Unit 1Following the Crowd
16 lessons8 Weeks
Following the Crowd
 Week 1
Lesson 1
Introduction to Course and Unit 1 
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the first unit and how the course will proceed, including homework expectations of the readings, class discussions, assignments, etc.

UNIT OVERVIEW: Ninth graders care a lot about their peers and "fitting in" with their peer groups. Therefore, in this unit, students will examine how the actions of a group can impact the choices of an individual, while practicing reading, writing, discussion, vocabulary and grammar skills.
Lesson 2
Vocabulary for Unit 1
Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for unit 1 in an interactive, engaging lesson.
 Week 2
Lesson 3
Reading: Cheboygan Day by Brittany Allen
Students will discuss how character interactions contribute to the theme of the story and complete an activity in class. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 4
Reading: Conformity by Charlotte Harrison
In this lesson, students will trace how a
central idea is developed over the course of an informational text. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 3
Lesson 5
Writing: Comparison Paragraph
 In this lesson, students will practice writing a strong cross-textual paragraph that includes an argument, evidence, and transitions about both Cheboygan Day and Conformity.
Lesson 6
Reading: All in a Summer's Day by Ray Bradbury
In this lesson, students will analyze how an
author uses character interactions to develop theme. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 4
Lesson 7
Writing: Theme
Students will determine the theme of a story by examining key moments that often reveal theme. 
Lesson 8
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
In this lesson, students will analyze how a
story's setting and structure create
foreshadowing and affect readers. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 5
Lesson 9
Unit 1: Reading/Writing Assessment
In this assessment, students will read the informational article prior to class, but will answer the questions in class as an assessment.
Lesson 10
Writing: Strong Argument Claim
 In this lesson, students will write clear, specific, and concise arguments that respond to all parts of a prompt.
 Week 6
Lesson 11
Vocabulary Unit 1 and Grammar and Finishing the Argument Paragraph
In this lesson students will complete vocabulary, grammar and argumentative writing activities for this unit.
Lesson 12
Reading: The Man in the Well by Ira Sher
In this lesson, students will analyze how
characters with multiple or conflicting
motivations develop over the course of a
text and advance the plot. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 7
Lesson 13
Grammar Quiz and Preparation for Discussion
In this lesson students will complete a grammar quiz and prepare for this week's discussion.
Lesson 14
Discussion
In this lesson students will learn how to refer to evidence from texts to stimulate 
a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange 
of ideas
 Week 8
Lesson 15
Reading: No One's Fault by Shelby Ostergaard
In this lesson, students will trace how a
central idea is developed over the course of an informational text. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 16
Culminating Activity
Students will write an essay that analyzes how the unit short stories illustrate one or more of the terms from the article “It’s No One’s Fault When It’s Everyone’s Fault.” Those terms are: deindividuation, anonymity, and diffused responsibility
They will also use evidence from at least two of the unit short stories and Shelby Ostergaard’s “It’s No One’s Fault When It’s Everyone’s Fault.
Unit 2How Love Changes Us
16 lessons8 Weeks
How Love Changes Us
 Week 9
Lesson 17
Unit 2: Introduction
In this lesson, students will be introduced to a new set of texts based on the theme of how love changes us. They will be examining texts to discover what authors have written about love and come to their own conclusions about this most basic and mysterious of human emotions, while practicing reading, writing, discussion, vocabulary and grammar skills.
Lesson 18
Vocabulary Unit 2 and Grammar
Students will be introduced to the vocabulary and grammar for unit 2 in an interactive, engaging lesson.
 Week 10
Lesson 19
Reading: Orpheus and Eurydice by Ovid
In this lesson, students will explore the theme of this myth as well as the word choices used by the author. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 20
Grammar Unit 2
Students will continue to practice grammar concepts for this unit, including parallel structure, complex sentences, use of commas, and past participles.
 Week 11
Lesson 21
Reading: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
In this lesson students will discuss the themes, allusions, and symbolism of the poem.  All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 22
Writing: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
In this lesson, students will write a paragraph examining one of the writing techniques Poe uses in this poem and how this technique affects the theme.
 Week 12
Lesson 23
Reading: To My Dear Husband by Anne Bradstreet
In this lesson students will examine the structure of the poem as well as other techniques the author uses to get her message across to the reader. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 24
Reading: (love song with two goldfish) by  Grace Chua and Writing: Comparison
In this lesson students will examine the structure of the poem and techniques as well as compare this poem with To My Dear Husband. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 13
Lesson 25
Reading excerpt: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
In this lesson students will discuss the themes, the character's dialogue and how figurative language relates to the themes. All reading is to be completed before class meets. However, we will go over this closely in class due to the difficulty of the text.
Lesson 26
Reading: What Love Isn't by Yrsa Daley-Ward and Writing: Comparison
In this lesson, students will examine the figurative language the author uses and how it affects the tone of the poem as well as the central theme. Also, students will compare this poem to the excerpt from Romeo and Juliet. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 14
Lesson 27
Reading: A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin
In this lesson students will discuss the short story and its overall theme, as well as character interactions and motives. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
Lesson 28
Reading: Was it a Dream? by Guy de Maupassant
In this lesson students will discuss the primary tone throughout the story and the author's use of an ironic twist as well as the character's development over the course of the story. All reading is to be completed before class meets.
 Week 15
Lesson 29
Writing: Comparison 
In this lesson students will write a comparison between A Respectable Woman and Was it a Dream.
Lesson 30
Vocabulary and Grammar Quiz
In this lesson students will complete a vocabulary and grammar quiz as well as anything left unfinished from lesson 29.
 Week 16
Lesson 31
Writing: Culminating Activity
Students will use evidence gathered on their Unit 2 graphic organizer to answer the question(s): What is love, and how does it change us? to write an essay.
Lesson 32
Writing: Culminating Activity
Students will share their ideas with a partner to help them with revisions for this essay. Students will turn in the final essay by the end of the week.