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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Final Position Paper

For Teachers 8th Standards
All good essays must come to an end. Pupils write the final drafts of their position papers about the best food chain from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Next, they share their favorite part of their papers with their partners.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Draft of Position Paper

For Teachers 8th Standards
What is the purpose of an introduction and conclusion? Using the resource, scholars review the model position paper from activity one and discuss the author's choices. Next, they draft their position papers' introductory and concluding...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Planning Body Paragraphs of Position Paper and Beginning Mid-Unit 3 Assessment

For Teachers 8th Standards
The best sandwiches aren't always edible. Pupils use a Quote Sandwich graphic organizer to plan paragraphs two and three of their position papers about the best food chain. Next, they begin drafting their body paragraphs for the mid-unit...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Presentation of Position

For Teachers 8th Standards
What is the difference between formal and informal language? Pupils rewrite their position speeches to adapt them for an audience of adults. Next, they present their speeches in small groups, attempting to answer the question, "Which...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment Parts 1 and 2: Evaluating Arguments and Claims

For Teachers 8th Standards
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? As part of the end-of-unit assessment for The Omnivore’s Dilemma, scholars watch a video about organic eggs versus conventional farm eggs. They use graphic organizers to collect evidence as they...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Analyzing Author’s Purpose in Speech and Text

For Teachers 8th Standards
Part one of a mid-unit assessment relating to The Omnivore’s Dilemma includes listening to and analyzing a speech by Birke Baehr. Part two involves analyzing an excerpt from the text. The assessment ends with short response questions.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 2: Revising the Informational Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
Writers look at the End of Unit 2 Assessment: Best First Draft of an Informational Essay handout and use sticky notes to identify things in their work that need editing and revising. They reference their notes to finalize their...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1: Best First Draft of an Informational Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
Writers work to create drafts of their end-of-unit assessments relating to A Mighty Long Way and Little Rock Girl 1957. Using computers to create the first versions of their essays, writers emphasize ideas and evidence before focusing...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Research Simulation

For Teachers 8th Standards
As part of a mid-unit assessment, scholars complete a research simulation about food deserts to mimic the research process. Afterward, they engage in a think-pair-share to discuss what they've learned throughout the unit.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Final Performance Task: Presentation of Photograph and Song Selections

For Teachers 8th Standards
The presentation is the thing. Learners combine all their skills by creating a pitch for their films about the Little Rock Nine. They explain to classmates why they selected the images and songs using self-created prompt cards. The end...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 3 Assessment: On-Demand Writing— Photograph and Song Choices for a Film

For Teachers 8th Standards
Ready, set, write! Every great film begins with a script, and every presentation starts with a plan. Directors use their research and experience to compose an essay explaining the rationale behind their film's musical and visual choices...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Analysis of Language Techniques

For Teachers 8th Standards
Show what you know. Learners demonstrate mastery of English grammar and usage by completing a pen-and-paper assessment of verbals and verb shifts. In addition, they begin composing a book review based on an independent reading book. The...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching the Performance Task

For Teachers 8th Standards
This word or that, this picture or that. Individuals dive into the lives of The Little Rock Nine and the connotation used in the book A Mighty Long Way as they begin the performance task. The task scenario establishes literature lovers...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Classifying and Evaluating Primary Sources

For Teachers 8th Standards
Let's take a walk—a gallery walk. Scholars complete a mid-unit assessment relating to Unbroken by taking a gallery walk to view the various primary source mediums. They then use organizers to select three sources and respond to...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 2: Revising the Informative Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
Is that your final answer? Scholars discuss the terms, edit, and revise. They then complete their final drafts as the end-of-unit assessment of Unbroken. Writers use their graded draft essays from a previous instructional activity to...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment, Part 1: Best First Draft of an Informational Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
This is just the beginning. Learners take the first step toward their end-of-unit assessments of Unbroken. They use their tools and knowledge gained from the unit to create first drafts of their informational essays. Writers then respond...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Making Connections between Song Lyrics and Texts

For Teachers 8th Standards
For the end-of-unit assessment, scholars engage in small group Socratic seminars to connect the lyrics of two songs to texts they read and studied. They discuss how the songs "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" and "Lift Every Voice...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: On-Demand Writing – Conflicting Interpretations of the 13th and 14th Amendments

For Teachers 8th Standards
The authors of the court's decision and the dissenting opinion on Plessy v. Ferguson disagreed on their interpretations of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. Scholars set out to show how with an on-demand writing prompt. They...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Final Performance Task: Character Confessional Narrative

For Teachers 8th Standards
You wrote it, now what? Learners take their writing to the next level when they perform it for classmates. They then engage in a self-reflection and assessment of their work to determine how well they hit targets, such as identifying...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment: Commentary on Confessional

For Teachers 8th Standards
What does commentary have to do with narrative? Before scholars explain the narrative choices in their Character Confessionals, they review provided commentary to explain the score they received on previous assessments. They review...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Justification for Character and Scene Selection

For Teachers 8th Standards
When it comes to love and midsummer nights, confessions are tricky. Learners place themselves in the shoes of a character from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and explain how a character manipulated another character in...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment and Author’s Craft: Narrative Techniques

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars work together to compile a list of things good writers do to perfect their craft and write the ideas on a whiteboard. They then discuss the differences between passive and active sentences and use their knowledge to identify...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 2: Revise Essay Drafts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Time to revise! Scholars revise their argument essays based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream using feedback from their teacher and peers. They begin their revisions after reviewing a mini-lesson plan on proper writing conventions.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Author’s Craft: Analyzing Shakespeare’s Craft: Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
Annoyed or bewitched—how does an author's word choice affect a text? Scholars begin the instructional activity by analyzing word choice in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, learners take a closer look at the narrative...