Scope and Sequence  

 
Unit: 11th Grade Language and Composition Genre Based on Graphic Novels 
 
Rachel Melton 
 
E322 Fall 2018 
 
In completing this project, I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance. 
   
 Reflective Preface 
 
Through completing this assignment, I learned how much effort and attention to 
detail is required for planning a unit of instruction that successfully teaches language 
concepts in a culturally relevant and inclusive manner. Specifically, I learned how complex 
it is to write a project prompt that is accessible for culturally and linguistically diverse 
students. I also learned how to incorporate brain-compatible pedagogy into my lesson to 
best support all my students’ acquisition of knowledge.  
I am especially proud of how I utilized the two texts ​American Born Chinese​ by Gene 
Luen Yang and ​The Prince and the Dressmaker​ by Jen Wang to teach specific language 
concepts, as well as elements associated with the medium of comics. In my suggested 
pedagogy, I explain how I teach the language and grammar concepts through analyzing 
how those concepts are functioning in each of those texts. I made the conscious effort to 
teach the concepts through the texts, as opposed to using irrelevant worksheets, as a way 
to keep the students engaged in the unit and find the content applicable. I am also proud of 
how I allowed for creativity and self-expression in their final project because I feel like it 
made it more personal and relevant to them. I think it also allowed them a lot of choice in 
how they decided to prove their knowledge of the concepts we had learned in this unit. 
This outlet of creativity also allows for me to get to know my students as people a little bit 
better, and the workshop format lets them form connections with one another. 
My biggest struggle for this assignment was narrowing down what concepts I 
wanted to focus on. Especially because I was integrating the grammar and language 
concepts with the genre of graphic novels as a whole, I had to think critically about what I 
really wanted my students to learn from this unit. I was originally going to use a third 
mentor text, but decided that it would have been too much to cover in a four week unit and 
another concept would suffer because of it, so I decided to remove it from the unit.  
I feel like I deserve an A or A- because I worked really hard on making sure my 
suggested pedagogy adhered to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students 
and would also benefit all of my students. I also included multiple ancillary materials to 
help clarify the suggested pedagogy, and explained how I was meeting three of Colorado’s 
Common Core language standards for 11th-12th graders.  
I am really proud of this project because I was able to transform knowledge I gained 
from completing my Teacher as Writer badge in CO301D into an entire unit. It also is a unit 
that is very relevant to culturally and linguistically diverse students because the texts I 
chose are not only written by Asian-Americans, but the subject matter of the books are 
centered around issues of identity and acceptance. These two factors bring in a space for 
narratives other than those of straight, white men. Creating this space in the classroom 
allows for students to feel comfortable being their genuine selves, which lets me get to 
know them and connect with them in meaningful ways.    
 Course Overview 

 
 
Smoky Hill High School 
 
16100 East Smoky Hill Road  
Aurora, CO 80015 
 
Demographics of Smoky Hill High School: 
● Student Population: 2,044 students 
● Racial Makeup: 47% White, 21% Hispanic, 17% Black, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more 
races, 1% American Indian/ Alaska Native, <1% Hawaiian Native/ Pacific Islander 
● Gender Distribution: 51% Female, 49% Male 
● From low income families: 36% 
● Students per Teacher: 19:1 
● Students per Counselor: 325:1 
● Teacher Qualifications: 92% of teachers have more than 3 years experience, 100% of 
full time teachers are certified 
● Graduation Rate: 89% 
● Tests: Average ACT: 20, Average SAT: 1028, AP Participation: 35%, 51% of students 
passing 1 or more AP Exams 
● Available Courses: AP, Avid, Concurrent Enrollment, International Baccalaureate 
● Mental Health Support: Bully Prevention, Internet and Social Media Safety, Sources 
of Strength, Suicide  
 
Demographics of Aurora, Colorado: 
● Total Population: 366,623 people 
● Racial Makeup: 46.1% White, 28.5% Hispanic, 15.9% Black, 5.5% Asian, 5.6% Two or 
more races, 0.8% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Other 
Pacific Islander 
● Gender Distribution:  
● 27.9% Bachelor’s Degree or higher 
● 32.1% households with language other than English spoken 
● Median Household Income: $55,303 
● 14.7% persons in poverty 
 
Speculation on Teaching Environment 
My intent is to teach an eleventh grade Advanced Placement Language Arts class at 
Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado. As a former student of Smoky Hill High School, 
I believe that I have a unique perspective on the student experience at this particular 
school. I have firsthand experience with the classroom environment, as well as how the AP 
classes prepare students for college. I wasn’t surprised to learn that our graduation rate is 
89% because the concept of going to college was really pushed in our school. Although we 
are a majority white school, our student body was fairly diverse, especially compared to the 
other schools in our district. Due to this diversity, teaching the concepts of code-switching 
and gatekeeping will be particularly beneficial for this student population. For the English 
Language Learners, understanding how to adapt their home dialects to academic contexts 
is vital for them to be able to access power through language. Teaching them gatekeeping 
also helps them comprehend the systems keeping them from accessing certain things in 
their lives. These concepts can also benefit the students whose native language is English 
because it can broaden their understanding of the world and teach them some empathy 
when it comes to people who are inherently disadvantaged in our society. Smoky Hill has 
historically been decently liberal when it comes to educational policies, so because of that 
attitude I believe that the school community would respond positively to this education. 
Smoky Hill is very centered on school pride and because of that the community is a very 
inclusive and supportive one. This spirit of the school is embedded deep in every student 
and faculty member, so I could easily see everyone wanting to do everything in their power 
to make it an emotionally non-threatening community where everyone’s identities are 
welcome and valid.   
 Works Cited  
 
“Demographics of Aurora.” ​Crime Data for Harlem, New York, NY - Trulia,​ Trulia's Blog, 
www.trulia.com/real_estate/Aurora-Colorado/community-info/​.  
 
“Explore Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, CO.” ​Parenting,​  
www.greatschools.org/colorado/aurora/253-Smoky-Hill-High-School/​.\ 
 
“How Does Smoky Hill High School Rank Among America's Best High Schools?” ​U.S. News & 
World Report​, U.S. News & World Report, 
www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/colorado/districts/cherry-creek
-school-district-no-5-in-the-county-of-arapah/smoky-hill-high-school-4020​.  
 
http://smokyhill.cherrycreekschools.org/Pages/default.aspx  
 
“U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aurora City, Colorado.” ​Census Bureau QuickFacts,​ United 
States Census Bureau, ​www.census.gov/quickfacts/auroracitycolorado​.  
   
 Scope of Language Instruction and Final Project of the Unit: 
 
The Unit: Graphic Novels 
 
I will be teaching my Graphic Novel Unit by leading the class in a study of two key 
novels: ​American Born Chinese ​by Gene Luen Yang and ​The Prince and the Dressmaker​ by 
Jen Wang.. These two novels will assist me in the teaching of the key language and 
grammar elements of active and passive voice, code-switching, dialogue, and gatekeeping. 
Due to the reading time being drastically shortened for a graphic novel versus and typical 
prose novel I will be able to use both of these books in the four week unit which expands 
the examples that students can use to solidify their understanding of the concepts. They 
can also gain understanding of the elements included in graphic novels and how those 
function to add meaning to the story, which will further add to their comprehension of 
rhetorical writing. For the final project of the unit my students will write a mini graphic 
novel to their peers demonstrating their knowledge of the language and grammar 
concepts, as well as the elements of graphic novels we cover in this unit. As long as each of 
those are addressed, they are welcome to make it on any topic they choose. By covering 
code-switching and gatekeeping, students can draw from experiences in their real lives 
and that can help them navigate an increasingly diverse world. I have sequenced my 
activities and assignments so that my students have the best chance at mastering these 
concepts and creating ties to the real world. I ask students to demonstrate their 
understanding through entries in an interactive notebook, as well as through their final 
project of a mini graphic novel. I will know that my students have taken up these grammar 
and language concepts authentically and usefully based off of their journal entries, class 
activities and discussion, and how well they integrate them into their final project. 
 
 
 
   
 Content and Application 
 
● Active vs Passive Voice: ​I want my students to understand both what active and 
passive voice are, as well as when to use each. This is vital in contributing to their 
understanding of the language of power because how and when they choose to use 
each type of voice will either add or detract from their intended purpose.  
 
● Code-switching: ​This is another concept that feeds into the language of power that 
is crucial for my students to understand. Knowing when it is appropriate to use 
certain dialects in different situations will be an essential piece of making them 
strong, powerful writers. It will also help validate their own language identities by 
showing when various dialects hold the most power.  
 
● Dialogue: ​Graphic novels have a different way of presenting dialogue than a typical 
novel, so I want to utilize that difference to have students really unpack everything 
that is in a chunk of dialogue including the: inflection, emotion, intent, and impact. 
Understanding how to layer these various components is important for students to 
be able to replicate realistic, and effective dialogue in their own writing.  
 
● Gatekeeping: ​This is an incredibly important concept that I want my students to 
understand because it is about limiting a certain group’s access to something and 
that is very applicable to their personal lives.  
 
