Chunk 1 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 1 • Pages 1–10
Monday Morning: The Draft Wheel & Rumblings of Rebellion
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 1–10): On Monday, July 13, 1863, the military draft lottery resumes at the Ninth District provost marshal's office. Working-class laborers gather in fury over the $300 exemption fee that allows wealthy men to buy their way out of service. Fifteen-year-old Claire Johnson observes the gathering anger.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Prompt: How does the opening setting of New York City during the Civil War draft lottery establish the social inequality that drives the plot's initial conflict?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Conscription (n.) Compulsory military draft.
"The conscription wheel spun, calling men who had no say in the war."
Sentence:
2. Exemption (n.) Freedom from an obligation or liability granted to others.
"A three-hundred-dollar exemption let the wealthy stay safely at home."
Sentence:
3. Provost (n.) A military police officer in charge of maintaining discipline or drafts.
"Crowds shouted insults directly outside the provost marshal's door."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. What sparks the crowd's outrage on pp. 1–10? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. The closing of all local factories and shipping docks
B. The draft exemption fee favoring the wealthy over the poor
C. A sudden increase in taxes on groceries and public rail
D. An official order forcing all citizens to leave the city
2. How does Myers introduce Claire in these opening pages? CCSS.RL.7.3
A. As a violent riot leader urging the crowd to burn buildings
B. As an affluent socialite disconnected from neighborhood life
C. As an observant 15-year-old caught between her dual heritages
D. As a military courier carrying top-secret orders from Washington
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Social Grievance CCSS.RL.7.1
Why did poor laborers refer to the draft as a "rich man's war and poor man's fight"?
Response 2: Screenplay Form CCSS.RL.7.5
How do Myers' stage directions create immediacy and realistic crowd tension in Chunk 1?
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 1 (Pages 1–10) • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 1 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 1 • Pages 1–10: Lottery Sparks
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.5, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students analyze how historical setting drives labor unrest and examine how stage directions establish dramatic tension.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.3) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Prompt students to identify that the $300 fee equaled nearly a full year's wages for working-class laborers, making the draft feel deeply discriminatory.
Exemplar Response: "The 1863 New York draft lottery creates the conflict because poor laborers could not afford the $300 exemption. The setting highlights economic injustice, making workers feel expendable while the rich stay safe, sparking rebellion."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Conscription
Ensure students use it as a noun meaning compulsory military enrollment.
2. Exemption
Emphasize legal release from duty through payment or status.
3. Provost
Historical term for the military draft supervisor and police official.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.1)
Rationale: The $300 commutation clause is the primary catalyst for working-class fury. A, C, and D are not historical causes in the text.
Q2 Key: C (RL.7.3)
Rationale: Claire is introduced as an intelligent, conflicted 15-year-old observing the rising peril. A, B, and D misrepresent her character.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.1 - Citing Evidence):
Laborers called it a "rich man's war and poor man's fight" because wealthy men could buy out of the draft with $300, while poor workingmen had to risk their lives on battlefields to defend policies set by wealthy politicians.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.5 - Screenplay Structure):
Myers' stage directions (describing stomping feet, shouting voices, and tight camera framing on the lottery drum) pull the reader directly into the noisy, suffocating room, making the crowd's sudden turn to violence feel imminent.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 1 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 2 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 2 • Pages 11–20
Monday Afternoon: Flames, Telegraph Wires & Police Retreat
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 11–20): The crowd smashes into the Ninth District draft office, sets the building ablaze, and cuts fire-alarm and telegraph wires to prevent police reinforcement. When Police Superintendent John Kennedy arrives in plainclothes, the mob recognizes and brutally attacks him, forcing authorities to flee.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Prompt: How does the crowd's decision to destroy communication wires and burn municipal buildings transform the event from a protest into an uncontrollable urban uprising?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Incendiary (adj.) Tending to stir up conflict; fire-causing.
"Incendiary slogans were shouted as black smoke billowed down Third Avenue."
Sentence:
2. Frenzy (n.) A state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior.
"The mob reached a terrifying frenzy, smashing storefronts without restraint."
Sentence:
3. Disperse (v.) To distribute or spread over a wide area; break up.
"Police tried to force the crowd to disperse, but they were hopelessly outnumbered."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. Why do the rioters sever the city's telegraph wires on pp. 11–20? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. To prevent city police from calling in militia reinforcements
B. To steal the copper metal and sell it to scrap iron dealers
C. To establish their own independent municipal telephone line
D. Because government inspectors ordered the lines renovated
2. How does the mob's assault on Superintendent Kennedy impact plot tension? CCSS.RL.7.3
A. It immediately pacifies the crowd and restores peaceful dialogue
B. It signals that law enforcement has lost control and anarchy reigns
C. It leads the police department to formally join the mob's protest
D. It proves that the rioters are strictly unarmed and harmless
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Theme of Mob Mentality CCSS.RL.7.2
How does Myers demonstrate that collective rage erases individual moral accountability in Chunk 2?
Response 2: Sensory Diction & Mood CCSS.RL.7.4
Chunk 2 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 2 • Pages 11–20: Streets Ablaze
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.4, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students analyze how mob mentality overcomes civic order and evaluate Myers' use of sensory language to create an escalating, chaotic atmosphere.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.3) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Help students realize that cutting telegraph lines was a calculated military tactic that blinded authorities and isolated police stations.
Exemplar Response: "Cutting telegraph wires and burning government buildings shifted the event from a protest into an insurrection. By severing communications, rioters prevented police coordination, allowing mob rule to spread unchecked across Manhattan."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Incendiary
Connect physical arson to inflammatory rhetoric that incites crowds.
2. Frenzy
Emphasize emotional contagion where people act without rational restraint.
3. Disperse
Highlight police tactical terminology for breaking up illegal assemblies.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1)
Rationale: The rioters deliberately cut wires to prevent police precincts from summoning militia and fire engines. B, C, and D are false claims.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.3)
Rationale: Nearly beating the top police commander to death demonstrates the total loss of municipal control. A, C, and D contradict the text.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme Development):
Myers illustrates how individual responsibility dissolves inside a violent mob. Once buildings caught fire, neighbors who were otherwise peaceful citizens joined in looting and assaults, egged on by group anonymity and collective hysteria.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.4 - Sensory Diction):
Myers uses auditory and visual diction like "crashing glass," "roaring flames," and "stifling soot" to evoke panic. These sensory details immerse readers in the physical danger, making the breakdown of society feel tangible and immediate.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 2 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 3 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 3 • Pages 21–30
Monday Evening: The Attack on the Colored Orphan Asylum
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 21–30): The mob turns upon the Colored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue. Defenseless children are hurried out the rear doors as hundreds of rioters loot bedding, food, and furniture before torching the four-story brick refuge. Claire witnesses this horrific cruelty, realizing innocent people are being hunted.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Prompt: Cite evidence from Chunk 3 demonstrating that the mob's objective shifted from protesting draft laws to executing racial violence.
