8th 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 8  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 8 lead students through an exploration of Latin American  folklore, food choices, the Holocaust, and Japanese American internment. 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: Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Summer of the Mariposas is the story of the five Garza sisters and their adventures as they travel  from their home in Texas to Mexico and back. After the girls find a dead body floating in a  swimming hole near the Mexican border, they decide to set out to find the man’s family and  return his body to them. Meanwhile, they also plan to reunite with their grandmother, whom  they haven’t seen in many years. Along the way, the girls encounter supernatural beings; they  must outsmart an evil witch, a sneaky warlock, ferocious half-human owls, and fabled monsters  like the chupacabras. All the while, a magical earring, given to the oldest Garza sister, Odilia,  by the ghost of the legendary La Llorona, keeps the girls safe and protected in their trying  adventures. This modern retelling of The Odyssey celebrates maternal love and the bond among  sisters as they navigate both magical and real-life challenges.  

Work in this module helps students develop reading and writing skills and strategies they will  apply throughout Grade 8 and beyond. Theme and point of view are introduced through the  novel, as well as norms for carrying out a respectful and productive discussion, as students  discuss their responses to the text. Students also analyze how differences in the characters’  or reader’s points of view create effects like suspense or humor. To build research and writing  skills, students research and write a scene about a “monster” from Latin American folklore,  and then apply analysis skills to their own writing with a compare and contrast essay about the  scene they wrote. 

Module 2: The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Readers Edition) by Michael Pollan 

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan sets out to make sense of the complicated food  choices that modern Americans face today. Pollan presents research that examines the harsh  realities of industrial food production and the contrasts between large- and small-scale organic  food products, and tries his own hand at hunting and gathering food. He leaves the reader with  simple but convincing arguments for which food choices are the most ethical, sustainable, and  environmentally friendly.  

Throughout the module, students read excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma and analyze  video clips of the documentary Nourish: Food and Community. Students analyze purpose and  point of view, consider how the authors convey key ideas, evaluate arguments and authors’  motives for conveying information, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of using  different mediums. Students then carry out research and formulate their own opinions in an  argument essay about which food choice would be the most beneficial for themselves and their  community.  

Module 4: Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James  D. Houston 

Farewell to Manzanar depicts the experiences of Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family before,  during, and after their imprisonment at Manzanar, a Japanese American internment camp  during World War II. The story begins in California when the narrator, Jeanne, is age seven, at  the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and ends when Jeanne returns to Manzanar years later,  as an adult with her own family. Jeanne’s journey of self-discovery is one that includes difficult  realizations about the dangers of fear and prejudice, but also the resilience of the human spirit.  

This module centers on the lessons of Japanese American internment. As students read the  text, they track connections and distinctions made among individuals, ideas, and events, and  consider the authors’ methods and use of language in conveying the Wakatsukis’ experience.  Students also watch the film adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar and write a literary argument  essay to analyze the ways in which the film stays faithful to or departs from the text. In a final  culmination of learning across the module, students carry out research and interviews to learn  about how community organizations are applying the lessons of Japanese American internment  today. 

Unit 1: Build Background Knowledge: Read and Analyze Summer of the Mariposas

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, RI.8.1, RI.8.4, RI.8.8
• W.8.8
• SL.8.1
• L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6

What will your student be doing at school?

Students begin Unit 1 by reading Summer of the Mariposas. Theme and point of view are introduced through the text, as well as discussion norms as students discuss their responses to the text. They also analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the reader create effects like suspense or humor. While reading Summer of the Mariposas, they also closely read complex informational texts about the folklore of Mexico. In the second half of Unit 1, students analyze how incidents in the story reveal aspects of a character in order to prepare for a Socratic Seminar discussion. Theme is introduced and tracked in preparation for Unit 2.

How can you support your student at home?

• Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.
• Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.
• Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.
• Share traditional stories from your culture or heritage with your student. Ask your student about the lessons that these stories were meant to teach and how those messages might still be relevant today.
• Talk to your student about how family and culture have influenced your life. Share examples of your family and culture and the specific impacts they have had.
• Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Latin American myths and legends. The novel your student is studying references a number of different mythological figures. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of the figures named in the novel.
• Read chapter books with your student and discuss the point of view of characters within the books. How does the point of view differ from your own perspective? What effect does that have on you as a reader? Discuss the themes that are revealed in the books and how the author has introduced and developed these themes.

