30 November 2015

RDG 323
Unit Theme: How do the functioning components of society affect me, and

how do my actions affect society?

Grade: 11th Grade
Timeline: 4 Weeks
Team Members
Subjects
Rationale:

xxxx
Biology

xxx
English

Manuel Leal
History

This unit is designed to help the students answer the essential question How do the functioning
components of society affect me? This question that can be answered both objectively and
subjectively, as it is comprised of both the literal (biological) and abstract (identity, nationalism, etc.)
aspects of Society, allowing the answer to develop by examining different aspects of Societal
development. By incorporating the different elements of Biology, English, and History, students will
examine several characteristics that are encompassed in society, and find a better understanding of
themselves and others.
In biology, a society is affected by a community, where each individual plays an important role.
Whether it is to follow a set step of roles, or to influence, an individual organism can affect its
environment positively or negatively. Communities come in various sizes, and contain various
organisms, whether it be the microhabitat created in a restroom sink, or the communities in todays
world in a city or school. By understanding the relationships that play in a community, students will
understand how factors are influenced in an ecological environment relating them to real life
communities, such as the school districts community. Students will also understand a communitys
role in a society in a bigger aspect.
Literature gives students the opportunity to explore the whys and what ifs through non-fiction and
fictional texts. Through literature, students will learn the ways society was viewed historically and how
the ideas people had and the literature that was written affect the understanding we have today. The
texts we will read in class will open their eyes and understanding to further question reasons for why
texts were written, how they were written, and how they can either positively or negatively affect us
now. The students will engage in open discussion with their peers to give and receive insight to varying
life styles. The literature and texts provided will help guide the students to a greater understanding of
the society around them, beyond the doors of the classroom, their school, and their immediate
community. They will question the world around them, and how their society came to be. The students
will mimic styles that are introduced, through their own writing enhancing their creativity and allowing
them to think outside of the box. They will research topics appropriate for class that are of interest to
them, and they will share their findings with their peers. Technology will be an important part of the
curriculum, teaching them resourceful ways of using it to enhance their learning styles. The overall
goal is to maintain student engagement through literature by creating an open minded work
environment by utilizing materials that a student finds applicable to their learning. It is to re-learn,
learning to create students who are an integral part of society and are well rounded individuals who
will continuously give and receive information outside of the classroom.

Historically,thedefinitionofsocietycontinuestochangeandevolvewithinpopulations:rural,and
urbangrowth&decline.Withcontinuouschangeinsociety,studentswillcometoknowthe
relationshipbetweensocialprosperityanddecline,popularculture,andimmigrationinAmerican
Society.StudentswilldevelopessentialquestionssurroundingcurrenteventsinAmerica,likethe

BlackLivesMattermovement,immigrationissueswithSyrianrefugees&LatinAmericanrefugees,
andthedeclineofcitieslikeDetroit,MI.StudentswilllookatthehistoricalaspectofpostWorldWar
IIAmericanSocietytohelpthemanswertheiressentialquestionandtocomprehendthecontentof
historicalPrimarySourcesastheyrelatetothehistoryoftheUnitedStates,society,andtheiressential
question.Studentswillalsousetechnologylikecomputerstodevelopshortfilmsthatshowshowtheir
communityhaschangedinthepastdecade.Theaimistokeepthestudentsgrowingwiththeir
communitiesintothefuturebycontinuingtoaskessentialquestionabouttheirroleinthechanging
Americansociety.

Student Learning Outcomes

Focus Standards:
English:

Determine two or more

themes or central ideas of
a text and analyze their
development over the
course of the text,
including how they
interact and build on one
another to produce a
complex account; provide
an objective summary of
the text. (1112.RL.2)

Demonstrateknowledge
ofeighteenth,
nineteenth,andearly
twentiethcentury
foundationalworksof
Americanliterature,
includinghowtwoor
moretextsfromthesame
periodtreatsimilarthemes
ortopics.(1112.RL.9)
Use technology, including
the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update
individual or shared
writing products in
response to ongoing
feedback, including new
arguments or information.
(1112.W.6)