   
 Curriculum Calendar 
 
Designed to fit Smoky Hill’s alternating block schedule 
 
Week 1: Introduction to Graphic Novels with ​American Born Chinese​ by Gene Luen Yang/ 
Active Voice vs Passive Voice 
 
Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 

KWL Chart on    Discuss the    Have students 

Graphic Novels  book and the  turn and talk 
  lists created for  and share the 
Share out and  homework   examples they 
discuss as a    found of active 
class  Introduce  and passive 
  active and  voice, and 
Mini lesson on  passive voice  discuss what 
graphic novels    the impact of 
  Discuss with a  each type was 
Introduce  partner   
American Born  situations  Come together 
Chinese b
​ y  where either  as a class for 
Gene Luen  active or  quick debrief of 
Yang  passive would  discussions 
be more   
effective  Mini lesson on 
code-switching 
then have 
students watch 
short ​TedTalk  
 

Homework:    Homework:    Homework: 

Read ​American  Find examples  Make a list of 
Born Chinese  in ​American  examples of 
and make a list  Born Chinese​ of  code-switching 
in your inb of  both active and  in ​American 
some elements  passive voice  Born Chinese i​ n 
of a graphic  and record  your inb 
novel you  them in your   
notice  inb  Read ​The Prince 
and the 
Dressmaker- 
while reading 
begin thinking 
about how 
 code-switching 
in functioning 
in this text as 
well 
 
 
Week 2: ​The Prince and the Dressmaker ​by Jen Wang/ Dialogue 
 
Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 

  Brief review of    Introduce   

active and  dialogue using 
passive voice   examples from 
  American Born 
Work with a  Chinese 
partner to find   
examples of  Mini lesson of 
active and  graphic novel 
passive voice in  element: 
The Prince and  speech bubbles  
the Dressmaker   
  Draft your own 
Debrief as a  dialogue 
whole class  between at 
  least two 
Break class into  characters in 
jigsaw groups  graphic novel 
to discuss the  format 
examples of   
code-switching 
they found in 
American Born 
Chinese a ​ nd 
The Prince in 
the Dressmaker, 
as well as 
where they see 
in it their own 
lives 
 
[Students 
should have 
mastered active 
and passive 
voice, as well as 
 code-switching 
by this date] 

  Homework:     Homework:   
Create an entry  Collect phrases 
in your inb of a  of dialogue 
KWL chart for  from ​The Prince 
dialogue   and the 
Dressmaker 
that you found 
particularly 
powerful/ 
important in 
your inb 
 
 
Week 3: Gatekeeping/ Graphic Novels Overview/ Intro to Final Project 
 
Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 

Have students    Introduce final    Introduce 

pick 2-3 pieces  project  gatekeeping 
of dialogue     
from their  Mini lesson in  Show examples 
homework and  element of  of gatekeeping 
post them on a  graphic novels:  in ​American 
padlet  time frames  Born Chinese 
discussion    and ​The Prince 
board, and also  Break into  and the 
briefly explain  workshop  Dressmaker 
why they  groups to look   
picked that  at their  Have students 
piece of  dialogue drafts  turn and talk 
dialogue  and brainstorm  ways they see 
  how to expand  gatekeeping 
Create a list as  or adapt them  present in their 
a class of  for the final  own lives/ the 
common  project   lives of those 
threads we    around them  
found between  Address any   
the dialogue  questions about  Mini lesson in 
they chose  the final project  element of 
  graphic novels: 
[Students  color 
should have   
mastered the  Complete the 
 use of dialogue  “L” of the KWL 
by the date]  chart from the 
beginning of 
the unit 
 
Address any 
questions about 
the final project 

Homework:    Homework:     Homework:  

Read the  Complete the  Find an 
handout  “L” section of  example of 
provided from  their KWL chart  gatekeeping in 
Scott  for dialogue  your favorite 
McCloud’s    book or 
Understanding  Begin drafting  something you 
Comics: The  final project   read for 
Invisible Art     another class 
and record it in 
your inb 
 
Continue 
working on 
final project 
 
 
Week 4: Final Project and Conclusion 
 
Monday  Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday  Friday 

  Review    Presentation   
gatekeeping  day- share your 
examples found  mini graphic 
in other writing   novels with 
  your classmates 
Final work day  in a gallery walk 
options include:  while 
individual work  completing a 
time, work with  review sheet 
your workshop  for at least one 
group, or meet  classmate not 
with me for an  in your 
individual  workshop 
conference to  group.  
discuss any   
remaining  Celebrate all 
 questions/  your hard work! 
concerns you 
have about the 
project  

  Homework:    Finish final   

Finish final  feedback of 
project and  workshop 
submit it to  group 
your writing  members’ 
group by 11:59  project by 11:59 
pm to allow  pm  
them time to   
provide final  Relax! :) 
feedback 
   
  
 
Suggested Pedagogy 
 
Day of Unit:  Language Learning  Classroom  Homework and 
  Goal:  Activities:  Brief Explanation of 
How Assignments 
are Sequenced and 
Linked: 

