Identity Stories Teacher Guide
6th Grade ELA • SETSS Pull-Out Instructional Guide
Unit 1 Short Story Selection & Rationale
Yearlong Overarching Essential Question: "Who am I, and what does it mean to be human?"
Target: 3rd–5th Gr. Lexile
Instructional Purpose & Scaffolding Architecture
These curated stories feature high-interest, age-appropriate middle school conflicts with manageable syntax, vivid dialogue, and accessible vocabulary (450L–790L). They provide SETSS learners with immediate entry into analyzing the individual's role in community while pre-teaching core thematic motifs for Units 2–4 (Fish in a Tree, The Windeby Puzzle, A Wrinkle in Time).
Core Anchor Texts (Identity & Self-Worth)
"Eleven"
by Sandra Cisneros
Theme: Multi-layered identity, vulnerability, and voice in public spaces
680L • Gr 4–5
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Rachel grapples with feeling small despite turning eleven. Directly explores the internal layers of "Who am I?" when authority and peers misunderstand you.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Short length, repetitive poetic syntax (onion/tree rings metaphor). Sets up Ally's feeling of being trapped by misunderstandings in Fish in a Tree.
"Seventh Grade"
by Gary Soto
Theme: Persona vs. authenticity, social belonging, and middle school anxiety
670L • Gr 4
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Victor puts on false fronts (scowling, faking French) to fit in and impress a peer. Investigates how individuals modify their self-presentation to belong in society.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
High relatability, humorous situational comedy, dialogue-rich. Bridges into Unit 4's focus on conformity vs. true individuality in A Wrinkle in Time.
"Fish Cheeks"
by Amy Tan
Theme: Cultural heritage, shame, self-acceptance, and familial love
790L • Gr 5
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Fourteen-year-old Amy is mortified by her family's traditional dinner in front of a crush, realizing years later that true identity lies in honoring roots.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Vivid sensory imagery (food descriptions), clear narrative arc under 600 words. Direct thematic tie to Unit 2's "Fabric of Community" and embracing unique differences.
SETSS Alignment: Tier 2 Vocabulary & Guided Thematic Note-Taking
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Extended & Genre Bridge Recommendations
Sci-Fi, Dignity & Community Focus
"Thank You, M'am"
by Langston Hughes
Theme: Compassion, human dignity, trust, and community mentorship
720L • Gr 4–5
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Mrs. Jones chooses empathy over punishment when Roger tries to steal her purse, showing him what it means to be treated with unconditional humanity.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Rich character actions and dialogue. Prepares students for Unit 2's theme of how supportive adults (like Mr. Daniels in Fish in a Tree) transform self-worth.
"All Summer in a Day"
by Ray Bradbury
Theme: Group conformity, jealousy, cruelty to outsiders, and empathy
680L • Gr 4–5
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Margot is ostracized and locked away by classmates because she remembers the sun on Earth. Probes the dark side of mob mentality vs. individual expression.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
High-tension speculative plot. Perfect genre foundation for Unit 3 (Windeby) and Unit 4's fight against conformity in A Wrinkle in Time (Camazotz).
"The Marble Champ"
by Gary Soto
Theme: Redefining personal strength, self-efficacy, and perseverance
620L • Gr 3–4
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Lupe is not athletically gifted in school sports, but chooses to master marbles through disciplined thumb exercises, redefining her personal sense of pride.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Most accessible Lexile in the collection. Models non-traditional intelligence and tenacity, directly echoing Ally’s journey with dyslexia in Unit 2.
Recommended SETSS Instructional Delivery Sequence
1. Launch (Weeks 1–2) "Seventh Grade" & "Eleven"
Focus on inner monologue vs. outward behavior. Introduce the "Iceberg Identity" graphic organizer.
2. Deepen (Weeks 3–4) "Fish Cheeks" & "The Marble Champ"
Analyze how characters navigate feeling different. Scaffold paragraph writing with sentence starters.
3. Bridge (Weeks 5–6) "Thank You, M'am" & "All Summer"
Synthesize: How do community actions hurt or heal our humanity? Direct launch into Unit 2 (Fish in a Tree).
Yearlong Theme Alignment: Unit 1 Foundations → Unit 2 Interconnection → Unit 3 Science/Humanity → Unit 4 Individuality
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Community Stories Teacher Guide
7th Grade ELA • SETSS Pull-Out Instructional Guide
Unit 1 Short Story Selection & Rationale
Yearlong Overarching Essential Question: "How do people and communities change over time?"
