BACKMAPPING 3 UNITS for EFL (MIDDLE SCHOOL GR 8)

EFL classes: 1 unit is 4 weeks, with 2-3 classes per week (depending on school activities).

The EFL textbooks do not often line up with CCSS, as the focus is generally on grammar for
discrete point testing and conversational fluency (i.e. non-academic discourses). On occasion,
like in Unit 3 shown below, CCSS standards sometimes do align with the content in a unit. In
this case, I have aligned the units with CCSS, WIDA and ELP standards as best I can. The
second and fourth units I have aligned with WIDA and ELP standards.

Unit 2: Early Bird, Night Owl

WIDA: Standard 1: Social and Instructional Language: Formative Framework.

Speaking: Social Interaction. Level 3: Initiate or engage in conversation with peers or
in small groups.

ELP: 6-8.10. An ELL can . . . make accurate use of standard English to communicate in
grade appropriate speech and writing. (level 3: with support (including modeled
sentences), • use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom, which, that), relative adverbs (e.g.,
where, when, why), subordinating conjunctions, and prepositional phrases • produce and
expand simple, compound, and a few complex sentences)

-understanding and making excuses

-understanding nuance is apologies and forgiving

Month Pre-requisites Proficiencies Assessments Projects and Next Steps

Formative Activities

March -ability to make SWBAT: Week 1: Week 1: (curriculum Build on and

(weeks 3- simple S+V+O - Formative focus: listening) review sentence
7) sentence -understand the assessment: Watch and listen. structure.
nuance between Students listen Students watch short
- use of different forms to a dialog and film clips of people Use “excuses” to
reflective of apologies. match using the target talk about events
pronouns appropriate language. that are happening.
(yourself, -respond to the responses to Students discuss
myself, himself, apologies. apologies. what they thought Introduce the
herself) might have led up to difference between
-comprehend Week 2: the incident shown. ‘excuse’ and
-use of relative and use excuses -Journal entries: ‘reason’ and how
adverbs like in a sentence. Students write a Use the textbook for they are used.
when, where in scenario about examples of
questions and -practice tone an incident with apologies/responses.
sentences. and intonation their peers End of semester
in apologies (appropriate for Project: project: students
(sarcastic vs class) including Illustrate in a comic will use key
ernest) an excuse, and (hand drawn or using expressions learned
apology, and a storyboardthat) one to build a realistic
-form complex response. of the scenarios in scenario of an
sentences using the textbook or from online chat forum.
conjunctions in Week 3: the video clips. Students will be
both speech and -Students use placed in
writing. the journal Practice: sentence homogeneous
scenarios to structure and groups in the
-work in groups write a roleplay grammar, reflexive beginning based on
to practice to practice with pronouns. which
authentic an assigned competencies they
language. group. Week2: (curriculum need assistance on
focus: writing) and practice with.
Week 4: Students read short As students show
-Performances stories, and fill in the growth, they will
of roleplays. gaps with the key be moved into
Students have expressions they feel heterogeneous
live or recorded best fits the groups as their
performances to scenarios. final groups for the
show the class project.
displaying Brainstorming
different together,
situations and Writing journal
how they used entries. Focus on a
the target scenario with
vocabulary and students’ peers.
phrases. Students use 2
Students will be excuses learned, as
assessed using a well as choose the
rubric, with best apology and
categories for response for the
communication scenario.
fluency,
sentence use, Week 3:
and creativity.
Textbook speaking:
Students roleplay
scenes from their
textbook, focusing
on verbal
intonations.
Students will switch
partners for each
role-play.

Week 4:
 Students prepare and
practice their
performances.

Unit 3: Mistakes in Movies

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9: Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes,
patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as
the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

WIDA: CONNECTION: Common Core Reading Standards for Literature, Integration of

Knowledge and Ideas #9 (Grade 8): EXAMPLE CONTEXT FOR LANGUAGE USE: Students
listen to class discussions about themes, patterns of events, or character types in a work of
literature to make connections to their own lives and/or familiar stories or myths from their own
cultures

ELP.6-8.8.: An ELL can . . . determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations
and literary and informational text.

