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Digital Unit Plan Template Updated
Digital Unit Plan Template Updated
CCSS ELA Literacy RL 11-12 2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS ELA Literacy RL 11-12 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful (include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
The identification of various themes and the general ideas that are presented through the text is a task that will be beneficial in
a number of other aspects of English as well as a foundation for various other subjects. The method in which the author presents
the themes and how the themes interact with one another within the text creates a dense novel in that there is a plethora of
information that can contribute to a readers understanding, appreciation, and the readers ability to delve deeper.
As we cover The Ramayana, I would like us to extend our understanding of the short story by keeping these questions in mind:
Students will discuss how this story can be related to the current world.
Students engage in conversation in small groups identifying the themes of the story, acknowledging the use of voice and
tone, and looking into figurative and literal meaning.
Students will be asked to write a paper that encompasses the character development, identifying the themes and
acknowledging how they are woven together.
Unit Summary:
The Ramayana is a folk tale that is to precede another Indian work known as The Bhagavad-Gita. While The Bhagavad-Gita
addresses a more adult audience but is also much lengthier, The Ramayana addresses the younger audience.
The first lesson of the unit will address the reading. As this is a folktale it is intended to bestow upon the reader something that
is to be carried with them throughout the life, the discussion will address whether or not this is actually the case. Folktales are
only relevant in the modern world if the lessons taught can still serve purpose. The discussion will be conducted as a Socratic
circle, in which there will be two circles, one larger circle on the outside and another smaller one in the center. The first question
will be addressed to the inner circle in which they will discuss a particular theme to great extent. If anybody part of the outside
circle would like to contribute, that individual will move in and sit in an empty chair in the inner circle and wait to contribute
his/her piece. The subject matter that the inner circle will be discussed prior to the start of the discussion as I would like the
students to choose something that they feel most passionate about as this will assist in lesson three.
The second lesson of the unit will put the aforementioned groups together again. In this, they will discuss what was not covered
in the Socratic Circle in further detail or further flesh out what was touched upon in the Circle. This section will have a focus on
the cultural elements that the folk tale has been placed in IE Indian culture. This will provide the students another angle in which
they can analyze and dissect the story, as opposed to seeing the story from a western civilizations eye and an eye that only
looks at the story from what the story presents to the reader, we are looking at it from the perspective of the people that had
written the story and their way of life.
The third lesson of the unit is one in which the students will be asked to present what they had discussed in the Socratic Circle as
well as within their small groups. The previous two lessons are to stack upon each other and this third lesson should only allow
the ideas to follow into place. As groups have been determined in the first step, the presentations will be helping the other
groups fill in the void that they have as a result of focusing on their own subject matter.
WEBSITE:
The Ramayana is a folk tale that is to precede another Indian work known as The Bhagavad-Gita. While The Bhagavad-Gita
addresses a more adult audience but is also much lengthier, The Ramayana addresses the younger audience. The first lesson
will address the reading itself. As this is considered a folktale and folktales are known to bestow upon the young readers (or
listeners) a general guideline as to establishing a moral code. The second lesson will involve a much more in-depth discussion
exploring the text in greater detail acknowledging the themes of the story and unraveling the figurative and literal meanings of
the text. We will wrap this class up with a group presentation that will help in assisting the rest of the class understand the
particular aspect of the story that the student had been asked to examine, whether it is the metamorphoses that the character
had gone under or the manifestation of a particular theme of the story.
Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Formative: Summative:
Students will participate in various class Students are asked to document the Students are to present the various
discussions on a number of different assigned readings by writing short assigned themes of the story to the class
sizes. personal journal entries that will relate to further elaborate on the text in a
the subject matter to themselves to visual format with the use of technology.
Discuss what makes a great king? enforce the understanding of concepts. Students are to get together in small
Write a journal for the assigned readings groups and present their respective
relating to the subject matter presented, themes and describe how they are
whether it is theme, character prevalent in the story.
development, etc. Students are to discuss and reflect on the
Diagram the phases of Campbells Heros story, pointing out things that stood out,
Journey in relation to The Ramayana were surprising, etc.
Identify the characters and what
archetype they most fit.
Quiz covering the Heros journey,
Archetypes, and reading comprehension
(themes, characters, sequences,
vocabulary, etc).
Ramayana Flashcards
Useful Websites: