Unit Plan Rationale The theme for my unit plan is “Accepting and Understanding Differences.” This unit will be geared toward seventh graders. The middle school years are when students make some of their biggest changes. They are developing physically, mentally, and emotionally, which allows us as educators to be one of the most influential figures in their lives. This is the most ideal time to teach our students character building skills and to help mold them into respectable and educated citizens. One of the greatest lessons we can all learn is the act of respect and acceptance. Individuality is more prevalent today than in any generation thus far. While not all of us will agree on one another’s choices, beliefs, or circumstances, it is our duty as self-respecting Americans to give that same respect we would wish for ourselves. I believe that this has to be taught to our students at an early age in order for them to truly understand and put these skills into practice. The list of differences and diversity can go on and on, so I have chosen three main points to hone in on for my students: sexual orientation, social groups, and social status. Homosexuality is one of the most prevalent issues in American society right now, especially in Maryland. This is an issue that should be discussed with students anyway, but is even more urgent now because of all the recent bullying happening in schools due to homosexuality. It is hard enough for an adolescent to get through life and school on a daily basis, but it is even harder for those who are gay or judged to be gay and bullied because of it. The fact also remains that it is not only the gay students that suffer because of this ridicule, but so do their family, their friends, other students, and their community as a whole. Respect and awareness must be taught in order for students to understand that being gay is not an evil or deviant thing. Yet, each individual will have his or her own opinion, which can often times be influenced by their family values; however, one thing that will be mandatory in my classroom is the conscious respect of all people regardless of another’s opinion of one’s lifestyle. We all remember from our middle school days, the cliques that roamed the halls, whether we were a part of the popular crowd, the geeks, or the nobody’s. This social alignment within schools has always existed, and does not seem to be coming to a halt any time soon. Still, it is important to teach our students about the impact that these kinds of social groups can have on their lives. While we are in school we think that our particular group is the most important thing on the earth, but students have yet to realize that the world outside of school is so much unlike the one they have while inside of school. If students learned to walk outside of their comfort zone and talk to someone from another social group they might realize that they can find friends in the most unlikely people. This is also in relation to my last point, which is social status. While students group themselves off by interests, they can also group themselves off by socio economic status. One of the largest reasons for bullying and teasing in schools is because of a person’s appearance. Students have always been beat up or picked on because they do not own the latest sneakers or the coolest accessories, which can often be due to their parent’s economic status. I want to teach students about the absurdity of placing value in such material things. While this dynamic is also far from changing, it is important to give students the confidence in themselves to know that they are much more than what they do or do now own. Each student has to deal with all three of these issues on some level during their school career. It is a part of our jobs as teachers to help prepare them for this part of their lives as well. Many educators just look at the delegated part of the curriculum to teach, but I still remember what it was like when I was in middle school and high school, and how I wish I had a teacher to teach me and my peers a lesson on acceptance. In order to relate this theme to my classes I will be using the classic text, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, which shows a group of young men dealing with their place in life. Because of social and socio economic seclusion, the teenagers in the town are split into two groups: the Greasers (those who come from poverty) and the Soc’s (those who come from wealth). This novel is a sure-fire way to explore the issues between teenagers and their social and material reliance. I also really enjoy this novel because it brings a strong male point of view into the classroom. Many young boys do not like to read, but they may find they are more interested in a novel that chronicles the lives and issues of other young men. I will be pairing this with the young adult novel, Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden, which recounts the development of a friendship and eventual romantic relationship between two young women. One key point that will come across by reading this novel is that while it explores a relationship between two people that are gay, the novel is not about a “gay relationship.” This is a novel that explores the classic teenage relationship: the ups and downs, the curiosity, the development both physical and emotional. The only difference is that this particular relationship brings up questions of morality, civility, and the concerns of the characters family and community. In teaching this novel, I will be teaching about civility and relationships, not just homosexuality. For outside reading, I will also be recommending the young adult novel, Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger, which is a fun and witty novel that follows two teenagers who come into an unlikely friendship where one wants to take it to the next level and the other does not, ultimately leading both on a path of self-discovery and respect for the other. Their discovery is placed through the creative form of