Objectives:
Students will practice comparing and contrasting books and their film adaptations.
Students will practice key expressions:
Which do you prefer?
What do you want to read/watch?
I’m interested in ____, because.
I have no interest in _____, because.
How about ___, instead?

Month Pre-requisites Proficiencies Assessments Projects and Next Steps

Formative Activities

April -Comprehend SWBAT: Week 1: Week 1: Extending learning;

(weeks 8- key vocabulary: -Listen and - Check -Books to the Big
11 prefer, interest, demonstrate students’ Screen: Mind map Post-assessment
instead, genre, comprehension participation in and research books reteaching.: This
film, literature of a discussion group that have been made unit steps outside
-Understand between discussions. into film, focus on the wheelhouse of
friends. Assessment- ones that have what students
Kahoot: multiple film- usually do. I will
Demonstrate students answer adaptations. focus on
use of key questions on a comparing and
MC quiz about -Teacher chooses one contrasting media
expressions
Romeo and book and two film (low-level
during the unit. Juliet. adaptations to view students) and
(Romeo and Juliet, relating the media
Demonstrate Week 2: used earlier in the to oneself (high
ability to KWL- exit level students).
textbook). Read
ticket- 60
analyze how a through a scene in the
seconds. For all students:
book may be Students fill out book that appears in Pre-teach concepts
adapted to film. the KWL paper both films. Watch the from unit 4 that
slip: target is relevant scene in film will tie into unit 3
Practice about the books 1. Watch the relevant (I think….).
speaking in turn and films they scene in film 2.
about your are discussing. Based on KWL,
(Films: “William
students will be
opinion on a Shakespeare’s placed into
book and its Romeo and Juliet- heterogeneous
Week 3:
adaptation. - Popsicle 1996 and Gnomeo groups. In these
sticks: Selected and Juliet 2011) groups, students
Demonstrate students answer Students take notes review grammar
the ability to a question from via a venn diagram. and sentence
analyze a the teacher templates often in
What was similar
character or using a target regard to other
between both topics (food,
action in both a sentence (e.g.
Q: “Which do movies? What was activities) during
book and film different? How were free talking
you prefer for x
and relate it to story: the book they similar or periods.
oneself. or the film?” different from the
A: “I am book? Students keep High level
interested in x, students:
the Venn Diagrams
because…”) During this unit,
for themselves to use my higher level
Week 4: in the next week students will be
-Presentation (observational use is focusing not just on
Oral the formative the language but
presentation- assessment) HOT skills. I will
be adapting the
persuasive
rubric for the
speech. Week 2:
written blog
Students “I’m interested in assignment to
___, because” journal
select a book include at least 2
project.
and its film critical thinking
Focus on making
adaptation. points.
connections between
Using key the self and
expressions characters in film or
from the literature.
textbook,
analytical skills 1st draft:
practiced in the Brainstorm a
class, students character from a book
or film a student feels
will discuss
connected to. List the
why they feel reasons why.
that this
book/film 2nd draft:
adaptation is Using key expression
one to read or templates, students
watch. Peers write a paragraph
about the character
will be able to they feel connected
respond to the to.
students to say
whether or not 3rd draft:
they would Submit the paragraph
read/watch the as a blog post, or
handwritten journal,
object of
with comments
discussion enabled, or space on
based on the the journal for 2
speech. students to respond
to.
Differentiation:
For the Books Week 3:
Oral practice: I am
to the Big
interested in _____,
Screen activity-
because ___. What
The students’
about you?
textbook -
already has an Students brainstorm
adapted version different genres in
of Romeo and film and literature in
Juliet, edited groups of three.
for ease of -
understanding Students come to the
for ELLs. For board and write their
the film genres on a mind
adaptations, I map. If the genre they
will use chose is a sub-genre,
adapted help direct them to
subtitles to help where it belongs. (ex.
students Scary->subgenre:
understand horror, thriller,
what is being mystery).
said. -The
teacher randomly
For the chooses 5-6 genres,
assessment: writes them down on
Students slips of paper, and
then puts those slips
will have the
in a hat.
option to do a
-
live
Students and teacher
presentation or
sit in a circle. The
a digital
teacher passes the hat
presentation to a student who
(using PPT, chooses a slip of
Prezi, paper. The discussion
Flipgrid). then begins with
Students “I am
with low interested in (genre),
language because___. What
ability will about you?”
have an The student to
adapted the left can answer
presentation back “I am also
requirement interested in _____,
that suits their because” or “I have
language no interest in ____,
abilities- because___.” They
restructuring turn to the student to
what key their left and ask
expressions are “What about you?”
required, time
Week 4:
limit, option to
Students prepare their
present to only
oral presentation and
the teacher or
feedback.
their
homogeneous
peer group.
 Unit 3: Open your hearts:

WIDA: ELP: Standard 1: Social and Instructional Language: Formative Framework.