Determinethemeaning
ofwordsandphrasesas
theyareusedinthe
text,including
figurativeand
connotativemeanings;
analyzetheimpactof
specificwordchoices
onmeaningandtone,
includingwordswith
multiplemeaningsor
languagethatis
particularlyfresh,
engaging,orbeautiful.
(IncludeShakespeare
aswellasother
authors.)
(1112.RL.4)
Analyzeacomplexset
ofideasorsequenceof
eventsandexplainhow
specificindividuals,
ideas,oreventsinteract
anddevelopoverthe
courseofthetext.(11
12.RI.3)

Analyzeacaseinwhich
graspingpointofview
requiresdistinguishingwhat
isdirectlystatedinatext
fromwhatisreallymeant
(e.g.,satire,sarcasm,irony,
orunderstatement).(11
12.RL.6)

Determine an authors point

of view or purpose in a text
in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective,
analyzing how style and
content contribute to the
power, persuasiveness, or
beauty of the text.
(1112.RI.6)

Conduct short as well

as more sustained
research projects to
answer a question
(including a self
generated question) or
solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the
inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating

Write routinely over

extended time frames (time
for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and
audiences. (1112.W.10)

Evaluateaspeakerspoint
ofview,reasoning,and
useofevidenceand
rhetoric,assessingthe
stance,premises,links
amongideas,wordchoice,
pointsofemphasis,and
toneused.(1112.SL.3)

3.Applyknowledgeof
languagetounderstand
howlanguagefunctionsin
differentcontexts,tomake
effectivechoicesfor
meaningorstyle,andto
comprehendmorefully
whenreadingorlistening.
a.Varysyntaxforeffect,
consultingreferences
(e.g.,TuftesArtful
Sentences)forguidanceas
needed;applyan
understandingofsyntaxto
thestudyofcomplextexts
whenreading.(1112.L.3)

understanding of the
subject under
investigation.
(1112.W.7)
Makestrategicuseof
digitalmedia(e.g.,
textual,graphical,
audio,visual,and
interactiveelements)in
presentationsto
enhanceunderstanding
offindings,reasoning,
andevidenceandto
addinterest.
(1112.SL.5)

Demonstrateunderstanding
offigurativelanguage,word
relationships,andnuances
inwordmeanings.a.
Interpretfiguresofspeech
(e.g.,hyperbole,paradox)in
contextandanalyzetheir
roleinthetext.b.Analyze
nuancesinthemeaningof
wordswithsimilar
denotations.(1112.L.5)

Write
informative/explanator
y texts to examine and
convey complex ideas,
concepts, and
information clearly and
accurately through the
effective selection,
organization, and
analysis of content. a.
Introduce a topic;
organize complex
ideas, concepts, and
information so that
each new element
builds on that which
precedes it to create a
unified whole; include
formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables),
and multimedia when
useful to aiding
comprehension
(1112.W.2)

Biology:
Concept 3:
Interdependence of
Organisms

PO 1. Identify the
relationships among
organisms within
populations,
communities,
ecosystems, and
biomes.

PO 2. Describe
how organisms are
influenced by a
particular
combination of
biotic (living) and
abiotic (nonliving)
factors in an
environment.

PO 3. Assess how the

size and rate of
growth of a population
are determined by
birth rate, death rate,
immigration,
emigration, and
carrying capacity of
the environment.

History:
Concept 9: Postwar
United States

PO 1. Analyze aspects of
Americas post World War
II foreign policy:
a.) International activism
(e.g., Marshall Plan,
United Nations, NATO)
b.) Cold War (e.g., domino
theory, containment,
Korea, Vietnam)
c.) Arms Race (e.g.,
Cuban Missile Crisis,
SALT)
d.) United States as a
superpower (e.g. political
intervention and
humanitarian efforts)

PO 2. Describe aspects
of American PostWorld War II domestic
policy:
a.) McCarthyism
b.) Civil Rights (e.g.,
Birmingham, 1964
Civil Rights Act, Voting
Rights Act,
Constitutional
Amendments)
c.) Supreme Court
Decisions (e.g., the
Warren and Burger
Courts)
b.) Executive Power
(e.g., War Power Act,
Watergate)

PO 3. Describe aspects of
post-World War II American
society:
a.) postwar prosperity (e.g.,
growth of suburbs, baby
boom, GI Bill)
b.) popular culture (e.g.,
conformity v. counterculture, mass-media)
c.) protest movements (e.g.,
anti-war, womens rights,
civil rights, farm workers,
Cesar Chavez)
e.) shift to increased
immigration from Latin
America and Asia

e.) Social reforms Great

Society and War on
Poverty
f.) Space Race and
technological
developments

Enduring
Understanding:
Important Concepts

In a community, all
species depend and
interact with one
another. If one aspect
of the community is
removed, the
communitys balance
of interaction is
distorted. Just like
how one factor can
either affect a
community positively
or negatively, a
communitys success
can impact a
population, or a society
of human communities.

