7th Grade Family Letters

Dear Families,

At the heart of the EL Education Language Arts Curriculum is a commitment to literacy  instruction through engaging, authentic books. Each of the four modules in the Grade 7  curriculum is built around a fiction or nonfiction book that guides the learning and helps  students connect to the module topic. These books act as portals, giving students access to  the perspectives of diverse characters and to the academic challenges required for grade-level  success. 

The books selected for Grade 7 take students on a journey through southern Sudan from a  child’s point of view during and after civil war, across the globe and through history chasing  epidemics, through Harlem in the 1920s and ’30s, and back around the globe in pursuit of  plastic pollution and its solutions. Despite the variety of their content, the central texts have  this in common: rich, complex language; important and compelling themes; exciting plots with  meaningful conflicts; and thoughtful characters or historical figures who, in their own ways,  aim to be ethical people who contribute to a better world. By the end of the school year, through  work with these books and related texts, students will be more effective, more strategic, and  more joyful readers.  

Module 1: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park 

The story of A Long Walk to Water begins in southern Sudan in 2008, following Nya as she  walks for hours under the hot sun, over a dusty, thorny path, to and from a muddy pond where  she fetches water for her family every day. She does not go to school; she walks to fetch water.  As Nya continues to walk, the story jumps back in time to 1985, when the civil war between the  north and south of Sudan forces young Salva from his school, from his town, from his family,  and on a journey that lasts almost two decades. During that time, Salva walks from Sudan to  Ethiopia to Kenya, facing starvation, wild animals, and the violence of war. Still, he does not give  up hope. He keeps walking and keeps working. Both Nya and Salva demonstrate curiosity and  resilience, journeying toward a brighter future.  

The main tasks of this module allow students to develop reading and writing skills and strategies  that will help them throughout Grade 7 and beyond. Students learn strategies for figuring out  the meanings of unfamiliar words. They determine the central ideas and important details of  early chapters in the book and write summaries of shorter texts related to topics in the book.  Students also develop their narrative writing skills to include dialogue, description, and pacing  in a story about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan.  

Module 2: Patient Zero by Marilee Peters 

Students join epidemiologists, doctors who study diseases, from the past and present as  they race to solve the mysteries of deadly epidemics across cities, continents, and history.  Students, like epidemiologists, must become detectives, sifting through the information and  misinformation and piecing together the story of each epidemic to find “patient zero,” the first  person identified as a carrier at the start of a disease’s outbreak. The intriguing illustrations  and different ways of presenting information keep students on their toes as they work to solve  the epidemic mysteries and uncover deeper truths about how people and societies respond to  challenging circumstances. 

In this module, students focus on researching to build and present knowledge. Inspired by the  research methods and mindsets of the scientists described in Patient Zero, students choose a  social or medical epidemic for their own investigation. Research lessons across the module— searching for sources, deciding whether they are credible and useful, and paraphrasing and  quoting them—help students become more effective investigators. Students build their  informational writing skills as they work through the stages of the essay-writing process:  crafting a focus statement, presenting evidence, using transitional words, and developing a  conclusion that reflects on the essay. 

Module 4: Trash Vortex by Danielle Smith-Llera 

“It is past time that we tackle the plastic problem that blights our oceans. Plastic pollution is  surfing onto Indonesian beaches, settling onto the ocean floor at the North Pole, and rising  through the food chain onto our dinner tables.” So explains Erik Solheim, then executive  director of UN Environment, quoted in Danielle Smith-Llera’s book Trash Vortex. Through this  text, a documentary film, and additional articles, students spend the module learning about  how plastic pollution became such a widespread problem—particularly in our oceans—and  what can be done to reduce the pollution.  

The main task of this module is researching to write and present arguments. Students conduct  research about possible solutions to reducing plastic pollution at different points of the plastic  life cycle. They develop a stance based on their learning and defend their position in a debate  with classmates. Students then transform their understanding into their own personal action  plans, which involve research and crafting narrative, informational, and argument pieces to  communicate their personal actions, evidence, and message.