Target: 5th–6th Gr. Lexile
Instructional Purpose & Upgraded Lexile Architecture (740L–860L)
Curated for 7th-grade SETSS readers reading at a 5th–6th grade instructional level. These stories offer mature thematic complexity—systemic fairness, generational memory, and cultural legacy—with accessible sentence lengths and high-engagement dialogues. They establish vital foundational schemas for Units 2–4 (The Hate U Give, In the Shadow of Liberty, The Maze Runner).
Core Anchor Texts (Community Dynamics & Integrity)
"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
by Walter Dean Myers
Theme: Generational wisdom, redefined wealth, blues history, and community elders
780L • Gr 5–6
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Greg meets Lemon Brown in an abandoned Harlem building, learning that human treasures are memories, history, and what a father passes to his son rather than money.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Rich sensory mood & accessible dialogue. Directly prepares students for Mav and Starr’s father-daughter legacy in Unit 2 (The Hate U Give).
"The War of the Wall"
by Toni Cade Bambara
Theme: Collective memory, public art, reclaiming neighborhood history, and honoring heroes
770L • Gr 5–6
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Neighborhood kids distrust an outside painter modifying their local wall, discovering at the reveal that it honors community martyrs and civil rights history.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Vibrant first-person collective voice ("we"). Bridges directly into Unit 2's community protests and Unit 3's historical profiles (In the Shadow of Liberty).
"The Scholarship Jacket"
by Marta Salinas
Theme: Institutional bias, integrity, rural dignity, and standing up to corruption
800L • Gr 5–6
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Marta earns the valedictorian jacket through years of straight A's, but school politics threaten to deny it. Her grandfather's refusal to compromise forces justice.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Clear moral turning point and concise structure. Excellent foundation for discussing structural unfairness and moral courage in Units 2 & 3.
SETSS Alignment: Complex Character Motive Tracking & Context Clue Glossaries
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Extended & Thematic Bridges (History, Adversity & Rebirth)
Changemaker Stories Teacher Guide
8th Grade ELA • SETSS Pull-Out Instructional Guide
Unit 1 Short Story Selection & Rationale
Yearlong Overarching Essential Question: "Changemakers Across Time: What is my impact on the world?"
Target: 6th–7th Gr. Lexile
Instructional Purpose & Scaffolding Framework (780L–880L)
Curated for 8th-grade SETSS pull-out readers (reading at 6th–7th grade instructional levels). These stories tackle personal agency, scientific responsibility, systemic injustice, and moral choice with accessible narrative structures, building robust schema for Units 2–4 (The Hitchhiker’s Guide, Bomb, Dear Martin).
Core Anchor Texts (Personal Agency & Moral Courage)
"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
by Walter Dean Myers
Theme: Generational legacy, personal worth beyond wealth, and passing down wisdom
780L • Gr 6
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
Greg reflects on his father’s expectations after meeting a former blues singer whose true treasure is his late son's pride. Explores what legacy we leave behind.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Clear dialogue and atmospheric mood. Bridges directly into character motivation and father-son guidance in Unit 4 (Dear Martin).
"Harrison Bergeron"
by Kurt Vonnegut
Theme: Enforced equality, satire, individuality vs. totalitarian control, and defiance
830L • Gr 6–7
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
In 2081, a society handicaps brilliance to make everyone equal. Harrison breaks his chains on live television, symbolizing the cost of demanding genuine human excellence.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
Vivid visual absurdism. Bridges satirical fiction in Unit 2 (Hitchhiker's Guide) and tragic resistance in Unit 4 (Dear Martin).
"A Sound of Thunder"
by Ray Bradbury
Theme: The Butterfly Effect, technological power, human consequence, and hubris
860L • Gr 6–7
Unit 1 & Yearlong Connection
A time-travel hunter steps off the path and crushes a prehistoric butterfly, returning to find the future altered into a dictatorship. Illustrates how every single action matters.
SETSS Scaffolding & Unit Bridge
High suspense and cause-effect logic. Direct conceptual foundation for atomic chain reactions and scientific consequence in Unit 3 (Bomb).
SETSS Alignment: Ripple-Effect Analysis & Irony/Satire Decoding Charts
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Extended & Genre Bridges (Invention, Paranoia & Standing Up)
Technology, Ethics & Human Dignity
"Marigolds"