Theme-Related
Essential Questions

How can I impact

society within my
community?

How will the things I

am doing now as a
student positively or
negatively affect our
society 30 years from
now?
How does where
someone lives affect
their citizenship? What
are the cultural,
governmental, and
geographical

We are the future; we

are the makeup of our
society. Our
continuation and/or our
absence from our
society has the ability
to change many
outcomes. The
everyday actions we
take: littering, cleaning,
taking care of our
health, educating
ourselves, furthering
our education,
continually learning
will all have a lasting
effect on our
community both
positive and negative.
We create the future we
want to live in, what
are we doing to make it
a better place?

influences that
contribute to making
someone a citizen
within a society?
How does one citizen
strip or take rights
away for another in a
common society like
the USA? What actions
and reasoning take
place to make this
happen? At what point
does a citizen stop
being a citizen in the
eyes of another, and
why?

The biases that cultures

hold make society
difficult to evolve as it
sees itself in unity
(USA) leading to class
domination and social
injustices.

Technology
Integration

English, U.S. History, Biology: All students will be required to create their
own individual Weebly website. The website will contain four sections-Home Page, Biology, English, and U.S. History. Under each of these
sections, each teacher will create specific drop downs for the assignments
each student will be submitting for their own individual class. Everything
that is due for all classes will be submitted onto their Weebly. They will use
their creativity to design their web page to make it appealing to the eye. Each
teacher will be able to view all of the students work and will be able to see
the date assignments were uploaded. We will also be able to view the
assignments that were submitted in the other classes to make sure the
students are incorporating all topics into their portfolio.
Moreover, in the biology class, technology will be used to demonstrate
simulations of the functions of a community. Students will be able to
research and learn about the different factors that affect a community, using
websites such as Phet, YouTube, and National Geographic Education to view
simulations and articles about current issues. To understand the factors of a
community, students need the use of visuals to understand and witness a

communitys function.

Interdisciplinary
Essay

Unit Performance
Task

Students will use iPads to create a new real that allows them combine all
three classes (English, History, and biology) to make three components to
their news broadcast. Student will use their weebly unit website to aid in
their news clips about their own communities. For English, they will find
stories that are related to their class readings. In history, students could for
example, write about a person within their communities that has a personal
connection to historical events taught in class. For biology, students will
give a story about how science impacts their community and society at large.
The aim for this portion of technology use is to report like a television news
reporter about their communities as it relates to their class teachings.
Studentswillberequiredtowritearesearchpaperusingtheresources
providedfromeachoftheirclasses.Theymayusenotes,classdiscussion,
andoutsideresearchtowriteonaspecifictopicselectedbythestudent.The
studentsmustpresentthetopictotheteacherpriortowritingthepaper.The
paperwillbeacumulativeresearchpaperusingtheknowledgetheyhave
gainedwhileworkingonthisproject.Themajorityofthesourcesusedfrom
theirEnglishclasswillconsistofscholarlyarticles,andnonfictiontextswe
haveread.Theywillconstructtheirresearchpaperaroundthehistoryoftheir
community,andthewaystheiractionsinfluencetheircommunity.Theyare
requiredtouse2sourcesfromeachoftheirclasses,andtheymustuseone
sourcefromtheircommunity(interview,observation,familyhistory,etc).
Theirpaperwillbe68pagesinlengthfollowingMLAformat.
In US history, students will learn about Postwar United States by examining
the effects of events and issues that shaped our nation and our involvement
in the global community. Students will draw from history to inquire how
their communities have continued to be affected by post World War II
tensions which led to social change in the U.S. and heightened the focus on
foreign policies. With students close examination of primary and secondary
sources, they will be able to go deeper in their inquiry to find how their
actions and others affect them in society.
In the biology content, students will learn about various factors that can
affect biological communities and relate them to human communities and
societies. For students to demonstrate their knowledge, students will present
a selected topic that is currently, or potentially, a factor affecting
communities, either positively or negatively, and will present how the
selected factor affects their society as a whole. Furthermore, students will
incorporate their role as an individual in that community and society.
Students will create a 10-minute presentation that will give information in
bullet point, videos, and images to demonstrate their knowledge on
community factors. To enhance their knowledge and findings in factors that
affect communities, students will implement learned content from their
English and History classes.
InEnglish,thestudentswilldevelopaclearerunderstandingoftheliterature
postworldWarII.Studentswillbringinknowledgefromtheirotherclasses
todevelopclear,conciseargumentsthatfollowtheirliteraturecircles
throughadevelopmentaldiscussion.Studentswillcompileaportfolioof

differentresourcestheyhavecomeacrossindevelopingtheirdiscussion
questionsregardingthecomponentsoftheirsociety.Basedonthefiction,
nonfiction,poetry,andscholarlyarticlestheywillbeprovidedwithaswell
asfindontheirown,theywillmimicthetypesofresearchtheyhavedone
andtheliteraturetheyhavereadtocreateacompilationoftheirown
writings.

Common Instructional Strategies

All Learners
Pre-reading Quiz (PRQ)
Word Meaning Graphic Organizer
Post-it Responses to poetry
Writing Conversation
Word Wall
Exit Slips and Admit Slips
Socratic Seminars
Scaffolding
English Language Learners
Partner Reading
Read Alouds
Prefilled notes
Word Walls
Carousel Brainstorming
Visuals
Writing Break
(Resource / Speech Language)
Grouping of different proficiencies
Modeling
Scaffolding
Increased wait time
GATE

Allow independent research and reading.

Allow students to find resources for class content use.

Allow students to pursue independent research.

IndividualUnitTheme:Howdothechangesthatoccurinsocietyaffectmyconstitutionalrights?And,
howdoesmyinvolvementinanorganizationaffectme?

Subject: US History

Grade Level: 11
Focus Standards

Cite Specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources,
connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
(11-12.RH.1.)
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best
accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
(11-12.RH.3)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing
how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how
Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). (1112.RH.4.)
Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole. (1112.RH.5.)
Evaluate authors differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing
the authors claims, reasoning, and evidence. (1112.RH.6.)
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media
(e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a
problem. (1112.RH.7.)
Evaluate an authors premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with
other information. (1112.RH.8.)
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent
understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources. (1112.RH.9.)
Write arguments focused on disciplinespecific content. Introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and
thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a disciplineappropriate form
that anticipates the audiences knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. Use
words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons
and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they
are writing. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the
argument presented. (1112.WHST.1)
Students narrative skills continue to grow in these grades. The Standards require that students
be able to incorporate narrative elements effectively into arguments and
informative/explanatory texts. In history/social studies, students must be able to incorporate
narrative accounts into their analyses of individuals or events of historical import. In science
and technical subjects, students must be able to write precise enough descriptions of the step
bystep procedures they use in their investigations or technical work that others can replicate
them and (possibly) reach the same results. (1112.WHST.3.)
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. (11
12.WHST.6.)
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a
selfgenerated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation. (1112.WHST.7.)
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of disciplinespecific tasks, purposes, and
audiences. (1112.WHST.10.)

Essential Understandings

Knowledge/Skills

Important Concepts:

SWABAT:

How do the changes that occur in society affect

my constitutional rights? And, how does my
involvement in a group achieve a common goal.

Gain specific details and understanding of

ideologies by reading literature.

Students will understand the principles and ideals

underlying social change in post WWII United
State
Understand the distinctions between a citizens
rights, responsibilities, and privileges that help
define the requirements and limits of personal
freedoms.
Guiding Questions: Who do I effect society? How
do differences in values and beliefs lead to
conflict? How can competition and challenges to
authority foster change? What are the different
components that form your position in society?
How does your self-perception influence your view
of others?

