ELA 7 Writing is Fighting Course Overview

Writing is Fighting Teacher: Helen Leshinsky

Course Title
I see my role as teacher as more than just conferring knowledge or helping students pass exams; my goal is to hold up a mirror to
them so they can see the abilities and power that they already have. In many aspects of their lives, our students have had their voices
silenced or have been led to feel as though speaking up was not an option. The acts of reading and writing have been stripped of
excitement and urgency and used as a cudgel to make students that struggle to pass standardized exams feel inferior; many such
students have come to see reading and writing as tasks that are boring, at best, intimidating and oppressive, at worst. This course
Course casts reading and writing in a different light: not as tools of oppression, but as tools they can use, effectively, to fight oppression. The
Overview/Narrative primary goal of this course is for students to feel empowered to use their voices to express viewpoints on issues important to them.
To this end, students will read writing in different modalities, perform close analyses of language nuances, and write in a variety of
modalities including argument, poetry, memoir, and essay. In a supportive community, students will rely on each other as listeners,
collaborators, and editors. This will reduce reliance on the teacher’s input and serve to strengthen students’ self-efficacy. They will be
engaged in reading through a selection of powerful, challenging texts, and in writing through a large degree of student choice built
into their tasks.

1. Figurative Language/Word Nuances 2. Planning, Revising, and Editing:

and Relationships: I can analyze I can independently plan, edit and revise my writing as well as proofread
how and why figurative language and it. I can evaluate and use feedback from myself and others.
specific vocabulary are used in a text.
I can use figurative language and
expert diction to make my writing
powerful.

Outcome(s)

3. Clear and Coherent Writing: I can 4. Collaborative Discussion and Teamwork: I can engage in class
produce clear and coherent writing in discussions and build on the ideas of others.
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.

--How can the acts of speaking and writing battle oppression?

Essential
--What techniques and devices do writers use to make their writing effective and powerful?
Questions
 --How can I use a writer’s toolbox to express my own voice in poems, narratives, and essays?
Instructional Strategies
What instructional strategies will you rely on?
(Workshop Model, Blended Learning, Asynchronous Learning, Individual
Learning Plans, etc.)
Describe how you will allow for outcome recovery
(Spiraling of skills/assessments, daily stations, students may design their
own assessments, etc.)
Describe how you will deal with “high flyers” or those students who
may enter your class with higher than average skills
Regents/College Readiness Alignment
Briefly describe how this course prepares students for a Regents exam
and/or prepares them for college readiness.
Engagement Strategies
Describe how you will engage students with learning
Workshop model = overall structure
group work:
● group text analysis
● read-around
● peer revision
Google Classroom
Spiraling of assessments
Planned Outcome Recovery days
Extension lessons (varying sentence length, advanced grammar, etc.)
Modify assignments to challenge high flyers
Present opportunities to enter writing contests
This course includes the writing of a personal essay, which can be used as a college
application essay.
Students will practice writing literary analyses, which is a skill they have struggled with on
the Regents.
Engaging texts (relevant, powerful, accessible)
Create a community of readers and writers (I imagine this community to be one in which
students engage in reading challenging texts with intellectual curiosity, and in which they
feel safe to ask questions and express their ideas. Students will feel comfortable sharing
their writing with their peers, and will receive their peers’ work with respect and
affirmation. Students will occasionally work in teams, in which they will collaborate,
manage their time, and seek to maximize each member’s contribution based on their
strengths.)
● help students build relationships with each other
● reinforce social contract
 Embedded Skills
Dissect each outcome and distill the discreet, embedded skills. Use your rubrics for reference.
1. Figurative Language/Word Nuances and Relationships
❏ define and identify figures of speech
❏ analyze function of figures of speech in a text
❏ analyze nuances in word connotations
❏ effectively use figures of speech in my writing
❏ effectively use words with varying connotations in my writing
2. Planning, Revising, and Editing
❏ use planning strategies (chosen independently or provided by
teacher) to produce well-developed writing
❏ revise content to define, expand, or focus ideas
❏ revise language and tone for appropriateness to task or audience
❏ edit content to demonstrate command of English conventions
❏ use peer and teacher feedback to make meaningful revisions to my
writing
❏ evaluate my own writing to make meaningful revisions
1. Clear and Coherent Writing
❏ develop writing in a way that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
❏ argumentative writing - strong claims, evidence, and analysis
❏ narrative writing - personal essay recounts a meaningful experience
and its impact on the writer
❏ poetry writing - imitate diction, and figurative elements of mentor
poem
❏ organize writing in a way that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
❏ analytic writing - content and analysis, evidence, organization,
conventions
❏ poetry writing - imitate structure of mentor poem
❏ produce writing in a style appropriate to task, purpose and audience and
develop my own writing style
❏ poetry writing - more “showing” than “telling” by using sensory
details and figures of speech
2. Collaborative Discussion and Teamwork
❏ use accountable talk in discussion with others
❏ be aware of sharing air time with others and invite others into the discussion
❏ stay engaged and focused on the discussion, and bring discussion back on
topic when needed
❏ consider and build on the ideas of others
❏ develop or reconsider my own viewpoint based on the ideas of others
❏ when working in teams, do my share of the work and encourage others to
participate
❏ treat my group mates with respect and affirm their efforts
❏ analyze the task and help my group make decisions to work efficiently
 Content
What information will be covered? What concepts will students learn?