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Asylum (n.) An institution offering shelter and care to vulnerable people.
"The Colored Orphan Asylum stood as a safe haven for over two hundred children."
Sentence:
2. Plunder (v. / n.) To steal goods from a place or person using force.
"Rioters burst through the entryway to plunder clothing and bedding."
Sentence:
3. Refuge (n.) A condition of being safe or sheltered from danger.
"Teachers led the children down side streets seeking refuge from the mob."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. Why did rioters attack the Colored Orphan Asylum? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. The building was being used as a federal armory storing cannons
B. They scapegoated Black children as symbols of abolition and the war
C. The city council ordered the structure demolished for a railroad
D. The children were drafted into military service to fight the rioters
2. How does Myers develop Claire's internal conflict in Chunk 3? CCSS.RL.7.6
A. She enthusiastically joins the looters to impress her cousins
B. She feels horrified that Irish neighbors could commit such atrocities
C. She decides to enlist in the Confederate army to seek revenge
D. She remains completely unconcerned and returns home to sleep
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Theme of Scapegoating CCSS.RL.7.2
How does Myers expose the moral bankruptcy of scapegoating through the assault on an orphanage?
Response 2: Claire's Realization CCSS.RL.7.3
How does witnessing this attack shatter Claire's feeling that she can safely stay on the sidelines?
Chunk 3 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 3 • Pages 21–30: Asylum Besieged
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students cite evidence of racial scapegoating and evaluate how witnessing the attack on vulnerable orphans alters Claire's perspective.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.1) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Guide students to contrast the original anti-draft grievance against the federal government with the targeted assault on defenseless orphans.
Exemplar Response: "Text evidence shows the mob shifted from protesting the draft to racial violence when they bypassed government offices to burn the Colored Orphan Asylum. Stealing children's beds and setting fire to a charity proved that hatred of Black people had become the driving force."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Asylum
Clarify historical definition as a sanctuary or charitable shelter for children.
2. Plunder
Discuss the criminal nature of looting an institution dedicated to orphans.
3. Refuge
Analyze the desperate search for safety amidst hostile city streets.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.1)
Rationale: Rioters scapegoated Black citizens and targeted the asylum as an accessible, defenseless racial symbol. A, C, and D are historically false.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.6)
Rationale: Claire feels sickening horror seeing people sharing her mother's heritage commit depraved acts against Black children. A, C, and D contradict her perspective.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme of Scapegoating):
Myers exposes how scapegoating strips people of basic morality. Instead of confronting powerful politicians who created the draft laws, the rioters attacked helpless children, showing how racial hatred cowardly targets those with the least power to fight back.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Character Transformation):
Witnessing the attack shatters Claire's illusion of neutrality. Seeing that the mob would burn children simply because of their race makes Claire realize that her own African American heritage marks her as an immediate target, forcing her out of complacency.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 3 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 4 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 4 • Pages 31–40
Monday Night: Shadows, Fear & A Family Under Siege
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 31–40): As darkness falls, armed mobs roam neighborhoods searching for Black citizens. Inside their home, Claire's parents confront the reality that their interracial marriage makes them prime targets. Claire overhears their agonizing debate over how to protect her and whether to flee the city.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Prompt: Contrast how Claire's mother and father perceive the danger threatening their family. How do their racial backgrounds shape their differing advice to Claire?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Vigilante (n.) A person acting outside the law to enforce self-declared rules.
"Armed vigilante squads marched the dark avenues interrogating anyone they met."
Sentence:
2. Complicity (n.) Involvement with others in an unlawful act or moral wrongdoing.
"Neighbors who stood silently by showed quiet complicity in the terror."
Sentence:
3. Perilous (adj.) Full of danger or risk.
"Stepping out onto the unlit streets at midnight was a perilous gamble."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. What makes Claire's household especially vulnerable on pp. 31–40? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. They operate a public newspaper openly advocating for the rioters
B. Their interracial marriage enrages white supremacist rioters
C. They have hidden the mayor inside their basement kitchen
D. Their home is directly across from the police headquarters
2. How does the nighttime setting impact the characters' emotions? CCSS.RL.7.3
A. It brings relief because all rioters return peacefully to their beds
B. It magnifies terror because mobs attack under cover of darkness
C. It creates a calm festive atmosphere where neighbors socialize
D. It allows the city army to quietly arrest every rioter by sunrise
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Character Conflict & Race CCSS.RL.7.6
Why does Claire feel alienated from both the white mob and the Black victims in Chunk 4?
Response 2: Theme of Survival CCSS.RL.7.2
Analyze the moral cost of hiding one's identity to survive an onslaught of prejudice.
Chunk 4 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 4 • Pages 31–40: Night Terrors
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students contrast maternal and paternal viewpoints regarding survival and evaluate how nighttime setting heightens emotional vulnerability.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.6) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Help students recognize that Claire's mother hopes Irish ties will shield them, while her father knows white mobs rarely grant nuance to Black or mixed-race families.
Exemplar Response: "Claire's mother believes her Irish heritage might protect their home from neighbors, hoping familiarity breeds mercy. Her father, however, understands the depth of white mob racism and fears that any association with Black ancestry guarantees immediate, fatal violence."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Vigilante
Examine the danger of self-appointed mobs operating without judicial restraint.
2. Complicity
Discuss moral guilt incurred by passive bystanders who do not oppose hate.
3. Perilous
Analyze the heightened risk of nighttime movement in a lawless urban zone.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.1)
Rationale: The mob viewed interracial marriages as an outrage against social order, making Claire's parents directly targeted. A, C, and D are fabricated distractors.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.3)
Rationale: Nighttime darkness removes police visibility and emboldens vigilante mobs to commit brutal attacks under shadow. A, C, and D contradict the narrative.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Perspective & Heritage):
Claire feels isolated because the white mob rejects her due to her Black father, while some Black neighbors regard her with suspicion because of her Irish mother. Huddled in the dark, she feels trapped between two worlds, belonging fully to neither during this explosion of racial hostility.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme of Survival):
Myers illustrates that denying or hiding identity to escape danger inflicts deep psychological pain. While pretending to be someone else might preserve physical life for a night, it forces Claire to endure the indignity of staying silent while her community's humanity is assaulted.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 4 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 5 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 5 • Pages 41–50
Tuesday Morning: Five Points, Labor Rivalry & Bitter Kin
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 41–50): On Tuesday morning, Claire walks into the impoverished Five Points district and encounters her cousin Walt and Maeve. Walt vehemently defends the rioters, arguing that Irish laborers must fight anyone who threatens their dock work. Claire challenges his violent logic, forcing a family confrontation.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Prompt: Contrast Walt's justification for violence with Claire's moral objection in Chunk 5. How does Myers use their dialogue to highlight opposing worldviews?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Grievance (n.) A real or perceived reason for complaint or resentment.