Reading: Use of information.Level 3: Summarize information on socially-related topics from
illustrated paragraphs.

ELP: 6-8.2: An ELL can . . . participate in grade appropriate oral and written exchanges of
information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and
questions. (Level 3: participate in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on familiar
topics and texts • build on the ideas of others • express his or her own ideas • ask and answer
relevant questions • add relevant information.)

Objectives:
Students will practice describing images from newspapers, social media, blogs, and magazines
using observation and inferences.
Students will demonstrate the ability to discuss each others’ views about an image verbally and
through writing.

Students will use sentences structures:

‘Seems’ or ‘seems to be’ - verb +adjective usage.
Passive voice to give an opinion, vs. ‘I think …. is …’

“What is ____ doing?”/”What is happening?”

“He/She seems to be …ing….” / “It seems to be that…ing…”

Month Pre-requisites Proficiencies Assessments Projects and Next Steps

Formative Activities

May -Ability to make SWBAT: Week 1: Week 1: Extension:

(weeks complex -Demonstrate -Edpuzzle: Students Listen and mark. Prepare students
12-15) sentences using use of passive watch a short video, Students listen to the for end of
conjunctions voice in a and answer conversation semester project
conversation. questions about what recordings in the (culmination of
-comprehend they think is textbook, and highlight vocabulary,
instances of -analyze happening using the key expressions. grammar, HOT
inference and images and sentence templates. Class discussion and skills, and
observation (I give comments roleplay with textbook communication
think, He has) and remarks Week 2: scenarios to help learned in Units
about the - Observation vs students become more 2-4)
-Use personal contents in the inference exit ticket comfortable with the Students keep a
pronouns images. Students respond to grammar and portfolio of their
correctly in a an image with 1-2 vocabulary. work from Units
sentence (he, -maintain sentences of 2-4 to use in the
she, we, they). discussions inference (it seems project.
about an that/ he seems to be) Week 2:
image, video, and observation (I Video commentary: Low level, or
or text by see snow, etc). Students watch a short struggling
building off Assessment gauges video. In a group, one students:
what a how well students student will make a Reteach
previous understand the comment of what they concepts as
person said. difference between thought “seemed to be needed (1-1
observation and happening”. A second tutoring, Tier 2
inference. student will respond to or 3 supports),
that video, etc. with a focus on
Week 3: Students will select a the grammar in
-60 second journal- team leader (or teacher the chapter.
exit ticket. will assign) to then Students are
Students respond to present their findings given dialog
a text prompt, from the discussion to prompts and put
writing 2-4 the class at large. into
sentences. The homogeneous
teacher will check Week 3: groups to
for content and “Blog posting” using a practice using
grammar classroom blog or the key
comprehension. journal: students expressions and
choose an image and vocabulary.
Week 4: describe what they
-Reading believe is happening in For intermediate
comprehension and the images, using key students:
short answer: expressions. Peers will Review Units 2-
Students read a text choose 2-3 posts and 4 for
with image, respond respond to the communication,
to questions with descriptions, and reading
short answers and should ask at least 1 comprehension.
describe the image clarifying question. Include short
they see. open ended
Week 4: questions at the
Wrap up: end of the
Students read the comprehension
response to their posts texts. Review
in the previous week, the text with the
and reflect on them students.
(using student
journals). For higher level
students:
-Review: Students Expand past
meet in small groups strict image use
to discuss an image in and introduce
their textbook. The video and text.
goal is to build Ask students to
conversational fluency watch a short
and confidence. video clip, news
related but
appropriate for
the classroom,
and have them
discuss their
feelings on the
matter using “It
seems that”.
Students
practice HOT
skills using
prompts to flesh
out their reasons
for those
responses.