Unit Plan

Standing Up and Making a Difference

Unit Author
First and Last Name

Justin Moran

School District

Val Verde Unified School District

School Name

Citrus Hill High School

School City, State

Perris, CA

Unit Overview
Unit Title
Standing Up and Making a Difference
Unit Summary
The unit revolves around the idea of one person making a difference. We will start by reading the
writings of Dr. King. We will read the famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail and his sermon A Knock
at Midnight. In addition, students will complete a WebQuest on Dr. King in order to understand the
adversity he faced and the impact he made. Students will complete an essay in which they analyze
the texts and make a decision about how they can make an impact in the community. This will
become their project of the unit. The following week we will read Antigone by Sophocles. The goal of
this section is to drive home that you need to stand up from what you believe in regardless of the
adversity and even if you are standing alone. Lastly, the final week the students will complete their
service project, create a presentation for the class, give the presentation, and peer review each
other. In addition, students will complete a Post-Presentation reflection based on their experiences
and their peer reviews.
Subject Area
English/Language Arts
Grade Level
10th Grade
Approximate Time Needed
3 Weeks
Unit Foundation
Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme.

Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from
outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums

Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the
grades 910 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective
summary of the text.

Analyze in detail how an authors ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular
sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text.

Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a persons life story in
both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washingtons
Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelts Four Freedoms speech, Kings Letter
from Birmingham Jail), including how they address related themes and concepts.

Read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 910 text complexity
band independently and proficiently.

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to a question (including a selfgenerated question) or solve a problem.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word

meanings

Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

Annotate complex works of literature and informational texts.

Comprehend and analyze informational texts and works of literature

Use the texts as inspiration to identify the ways in which they can give back to the
community.

Write analytically in response to complex works of literature and informational texts.

Complete a meaningful community service project.

Present their project to the class in an analytical fashion.

Critique the projects of their peers.

Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential
How can I stand up and make a difference in the community?
Question
Unit
Questions
Content
Questions
Assessment Plan

Is it acceptable to stand up for what you believe in even if it is against the law?
What issues that were present in Dr. Kings time are still present today?
Can the actions of one person make a difference?
Was Antigones position an act of civil disobedience?
What were the societal issues Dr. King mentioned in A Knock at Midnight?

Assessment Timeline

Before
project work
begins

Students will
read Antigone.

Students work on projects and complete

tasks

Students will perform the community service

project

After project work is

completed

Present the project to the class.

Peer review classmates projects.

Students will
They will document their experience with pictures. Submit Journal to teacher.
read Letter
In addition, they will interview individuals they
Reflect on peer reviews, write a
from a
interact with.
short summary on what about
Birmingham Jail
Furthermore, they will keep a journal where they
the project you might change
Students will
write about their experiences.
and how you could continue the
read A Knock at
work
They will prepare a presentation for the class on
Midnight
their project and the results.
Students will
There project will include a prepared speech and a
write an essay
visual presentation (PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.)
on Dr. Kings
writing.
In the essay,
they will choose
a community
service project.
Students will
get teacher
approval.

Assessment Summary
I will be tracking the students progress by monitoring their Learning Logs. In those logs students
document what they understand, what they are still confused on, and what the lessons reminded
them of. With this info I can make adjustments on the fly if necessary. In addition, the SOAPStone
exercises (where students identify the literary devices used in the various texts) I will determine if
the students are properly comprehending and analyzing the texts. Furthermore, the essay prompts
will support analysis of the texts as well. Lastly, the projects and presentations will demonstrate
whether the students have made the connections between what people have done to stand up in the
face of adversity to what they can do to make an impact in the modern word.
Unit Details
Prerequisite Skills
Word Processing
Keyboarding
Basic Internet Use for Potential Research
PowerPoint or Prezi
Instructional Procedures
Week #1
1. Videos to watch:
a. Giving back to the community by Doug Betters
2. WebQuest to Complete:

a. Pre-Reading WebQuest on Dr. King via www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king

3. Texts to Read:
a. A Knock at Midnight by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
b. Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. King
4. Activities to Complete:
a. SOAPStone for A Knock at Midnight
b. SOAPStone for Letter from a Birmingham Jail
c. Say, Mean, Matter worksheet for A Knock at Midnight
d. Say, Mean, Matter worksheet for Letter from a Birmingham Jail
e. Daily Learning Logs summarizing what was learned, what is still confusing,
and what it reminds you of.
f.

Students will choose a community service project and receive teacher

approval.

5. Assessment:
a. Essay What is an example of a knock that needed to be answered in Dr.
Kings time? How does it still exist today? What can you do to answer the
knock at midnight?
Week #2
6. Videos to watch:
a. The Easiest Way to Help Other People by Blake Canterbury
7. WebQuest to Complete:
a. Pre-Reading WebQuest on Sophocles, Greek Life, and the Greek Theater.
8. Texts to Read:
a. Antigone by Sophocles
9. Activities to Complete:
a. SOAPStone for Antigone
b. Say, Mean, Matter worksheet for Antigone
c. Daily Learning Logs summarizing what was learned, what is still confusing,
and what it reminds you of.
d. Over the weekend or after school complete the community service project.
10.Assessment:
a. Essay Is Antigones action an act of civil disobedience?
Week #3
11.Videos to watch:
a. TEDs Secret to Great Public Speaking by Chris Anderson
b. ESPYS Acceptance Speech by Jim Valvano
c. I Have a Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
12.Texts to Read:
a. http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/7-habits-highly-effective-speakers/
13.Activities to Complete:
a. Take notes on 7 Habits of Highly Effective Speakers How can you apply

those to your presentation.

b. Complete the journal for your project
c. Make a visual presentation based on your project.
d. Present your project.
e. Peer review your classmates.
f.

Post-Presentation reflection. What part of your project can be improved? How

can it be continued?

14.Assessment:
a. Presentation and Post-Presentation Reflection
Materials and Resources Required For Unit
Technology Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed)
Camera

Laser Disk

VCR

Computer(s)

Printer

Video Camera

Digital Camera

Projection System

Video Conferencing Equip.

DVD Player

Scanner

Other

Internet Connection

Television

Technology Software (Click boxes of all software needed.)

Database/Spreadsheet

Image Processing

Web Page Development

Desktop Publishing

Internet Web Browser

Word Processing

E-mail Software

Multimedia

Other PREZI!

Encyclopedia on CD-ROM

Printed Materials

A copy of Antigone for each student

A copy of Letter from a Birmingham Jail for each student
A copy of A Knock at Midnight for each student
Peer Review Work Sheet
Say Mean Matter Work Sheets
SOAPStone Work Sheets