Unit 1: Build Background Knowledge: The Lost Boys of the Sudan

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, RL.7.10
• SL.7.1, SL.7.1a, SL.7.1b, SL.7.1c
• L.7.4, L.7.4a, L.7.4b, L.7.4c, L.7.4d, L.7.6

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin Unit 1 reading the novel A Long Walk to Water. The focus of the first half of the unit of reading is catching questions about the conflict described, how the setting shapes the characters and plot, and how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters in the text. In the second half of the unit, students begin to analyze how themes have developed throughout the story so far. Students also create discussion norms in order to have productive discussions about the text at the end of the unit.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, and collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, and compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship and service).

In this unit, students focus on respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. During discussions, students also focus on collaboration and taking initiative. Also, they focus on integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. As they track progress on their assessments, they take responsibility for their own learning.

How can you support your student at home?

• Talk with your student about the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan or other children/people displaced from their homes by war or disasters.
• Read chapter books with your student, and discuss how the setting (time and place) develops the characters (people) and plot (events). Also, discuss the different points of view or opinions of the characters in the book and how the author develops those different points of view. Finally, discuss the theme or message the author is communicating through the book. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:
  • What is the setting of this story? How does the setting affect the characters? What must they do and be like to live in this setting?
  • From whose point of view or perspective is this story told? How do we know? What is the character/narrator’s point of view of ____ (a topic/idea/character in the story)? How do we know?
  • What is the theme of this story? What message is the author communicating? What lesson do the characters learn?

Unit 2: Write to Inform: The Lost Children of South Sudan

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.7.1, RL.7.9
• RI.7.1, RI.7.2
• W.7.2, W.7.2a, W.7.2b, W.7.2c, W.7.2d, W.7.2e, W.7.2f, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.7, W.7.8, W.7.9a, W.7.9b
• SL.7.2

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin the unit researching to answer the questions generated while reading A Long Walk to Water during Unit 1, including questions about Lost Girls too. While researching, they determine two or more central ideas in informational texts and provide objective summaries of them. Students also watch clips of the documentary God Grew Tired of Us about The Lost Boys of the Sudan, analyzing the main ideas and supporting details and explaining how the ideas clarify what they have been researching. In the second half of the unit, students use the Painted Essay® structure to write an informative essay comparing and contrasting how the novel and an informational text deal with the subject matter of the Lost Children of Sudan.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, and collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, and compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship and service).

In this unit, students focus on the habits of character of respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Also, students focus on integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. Then as they track progress on their assessments, they take responsibility for their own learning.

How can you support your student at home?

• Talk with your student about the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan or other children/people displaced from their homes by war or disasters.
• Read books or articles and watch documentaries with your student and summarize the chapters or scenes, noting the themes or central ideas, the message the author/director is conveying. One documentary you can watch with your student is God Grew Tired of Us, available online for free streaming. Students watch several short clips from this documentary and may enjoy and benefit from watching the whole film. Also, discuss with your student the research he/she is doing to answer questions about the Lost Children of Sudan. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:
  • What are the main points of this chapter/book/article/documentary? What message is the author/directory trying to send?
  • What questions do you have about the Lost Children of Sudan? How are you answering those questions? How do you know your sources are credible (trustworthy)? Does this source answer your question? If so, how? If not, what will you do to try to answer the question?

Unit 3: Write to Raise Awareness: The Lost Children of South Sudan

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.7.1, RL.7.7
• W.7.3, W.7.3a, W.7.3b, W.7.3c, W.7.3e, W.7.4, W.7.6, W.7.10

What will your student be doing at school?

Students will begin Unit 3 comparing A Long Walk to Water to the audiobook version of the text, exploring how authors and readers develop tone, mood, and expression. Students will draw on this exploration as they start the second half of the unit, planning and then writing a narrative children’s book about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan. Through mini lessons and independent planning work, students focus on developing characters, settings, plot points, and narrative techniques such as pacing, description, and dialogue. Once students complete a draft of their narrative, they convert it into an ebook and publish it by sharing it with others, especially elementary school children.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, and collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, and compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship and service).

