Unit Title: And You Think Your Family is Strange?
By: Monique Duray

Prefatory Statement:
This is a four-week unit about family life and how it affects students. Many adolescents think that their families are abnormal. In this unit students will read about other families (fictional and non-fictional) and how these families interact. By reading about these families, students will see that there is no such thing as a "normal" family. Each family is special and unique.
We will study different types of families: happy, non-traditional, abusive, dysfunctional, and supportive. The students will take what they have learned in these reading and apply them to their writing projects.
This unit will help students become more tolerant. By studying the strengths and difficulties in a variety of families, students will grow towards accepting their own family's dynamics and the dynamics of families different from their own.

Class Specification:
As written, this unit is appropriate for 11th or 12th graders. With a few literature substitutions it may be useful for any grade 7-12. This unit may be especially effective in areas where there have been recent accounts of abuse because it helps students find help for victims of family violence. It may also be useful in areas with a lot of "non-traditional" families because it promotes acceptance of diversity.
This unit should work very well in classes with special education students. It is a topic that all adolescents can relate to and the writing assignments have real audience and purpose. It should not need very many adjustments.

Significant Assumptions:
· Students will be familiar and comfortable with journal writing for this class.
· Students will have practiced creating poems from free writing and journal entries.
· Students will be familiar and comfortable with I-search and multi-genre research papers.
· Students will be familiar with researching on the internet and books.
· Students will be allowed approx. 10 minutes of in-class reading time OR one class period per week for in-class reading and student/teacher conferencing.

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, students will have learned:
· How to efficiently blend writing styles and ideas to create a piece of literature.
· Describe relationships between characters through writing.
· How to identify common characteristics in families through writing.
· The elements of a short story and how to create them.

Possible Whole Class Activities:
· Discussion of texts and writing activities.

Possible Small-Group Activities:
· Peer editing/review of writing projects.
· Team writing of research project.

Possible Individual Activities:
· Writing poems
· Writing short stories
· Writing journal entries
· Essay quizzes/tests

Ongoing Activities:
· response journals
· community brochure
· discussion of texts and projects

Student Resources:
o a journal
o copies of the texts to be studied (hopefully available in the school's anthologies)
§ Death of a Salesman is in many anthologies and is available in most libraries.
§ "American Horse" and "No Name Woman" are in Braided Lives, which is printed by the Minnesota Humanities Commission. It should be relatively easy to find at an on-line bookstore.
§ "The Lion Hunter" can be found in Short Stories for English Courses, edited by Rosa M. R. Mikels and printed by Charles Scribner's Sons.
§ "A Time to Mourn" is available in New Black Voices.
§ "My Papa's Waltz" and "Daddy" can be found in the Norton Anthology of American Literature.
o access to the internet
o access to research material (books, journals, etc.)
o access to word processing and a disk for saving word-processed writings.
o access to desktop publishing software
o access to digital and video cameras

Organization of the Unit:
Week 1
Monday: Set induction (see below). Homework--Students will read the first half of Death of a Salesman and prepare questions and topics for discussion in their journals.
Tuesday: Students will discuss the first half of Death of a Salesman and discuss topics and questions of their own. (Discussion questions for teacher: Has anybody ever seen this play performed? What do you think of the play thus far? What do you predict will happen in the second half?) They will be introduced to the research projects and have a brief team meeting. They will be supplied with examples and given a few minutes to brainstorm specific topic and medium.
Homework--Read the second half of Death of a Salesman and prepare questions and topics for discussion in their journals.
Wednesday: Students will discuss the second half and Death of a Salesman. They will meet in their writing groups to follow-up on their brainstorming and discuss research procedures.
Homework-read My Papa's Waltz and respond in journal. (Journal prompt: Free write about a touching or frightening one-on-one experience with an older family member for five minutes. This journal entry will later be shaped into a poem.)
Thursday: Discuss My Papa's Waltz and the personal experiences discussed in the journal. Students will be reminded that they do not have to talk about these experiences if they are too personal or distressing. Students will begin drafting their first poem, which is based on the journal entry and class discussion.
Homework-work on poem for Friday conferencing.
Friday: Reading and Conferencing day. Hand in Journals. Students will read The Lion Hunter for Monday.