Habits of Character

Working to become ethical people is the habit of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others.
• I behave with integrity. This means I am honest and do the right thing, even when it’s difficult, because it is the right thing to do.
• I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.
• I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them.

Unit 2: Theme and Summary in Summer of the Mariposas: Narrative Writing

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.10, RI. 8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4
• W.8.3, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, W.8.10

What will your student be doing at school?

In Unit 2, students will continue to read Summer of the Mariposas. The first half of the unit will focus on theme in Summer of the Mariposas, with students analyzing how the theme has developed over the text and writing a summary. In the second half of the unit, students write a new scene for Summer of the Mariposas in which they modernize a different Latin American folklore monster as a replacement for one of the other monsters chosen by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. In order to do this, students research a monster from Latin American folklore to choose.

How can you support your student at home?

• Share traditional stories from your culture or heritage with your student. Ask your student about the lessons that these stories were meant to teach and how those messages might still be relevant today.
• Talk to your student about how family and culture have influenced your life. Share examples of your family and culture and the specific impacts they have had.
• Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Latin American myths and legends. The novel your student is studying references a number of different mythological figures. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of the figures named in the novel.
• Read chapter books with your student and discuss the point of view of characters within the book. How does the point of view differ from your own perspective? What effect does that have on you as a reader? Discuss the themes that are revealed in the books and how the author has introduced and developed these themes.

Habits of Character

Working to become ethical people and working to become effective learners are the habits of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others.
• I behave with integrity. This means I am honest and do the right thing, even when it’s difficult, because it is the right thing to do.
• I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.
• I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them.
• I can persevere. This means I challenge myself. When something is difficult or demanding, I keep trying and ask for help if I need it.
• I can collaborate. This means I can work well with others to accomplish a task or goal.
• I can take responsibility. This means I take ownership of my ideas, my work, my goals, and my actions.
• I can take initiative. This means I see what needs to be done and take the lead on making responsible decisions.

Unit 3: Compare and Contrast Essay: Summer of the Mariposas and Latin American Folklore

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.9, RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4, RI.8.10
• W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, W.8.9, W.8.10
• L.8.4, L.8.6

What will your student be doing at school?

In the first half of the unit, students read informational texts relevant to Summer of the Mariposas and the topic to determine central idea and write a summary. In the second half of the unit, students write a literary analysis essay using the Painted Essay® structure comparing and contrasting how La Llorona was portrayed in Summer of the Mariposas with the original story, to explain how Guadalupe Garcia McCall has rendered the story new. For their end of unit assessment, students write another essay explaining how they modernized their own monster in the narrative piece they wrote in Unit 2.

How can you support your student at home?

• Share traditional stories from your culture or heritage with your student. Ask your student about the lessons that these stories were meant to teach and how those messages might still be relevant today.
• Talk to your student about how family and culture have influenced your life. Share examples of your family and culture and the specific impacts they have had.
• Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Latin American myths and legends. The novel your student is studying references a number of different mythological figures. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of the figures named in the novel.
• Read chapter books with your student and discuss the point of view of characters within the book. How does the point of view differ from your own perspective? What effect does that have on you as a reader? Discuss the themes that are revealed in the books and how the author has introduced and developed these themes.

Habits of Character

Working to become ethical people and working to become effective learners are the habits of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others.
• I behave with integrity. This means I am honest and do the right thing, even when it’s difficult, because it is the right thing to do.
• I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.
• I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them.
• I can persevere. This means I challenge myself. When something is difficult or demanding, I keep trying and ask for help if I need it.
• I can collaborate. This means I can work well with others to accomplish a task or goal.
• I can take responsibility. This means I take ownership of my ideas, my work, my goals, and my actions.
• I can take initiative. This means I see what needs to be done and take the lead on making responsible decisions.

Unit 1: Build Background: Food Choices

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RI.8.1, RI.8.5, RI.8.6, RI.8.7, RI.8.8, RI.8.9, RI.8.10
• SL.8.2, SL.8.3

What will your student be doing at school?

