Unit 4: "Not all who wander are lost" -JR Tolkein
Length: 6 weeks
November 10th-December 20th (Thanksgiving Break Included)
Rationale and Introduction:
In Unit 4, we will be discussing the text Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. This unit will focus on a physical journey as well as a quest for self-identity. Through the main protagonist (Alex or Chris McCandless) students will explore how journey can be used to discovery one’s self. The unit will include articles related to Chris McCandless’s true story, segments from his sisters recent novel The Wild Truth, several small and large group discussions regarding the novel, time for silent reading, vocabulary quizzes (unknown vocabulary in the novel), and a final multi-genre project. This final project will be based around a representation of Alex’s adventure. Students will have the opportunity to create a project using various modes of texts and representation in order to create Alex’s “life map.” The unit will be concluded with student presentations on their projects as well as time to watch the movie Into the Wild. This movie offers a great representation of the true story of Alex’s life and really makes the text come alive. This being said, I feel that it is a great movie to include in the unit. Through the various texts and multi-genre project, students will become aware of one way that self identity can be formed through journey.
With the unit being split in half awkwardly by Thanksgiving Break and then ending just before Winter Break, students will be restless. This unit is fun, active, and creative. This being said, it will be a great unit to end with just before the holidays. First, I am confident that students will be able to connect to the novel and the protagonist. Still getting used to the culture of high school, students are searching for their own self-identity. By forming a strong connection with characters, students can turn to characters as they grow and “look to them for guidance, vicarious experiences, and an escape when things are tough” (Sass-Henke, 75). Furthermore, because the text is based off the true story of Chris McCandless, students will have “an opportunity to meet [this] character in ways that show [him] as real [people]” (Sass-Henke, 75). The multi-genre project will “allow for multiple voices from the students as well as the use of their imagination” (Hyler and Hicks, 149). By giving students choice and space for creativity, students will “feel they have a say in the learning process and [will] feel pride in their work; this leads to academic growth in the student” (Hyler and Hicks, 149). Through the final project and connecting with the protagonist, students will be able to explore their own self-identity.
Unit Goals:
-To explore what it means to be American and how culture, family, friends, and experiences shape identity
-To follow the novel’s protagonist, Alex and how he creates his own identity through an adventurous journey.
-To view how Chris McCandless’s life and death affected those around him
Texts:
-Novel: Into the Wild by John Krakauer
-Novel: The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless (segments)
-Poem: “I Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes
-Poem: “I hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
-Interview: Emil Hirsch
-Movie: Into the Wild
Activities:
-Google Earth Exploration: Students will map out the route that Chris McCandless takes in the novel. This will give them a visual idea of how far he traveled and the different American cultures he experienced.
-Trivia: Trivia for the unit will focus on the theme, events, and characters of Into the Wild. It will also include questions from class discussion and the supporting texts we read.
-Think Pair Share: Students will think and then share their thoughts with a partner on the question what is America? They will base their ideas off personal experiences, Into the Wild, and the two poems by Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman
Assignments:
-Google Earth Research: After students use google earth to map out McCandless’s route, they will choose a location he went to and that they are interested in. From there, students will research the culture and landscape of that particular place and present the information in a 1-2 page essay.
-Reading Quizzes: Each Thursday before discussion students will be quizzed briefly on what they were required to read prior to the class period. The quizzes will consist of 3-5 simple questions that pertain to the plot of the novel.
Culminating Text:
-Multigenre Project: This multi-genre project will be flexible in order to allow student creativity. Students will be required to create a project that expresses American Journey and Identity. They will need to use 3 scholarly sources and evidence from within the novel Into the Wild; however, which genre they choose for their projects is up to them. Some examples are a picture collage, a brochure, or a short story. The project also requires a written explanation (1-2 pages) of why they chose the specific genre.
Assessment Tools:
-Self Evaluation: For the multi-genre project, students will assess what they feel they deserve for a grade. The grade they give themselves will be worth 50% of their overall grade, as long as they provide valid reasoning for why they deserve it.
-Rubric: The other 50% of the multi-genre project will be based on a rubric. This rubric will include a component for organization, creativity, reasoning, and effort.
-Conferences: I will be meeting individually with students to discuss their final multi-genre projects for the unit. These will take place during allotted class time for individual work.
