Instructor: Guillermo Suco Course: English 11 Textbook: N/A

Weekly Objectives:
1. Students will practice skills, habits, and routines that will be used on a regular basis in the high school classroom: vocabulary practice, close reading, annotating text, collaborative
conversation, and evidence-based writing. These skills will be developed and honed as students read three masterful works of short fiction.
2. Students will review essential English and literary skills as well as concepts they have learned in their previous years and apply them to their grade-level texts.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of identity, culture, racism, myths, and the power of dreams to change society through writing and speaking activities.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
A Lesson on Lifestyle How to Fight Monsters A Dark Brown Dog A Dream of a Thousand Cats

Objectives Objectives (This lesson has been planned for two days, due to the depth of the story and the Objectives
By the end of the lesson, student will By the end of this lesson, students will: amount of background knowledge that needs to be built) By the end of this lesson, students
be able to: - Be able to discuss the events of the will be able to:
-Determine the parallels and chapter and their importance to Objectives 1. Demonstrate their understanding of
differences between their way of life Junior’s development as a character. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: what the message of this story is,
and that of people who reside - Be able to explain the theme of - Demonstrate their understanding of the story as an allegory to the Post-Civil how it is presented, and why the
elsewhere in the world. This will be identity, by analyzing and discussing War Reconstruction era. author would have chosen to
achieved by using the “voyager what identity is for themselves and - Define in their own words who each character is, and who they represent in the present that message in this story.
resource” This is Home of Google how it is formed and developed, post-Civil War Reconstruction. 2. Explain what myths are and, by
Earth. comparing, and contrasting it with - By practicing and using interactive, digital resources, students will be able to analyzing this story, students will
-Produce a blog-like journal entry from Junior’s own identity in the story. demonstrate their knowledge of new words, how to use it in different contexts, demonstrate their understanding
the viewpoint of a resident of a nation - Demonstrate their understanding of how to spell them, and they will produce a presentation using the newly learned that myths are sacred tales that
mentioned in the class, appropriately racial slurs and their impact in the words. explain the world and people’s
describing a normal day in that development of one’s identity. experience.
person’s life with vocabulary based on Warm-Up
sensory elements. Warm-Up and Objective Discussion Having some melancholy music in the background, have the slideshow running. Warm-Up and Objective Discussion
-Demonstrate their knowledge of 1. Show clip “The labels we carry.” Wait for the students to sit down, and ask them to look at each illustration, and 1. When students enter the classroom,
cultural identity, what makes each 2. After showing the clip, discuss with think about what the story would be about. Change the music to something livelier ask them to walk around the room
person unique, and why cultural the students: “What did the man in the and ask them again to pay attention to the slideshow and think about what the story in silence, checking out all the
differences make the US culturally clip wear on his body? Display the would be about. Change the music to something suspenseful and repeat the details, especially the pictures, and
rich. word IDENTITY. Write down the activity. Finally, ask the class to answer the poll. Project the results on the board taking mental notes about what they
students’ definitions of the word. and discuss with the class their predictions. think this lesson will be about (5
Warm-Up and Objective Discussion 3. Explain that in this lesson we will be minutes).
- Introduce students to the term discussing what identity is, and how Objective Discussion 2. Discussion: MYTHS and
lifestyle. Discuss the kinds of things labels and racial slurs (show the slide After discussing their predictions, project the objectives and discuss with the class DREAMS.
that make up a person’s lifestyle. with the words RACIAL SLURS) can each one of them. When preparing the slides, add features such as color, 3. Discuss with the class the
- Present students with the “Explore” impact and affect the perception we enlargement, and other formats to specific words such as JIM CROW, objectives for this lesson and how
worksheet. Instruct students to take 5 have of ourselves… meaning our RECONSTRUCTION, POST CIVIL WAR, and explain to the students that those myths and dreams are related.
minutes to complete the Explore identity. are key historical moments in U.S. post-slavery history, where there was
worksheet about their own 4. We will explore these themes by segregation and racial inequality. With these new bits of information, ask students Instruct and Model
community. This activity will reading an excerpt from the book The to fill out the poll again, and discuss their new predictions about the story.
challenge the students to think about Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time A Dream of a Thousand Cats –
their own lifestyle and cultural Indian called “How to Fight Instruct and Model Take 1: Listening
identity. Monsters.” 1. Skim and scan the story. Play the episode. Since this lesson
- Have students turn to a partner and 5. Ask the students to write down what 2. Vocabulary: Locate words that students don’t understand. will focus on listening, the episode
compare their observations of their they think the story will be about, 3. Vocabulary: Read the story out loud. The teacher will pause on each will be played without subtitles. Ask
community. The partner will respond thinking about the title, but connecting difficult word (12 in total) to explain the meaning using visuals and students to pay careful attention to the
by saying either, “Your community is it to the clip at the beginning and our performance. episode. The teacher will stop the
similar to mine in…” or, “Your key words. 4. Using, “I think that…” students will express their thoughts and feelings video when necessary to ask
community is different to mine in…” about the heavy themes of the story. questions that will focus on
- Project the objectives for the lesson Instruct and Model 5. History time: Post-Civil War and Reconstruction Era understanding and comprehension of
and ask the students to share some of 1. Read the excerpt together. plot, vocabulary, characters,
the expectations they have for this 2. Explain what “rez” means. Give Homework: background, situation, meaning, and
 lesson. Also explain that this lesson is background and historical context so 1. Using a note-taking app (Google Keep), students will write down their message.
the introduction to an unit on short the students can place themselves in thoughts and feelings about the story. Pay specific attention to their
stories, where we will continue the context of the story. feelings regarding each character. How do they feel about the child, Instruct and Pronunciation Time
discussing identity, lifestyle, what 3. Discussion Questions. about the father, and about the mother. Go back to the board and point at the
makes us different and how dreams 4. On the board, list the areas that form 2. Create a new note, where the students write down their thoughts and word MYTH. “What is a myth? A
can change society. Junior’s identity. feelings regarding the Post-Civil War and Reconstruction era. How do myth is a traditional ancient story.”
