TGC Fellow Unit Template *
Prepared by: Jane Phillips
School/Location: Okemos High School; Okemos, MI
Subject: English
Grade: 9
Unit Title: Refugee stories through the Lens of three Lost Boys of Sudan
Time Needed: 4-5 weeks
Unit Summary: Students will read They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys of Sudan. They will learn about the perilous journey of three Sudanese refugees as they journey to America. Students will learn about the region, the challenges faced by the Sudanese people and how that relates to the plight of refugees even today. Students will learn about the famine and water needs of the region and take action to help the plight of refugees today.
Stage 1 Desired Results
ESTABLISHED GOALS:
STANDARD 2.1 Develop critical reading, listening, and viewing strategies.
STANDARD 2.2 Use a variety of reading, listening, and viewing strategies to construct meaning beyond the literal level.
STANDARD 2.3 Develop as a reader, listener, and viewer for personal, social, and political purposes, through independent and collaborative reading. STANDARD 3.1 Develop the skills of close and contextual literary reading
STANDARD 2.1 Develop critical reading, listening, and viewing strategies.
STANDARD 2.2 Use a variety of reading, listening, and viewing strategies to construct meaning beyond the literal level.
STANDARD 1.3 Communicate in speech, writing, and multimedia using content, form, voice, and style appropriate to the audience and purpose (e.g., to reflect, persuade, inform, analyze, entertain, inspire). STANDARD 1.5 Produce a variety of written, spoken, multigenre, and multimedia works, making conscious choices about language, form, style, and/or visual presentation
STANDARD 1.4 Develop and use the tools and practices of inquiry and research—generating, exploring, and refining important questions; creating a hypothesis or thesis; gathering and studying evidence; drawing conclusions; and composing a report.
GLOBAL COMPETENCY:
Investigate the world
Recognize perspectives
Communicate ideas
Take action
Transfer
Students will be able to
interpret different perspectives when reading and analyzing text
Recognize perspectives other than their own
Communicate ideas effectively especially through writing
Identify needs of refugees around the world
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that…
Cultural and political conflict influence migration
Sudanese refugees experienced great hardship and challenge to reach safety
Action by United States citizens can influence public opinion about refugee crisis
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
E1. Who are the Lost Boys of Sudan and how has their journey shaped their lives?
E2. How do world events affect migration?
E3. How can writing and the spread of information affect treatment of refugees?
Acquisition
Students will know…
The factors contributing to the forced migration of Sudanese refugees
The facts surrounding the journey taken by the Sudanese refugees known as the Lost Boys of Sudan
The climate and geography of Sudan and surrounding region
Students will be able to…
Read and analyze the text, opinion and editorial pieces
Create a map of Sudan and surrounding areas
Communicate challenges and obstacles faced by Sudanese refugees
Write an opinion piece regarding a humanitarian crisis
Stage 2 - Evidence
Assessment
Evaluation Criteria (Learning Target or Student Will Be Able To)
Assessments FOR Learning: (ex: kwl chart, exit ticket, observation, draft, rehearsal)
- KWL Chart – Students will begin with an introduction to the refugee crisis today. They will complete a KWL chart and complete a pre-assessment survey on key terms/perceptions of refugees
- Annotation of articles and notetaking for short videos and podcasts
- Students will read articles on the refugee crisis and they will listen to podcasts and watch short videos
- Journal entries – reactions to readings and media
- Students will read excerpts from They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky – The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
- Students will read excerpts from A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- Participate in a question and answer session with one or more Sudanese refugees residing in Michigan
- Students will answer questions on a survey (Google forms) and record findings on KWL chart
- Students will take a quiz (QUIA or Google forms) on key terms and concepts related to the refugee crisis
- Students will show their confusion in annotating articles using NEWSELA and students will report out/share information learned in NPR podcast
- Students will practice note taking skills by following along with guided notes provided by instructor
- Students will keep a journal of their reactions to material which can be very difficult
- Students will respond to guided reading questions while reading excerpts of both texts
- Students will write questions for questions and answer session with one or more Sudanese refugees