Unit Calendar:
In Unit 4, we will be discussing the text Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. This unit will focus on a physical journey as well as a quest for self-identity. Through the main protagonist (Alex or Chris McCandless) students will explore how journey can be used to discovery one’s self. The unit will include articles related to Chris McCandless’s true story, segments from his sisters recent novel The Wild Truth, several small and large group discussions regarding the novel, time for silent reading, vocabulary quizzes (unknown vocabulary in the novel), and a final multi-genre project. This final project will be based around a representation of Alex’s adventure. Students will have the opportunity to create a project using various modes of texts and representation in order to create Alex’s “life map.” The unit will be concluded with student presentations on their projects as well as time to watch the movie Into the Wild. This movie offers a great representation of the true story of Alex’s life and really makes the text come alive. This being said, I feel that it is a great movie to include in the unit. Through the various texts and multi-genre project, students will become aware of one way that self identity can be formed through journey.
With the unit being split in half awkwardly by Thanksgiving Break and then ending just before Winter Break, students will be restless. This unit is fun, active, and creative. This being said, it will be a great unit to end with just before the holidays. First, I am confident that students will be able to connect to the novel and the protagonist. Still getting used to the culture of high school, students are searching for their own self-identity. By forming a strong connection with characters, students can turn to characters as they grow and “look to them for guidance, vicarious experiences, and an escape when things are tough” (Sass-Henke, 75). Furthermore, because the text is based off the true story of Chris McCandless, students will have “an opportunity to meet [this] character in ways that show [him] as real [people]” (Sass-Henke, 75). The multi-genre project will “allow for multiple voices from the students as well as the use of their imagination” (Hyler and Hicks, 149). By giving students choice and space for creativity, students will “feel they have a say in the learning process and [will] feel pride in their work; this leads to academic growth in the student” (Hyler and Hicks, 149). Through the final project and connecting with the protagonist, students will be able to explore their own self-identity.
Unit Goals:
-To explore what it means to be American and how culture, family, friends, and experiences shape identity
-To follow the novel’s protagonist, Alex and how he creates his own identity through an adventurous journey.
-To view how Chris McCandless’s life and death affected those around him
Texts:
-Novel: Into the Wild by John Krakauer
-Novel: The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless (segments)
-Poem: “I Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes
-Poem: “I hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
-Interview: Emil Hirsch
-Movie: Into the Wild
Activities:
-Google Earth Exploration: Students will map out the route that Chris McCandless takes in the novel. This will give them a visual idea of how far he traveled and the different American cultures he experienced.
-Trivia: Trivia for the unit will focus on the theme, events, and characters of Into the Wild. It will also include questions from class discussion and the supporting texts we read.
-Think Pair Share: Students will think and then share their thoughts with a partner on the question what is America? They will base their ideas off personal experiences, Into the Wild, and the two poems by Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman
Assignments:
-Google Earth Research: After students use google earth to map out McCandless’s route, they will choose a location he went to and that they are interested in. From there, students will research the culture and landscape of that particular place and present the information in a 1-2 page essay.
-Reading Quizzes: Each Thursday before discussion students will be quizzed briefly on what they were required to read prior to the class period. The quizzes will consist of 3-5 simple questions that pertain to the plot of the novel.
Culminating Text:
-Multigenre Project: This multi-genre project will be flexible in order to allow student creativity. Students will be required to create a project that expresses American Journey and Identity. They will need to use 3 scholarly sources and evidence from within the novel Into the Wild; however, which genre they choose for their projects is up to them. Some examples are a picture collage, a brochure, or a short story. The project also requires a written explanation (1-2 pages) of why they chose the specific genre.
Assessment Tools:
-Self Evaluation: For the multi-genre project, students will assess what they feel they deserve for a grade. The grade they give themselves will be worth 50% of their overall grade, as long as they provide valid reasoning for why they deserve it.
-Rubric: The other 50% of the multi-genre project will be based on a rubric. This rubric will include a component for organization, creativity, reasoning, and effort.
-Conferences: I will be meeting individually with students to discuss their final multi-genre projects for the unit. These will take place during allotted class time for individual work.
Unit Calendar:
Standards: