Making Evidence-Based Claims about Literary Technique

Description

This unit develops students’ abilities to make evidence-based claims about literary technique through activities based on a close reading of Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” and Robert Frost’s “Home Burial.”

The unit activities are organized into five parts, each associated with sequential portions of text. The parts build on each other and can each span a range of instructional time depending on scheduling and student ability. The unit intentionally separates the development of critical reading skills from their full expression in writing. A sequence of tools isolates and supports the progressive development of the critical reading skills. Parts 1-2 focus on making evidence-based claims as readers. Part 3 focuses on preparing to express evidence-based claims by organizing evidence and thinking. Parts 4 and 5 focus on expressing evidence-based claims in writing.