Grade 8:

Unit 7: Middle East

By the end of the unit, students will answer the following two writing prompts:
What teacher says: In the last few weeks you have immersed yourself in a small part of the history and geography of the Middle East. Part of your
work has been with the novel Persepolis. Today you will be using that graphic novel and other texts you have read in order to answer the question
below.
Prompt:
In 2013 a decision was made to remove the novel Persepolis from the shelves of Chicago Public High schools. After an outcry the decision was reversed. Now that you have
read the novel, what do you think about that decision to remove this book? Be sure to state your opinion, acknowledge counterclaims, and cite evidence from the text.
OR
Satrapi writes that with Persepolis she sought to explain what it was like to grow up in Iran. Further, she was trying to argue that the people of Iran are very much like the
people of any other country, including the United States. In your opinion, did she succeed or did she fail? Do you find it easy to identify with the people of Iran, or difficult?
Why? Be sure to state your opinion, acknowledge counterclaims, and cite evidence from the text.

Dont forget:
Introduce your claim with precise language and establish the significance of the claim.
Develop the counterclaim fairly, and distinguish your claim from the counterclaim.
Anticipate audiences knowledge, concern, and possible biases.
Create cohesion between reasons and evidence and claims and counterclaims.
Maintain a formal style.
Your concluding statement should follow from and support your claim.

Week Mentor text Supplemental
text/Multimedia
Standards Informal
Assessment
Reading Writing Speaking/Listening Language
1
19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems
from the Middle East
by Naomi Shihab Nye


http://teachmiddleeas
t.lib.uchicago.edu/ind
ex.html
Figs and Fate: Stories
about Growing Up in
the Arab World Today
by Elsa Marston


Strategy: Determining
Importance:
Annotating

Standards:
RL.1
RL.8.5 , RL.8.7, RL8.9
W.8.1
W.8.4 W.8.5,
W.8.6
W.8.7 W.8.8,
W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4,
L.8.6
Close read of poems to
analyze how the
structure contributes to
its meaning and style.
2

19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems
from the Middle East
by Naomi Shihab Nye





Speak Truth To
Power: Shirin
Ebadi
http://curriculum.
rfkcenter.org/curri
culums/29?locale=
en

Strategy: Infer

Standards:
RL.8.1
RL.8.5 ,

W.8.1
W.8.4 W.8.5,
W.8.6
W.8.7 W.8.8,
W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4,
L.8.6
Close read of two or
more poems.
Quick write
comparing the
structure of two or
more poems ,
analiyzing how the
structure of each
contributes to its
meaning and style.
3
Persepolis: The Story of a
Childhood by Marjorie
Satrapi Chapters 1-10
http://trcs.wikispaces.co
m/Zarathustra08
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/fr
d/cs/profiles/Iran.pdf

https://betterlesson.co
m/community/lesson/2
2213/mapping-
character-relationships
Strategy: Determining
Importance:
Annotating

Strandards:
RL.8.1, RL.8.5 ,
RL.8.7, RL.8.9

W.8.1
W.8.4 W.8.5,
W.8.6
W.8.7 W.8.8,
W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4,
L.8.6
Closely read
Zarathustra, one of
Irans first prophets.
Closely read the section
of The Veil when Marjie
describes her
inspiraton by this
prophet. Have students
write about the theme
in this chapter and
compare to
Zarathustra s 3 rules
for living. How does
Satrapi bring in the
theme of right living
into this chapter? How
does bringing
Zarathustra's in make
this story more
powerful?
4
Persepolis: The Story of a
Childhood by Marjorie
Satrapi Chapters 10-20

Persepolis, the movie
http://barat-
tps.org/Links_Time.php#
ARE
http://teachmiddleeast.li
b.uchicago.edu/classroo
m-connections/writing-
and-literature-before-
islam.html
Strategy: Compare and
Contrast; Evaluate

Standards:
RL.8.1, RL.8.5 ,
RL.8.7,
W.8.1
W.8.4 W.8.5,
W.8.6
W.8.7 , W.8.8
W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4,
L.8.6

After finishing
Persepolis, view the
movie and compare
and contrast the
written to the move.
5
Persepolis: The Story of a
Childhood by Marjorie
Satrapi
http://www.middleeastp
dx.org/resources/genera
l-info/
http://www.aljazeera.co
m/indepth/features/201
4/01/iran-1979-
revolution-shook-world-
2014121134227652609.
html
Strategy: Synthesis

Standards:
RL.8.1, RL.8.7,
W.8.1
W.8.4 W.8.5,
W.8.6
W.8.7 W.8.8,
W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.5, SL.8.6 L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4,
L.8.6
Prose constructed
response
Short answer or
multiple choice test
on Persepolis (open
book
http://www.amazon.
com/19-Varieties-
Gazelle-Poems-
Middle/dp/0060504
048/ref=sr_1_1?s=b
ooks&ie=UTF8&qid=
1409368324&sr=1-
1&keywords=19+vari
eties+of+gazelle)

*note: Bold standards indicate when new standard is introduced
**Note: standards highlighted are the focus standards for the week