Lord+of+the+Flies

Joseph Schimmel ENG 409 10/24/11    **__ Unit Rationale __** //__ Class: 11th Grade English __//

My unit plan takes place over the course of 4 weeks. The students will read, // Lord // // of the Flies // by William Golding. Throughout the unit we will discuss the necessity for rules and law. We will discuss society and ways we govern. We will develop character analysis and talk about the central themes within the story. The unit will include journal writing on almost a daily basis. Throughout the month the students will have a chance to work in groups, discuss items as a whole class, and progress individually. The demand on the students to read the text will be paramount and a lack in participation will prove detrimental to their final grades. Two of the biggest themes that we will constantly refer to shall be; civilization vs. savagery and the loss of innocence. The other themes that we will focus on will include: rules and laws, hunting and survival, the need to belong, alpha males, death, brutality, humanity, etc. Each student will have several chances to elaborate on these issues and discuss them with each other and as a class. We will also relate the book to current issues and events. We will also look at related texts, videos, and other forms of literacy that will help engage the students. I will include comprehension quizzes and group work that will make up the formal assessment of this unit as well as one final project that the students will work on individually as their summative assessment. The overall value of my unit will focus on helping my students grasp enjoyment from reading and to hopefully become life-long readers. Also, students at the 11 th grade level should really start working on group assignments and group work in class. I will encourage the students to share their opinions and points of view with each other in order to learn and express themselves. **__ Goals __** The goals of my unit will be to allow my students to read a novel, discuss the text, better understand what it is they’re reading, and communicate with their fellow classmates throughout the unit. My goals will also include writing. The students will be asked to write in their journals on almost a daily basis. I want them to be able to make a choice at the end of the unit as to how they would like to tackle the final assessment. Primarily, we will focus on group work and individual writing. So, those two methods will be available for the students to choose from once we’ve completed the book.

**__ Demographics __** Detroit Public School System


 * English Language Arts (ELA) **


 * __ Number Tested Number Proficient Percent Proficient Difference from Target __**

Detroit City School District 11 All Students 61% 4,584 1,210 26.4% -34.6% 55% 4,424 716 16.2% -38.8% American Indian/Alaskan Native 61% 18 6 33.3% -27.7% 55% 18 3 16.7% -38.3% Asian/Pacific Islander 61% 43 22 51.2% -9.8% 55% 42 20 47.6% -7.4% Black 61% 4,277 1,102 25.8% -35.2% 55% 4,124 628 15.2% -39.8% Hispanic 61% 188 60 31.9% -29.1% 55% 184 48 26.1% -28.9% White 61% 53 19 35.8% -25.2% 55% 53 17 32.1% -22.9% Limited English Proficient 61% 197 52 26.4% -34.6% 55% 192 46 24.0% -31.0% Students with Disabilities 61% 373 11 2.9% -58.1% 55% 360 2 0.6% -54.4% **__ Standards __** CE 1.1.4 Compose drafts that convey an impression, express an opinion, raise a question, argue a position, explore a topic, tell a story, or serve another purpose, while simultaneously considering the restraints and possibilities (e.g., structure, language, use of conventions) of the selected form or genre. STANDARD 1.2 Use writing, speaking, and visually representing for personal growth and understanding. CE 1.2.1 Write, speak, and visually represent to understand and discover complex ideas. CE 1.2.2 Write, speak, and visually represent to develop self-awareness and insight (e.g., journal writing, portfolio self-assessment). CE 1.2.3 Write, speak, and visually represent to express personal experience and perspective (e.g., diary, personal narrative, poetry, imaginative writing). CE 1.2.4 Accumulate pieces of own or others’ written work to assess personal strengths and weaknesses as a writer and to respond to the work of others (e.g., noticing wellcrafted sentences, precision of language). STANDARD 1.3 Communicate in speech, writing, and multimedia using content, form, voice, and style appropriate to the audience and purpose (e.g., to reflect, persuade, inform, analyze, entertain, inspire). **__ Common Core Standards __** // Reading Standards for Literature 6-12 // // 11th Grade: // 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. // Writing Standards 6-12 // Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

// Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12 // Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. // Language Standards 6-12 // Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.