"Walt's genuine grievance about poor wages was poisoned by racial hostility."
Sentence:
2. Tenement (n.) A cramped, multi-family urban apartment building.
"Life in the dark tenement rooms of Five Points bred constant frustration."
Sentence:
3. Antagonism (n.) Active hostility, opposition, or enmity.
"The bitter antagonism between competing dockworkers flared into bloodshed."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. Why does Walt claim Irish workers must be ruthless on pp. 41–50? CCSS.RL.7.6
A. He argues they must dominate the docks to prevent their own starvation
B. He believes the British monarchy will reward them with land grants
C. He is carrying out direct written commands from Abraham Lincoln
D. He wants to purchase passage on an ocean steamship to California
2. What role does Maeve play in the conversation between Walt and Claire? CCSS.RL.7.3
A. She hands out firearms and incites Walt to commit more arson
B. She attempts to defuse the anger and urges Claire to be cautious
C. She runs to the nearest precinct to turn her brother over to police
D. She demands that Claire renounce her Irish family members
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Author's Perspective CCSS.RL.7.6
How does Myers illustrate the tragedy of impoverished groups turning upon each other in Five Points?
Response 2: Claire's Courage CCSS.RL.7.3
Chunk 5 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 5 • Pages 41–50: Five Points Divided
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students evaluate how economic competition fuels racial hostility in urban slums and analyze how Claire confronts Walt's prejudice.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.6) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Guide students to parse Walt's grievance: Irish immigrants felt trapped at the bottom of American society, but Walt chooses to direct his resentment downward against Black workers.
Exemplar Response: "Walt justifies violence as economic survival, claiming Irish workers must drive Black competitors off the docks to feed their families. Claire rejects this, arguing that murdering innocent people destroys any claim to justice and reduces them to brutal savages."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Grievance
Distinguish legitimate wage grievances from illegitimate violent actions.
2. Tenement
Discuss how squalid living conditions contributed to social volatility.
3. Antagonism
Examine the long-simmering friction between rival immigrant and Black laborers.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.6)
Rationale: Walt argues that dominating the docks by force is necessary for Irish survival. Distractors B, C, and D are contradicted by the script.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.3)
Rationale: Maeve acts as a moderating voice who fears for Claire's physical safety. Distractors A, C, and D misrepresent her character.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Perspective & Tragedy):
Myers portrays the tragedy of the Five Points by showing that both poor Irish immigrants and free Black laborers suffered from grinding poverty. Instead of uniting against exploitative bosses, racial animosity caused one marginalized group to violently terrorize the other.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Claire's Integrity):
Challenging Walt is perilous because Walt is armed and backed by mob fury. However, Claire's refusal to validate his racism is essential; she refuses to compromise truth to keep false peace, demonstrating emerging moral maturity.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 5 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 6 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 6 • Pages 51–60
Tuesday Afternoon: Meeting Robert & Dignity Under Threat
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 51–60): Claire meets Robert, a studious and composed young Black man trapped in lower Manhattan. As violence claims innocent lives nearby, Robert shares his perspective on self-worth, intellect, and surviving racial injustice. His quiet confidence fundamentally changes how Claire views herself.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Prompt: How does interacting with Robert challenge Claire's previous impulse to hide or remain silent about her African American heritage?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Composure (n.) The state of being calm and in control of oneself.
"Despite mortal peril, Robert spoke with extraordinary composure and grace."
Sentence:
2. Degrade (v.) To treat with contempt or lower in character and quality.
"Robert refused to let the rioters degrade his belief in his own worth."
Sentence:
3. Resolute (adj.) Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.
"Claire grew resolute in her commitment to protect innocent friends."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. What stands out to Claire about Robert's character on pp. 51–60? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. His desire to join the mob and loot commercial stores
B. His dignified self-respect, intelligence, and moral strength
C. His complete cowardice and refusal to look anyone in the eye
D. His plan to buy a $300 commutation pass from city hall
2. How does Robert respond to the hatred raging in the streets? CCSS.RL.7.6
A. He vows revenge by burning down the entire Irish neighborhood
B. He maintains his dignity, asserting that hatred only ruins the hater
C. He tries to convince Claire that everyone is naturally evil
D. He abandons his books and joins the Confederate spy ring
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Character Transformation CCSS.RL.7.3
How does Robert's pride in his mind and heritage inspire Claire to embrace her own identity?
Response 2: Theme of Human Dignity CCSS.RL.7.2
Explain how Myers presents education and moral composure as powerful resistance against oppression.
Chunk 6 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 6 • Pages 51–60: Tested Ties
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students analyze how Robert serves as a foil to Walt and evaluate how his dignity shapes Claire's evolving self-concept.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.3) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Guide students to observe Robert's self-possession: he does not define himself through the hatred directed at him, showing Claire a model of resilient Black identity.
Exemplar Response: "Meeting Robert challenges Claire's impulse to hide because Robert refuses to apologize for who he is. Seeing his calm dignity and dedication to learning makes Claire realize that her Black heritage is a source of strength rather than something to conceal."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Composure
Emphasize maintaining self-control in life-threatening circumstances.
2. Degrade
Contrast external oppression with internal integrity that cannot be degraded.
3. Resolute
Highlight firm determination to stand for human decency.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.1)
Rationale: Claire is struck by Robert's articulate intelligence and self-respect amidst danger. Distractors A, C, and D are contradicted by text.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.6)
Rationale: Robert articulates that surrendering to hate demeans the person who hates, maintaining his dignity. A, C, and D misrepresent his philosophy.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Character Arc):
Interacting with Robert is transformative because Robert represents intellectual curiosity and calm self-respect. Seeing Robert face violence without self-pity or hatred inspires Claire to stop feeling ashamed of her Black heritage, recognizing it as an integral part of her human dignity.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme of Dignity):
Myers demonstrates that moral composure and intellectual integrity are the ultimate forms of resistance against bigotry. While the rioters degrade themselves through savage violence, Robert and Claire preserve their humanity by choosing education, empathy, and truth over animalistic hatred.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 6 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 7 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 7 • Pages 61–70
Wednesday Morning: Barricades, Snipers & A City Fortified
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 61–70): On Wednesday morning, rioters fortify entire city blocks, overturning omnibuses and stringing telegraph wire across avenues into makeshift barricades. Snipers take positions on tenement roofs, firing on police squads. Claire and Robert must maneuver through this armed combat zone.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Prompt: Examine Myers' use of military language (e.g., *barricade*, *stronghold*, *snipers*, *garrison*). How does this diction emphasize that civil society has disintegrated into battlefield warfare?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Barricade (n.) An improvised barrier erected across a street to block an enemy.
"Rioters piled cobblestones and carts to raise a ten-foot barricade."
Sentence:
2. Fortress (n.) A heavily protected or fortified military stronghold.
"Eighth Avenue became an impenetrable fortress controlled by armed gangs."
Sentence:
3. Skirmish (n.) A short, unplanned fight between small bodies of troops.
"A brief skirmish left two police officers wounded on the avenue."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. Why do the rioters build barricades across avenues on pp. 61–70? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. To prevent police charges and prepare for clashes with federal troops
B. To construct toll booths to collect money from passing carriages
C. To divert floodwaters caused by heavy summer thunderstorms
D. Because municipal city planners ordered avenues closed for paving
2. How does the imagery of snipers on tenement roofs affect the mood? CCSS.RL.7.4
A. It creates a serene atmosphere where residents feel safely guarded
B. It creates intense claustrophobia and lethal danger from all angles
C. It makes the conflict resemble an orderly sports tournament
D. It proves that the rioters are eager to surrender peacefully
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Screenplay Staging CCSS.RL.7.5
How do Myers' camera angles showing sweeping barricades convey the immense scale of the uprising?
Response 2: Physical & Moral Barriers CCSS.RL.7.2
Chunk 7 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 7 • Pages 61–70: Barricades Rise
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students evaluate how military diction reflects civil breakdown and analyze how screenplay structure captures widespread urban fortification.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.4) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Help students connect Myers' choice of military diction to 19th-century European revolutions (such as the Paris barricades of 1848), demonstrating how the rioters organized military tactics.
Exemplar Response: "Myers' military terminology highlights that the conflict has evolved from civil protest into domestic warfare. Terms like 'fortress' and 'barricade' show that normal municipal laws no longer apply; the city is split into warring armed factions."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Barricade
Discuss physical construction using urban rubble to halt police cavalry.
2. Fortress
Analyze metaphorical transformation of civilian tenements into armed fortresses.
3. Skirmish
Examine irregular, violent exchanges of gunfire between small contingents.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1)
Rationale: The rioters built barricades to repel police charges and brace for armed clashes with federal soldiers. Distractors B, C, and D are false.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.4)
Rationale: Snipers shooting from windows creates an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere of inescapable danger. A, C, and D mischaracterize the scene.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.5 - Screenplay Staging):
Myers utilizes wide-angle screenplay descriptions showing sprawling rows of overturned carriages and telegraph wires spanning Eighth Avenue to depict the scale of rebellion. By contrasting these massive barricades with tight shots of trembling citizens below, Myers dramatizes the total takeover of public space.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Symbolism & Themes):
The physical barricades symbolize the deep racial, economic, and moral barriers separating New York's communities. Just as the streets are blocked by impassable walls of rubble, communication and empathy between ethnic groups have been shattered by prejudice and fear.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 7 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 8 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 8 • Pages 71–80
Wednesday Afternoon: Troops from Gettysburg & Shifting Power
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 71–80): Federal regiments battle-hardened from Gettysburg arrive in Manhattan. Marching with fixed bayonets and cannons, the soldiers face down rioters with deadly discipline. Walt and the crowd realize the military will show no mercy, while Claire rushes to protect Robert.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Prompt: Cite evidence from Chunk 8 showing how the arrival of veteran Union regiments alters the mood of the rioters from arrogant defiance to mortal dread.
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Regiment (n.) A military unit of infantry or cavalry under a colonel.
"The veteran regiment marched in lockstep down Broadway with loaded muskets."
Sentence:
2. Bayonet (n.) A blade fixed to the muzzle of a rifle for combat.
"Sunlight glinted off rows of steel bayonets, chilling the unruly crowd."
Sentence:
3. Formidable (adj.) Inspiring fear or respect through powerful force.
"The arriving soldiers formed a formidable line that no brickbats could break."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. Why do federal troops pose a vastly different challenge than the police? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. The troops have military cannons, combat discipline, and orders to fire
B. The soldiers immediately surrender their weapons to the rioters
C. The soldiers are completely unfamiliar with New York geography
D. The federal government instructed troops to distribute cash to crowds
2. How does Walt's demeanor change when he sees the infantry on pp. 71–80? CCSS.RL.7.3
A. He proudly marches to the front line and challenges the general to a duel
B. His swagger vanishes as he realizes he could be shot on sight
C. He joins the army regiment and volunteers to be a scout
D. He laughs hysterically, assuming the soldiers are actors in costume
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Plot Climax & Power Shift CCSS.RL.7.3
Explain how the arrival of combat veterans marks the dramatic turning point of the novel.
Response 2: Point of View on Military Force CCSS.RL.7.6
Chunk 8 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 8 • Pages 71–80: Arriving Regiments
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students cite evidence of the shifting power dynamics as federal troops confront rioters and contrast differing reactions to martial law.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.1) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Highlight that these Union regiments were hardened by the brutal fighting at Gettysburg just days earlier; they were not local police hesitant to shoot neighbors.
Exemplar Response: "Evidence shows the rioters' mood shifted to dread because the arriving soldiers were disciplined combat veterans armed with rifles, bayonets, and artillery. The mob realized the military would not negotiate and possessed the power to crush them."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Regiment
Explain military organization: 7th New York and 69th NY infantry units.
2. Bayonet
Discuss the psychological intimidation of gleaming fixed bayonets.
3. Formidable
Emphasize irresistible military power facing an undisciplined civilian mob.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1)
Rationale: The federal troops brought heavy artillery and battle readiness, fundamentally changing the balance of violence. Distractors B, C, and D are false.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.3)
Rationale: Walt's bravado evaporates when he faces regular soldiers who will shoot rioters without hesitation. Distractors A, C, and D are contradicted by the text.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Turning Point):
The arrival of combat veterans marks the novel's dramatic turning point because the rioters lose the upper hand. For three days, the mob ruled the streets through terror; now, the federal government exerts overwhelming military force, signaling the inevitable end of the uprising.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Contrasting Perspectives):
To the rioters, the Union troops represent tyranny and impending doom. To Claire, the soldiers represent both an end to the horrific racial lynchings and a terrifying spectacle of urban slaughter, creating a mix of relief and dread.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 8 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 9 Activity Sheet Walter Dean Myers • Riot Novel Study
Chunk 9 • Pages 81–90
Thursday Morning: Artillery Fire, Shattered Barricades & The Mob Breaks
Name:
Date: Period:
Reading Context (pp. 81–90): On Thursday morning, Union commanders aim cannons directly down the barricaded avenues. Grapeshot and artillery tear through the makeshift barriers, killing dozens of armed rioters and sending the mob scattering in panic. Claire, Robert, and Maeve huddle in a cellar as thunderous cannon fire shakes the earth.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Prompt: How does the violent dismantling of the barricades by federal artillery on Thursday morning develop Myers' central theme about the catastrophic consequences of mob violence?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Canister (n.) A metal cylinder filled with shot fired from artillery.
"The cannon blast of canister shot pulverized the wooden barricade instantly."