Week 1:  Students will  KWL Chart  Read ​American Born 

Introduction to  understand why I  I will have my  Chinese a ​ nd make a 
Graphic Novels  chose for them to  students complete a  list in your inb of 
with ​American Born  study graphic novels  KWL Chart. Under  some elements of a 
Chinese​ by Gene  for this unit; they  the “K”, or “Know”, I  graphic novel you 
Luen Yang/ Active  will understand how  will have them put  notice 
Voice vs Passive  graphic novels add  everything they   
Voice  meaning in different  know about graphic  I want students to 
  ways than prose  novels/the medium  read the entire book 
Day 1    of comics. Under  so that we can dive 
Students will  the “W”, or “Want to  straight into 
identify what they  Know”, I will have  discussing it the 
already know, and  them put some ideas  next class period. I 
what they want to  of what they would  want them to 
know about graphic  like to learn about  consider elements 
novels in a KWL  graphic novels in  of graphic novels 
chart  this unit. They will  that we briefly 
  complete the “L”, or  talked about in class 
They will also  “Learned” section of  so they can begin 
understand the  the chart when they  easing themselves 
importance of  have completed the  into the mindset 
reading books that  unit. This will show  they will need when 
explore different  their newfound  creating their own 
cultures that are  knowledge and  mini graphic novel.  
written by someone  understanding of a 
other than a white  previously 
man  unfamiliar genre.  
 
Class Discussion 
I will have the class 
participate in a 
group discussion 
where we share 
some of the things 
they listed in the “K” 
and “W” sections of 
 the chart to give a 
solid introduction to 
the content we will 
be covering in the 
unit. 
 
Mini Lesson 
I will lead the class 
in a mini lesson 
about graphic novels 
as an introduction 
to the genre where 
we explore some of 
the broader 
elements of graphic 
novels that we will 
delve deeper into in 
future mini lessons. 
This will help give 
students a starting 
place to think about 
graphic novels. 
 
Text Introduction 
I will end class by 
giving a short book 
talk on ​American 
Born Chinese b ​ y 
Gene Luen Yang 
where I explain the 
importance of 
considering multiple 
perspectives, and 
reading books that 
aren’t written by 
white men. I will 
also give students a 
disclaimer that the 
book portrays a 
racist stereotype of 
Chinese people, but 
it does so for 
satirical impact and 
is not actually being 
racist.  

Week 1, Day 2  Students will  Class Discussion  Find examples in 

understand the  I will the class in a  American Born 
book on a deeper  group discussion  Chinese​ of both 
level after  where we discuss  active and passive 
participating in the  the book and the  voice and record 
class discussion and  rhetorical choices of  them in your inb 
sharing their  the author and how   
thoughts and  the graphic  I want them to refer 
speculations with  elements contribute  back to the text to 
one another   to the meaning of  view it through a 
  the story. ​We will  different lense in 
Students will be  discuss how this  order to both 
introduced to active  exposure to an  comprehend the 
and passive voice  experience not  concept of active 
and the contexts to  widely written about  and passive voice, as 
use each in order to  was like for students  well as gain more 
gain the rhetorical  who both related to,  experience 
impact they are  and had no  analyzing a text.  
trying to achieve  experience with 
 
Introduction to 
Active and Passive 
Voice 
I will introduce the 
concept of active 
and passive voice by 
using examples from 
a text we had 
studied earlier in 
the semester. These 
examples will show 
when active or 
passive voice is 
more impactful, so 
they can begin 
thinking about 
contexts where it is 
better to use a 
certain one. 
 
Partner Discussions 
They will then pair 
up and think more 
in depth about more 
situations and 
contexts where it 
would be more 
rhetorically savvy to 
 use active or passive 
voice.  

Week 1, Day 3  Students will  Turn and Talk  Make a list of 
understand the  I will have students  examples of 
difference between  use their homework  code-switching in 
active and passive  to guide their  American Born 
voice, as well as  discussions with  Chinese i​ n your inb 
appropriate  their classmates   
contexts to use each  about the contexts  Read ​The Prince and 
in to gain rhetorical  in which active or  the Dressmaker- 
impact  passive voice would  while reading begin 
  be more beneficial  thinking about how 
Students will be  for the purpose.  code-switching in 
introduced to  This will help them  functioning in this 
code-switching and  with articulating  text as well 
begin thinking about  their thoughts in a   
how it functions in  sociable and  I want students to 
American Born  emotionally  apply what they 
Chinese,​ as well as in  non-threatening  learned from the 
their personal lives  situation   code-switching mini 
  lesson to the text we 
Class Discussion  have been reading. I 
I will bring the class  also want them to 
together to  use the weekend to 
participate in a  read the next text 
short  we will be working 
debrief/discussion  with, ​The Prince and 
to synthesize the  the Dressmaker​, and 
conversations they  begin thinking about 
had in their turn and  how they see 
talks  code-switching in 
  that text as well to 
Mini Lesson  give them as much 
I will lead the class  experience with 
in a mini lesson on  applying this 
code-switching by  concept as possible. 
having the view and  This application will 
consider a TedTalk  pave the way for 
to introduce to the  them to be able to 
concept. This will  apply it in their own 
allow them to begin  lives, and eventually 
applying the  in their final project 
concept to the texts 
we are reading 

Week 2: ​The Prince  Students  Whole Class Review   Create an entry in 
and the Dressmaker  understanding of  I will lead the class  your inb of a KWL 
by Jen Wang/  active and passive  in a brief review of  chart for dialogue  
Dialogue  voice and the  active and passive   
  context to use each  voice to refresh  I want students to 
Day 4  will be expanded  their memories and  complete this 
when analyzing ​The  answer any  activity before 
Prince and the  questions they still  getting into the 
Dressmaker  have  dialogue section of 
    the unit to gauge 
Students will  Partner Work  where they are all at 
understand the  Students will utilize  with understanding 
concept of  a partner and  dialogue elements 
code-switching and  combine their  to help guide the 
how to apply it the  collective  direction of this 
texts they are  knowledge on active  portion  
reading, as well as in  and passive voice in 
their own lives  order to identify 
examples they found 
in ​The Prince and 
the Dressmaker​ to 
solidify their 
comprehension of 
the concept 
 
Class Debrief 
I will lead the class 
in a quick debrief of 
their partner 
discussions and 
share some of the 
examples groups 
found to ensure the 
whole class 
understands the 
concept fully 
 
Jigsaw Groups 
The class will be 
split into groups to 
discuss where they 
notice 
code-switching in 
either ​American 
Born Chinese, The 
Prince and the 
Dressmaker, ​or their 
personal lives.​ The 
 students will then 
mix up with 
individuals from 
other groups and 
share what their 
group had 
discussed. This is a 
brain compatible 
activity because it is 
sociable, 
emotionally 
non-threatening, 
and relevant to their 
lives outside of the 
classroom 

Week 2, Day 5  Students will be  Introduce Dialogue  Collect phrases of 
introduced to  I will introduce  dialogue from ​The 
dialogue and begin  dialogue to students  Prince and the 
considering how  and the key  Dressmaker​ that you 
dialogue functions  components/  found particularly 
in the texts we are  elements that  powerful/ 
studying   dialogue include and  important in your 
  how it can impact  inb 
Students will  the meaning of the   
understand how  piece. I will use  I want students to 
dialogue in graphic  examples from  apply what they 
novels function  American Born  learned about 
slightly differently  Chinese a ​ nd ​The  dialogue in class to 
than in prose novels  Prince and the  the texts they have 
and will be able to  Dressmaker​ to  been reading and 
mimic the comic  explain this in a  see how the 
style of dialogue    relevant way  dialogue is 
    functioning in those 
  Mini Lesson  texts 
I will then tie the 
introduction of the 
dialogue into how 
dialogue functions 
specifically in a 
graphic novel 
through the speech 
bubble by 
continuing to use 
the examples from 
American Born 
Chinese a ​ nd ​The 
 Prince and the 
Dressmaker​.  
 
You Do 
Students will try 
their hand at writing 
dialogue in comic 
style. This will 
prepare them for 
when they are 
writing their mini 
graphic novel for 
their final project 

Week:  Students will  Padlet  Read the handout 

Gatekeeping/  understand what  Students will choose  provided from Scott 
Graphic Novels  makes dialogue  2-3 chunks of  McCloud’s 
Overview/ Intro to  important or  dialogue they  Understanding 
Final Project  impactful and will be  recorded from their  Comics: The Invisible 
  able to use this  homework and post  Art  
Day 6  knowledge to create  them on the Padlet   
dialogue that is  discussion board  I want students to 
important and  and explain why  add to their 
impactful  they chose them.  understanding of 
This will help  the function of 
students articulate  comics, so I will 
their thoughts, as  compile some 
well as see what  excerpts from Scott 
their classmates are  McCloud’s book and 
thinking  have them read it. 
  This will help them 
Common Thread  add to their graphic 
List  novel toolbox that 
I will then lead the  they will need for 
class in a discussion  the completion of 
where we examine  their final project 
the quotes we have 
compiled on the 
Padlet and what 
common threads we 
see in them, and 
what those threads 
mean for our 
understanding of 
dialogue as a 
concept 
Week 3, Day 7  Students will  Introduction of  Complete the “L” 
understand what is  Final Project  section of their KWL 
expected of them  I will give more  chart for dialogue 
and what needs to  details about what   
be included in the  the final project is  Begin drafting final 
final project in order  and what is  project  
for them to be  expected of their   
successful  finished project. I  I want students to 
  will explain how the  reflect on what they 
Students will  concepts we have  have learned about 
understand another  been learning in  dialogue to induce 
element of graphic  class should fit into  metacognitive 
novels and how they  their final project  reflection to solidify 
can include it in    their new 
their own mini  Mini Lesson  knowledge on 
graphic novel  I will lead the class  dialogue. I also want 
  in a mini lesson  them to begin 
Students will  discussing how time  working on their 
understand the  can function  final project so they 
expectations of  differently in  have plenty of time 
being in a workshop  graphic novels with  to mess around with 
group and how to  the help of Scott  different topics to 
best assist one  McCloud’s book  ensure they can 
another to ensure  Understanding  include all the 
the entire groups’  Comics t​ o add to  elements in a 
success  their toolbox for  cohesive manner 
their completion of 
the final project 
 
