Curriculum
Guidebooks

ELA Guidebooks is an English language arts curriculum for core instruction. Made by teachers for teachers, the guidebook units ensure all students can read, understand, and express their understanding of complex, grade-level texts, ensuring their readiness for college or a career. Each text collection has a shared idea and contains authentic texts and novels commonly celebrated by teachers and students. Students engage with the texts and ideas repeatedly throughout a unit to build knowledge and tackle big ideas.

Units of Study

I. Hatchet August-December

We will read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and a series of related informational and literary texts to explore the question: Why is it important to persevere during difficult moments? We will express our understanding through an essay that analyzes how characters’ choices impact their ability to persevere through extraordinary circumstances in Hatchet and at least one additional unit text.

   Text:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

   Culminative Task:

Throughout the unit, you have read texts about how people persevere through extraordinary circumstances. Think about how each    character responds to the challenges within the text. Write an essay that compares how Brian from Hatchet and one other character's choices impact    their ability to persevere during difficult moments. Include evidence from each text that supports the character’s development in each scene.

   Type of Writing:

Informational/Explanatory

 

II. Esperanza Rising- January-May

We will read Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, excerpts from Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, and a set of related informational texts that build background about the Dust Bowl and its impact on various groups of people to answer the question: How do we change based on our life experiences? We will also express our understanding by writing a narrative that uses narrative techniques to convey advice Esperanza might pass to her children about her changes.

   Text:

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

   Culminative Task: 

Throughout the novel Esperanza Rising, Esperanza heeds the advice of other characters as she encounters conflicts in her life.    Write a continuation of the story set years later that portrays Esperanza as a mother. Write the narrative from Esperanza’s point of view and include the    advice that she has learned from her own life experiences that she would pass on to her children.

   Type of Writing: Narrative