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Famous Author Study #1: Langston Hughes An ELA and social studies unit for 7th grade that uses Langston Hughes' work and life as a way to explore how and why authors write how they do.
Specifically, students will be able to:
- determine an author's purpose in writing.
- determine central idea(s) for non-fiction text,
- determine theme(s) for fictional text,
- cite evidence to support the central idea or theme,
- summarize texts succinctly,
- analyze how parts of a text interact, and
- begin to determine how poetic devices, form, and structure add to the meaning of a poem.
HTK Note: ELA standards are included below and in the packet. Social studies standards only included below.
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The Undefeated Lesson Plan This lesson uses Kwame Alexander's The Undefeated to examine pre- and suffixes in context as well as a starting point for a small research project about the people portrayed in the text.
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It Starts With Me! Lesson Plan This lesson helps students become positive change agents in their own lives, community, and the world. The lesson consists of a read aloud, discussion, and art-based extension activity.
Originally designed as a Martin Luther King Day Assembly, this lesson plan could be used any day.
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Lawmakers or Lawbreakers? The Crosswhites and Community of Marshall, Michigan From the lesson plan:
"In addressing the compelling question Lawmakers or Lawbreakers? The Crosswhites and Community of Marshall, Michigan, students consider the radical actions of the community of Marshall, MI through the experiences of the Crosswhite family. Through inquiry, students explore the journey of the Crosswhite family, fugitive slaves, through the underground railroad as they escape from Kentucky to settle in the unique community of Marshall, Michigan. In doing so, they examine sources that highlight the significance of a community’s resistance to injustice.
Note: This inquiry as a cumulative unit assumes prerequisite knowledge of slavery and the underground railroad. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiries to meet the needs and interests of their particular students. The inquiry is to be done over several class periods, virtually, hybrid or face-to-face. See Teacher Reference - Sutori (hyperlinked in lesson plan) for building teacher content knowledge."
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Research and Resources on American Muslims and the Impact in the United States of Events in Gaza, Israel, and Surrounding Region This google doc provides research and resources about:
- anti-Muslim hate,
- how harmful political messaging and media perpetuate Islamophobia, and
- Muslim/Jewish relations among other topics.
Additional insightful scholarship and research are hyperlinked throughout this living document.
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End of the Twentieth Century U.S. History Unit (1977-2001): A Conservative Turn Key ideas from the unit:
"1. The progressive social movements of the 1960s and 1970s were met with a conservative political and social backlash. Women, especially white women, played a major role in promoting and supporting these conservative ideas.
2. Despite the rise in conservatism, the gains of feminist activism led to major achievements for women in politics and the workplace.
3. Women from different backgrounds challenged the rise of conservative thought and stood up for progressive ideals.
4. Women contributed extensively to American culture and society, shaping the new perceptions of what American womanhood looked like."
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Growth and Turmoil: U.S. History Unit (1948–1977) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. The federal government and popular culture sought to promote the
superiority of democracy over communism by celebrating the suburban family, which was held together by the American housewife. This middle-class ideal, however, excluded most Americans.
2. Ongoing racism and segregation led to a wave of civil rights activism, including and extending far beyond the African American community. Women played a significant role in leading this work.
3. The Vietnam War provided women with new opportunities for service and activism. Women were vocal participants in both the pro- and anti-war movements.
4. The activism of the 1960s was a major catalyst in the growth of the women’s liberation movement. Feminists from diverse backgrounds fought for equality, but they did not always agree on the best way to achieve it.
5. Not all American women supported gender equality and progressive feminist ideals."
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Confidence and Crises: U.S. History Unit (1920-1948) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. Major social, economic, and political shifts in this period forced Americans to once again question what it meant to be an American.
2. Women of all backgrounds continued to feel the tension between traditional expectations of domesticity and expanding opportunities in work, education, social interaction, and politics.
3. After the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, women activists lacked a unifying issue. Instead, they focused on an increasingly diverse array of social and political issues.
4. Although women’s experiences varied depending on age, race, ethnicity, geography, and economic status, women across all these categories actively contributed to reform and activated their citizenship in creative ways throughout the era."
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Modernizing America: U.S. History Unit (1889–1920) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. New opportunities arose in the realms of education, recreation, and social reform, but traditional gender roles and stereotypes still significantly shaped women’s lives.
2. While the era saw an increase in the number of women working for pay, the vast majority of women were still contributing to the family economy via unpaid housework and childcare.
3. Involvement in activism was a powerful outlet for women of diverse backgrounds to step beyond the home and fight for change.
4. The persistence of xenophobia and nativism often counterbalanced progressive ideals—not all women benefited from reform."
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Industry and Empire: U.S. History Unit (1866-1904) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. Women contributed to the reimagining of what it meant to be American in the wake of the Civil War and during widespread immigration and migration.
2. Industrialization changed the daily lives of women from many different backgrounds.
3. Westward expansion and imperialism affected women across the country and beyond.
4. The experiences of women in this period varied widely based on race, class, age, identity, and geographic region."
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A Nation Divided: U.S. History Unit (1832-1877) From the Unit Plan:
"A Nation Divided, 1832–1877 provides resources to allow you to easily discover and teach the history of the Civil War—from the early formation of abolitionist groups to the end of Reconstruction—through the lens of women’s history. The unit contains three sections: Antebellum, which examines the activities of women in the United States from 1832 through the eve of the war; Civil War, which covers the activities of women in the Union, Confederacy, border states, and territories; and Reconstruction, which focuses on how women responded to and were affected by the major social and political changes that swept the nation after the war ended."
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Expansions and Inequalities: U.S. History Unit (1820-1869) From the unit plan:
"In most histories of the United States, the mid-19th century is dominated by the narrative of the Civil War. But beyond the war, this period was one of rapid and monumental transition. . .
"Expansions and Inequalities, 1830–1869, provides resources to allow you to explore the complicated and fascinating history of this period. The unit contains three sections: Westward Expansion, Industry and Immigration, and Politics and Society. The questions surrounding slavery and freedom as well as the events of the Civil War and Reconstruction appear throughout, but you’ll find a more thorough examination of all these topics in A Nation Divided: 1832–1877. Each section contains resources that illustrate the experiences of a wide range of women across race, gender, age, social, and economic spectrums."
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Building a New Nation: U.S. History Unit (1776-1831) Key ideas from the unit plan:
"1. The formation of the new government of the United States of America raised important questions about women’s legal, economic, and social equality.
2. Women played a critical role in the formation of “American” identity and the early growth of the nation.
3. The experiences of women in this period varied widely based on race, class, age, gender identity, and geographic region."
