A 4-Week Exploration of

relationships in literature and life

Grade 7
Brianna Smith
Fall 2016

Unit Placement:
This unit will begin the second 9-week marking period, and will be the first
unit taught on a new schedule, with students having only one instructor for all
Language Arts, rather than two separate instructors for Reading and Writing classes.
Students have been studying various genres of folk literature, including legends, tall
tales, myths, and fables. We will extend our genre study to novels, reading Bridge
to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.
I have chosen this novel because of its appeal to students, as well as its
sensitive poignancy in dealing with complex issues that could possibly (and often
do) touch the lives of my students, including familial/economic strain, child abuse,
friendship, death, love, and bullying. As well as introducing students to the novel
genre, and giving them exposure to these complex ideas/issues, this unit will also
include a brief introduction to the use of in-text citations and plagiarism, which will
help prepare students for the coming unit on research practices and writing.
Throughout this unit, students will have a daily 6-minute period of sustained
silent reading, a daily grammar warm-up (sometimes combined with their SSR
time), and a weekly spelling test, as well as a weekly homework packet, reviewing
specific grammar concepts/skills that we have touched on in class.

Student Demographics and Teaching Context:

Breakdown of Specific Student/Class Context (average):

7th grade English Language Arts

17-23 students per class

10 students with IEP/504 educational plans

Ratio of boys to girls: 48% female to 52% Male

Racial/Ethnic Summary: 87.0% Caucasian, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0%

African American, 2.0% all other ethnicities

About 20% of students are currently involved in extra-curricular activities,

more show interest but face obstacles in participation
Breakdown of Specific Community Context (some estimation):

In the majority of homes of school-age children, both parents work, but many
make great efforts to engage and/or invest their time in school/extracurricular activities.

A large number of students live in single-parent homes, and/or live with

grandparents or other guardians.

Pulaski County (and Dublin Middle School, specifically) provides several

programs/opportunities for students who are in need of assistance,
academically and otherwise, including the Life After School Tutoring and

Community Engagement program, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Family Protective

Services Counseling and day treatment services, and
Adapted from
Wessling, S. B.
(2011).
Supporting
Students in a Time
of Common Core
Standards
Urbana, IL: NCTE

Text Complexity Breakdown:

TEXTURE TEXTS

CONTEXT TEXTS

Snippets from Disneys The Lion

Origin Story-Spoken Word poem
King, Zootopia, Toy Story II, and
performed by Phil Kaye and Sarah
Mulan (for introducing signpost
Kay
reading strategies/discussing
Papas Parrot- Short story by friendship themes)
Cythia Rylant.

FULCRUM TEXT(S)

Bridge to TerabithiaNovel by Katherine

Paterson

THEME/ESSENTIAL
QUESTIONS:

Friendship

Writing Complexity Breakdown:

What is friendship?
Who can/should be
considered a
friend (family,
school mates,
people who enjoy
the same things that
you do? People of
your color/culture,
etc.?)

Students will produce a variety of texts/products, Texts produced include (but are
not limited to, as students always have the opportunity to add to/modify this list):
Their daily reading logs (we will discuss these as a class, but students will be
responsible for completing their individual logs independently), free-write responses
to occasional discussion questions (most often given in the form of exit tickets), and
a final mixed-media collage project illustrating the development of a
friendship/relationship between two characters in the novel.

Standards Addressed:
The guiding standards for this unit are the Virginia Standards of Learning for
the seventh grade. Specific standards taught and addressed within this unit
include:
SOL 7.1 The student will participate in and contribute to conversations, group discussions, and oral
presentations.
b) Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.
c) Make statements to communicate agreement or tactful disagreement with others ideas.
e) Use a variety of strategies to listen actively.
SOL 7.4 The student will read to determine the meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and
phrases within authentic texts.
a) Identify word origins and derivations.
b) Use roots, cognates, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms to expand vocabulary.
c) Identify and analyze figurative language.
d) Identify connotations.
e) Use context and sentence structure to determine meanings and differentiate among multiple
meanings of words.
f) Extend general and specialized vocabulary through speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
SOL 7.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative
nonfiction, and poetry.
a) Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development, plot
structure, theme, and conflict.
c) Identify conventional elements and characteristics of a variety of genres.
d) Describe the impact of word choice, imagery, and literary devices including figurative
language.
e) Make, confirm, and revise predictions.

f) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.

g) Make inferences and draw conclusions based on the text.
h) Identify the main idea.
i) Summarize text relating supporting details.
l) Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
SOL 7.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative
nonfiction, and poetry.
f) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.
i) Summarize text identifying supporting details.
SOL 7.8 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence
structure, and paragraphing.
b) Choose appropriate adjectives and adverbs to enhance writing.
g) Use quotation marks with dialogue.
h) Use correct spelling for commonly used words.
SOL 7.9 The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials to produce a research
product.
a) Collect and organize information from multiple sources including online, print and media.
d) Cite primary and secondary sources.
e) Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follow ethical and legal guidelines
for gathering and using information.

