Reading

Writing

Math *

Science

Social Studies

September

Unit 1 - Critical Literacy

This unit is concerned with cultural relevance and getting teens to fall in love with books because the books they read are deeply meaningful to the lives they are living right now. It is dedicated to contemporary critical literacy skills that help young people see more in the texts they read and liberate meaning in the books and in their lives.

Unit 1 - Memoir

We all have stories to share and students will learn strategies for conveying something important about themselves through their writing in this unit. Students will step back to analyze the themes and lessons in the stories they develop from early ideas to polished pieces.

Unit 1 - Congruence & Similarity

Students will work with rotations, reflections and translations in the coordinate plane in order to understand congruent and similar figures.

Unit 1 - Evolution and Earth History Mashup A

Students examine records of Earth’s history through geology as well as fossils.

Unit 1 - The Revolutionary Era

Students will focus on the causes of the American Revolution, Revolutionary America and early struggles.

October

Unit 2 - Linear Relationships

Students will continue their study of relationships between two variables with a focus on creating equations in two variables and solving equations in one variable. They will continue to apply properties of equalities to solve equations involving exponents.

November

Unit 2 - Argument Reading

This unit supports readers as researchers and critical thinkers. Readers will take clear positions, acknowledge other points of view, read critically, develop logic and argumentation skills. Ultimately, the goal is to transform students into more principled, compelling thinkers and writers.

Unit 2 - Position Papers

In this unit, students will develop writing that goes beyond the argumentative writing skills that they have previously mastered. Students will be writing position papers/arguments that focus on logical appeals and involve creating claims, identifying the best supporting evidence, examining warrants, backing, and rebuttals.

Unit 2 - Evolution and Earth History Mashup B

Students explore the diversity of life on Earth and the natural and technological mechanisms that lead to changes in species over time.

Unit 2 - The Making of a Nation

Students will understand the process leading to the formation of the new government under the Constitution as well as a in-depth focus on the Constitution as a living document that sometimes leads to conflict and the need to compromise.

December

Unit 3 - Systems

Using tables, graphs, and algebraic manipulation, students will create and solve systems of linear equations.

January

Unit 3 - Forces and The Solar System

Students examine Earth’s place in the universe while developing a model of our solar system and examining patterns in cycles that affect their everyday lives. They will also explore gravitational interactions in space.

Unit 4 - Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers

Students will use the Pythagorean theorem to solve problems involving geometric figures. They will develop an understanding of irrational numbers.

February

Unit 3 - Dystopian Book Club

The work in this unit is anchored by several short stories that include both older, classic stories and modern texts. In addition, students will read dystopian books in clubs so that students are driving themselves and their classmates to continue to turn the pages and push themselves as readers.

Unit 3 - Literary Essay

This unit poses a unique challenge for young writers. Students will uncover the nuances of a literary analysis. They will come to make sense of a writing genre that is explanatory but features many of the aspects and techniques of argumentative writing.

Unit 3 - The Growth of a Nation

Students will learn about U.S. expansion into the West in the 1800s and how this affected those peoples who already lived there. Students will investigate and explore the factors, conditions, and conflicts related to Westward expansion. Various perspectives will be considered throughout.

March

Unit 5 - Functions and Volume

Students will start their study of relationships between two variables by creating tables, graphs, and equations of simple linear functions. They will be able to identify why relationships are or are not functions. They will also use the volume formula to solve problems.

Unit 4 - Forces and Motion on Earth

Students examine the dynamic relationships between forces and motions between objects.

April

Unit 4 - SBA Test Prep

This short unit provides an opportunity to revisit reading goals and comprehension strategies for complex texts. In addition, the aim is to create a bridge between the authentic reading work up to this point and the specific language and structure of the test.

Unit 4 - SBA Test Prep

This short unit is focused on the specific, unique writing tasks on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Students will review strategies for writing effective short responses, as well as tips for revising and editing.

Unit 6 - Exponents and Scientific Notation

Students will work with equivalent expressions that involve positive and negative integer exponents and scientific notation.

Unit 4 - A Nation at War

Students will investigate the Civil War with a focus on slavery and abolition. Students will learn about the effects that slavery created for American economics, religious beliefs, social standings and culture.

May

Unit 5 - Approaching the Classics or Analyzing Poetry

This unit aims to introduce all students to reading classics. Students will engage with texts that are valued as cultural literacy. Students will read to appreciate the themes, characters, archetypes, and literary traditions these texts introduce.

Unit 5 - Investigative Journalism

Investigative Journalism relies on students combining their knowledge of narrative, their use of information writing and their skills in argument to write about events in their lives and in the world.

Unit 5 - Waves

Students examine how energy travels in waves and their use for sending signals.

Unit 7 - Patterns in Data

Students will apply their understanding of linear function to create equations and interpret what they represent while analyzing bivariate data. They will investigate the difference between correlation and causation.

June