1. Introdu ction to Quarter 1— Life Lessons

2. Key Learning
By reading a variety of literature, readers can learn about themselves and the world around them through the life lessons presented in the literary content.

3. Unit Essential Question
How can we learn important life lessons through the literature we read?
We learn life lessons through reading by taking part in the lives and conflicts of the characters in short stories as well as by observing the struggles and situations presented through informational texts. Readers can determine the potential impact of these experiences on their own lives and make applicable decisions based on what they learn through these texts.

4. Concept: Elements of Shorts Stories & Plot
Selection: “Charles”
What strategies can we use to read and analyze fictional short stories?
How do effective writers organize the plot of their fictional short stories?

5. Concept: Conflict & Drawing Conclusions
Selection: “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
What influence does conflict have on the characters in short stories?
How do we draw conclusions about characters and their conflicts?

6. Concept: Irony Selection: “The Ransom of Red Chief”
Why do authors use irony?

7. Concept: Informative Article
Selection: “The Story of an Eyewitness”
What influence does an author’s background have on his or her writing?
2. In what ways does the author’s perspective affect a feature story?

8. Concept: Biography Selection: From Ishi in Two Worlds
How can reading a biography teach us a lesson about life?

9. Concept: Elements of Poetry & Poet vs. Speaker
Selection: “Mother to Son,” “Dreams,” & “A Dream Deferred”
Why do writers use figurative language in their poetry?
2. What similarities/differences exist between the poet and the speaker?

10. Concept: Theme & Style in Poetry
Selection: “the lesson of the moth”
How can a poem’s form affect its meaning?

11. Anchor Text Selection: My Life in Dog Years
How can a book-length informational text teach readers a lesson about life?