Unit Plan:

Unit Plan
Name:

Brianna Smith

Subject
Area/Grade
Level:

7th Grade ELA

Description of
the class
(include
demographics,
information
about special
learners,
information
about ability
levels and

This class consists of:

o

17-23 students

10 students with IEP/504 educational plans

Ratio of boys to girls: 48% female to 52% Male

Racial/Ethnic Summary: 87.0% Caucasian, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino,

8.0% African American, 2.0% all other ethnicities

diversity)
Approximate
beginning and
ending dates
for teaching
the unit

Begins: Monday, October 10, 2016

Ends: Friday, November 18, 2016

Unit Rationale
What the experts say (i.e., Why should the unit be taught? What is its significance? What important
questions does the unit address? Are your proposed methods considered good teaching practice? Are
these methods in keeping with what Beers, Atwell, Weaver, Christenbury, Mitchell, Kirby and Liner, or
others advocate?

Unit Rationale
My primary goal in teaching is to partner with my pupils to produce a learning community in
which students eventually come to confidently rely on themselves and their fellow learners for
knowledge-construction (Haberman, 1991; Beers, 2003; Cunningham & Allington, 2011). In addition to
the novel that we are reading as a class, we will encounter/explore examples of both traditional and nontraditional (Kirby & Crovitz, 2013, p. 279) texts, like spoken word poetry, short stories, songs, and other
media that connect with the themes that we are discussing. In providing these opportunities for
intertextual connection, I hope to foster critical thinking and cross-curricular skill connection among my
students, reminding and demonstrating that no knowledge exists in (or comes from) a vacuum.
In another attempt at driving home this point, I hope to lead students into an understanding of
themselves as readers and writers through the use of our class texts as mentor texts which they can
read critically, looking for writers craft and analyzing the author decisions, and after which they can
model their writing. Additionally, texts read in class will be introduced and discussed in ways that help
students see literature and related texts as useful tools and touchstones in their own development as
people (Smagorinsky, 2008, p. 119). Students will also be constantly reminded of the importance of
developing their reading lives and connecting all of their reading to their linguistic-experiential
reservoirs (Rosenblatt, 1988, p. 8).Thus, students should leave my class knowing a bit more about how to
feel language, how to write from the deep parts of themselves, and how to tweak and/or adjust
writing/ understanding of reading until it feels right (Rosenblatt 1982; Kittle 2013, 2014).
Beers (2003), Cunningham and Allington (2011), and Appleman (2010), and others underscore
the importance of explicitly teaching reading strategies and principles of text-creation as a way to build
self-efficacy in these often difficult/axiety-inducing areas. Therefore, students in my classes will be taught
specific reading and writing strategies though objective-driven (mini) lessons and that ask them to
immediately use what they are learning, rather than to simply commit it to memory (Johnson, Uline, &
Perez, 2014, p. 50-51).
They will also be encouraged to look within their own lives, inside and outside of the classroom,
for connections to the principles and themes that we encounter and explore in literature as a class. I will
take every opportunity to empower my students by giving them ownership of their learning experiences,
and supporting/encouraging them, wherever those experiences may lead.
References
Appleman, D. (2010). Adolescent literacy and the teaching of reading: Lessons for teachers of literature.
National Council of Teachers of English.

Beers, G. K., & Probst, R. E. (2013). Notice & note: Strategies for close reading. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Beers, K. (2003). When kids can't read, what teachers can do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Cunningham, P. M., & Allington, R. L. (2011). Classrooms that work: They can all read and write.
Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., One Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867.
Haberman, M. (1991). The pedagogy of poverty versus good teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(4), 290-294.
Johnson, J. F., Uline, C. L., & Perez, L. G. (2014). The quest for mastery. Educational Leadership, 72(2),
48-53.
Kirby, D. L., & Crovitz, D. (2012). Inside out: Strategies for teaching writing.
Kittle, P. (2014). Teaching the writer's craft. Educational Leadership, 71(7), 34-39.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1982). The literary transaction: Evocation and response. Theory into practice, 21(4),
268-277.
Smagorinsky, P. (2008). Teaching English by design: How to create and carry out instructional
units. Heinemann.