In this unit, students focus on respect, empathy, and compassion habits of character as they respond to each other’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Also, students focus on integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. Then as they track progress on their assessments, they take responsibility for their own learning. Finally, as students develop an ebook about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan, they help others in the class grow as they assist with technology and writing. Also, because students will share their ebooks with an elementary school child in their community, they focus on using their learning to improve their community.

How can you support your student at home?

• Talk with your student about the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan or other children/people displaced from their homes by war or disasters.
• Discuss with your student about the habits of character that the Lost Boys and Girls or other children/people need in order to survive hardships.
• Talk with your student about the habits of character that the Lost Boys or other children/people need in order to be successful in a new country.
• Read and listen to stories (audiobooks are available at the library), discussing how the audio is different from the text and how the audio uses sounds, tones of voice, and other techniques to make meaning.

Unit 1: Build Background Knowledge: Solving Medical Epidemics

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RI.7.1, RI.7.3, RI.7.4, RI.7.5, RI.7.10
• L.7.4, L.7.6

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin Unit 1 by reading three chapters from the anchor text, Patient Zero, examining examples of epidemics in the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. In the first half of the unit, students explore the wide variety of text features and structures incorporated into each chapter of Patient Zero, such as side bars, images, and text boxes. Also, students analyze how major sections contribute to the whole text and the development of ideas. Students also practice determining the meanings of words and phrases, especially technical terms associated with epidemiology.

In the second half of the unit, students focus more on the interactions among the individual epidemiologists or scientists, the events during the epidemics, and the ideas about disease at the time. Students also consider the mindsets, tools, and character traits that enabled the scientists to solve these medical mysteries. Finally, students practice determining the impact of word choice on the meaning and tone of the text.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

Please note that students do not read about the COVID-19 pandemic in this unit; however, there are references to this pandemic in some of the chapters of Patient Zero. Students are given opportunities to share and discuss their experiences of epidemics.

In this unit, as students read Patient Zero, they witness scientists, doctors, and ordinary citizens demonstrating the following habits of character—respect, empathy, collaboration, initiative, responsibility, perseverance, citizenship, and service—as they solve medical mysteries and take care of the sick. Additionally, students focus on respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Students also practice collaboration and taking initiative during discussions. They practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. And they take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on their assessments. 

How can you support your student at home?

Talk with your student about epidemics or diseases and how people research and react to the epidemics and the patients.

Read books and articles with your student, and discuss text features and structures incorporated into the book (such as sidebars, images, charts, and other graphic or text elements). Also, discuss how the major sections of the text contribute to the whole text and to the development of ideas. Finally, focus on the interactions among the individuals (their thoughts, actions, mindsets, character traits), the events of the epidemics, and the ideas people have about disease and patients. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:

• What text features or sections are in this text? How does this section relate to the main section?
• What information does it give us? How does this information relate to the information in the main section?
• Who are the key people involved in this epidemic (scientists, health officials, patients, government officials)? What are their mindsets and character traits? What do they do in reaction to the epidemic?
• How does the epidemic develop? What are the main events? How do the individuals respond to these events? 

• What ideas about the epidemic do people have? What ideas about patients or people with the disease do people have? How do the key individuals respond to or use these ideas?

   

Unit 2: Write to Inform: Are Social Epidemics Real?

Common Core State Standards addressed: 

• RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.8, RI.7.10
• W.7.2, W.7.2a, W.7.2b, W.7.2c, W.7.2d, W.7.2e, W.7.2f, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.9b, W.7.10
• SL.7.1, SL.7.1a, SL.7.1b, SL.7.1c, SL.7.1d, L.7.2
• L.7.4, L.7.6 

What will your student be doing at school?

In Unit 2, students transfer the knowledge about how scientists think about and investigate medical epidemics to the study of social epidemics. Some social epidemics students explore are how kindness can be contagious and how emotions and trends spread from person to person. Students explore the topic of social epidemics through various articles that describe the basic terms and theories behind social and emotional contagion. Students practice summarizing the central ideas of the articles as well as analyzing their arguments. In small groups, students participate in discussions in preparation for the mid-unit assessment, a text-based discussion in which students evaluate whether the authors of an article have provided sufficient evidence and reasoning for their claims connecting social and disease epidemics.