Elements of stories Literary Techniques Writing Process Conventions Critical Reading

setting imagery developing a portfolio comma rules making connections

plot concrete details planning a story capitalization rules asking questions
exposition metaphor planning an essay independent clause analyzing word
development dialogue drafting run-on sentence connotation
climax internal monologue revising sentence fragment
denouement tone editing
flat character mood publishing
round character
static character
dynamic character
conflict
protagonist
antagonist
tone
 Unit Pacing
Unit Name Timeline Essential Questions
The Danger of Silence 2 weeks How can the acts of speaking and
writing battle oppression?
Poetry is Fighting 4 weeks ● What techniques and devices
do writers use to make their
writing effective and powerful?
● How can I use a writer’s
toolbox to express my own
voice in poems, narratives, and
essays?
● What techniques and devices
Memoir Writing is 4 weeks do writers use to make their
Fighting writing effective and powerful?
● How can I use a writer’s
toolbox to express my own
voice in poems, narratives, and
essays?
Outcomes Addressed Assessments
All 4 Formatives:
● Danger of Silence Discussion
● Poem annotations (2)
● Literary Analysis
All 4 Formatives:
● Poem of the day (identifying
theme)
● Group poetry analysis
● Group metaphor poem
● Literary analysis on poem of
choice
Summative: Imitation poem
All 4 Formatives:
● Group memoir annotation
● Literary Analysis
● Story speed dating
● Memoir Partner Interview
Summative: Memoir

2 weeks ● How has my writing grown in All 4 Formatives:

Portfolio this class? ● Peer revision
Development and ● Partner portfolio interview
Publishing ● Grammar practices:
○ capitalization
○ punctuation
○ correcting run-on
sentences

Summative(s): Final portfolio

Pacing Calendar:

30
Outcome: Literary Elements
(analysis)
I can write a paragraph analyzing
how one or more literary
elements contributes to the
theme of “Fear” by Kendrick
Lamar.
Group collaboration (finish
“Fear” poster)
1 2
(new routine): daily poem.
think-pair-share to extract theme
Mini: criteria for a theme
difference between topic and
theme
give quiz on theme
Activity: compose original poem
in which the form is closely
related to the theme
3
I analyze the element of
repetition in a poem
activity: annotate “We lived
happily during the war”
MCM markers strategy:
Connection, Surprising words,
Question

Group presentations topic = an emotion

Model writing analytical theme about this emotion = ?
paragraph

7 8
Outcome: figurative elements
(writing)
Model: tree/ change poem AND
analyze
theme = you can remain
grounded in the face of change.
Activity: cocktail mixer of
concepts and images
in pairs: compose metaphor
poem
title = image
Outcome: Figurative Elements,
Collaborative Discussion
Poem of the day
Mini: Analysis
9 10
Outcome: Analysis (writing)
Mini: introducing evidence in
body paragraph
Poem of the day
Assessment: Intro and body
paragraph on literary element in
poem
Outcome: Revision
Mini: more exciting ways to
introduce and cite evidence
Activity: doc cam annotation as a
class
group work: students trade
paragraphs
independent work: revise your
paragraph using sentence
starters
poem (min 6 lines) Conveys the
concept without using the word. closing: share out
Example: Poem describes tree, is
about resilience.

* Fast finishers: write an analysis.

How does your poem use
metaphor to express a theme?

Present: class guesses what

concept is being conveyed by
each poem.

Protocol: How did you know it

was about this concept? What
word or line gave it away?

21 22 23 24 do now: introduce summative

I can understand the imitation
poem task and choose a poem
from this course to imitate
activity: gallery walk, discussion,
share-out
I can annotate my imitation
poem using the task sheet
activity: group work-- students
grouped by their poem of choice
I can draft my imitation poem
activity: independent work (15)
writing workshop - 2 groups do a
read-around
Mini: go over agenda (most
students need literary analysis)
a. planning/writing
b. typing/revising
Or type poem

collectively annotate poem

28 MEMORIAL DAY 29 Outcome recovery: writing + 30 Sharing/Revision Day - 31 PORTFOLIO DUE

revising Selecting your best work for
portfolio

4 FIELD DAY 5 OUTCOME RECOVERY 6 REFLECTION AND OPEN MIC - 7 PD DAY

last Collab discussion
opportunity