English Language Arts Grade 11-12 [2011]

• American Dream and The Great Gatsby
  This lesson extends over several class periods. Students analyze the claim, grounds, warrants, qualifiers and counterclaims in three articles about the American Dream. Students conduct research and find two additional articles about the American Dream. Students then analyze the argument in those articles. Finally, students write their own argument essay about the current state of the American Dream.
• Character Analysis and The Crucible
  This set of lessons extends over several weeks and incorporates all acts of Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Students will closely read The Crucible. Students will cite textual evidence and make interpretations about character development.

  Students will combine the textual evidence with their interpretations and write interpretive statements. In the culminating activity, students will write a character analysis.

• Claims in ”The Crisis, No. 1”
  This set of lessons extends over several days and focuses on "The Crisis, No. 1" by Thomas Paine. Students closely read and annotate the text. Students identify and evaluate claims and evidence in the text. Students present their findings to the class. Finally, students collaboratively write short arguments identifying claims and evidence in "The Crisis, No. 1." Students present their arguments to the class, and the class discusses and assesses the arguments.
• Toulmin Argument Essay
  This lesson extends over several class periods. Students view a Prezi presentation on Toulmin's argument and complete an assignment based on the presentation. Students then write an argument essay about the power of prevailing passion over reason.

• Kennewick Man: Science and Sacred Rights
  This lesson plan explores the controversy surrounding "Kennewick Man", the name given to a skeleton discovered near Kennewick, Washington, in July 1996. Learning objectives include (1) To learn about the discovery of Kennewick Man and what this ancient skeleton suggests about the earliest inhabitants of North America; (2) To examine the controversy surrounding Native American efforts to rebury Kennewick Man in accordance with their traditions and federal law; (3) To explore the relationship between science and religion as reflected in their shared concern about human origins; (4) To gain experience in the close analysis of argument.