Throughout this unit, your student will develop their reading and writing skills by engaging in a variety of experiences that grow their understanding of the choices people make regarding food. As readers, students must build a robust toolbox to help them analyze, understand, and enjoy texts as well as respond to them in writing. Students in Grade 8 pay attention to various literary devices and components in the texts they read, and classroom instruction is aligned to support their fluency with these components. Some of these experiences and literacy components are outlined below:

• Read an Anchor Text: The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Readers Edition). Each module is grounded in an anchor text. For this module, students read the text The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The Omnivore’s Dilemma profiles four food choices that consumers can make—industrial food; industrial organic food; local, sustainable food; and do-it-yourself food (hunted, gathered, and gardened). While examining the reality of each food choice, Michael Pollan presents detailed information on the ingredients, practices, and impact of each food choice. While reading, students explore the array of options, access, and information that Americans have when deciding what to eat.
• Analyze Author’s Point of View: As students read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, they analyze the author’s point of view on different topics on food choices and locate evidence that supports that point of view.
  • Point of View: Students learn to examine the author’s attitude toward a topic. An example of a point of view from the beginning of The Omnivore’s Dilemma is: our food choices are more confusing now, and we don’t know to whom to listen.
• Analyze Purpose and Motive: Authors have various purposes and motives when presenting information. As students deepen their understanding on the topic of food choices, they explore an author’s purpose and motive and discuss the varied motives and purposes that are implied in texts. Students practice identifying purpose and motive as they answer selected and constructed response questions from each section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
  • Purpose: A purpose for writing is the reason an author decides to write about a topic. Examples of purposes are to: inform, describe, convey, persuade, or convince.
  • Motive: A motive inspires action or is the reason for doing something. Examples of the motives students discuss are: political, environmental, social, and commercial.
• Analyze Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediums: Authors choose specific mediums to convey information depending on the ways the particular medium will help them share their message. Students explore the advantages and disadvantages of the following mediums while discussing the topic of food choices:
  • photo (visual), video (multimedia: visual and audio), text (printed written work), text (digital written work), infographic (multimedia: visual and written), and speech (audio).
• Delineate and Evaluate Arguments: As students read, they begin to delineate and evaluate the arguments Michael Pollan presents in the anchor text, as well as argument presented in video format, considering whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient and whether the reasoning is sound.
  • Delineating an Argument Graphic Organizer: Students practice these skills while reading each section of text by answering questions such as:
• What is the author’s purpose for writing this text?
• What is the main claim of this section of text?
• What are the supporting points and relevant evidence for the main claim?
• Is the evidence presented in this text section sufficient? Is the reasoning shared in this text section sound?
• Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence: When analyzing arguments, students determine if evidence presented on a topic is relevant, or related to, the topic. In addition, students recognize unrelated, or irrelevant, evidence.
• Sufficient Evidence: When analyzing arguments, students look for sufficient, or enough, evidence on a topic. Without sufficient evidence, authors will have trouble convincing readers of their claims.
• Sound Reasoning: Students practice determining if the reasoning used to describe an argument is sound. Sound reasoning refers to the explanation of evidence used in an argument. This explanation needs to be relevant, sufficient, and clear. Ultimately, sound reasoning helps the reader connect the evidence presented to the main claim of the argument in a clear way.

The reading and writing skills students develop in the fifteen lessons in Unit 1 prepare them for both major assessments in the unit. In the mid-unit assessment, students independently analyze a claim, points, and evidence presented by a speaker and answer questions about the author’s purpose, claim, points, and evidence. They then analyze how the structure of particular paragraphs develops and refines key ideas about where our food comes from. For their end of unit assessment, students answer questions about the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums and analyze how two resources provide conflicting information.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World – putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service)

In this unit, students focus on working to become effective learners as they show perseverance to learn and practice new reading and listening skills that allow them to evaluate an author’s or speaker’s point of view, motives, purpose, structure, and argument. Students persevere as they practice many new skills related to delineating argument and determining an author’s purpose, motive, and point of view. Students show responsibility as they complete complicated tasks related to delineating arguments and determining an author’s purpose and motive.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Talk to your student about the food choices presented in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Discuss priorities or traditions your family may have around food.

Read informational books and articles with your student relevant to food choices, and discuss issues related to food production, distribution, packaging, etc.

Explore issues related to food in your own community. Discuss any challenges people have accessing healthy food in your area, or any ways your community supports access to healthy food.

Unit 2: Research Access to Healthy Food

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RI.8.1, RI.8.10
• W.8.7, W.8.8
• SL.8.4, SL.8.5
• L.8.6

What will your student be doing at school?

Research access to healthy food: In Unit 2, students are introduced to new research skills as they explore access to healthy food. As a class, students are guided through the research process as they study GMOs (Genetically Modified Foods), and how GMOs impact access to healthy food (W.8.7, W.8.9). Students then choose their own independent research topic—either pesticides, organic food, food deserts, or high-fructose corn syrup—and research independently. This prepares students for their mid-unit assessment in which they will be given a new research question and assessed on their research skills (W.8.7, W.8.9). Research skills students explore are listed below:

• Determine online search terms for the research question posed.
• Find appropriate resources on a topic online.
• Evaluate relevant and accurate information about a topic.
• Record textual evidence that most strongly supports the topic.

Write an informative essay about access to healthy food: In the second half of Unit 2, students plan and draft an informative essay explaining how their independent research topic impacts access to healthy food (W.82). Students analyze a model essay and learn that an effective informative essay is made of the following components, which they practice before writing their own essay:

• Provide a clear focus, and maintain the focus consistently throughout the piece.
• Introduce the topic clearly, giving readers a preview of the piece.
• Write a conclusion that supports the information presented.
• Use strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect to organize information.
• Use a variety of appropriate transitions to show how ideas and information connect.
• Include relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, and examples to explain my thinking.
• Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary.

The following text is an example informative essay on the topic of CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture):

Model Essay: “CSAs”

RI.8.1, W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.7, W.8.8, W.8.10, L.8.6

Prompt: How do CSAs influence our access to healthy food?

Access to healthy food is a basic human need, and it can be complicated. In America today, many factors influence our access to healthy food. Do we have enough money to buy healthy food? Is healthy food available where we live? Can we find food that is grown in good soil? Can we find food that is free of chemicals that might cause harm? Can our soil and water contribute to growing healthy food? Can we find healthy food from healthy animals? All of these are factors we consider when we think about access to healthy food. Today, one way of getting food is through a CSA. The term CSA stands for “community supported agriculture.” CSAs work by subscription. At the beginning of the growing season, people buy shares in a local farm. In exchange, they get fruits and vegetables (and sometimes meat or dairy) over the course of the growing season. This is usually around twenty weeks, from June through October (Cleveland Clinic, 2016). One estimate from Penn State says that between 30,000 and 50,000 people in the United States belong to a CSA (Penn State Extension, 2014).

CSAs have an influence on our access to healthy food. They have many advantages. Two of the most important are the high quality of the food itself, and the positive impact on the use of fossil fuels.

There is general agreement that CSAs can produce high-quality food. Much of this is because it is locally grown, and the consumers eat it shortly after it has been harvested. Food that comes from far away is older. It has traveled many miles, and has probably sat in a warehouse, before you buy it (Grobinger, University of Vermont, 2010). According to dietician Beth Bluestone from the Cleveland Clinic, “Once produce is harvested, its optimal nutritional value decreases, specifically in vitamins A, B, C and E” (Cleveland Clinic, 2016). Food from a local CSA, however, is ready to eat shortly after harvest. This means that the food from a CSA is very fresh and has higher nutrient levels. Clearly, the food that people get from a CSA is likely to be healthier than even the food from a supermarket, because it has been so recently picked. Besides the benefit of being so fresh, food from a CSA gives the consumer many choices (Cleveland Clinic, 2016). Depending on the time in the growing season, the weekly CSA box contains many different types of fruits and vegetables. In early summer, the customer may get berries, lettuce, and asparagus. Later, foods could include potatoes, watermelon, and apples. The local CSA also gives out information and recipes about how to use this variety of fresh food (Cleveland Clinic, 2016). All of this makes it easier for people to eat healthy food, so their access to healthy food has increased.

In addition to increasing access to healthy food through freshness and variety, CSAs increase access to healthy food by having a positive impact on the use of fossil fuels. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan points out that food generally has to travel around 1,500 miles to get from the farmer to the consumer (Pollan, 158). That means a lot of fossil fuel is burned just moving food. Compared to that, CSA crops are local and so travel only a very short distance to get to the consumer. As Utah State University Extension notes, “Reducing the distance food travels (food miles) cuts down on associated fossil fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions” (Utah State University Extension, 2012). This reduction in fossil fuel use matters a lot for the environment. The climate of the planet is changing; the average temperature has gone up by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1800. Burning fossil fuels is the major cause of this increase (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015). While 1.5 degrees may not seem like a lot, scientists agree that it is making a huge difference. Ultimately, how healthy the planet is will have a lot to do with people’s access to healthy food. So, cutting down on fossil fuel use by buying food from CSAs will improve access to healthy food.

Overall, most indications are that CSAs improve people’s access to healthy food. Even though 50,000 people using them does not seem like a lot, CSAs play an important part for those users in having reliable access to healthy food. If we as a society could support the creation of more CSAs, we would be serving our people and our planet well, both now and in the future.

Present findings to classmates in a Desktop Teaching Activity: For their end of unit assessment, students will participate in a Desktop Teaching Activity to share their research findings with classmates. During the Desktop Teaching Activity, students will prepare a mini lesson based on the case study they researched in the second half of the unit and will present their findings along with visual supports. (RI.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5, L.8.6).

The Desktop Teaching Activity asks students to

• prepare a lesson plan: students synthesize and outline the important information from their informative essay topic;
• practice presenting their lesson: students prepare their talking points, create a note-catcher for their peers, and gather visual supports that enhance the learning they will present; and
• present their lesson to a group of their peers: students share what they learned with their peers and listen to presentations from their peers in order to create a more robust understanding of all of the independent research topics in Unit 2.

The reading and writing skills students develop in the fourteen lessons in Unit 2 prepare them for the assessments described above.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World—putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service)

In this unit, students focus on working to become effective learners as they show perseverance to learn and practice new research and speaking skills. Students collaborate with classmates to learn and practice new habits of internet research. Students take initiative and take responsibility and own their work as they write their own informative essays about the research they have conducted.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Talk to your student about the food choices presented in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Discuss priorities or traditions your family may have around food.

Read informational books and articles with your student relevant to food choices, and discuss issues related to food production, distribution, packaging, etc.

Explore issues related to food in your own community. Discuss any challenges people have accessing healthy food in your area, or any ways your community supports access to healthy food.

Use research skills students are learning in class to conduct research on a topic of interest at home.

Discuss real-world applications for researching and presenting findings in both written and presentation form.

Unit 3: Argument: Healthy Food Choices

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.6, W.8.9, W.8.10
• L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5b, L.8.5c, L.8.6

What will your student be doing at school?

• Analyze language in The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Students demonstrate their language skills by determining the meanings of unknown words and phrases and showing their understanding of word nuances and the relationship among words. Examples of what this work looks like are below:
  • Exploring Connotations: Connotations are the idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. Students practice distinguishing among the connotations of words with similar meanings in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
• An example of a question students will be able to answer is: How is the connotation of launch different from the connotation of start? (Launch connotes strong action, motion, and forward momentum. Meanwhile, start connotes a simple, straightforward beginning.)
• Using context: Students use context and the relationship among words to better understand the meanings of words and phrases in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
• An example of a prompt students will be able to respond to is: Describe the meaning of surplus in the context of the sentence: “After World War II, the government found itself with a tremendous surplus of ammonium nitrate. There was a debate about what the government should do with the leftover bomb material” (41). (Surplus is an amount of something left over when requirements have been met.)
• Write an argument essay: Students spend a series of lessons learning and practicing the skills related to argument writing. In each lesson, they examine an aspect of an argument essay model, and they apply that element in a practice essay. In the end of unit assessment, students write an essay independently, defending a claim about how communities can make healthy food choices. Students draft their argument essay ensuring that it introduces and clearly states an argument, provides logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details, connects the argument and reasons using linking words and phrases, provides a conclusion that restates and reflects on the argument presented, and follows the rules of writing (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Important components of argument writing are explained below:
  • Main Claim: A claim is the focus of the piece. It names the argument and gives reasons to support the claim. Each reason will be developed into its own Proof Paragraph, containing supporting evidence and reasoning.
  • Evidence: Students cite evidence that directly supports the reason stated. Evidence should be relevant and sufficient.
  • Reasoning: Reasoning is the elaboration in each Proof Paragraph that connects the evidence to the reasons given for supporting the argument.
  • Counterclaim: The counterclaim is a paragraph in the essay that acknowledges an alternate or opposing claim, then further developing and supporting the stated claim.

An example argument essay is shown below:

Transportation Choices

Prompt: What is the best mode of transportation for members of our community?

