Students explore the American experience through the eyes of two young men–one white and one Black—connected through an incident of police brutality.
ELA
Unit 1
8th Grade
The first 8th-grade unit initiates a year-long exploration of injustice and responses to oppression. In this unit, students will explore issues of racial injustice in the United States. The core text, All American Boys, is a 2015 novel written by two authors that tells the story of two teenage boys—one white and one Black–as they tackle racism and police brutality in their community. Their lives intersect unexpectedly when Quinn watches as Rashad, a Black classmate, is assaulted by a police officer outside a local convenience store. Quinn is suddenly forced to face the reality of racial injustice in his own community, while Rashad faces the harsh reality that the world judges him primarily by his race. Both young men must grapple with how to respond to the event and the responsibility they have to stand up when injustice has occurred.
In addition to the core text, students will read diverse informational texts, including a TED Talk about growing up Black in America, and an excerpt from the United States Constitution. Throughout the unit, students will gain vocabulary and schema related to racial justice with the hope that they will become better equipped to engage meaningfully with these issues in their own lives.
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The following assessments accompany Unit 1.
The Content Assessment tests students' ability to read a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. Additionally, a longer writing prompt pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.
The Vocabulary Assessment tests student's knowledge and usage of the unit's of text-based vocabulary.
The Fluency Assessment measures students' ability to read a grade-level text with accuracy and prosody, at a proficient rate, with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. Find guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.
accountableallegianceassumptionbiasbystandercustodydemographicsdehumanizedumbfoundedimpeccableinjusticeobliviousprivilegeprohibitprejudiceradicalsubmissionsurrealsynonymoustransfixedubiquitous
climaxcolloquial languageconnotationepigraphfigurative languageimageryinternal monologueinternal conflictmetaphorperspectivestructurethematic topicthemetoneverbal irony
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 1 , view our 8th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the guidance provided under 'Notes for Teachers' below in addition to the Unit Launch to determine which supports students will need at the unit and lesson level. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.
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