zines, which is a cross between magazines and comic books. The novel pans out as a cross between the author’s thoughts and excerpts of characters zines. This is a book that I actually read on my own when I was in high school, and it really reeled me into the mind of other teenagers as they discovered who they were. I cannot say that it did not play a role in the discovery of my own self as well, introducing me to a world of creativity and self-realization. All of these novels will help in explaining the differences that we will all undoubtedly encounter in our lifetime. During this unit, students will be building on their reading and interpretation skills. As an English teacher, I am all for students coming up with their own views and decisions for or against the characters and situations that arrive in the novels. I am there to steer them into the right direction, but there are times when students can even surprise me by finding or inferring something I have not yet thought of. I am very adamant about students getting out of their seat and trying creative activities that involve the class reading. In Annie on My Mind, there is a part where the characters are involved in a court hearing. It would be interesting to have students act out a version of this scene and then write an essay about what they learned through the activity. Students will also be using and building on their understanding of the main parts of a story including: theme, plot, setting, characters, and style. This unit will unquestionably be met with opposition from parents, fellow teachers, and administrators because it can be controversial in nature. The largest dispute I will encounter is the reading of Annie on My Mind and the discussions of homosexuality. Many will say that homosexuality should not be taught to our students, and my response would simply be that we are not “teaching homosexuality.” Many think that this will be the first time these students have ever heard of someone, especially a student, being gay, and that is completely false because our students do not live in a vacuum. Another concern that may come about deals with reading The Outsiders. Some may think that this novel glorifies gang-life. It is true that the main characters in this novel are in a gang, and I will not try to sugar-coat or hide this fact when reading it. What I will do is talk to my students about possible reasons why this group of boys feels as if they belong nowhere else but in a gang. The Greasers are considered a gang because they are a group of riotous boys who do not fit in with the majority. This is a great opportunity to show my students how judging others on the basis of their social and socio economic status can lead to unhealthy situations and decisions. As far as both of these concerns go, I would explain that what I am aiming to teach is consciousness, awareness, and respect of others differences, especially those who share the same classroom. I believe the ultimate goal parents want is to raise respectable, law abiding, educated children, and teaching them a lesson on acceptance can only reinforce that goal.
The theme for my unit plan is “Accepting and Understanding Differences.” This unit will be geared toward seventh graders. The middle school years are when students make some of their biggest changes. They are developing physically, mentally, and emotionally, which allows us as educators to be one of the most influential figures in their lives. This is the most ideal time to teach our students character building skills and to help mold them into respectable and educated citizens. One of the greatest lessons we can all learn is the act of respect and acceptance. Individuality is more prevalent today than in any generation thus far. While not all of us will agree on one another’s choices, beliefs, or circumstances, it is our duty as self-respecting Americans to give that same respect we would wish for ourselves. I believe that this has to be taught to our students at an early age in order for them to truly understand and put these skills into practice.
The list of differences and diversity can go on and on, so I have chosen three main points to hone in on for my students: sexual orientation, social groups, and social status. Homosexuality is one of the most prevalent issues in American society right now, especially in Maryland. This is an issue that should be discussed with students anyway, but is even more urgent now because of all the recent bullying happening in schools due to homosexuality. It is hard enough for an adolescent to get through life and school on a daily basis, but it is even harder for those who are gay or judged to be gay and bullied because of it. The fact also remains that it is not only the gay students that suffer because of this ridicule, but so do their family, their friends, other students, and their community as a whole. Respect and awareness must be taught in order for students to understand that being gay is not an evil or deviant thing. Yet, each individual will have his or her own opinion, which can often times be influenced by their family values; however, one thing that will be mandatory in my classroom is the conscious respect of all people regardless of another’s opinion of one’s lifestyle.
We all remember from our middle school days, the cliques that roamed the halls, whether we were a part of the popular crowd, the geeks, or the nobody’s. This social alignment within schools has always existed, and does not seem to be coming to a halt any time soon. Still, it is important to teach our students about the impact that these kinds of social groups can have on their lives. While we are in school we think that our particular group is the most important thing on the earth, but students have yet to realize that the world outside of school is so much unlike the one they have while inside of school. If students learned to walk outside of their comfort zone and talk to someone from another social group they might realize that they can find friends in the most unlikely people.