Transportation, and how we move around in our community, is an essential aspect of everyday life. We need to get places easily, safely, and efficiently, and like most modern Americans, we are constantly on the go! When it comes to the best way we can get from one place to another, people have a lot of choices to make. We can ride bikes, take buses or other public transportation, drive cars, participate in car sharing or a carpool, or even walk. Regardless of which modes of transportation one chooses, each has its own pros and cons that should be considered before determining the choice that is best for individuals and their community.

Public transportation makes sense because it is less expensive than other forms of travel. Cars, in particular, are very expensive to own and operate. A 2013 article in USA Today states that “on average, the cost of driving 15,000 miles a year rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year” (USA Today). Driving a car is expensive in many ways. The driver has to pay for gas, insurance, and maintenance, all on top of the car payment itself. That’s a huge expense. Taking the bus every day costs significantly less than that. So does travelling by train or light rail. A monthly transit pass in Denver, for example, is just $99, or $1,200 per year for an individual (RTD Denver). Even for a family of five, that would be significantly more affordable than owning a car. Also, many companies provide discounts or incentives to employees who take public transportation. This makes the cost come down even further. Saving money is important to people. Money that is spent on a car is money that is not available for other things. Using public transportation frees up more money to people for other needs. Once all of the factors have been considered, it’s evident that public transportation is the best choice because it saves money.

In addition, public transportation is a good idea because it’s safe. It’s well known that public transportation is safe for people who ride it, but a lesser known benefit is the safety it provides for the people living in those cities and towns. Communities with public transportation tend to build housing near that public transportation. An American Public Transit Association report from 2016 stated that “better public transportation contributes to more compact development.” This in turn “reduces auto-miles traveled and produces safer speeds in those areas” (Mackie, 2016). When people can travel fewer miles, and they go more slowly, there will be fewer accidents. This will be true even when people are not riding the public bus or train. It is clear that public transportation contributes to safety. It is the best choice for an individual, and also for communities overall.

One might say that public transportation isn’t very convenient. Since so many people in our communities have busy schedules and need to get places quickly, time is a priority. It might also be true that some areas do not have adequate transit options, and making connections would take up lots of time. Using one’s own car to travel seems like the best option. It is certainly true that travel time is an important factor when it comes to transportation choices. However, if more people use public transportation, it seems likely that the frequency of service will increase. New routes will appear over time, with closer connections. Once there are more buses and trains running, and more routes, public transportation will take less and less time. It may even take less time than driving. So, over time, choosing public transportation will quite possibly be the most convenient option.

Overall, even though many different types of transportation exist in our community, the choice that rises to the top is public transit. Individuals in our community will not only save money by taking advantage of public transportation, but as they travel from day to day they will also invest in creating safer and more well planned cities and towns. Public transit is an excellent choice. It is truly the wave of the future.

Performance Task: Roundtable Presentations of Food Choices: For the end of module culminating performance task, each student will create an infographic, or a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data, that visually represents their claims, along with a 3-minute verbal presentation of the argument they made in their essay. Students will give their presentations in a roundtable style with an authentic audience of classmates, teachers, families, and community members. This infographic can then be shared on social media, through email, on a website, or on bulletins in a school or local supermarket to help others learn about making healthy food choices.

Criteria for the infographic:

• A clear recommendation for healthy and sustainable food choices
• Two reasons why your audience should consider your recommendation
• Two quotes or paraphrases from research texts that support each reason
• A counterclaim that addresses the opposition to your claim/recommendation
• Illustrations, images, or graphics that help convey your ideas

Criteria for the presentation:

• A 3-minute speech outlining the key points of your argument
• Domain-specific vocabulary to show your understanding of the topic
• An infographic to visually represent your ethical argument
• Appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation when presenting your claims

The reading and writing skills students develop in the fourteen lessons in Unit 3 prepare them for the mid-unit assessment, where they demonstrate their language skills by determining the meanings of unknown words and phrases, and for their end of unit assessment, where they write an argument essay on food choices.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World—putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service)

In this unit, students focus on working to become effective learners. Students practice perseverance as they stick with it when learning new concepts and skills around argument writing, and collaborate to work successfully with a partner while crafting a practice argument essay.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Look for real-world examples of argument writing, and discuss them with your student (debates, political speeches, etc.).

Discuss ways that you use argument writing skills (such as stating a claim and supporting it with reasons and evidence) in your daily life at home, in the community, and/or at work.

