Nicole Alliegro

Middle Years Methods

January 27, 2015

UNIT PLAN
for Scorpions, by Walter Dean Myers
7th Grade English Language Arts

UNIT OVERVIEW: In this six-week unit, students will explore Walter Dean Myerss
novel Scorpions (1988), the story of a 12-year-0ld boy growing up in Harlem and
dealing with the pressures of drugs, violence, and gangs.
In the unit, students will develop their reading, writing, critical thinking, listening and
speaking skills through exercises and activities related to Scorpions.

RATIONALE: Scorpions is a high-interest, grade-appropriate novel that my students

will be able to access by the end of the year. Throughout the year, I have worked to equip
them with the necessary skills and strategies to improve their fluency, reading
comprehension, and literary analysis in order to complete this novel study.
Additionally, my students live in an urban, low-income community similarly to the
setting of Scorpions, and thus may face many of the same issues as Myerss characters.
As such, they may be able to relate and connect to the novel on a deeper level.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: The unit is based on a series of essential questions that

identify major themes in Myerss Scorpions and asks students to reflect on these ideas in
the context of the novel and in their own lives.
1. Courage and survival being strong when life is confusing and difficult
o What does courage look like? Does courage change in different circumstances?
o How brave or tough does one have to be in order to survive difficult times?
o What role does fear play in survival?
2. Adolescence the struggle to come into ones own
o What pressures do adolescents struggle with in life?
o What role does the idea of innocence have in childhood and growing up?
o Thinking of the African American experience, what roles do race and racism play
in the experiences of adolescents growing up?
3. Making choices how ones decisions affect oneself and others
o What factors impact making important decisions?
o How do an individuals decisions have the potential to influence others?
o How do you evaluate a decision? How do you evaluate the results of a decision?
4. Family relationships the struggle between love and hate in family
o How does a familys life situation and environment affect their relationships with
one another?
o How does the idea of family play out in other areas of life?
o Does the definition of family differ for different people?
5. Power and powerlessness how power and control plays out in society
o Who has control in our society today?
o How does having power lead to having influence? How does not having power
lead to not having influence?

Nicole Alliegro
o

Middle Years Methods

January 27, 2015

How do preconceived notions, stereotypes, and generalizations influence power

and powerlessness in todays society?

MATERIALS: These resources will be used over the course of the unit.

Class copies of Scorpions, by Walter Dean Myers

Unit timeline (student version with major assignments & due dates)
Reading reflection logs
Vocabulary logs
Novel study questions (divided by chapters)
Chapter quick quizzes/reading checks
Writing assignments (dialogue; persuasive letter; narrative scene; journal)
Unit study guide & unit test
Unit binders (for student organization)

OBJECTIVES & SKILLS: By the end of this unit, students will be able to (SWBAT)

Demonstrate their understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive, critical,
and personal.

Answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the main events
and characters in Scorpions.

Define key literary elements (foreshadowing, narrative, plot, point of view, simile,
realism, protagonist, fiction, dialect, etc.) and find examples of each in the text.

Analyze characters and their situations to better understand the themes of the novel.

Discuss the significance of key plot points (such as having Tito, the most peace-loving
and gentle character in the book, shoot someone; the development of Titos and Jamals
friendship; Jamals short stint working at Mr. Gonzalezs store; how the end of the novel
implies what Jamals future and the future of his neighborhood might look like) and how
they each impact the characters and the story as a whole.

Identify some of the authors important decisions (such as Myerss use of slang/informal
dialogue and figurative language) and explain their implications in the text.

Make broader connections to specific parts of the text (such as the ways in which
Principal Davidson and Jamals teachers fail him, how they label him a problem kid,
and how they recommend him for medication) and find parallels to their own lives.

Use evidence from the text to support their claims in discussion and in writing.

Practice reading aloud and silently to improve their skills in each area.

Enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of the novel through the
vocabulary lessons prepared for use in conjunction with it.

Practice writing through a variety of assignments aimed to: check students reading
comprehension; make students think about the ideas presented by the novel; make
students put those ideas into perspective; encourage critical and logical thinking; to
provide the opportunity to practice students proper use of the English language.

Read aloud, report, and participate in large and small group discussions to improve their
public speaking and personal interaction skills.

Nicole Alliegro

Middle Years Methods

January 27, 2015

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: This unit and its objectives are aligned to the following
Common Core State Standards for seventh grade students.
1.3 Reading Literature

7-CC.1.3.7.A: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
7-CC.1.3.7.B: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text.
7-CC.1.3.7.C: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact and how setting shapes
the characters or plot.
7-CC.1.3.7.D: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the point of view of different
characters or narrators in a text.
7-CC.1.3.7.E: Analyze how the structure or form of a text contributes to its meaning.
7-CC.1.3.7.F: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading
and content, including interpretation of figurative and connotative meanings.
7-CC.1.3.7.I: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and
tools.
7-CC.1.3.7.J: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important
to comprehension or expression.
7-CC.1.3.7.K: Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and
proficiently.