Unit Objectives
OBJECTIVES: Measurable, Manageable, Made First, Most Important
Note: Effective objective statements make effective assessment instrument questions. Example:
Objective: Students will be able to identify major and minor characters in literature selections.
Test Question: After reading the literature selection, name at least three major characters.
Please number objectives and use numbers when writing assessments.
Students will be able to:
(1) Pose and consider essential questions related to our central theme of friendship, such as What is
friendship and why is/is it a necessary part of our lives as children, adolescents, and adults?
(2) Collaborate with a partner/group to generate essential/guiding questions to further discussion and
learning throughout the class.
(3) Produce a visual representation (supported by textual evidence of authors characterization) of a
chosen character within the context of a novel, analyzing the way in which the author showed/created
the characters personality (characterization).
(4) Create final collage product incorporating quotes from the novel (properly cited), as well as visual
representations that explain/illustrate a friendship or relationship between two characters within the
novel.
(5) Use four of the six signposts (Beers & Probst, 2013) to monitor reading and comprehension.
(Specifically Tough Questions, Memory Moment, Words of the Wiser, and Contrasts and Contradictions.)
(6) Use prior knowledge for comprehension/to participate in class discussions and engage with the
reading.
(7) Summarize a text.
(8) Identify and explain the use of imagery/figurative language in texts that we encounter in class
(novels, poetry, etc.)
(9) Differentiate between connotative and denotative meanings of words.
(10) Define inferencing and make inferences while reading.
(11) Properly cite sources in-text using MLA format and guidelines.
SOLs:

What SOL(s) will your students be working on when they master your unit
objectives?

Note: Please write out the text of the pertinent SOLsnot just numbers, paying attention to the

lettered standards beneath the numbered SOL. Highlight the sections that most pertain to your
lesson.

SOL 7.1 The student will participate in and contribute to conversations, group discussions, and oral
presentations.
b) Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.
c) Make statements to communicate agreement or tactful disagreement with others ideas.
e) Use a variety of strategies to listen actively.
SOL 7.4 The student will read to determine the meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and
phrases within authentic texts.
a) Identify word origins and derivations.
b) Use roots, cognates, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms to expand vocabulary.
c) Identify and analyze figurative language.
d) Identify connotations.
e) Use context and sentence structure to determine meanings and differentiate among multiple
meanings of words.
f) Extend general and specialized vocabulary through speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
SOL 7.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative
nonfiction, and poetry.
a) Describe the elements of narrative structure including setting, character development, plot
structure, theme, and conflict.
c) Identify conventional elements and characteristics of a variety of genres.
d) Describe the impact of word choice, imagery, and literary devices including figurative
language.
e) Make, confirm, and revise predictions.
f) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.
g) Make inferences and draw conclusions based on the text.
h) Identify the main idea.
i) Summarize text relating supporting details.
l) Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading process.
SOL 7.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative
nonfiction, and poetry.
f) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.
i) Summarize text identifying supporting details.

SOL 7.8 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence
structure, and paragraphing.
b) Choose appropriate adjectives and adverbs to enhance writing.
g) Use quotation marks with dialogue.
h) Use correct spelling for commonly used words.
SOL 7.9 The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials to produce a research
product.
a) Collect and organize information from multiple sources including online, print and media.
d) Cite primary and secondary sources.
e) Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follow ethical and legal guidelines
for gathering and using information.

ASSESSMENT: Describe, briefly, what students will do to show you that they have mastered
(or made progress toward) each of the course the objectives.
Note: Use the number for each objective above and then explain the ways you will assess the
objective.

Formal/Cumulative: Unit post-teststudents will answer questions requiring

them to:

Demonstrate knowledge of specific reading strategies (four of the six Notice

and Note signposts, Beers and Probst, 2012) (objective 5)
Summarize a text (Objective 7)
Define and demonstrate an understanding of how to use prior knowledge for
comprehension (Objective
Recognize and analyze imagery
Identify way in which authors use characterization (Objective 3)
Differentiate between connotation and denotation and identify the
connotation of words
Create factual and essential questions (Objectives 1,2)
Define inferencing
Identify proper use of MLA format for in-text citations.