Week 2
Monday: Discuss The Lion Hunter. (Discussion questions: How would you describe the father? What do the mother and his boss know about the father that the son does not? How is this family typical or atypical?)
Homework--Read Daddy and write a journal response. (Journal prompt: Plath obviously has some anger towards her father. Free-write about a person in your family that distresses you. This journal entry will not be discussed in class. This journal entry will be turned into a poem.)
Tuesday: Discuss Daddy (Discussion questions: What kind of barriers are there between the narrator and her father? What is the culture significance in this poem? How is writing a poem a productive way of expressing anger toward a person that you love? ) Individual work on a poem based on the class discussion and journal entry.
Homework-Work on poem and write a journal entry (Journal prompt: Are you finding that writing this poem is helping you deal with your anger towards a loved one? Is it difficult? If yes, why? If no, why not?)
Wednesday: Read A Time To Mourn in class-silently first, and then aloud. Students will discuss the use of non-standard grammar (Grammar B) and its effectiveness. They will then begin drafting a short story, trying a style like Knight used in A Time To Mourn. Students do not have to use this style in their final draft of this story, but they do have to try using it in the first stages of drafting.
Homework-Journal writing (Journal Prompt--Analyze the use of grammar B in your short story. Do you think that you will use this style throughout the drafting of your piece? Why or why not?
Thursday: Half of the period will be used for drafting and peer editing of poems and short stories and the other half will be used for team writing/research.
Friday: Reading and Conferencing day. Hand in Journals.
Homework-Read No Named Woman for Monday.

Week 3
Monday: Discuss No Named Woman (Discussion questions: What is there to gain from discussing a family secret? What is gained from the mother sharing this story with her daughter? How is this family similar and different from the ones we are used to seeing on T.V., the movies, and in our own lives? How are customs important to this story?)
Homework-Read Nikki Rosa
Tuesday: Re-read Nikki Rosa aloud and free write (Writing prompt: The narrator says, "and I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me/ because they never understand Black love is Black wealth…" Do you think she is right? Why or Why not? What if you substitute the word "black" with "poor"? Now do you think she is right? Why/not? ) Discuss free-writing. Draft and peer edit poems and short stories.
Wednesday: Free writing exercise in journals. (Prompt: Discuss the work you have been doing on your poems and short stories. How has it affected your relationship with your family? ) Work on Individual and team writing projects.
Homework-Read American Horse. Journal entry. (Journal prompt: list the "dysfunctional aspects of Buddy's family. Discuss which of these may be cultural differences and which of them are real problems.)
Thursday: Discuss American Horse. (Discussion questions: Discuss journal prompt. Is the government right to take Buddy away from his family? How or how not? What do you think will happen to Buddy now? ) Work on team research projects.
Homework-Journal entry. (Journal Prompt: Next week you will be finishing up your projects and presenting them to the class. Is the writing and preparation process going smoothly? Why or why not? What do you have left to do and what is your plan to get it done in time?)
Friday: Reading and Conferencing Day. Hand in Journals.
Homework-Work on individual writing pieces

Week 4
Monday: Draft and edit Individual writing projects for half the hour. Finish working on team research for the second half of the hour.
Homework-Journal entries for the week: Discuss your team and individual presentations. Were you happy with them? What would you have done differently? What were your strong points? etc.
Tuesday: Team Presentations
Wednesday: Team Presentations. Team research projects will be handed in.
Thursday: Individual presentations. Individual writings will be handed in.
Friday: Reading and Conferencing Day. Hand in Journals.

Unit Launch/Set Induction:
Week 1, Day 1 (50 minute lesson)
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to
· recognize different varieties of family interaction.
· Recognize dysfunctional vs. functional family interactions.
Methods:
1. The teacher will show a clip of a daytime talk show. This clip will show a powerful family conflict but still be appropriate for the classroom. I suggest using a clip from the Oprah show.
2. Five-minute free-write about the clip shown. (Writing prompt: What is unique about the family in the clip and what is "typical"? How do these things affect the family dynamics that we saw?)
3. Read a humorous short story aloud to the class (written by teacher or student sample) and discuss. (Questions for discussion: How are the family dynamics in this story different from the video clip and how are they similar? Why is this piece less disturbing?)
4. Hand out and syllabus and discuss what will happen in this unit.
Homework: Read Death of a Salesman and write about possible discussion questions/topics in journal.
Assessment: I will know the students will have met the objectives by:
· Reading their free-writing when they hand their journals in.
· Noting their participation in the discussion.