Help students prepare for their roundtable performance task by being a practice audience. Consider attending the roundtable discussion as an audience member.

Unit 1: Build Background Knowledge: Lessons from Japanese American Internment

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RI.8.1, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.10
• W.8.10
• SL.8.1a, SL.8.1b
• L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.5a, L.8.5c  

What will your student be doing at school?

In this module, students explore the topic of Japanese American Internment. As in previous modules, in Lesson 1 of Unit 1, students discover this topic by examining multiple artifacts. They are then introduced to the culminating performance task and the guiding questions of the module. In the second lesson, students begin reading their anchor text, Farewell to Manzanar, a literary memoir that chronicles the experiences of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and her family before, during, and after the incarceration of Japanese Americans in internment camps by the US government during World War II.

Throughout the unit, students track connections and distinctions among individuals, ideas, and events in the text. For example, they analyze the distinction between the Wakatsuki family before internment and during their time at Manzanar. Students also answer selected and constructed response questions about vocabulary and language to consider meaning in the text. For example, students consider what a simile (like wolves) conveys when used to describe secondhand dealers who offer to buy the Wakatsuki family’s heirloom china as the family prepares to leave for an internment camp. This work prepares students for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment, which asks students to read a portion of the anchor text and analyze it for connections, distinctions, and language use. Additionally, students are introduced to the film adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar. As they watch the movie, students begin to track the extent to which the film Farewell to Manzanar stays faithful to or departs from the text. For example, some scenes in the film include different dialogue, characters, or setting details.

In the second half of the unit, students continue to read Farewell to Manzanar while tracking connections and distinctions in the text. Students also continue to watch the film adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar and analyze how the film stays faithful to and departs from the text. Students focus their analysis on how the film portrays significant ideas from the text, including the ways in which Jeanne and her family members are impacted by internment. For example, one significant idea students track is that Jeanne Wakatsuki’s mother has a deep sense of personal dignity that is threatened by the inhumane conditions at Manzanar. This work helps to prepare students for the literary argument essay they will write in Unit 2. Throughout the unit, students also practice relevant speaking and listening skills in advance of a collaborative discussion during the End of Unit 1 Assessment. During the assessment, students synthesize their learning by participating in a discussion centered on the question: “What were the causes and impacts of Japanese American internment camps?”

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World: putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

Working to become ethical people is the habit of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others. In this unit, students focus on showing empathy as they read and think about the challenges Japanese Americans faced before, during, and after internment.
• I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care. In this unit, students focus on showing respect as they read texts that bring up sensitive topics such as prejudice, incarceration, war, and death as they reflect on Japanese American internment.
• I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them. Students work to build awareness of their peers’ emotions and reactions to the challenging and sensitive topics from Japanese American internment they are reading, thinking, talking, and writing about in this unit.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Talk to your student about the Japanese American internment. Discuss other examples of internment and incarceration of populations in history and in modern day.

Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Japanese American internment and World War II. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of this time period and its lasting effects.

Read informational books and articles with your student, and discuss. What important events did you learn about? How did these events impact the individuals?

Unit 2: Write a Literary Argument: Significant Ideas in Farewell to Manzanar

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• RL.8.1, RL.8.7, RI.8.1, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.6, RI.8.10
• W.8.1, W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.6, W.8.9b, W.8.10
• L.8.1, L.8.2c, L.8.3, L.8.5a, L.8.6  

What will your student be doing at school?

In this unit, students continue to explore the topic of Japanese American internment and analyze how significant ideas from Farewell to Manzanar are conveyed in the film adaptation of the text. In the first half of the unit, students read part 2 of Farewell to Manzanar and continue to track connections and distinctions among individuals, ideas, and events in the text. Throughout the lessons, students answer selected and constructed response questions about connections and distinctions, point of view, and language to consider meaning in the text. For example, students consider how the authors use figurative language to make a connection between the narrator Jeanne Wakatsuki’s baton and her father to convey Jeanne’s anger toward her father. This work prepares students for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment. Students also watch the third segment of the film adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar and continue to track the extent to which the film Farewell to Manzanar stays faithful to or departs from the text. For example, some scenes in the film include different dialogue, characters, or setting details.

