Appendix on Implementing District Standards
CCSS.ELA.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Students meet this standard when completing their final writing assignment. They create their own maps in order to gather information to complete the writing prompt. Students have some flexibility and choice here, as they select one element of the standard to focus on: character interactions, or the development of plot, character, or theme.
CCSS.ELA.RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
When students are learning about mood, they analyze the impact of word choice on mood and tone. They do this in the mood mapping activities because they need to identify specific pieces of text evidence that contribute toward the passage’s mood. Although the standard specifically mentions tone, mood is a related concept that is explored in depth in this unit. Tone is also addressed using similar teaching strategies.
CCSS.ELA.W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Throughout the unit when students are writing about mood and the characters’ interactions, they use informative writing to explain their analysis of the text. Maps help students to select, organize, and analyze the content before writing. Accordion format forces students to organize their content through the use of starter words, transitions, and concluding words. The analysis of content comes in the explanation sections of their paragraphs, and they must choose and cite specific pieces of textual evidence throughout the paragraphs.
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