Week 1
Lesson 1
"How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court..." by Matt De La Peña
Focus on point of view and analyzing dialogue
Lesson 2
"The Difficult Path" by Grace Lin
Focus on the ways modern literature draws on themes, patterns of events, and character types from myths or traditional stories
 Week 2
Lesson 3
"Sol Painting, Inc." by Meg Medina
Focus on identifying theme and central idea
Lesson 4
"Secret Samantha" by Tim Federle
Focus on determining the meaning of words as phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings
 Week 3
Lesson 5
"The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn" by Kelly J. Baptist
Focus on citing textual evidence that most strongly supports analysis of a text
Lesson 6
"Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains" by Tim Tingle
Focus on analyzing how different points of view create effects such as suspense or humor
 Week 4
Lesson 7
"Main Street" by Jacqueline Woodson
Focus on analyzing how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text
Lesson 8
"Flying Lessons" by Soman Chainani
Focus on analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
 Week 5
Lesson 9
"Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents" by Kwame Alexander
Focus on analysis of the structure of texts
Lesson 10
"Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push" by Walter Dean Myers
Focus on assessing how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text
 Week 6
Lesson 11
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 1
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
Lesson 12
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 2
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
 Week 7
Lesson 13
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 3
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
Lesson 14
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 4
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
 Week 8
Lesson 15
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 5
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
Lesson 16
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 6
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
 Week 9
Lesson 17
"The Door of No Return" Chapter 7
Focus on vocabulary, textual analysis, and figurative language. 
Lesson 18
Research and Essay Writing
Students will research the real Door of No Return in Ghana. Students will think about the benefits and pitfalls of knowing about the real door of no return before reading the novel. Students will begin outlining and writing their essay.
 Week 10
Lesson 19
Research and Essay Writing
Students will research the real Door of No Return in Ghana. Students will think about the benefits and pitfalls of knowing about the real door of no return before reading the novel. Students will begin outlining and writing their essay.
Lesson 20
Research and Essay Writing
Students will research the real Door of No Return in Ghana. Students will think about the benefits and pitfalls of knowing about the real door of no return before reading the novel. Students will begin outlining and writing their essay.