Formal/Cumulative: Friendship Study Collage ProjectStudents will create

a collage that depicts/explains/visually represents a friendship between two
characters of their choice from the novel. (Objectives 3,4)
MATERIALS and PREPARATION: Describe what you will need do operationally to ensure that
the unit is prepared, like designing handouts, locating film clips, gathering books for inclass research, etc. (Include at least 1st weeks handouts with unitall if possible.)

Designing Signpost lessons, compiling film clips (downloading/making sure internet

access is available, etc.

Create Signpost Graphic organizer
Design activities to connect signpost lessons to Bridge to Terabithia readings
Convert all handouts/directions/prompts to SMART format
Create/obtain readers theatre copies/scripts of novel
Make reading schedule/student roster to determine order for readers theatre

ACCOMMODATIONS/ADAPTATIONS: Describe any steps taken to make the unit universally

accessible to all learners, no matter the challenges, disability, or personality.

The instructor will allow students who wish to to work alone, and give students plenty of
opportunities to switch partners/group members, having every member of the class work with
every other member at least once throughout the unit.
Students who need organizational support for projects/assignments will be allowed to leave
their work in the classroom (when possible).
Students with visual impairments/difficulties will be provided with all possible visual supports,
including magnified materials, digital magnification for SMART board activities, read-aloud
supports (incorporated into normal classroom activity as much as possible), as well as support
in discussion from their groups, and any other necessary accommodation.
Students who need breaks and/or independent work-time throughout the class will have
opportunities, within a structured group-work environment.

Major Learning Activities

What specific learning activities will organize your unit? (to help you brainstorm, consider these
questions: Will you include a project of some sort? How will you handle readings? What reading
strategies will you useliterature circles, paired/shared reading, other methods? (note: Do not use
round robin reading!) What kinds of writing will your students do as a part of the unit? How will you
handle writing process? What learning activities will be engaging your students? What supporting
handouts/organizers will you use? What technology will students use during the course of the unit?)
Your list of major learning activities might include some of the following: (1) Response Logs, (2) Prereading, During Reading, and Post-reading Activities, (3) Daily Freewrites, (4) Bell-Ringer Work, (5)
Unit Project (6) Major Writing Assignment, (6) Pre- and Post Test* (*this one is required!)

List and explain the major learning activities below.

1) Pre-reading Friendship Survey
2) Friendship unit Pre-Test/Preview and Post-Test
3) Readers Theatre/Teacher Read Aloud (reading novel in-class)
4) Close reading sticky notes
5) Signpost connection lessons-learning signpost and using the novel to
demonstrate understanding before attempting to find signposts in
individual reading
6) Culminating Friendship Collage Project (finding quotes, photos, and
illustrations that demonstrate friendship or the development of a
relationship between two characters in the novel)

Reflection
After writing your unit plan and 10 lessons, reflect on the unit and your planning process.
What are the strengths of your unit? What will you need to know more about before
actually beginning to teach the unit? What was difficult about the planning? What
problems did you have, and how did you solve them? How have you integrated reading,
writing, speaking, listening, and technology? What would you change about the unit or its
planning if you could start again?

Unit Reflection

Throughout the writing and teaching (and re-writing) of this unit, I have discovered some important
things about my students, myself as a teacher, and teaching English, as a whole. I have learned, for
example, the importance of running each days lesson plans/activities through a mental test, imagining
each of my classes completing these activities, and adjusting these plans based on what I know about my
classes/the concerns or difficulties that I can predict.
One of the most frustrating elements of lesson planning at the start of this unit was timing. Halfway
through my unit, I was faced with the decision of cutting out either the external context texts, which
included the short story and spoken word poem, or not teaching the signpost reading strategies. Both of
these were elements that I had considered integral to my unit, and I did not want to let either of them go.
However, I decided to cut out the extra texts, and teach the signposts, as they are tools that can easily by
applied to students outside (and cross-curricular) reading. Cutting out these texts meant a slight decrease
in the amount of variability between lessonsbut the pick-up in pace did help with student focus, and
classroom discussions improved as the students narrowed their focus to the one text.
If I could/someday end up teaching this lesson again, I believe that I would re-think reading, possibly
planning for readers theatre throughout the entire novel, as it helped to sustain student interest in reading.
On a similar note, I might consider implementing some type of literature circle/discussion groups, as
much of the class time not spent reading was rather teacher-centered. I want to help my students become
more independent thinkers and readers, and literature circles (or similar groups/activities) might just
provide the scaffolding needed to develop that self-sufficiency.