Workshop Group 
I will then break 
students into 
writing workshop 
groups and they will 
look back on the 
dialogue drafts they 
created and share 
them with one 
another. They will 
use this time to 
brainstorm how 
each of them can 
adapt or expand the 
dialogue they 
created to use it in 
their final project  
Week 3, Day 8  Students will be  Introduce  Find an example of 
introduced to  Gatekeeping  gatekeeping in your 
gatekeeping and will  I will introduce the  favorite book or 
begin thinking about  concept of  something you read 
how it is present in  gatekeeping to  for another class 
the texts we are  students by using  and record it in your 
studying, as well as  examples from  inb 
their own lives  American Born   
  Chinese a ​ nd ​The  Continue working 
Students will  Prince and the  on final project 
understand another  Dressmaker   
element of graphic    I want students to 
novels to include in  Turn and Talk  find another 
their final project  I will then have  example of 
  students turn and  gatekeeping to 
Students will be  talk to one or two  ensure that they 
metacognitive and  other people about  really grasp the 
reflect on what they  ways they see  concept and are 
have learned about  gatekeeping in their  capable of applying 
graphic novels  own lives, or how  it to other things 
throughout this unit  they could imagine  they are reading, as 
it being a part of  well as their own 
someone’s life  lives in general.  
 
Mini Lesson 
I will lead the class 
in another mini 
lesson explaining 
the importance of 
color in graphic 
novels for them to 
use in their final 
project 
 
KWL Chart  
Students will then 
complete the “L”, or 
“Learned”, section of 
the KWL Chart they 
created at the 
beginning of the 
semester with what 
they have learned 
about graphic novels 
in this unit 

Week 4: Final  Students will  Review   Finish final project 

Project and  understand what  I will have  and submit it to 
Conclusion  gatekeeping is and  volunteers in the  your writing group 
  how it applies to  class share the  by 11:59 pm to allow 
Day 9  what they read, as  examples of  them time to 
well as their lives  gatekeeping they  provide final 
outside of the  found in other  feedback 
classroom   pieces of writing   
  they are  I want students to 
Students will  reading/have read.  finish and submit 
understand what  This will be a time to  their final project so 
they need to do to  ensure everyone is  that their writing 
be successful with  solid on what  group has plenty of 
their final project  gatekeeping is  time to provide their 
  final opinion/ grade 
Work Day  on their project that 
Students will have  I will take into 
time to either work  consideration when 
on the project on  grading their 
their own, get  projects 
feedback from their 
workshop group, or 
have an individual 
conference with me 
to make them feel 
confident in 
completing their 
final project 

Week 4, Day 10  Students will  Gallery Walk  Finish final feedback 
understand  I will have students  of workshop group 
everyone has a  put their work on  members’ project by 
different  display for their  11:59 pm  
interpretation of the  classmates to view   
content we covered  and appreciate. I  Relax! :) 
and all  want them to see   
perspectives/voices  what their  I want each member 
are valid and  classmates have  of the group to 
important  accomplished and  review how they 
  how everyone can  think each other did 
have different  on the project and 
creative takes on  how well they met 
the same  the criteria. Then I 
assignment  want them to relax 
  and bask in the 
Feedback Sheet  success of their 
While participating  completion of the 
in the gallery walk, I  project! 
 want students to 
think critically about 
what their peers 
created and not just 
breeze through it. In 
order to do this I 
want them to fill out 
a feedback sheet for 
two people that 
weren’t in their 
writing group about 
how well they met 
the criteria of the 
project 
 
 
   
 Ancillary Materials 
 
KWL Chart 
 
Please fill out this Know, Want to Know, and Learned chart. Under the “Know” column, put 
any information or elements of graphic novels/comics that you are already aware of from 
any previous experience or exposure to this medium. Under the “Want to Know” column, 
put some questions or elements that you are interested in and would like to have learned 
by the end of this unit. For now, leave the “Learned” column blank. We will fill that in at the 
end of unit with the knowledge that you have gained regarding graphic novels. ​Please save 
this chart so that you can fill in that final column at the end of the unit.  
 
Know  Want to Know  Learned 

     

 
Interactive Notebook 
 
Purchase a composition notebook at the beginning of the semester to use throughout 
every unit. We will set up a table of contents at the beginning of the notebook to record the 
entries you will be making in each unit. In this unit in particular, you will have multiple 
entries for homework and this notebook will also be where you are expected to draft your 
mini graphic novel. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Padlet Discussion 
  

 
 
 
Feedback Sheet 
 
 
Your Name: 
Feedback For: 
 
1. Did they utilize active and passive voice? 
 
2. How did the use of active/passive voice contribute to the rhetorical impact of 
their piece? 
 
3. How did you see dialogue functioning in their piece? 
 
4. Did they incorporate the concept of gatekeeping? If so, how? 
 
5. What elements of graphic novels that we discussed in this unit do you see in their 
piece? 
 
6. Are the elements used in a way that adds to the meaning of the piece overall or do 
they distract from the purpose? 
 
 
 
   
 Final Project  
 
For your final project, you will write a mini graphic novel to your peers demonstrating your 
knowledge of the language and grammar concepts, as well as the elements of graphic 
novels we covered in this unit. As long as all the elements are covered, you are welcome to 
choose any topic you like. You also have the option to choose whether you would like to 
hand draw or use technology to create your novel. The language and grammar concepts 
that you will be expected to include in your final project are: 
 
● Active and passive voice: ​Integrate at least one example of active and passive voice 
in your piece. Consider what we have discussed about the different contexts that 
each holds the most rhetorical power-- don’t just add them in randomly.  
 
● Code-switching: ​You must include an example of code-switching in your graphic 
novel in some way. You can either use your home dialect and academic English, or 
explore a different dialect one of your characters utilizes. There are a lot of 
possibilities to how you can incorporate this concept in your piece, get creative! 
 
● Dialogue: ​The medium of comics requires a good amount of dialogue to carry the 
plot of the story along, so make sure you are using what you have learned about 
dialogue in your piece.  
 
● Gatekeeping: ​Apply what you have learned about the concept of gatekeeping to 
your story in some way. An easy way to do this is through the experiences your 
characters encounter in your story.  
 
● Graphic Novel Elements: ​Choose at least two elements of graphic novels that we 
have covered in this unit to incorporate into your final project. 
 
Other than these main components, you have the freedom to do whatever you want with 
this project. There is no strict page count, just however many pages you need to 
incorporate all the required components. I want you to get creative and express yourself 
through the creation of this project. This is intended to be a fun way to demonstrate your 
knowledge and understanding of the content covered in this unit. We will have one 
workshop day in class, but you are welcome to meet with or email your workshop group 
and myself as many times as you need to feel confident on your final draft.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Grading Rubric 
 
Active and  Code-  Dialogue /10  Gatekeeping  Graphic Novel  Overall Quality 
Passive Voice  switching /10  points  /10 points  Elements /10  and Effort /10 
/10 points  points  points  points 

-Student  -Student  -Student  -Student  -Student  -Student creates 

demonstrates  demonstrates  demonstrates  demonstrates  demonstrates  a mini graphic 
understanding  understanding  ability to create  understanding  understanding  novel that 
of what active  of the concept  dialogue  of the concept  of elements of  includes all the 
and passive  of code-  exchanges that  of gatekeeping  a graphic novel  required 
voice is  switching by  adhere to the  through the  by applying at  components 
  applying code-  medium of  application of  least two   
-Student also  switching  comics  a gatekeeping  elements  -Student 
demonstrates  between    scenario in the  learned in this  demonstrates an 
ability to use  academic  -Student  plot of their  unit to your  overall strong 
each type of  English and  utilizes  graphic novel  final piece  grasp of the 
voice in a  another dialect  dialogue to    conventions of 
rhetorical savvy  serve a  standardized 
manner  rhetorical  academic English 
purpose  with little to no 
errors. If errors 
do occur, they do 
not detract from 
the meaning of 
the work. 
 
TOTAL:  
/60 POINTS 
 
 
 Terminology  
 
1. Active Voice: ​A form or set of forms of a verb in which the subject is typically the 
person or thing performing the action and which can take a direct object. 
 
2. Passive Voice: ​A form or set of forms of a verb in which the subject undergoes the 
action of the verb. 
 
3. Code-switching: ​The act of knowing when it is appropriate to use different dialects 
under specific contexts and being able to switch between those different dialects 
seamlessly. 
 
4. Dialogue: ​A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, 
or film. 
 
5. Gatekeeping: ​The activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to 
something. 
 
6. Graphic Novel: ​A novel in comics format. 
 
7. Comics: ​Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in a deliberate sequence, intended to 
convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the viewer. 
 