Detailed Plans:

Week 1 Day 4 (Thursday) 50 minute lesson
Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
· Understand and evaluate the poem, "My Papa's Waltz."
· Determine the effectiveness of coping throw writing.
Methods:
1. Housekeeping (5 minutes)
2. Students will have done a five-minute free-write (about a touching or frightening experience with a family member) in their journal as homework.
3. Discuss Papa's Waltz and the personal experiences they wrote about in their journal. Students will be reminded that they do not have to talk about the writing if it is too personal or distressing. (20 minutes)
4. Students use the discussion and free-writing piece to create a poem. Students will have sample poems to use as reference and time to work on the first draft in class. (28 minutes)
5. Assign homework and discuss the activities for the next day. (2 minutes)
Homework: Work on poem for Friday conferencing.
Assessment: I will know the students have met the objectives by:
· Reading their poems.
· Noting their participation in the class discussion.

Week 2 Day 2 (Tuesday) 50 minute lesson
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will have learned:
· How to describe personal relationships through poetry.
Methods:
1. Housekeeping (5 minutes)
2. Read Daddy aloud. (4 minutes)
3. Discuss Daddy. Discussion questions: What kind of barriers are there between the narrator and her father? What is the cultural significance in this poem? How is writing a poem a productive way of expressing anger toward a person that you love? (20 minutes)
4. Work on a poem based on the discussion and the previous day's journal writing. (16 minutes)
5. Assign homework and discuss the next day. (3 minutes)

Homework: Work on poem and write a journal entry. Journal prompt: Are you finding that writing this poem is helping you deal with your anger towards a loved one? Is it difficult? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Assessment: I will know the students have met the objectives by:
· Reading their poems.
· Noting their participation in the class discussion.

Grading of Unit:
_______ Journal Entries (10 points)
_______ Poem 1 (10 points)
_______ Poem 2 (10 points)
_______ Short Story (20 points)
_______ Classroom participation (15 points)
_______ Team research writing project (25 points)
_______ Team presentation (10 points)

100-90 A
89-80 B
79-70 C
69-65 D
less than 64 F

Learning Area: Inquiry
Level: High School
Content Standard: Research Process
Task: Collect primary data to investigate a problem or issue and write a research paper.

A student shall research an issue and evaluate proposed positions or solutions by:
A. gathering information on past or contemporary issues;

B. identifying relevant questions or a range of points of view;
C. summarizing relevant background information;
D. examining information from each source for bias and intended audience;
E. identifying areas of conflict, compromise, or agreement among various groups concerning the issue; and

F. evaluating multiple positions and proposed solutions for the issue, including analyzing conclusions, arguments, and supporting evidence; identifying motives of groups or individuals; analyzing feasibility and practicality; identifying impact on policies; comparing alternative solutions; and projecting consequences.

Large Processes and Concepts

Products/Evidence of Learning:
Team Research paper (I-search of multi-genre) or brochure.
Task Description:
Overview: Students will create a piece of written informational material on an aspect of a dysfunctional family. They will need to consult and cite at least 5 reputable sources. They will then design and operate a plan to disperse their material to the community and present your material to the other teams.
1. First, break into your groups. Agree on a question you wish to solve through your research. Make sure that you can feasibly answer the question. You should discuss what type of writing you would like to do and how you plan to publish your writing.
2. Next, assign aspects of research. Somebody can find on-line sources, another can find information in books, yet another can interview a member of the community, etc.
3. Collect data. You must consult at least 5 sources.
4. Meet at least twice a week to work on the project. This is a time to organize the data you have collected and start to writing.
5. Write and revise (display your data). Make sure that you include enough background information so that the audience can understand your findings.
6. Cite and discuss various opinions about your question. Evaluate why they have formed the opinion that they have.
7. Evaluate the opinions of varies groups to reach a conclusion about the question. Compare your decision to alternative decisions. Your conclusion must be practical.
8. Publish your work and predict the impact it will have on the community.
9. Present your writing to the class.

Checklist for Task
Y=Yes
N=No Evidence Shown
______ The question being researched is feasible.
______ The writing is grammatically correct and completely free of error.
______ The team designs a realistic forum fro educating the community that accompanies the final draft of the writing project.
______ The group successfully implements their plan to educate the community.
______ At least 5 sources are consulted and cited.
______ One of these sources is a web page.
______ One of these sources is a book.
______ One of these sources is an interview.
______ Information is presented to classmates clearly and effectively.

