Dear parent or guardian, As part of our English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, we will soon begin a unit titled Conflict and Connection. In this unit, students will read about conflicts between people of different backgrounds, including the sources of the conflicts and how they affect the people involved. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question: “What differences can’t be bridged?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well. Unit 1 includes the following texts. The Book of the Dead: In this short story by award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, an artist learns the truth about her father’s past. Students will learn to analyze the development of theme and understand cultural and historical context. By Any Other Name: This memoir centers on an incident in which the author and her sister faced prejudice and cultural pressure at a British-run school in India. Students will continue to practice analyzing historical context and also analyze the author’s purpose for writing. Without Title: This poem considers how our past culture is reflected in our current life. Students will analyze setting and make inferences about theme. What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?: This modern fable explores how the choices we make affect us and those around us. Students will continue to analyze cultural background. They will also analyze character motivations. from Texas v. Johnson Majority Opinion and Dissent: Supreme Court opinions on both sides of the issue discuss the legality of burning the American flag as a form of protest. Students will compare these opposing views, analyze important U.S. documents, and evaluate evidence. American Flag Stands for Tolerance: A newspaper editorial shares a law professor’s reaction at the time of the Texas v. Johnson ruling. Students will evaluate the author’s argument and analyze the rhetoric he uses. Students will analyze purpose and audience as they compare the arguments from the Texas v. Johnson opinions and “American Flag Stands for Tolerance.” After reading the unit texts, students may explore the following options: Short Reads provide online independent reading selections in a variety of genres. These include argument, short story, poetry, and informational text. Long Reads are recommended books related to the unit theme and Essential Question. In this unit, recommendations include Lord of the Flies, The Kite Runner, and The Poet X, a novel in verse. The Unit Writing Task, Write an Argument, asks students to synthesize their reading and support their ideas using relevant evidence. All assignments except for the Long Reads are available through your student’s eBook. Please contact me if you have any questions about this unit.

Letter From our English Department to Parents

Crossett High School

August 17, 2022

Here is a letter from our English department to our parents.  Please take your time to read it and reach out to us for any questions.