Welcome to 8th Grade Honors English!

SUBJECT TEACHER/EMAIL GRADE SCHOOL YEAR

Language and Literacy Ms. Adler - 08 2019-2020
laurenadler495@yahoo
.com

OVERVIEW
Hello students, welcome to 8th grade honors English. This course is designed, as many English
courses are, to enhance your reading and writing abilities. However, we will be doing this through
learning about social, and racial justice, inclusion, the society we live in, diversity, and a lot of
reflection on our own ideologies. My hope is that when you walk into my classroom door you feel as
though you are in a safe, loving, welcoming place where we want to hear YOUR thoughts! You can
walk through my door knowing that you are accepted for you are, and we will celebrate each one of
you! My hope is then that you can walk out of my door with your mind expanded, a noticeable growth
in yourself, willing to speak out, and with a feeling that you can make a difference in the society in
which you will live in and interact with throughout life. We will be interacting with many texts of
diverse viewpoints, which for many of you this will be a first and I am so excited to your conductor on
your learning train of this.

UNITS OBJECTIVES ASSIGNMENTS/PLANS

UNIT 1: • Learn about who you are,
WEEKS 1-3 historically.
• Understand your culture and relate
it to your past experiences.
• Understand your classmates’ culture
and background.
• Remember to always keep an open
mind, be caring, and be kind.
UNIT 2: • Begin learning about racial
WEEKS 4-8 justice.
• Learn about how racism is still
present today by hearing about
other people’s stories.
• Share stories of your own (if you
have any). Please feel comfortable
to share, we will all gain insight
from your story.
1. Together, we will set classroom
expectations. A caring, open,
comfortable, loving environment.
2. Interview a grandparent, or older
relative. Take notes during this
time.
3. With your groups of 5, discuss your
interview with one another.
4. Create a poster or short PowerPoint
and share 3 things about your
background with the class.
5. Write a poem about who you are!
6. Write a language, and culture
autobiography. What are your
differences that make you unique?
(2 pages- double spaced). We will
have workshop time in class.
1. We will watch a Ted Talk. “What it
takes to be racially literate” by Priya
Vulchi and Winona Guo.
https://www.ted.com/talks/priya_vu
lchi_and_winona_guo_what_it_take
s_to_be_racially_literate
2. Read 15 stories out of the book The
Classroom Index by Priya Vulchi
and Winona Guo. (One every day
for 2-3 weeks). We will talk about
them in class every day by giving a
 UNITS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 2 • Compare/contrast your
CONTINUED… background to someone in the
book The Classroom Index.
• By comparing/contrasting it
forces us to put into retrospect our
lives, and our privileges.
• Understand why we must stand
for racial justice.
• Understand how we can stand for
diversity, acceptance, and
inclusion.
• Share our growing knowledge
with one another.
• Reflect on ourselves.
• Reflect on the stories we read
about.
UNIT 3: WEEK • This week we will learn and talk
9 about racism throughout history.
• We will learn about a variety of
races that have been affected and
continue to be affected by racism
and/or social injustice.
UNIT 4: WEEKS • We will split into literacy reading
10-13 groups of 4 to 5 people (You will
pick 3 books from my list and I
will assign groups based on your
responses). Below you will find
what group will read which book.
• Group A: The Hate U Give by
Angie Thomas
Group B: This Side of Home by
Renee Watson
ASSIGNMENTS/PLANS
summary, our reactions, and our
thoughts.
3. Option A- Write your own
(personal) story like those that we
read. No fictional stories! This is a
space for those of you (or have
relatives) who have dealt with
injustice to talk about it, share it,
and help others realize how
prevalent it still is today.
Option B- Write about and compare
an event in your life to one that you
read about.
Option C- Write about and contrast
your background to those in the
book.
4. Together, we will compose a
classroom list of things that we can
do everyday to fight for racial
justice.
5. Write a letter in response to
someone in the book The
Classroom Index.
-What do you want to say to them?
-How can we make them feel
appreciated, represented, and equal?
1. Our main goal for this week is to
realize how many cultures have
been affected by racism. To learn
about how our society was and still
is unjust.
2. We will watch this video to give us
an idea of racism around the world-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
ayoSRpQ8I-U
3. We will watch the movie The Boy
in the Striped Pajamas. Afterwards
we will reflect on what we watched.
1. Each group will read about 1 chapter
in two days (depending on your books
chapters). The first day of each new
chapter will be allocated for a reading
day, in class. The second will be to
talk with your groups about the book
so far.
2. Take notes, highlight, underline.
3. After each chapter, write a one
paragraph summary, and your
thoughts. You will turn these in as
you read so I can ensure you are
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 UNITS OBJECTIVES
Group C: The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Sherman Alexie
Group D: The Book Thief by
Markus Zusak
Group E: Ask Me No Question by
Marina Budhos
Group F: The Revolution of
Evelyn by Sonia Manzano
UNIT 5: WEEKS • Reflect on what you read.
13-14 • Share with the class about your
book.
• These weeks will be group
presentations.
UNIT 6: WEEK • Within this unit, we will explore
15 children’s book that celebrate
diversity.
• This will give us a new
perspective on how we early we
can advocate for racial justice,
inclusion and diversity through
teaching others.
• We will talk about the importance
of teaching the younger
generations in order for society to
change.
• Hint- kids are more immersed into
racism than we may think.
• Remember, kids will be the
world’s leaders someday.
UNIT 7: WEEK • Self-reflect. -Have you changed
16 after reading your group literacy
book? Have you begun to be more
accepting about differences?
ASSIGNMENTS/PLANS
keeping up with the book. No wrong
answers, only opinions.
4. Think about and write about how the
group of people in your book is being
affected whether they are Black,
Indian, Jewish, Mexican, Hawaiian, or
anything else. How does racism make
them feel or what position does it put
these groups in?
1. Create a PowerPoint with your
group to talk to the rest of the class
about your book. Things to include
are…summary, themes, how this
affects the characters, and your
reactions.
-You will be given 1 week to work
on these presentations and then the
following week we will present.
1. We will watch this video on how
kids see race-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
GPVNJgfDwpw&t=294s
2. Read these books (I will provide
them) in class.
-All Are Welcome written by
Alexandrea Penfold
-A is For Activist and Counting on
Community by Innosanto Nagara
-The Day You Begin by Jacqueline
Woodson
-Lovely by Jess Hong
-Same but Different by Jenny Sue
Kostecki-Shaw
-The Skin you Live In written by
Michael Tyler
-Families, Families, Families! By
Suzanne Lang and Max Lang
3. Write your own short children’s
book celebrating diversity and
acknowledging the importance of it.
-when writing yours think about
what you liked so much from the
children’s book we read. What drew
your attention to the book? How is
it different than other children’s
books that you have read before?
1. Together, we will come up with
ways that we can fight for racial
justice after learning about ways
that other people do.
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 UNITS OBJECTIVES
• Learn about what we can do.
Change begins with one person,
we will learn about how we can
allocate for a change, and how we
can create an accepting society.
ASSIGNMENTS/PLANS
2. Write a poem about what you can
do to move society in a positive
direction.
3. Remember the poem we wrote on
the first week about who you are?
Let’s revisit that poem and write a
new one!
4. Write a self-reflection. How have
you changed? How will you
allocate for racial justice?