In the second half of the unit, students learn and practice the skills necessary for completing their end of unit assessment, an informative essay that answers the question: how do social scientists use ideas from the study of epidemics to understand and explain human behavior? Students engage in the full writing process, from planning to drafting to peer critique to revision. By the end of the unit, students have the skills and knowledge to think critically about the latest research about how emotions, ideas, and behaviors spread. This prepares them for further investigation of the topic in Unit 3, as they engage in their own research and develop a podcast script related to a social or disease epidemic.

Throughout the unit, students continue to focus on respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Students also practice collaboration and taking initiative during discussions. They practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. And they take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on their assessments. 

In this unit, students continue to read nonfiction texts at their level as they choose independent research reading texts. Students should complete 20 minutes of independent research reading for homework when they are not reading a chapter from the anchor text. Students should also continue independent research reading over weekends.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk with your student about social epidemics or how ideas, behaviors, and emotions spread among people.

Read books and articles with your student. Discuss the central ideas and the arguments and whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient and the reasoning sound. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:

• What are the main ideas in this book or article?
• How does the author say ideas spread?
• What evidence do the authors use to support their claims or points? Is the evidence relevant or related to the claim? Is the evidence sufficient (is there enough)?
• Is the reasoning sound? (Do the authors make sense when they explain how the evidence supports the points?)

Unit 3: Spread the Message: How to Respond to Epidemics

Common Core State Standards addressed: 

• RI.7.1, RI.7.3, RI.7.4
• W.7.7, W.7.8
• SL.7.4, SL.7.6
• L.7.3a, L.7.4, L.7.6

What will your student be doing at school?

In Unit 3, students work in small groups to create a podcast about a social or medical epidemic that concerns them or their community. Over the course of the unit, students choose an epidemic topic, conduct research, write a script for their podcast, and use technology to record and sound edit their podcast. Students begin this podcast creation by listening to an exemplar podcast and reading a model podcast script about an outbreak of the plague in India. Students analyze what makes this model podcast strong and build a list of criteria for success from their observations. Students then begin researching to gather information for their podcast, participating in a series of mini-lessons as needed to review research skills learned in Module 1, such as: refining research questions, creating a research note-catcher, generating search terms, evaluating the relevance and credibility of sources, etc. Additionally, students consider how individuals, events, and ideas in their epidemic interact as they research. For the mid-unit assessment, students first read an article and answer questions to analyze the interaction of individuals, events, and ideas in a text. In the second part of the mid-unit assessment, students conduct their own research to answer a question prompted by the article read in the first part of the assessment.

In the second half of Unit 3, students work in their small groups to plan, write, and create their podcast. First, each member of the group drafts a narrative opening to the group script, being sure to include narrative elements such as a hook, characters, and the important events of the epidemic. Then the groups combine and refine these narratives into one strong lead for their podcast script, being sure to include narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description. Students then divide the rest of the script-writing among the members of their group to write the remaining three sections of the script: the social and scientific ideas, the tools/mindsets/habits of character, and the message or lessons learned. Based on peer feedback, students revise their script to present their research findings in a coherent and engaging way. Students also practice presenting their scripts in their groups, receiving feedback on presentation skills like volume and clarity. For their end of unit assessment, students present their script to their classmates, focusing on all the skills they practiced throughout the unit. Students end the module by turning their podcast presentations into actual podcast recordings with music and sound effects. Students use sound-editing skills as well as collaboration to produce a high-quality podcast to publish for their classmates, community, or even the world by posting it online.

Throughout the unit, as students research, they trace the habits of character that people demonstrate —such as respect, empathy, collaboration, initiative, responsibility, perseverance, citizenship, and service—as they solve medical mysteries and take care of the sick. Additionally, students focus on respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Students also practice collaboration and taking initiative during discussions. They practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. And they take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on their assessments.