This is also in relation to my last point, which is social status. While students group themselves off by interests, they can also group themselves off by socio economic status. One of the largest reasons for bullying and teasing in schools is because of a person’s appearance. Students have always been beat up or picked on because they do not own the latest sneakers or the coolest accessories, which can often be due to their parent’s economic status. I want to teach students about the absurdity of placing value in such material things. While this dynamic is also far from changing, it is important to give students the confidence in themselves to know that they are much more than what they do or do now own.
Each student has to deal with all three of these issues on some level during their school career. It is a part of our jobs as teachers to help prepare them for this part of their lives as well. Many educators just look at the delegated part of the curriculum to teach, but I still remember what it was like when I was in middle school and high school, and how I wish I had a teacher to teach me and my peers a lesson on acceptance. In order to relate this theme to my classes I will be using the classic text, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, which shows a group of young men dealing with their place in life. Because of social and socio economic seclusion, the teenagers in the town are split into two groups: the Greasers (those who come from poverty) and the Soc’s (those who come from wealth). This novel is a sure-fire way to explore the issues between teenagers and their social and material reliance. I also really enjoy this novel because it brings a strong male point of view into the classroom. Many young boys do not like to read, but they may find they are more interested in a novel that chronicles the lives and issues of other young men.
I will be pairing this with the young adult novel, Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden, which recounts the development of a friendship and eventual romantic relationship between two young women. One key point that will come across by reading this novel is that while it explores a relationship between two people that are gay, the novel is not about a “gay relationship.” This is a novel that explores the classic teenage relationship: the ups and downs, the curiosity, the development both physical and emotional. The only difference is that this particular relationship brings up questions of morality, civility, and the concerns of the characters family and community. In teaching this novel, I will be teaching about civility and relationships, not just homosexuality.
For outside reading, I will also be recommending the young adult novel, Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger, which is a fun and witty novel that follows two teenagers who come into an unlikely friendship where one wants to take it to the next level and the other does not, ultimately leading both on a path of self-discovery and respect for the other. Their discovery is placed through the creative form of zines, which is a cross between magazines and comic books. The novel pans out as a cross between the author’s thoughts and excerpts of characters zines. This is a book that I actually read on my own when I was in high school, and it really reeled me into the mind of other teenagers as they discovered who they were. I cannot say that it did not play a role in the discovery of my own self as well, introducing me to a world of creativity and self-realization. All of these novels will help in explaining the differences that we will all undoubtedly encounter in our lifetime.
During this unit, students will be building on their reading and interpretation skills. As an English teacher, I am all for students coming up with their own views and decisions for or against the characters and situations that arrive in the novels. I am there to steer them into the right direction, but there are times when students can even surprise me by finding or inferring something I have not yet thought of. I am very adamant about students getting out of their seat and trying creative activities that involve the class reading. In Annie on My Mind, there is a part where the characters are involved in a court hearing. It would be interesting to have students act out a version of this scene and then write an essay about what they learned through the activity. Students will also be using and building on their understanding of the main parts of a story including: theme, plot, setting, characters, and style.
This unit will unquestionably be met with opposition from parents, fellow teachers, and administrators because it can be controversial in nature. The largest dispute I will encounter is the reading of Annie on My Mind and the discussions of homosexuality. Many will say that homosexuality should not be taught to our students, and my response would simply be that we are not “teaching homosexuality.” Many think that this will be the first time these students have ever heard of someone, especially a student, being gay, and that is completely false because our students do not live in a vacuum.
Another concern that may come about deals with reading The Outsiders. Some may think that this novel glorifies gang-life. It is true that the main characters in this novel are in a gang, and I will not try to sugar-coat or hide this fact when reading it. What I will do is talk to my students about possible reasons why this group of boys feels as if they belong nowhere else but in a gang. The Greasers are considered a gang because they are a group of riotous boys who do not fit in with the majority. This is a great opportunity to show my students how judging others on the basis of their social and socio economic status can lead to unhealthy situations and decisions.
As far as both of these concerns go, I would explain that what I am aiming to teach is consciousness, awareness, and respect of others differences, especially those who share the same classroom. I believe the ultimate goal parents want is to raise respectable, law abiding, educated children, and teaching them a lesson on acceptance can only reinforce that goal.