Unit Plan Calendar:

(Continues on next page)
SUBJEC 7th Grade Language
T
Arts: Reading

OCTOBER/NOV. 2016

THURSDAY

Pre-test
Unit Intro
Library

SSR, Daily SSR, Daily SSR, Daily Spelling

Drill
Drill
Drill
test
Friendship WarmOrigin
Signpost

20

Readers
Theatre

Recording SRdg/Disc
/ Readussion

25

26

SSR, Daily SSR, Daily

Drill
Drill
Warm-up Imagery/
Mrs. S
Read

es not

19

WEDNESDAY

18

24

EK WE

TUESDAY

17

te no

EE W

MONDAY

27

SSR, Daily Half Day

Drill BtT
P-T
Chapter 5 Conferenc
Readers
Theatre

21

28
NO
SCHOOL
Parent-

FRIDAY

22/23

29/30

SAT/SUN

NO
SCHOOL

5/6

Spelling
test
HW2/Signp
ost 2&3

93030 10028 110292 12/130302931

SSR, Daily SSR, Daily Spelling
Drill
Drill
test
BtT
BtT
Signpost 4

te no

SSR, Daily
Drill
BtT

14(B)0 15052 16

17

18

SSR, Daily Papas

Drill
Parrot
BtT
Predict/

Catch-up
(if need)
Reading

Posttest/Final
Project

Begin
Research
Unit

23

24

25

19/20

te no

4
EE W
5

SSR, Daily SSR,

SSR, QN
Drill 2
Daily Drill #3
QN
3 QN#2
BtT
intro/citati
Chapter 8
Recorded Srdg/Disc
Mrs. S
read
ussion
Read

22

21

NO
SCHOOL

NO
SCHOOL

NO
SCHOOL

te no

EE W

Half DayBell
Science,

EE W

11/1

te no

EE W

31

Lesson Plans:
Please see attached Lesson Plans and Materials folder.

26/27

Summative Post-Test

Friendship Unit Test

Signposts
1) What are we as readers looking for when we talk about the Tough
Questions signpost?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2) What signpost is being used in a narrative when a character does
something that is unexpected or out of the norm for that character?
(Circle the best answer.)
a) Contrasts and Contradictions
b) Words of the Wiser
c) Again and Again
3) The Words of the Wiser signpost occurs when _______________________.
a) A character asks him/herself a very difficult question.
b) An older, more experienced character gives advice or teaches
a lesson to another character.
c) A character catches another character in a wrongful act.
d) A character realizes, understands, or finally figures out
something.
The Following Excerpt is from the novel Bridge to Terabithia.
One day last winter he had given her one of his pictures. Just
shoved it into her hand after class and run. The next Friday she had
asked him to stay a minute after class. She said he was unusually
talented, and she hoped he wouldnt let anything discourage him,
but would keep it up. That meant, Jess believed, that she thought
he was the best.

4) Which signpost was exemplified by (shown in) the excerpt above?

a) Memory Moment
b) Contrasts and Contradictions
c) Aha Moment
d) Tough Questions

Essential Questions
Directions: Read the following passage for question 5.

From Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine

Paterson
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Crowell ,
1977.

He (Jesse) would like to show his drawings to his dad, but he

didn't dare. When he was in first grade, he had told his dad that
he wanted to be an artist when he grew up. He'd thought his dad
would be pleased. He wasn't. "What are they teaching in that
damn school?" he had asked. "Bunch of old ladies turning my only
son into some kind of a..." He had stopped on the word, but Jess
had gotten the message. It was one you didn't forget, even after
four years.
The devil of it was that none of his regular teachers ever
liked his drawings. When they'd catch him scribbling, they'd
screech about wasted time, wasted paper, wasted ability. Except
Miss Edmunds, the music teacher. She was the only one he dared
show anything to, and she'd only been at school one year, and
then only on Fridays.
Miss Edmunds was one of his secrets. He was in love with her.
Not the kind of silly stuff Ellie and Brenda giggled about on the
telephone. This was too real and too deep to talk about, even to
think about very much. Her long swishy black hair and blue, blue
eyes. She could play the guitar like a regular recording star, and
she had this soft floaty voice that made Jess squish inside. Lord,
she was gorgeous. And she liked him, too.
One day last winter he had given her one of his pictures. Just
shoved it into her hand after class and run. The next Friday she

had asked him to stay a minute after class. She said he was
"unusually talented," and she hoped he wouldn't let anything
discourage him, but would "keep it up." That meant, Jess
believed, that she thought he was the best. It was not the kind of
best that counted either at school or at home, but it was a
genuine kind of best. He kept the knowledge of it buried inside
himself like a pirate treasure. He was rich, very rich, but no one
could know about it for now except his fellow outlaw, Julia
Edmunds.