In this unit, students continue to read nonfiction texts at their level as they choose independent research reading texts. Students should complete 20 minutes of independent research reading for homework when they are not reading a chapter from the anchor text. Students should also continue independent research reading over weekends.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk with your student about social and medical epidemics or how germs, ideas, behaviors, and emotions spread among people.

Listen to podcasts (if possible, about epidemics), and discuss:

• What makes this podcast interesting? What sound effects and music do the producers use? How do the sound effects and music help emphasize important points?
• How do the speakers organize their information? Do they tell a story? How else do they organize the information?
• Do the speakers use formal or informal English? What is the effect of the formal or informal English?

Also, support students with practicing their podcast script (see homework in Lessons 9 and 10 in the chart below).

Unit 1: Collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance

Common Core State Standards addressed: 

• RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.7, RL.7.10
• L.7.5, L.7.5a, L.7.5c, L.7.6

What will your student be doing at school?

Students will begin Unit 1 by reading songs and scenes from the musical theater show Shuffle Along, which was a wildly popular production that was the first to portray black Americans in non-comedic roles. The show was so popular and influential that President Harry S. Truman used a song from it for his election campaign. Written through the collaboration of four talented black American writers and composers, Shuffle Along gives students the opportunity to examine an important text, compare it with musical versions of the songs, and begin to explore the idea of collaboration, which is central to the Harlem Renaissance.

For the mid-unit assessment, students will read “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the poem by James Weldon Johnson. In the assessment, students will analyze the poem and compare it to the song version, noting how the language and musical techniques develop themes such as persevering through difficult times. Students close the assessment lesson with an all-class analysis of Augusta Savage’s sculpture The Harp, which was inspired by Johnson’s poem and created for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Examining the poem, song, and sculpture versions of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” helps students truly understand the nature of collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance.

In the second half of the unit, students read several poems in the module’s anchor text One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes. This text is a collection of poems from Harlem Renaissance poets paired with contemporary poems by Nikki Grimes and artwork by contemporary artists. Poems students read include “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes and “Calling Dreams” and “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson. In order to better understand the poets’ messages about connections to the past and working hard to achieve dreams, students analyze the poems’ structure, such as rhyme and repetition. Students also analyze figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and allusions to mythical or biblical references. Finally, students analyze themes such as how thinking about the past can give us hope in the present and how with determination people can achieve their dreams.

For the end of unit assessment, students test their skill of poetry analysis by exploring the poem “I Shall Return” by Claude McKay, which is about the longing for one’s home. Students end the unit with a collaborative discussion in which they explore the similarities in themes across all the works of the unit, further enhancing the idea of collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

In this unit, students focus on respect, empathy, and compassion as they respond to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Students also practice collaboration and taking initiative during discussions. They practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. And they take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on their assessments. Students also explore how the writers, artists, and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance supported one another and practiced collaboration in creating their works.

How can you support your student at home?

Explore with your student music, poems, and art. Discuss how artists and writers create meaning through musical, literary, and artistic techniques such as:

• Music: volume (amount of sound), tone (the sound of words as they show a feeling), tempo (the speed of music)
• Poems: repetition (writing or saying things over and over), metaphors (comparisons between two different things to explain something in a new and interesting way), rhyme (words that end with the same or almost the same sound as another word), allusions (an indirect reference to another work such as the Bible or mythical texts), structure (how a text is organized), connotations (the “extra” meaning that surrounds words; used to create tone)
• Art: position and movement of figures (where people are in relation to each other and whether and how they seem to move), use of light and color (how light, shadow, and color work in the piece), symbolism (expressing ideas with objects)

You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:

• What do you notice about how the poem or song lyrics are structured? Is there a rhyme pattern? Is there repetition? Are the lines long or short? How many stanzas are there?
• How does the structure affect meaning? Does the rhyme show how ideas are connected? Does the repetition emphasize ideas? Do the stanzas build on each other or introduce new ideas?
• What figurative language is in the song or poem (e.g., metaphors, allusions—see bullets above)? What does the figurative language mean? What two things are being compared? What bigger idea does that comparison convey?
• What musical techniques do the singers and musicians use (e.g., volume, tone, tempo—see bullets above)? What mood or overall feeling does the music create? How does it create this feeling? Is the music slow or fast? Are the notes high or low? Is the music loud or soft?
• What do you notice in the artwork? Are there people or figures? What are they doing? What do they look like? How are they positioned in relation to each other? What might the artist be saying with these figures? Are the colors light or dark? What might the artist be saying with these colors?

