Caleb Ricks

Unit Design

National University
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2

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.

Essential Question for Unit:​ What societal factors influence our moral growth, and what
kinds of experiences shape our moral compasses?

Text: ​To Kill a Mockingbird

Concepts and Real-World Value:

Building Knowledge Reading, Writing, and Practice with Complex

through both Fiction and Speaking through the use of Texts and Academic
Non-fiction Evidence from the Text Language

● Exploration of ​To Kill ● Chapter EQs, journal ● Novel will require

a Mockingbird
through primary
sources, secondary
sources, memoir, and
other informational
texts
● Use of these sources
will enrich students’
understanding of
text’s themes
● Students will build
knowledge through
investigation of text
and through
discussion, writing,
and individual and
group activities
● Students will build
their own
understanding of
prompts, and other
activities will require
students to defend an
argument with textual
evidence
● EQs and prompts will
require literary
analysis and close
reading to
answer/complete
● Answers to EQs and
prompts will also
necessitate using
related informational
texts as well as the
novel (cross-textual
analysis)
● Prompts will allow
students to practice
analysis and argument
students to navigate
complex and
sophisticated language
and themes
● Practice of key
vocabulary will
enhance students’
engagement with the
text and students’
overall literacy
● Practice of
vocabulary and
academic language
will enhance cole
reading practices
● Culmination of
vocabulary and close
reading practice will
enhance students as
educated, analytic
 history through their through various means individuals who can
analysis of primary (writing, speaking, navigate and break
and secondary sources reading) down complex texts
that help build the ● Skills that the prompts
historical context of ensure students master
the novel can be applied to other
● Students will practice subjects
making connections (cross-disciplinary)
across texts, from
novel to enriching
sources
● Students will be able
to make connections
across fictional and
non-fictional texts
● Students will use
fiction to question and
understand human
condition and themes
of humanity and
society--how fiction
reflects real-world
experiences
Identity Charts Journal Storyboard Connection Handouts
Questions
● Graphic tool that ● Allows space for ● Since some ● Helps students ● Help build
helps students students to chapters of novel identify the historical
practice character reflect on are challenging, themes of each context for novel
analysis novel’s theme storyboard chapter and tie ● Interactive--stud
● Helps students and important provides a space them to the ents will analyze
consider many plot points for students to overarching houndaouts in
factors that ● Provides space work through theme of the groups
shape characters for students to novel’s plot and novel and to the ● Helps students
in novel objectively thematic EQ of the Unit make
● Will require summarize text elements ● Helps students connections
close reading ● Allows for ● Provides place see how theme across texts
and analysis answering ro record builds upon ● Helps students
● Helps students prompts introduction of itself with each see relationship
better through close large cast of chapter between fiction
understand the reading of text characters ● Helps students and nonfiction
choices and ● Provides space ● Provides track character ● Helps students
dilemmas where students students with growth, setting place novel’s
characters face can refer back background changes, theme theme and
● UDL: ​visual to see how information progression, events in
(graphic), thematic that influences and important real-world
kinesthetic elements have novel’s theme plot points context
(moving about built upon one ● Provides visual ● UDL: ​Provides ● Practice close
page), can be another way to record multiple reading and
done on laptop, ● UDL: ​can be novel’s plot representation textual analysis
collaborative written in ● UDL: ​can be and ● Collaborative--
physical journal drawn (visual), presentation students will
or on acted out options for work in groups
Chromebook in (kinesthetic), students ● UDL: ​handouts
word doc recorded (speaking, take many
podcast writing, forms-- videos
(auditory), discussing) (visual,
collaborative auditory),
(group) writing,
recordings of
radio
announcements
(auditory),
pictures (visual)