Scoring Criteria
Inquiry
The High School Level
Scores are ranked 4-1 with 4 being highest score and 1 being lowest. Scores reflect a professional judgment based on multiple evidence of sustained student work over time.
To receive a score of 4, a student:
· Develops an original, complex question of interest to the researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records comprehensive, relevant information from a variety of sources, to answer a question, support a position or test a hypothesis.
· Analyzes data and draws insightful conclusions with credible evidence to answer a question, support a position or evaluate a hypothesis.
· Clearly and creatively communicates findings/displays information in a well-designed original format.
To receive a score of 3, a student:
· Develops a clearly focused question of interest to the researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records sufficient, relevant information from multiple sources, to answer a question, support a position or test a hypothesis.
· Reviews data and draws logical conclusions with sufficient evidence to answer a question, support a position or evaluate a hypothesis.
· Clearly communicates findings/displays information in an appropriate format.
To receive a score of 2, a student:
· Develops a focused question, with some assistance, of interest to the researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records limited relevant information from multiple sources, to answer a question, investigate a topic or test a hypothesis.
· Summarizes data in an attempt to answer a question, support a position or evaluate a hypothesis.
· Adequately communicates findings/displays information in a simple format.
To receive a score of 1, a student:
· Develops a question of interest to the researcher but not necessarily important in the area of study.
· Collects data and records minimal information from a few sources to answer a question, investigate a topic or test a hypothesis.
· Sorts and reviews data in an attempt to answer a question, investigate a topic or test a hypothesis.
· Poorly communicates findings/displays information and has many errors.

Supporting Materials for Teachers Who Teach the Unit:
· books and/or anthologies with poems, plays, and short stories.
· AV stuff: TV, VCR, tape of daytime talk show
· Sample poems and short stories (at first written by the teacher, but eventually student examples from previous years)

Short Story Writing Assignment

Style: This narrative can be fiction or non-fiction. Part of my interest, and the interest of your classmates, will be wondering if the narrative is true or not.
Tone: What ever you want! It can be humorous, sad, scary, etc. You will show true literary prowess by using a combination of these tones.
Length: 5 to 10 pages, double-spaced, normal font.

Requirements (Grading guidelines)
______ The story follows the short story guide lines (see "Requirements of a Short Story" handout)
______ The story is accompanied by at least 3 drafts.
______ The story is accompanied by at least 3 peer comment or editing sheets.
______ The story is grammatically correct and free of errors unless the use of grammar B is clearly and consistently being used. (If I have to guess, then you are not writing effectively.)

Team Research Project

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to educate your community. In order to succeed with this mission you will need to:

· Create a piece of written informational material
· Consult and cite at least 5 reputable sources
· Design and operate a plan to disperse your material to the community
· Present your material to the other teams

You must meet with your group on a regular basis and complete the mission by (week 4 day 2) to hand in and present it to the other teams. You will be given class time for this assignment, but you will also have to work on it outside of the classroom.
Even though this writing assignment is rather flexible, it is very important. It will be a substantial part of your grade for this unit.

When you hand in your material, it must be:
______ grammatically correct and error free
______ accompanied by 1 peer editing sheet
______ accompanied by 3 drafts

Requirements of a Short Story
Critics have agreed that the short story must conform to certain conditions. First of all, the writer must strive to make one and only one impression. Tim is too limited, space too confided, and risk of dividing the attention to the reader is too great to have more than this one impression. The author therefore selects some moment of action ore some phase of character or some particular scene and focuses attention upon that. To capture this single strong impression in a short story, the writer must decide which of the three essentials - plot, character, or setting - is to have first place.
Setting may not be an important factor in the story that emphasizes plot or incident. However, it creates an air of reality. If the writer wishes to make character the dominant element in the story, s/he subordinates plot and setting and makes them contribute to it. Plot is the backbone of all stories. Something must be happening, or it isn't a story. The writer must create the proper balance of these elements to have a successful short story.

Plot: Strongly appeals to most people. You must choose incidents carefully. Any incidents that do not aid in the development of the plot should be left out, no matter how interesting they are.
If the ending is not the logical outcome of the events, the reader feels cheated. The outcome should not be too obvious, because everybody likes the thrill of suspense. Surprise endings are great, but they need to be logical.
Have one main character and a few supporting characters. Too many characters get confusing in a short piece of writing.

Character: Characters should be life like. Readers want complicated characters that have motives and interests (if the story emphasizes plot or scene, this is not as important). Character depth is revealed in the conduct, dialogue, soliloquy, and narration. Everything you write should show something about the character.

Setting: Setting should complement the characters and plot. A setting should be interesting, but not distracting.

-- Adapted from Short Stories for English Courses ed. Rosa M. R. Mikels