Unit 2: The Context of the Harlem Renaissance

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, RL.7.10
• W.7.1, W.7.5, W.7.6, W.7.9, W.7.9a, W.7.10
• L.7.1, L.7.1a, L.7.1b, L.7.4

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin the unit exploring the context of the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance occurred during the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, and the racial violence of post-Civil War America.

To gain this background knowledge, students read short informational texts and examine visual art related to the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance. Then students read the short story “His Motto” by Lottie Burrell Dixon, which is about a young black boy named Robert Hilton who through innovation, initiative, and determination helps a wealthy white businessman send an essential telegram and earns himself a job as a result. Students also read the short story “The Boy and the Bayonet” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, which is also about a young black boy, who is devastated when he makes a mistake in a school military drill, but through the encouragement of his mother and sister, returns to school to earn the praise of the school leaders and respect of his peers. As students read these two short stories, they explore character, plot, and setting, noting how these story elements interact and affect each other.

Students also analyze how the authors develop and contrast the different points of view of the characters. For example, in “His Motto,” the wealthy businessman and Robert have different points of view of the boy’s ability to help. Robert is confident of his abilities throughout, but the businessman’s point of view on this changes as he sees Robert’s determination and success. Additionally, students examine the themes the stories develop such as working hard to achieve dreams and how community helps to bring out our best selves. For the mid-unit assessment, students examine the third part of “The Boy and the Bayonet” for how particular elements of a story interact and how the author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters.

In the second half of the unit, students continue to explore the context of the Harlem Renaissance by analyzing how the theme of looking to the past for strength and hope connects three pieces of artwork and text from the Harlem Renaissance. Students begin this work by examining a model literary argument essay and discussing the theme connecting the three works. Then, students study the introduction, Proof Paragraphs, and conclusion of the model literary argument essay, as they work collaboratively to plan and write their own pair literary argument essay. This pair essay explores the theme of how collaboration and community bring out the best in people.

In the end of unit assessment, students independently write their own literary argument essay about the three works from the Harlem Renaissance connected by the theme of dreams giving life meaning and purpose.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

In this unit, students explore how the characters in the short story exhibit habits of character. For example, both Robert and Bud, the main characters in “His Motto” and “The Boy and the Bayonet” demonstrate determination and perseverance to achieve their dreams. Robert also demonstrates initiative and responsibility when he solves the wealthy businessman’s dilemma. Bud’s mother and sister demonstrate compassion and empathy throughout the story, supporting Bud before and after his mistake.

Students themselves practice habits of character as they show respect, empathy, and compassion when responding to one another’s ideas and skills in written work and in discussions. Students also practice collaboration as they write the pair essay. They practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments. Students also take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on their assessments.

How can you support your student at home?

Explore informational texts with your student about the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, or racial violence of the 1900s. Read short stories written by black Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:

• What was the Great Migration? What caused it? What were Jim Crow laws? What are some examples of Jim Crow laws? What kinds of violent acts were black Americans victims of in the 1900s? How did the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, and racial violence affect black Americans? How were these societal factors related to the Harlem Renaissance?
• Who are the main characters in the story? What are they like? What is the setting or time and place of the story? What are the main plot events? How does the setting influence the characters or plot events?
• What are the points of view of the different characters about one of the main plot events? How are these points of view the same? How are they different? How do you know the different characters’ points of view? How does the author develop them? Through characters’ dialogue, thoughts, actions?

Unit 3: The Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.5
• SL.7.4, SL.7.5, SL.7.6
• L.7.4

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin the unit exploring the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, noting how many artists today are influenced by the writing and themes of the Harlem Renaissance.