Texts

National Archives. (2016). Retrieved April 19,

2016, from http://digitalvaults.org/
United Farm Workers (2016). Retrieved April 19,
2016 from, http://www.ufw.org/
Article was written by E.W. Kenworthy and
published by The New York Times on
Jeff Quitney (2015, January 21) The Land Is Rich
1966 United Farm Workers; California Agricultural
Labor Retrieved April 19, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9GsblzOugU
Saddleback Educational Publishing. (2009). Irvine,
CA: Saddleback Educational Publishing
ISBN13: 9781602916944
Jimenez, F. (1997). Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston
ISBN13: 9780826317971
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
(2013). March: Book One, by Top Shelf
Productions
ISBN13: 9781603093002
Poem by Sojourner Truth (1852) & Erlene Stetson
(1938) Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina
http://www.crmvet.org/poetry/ftruth.htm

Answer meaningful questions about their role in

society.
Interpret different views and perspectives.
Analyze the importance of specific diction in a
text, and its relation to the subject.
Synthesize several pieces of literature by
formulating arguments and opinions in groups.
Justify their arguments and opinions by
comparing and contrasting 2+ pieces of literature.
Show their understanding of a topic by creating a
narrative.

Assessment
Formative:
Anecdotal Notebook
Think-time and Wait-Time
Four Corners
Daily Writing Journal
(DWJ) w/prompt.
Literacy Circle Role
handouts.
3-2-1
Debriefing
Talk a Mile a Minute
Post-it Response Notes to
poetry.
Student Conference

Summative:
Final Group Project
Oral production
Socratic Seminar on
assigned group reading
Written Production

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence

Students will read World War II and the Cold
War 1940-1960, finishing the second part of
the book, about the Cold War. Students will use
their journals to write about major events of
the cold war and references to ideologies of the
Cold War from all sides involved. Students can
also draw images from this book in their
journal to help them understand and follow
along with the book.
Students will work with a partner to find a
story from the Cold War time period by
searching through the National Archives
Experience. They need to have 3 primary
sources to help them tell the story. Students
will present their story throughout the week,
they will have five minutes to give a simple
narration of their primary sources and how
they connect to the story.
Students will read March: Book One,
together in class at least twice as we maneuver
together through the Civil Rights Movement.
They will also have a book to take home and a
literary journal to write in and reflect on what
they read and how it made them feel.
Students will be grouped for Literature Circles
for the reading of Civil Rights Bill Passed, 7327; Johnson Urges All to Comply; Dirksen
Berates Goldwater, article. Students will
answer and discuss the significance of the
article and identify the main points as they
apply to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of
1964
Students will write two daily prompts in their
Digital Writing Journals (DWJs).

Differentiation
ELL:
To make the content more accessible for
Language Learners, several different ELL
strategies will be used. Complex texts will be
read aloud to students after an initial frontloading
of vocabulary and an overview of the main idea.
Frequent checks for understanding along with
time allowed for students to connect the
text/concept with their prior knowledge. Before,
during and after reading, graphic organizers will
be used organize notes for reading and writing
activities. Sentence stems and closed writing
activities will support students with limited
writing abilities. Heterogeneous groupings will
be used for group activities, mixing language
abilities to provide a native speaker model in each
group. Tickets out the door will be used as a
quick check of student understanding of the days
lesson and assist in preparing future lessons

SPED:
Modifications and accommodations will be
provided based on IEPs and teacher
observation. Differentiated content and
assessments will be provided. Clear
modeling of content may be chunked into
small, understandable pieces. Repetition as
necessary and wait/think time will be
provided. Daily Journal entry length will be
differentiated and assessed at individual
levels. Groupings for daily tasks and
discussions will be heterogeneous and allow
for all students to be successful.

Students will watch the film, The Land Is Rich

1966 United Farm Workers; California
Agricultural Labor, and complete a question
worksheet about the video while watching.
Students will be able to work together with
elbow partner.
Students will do a post-it-response to the poem
Aint I A Women? to examine the
discrimination of women within the Civil
Rights Movement and the United Farm
Workers Movement. This will allow students
to focus on womens movement.
Students will engage in Socratic Seminars over
the assigned novels, where the groups who read
the specific novel are in the inner circle, and the
group who read the other novel are in the outer
circle. Both novels will have Socratic Seminars.
Students will write a 3-4-page interdisciplinary
narrative essay over the prompt What does it
mean to be a minority in the United States,
answering individual sub-prompts from each
discipline, and citing textual evidence to
provide the basis of their individual answers.
This essay will serve as the assessment for the
unit.