Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: To Kill a Mockingbird Name: Darrin Ching

Content Area: English Language Arts Grade Level: 9th Grade
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):
 CCSS.ELA Literacy.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

 CCSS.ELA Literacy.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

 How does society influence and shape individuals?

 How does racism, prejudice and/or ideologies affect individuals individually and as a community?

 Students will add challenging words into their vocabulary

Unit Summary:

This unit is centered around the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. The story concerns itself with a young girl, Scout, growing up
in rural Alabama in the 1930s. Her pleasant upbringing is challenged, however, when her father, Atticus, a lawyer, decides to defend a black man
unjustly accused of rape. The events that take place in this novel forces Scout, and the reader, to see the harsh realities that are associated with
topics such as racism, discrimination, bigotry, and injustice. To be more specific, students will explore the timeless, and important social issues
of: race and class, racial stereotyping, intolerance, and the conflict(s) between children and adults. By studying the features of this novel
(symbols, descriptive style, nature of a hero, narrative voice), students will strengthen their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical
thinking skills; they will have the opportunity to reflect, and think, deeply about themselves - students will develop these skills in several ways,
including pre-reading strategies, vocabulary exercises, small-group discussions, journal entries, formal essays/quizzes/exams, a mock-trial, and
more! In sum, To Kill A Mockingbird is a classic that has the power to help students grow as holistic thinkers and learners.

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Formative: Summative:

Survey - Pre-Reading Anticipation – Tapping into KWLS Charts – Used to assess prior knowledge to Final Exam – Comprehensive exam that covers the
prior knowledge/understanding track progress/learning throughout the novel. main ideas and lessons from the unit.

Webercise – Introduction to key information to the
novel
Exit Cards – Used to track learning/reinforce ideas
of daily lessons.
Discussion – Reinforce comprehension of
background information, themes, literary elements,
etc.; used to enhance understanding.
Formal Essay – Written piece that will exhibit the
knowledge, thoughts, feelings, and opinions, of
students in regard to stimulating questions and/or
themes.

Reading Quizzes – Chapter reading quizzes to

assess comprehension and understanding.

Mock Trial – Provide understanding/feeling of the

many aspects of a courtroom trial
Lesson 1 (Teacher Lecture)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence Lesson Activities:
(Assessments):
Students will be able to Students will listen, follow along, and participate in a teacher lecture while completing guided note.
identify and understand Students will fill-in guided These notes introduce students to a variety of literary elements, including: character, setting, theme,
the various literary terms notes on literary terms by conflict, allusion, and foreshadowing. Students will test their understanding of these elements through a
that will be present in the following along the lecture. variety of activities. There are fill-in the blank questions, graphic organizers, critical thinking questions,
novel; these skills will Discussion(s) will be held and collaborative questions, too. Many of the questions allude to the novel; students will be required to
think critically regarding how these literary elements come into play when dealing with the various
extend to other texts, too. as a class and with partners
characters, events, and themes in the novel. This activity will guide students in their foundational
to allow students to
understanding of how literary texts function, and how To Kill a Mockingbird, employs the use of these
express their own thoughts elements.
and opinions regarding the
lecture and thinking
beyond.
Lesson 2 (Webercise/ iPad Lesson)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:

Students will learn about
and understand the
importance of the
background information
and context(s) that are
associated with the author,
time period, and setting, of
the novel.
Lesson 3 (Graphic Organizer)
Student Learning Objective:
Using a list of provided Using their laptops, students will access and explore a variety of websites that are provided on the
websites and tools, webercise. Students will explore these resources, navigating through the various pages, articles, videos,
students will complete a and will answer the questions on the webercise. The sources cover Harper Lee’s history, information
webercise to gather mockingbirds, background information and history of The Great Depression, and the history and impact
information on Harper Lee, of Jim Crow laws. Students will work alone and/or in pairs to answer these questions; the instructor will
also bring the class together at various points to pick students’ brains on the more open, subjective
mockingbirds, The Great
questions. Students will use the information gained from this exercise to grasp a better understanding of
Depression, and Jim Crow.
the more sensitive topics in the novel; i.e. Racism, Injustice, Bigotry.
Students will also answer
multiple critical thinking
questions to showcase their
understanding of these
topics.
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:

Students will grasp a strong
understanding of Tom
Robinson’s trial, the
implications of each
character’s testimony, and
the influences on the result
of the trial.
Using the novel, and with a
partner, students will select
quotes from multiple
characters to analyze
character motivation, the
theme of injustice, and the
overall implications of
these quotes/motivations.
With a partner, students will go through the trial from chapters 17-22. Students will look for various
quotes that display the evidence that multiple characters bring forth during Tom Robinson’s trial. These
quotes are reveal character motivation, imply certain things, and are critical to the result of the trial.
After going through the chapters, students will describe each character, select multiple quotes from each
of these characters, and analyze each quote. The information will all be filled out on the graphic
organizer provided. Proper citations will be required, and students will be graded on a rubric, which will
be provided to them. Discussion and collaboration with both the instructor and peers is key.
Unit Resources:

Digital Unit Plan Site : http://chingmockingbird.weebly.com/

Entry-Level Survey (Anticipation) : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10-XgKxVnx6BnfJJMMtUiInV6botYIGy9h4NCbdtwilw/edit
Teacher Lecture and Guided Notes : https://www.scribd.com/document/384286537/Literary-Elements-in-to-Kill-a-Mockingbird-Guided-Notes
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/584063-3506704-teacher-lecture-edsc-304/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhAT_2v6VAQ
Webercise : https://www.scribd.com/document/384903491/EDSC-304-WEBCERCISE
https://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/mockingbird.htm
https://americanexpedition.us/learn-about-wildlife/northern-mockingbird-facts-photos-and-information/
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory
https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3608
https://www.history.com/topics/jim-crow-laws
http://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/a-brief-history-of-jim-crow
Graphic Organizer : https://www.scribd.com/document/384906448/EDSC-304-GO
https://www.scribd.com/document/384906445/Edsc-304-Go-Sample
https://www.scribd.com/document/384906446/Edsc-304-Go-Rubric
Assessments : https://www.scribd.com/document/384906447/Assessment-Map
https://www.quickrubric.com/r#/qr/darrincching/tkam-essay-rubric

Useful Websites:

https://www.thesaurus.com/
https://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/
http://www.supersummary.com/grammar-guide/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
https://scholar.google.ca/
https://www.base-search.net/