Gifted and Talented Language Arts 6 B

In this unit, you will explore the Big Question: How should we deal with bullies? You will read a story about how characters deal with a bully and then you will draw conclusions about the characters, ideas, and events in the story. You will analyze the plot structure of the story. You will also use different strategies to develop your own literary analysis of a story.

In this unit, you will explore the Big Question: What makes a hero? You will read about, compare, and analyze various fictional and real-life heroes. You will learn how to understand word origins, and use reading skills such as questioning, predicting, and analyzing. You will analyze the literary elements of folktales and fables and create your own fable.

In this unit, you will explore the Big Question: What can we learn from our mistakes? You will read one story about a father and his family who learn what is really important from their mistakes, as well as other stories about people who do not learn from their mistakes. You will identify symbols in the stories, recognize how the narrators affect the stories, and evaluate the historical context of the stories. You will also write a personal narrative about a mistake that you have made.

In this unit, you will explore the Big Question: What makes a friend? You will read two plays that encourage you to evaluate the qualities of a good friend. As you read the plays, you will also identify the distinguishing features of a play, visualize the authors' descriptions, and learn how to define jargon and clipped words. In addition, you will write a speech about a friend who is important to you.

In Walk Two Moons, 13-year-old Salamanca “Sal” Hiddle narrates the story as she and her grandparents embark on a road trip from Euclid, Ohio, to Lewiston, Idaho. Sal, hurt and confused, struggles to accept the fact that her mother has left her and her father. The family heads to Lewiston, Idaho, where Sal hopes to be able to convince her mother to return home. While on the road, they stop to visit historic landmarks and experience the beautiful landscape of the Midwest. To pass the time in the car, Sal tells her grandparents a peculiar story about her best friend, Phoebe Winterbottom. It is this story within a story that helps Sal better understand her mother’s decision and begin to heal. This road trip changes their lives and impacts their family forever. In this unit, you will identify literary elements, analyze characters, and use comprehension strategies to make connections and draw conclusions.

Walk Two Moons is the recommended novel for Language Arts 8. Esperanza Rising may be read instead of Walk Two Moons with prior teacher approval. Lessons and activities for Esperanza Rising will appear on the lower half of the page. Do not proceed with Esperanza Rising unless you have received approval from your teacher.

In Esperanza Rising, twelve-year-old Esperanza Ortega and her family live on a sprawling ranch in Mexico. As the only child of a wealthy couple, she is showered with love and given the best of everything. After a series of tragic events, Esperanza immigrates to the United States and joins the large population of migrants heading to California to find work during the Great Depression. After settling in a farm camp in the San Joaquin Valley, tragedy strikes again, forcing Esperanza to develop the strength and perseverance needed to hold on to the new life to which she is beginning to adjust.