5) In the following chart, please create 3 factual (Right There)

questions, and 3 essential (On My Own) questions based on the
passage above (taken from Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine
Paterson).
Factual (Right There) Questions
1)

Essential (On My Own) Questions

1)

2)

2)

3)

3)

Prior Knowledge
6) What does it mean when we talk about using prior knowledge for
comprehension while we are reading? (Describe in your own words.)
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7) The devil of it was that none of his regular teachers ever

liked his drawings. When they'd catch him scribbling, they'd

screech about wasted time, wasted paper, wasted ability.
Except Miss Edmunds, the music teacher. She was the only
one he dared show anything to, and she'd only been at
school one year, and then only on Fridays.
How did your prior knowledge help you understand the above
statements from the previous Bridge to Terabithia reading?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Summarizing
8) In the space provided below, please summarize Bridge to Terabithia in
around five sentences.

Characterization
9) Please list three of the devices/elements that all/any authors use to
tell/show us about their characters.
1) __________________________________
2) __________________________________
3) __________________________________

Imagery
Directions: Read the following poem by Langston Hughes for questions
11 and 12.

Harlem: A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun
Or fester like a sore
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
Like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

10)
Identify three phrases that are examples of imagery in the poem
on the previous page.
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

11)
What statement might the author be trying to make with the
images in this poem?
a. All dreams come true.
b. Never put aside/defer your dreams.
c. Dreams are like food.
d. Dreams can only hurt you.
Connotation/Denotation
12)

Explain the connotation of each of the following words:

Puppy_____________________________________
Mutt______________________________________
13)
The Denotative meaning of a word can be found
___________________________.
Inferencing
14)
a.
b.
c.
d.

An inference is
An analogy comparing two things
A conclusion reached by reasoning
A best guess made without enough information
A comparison using like or as

Citation/MLA Format
15)
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1977. Print.

The above citation is in MLA format. Please select the proper in-text
citation for the above work.
a. (Paterson 45).
b. (Katherine, 45.)
c. (Paterson 1977.)
d. (Bridge, New York, NY).

Assignment/Rubric for Summative Assessment Project:

Bridge to Terabithia Final Project:

Friendship Study Collage
Your final project for this unit on Friendship/Bridge to Terabithia Will be a
collage depicting/showing the friendship of two people from this novel. You
will incorporate words, images, drawings and quotes from the text to
illustrate a friendship found within the novel.
Your collage/project must include AT LEAST:

The names of two characters who have been or have become friends
throughout the novel.

3 direct quotes from the novel describing/telling us something about

the way that the two characters interact {with the page number, cited
correctly in MLA format, like this: (Paterson 25).}

3 images (from magazines) that represent some part of your

characters friendship (3 are required, but please include more, if you
wish!)

One Illustration (sketch) of an important scene for your two friends,

or of the characters themselves (You may cut/paste your
characterization activity sketch for this, if it applies, and you wish to).

BONUS: One quote specifically showing conflict between the friends.

This quote can describe something that troubled the friendship, such
as an essential or tough question asked by one of the friends, or an
action that hurt someone (Examples: May Belle asking But Leslie,
what if you die?; Jesse hitting May Belle, etc, Leslie getting mad at
Jess, etc.)

Besides these requirements, you may make this collage your own, have fun
with it! Also, feel free to use your previous assignments to help you on this,
including your reading log, sticky notes, your characterization activity, your
personal knowledge, and any other source you need. Be as specific and
detailed as possible; go beyond the obvious and look for solid examples from
the text.

The following rubric will be used to assess your final project.

**Note: It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rubric, even before or
as you begin working on your project, and come back to it throughout your
writing/revising/editing processes.

Friendship Study Collage Rubric

Name _____________________________________
Criteria

Point
s

The collage includes the names of

two characters who have been or
become friends throughout the
novel.

/5

The collage includes 3 direct quotes

from the novel describing/telling us
something about the way that the
two characters interactwith the
page number, cited correctly in MLA
format, like this: (Paterson 25)

/5

Comments

The collage includes 3 or more

images (from magazines) that
represent some part of your
characters friendship.

/5

The collage includes one Illustration

(sketch) of an important scene for
the friends, or of the characters
themselves.

/5

The product is neat, with less than 3

spelling mistakes.

/5

BONUS POINTS: One quote

specifically showing conflict between
the friends.

/5

Total

/25