5. Grammar Moment: Parts of Speech they feel regarding the former slaves, their life after being free, how Point at the phonemic chart and select
Instruct and Model 6. Vocabulary from the excerpt. they were treated, how do they feel about people who welcomed them the different sounds that the word
- Define the word LIFESTYLE. 7. Stereotypes. to their house, etc. How do they feel or what do they think about the myth has: mɪθ. Ask the students to
- Ask the students to write down two correlation between the story and history. pay attention to how each sound
sentences using the word lifestyle. Guided Practice sounds: M [m], Y [ɪ], TH [θ].
- Present students with the Voyager NEXT DAY
Story This is Home. Use the Mongolia Pre-Writing Activity #1 Guided Practice
destination and explore all the 1. Give students 5 minutes to write about Warm-Up
elements that make up Mongolian the aspects that form their identity. In pairs, discuss the homework. Have a class discussion, recapping what we read Activity 1: A Dream of a Thousand
culture, using the “Explore” Create individual sentences using the the previous day. Cats – Take 2: Listening: Cornell
worksheet. parts of speech we have learned in this Note Taking
- Introduce the term CULTURE. Define lesson. Instruct and Model For this activity, we will use the clip
the word and ask a couple of students 2. Ask a few students to read their 1. Using the Vocabulary.com app, work on the vocab. Revise definitions, “The Truth About the World of Cats,”
to define it in their own words. assignments to the class. Provide sentences, and spelling of the words. from the episode the students just
Discuss the elements that make up feedback on the use of parts of speech, 2. Analyze who does each character represent in regards of the Jim Crow watched. Students will actively watch
Mongolian culture. Critical asking them to re-write their sentences era. the clip, using the handout “The Truth
Thinking: Ask students that, using the if needed. About the World of Cats – Note
definition of lifestyle and culture, Guided Practice Taking,” which follows the Cornell
come up with a definition of cultural Pre-Writing Activity #2: Changing Students will use their notes to brainstorm ideas to write a blog about their Note Taking Method.
identity. Point of View/Compare and Contrast thoughts about the story. Questions that will help them on this quest are:
- Discussion Question: Why does your 1. For this activity, exchange your Activity 2: A Dream of a Thousand
cultural identity make you unique, but writing from Activity #1 with a 1. In your own words, how would you explain the Post-Civil War Cats – Take 3: Listening: Critical
also the target of discrimination for partner. With the description in your Reconstruction era? Thinking
being different? hands, re-write it in third person. How 2. Define in their own words who each character in A Dark Brown Dog is, Break the class into pairs. Play the
does that change the voice of the and who they represent in the post-Civil War Reconstruction. clip “The Truth About the World of
Guided Practice description? Does it make it feel more, 3. What are your thoughts and feelings in regards of this portion of history Cats” from 1:10 – 1:33, only the
- Use the map to show students where or less personal to you as the and the story itself? sound. Ask the pairs to discuss the
in the world Mongolia is in relation to audience? meaning of what the human tells the
the United States. 2. When finished, compare, and contrast The teacher will walk around, offering help to the students to organize their ideas, other humans inspired by the dream
- Have students complete the “Explore” it with your own description. What giving them hints to prepare their blog. he had.
worksheet again, this time recording similarities exist between what you
information about a new community. wrote about yourself and what your Assessment Assessment
Read through each slide carefully so partner wrote about themselves? What Assessment will be divided in two parts: Students will give their speech in
students can gather as much differences exist? front of the class. The teacher will
information as possible. 1. After they post their blog, students will leave feedback and comments to give written feedback.
Assessment each other.
Assessment Upon completion of the homework, ask 2. They will log in to their Vocabulary.com student account and work on Homework:
- Students will leave comments and students as a class about the problems the posted vocab list. The app will send feedback to both the students Using the following questions,
feedback on others’ blogs. The teacher they noticed most while reviewing other and the teacher. students will prepare a four-paragraph
will send private feedback to each classmates’ papers and discuss how to speech. They will answer each of the
student. fight those monsters. Homework: questions in a paragraph, and the final
- Students will also write an email to product will be their speech. To help
the teacher answering the following Homework: With their organized ideas, students will write a five-paragraph blog, answering them, they can have cue cards with
questions: the provided questions. The first paragraph should give an introduction with a the questions and a couple words that
Students will make an outline of some summary, and the last paragraph should include a wrap-up/conclusion.
1. In your own words, what is monsters (problems) Junior faced. Then, will help them remember their
cultural identity, what makes each students will write a 5-paragraph essay answers.
person unique, and why do you in class discussing at least 3 monsters 1. What is the message of this story?
think cultural differences make Junior faced in the story and describe 2. Why do you think the author chose
the US culturally rich? how this either weakened or to present that message in this way?
2. What differences did you find strengthened his identity. Students 3. How would you define myths in
between your lifestyle and that of should also include their own experience your own words?
a person living in the other as foreigners in this country, and how 4. How do you think this myth
community? explains the world we live in and
 this affected or strengthened them. people’s experience?
Homework:
1. Using their analysis of the new
community’s lifestyle, students will
create a detailed blog-style journal
entry written from the perspective of
a student living in the community.
2. Encourage students to make
inferences about how life would look
for someone their age.