In the second half of Unit 2, students read the final chapters of Farewell to Manzanar while tracking connections and distinctions in the text and finish watching the film adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar. For the End of Unit 2 Assessment, students choose one of the significant ideas they have identified from Farewell to Manzanar and write a literary argument essay to evaluate how effectively the film conveys this significant idea. In preparation for this assessment, students analyze a model, plan and draft a practice essay in partners, and plan their individual essay.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World: putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

Working to become ethical people is the habit of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situation, or attitude of others. In this unit, students focus on showing empathy as they read and think about the challenges Japanese Americans faced before, during, and after internment.
• I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care. In this unit, students focus on showing respect as they read texts that bring up sensitive topics such as prejudice, incarceration, war, and death as they reflect on Japanese American internment.
• I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them. Students work to build awareness of their peers’ emotions and reactions to the challenging and sensitive topics from Japanese American internment they are reading, thinking, talking, and writing about in this unit.
• I persevere. This means I challenge myself. When something is hard, I keep trying and ask for help if I need it. Students write literary argument essays both in pairs and independently. In order to do so, they must apply a range of knowledge and skills that they have built throughout Units 1 and 2.
• I collaborate. This means I can work well with others to get something done. Students work together in pairs to write a practice literary argument essay.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Talk to your student about Japanese American internment. Discuss other examples of internment and incarceration of populations in history and in modern day.

Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Japanese American internment and World War II. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of this time period and its lasting effects.

Read informational books and articles with your student, and discuss. What important events did you learn about? How did these events impact the individuals?

Unit 3: Investigate, Discover, and Apply Lessons from Japanese American Internment

Common Core State Standards addressed:

• SL.8.1c, SL.8.1d, SL.8.5, SL.8.6
• L.8.6  

What will your student be doing at school?

In this unit, students focus on understanding key lessons from Japanese American internment. In the first half of the unit, students read a series of informational texts to understand the redress movement and the long-term impact and effects of Japanese American internment. From their reading of these texts, students generate enduring lessons from internment and then find evidence from the anchor text, Farewell to Manzanar, and other supplemental texts read in Unit 2 to deepen their understanding of these lessons. For example, students will use text-based evidence to identify the lesson that that in times of terrible struggle, people can draw strength from their identities and communities. They also engage in collaborative discussions. This work prepares students for the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment, a text-based discussion on lessons from Japanese American internment and the redress movement.

In the second half of Unit 3, students explore modern activism and how lessons from Japanese American internment are being applied today. Students research and interview community organizations to understand how their work connects to lessons from Japanese American internment. For example, students might explore how an organization that helps refugees embodies lessons from Japanese American internment. For the End of Unit 3 Assessment, students deliver presentations in triads on the community organizations they have selected. Students then prepare for the final performance task of the module: the Activist Assembly. During the Activist Assembly, students participate in focus groups with other triads of students and guests (family, friends, and community members) to uplift the work of the organizations they researched and to further consider how lessons from Japanese American internment can be applied today.

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on “habits of character” and social-emotional learning. With this in mind, students work on various habits of character throughout the curriculum:

• 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)
• Work to Contribute to a Better World: putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

Working to Contribute to a Better World is the habit of character emphasized in this unit. These are the specific skills students will focus on:

• I use my strengths to help others grow: This means that I use my understanding of the lessons from Japanese American internment to help others perceive injustices and to speak out against them.
• I apply my learning to help our school, the community, and the environment: This means that I convey the lessons from Japanese American internment to members of my school and local communities and help them understand how community organizations embody lessons from Japanese American internment. I also consider the actions I can take to apply the lessons from Japanese American internment in my daily life to contribute to a better world.

How can you support your student at home?

Talk to your student about the guiding questions, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student or family.

Talk to your student about the texts he or she is reading in the classroom, particularly if any of the topics raised might be sensitive for your student.

Reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about the text.

Talk to your student about modern activism. Discuss other examples of local, national, and international organizations that focus on social justice causes.

Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about modern activism that focuses on social justice issues.

Read informational books and articles with your student, and discuss. What important events did you learn about? How did these events impact the individuals?

Act as an audience for your student as they practice reading aloud phone scripts and interview questions in preparation for phone interviews with community organizations.

Act as an audience for your student as they practice their presentations on how community organizations embody lessons from Japanese American internment.

Help your student to prepare for the focus group during the final performance task by engaging in practice discussions in which they can rehearse what they might say in their role as greeter, emcee, facilitator, or group participant.