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The Road - Sequence441By: Lauren Morlock and Caitlin Higgins

1. Book and grade level

 * __The Road__ - Cormac McCarthy
 * Eleventh grade

2. Get a copy of the book

 * Caitlin and Lauren have obtained copies from the library.

**3. Essential Questions**
 * How do humans play a role in destroying their surroundings?
 * Where is the line drawn between compassion for others and survival of self?
 * What preventative methods can be taken to save mankind from itself? -

4. Texture Texts

 * "What is Dystopian Fiction?"
 * [|The Wasteland]by T.S. Elliot
 * This poem by Elliot describes a post-apocolyptic world, much like McCarthy does, and shows how important setting and imagery are to the novel.
 * [|I Am Legend clip]
 * This clip from the movie "I Am Legend" portrays New York City in a post-apocolyptic world where the main character is hunting a deer in a wildly overgrown Times Square. The mix of nature in the middle of such an iconic representation of life and commotion is silenced by an empty population.
 * [|The Pride of Baghdad]by Brian K. Vaughn
 * This graphic novel is about how the destruction of civilization at the hands of military actions has left the animals of the Baghdad Zoo stranded and unable to survive on their own.
 * [|"The End of the Whole Mess"]by Stephen King [from the Wasteland: Stories of the Apocalypse anthology]
 * This short story is written in a journal entry format and shows the progression of how a "cure" for human aggression turned into a disease, killing millions of people with it's degenerative effects.
 * [|The Hunger Games]by Suzanne Collins
 * Collins' novel tells the story of a civilization re-built after Earth was destroyed by wars. Katniss must step in the line of danger so her sister does not have to die.
 * [|The Knife of Never Letting Go]by Patrick Ness
 * Todd is forced to leave his town after an unspoken secret that the men in his town are keeping from him begins to surface. Fleeing for his life, Todd goes off with his dog, whose thoughts he can hear (along with those of the men whom he had previously lived with) in search of answers, and a new life free of the Germ.

Context Texts

 * [|An Inconvenient Truth]by Al Gore
 * This book is about how people's lack of care for the environment is destroying the Earth from the inside out, and how the natural energy sources are depletin
 * The combination of fiction novels and real life articles will definitely add a powerful element to your unit; it will really form a connection with the students and what they are learning. (Allison B and Sam S)
 * "When Reporters Become Targets, War Coverage Is Reduced to a Stream of Videos"by David Carr (New York Times article)
 * This article will give students a recent perspective on war and how the brutality of it not only kills human beings, but limits the rest of the world in knowing what is really going on. Students will be able to see and wonder what happens when the world is cut off from knowing, similar to what happens in the fulcrum text.
 * Love is the Higher Lawby David Levithan
 * Pages 37-39 present the 9/11 events in New York City in a graphic way that will build on students' knowledge of destructive events and the ways in which they affect human beings.
 * "2012 End-of-the-World Countdown Based on Mayan Calendar Starts Today"by Suzan Clarke
 * This article emphasizes a Mayan cultural prediction that has been around for an extremely long time. This "end-of-the-world prediction" shows the way that other cultures might view destruction.
 * "Aastyra - Wanderer of the Post-Apocalypse"
 * These images will be chosen to display post-apocalyptic settings.
 * "Eve of Destruction"by Barry McGuire
 * This song shows the significance of war and even questions it.
 * "Welcome to the Black Parade"by My Chemical Romance
 * This song expresses a father-son relationship and in context of destructive events.
 * "Best Dystopian Novels"
 * These could be used for book club recommendations.

6. Intellectual Productions
Media: Create a PSA using iMovie or Movie Maker that focuses on an aspect of human-based destruction (disease, war, famine, greed, etc.). In this PSA, students must present alternative methods to the current problems that humans are involved in, and discuss and describe potential dangers that lie ahead. Great because students can make connections between history and environmental studies - authentic to their lives! (RB)

Writing: Students will create an alternative ending to __The Road__ based on one of the human-based destruction methods they used for their PSAs. You should give the students an opportunity to present their PSA's to make the experience more authentic. They will be more engaged and learn more if they feel as if they are making a real difference. (AB and SS) Lesson#1- I like how the lesson talks about multiple perspectives, but I was confused about exactly they were being asked to do. I thought your objectives were good and understandable, but when I got to the actual summary was slightly confusing. Maybe just reword some of the sentences. (VG) 
 * 6. UBD Template: **


 * 7. Mock-up Lesson Plans: **


 * <span style="color: #004480; font-family: Georgia,serif;">8. Lessons: **

<span style="color: #004480; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I'm curious as to what you mean with this objective: " Students will be able to evaluate the relation between destructive events and human communication. " I'm trying to think in relation to what Karen said about it relating to literacy... what discourses are they reading? The questions you have in your guided practice will definitely guide them towards thinking critically about different perspectives and Dominant discourses, especially with the questions " Are they affected positively/negatively" and "Who is benefiting from this communicative strategy?" Although, I'm not sure what you mean by communicative strategy (Sam Slavin).

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