To gain this background knowledge, students examine short informational and literary texts, visual art, and performances to further develop their sense of how the Harlem Renaissance continues to impact us today. They explore the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance through Nikki Grimes’ poem “Emergency Measures,” original artwork associated with the poem, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s ballet, Uptown, which was inspired by the people, places, art, music, and writing of the Harlem Renaissance. 

Students then study Nikki Grimes’ contemporary poetry alongside the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. In her poems, Grimes uses the Golden Shovel method, taking one line of text from a Harlem Renaissance poem and using it in her own poetry. Grimes pairs her poem “On Bully Patrol” with Georgia Douglas Johnson’s “Hope” and pairs her poem “David’s Old Soul” with Langston Hughes’ “A Negro Speaks of Rivers.” Students study these poetry pairings for connections between structure or how Grimes uses the words of the Harlem Renaissance poems. They also study Grimes’ poems for her use of figurative language, such as metaphors and similes. Finally, students study how Grimes develops themes from the Harlem Renaissance, such as persevering through hardships to realize dreams. 

Students also explore the Golden Shovel method of poetry writing by creating one or more poems borrowing lines from other Harlem Renaissance poems. For the mid-unit assessment, students read and analyze Nikki Grimes’ “The Sculptor” and its paired poem, Georgia Douglas Johnson’s “Calling Dreams.” Students examine the poems for the effects of the Golden Shovel poetry structure, the figurative language, and themes such as working hard to realize dreams. Throughout the first half of the unit, students learn the relevance of the themes of the Harlem Renaissance in contemporary poetry.

In the second half of the unit, students continue their exploration of the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by creating artifacts for the performance task, a Harlem Renaissance museum exhibit. Each student’s exhibit includes

• three pieces from the Harlem Renaissance and one contemporary piece that they have studied or created themselves, such as their Golden Shovel poems developed in the beginning of the unit;
• a curator’s statement explaining how the works are connected by theme; and
• labels using examples from the piece to explain the structure, language, and theme. 

For the end of unit assessment, students’ presentation skills are assessed as they present a visual piece from the exhibit, the label for the piece, and the curator’s statement. Students revise and practice their presentation, curator’s statements, and labels in two lessons. The unit concludes with the Harlem Renaissance museum, in which students contribute to making a better world by sharing these important works with their community.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

In this unit, students work to become effective learners by persevering through rigorous texts, collaborating with groupmates, and taking initiative by assuming leadership roles in the group. For the mid-unit assessment, students practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently. Also, they take responsibility for their own learning as they track progress on reading standards. Additionally, students contribute to a better world by creating an engaging Harlem Renaissance museum exhibit, using their strengths to help others grow and presenting their knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance to a wider audience.

The texts in this unit also focus on the habits of character. “On Bully Patrol” demonstrates perseverance as the speaker recounts the difficulty she experienced and how she overcame it. The speaker in “David’s Old Soul” demonstrates perseverance and initiative as he finds the inner strength to support his younger siblings. The speaker in “The Sculptor” demonstrates perseverance, initiative, and the academic mindsets “My ability and competence grow with my effort” and “I can succeed at this” as she strives to make her dreams come true. All these examples provide context and models for students to focus on habits of character. Additionally, students have the opportunity to practice the habits of character of empathy and respect if they or their classmates struggle with the descriptions of racism, bullying, and family struggles in the poems.

How can you support your student at home?

Explore more poems and artwork from the anchor text One Last Word or by other artists influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. Read and discuss informational texts with your student about the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. You may use questions such as the following for your conversations:

• Who was influenced by the Harlem Renaissance? 
• How were they influenced? 
• How is their work similar to and different from the Harlem Renaissance artist’s work?

Engage in conversations with your student about the habits of character focus of this module. Consider these prompts: 

• Who demonstrates a habit of character in something you read in class or at home? What habit of character do they demonstrate? How do they demonstrate it?
• What habit of character did you demonstrate as you read, heard, or witnessed people’s struggles in the Harlem Renaissance content?