Language Skills Focus

Create a 19-week sequence of weekly warm-up lessons and embedded practices aligned with the text "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". Integrate the new GA INSPIRE ELA Standards for Grades 9-12: 9-12.T.C.1 (Purpose & Audience), 9-12.T.T.3 (Argumentative Techniques), 9-12.T.RA.2 (Curating Sources & Evidence), 9-12.T.C.2 (Authors & Speakers), 9-12.T.SS.1 (Organization), 9-12.T.SS.2 (Craft). Each week should focus on the "I can" statement as provided, with prediction-style warm-up questions, success criteria, examples and exemplars, scaffolding for ELLs, Tier 2-3 learners, Gifted learners, and Students with Disabilities (SWD), extension activities, and dyslexia-friendly reading options. Use US grade level format for Year 9-12. The sequence starts with Week 1: identify nouns and verbs and continues through Week 19: explain connotation and denotation. Include differentiation and extension strategies for diverse learners. Include embedded practice tasks based on the text. Make the lessons actionable and aligned with the standards and text. Use "I can" statements for each week and include success criteria for each lesson. Length: 60 minutes, Students: 25.

Week 1: Identify Nouns and Verbs

Text: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Chapters 1–2 excerpt)
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 25

Learning Goals

Standard Alignment:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1 (Demonstrate command of standard English grammar and usage)
- GA INSPIRE ELA 9-12.T.C.1 (Purpose & Audience)
I Can Statement:
I can identify nouns and verbs in the context of a nonfiction text to better understand the author’s message and purpose.
Success Criteria:
- Accurately locate and label nouns and verbs in selected text
- Explain how specific nouns and verbs shape the meaning of sentences
- Use this understanding to make predictions about the text

Materials

Printed excerpts from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2 pages max)
Highlighters (2 colors per student)
Whiteboard & markers
Vocabulary charts (nouns and verbs examples/sentences)
Dyslexia-friendly font handout for excerpts (OpenDyslexic or similar)
Digital projector for visual examples

Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up: Prediction & Thinking (10 minutes)

Activity: Show students the title and cover image of the book.
Prompt:
- What do you think this book is about?
- What kinds of nouns (people, places, things) and verbs (actions) do you expect to see in this story?
Purpose: Activates prior knowledge and sets purpose for identifying nouns and verbs.

2. Direct Instruction: Review Nouns & Verbs (15 minutes)

Define nouns and verbs with examples.
Display sentences from text excerpt with highlighted nouns (yellow) and verbs (green).
Model: Break down a paragraph from the excerpt.
Explain how specific nouns and verbs reveal author’s purpose, e.g.:

“Cells” as a noun relates to science and medical studies, and the verb “divided” signals scientific action.

3. Guided Practice: Text Markup (15 minutes)

Distribute dyslexia-friendly, printed excerpts.
Students highlight nouns in yellow and verbs in green independently.
Teacher circulates, offering support or challenge as needed.
After marking, students pair-share their findings—compare notes on why an author might use these words.

4. Embedded Practice: Contextual Prediction with Evidence (10 minutes)

Students answer: Based on the nouns and verbs you identified, what might happen next in the story?
Ask students to cite specific words as evidence for their predictions.
Example: “The noun ‘cancer’ and verb ‘spread’ suggest a medical issue will be prominent.”

5. Wrap-Up & Success Check (10 minutes)

Ask three volunteers to share their predictions with supporting evidence.
Use success criteria checklist to self-assess:
- Did I correctly identify nouns and verbs?
- Did I explain how these words influence my understanding?
- Did I support my prediction with text evidence?
Quick formative quiz (exit ticket): Identify nouns and verbs in one new sentence from the text shown on the board.

Differentiation Strategies

Learner Type	Strategy
ELL Students	Provide a glossary of key nouns and verbs from the excerpt. Use sentence frames for predictions.
Tier 2-3 Learners	One-on-one or small group support with noun/verb concept reinforcement. Simplify sentences.
Gifted Learners	Challenge: Find nouns with abstract meaning or verbs showing complex action. Write original sentences using these words.
Students with Disabilities	Use dyslexia-friendly fonts, highlight with colour-coded aids. Oral reading and verbal explanation alternative.

Extension Activities

Creative Writing: Write a short paragraph continuing the story using at least five nouns and five verbs identified during the lesson.
Research: Students research the scientific meaning of 1-2 nouns (e.g., “cells,” “cancer”) and present to the class next session.

Additional Notes for Teachers

Use think-aloud strategies to demonstrate analytical thinking about word choice and author’s purpose, building metacognition.
Maintain active engagement by encouraging prediction and evidence-based discussion—key for argumentative techniques (9-12.T.T.3) and curating sources (9-12.T.RA.2).
Ensure texts and activities scaffold understanding for all learners and build foundational vocabulary critical for later lessons in this sequence.

This lesson is the foundational building block of the 19-week sequence, intentionally focused on language structure to empower students to analyze sophisticated nonfiction and author’s craft as they progress.

Teaching Instructions