8​th​ Grade ELA - Social Change 

Unit Overview 

By the end of this unit, you will be able to​: 

● Understand that social issues impact individuals and groups ​differently​. 

● Evaluate how bias and credibility influence the information we receive.  
● Develop an action plan to bring awareness or change to an issue you see in 
our world / community.   

Essential Question​: How does the past mirror our world today? 

● When is it right to take a stand? 

● How do individuals impact social change? 

Performance Tasks​:  

1. Writing:​ Develop an action plan that brings awareness to an issue you see 
in our world or community today. The action plan m ​ ay​ be developed into a 
campaign that pushes for change in our world or community.   
2. Reading​: Read a variety of texts--informational and literary--related to 
social issues that you see in our world or community. Annotate these texts 
for application in your seminars, action plans, etc. 
Exceeds  Meets  Approaching 
I want to earn and A or a B in reading  I want to earn a C in reading for  I am ok with earning a D in reading for 
for quarter 4  quarter 4  quarter 4 

❏ Read ​Claudette Colvin:  ❏ Read C​ laudette Colvin:  ❏ Read C

​ laudette Colvin: 
Twice Toward Justice  Twice Toward Justice  Twice Toward Justice 
❏ Use ​NewsELA​, J​ unior  ❏ Use N
​ ewsELA​, J​ unior 
Scholastic​, and/or N
​ YT  Scholastic​, and/or N
​ YT 
Upfront​ to research a  Upfront​ to research a 
social justice issue in our  social justice issue in our 
world toward.   world toward.  
❏ Pair your social justice 
issue with an independent 
reading novel or 
informational book. 
 
 3. Speaking and Listening​: Share your ideas about your texts and topics in a 
variety of ways (seminars, presentations, etc.) 
 

Purpose​: raise awareness about issues in our world and community.  

Audience​: students; members of our community. 

Timeline and Deadlines (tentative)​: 

● April 3rd - 6th: Introduction / Topics / Springfield / EQs and FQs 

● April 9th - 13th: Springfield Reflection / Refine topics / Create screencast 
● April 16th - 20th:  
● April 23rd - 27th: 
● April 30th - May 4th: 
● May 7th - 11th: 
● May 14th - 18th: 
● May 21st - 25th: