THEMED LITERATURE UNIT

Persevering Despite Adversity

By Michael Gustafson

My 6^th grade students are at an inquisitive age of asking questions and seeking answers to things unknown or somewhat familiar. They are eager for knowledge and curious about the world around them. They are re-entering an inquiring time in their lives like when they were young children seeking to know about something and yearning to obtain information about what is strange, bewildering or hard to explain. My 6^th grade students will come to understand the themed literature unit, Persevering Despite Adversity, through participating in Literature Circles, sharing in Guided Literacy focus lessons, reflecting in journal responses and culminating in a group extension project. In conclusion, my students will be able to apply what they have learned from stories of other people’s lives so that they can see possibilities to rise above hardship and difficulty in their lives now and in the future.

Central Questions:

1. What does it mean to persevere despite adversity?
2. What does it look like when someone perseveres despite adversity?
3. How does someone stand up to adversity in his or her own life?

Learning Targets:

1. Students will learn strategies to promote comprehension. (Skills/Process)
2. Students will participate in Literature Circle discussions by sharing their insights, working through questions and assess cooperative group skills. (Skills/Process)
3. Students will reflect on their own lives and the lives of the people they read about. (Concept/Generalization)
4. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how being true to oneself can benefit them to overcome adversity. (Concept/ Generalization)

-We must be true to ourselves in times of adversity.

-Sometimes we realize the strengths we have when we are confronted with difficult situations.

-There are times in our lives when we rely on others for help.

-Experiencing adversity can be opportunities for personal growth.

Literature Circle Books

Creech, S. (1994). Walk Two Moons. Harper Collins Publishers: New York.

This is a story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother. This is a powerful story of love, loss and the complexity of human emotion.

Generalization: We must be true to ourselves in times of adversity.

Jimenez, F. (1997) The Circuit. University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, NM.

This is a story of a migrant Mexican family who works hard under the worst of circumstances, and whose work is hardly recognized. Temporary living situations and poverty define their lives, but with faith and hope, and backbreaking work, the family endures.

Generalization: Sometimes we realize the strengths we have when confronted with difficult situations.

Skurznynski, G. (1992). Good-bye, Billy Radish. Bradbury Press: New York.

When the U.S. enters World War I life changes in a small Pennsylvania steel town. The character Hank faces changes and finds himself drifting apart from his best friend, Billy Radish. When Billy goes to work in the steel mill, Hank confronts difficulty with his changing life and seeks support from others to carry him through.

Generalization: There are times in our lives when we rely on others for help.

DeAngelis, G. (2001). Jackie Robinson, Overcoming Adversity. Chelsea House Publications: Philadelphia.

Throughout his life, Jackie Robinson refused to quietly accept the racism that he as a black man encountered regularly. Jackie Robinson is remembered for the grace and courage he displayed in not fighting back in the face of a barrage of racial taunts and threats.

Generalization: We must be true to ourselves in times of adversity.

Lowry, L. (1990). Number the Stars. Yearling Books: New York.

This is a story of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust who pretends to be a member of her best friend’s family in order to evade being taken away by the Nazis. It is a powerful story of friendship, optimism and perseverance.

Generalization: There are times in our lives when we rely on others for help.