REQUIREMENTS:
• -A notebook only to be used only in this class.
• -The Book: The Classroom Index by Guo and Vulchi.
• -Your group literacy book.
•
• BY THE END OF THIS CLASS YOU WILL BE ABLE TOO….
• Understand what racial justice is.
• Understand diversity, and equality and the importance of them.
• Understand those terms in relation to our society today, and in the world’s past.
• Understand how people, all over the world, have been and still are affected by racism.
• Understand how to be an activist for change.
• Understand why it is crucial for little kids to read books celebrating diversity. (they will run the
world’s future).
• Have skills to empower others through our voices and writings.

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER:

I grew up in Macomb, Michigan. This area is classified as suburban and since 1970 has had a
steadily rising population (Public School Review). I attended school within the Chippewa Valley School
district. Within this district I went to Dakota high school, which was and continues to be, the most
populated high school in Michigan. Thus, I graduated with over 700 other students, but only knowing 1/3
of them. Attending school with so many other students was a learning point that allowed me to hear and
see into the lives of so many different opinions and viewpoints. Although it allowed me to hear 700 other
viewpoints, I was still limited. Within Chippewa valley schools, 79% of the student population is White,
10% is Black, 4% is Hispanic, 3% is Asian, and around .01% is American Indian (Public School
Review). With statistics like those, I was truly not immersed into other races, backgrounds, or ethnicities
growing up. It was not until I attended Michigan State University for college that I really felt diversity
amongst me. It became so important to my classes, and to me to help me grow as an individual. Being
assimilated and introduced to so much diversity became one of my greatest learning curves thus far. My
entire world expanded as my mind was opened to hearing, seeing, and learning about people from all
around the world and their knowledge that they had to share. This changed me as a person and as an
educator, for the better. I became aware of the lack of diversity in which I was exposed to growing up and

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how much that affected me regarding advocating for real world social change and racial justice, and
overall being a more accepting human. I don’t want my future students (you!) to go all the way through
schooling and not be introduced to diversity until college level. That idea is absurd when I am supposed
to be preparing you for the world! Additionally, with having that many students in my graduating class it
prepared me for what the real world was like outside of high school; a world where I am just one single
person living a life amongst several other individuals. We are all just one single person living ordinary
lives but, we have the ability to live extraordinary within ourselves and our communities in which we live
in. Our voices alone may seem dim, but when combined with others, they can spread a light onto new
ideas, they can spark social changes, they can gain acceptance, and most importantly, they can stand for
racial justice/equality. Our voices can be activists towards a better society, and in this class, I hope to
teach you how to use your voice.
Continuing, for our class, I want to hear your voices, your ideas, your thoughts, your knowledge,
and your experiences as we learn about new topics. This will not only help you grow, it will help your
fellow classmates and, believe it or not, it will extremely help me! Every class I teach is a learning
opportunity for me that you provide me with. Just because I am older than you does not mean that I am
all done learning! Learning never stops, you will come across this idea you go grow older 😉 (and come
to love it). With that being said, I am extremely grateful to have you all in my class. Furthermore, I
would like you all to know that I am here for you. I am here for you to talk to whether it is about our
school work, your social life within school, your home-life, or any issues you want to talk about, I am
here to help. Please feel free to reach out to me either in person, before/after classes, or through email to
schedule a time to chat in person.
Another small tad-bit of information, I do allow snacks within my classroom and water
bottles. At least once per week I will try to bring a snack for everyone, but in the event that I do not you
are always welcome to bring one of your own. Learning happens far easier when our stomachs are full!
….and here is one of my favorite poems…

“Today you are you, that is truer than true.

There is no one alive who is you-er than you.
Shout aloud, I am glad to be what I am.
Thank goodness I’m not a ham, or a clam, or a dusty old jar of gooseberry jam.
I am what I am, what a great thing to be.
If I say so myself, happy everyday to me!”
-Dr. Seuss

…Additionally, here are some Dr. Seuss life lessons!

“1. Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
2. ’Why fit in when you were born to stand out?’
3. You have brains in your head. you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction
you choose.
4. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those you matter
don’t mind.
5. Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered.”
-Dr. Seuss

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GRADING:
You will be graded on all assignments turned into me, as well as your active participation and
contributions to our class and towards your group. (I have written in green every assignment that will be
turned in for points). For a lot of our assignments there are no “right” answers, I am looking for your
ideas and progress throughout this class. The last main proportion of your grade will come from being
prepared for class discussions.

96-100% = A+
93-95% = A
90-92% = A-
86-89% = B+
83-85% = B
79-82% = B-
76-78% = C+
73-75% = C
70-72% = C-
67-69% = D+
63-66% = D
60-62% = D- …ANYTHING lower will result in a failing grade. But I believe in you all😊

SOURCES:
Dr. Seuss. (2015). A quote by Dr. Seuss. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7159585-today-you-are-you-that-is-truer-than-true-there
Dr. Seuss. (2013, July 17). 5 Lessons in Life from Dr. Seuss. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from
http://infographicaday.com/5-lessons-in-life-from-dr-seuss/
CNN. (2012, April 02). Retrieved February 28, 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPVNJgfDwpw&t=294s
Guo, W. Vulchi, P. (2017, November). Retrieved February 27, 2019, from
https://www.ted.com/talks/priya_vulchi_and_winona_guo_what_it_takes_to_be_racially_literate
#t-478763
Herman, M. (Director), & Boyne, J. (Writer). (2008). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [Video file].
United States: Miramax Films. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
Perlman, S. (2017, September 3). How Two Teenagers Created a Textbook for Racial Literacy.
Retrieved February 24, 2019, from http://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/how-two-teenagers-
created-a-textbook-for-racial-literacy
Public School Review. (2016). Chippewa Valley School District. Retrieved February 20, 2019, from
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/michigan/chippewa-valley-schools/2609570-school-
district.
Thatswhytv. (2015, August 18). Retrieved February 27, 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayoSRpQ8I-U