Section 1: Overview

The Foundation

We will read the Preamble to the Constitution, the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, and Anna Quindlen’s “A Quilt of a Country” to build foundational knowledge on what it might mean to be an American. We will participate in discussions and learn common expectations for our exploration of the topic.

• Lesson 1:

  We will learn about the Central Question for the unit: What does it mean to be an American?

  We will analyze the Culminating Task and Culminating Task Checklist, identifying specific knowledge (the concept of Americanness) we are expected to gain throughout the unit and specific skills we will need to be successful on the Culminating Task. We will also review the Unit Text List in anticipation of our required reading. We will conclude by completing an Anticipation Guide.

• Lesson 2:

  We will view a recording of college students talking about what it means to be American. We will read the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence and listen to a variety of voices read the Declaration of Independence aloud. We will discuss how hearing the Declaration of Independence being read aloud by different people changes, enhances, or shapes our understanding of the text, and we will use a Reading Closely Tool to help us establish our understanding of the text.

• Lesson 3:

  We will learn about text-dependent questions: how to use them to guide reading and how to respond to them in ways that are thoughtful and complete.

• Lesson 4:

  We will read the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States and the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution to help answer our Central Question: What does it mean to be American?

• Lesson 5:

  We will expand on our knowledge of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and citizenship rights.

• Lesson 6:

  We will read “A Quilt of a Country” by Anna Quindlen to consider a more modern understanding of what it means to be an American. We will determine the gist of the passage and analyze parts of the text that create the author’s main claim.

• Lesson 7:

  We will learn about the importance of paying attention to authors’ use of language and will begin compiling powerful and interesting sentences in our Mentor Sentence Journals.

• Lesson 8:

  We will reread “A Quilt of a Country” by Anna Quindlen to deepen our understanding of how America is a country of contrasts by focusing on the allusions in the text. We will complete the Analyzing Relationships Tool in pairs or small groups. We will research allusions in the text.

• Lesson 9:

  We will determine the meaning of unknown words, and we will develop strategies for determining when to use a vocabulary strategy.

• Lesson 10:

  We will determine Anna Quindlen’s central ideas and trace how they are developed throughout the text through her use of contrasting language. We will complete the Evaluating Ideas Tool in pairs or small groups.

• Lesson 11:

  We will analyze a portion of Anna Quindlen’s text to determine how she defines the national character. We will write an annotated bibliography of the article.

• Lesson 12:

  We will write a multiparagraph expository piece about what it means to be an American.

• Lesson 13:

  We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

• Lesson 14:

  We will commence an Independent Reading Program in which we choose texts to read independently as we progress through the unit. We will learn how to choose texts, what activities we may complete, about the final task, and about any materials we will use as we read our independent reading texts. We will begin by reading our texts, using tools to help us take notes and analyze important textual elements.