UNIT TIMELINE: The following is a rough timeline of how this unit will be outlined
over the course of six weeks (26 days).
Week One (3 days)
GOALS: (1) To preview Scorpions; (2) To learn about author Walter Dean Myers; (3) To activate
prior knowledge about novel topics [Harlem/urban, inner city life; gangs; teen violence]; (4) To
preview unit timeline, major assignments, and due dates.
SKILLS: Identifying characteristics of the narrative fiction genre; Making text-to-text, text-toworld, text-to-self connections; Making predictions about a text
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Multimedia: Walter Dean Myers five-minute video bio
*Differentiation: Guided notes for students who will need the assistance following
the video. (Other students will take notes on their own.)
Cooperative Groups: Brainstorm ways in which Philadelphia is like Harlem, thinking
about the greatest problems that exist in your school and neighborhood
Classwork: Organizing unit binders

Week Two (5 days)

GOALS: (1) To read Chapters 1-5 in Scorpions; (2) To introduce and define major vocabulary;
(3) To begin analyzing characters; (4) To begin examining conflict; (5) To begin mapping the
storys plot.

Nicole Alliegro

Middle Years Methods

January 27, 2015

SKILLS: Reading aloud/independently; Vocabulary study; Character traits and development;

Types of conflict; Plot stages; Making inferences from a text
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Classwork: In-class reading [whole group, small group, independent]
*Scaffolding: Reading reflection logs for the first five chapters will provide
students with guided questions and sentence stems. (Remaining chapters will
allow students more room to explore their thoughts independently.)
Word Work: Completion of vocabulary logs
Writing Assignment: Create a scene of dialogue based on a true situation in your life

Week Three (5 days)

GOALS: (1) To read Chapters 6-9 in Scorpions; (2) To introduce and define major vocabulary;
(3) To continue analyzing characters; (4) To continue examining conflict; (5) To continue
mapping the storys plot; (6) To begin studying the authors writing style.
SKILLS: Reading aloud/independently; Vocabulary study; Character traits and development;
Types of conflict; Plot stages; Making inferences from a text; Authors purpose and style
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Classwork: In-class reading [whole group, small group, independent]
Word Work: Completion of vocabulary logs
Writing Assignment: Persuasive letter to Jamal about whether or not he should keep
the gun the Scorpions gave him
*Differentiation: Skeleton letter with suggested sentence stems and formatting
guide will be provided to students who need the assistance. (Other students will
only receive the writing assignment outline and rubric.)
Informal Assessment: Chapters 1-9 take home quiz

Week Four (5 days)

GOALS: (1) To read Chapters 10-15 in Scorpions; (2) To introduce and define major vocabulary;
(3) To continue analyzing characters; (4) To continue examining conflict; (5) To continue
mapping the storys plot; (6) To continue studying the authors writing style; (7) To begin
interpreting the novels major themes.
SKILLS: Reading aloud/independently; Vocabulary study; Character traits and development;
Types of conflict; Plot stages; Making inferences from a text; Authors purpose and style;
Identifying theme
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Classwork: In-class reading [whole group, small group, independent]
Word Work: Completion of vocabulary logs
Writing Assignment: Pick a scene in this section to rewrite from a different point of
view (not Jamals, as the story is told)

Week Five (5 days)

GOALS: (1) To read Chapters 16-20 in Scorpions; (2) To introduce and define major vocabulary;
(3) To continue analyzing characters; (4) To continue examining conflict; (5) To continue
mapping the storys plot; (6) To continue studying the authors writing style; (7) To continue
interpreting the novels major themes.
SKILLS: Reading aloud/independently; Vocabulary study; Character traits and development;
Types of conflict; Plot stages; Making inferences from a text; Authors purpose and style;

Nicole Alliegro

Middle Years Methods

January 27, 2015

Identifying theme
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Classwork: In-class reading [whole group, small group, independent]
Word Work: Completion of vocabulary logs
Writing Assignment: Journal reactions to the end of the novel
*Informal Assessment: Teacher will grade journals for completion and to assess
students understanding of the novel as a whole.

Week Six (3 days)

GOALS: (1) To conclude study of Scorpions; (2) To prepare for unit test; (3) To assess students
understanding and comprehension of unit objectives through a unit test.
SKILLS: Summarizing a story; Making text-to-text, text-to-world, text-to-self connections;
Reacting and responding to a novel by articulating opinions in a discussion
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Classwork: Student-led Socratic discussion
*Scaffolding: Through a series of teacher guided discussions in the units previous
weeks, students will be equipped with the necessary skills and frameworks to hold their
own discussion about the entire novel.
Multimedia: Jeopardy novel review game
Formal Assessment: Unit test