Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:

Craft and structure emphasize how readers use context as clues to find meanings of words and phrases including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. Readers extend meaning by analyzing the impact of an author’s word choice, including analogies and allusions. In addition, readers determine how the author’s word choice contributes to the meaning and tone of an informational text. Analysis of informational text requires readers to identify the author’s purpose and perspective to determine how an author acknowledges and responds to a position. Critical readers and thinkers examine the organization of ideas in the text to identify signals for opposing viewpoints. 

Within text types and purposes, students write informational texts to support thesis statements. The introductory section should provide background knowledge of the topic and include a guiding thesis statement as a single sentence. In the body of the text, students should provide evidence, e.g., facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples that specifically relate to the topic, and explain and elaborate how the topic and evidence support each other. Students must provide a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points in the text, and potentially provokes the reader to continue to critically think about the topic, beyond what was presented in the text. 

Unit Duration:  

29 days (25 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule