence" from Air Force Photos

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling question: Is it appropriate to have students’ liberties limited in schools?EL Modification: highlight important vocabulary, add images to improve text comprenesion; consider adapting content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA DescriptorsImage source: "CAG, Imagine Andrews host anti-bullying march" by Airman 1st Class Valentina Lopez on 459th Air Refueling Wing

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling question:Is monetary policy effective in stimulating the US economy? EL Modification: highlight important vocabulary, add images to improve text comprenesion; consider adapting content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA DescriptorsImage source: "Dollar" by geralt on Pixabay.com