 
 
   
 
Summary 
 
By the end of this unit, students will be able to define the art of code-switching and 
identify how it functions in the texts they study, as well as in their personal language use. 
Students will also be able to define the concept of gatekeeping and be able to understand 
how gatekeeping could potentially affect their lives, and the lives of those around them. 
Additionally, students will be able to utilize dialogue to accomplish a rhetorical purpose 
proficiently and confidently. Lastly, students will be able to use active and passive voice in 
the contexts that would create the intended rhetorical impact.  
Culturally and linguistically diverse students will have the opportunity to use their 
home dialects and express their cultural identities through their final mini graphic novel 
projects. In addition to this, students will be reading ​American Born Chinese ​by Gene Luen 
Yang which is centered around a young chinese boy, Jin, coming to terms with his 
multicultural identity. They will also be reading​ The Prince and the Dressmaker​ by Jen Wang 
which also deals with struggles of identity as a Prince who enjoys wearing dresses 
navigates how to share that piece of himself with those who are close to him. Both of these 
novels deal with more complex issues, and are both written and illustrated by 
Asian-American cartoonists. Reading a book from a perspective other than the 
stereotypical white, straight, cis man’s will give all of my students an opportunity to be 
more culturally and globally aware; for my culturally and linguistically diverse students, this 
hopefully gives them an opportunity to see more representation of different identities 
within the classroom. 
In order to gauge whether or not my students met these learning targets, I will refer 
to their final mini graphic novel projects. In their final projects, they will be asked to create 
a mini graphic novel demonstrating the usage of code-switching, dialogue, gatekeeping, 
and active and passive voice. If they can proficiently do these four things in their final 
projects, I will feel confident that they met the learning targets that I designed for them. In 
addition to their final projects, I will also gauge their success with the KWL charts I will 
have them create in their interactive notebooks. On the first day of this unit, I will ask my 
students to complete the first two parts of a KWL chart: what you already know and what 
you want to know. In the ‘know’ column, I will have them write what they already have 
learned about graphic novels and comics from any exposure they have had to them so far. 
In the ‘want to know’ column, I will have my students write what they hope to gain or learn 
from reading graphic novels and studying them in depth. I will ask my students to at first 
leave the ‘learned’ column blank because at the end of the unit I will have them write in the 
column their answer to the question, “What have you learned about a graphic novels from 
reading ​American Born Chinese​ and ​The Prince and the Dressmaker​ and finishing this unit?” 
I will then use my students’ responses to the ‘learned’ portion of their KWL charts to get 
their firsthand accounts of how much they got out of this unit. 
 
   
 Common Core Standards 
 
11th Grade 
 
Because I am asking my students to use their dialogue rhetorically, I am meeting the 
standard: ​Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and 
usage when writing or speaking 
 
Because I am asking students to code-switch and be able to determine when certain 
dialects are appropriate under different contexts, I am meeting the following standard: 
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different 
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully 
when reading or listening. 
 
Because I am asking my students to use active and passive voice rhetorically for an 
intended purpose, I am meeting the following standard: ​Vary syntax for effect, consulting 
references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an 
understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading. 
 
   
 Works Cited 
 
Arthur, Chadra. ​The Cost of Code-Switching. 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3hRq2RnNI&t=1s​. 
 
Crovitz, Darren, and Michelle D. Devereaux. ​Grammar to Get Things Done: a Practical Guide
for Teachers Anchored in Real-World Usage a Co-Publication of Routledge and the
National Council of Teachers of English.​ Routledge, 2016.

“Demographics of Aurora.” ​Crime Data for Harlem, New York, NY - Trulia,​ Trulia's Blog, 
www.trulia.com/real_estate/Aurora-Colorado/community-info/​.  
 
“Explore Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, CO.” ​Parenting​, 
www.greatschools.org/colorado/aurora/253-Smoky-Hill-High-School/​.\ 
 
Francois, Chantal, and Elisa Zonana. ​Catching up on Conventions: Grammar Lessons for 
Middle School Writers​. Heinemann, 2009. 
 
“How Does Smoky Hill High School Rank Among America's Best High Schools?” ​U.S. News & 
World Report​, U.S. News & World Report, 
www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/colorado/districts/cherry-creek
-school-district-no-5-in-the-county-of-arapah/smoky-hill-high-school-4020​.  
 
McCloud, Scott. ​Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art.​ Simon Fraser University Library, 
2018. 
 
O'Donnell-Allen, Cindy. ​E 322 Daily Log Fall 2018.​  
 
Oxford Dictionaries. “The World's Most Trusted Dictionary Provider.” ​Oxford Dictionaries,​  
Oxford Dictionaries, ​www.oxforddictionaries.com/​. 
 
http://smokyhill.cherrycreekschools.org/Pages/default.aspx  
 
“U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aurora City, Colorado.” ​Census Bureau QuickFacts,​ United 
States Census Bureau, ​www.census.gov/quickfacts/auroracitycolorado​.  
 
Wang, Jen. ​The Prince and the Dressmaker.​ First Second, 2018. 
 
Yang, Gene Luen. ​American Born Chinese.​ W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services 
Library, 2017.