Per 5 Who Are You?

This unit is our way of getting to know each other by addressing the essential question:

  • In what ways does experience inform identity?

Specifically, you are addressing how you became the reader and/or writer you are through a personal essay

Thurs 8/29
In class:  Hello!  and Welcome

  • Introductions
  • Fill out the “By the Book Form”

Fri 8/30
Course Overview

Defining respect for the year

  • What are your expectations of how others will demonstrate respect in the class?
  • What are your expectations of your teacher to demonstrate respect in the class?
  • Contract

Tues 9/3
Library Book Talks

Selecting 1st Independent Reading Book of the Year!

HW:  Bring in 1st book

Wed 9/4
Independent Reading

  • What did the first few (or continued) pages seem to be about?  What is the setting?  Who is your main character?

Setting Up Our Notebook

Reading Ocean Vuong’s “Surrendering” & Discussion discussion

Thurs 9/5

Fri 9/6
Reading Time

QW:  What is language that you find powerful or beautiful?  Can you recall the quote or how certain words made you feel?  What makes language beautiful?

Digging into the Text

  • What do you notice?
  • How does the writer “do it”?
  • Is there any repetition or other literary devices?
  • What specific word choice stands out to you?

Using the criteria, go “digging” in “Surrendering” for beauty.

Using our list of what writers do to create beautiful sentences, students will write their own.

  • Use your sentence from Ocean Vuong’s “Surrendering” as a frame

HW: Read first 5 pages of Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Trading Stories: Notes on an Apprenticeship” and note details that stand out to you and sentences that you like.  If there are any words you are unfamiliar with, look them up and write them in the “Word Nerd” section of your notebook.

Mon 9/9
Reading time

QW:  Do you consider yourself a “reader”?  Do you consider yourself a “writer”?  Why or why not?  What experiences have you had that confirm this belief about yourself?

“Trading Stories”

  • Answering questions

HW:  finish reading and highlighting/underlining/noting details and language that stands out to you

Tues 9/10
Reading time and overview for conferences

QW:  What is your earliest memory associated with reading and/or writing?  Describe.

Reviewing Lahiri

Working with your group answer the following:

    • What is the structure of Lahiri’s “Trading Stories?”
    • Where is a sentence you like?  What do you like about it?
    • Where is a place she shows not tells?  Why is it effective?

HW:  Choose two words from the Lahiri piece to add to your Word Nerd section of your notebook and include the definitions.  Choose one sentence from her piece as a model to create your own (use her structure and/or word choice)

Wed 9/11
Reviewing words and sentences

Overview of assignment

Begin pre-writing

HW:  Pre-writing for Who Are You? on google classroom

Freewriting for 15 minutes using one of the pre-writing memories

  • Describe the situation, memory, details – get down as many as you can

Options for structuring the essay

HW:  continue drafting

Thurs 9/12
Drafting essay and conferencing for essay and independent reading

Mini lesson on crappy first drafts

HW:  Spend another 15 minutes drafting

Fri 9/13
Reading conference overviews

QW: Close your eyes and think about something you saw on the way to school today. Then, in writing, try to zoom in and describe it in detail using the five senses, choosing words carefully to get across your observations, thoughts and feelings.

  • How can you apply this to a moment of your essay about you as a reader and writer?
  • Where is a moment that requires this amount of detail?


HW:  Spend another 15 minutes on your draft.

Mon 9/16
Final in class work day

HW:  Submit draft on google classroom