Sentence:
2. Subdue (v.) To overcome, quiet, or bring under control by force.
"The soldiers advanced down Ninth Avenue to subdue the final pockets of resistance."
Sentence:
3. Carnage (n.) The slaughter or destruction of a large number of people.
"Claire looked out from the basement stairs at the horrific carnage left in the street."
Sentence:
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer
1. What action by Union forces decisively breaks the mob on pp. 81–90? CCSS.RL.7.1
A. Deploying artillery to fire point-blank into barricades and clearing streets
B. Offering free draft exemptions to any rioter who agrees to go home
C. Surrendering the city arsenal to Walt and the mob captains
D. Inviting rioters to debate policy inside City Hall with the governor
2. How does Myers use dramatic irony during the cellar scene? CCSS.RL.7.5
A. The characters laugh because they believe the artillery is a holiday salute
B. Claire, Maeve, and Robert unite in brotherhood while their communities kill each other outside
C. The characters know the war is over, but soldiers outside do not
D. Walt secretly hides under the bed without Claire noticing
Part 4
Analytical Written Responses
Cite text evidence
Response 1: Climax & Consequences CCSS.RL.7.2
How does the bloody defeat of the mob expose the tragic self-destruction of prejudice?
Chunk 9 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 9 • Pages 81–90: Street Artillery
Instructional Pacing, Rationales & Exemplar Scoring
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.5, L.7.4.A
Chunk Objective: Students evaluate how the climax illustrates the collapse of mob resistance and analyze the dramatic symbolism of the cellar shelter scene.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.2) Time: 5 mins
Facilitation: Connect the artillery barrage to Myers' overarching theme: mob violence ultimately brings about its own violent destruction, leaving working-class communities devastated.
Exemplar Response: "The shattering of the barricades proves that mob violence produces only disaster. Instead of relieving poor laborers of draft burdens, the riot brought martial law, artillery fire, and death to the very neighborhoods the rioters sought to defend."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Instructional Notes (L.7.4.A)
1. Canister
Explain artillery ammunition designed for anti-personnel street clearance.
2. Subdue
Discuss the restoration of state authority over an armed population.
3. Carnage
Examine the heavy casualty toll resulting from urban artillery fire.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Key & Rationale
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1)
Rationale: Artillery fire of canister shot pulverized barricades and broke mob resistance. Distractors B, C, and D are historically false.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.5)
Rationale: Myers creates dramatic irony by having Claire, Maeve, and Robert unite in peaceful solidarity while racial war rages outside. A, C, and D misread the drama.
Part 4: Written Response Rubric & Exemplars 2-Point Scale
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme of Futility):
The destruction of the barricades reveals the tragic futility of hatred. Rather than improving life for workingmen, the riots resulted in mass slaughter, ruined neighborhoods, and military occupation, showing that violent scapegoating destroys the very people who unleash it.
Response 2 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Symbolism of Shelter):
The basement shelter represents human solidarity overcoming racial division. While armies and mobs clash above, an Irish girl, a Black young man, and a biracial teenager protect each other in the dark, embodying the possibility of reconciliation through empathy and shared survival.
Riot Novel Study • Chunk 9 Teacher Guide • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Chunk 10 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 10: Pages 91–100
Ash, Reckoning & Claire's Enduring Resolve
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Resolution: Military force suppresses the final pockets of resistance, leaving over one hundred dead and neighborhoods in ruins. Walking through the scarred streets, Claire reflects on the trauma inflicted upon the city. Confronting the future alongside Robert, she reaches a transformative realization: she will never apologize for or conceal her biracial heritage, choosing moral integrity and pride.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Prompt: Determine a central theme developed through the resolution on Pages 91–100. How does the quiet devastation of the city reinforce Myers' message about the tragic human cost of racial hatred versus the enduring strength of personal integrity?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Devastation (noun) Severe, widespread destruction or overwhelming ruin and grief.
Context: "Looking across the smoldering ruins of Second Avenue, Claire witnessed the physical devastation left by days of madness."
Your Sentence:
2. Reconciliation (noun) The restoration of peaceful relations or harmonization of differences.
Context: "True reconciliation would require more than soldiers; it would require the city to confront its deep racial divisions."
Your Sentence:
3. Resilience (noun) The capacity to recover quickly from hardship; strength of spirit.
Context: "In the face of terror, Claire discovered an inner resilience that refused to be diminished by prejudice or fear."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 10: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Which statement best expresses the overarching theme developed across the resolution of *Riot* on Pages 91–100?
A. Survival in times of violent civil conflict requires suppressing one's true identity to avoid attracting notice.
B. True strength lies in embracing the entirety of who you are and choosing moral integrity over tribal hatred.
C. Armed rebellion against civil law is always the most effective path toward achieving social equality.
Chunk 10 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 10: Pages 91–100
Thematic Synthesis, Character Arc & Culminating Analysis
Focus Standards: RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.1, RL.7.6, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students evaluate the central theme of identity and moral resolve, analyze Claire's transformation arc, and synthesize Walter Dean Myers' overarching historical commentary.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.2) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Guide students to contrast the physical destruction of the riot with the internal strength achieved by Claire. Ensure they identify how the tragedy proves that scapegoating produces only devastation, while dignity endures.
Exemplar Student Response: "The central theme is that hatred and violent scapegoating leave only moral and physical ruin, while true human dignity comes from courage and self-acceptance. The quiet streets and smoldering ruins on Pages 91–100 demonstrate the tragic futility of mob violence, contrasting sharply with Claire's inner resolve to stand tall in her identity."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Devastation
Highlight both the concrete wreckage of burnt homes and the emotional trauma inflicted on families.
2. Reconciliation
Explore how reconciliation requires honest confrontation with injustice rather than superficial silence.
3. Resilience
Emphasize resilience as moral courage to uphold human dignity when community structures fail.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.2 & RL.7.3
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.2 - Central Theme Determination)
Rationale: Claire's climactic realization is that true integrity means embracing both her Irish and African American heritage rather than yielding to tribal prejudice. Distractors A, C, and D contradict Myers' resolution.
Q2 Key: A (RL.7.3 - Character Transformation Arc)
Rationale: Claire journeys from passive insecurity and fear of rejection in Chunk 1 to proud, resolute self-affirmation in Chunk 10. Distractors B, C, and D are false character paths contradicted by the text.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Theme & Moral Courage):
Myers proves that true victory over violence is not won with muskets, but in the human heart. On Pages 91–100, Claire refuses to let hatred define her reality. Standing amidst the ruins, she declares her right to exist fully as both Black and Irish, proving that dignity and empathy outlast the worst cruelty of any mob.
Chunk 11 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 11: Pages 101–110
Night Barrage, Barricade Clashes & Desperate Flights
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Context: Night falls on Wednesday as Union military forces launch coordinated assaults on rebel barricades along Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Howitzer artillery shells shatter wooden defenses and light up the Manhattan skyline. Amidst the chaos, Claire, Robert, and terrified families navigate crossfire and collapsing tenements.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Prompt: On Pages 101–110, Myers describes the night assault with intense sensory imagery (e.g., *deafening roar*, *blinding sulfur flash*, *splintered timbers*). How does this diction emphasize the violent shift from civil protest to full-scale military siege?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Barrage (noun) A concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area.
Context: "A sudden barrage of federal grapeshot ripped through the wooden carts forming the central barricade."
Your Sentence:
2. Fortification (noun) A defensive wall or reinforcement built to strengthen against attack.
Context: "The rioters treated the tenement row as a military fortification, hurling bricks from the cornice."
Your Sentence:
3. Retaliation (noun) The action of harming someone in return for an injury or wrongdoing.
Context: "Fearful of military retaliation, many looters abandoned their stolen goods and melted into the alleys."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 11: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Based on Pages 101–110, why does the military's deployment of field artillery immediately alter the rioters' confidence?
A. The cannons prove that federal officers are authorized to destroy entire city blocks rather than bargain.
B. The rioters believe the cannons will run out of ammunition after a single symbolic warning salvo.
C. The mayor steps in and hands command of the artillery battery over to local neighborhood ward bosses.
D. The soldiers announce they will recruit all surrendered rioters into elite cavalry units.
Chunk 11 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 11: Pages 101–110
Night Warfare, Pacing Analysis & Answer Key
Focus Standards: RL.7.4, RL.7.1, RL.7.5, RL.7.3, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students analyze how sensory imagery conveys escalating urban warfare and evaluate screenplay pacing techniques during nocturnal street combat.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.4) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Highlight how sensory words such as 'blinding sulfur flash' and 'splintered timbers' immerse the reader into active artillery warfare, erasing the boundary between home and battlefield.
Exemplar Student Response: "Myers' vivid sensory imagery transforms the novel into a visceral war chronicle. Describing artillery flashes and crumbling wood shows that civil law has vanished completely; the city streets are no longer civilian neighborhoods, but an active military zone where cannon fire shatters any remaining illusion of safety."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Barrage
Note military definition: rapid, continuous discharge of artillery fire designed to overwhelm resistance.
2. Fortification
Discuss how ordinary residential tenements are repurposed into makeshift military garrisons.
3. Retaliation
Examine the cyclical nature of mob violence met by federal state violence in return.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.1 & RL.7.5
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1 - Citing Text Evidence)
Rationale: The deployment of lethal artillery demonstrates that federal military leadership is willing to destroy fortifications with high explosives rather than negotiate. Distractors B, C, and D contradict the narrative.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.5 - Screenplay Dramatic Structure)
Rationale: Myers utilizes rapid screenplay cross-cutting between exterior barrage fire and interior whispering to generate visceral suspense. Distractors A, C, and D misrepresent the script format.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.3 - Setting & Pacing):
The nighttime darkness mixed with sulfur smoke and artillery glare makes the environment lethally unpredictable. Claire and Robert cannot tell whether approaching footsteps belong to murderous rioters or trigger-happy soldiers. Shadows and collapsing rubble turn familiar city avenues into a labyrinth of mortal danger.
Chunk 12 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 12: Pages 111–120
Martial Grip: Dawn Sweeps & Broken Defiance
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Context: By Thursday morning, federal commanders enforce martial law across Manhattan. Armed Union infantry companies march bayonets-fixed down Broadway and the Bowery. Rioters who once ruled the streets now scatter in terror of arrest, and Walt is forced to recognize that the mob's violent reign is broken.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Prompt: Contrast how the federal military officers and the working-class rioters view the imposition of martial law on Pages 111–120. How does Myers develop these differing perspectives to show the sudden collapse of mob rule?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Martial (adjective) Appropriate to wartime or military life; warlike.
Context: "The mayor announced martial rule, giving generals complete authority over city law enforcement."
Your Sentence:
2. Subdue (verb) To overcome, quiet, or bring under control by superior force.
Context: "It took three veteran infantry battalions to finally subdue the remaining snipers on Ninth Avenue."
Your Sentence:
3. Grievance (noun) A real or perceived cause for complaint or unfair treatment.
Context: "Whatever genuine economic grievance the laborers had began to ring hollow after so much innocent blood was shed."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 12: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
How does Walt's emotional demeanor change on Pages 111–120 as Union troops patrol the Five Points?
A. His arrogant bravado vanishes into defensive fear as he realizes he could be arrested and hanged.
B. He celebrates victory, convinced the mayor has formally abolished the draft forever.
C. He volunteers as an official military interpreter for incoming federal colonels.
D. He persuades the neighborhood to launch another charge against City Hall.
Question 2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Which textual detail best demonstrates that the riots have effectively been halted by Thursday morning?
Chunk 12 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 12: Pages 111–120
Martial Law, Contrasting Views & Answer Analysis
Focus Standards: RL.7.6, RL.7.1, RL.7.3, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students contrast character points of view regarding military occupation and evaluate how martial enforcement reconfigures neighborhood power dynamics.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.6) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Have students analyze the collision between military commanders (focused on restoring state order) and rioters (who feel oppressed by federal conscription but now face superior state force).
Exemplar Student Response: "The military sees martial law as a necessary restoration of order against treasonous rioters. In contrast, laborers like Walt view the soldiers as oppressive agents of the wealthy elite enforcing an unfair draft. Myers highlights these opposing views to show that force may end the street violence, but it does not resolve the deep class grievances."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Martial
Connect to Roman god Mars. Explain martial law: suspension of civilian legal procedures by armed military rule.
2. Subdue
Emphasize the physical pacification and containment of an insurrection through armed force.
3. Grievance
Distinguish between a legitimate political complaint and the criminal atrocities carried out in its name.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.6 & RL.7.1
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.6 - Contrasting Character Points of View)
Rationale: With armed infantry occupying street corners, Walt's fiery bluster turns into cold fear as he realizes that the mob cannot withstand organized military firepower. Distractors B, C, and D are false actions contradicted by text.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.1 - Citing Text Evidence)
Rationale: The aggressive patrolling and dispersal of groups by fixed bayonets demonstrates that civilian mob resistance has been decisively crushed. Distractors A, C, and D describe fabricated historical events.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Perspective Analysis):
Myers depicts a profound gulf in perspective. To the federal soldiers, the rioters are treacherous rebels aiding the Confederacy by destabilizing New York. To the laborers, the soldiers are tyrannical enforcers shielding wealthy draft-dodgers. Myers presents both viewpoints to reveal how war distorts mutual understanding.
Chunk 13 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 13: Pages 121–130
Fallen Streets: Smoldering Ruins & Somber Realities
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Context: By Thursday afternoon, the gunfire ceases as Union regiments secure Manhattan's avenues. The manic frenzy of the mob gives way to a grim, silent landscape of blackened timbers and broken glass. Claire walks through the Five Points alongside Robert, confronting the heartbreaking physical toll exacted upon innocent families.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Prompt: On Pages 121–130, how does the sudden transformation of the setting—from an ear-splitting, violent battleground to a silent, ash-covered wasteland—shape the emotional state and realizations of Claire and the surrounding community?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Smolder (verb) To burn slowly with smoke but no active flame; linger internally.
Context: "Piles of charred timber continued to smolder along the sidewalks long after the mobs had fled."
Your Sentence:
2. Refuge (noun) A condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit or danger.
Context: "Desperate African American families sought refuge in police precinct basements and upstate boats."
Your Sentence:
3. Somber (adjective) Oppressively solemn, grave, or gloomy in character.
Context: "A somber hush fell over the neighborhood as neighbors looked upon the wreckage in shame."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 13: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
On Pages 121–130, what sight most acutely illustrates the tragedy of racial scapegoating to Claire as she walks the city?
A. The grand mansions along Fifth Avenue remain completely untouched and protected by private guards.
B. Innocent Black families are left destitute and homeless while the wealthy draft dodgers remain unharmed.
C. City officials hand out compensation checks to store owners in the commercial harbor.
D. The police station has been converted into a temporary community dance hall.
Question 2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Chunk 13 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 13: Pages 121–130
Aftermath Setting, Character Awakening & Scoring Guide
Focus Standards: RL.7.3, RL.7.1, RL.7.2, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students evaluate how physical destruction in the setting mirrors characters' psychological awakening and analyze Myers' critique of systemic inequality.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.3) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Guide students to note that the silence following four days of cacophony forces characters to reflect on what was done and what was lost, shifting the drama from survival to moral evaluation.
Exemplar Student Response: "The transition from chaotic cannon fire to eerie, ash-filled quiet changes the mood from terror to grief and shame. Without the adrenaline of fighting, characters must look directly upon burned tenements and traumatized neighbors, forcing them to confront the horrific reality of their actions."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Smolder
Explore dual meaning: literal burning of buildings and lingering emotional bitterness among residents.
2. Refuge
Discuss the desperate search for sanctuary by displaced Black families forced to flee their lifelong homes.
3. Somber
Analyze how Myers uses somber environmental details to emphasize mourning and solemn reckoning.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.1 & RL.7.3
Q1 Key: B (RL.7.1 - Citing Text Evidence)
Rationale: Claire recognizes the tragic injustice that innocent Black families bore the brunt of the mob's fury while wealthy men who purchased draft exemptions remained unharmed in their mansions. Distractors A, C, and D are false narrative details.
Q2 Key: A (RL.7.3 - Character Transformation & Interactions)
Rationale: Robert's unwavering poise in the face of brutal prejudice serves as a model of resilience that inspires Claire to embrace her own identity without fear. Distractors B, C, and D describe contrary character choices.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Social Themes):
Myers deliberately contrasts the untouched, heavily guarded estates of wealthy New Yorkers with the burned tenements of the Five Points. This spatial contrast reinforces the tragic reality that poor Irish laborers attacked vulnerable Black neighbors who had no role in drafting them, leaving the wealthy architects of the draft unscathed.
Chunk 14 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 14: Pages 131–140
Counting Casualties: The True Price of Mob Fury
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Context: Thursday evening brings the grim task of counting the dead. Hospitals, precinct basements, and makeshift morgues overflow with casualties. As official reports confirm over one hundred lives lost, rioters who cheered on Monday now confront the sickening moral reality of what their hatred unleashed upon New York City.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Prompt: Cite evidence from Pages 131–140 that reveals how characters who actively participated in or cheered the mob (such as Walt) react when forced to look at the physical casualties and burned ruins. What inference can you draw about their moral guilt?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Atrocity (noun) An extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel act, usually involving violence.
Context: "The brutal lynching of innocent black cartmen was an atrocity that no amount of economic grievance could excuse."
Your Sentence:
2. Complicity (noun) The state of being involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
Context: "Those who stood by silently cheering the rioters shared direct complicity in the bloodshed."
Your Sentence:
3. Triage (noun / verb) The preliminary assessment of patients to determine urgency of need.
Context: "Doctors set up emergency triage stations in church basements to dress bullet wounds and burns."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 14: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
What textual evidence on Pages 131–140 reveals the profound psychological impact of the riots on the surviving Black population of Manhattan?
A. Thousands of Black residents pack their few remaining possessions to permanently abandon New York City for safety.
B. Community leaders demand that the Union army turn all municipal buildings into temporary barracks.
C. Residents organize festive parades down Broadway to celebrate the arrival of the Gettysburg regiments.
D. Families decide that the draft riots were simply a minor misunderstanding among neighborhood friends.
Chunk 14 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 14: Pages 131–140
Casualty Reckoning, Moral Complicity & Scoring Key
Focus Standards: RL.7.1, RL.7.6, RL.7.2, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students evaluate how characters confront moral complicity and guilt following the human carnage of the draft riots.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.1) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Guide students to analyze Walt's inability to look Claire in the eye. Focus on how physical evidence of murder breaks through ideological rationalizations.
Exemplar Student Response: "When confronted with the burned buildings and bodies on Pages 131–140, Walt's confident speeches evaporate into silence. His refusal to look directly at Claire reveals deep, unacknowledged shame; he knows that the mob he supported did not fight for liberty, but engaged in cowardly murder against defenseless people."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Atrocity
Examine the shift from 'riot damage' to recognized human rights atrocities in historical analysis.
2. Complicity
Discuss passive complicity: how neighbors who did not personally throw torches still enabled violence.
3. Triage
Emphasize the overwhelmed state of municipal medical care amid mass urban casualties.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.1 & RL.7.6
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.1 - Citing Text Evidence)
Rationale: The script details how hundreds of terrified Black families packed their carts and took ferries out of Manhattan, recognizing that neighbors could turn on them again. Distractors B, C, and D are contradicted by facts.
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.6 - Contrasting Character Perspectives)
Rationale: Walt attempts to cling to his rhetoric of working-class rebellion, but Claire forces him to confront the physical horror of murdered orphans and innocent citizens. Distractors B, C, and D fabricate inaccurate character behaviors.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Moral Complicity):
Myers makes clear through Claire's dialogue that neutrality was impossible. Claire holds the entire neighborhood accountable, including those who cheered from windows or failed to protect Black neighbors. In Myers' moral universe, silence and apathy in the presence of mob cruelty constitute direct complicity.
Chunk 15 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 15: Pages 141–150
Kin Divided: Household Reckoning & Painful Truths
Name:
Date: Period:
Dramatic Context: Behind closed tenement doors, the conflict turns intimate and personal. Claire, her mother Maeve, Uncle Patrick, and cousin Walt gather in a painful family confrontation. Tribal loyalties, buried resentments, and racial prejudices collide as Claire refuses to stay silent, demanding her family recognize her humanity and equality.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Prompt: How does Myers develop contrasting points of view between Maeve (Claire's Irish mother) and Uncle Patrick on Pages 141–150 regarding family loyalty versus racial prejudice? How does this tension affect Claire?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Estrangement (noun) The fact of being no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienation.
Context: "The riots caused a permanent estrangement between relatives who could no longer sit at the same table."
Your Sentence:
2. Fracture (noun / verb) A break, breach, or split in a relationship or community.
Context: "The deep racial fracture within the household could not easily be repaired with superficial apologies."
Your Sentence:
3. Sincerity (noun) The quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy.
Context: "Claire spoke with fierce sincerity, demanding that her cousins see her as a complete human being."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 15: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
During the tense family confrontation on Pages 141–150, what does Claire forcefully tell Walt and Uncle Patrick?
A. She declares she will never hide or be ashamed of her African American father simply to make her Irish relatives comfortable.
B. She admits that the mob had good reasons for destroying the orphan asylum.
C. She offers to give her family savings to help Walt flee from federal military police.
D. She agrees with Uncle Patrick that race determines character and worth.
Question 2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Chunk 15 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 15: Pages 141–150
Kinship Fractures, Identity Defense & Scoring Key
Focus Standards: RL.7.6, RL.7.3, RL.7.2, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students contrast complex familial viewpoints regarding tribal loyalty versus universal human dignity and analyze Claire's assertive defense of her heritage.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.6) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Highlight the tension between Maeve's maternal love embracing Claire's entire identity and Patrick's narrow tribalism that demands loyalty only to Irish blood.
Exemplar Student Response: "Maeve refuses to sacrifice her daughter's dignity to appease her brother's prejudices, demonstrating that authentic love transcends racial bigotry. Uncle Patrick, however, clings to tribal solidarity, viewing any defense of Black people as betrayal. This clash forces Claire to realize that blood relation does not guarantee shared moral values."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Estrangement
Explore how moral disagreement over violence can permanently sever close familial bonds.
2. Fracture
Analyze the societal and domestic fractures that open when communities define belonging by race.
3. Sincerity
Focus on Claire's emotional honesty, contrasting it with Walt's hollow rationalizations.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.6 & RL.7.3
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.6 - Contrasting Character Points of View)
Rationale: Claire directly confronts her family's prejudice, stating unequivocally that she will not erase her African American identity to fit their demands. Distractors B, C, and D describe contrary behaviors.
Q2 Key: A (RL.7.3 - Character Transformation & Interactions)
Rationale: Maeve chooses moral loyalty to her daughter and husband over unquestioning ethnic solidarity with Patrick, representing a vital stand against racism. Distractors B, C, and D are fabricated plot points.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.6 - Household Symbolism):
The debate between Maeve and Patrick mirrors the nationwide conflict tearing America apart in 1863. Patrick represents tribal resentment and the desire to scapegoat vulnerable groups for economic pain. Maeve represents the difficult, courageous path of empathy and moral inclusion, demonstrating that true family must be grounded in mutual dignity rather than racial supremacy.
Chunk 16 Activity Sheet Novel Study • Walter Dean Myers
Riot • Chunk 16: Pages 151–160
Final Resolve: Robert's Farewell, Claire's Monologue & Legacy
Name:
Date: Period:
Culminating Dramatic Climax: In the novel's final scenes, the smoke clears over Manhattan. Robert bids Claire farewell as his family prepares to rebuild elsewhere. Standing on the rooftop looking over the city, Claire delivers her defining monologue, claiming her rightful place as both Irish and African American—an enduring symbol of American resilience.
Part 1
Standard-Aligned Do Now
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Prompt: Synthesize the overarching theme of *Riot* based on Claire's closing reflections on Pages 151–160. How does Myers use Claire's acceptance of both her Black and Irish heritage to deliver a message about American identity?
Part 2
Core Vocabulary Study
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
1. Sovereignty (noun) Supreme power or authority; complete personal autonomy.
Context: "Claire claimed sovereignty over her own soul, refusing to let anyone dictate who she was allowed to love."
Your Sentence:
2. Heritage (noun) Valued traditions, ancestry, and culture handed down through generations.
Context: "Her dual heritage was not a flaw to hide, but a source of profound strength and insight."
Your Sentence:
3. Endurance (noun) The fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process without giving way.
Context: "Through four days of fire and madness, Claire's moral endurance proved stronger than the mob's hatred."
Your Sentence:
Turn to Page 2 for Reading Comprehension & Analytical Writing • Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Walter Dean Myers
Chunk 16: Text Analysis & Constructed Response
Page 2 of 2
Part 3
Text-Dependent Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question
Question 1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Which statement best summarizes the resolution of Claire's inner conflict in her final monologue on Pages 151–160?
A. She resolves never to choose between her Black and Irish heritage, proudly claiming both as essential parts of herself.
B. She decides that the only safe option is to permanently renounce her family and change her legal name.
C. She concludes that racial conflict is inevitable and that violence is the only way to earn respect.
D. She agrees with her uncle that survival requires hiding all outward signs of African ancestry.
Chunk 16 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key Grade 7 Common Core ELA
Riot • Chunk 16: Pages 151–160
Culminating Synthesis, Epilogue & Final Assessment Key
Focus Standards: RL.7.2, RL.7.5, RL.7.1, L.7.4.A
Lesson Objective: Students synthesize the novel's central themes of self-worth and resilience, evaluate Claire's climactic monologue, and analyze Walter Dean Myers' historical epilogue.
Part 1: Do Now Facilitation (RL.7.2) Time: 5–7 mins
Instructional Focus: Encourage students to examine Claire's climactic realization that her biracial identity is not a half-identity or a curse, but a whole, dignified American life.
Exemplar Student Response: "Myers uses Claire's final monologue to deliver the central theme that true American identity is defined by embracing diversity, dignity, and personal moral courage. By refusing to deny either her Irish mother or Black father, Claire becomes a symbol of endurance, showing that identity cannot be erased by fear or mob violence."
Part 2: Core Vocabulary Guide (L.7.4.A) Verify student original sentences
1. Sovereignty
Explore personal sovereignty: possessing full autonomous ownership of one's dignity and choices.
2. Heritage
Connect to cultural pride and inherited history that cannot be compromised to appease outside prejudice.
3. Endurance
Emphasize psychological and moral endurance over physical survival alone.
Part 3: Multiple Choice Answer Key Standards: RL.7.2 & RL.7.5
Q1 Key: A (RL.7.2 - Synthesis of Central Theme)
Rationale: Claire's triumphant resolution is that she belongs completely to both cultures; she will not mutilate her identity to fit bigoted categories. Distractors B, C, and D are contradicted by her monologue.
Q2 Key: B (RL.7.5 - Authorial Structure & Epilogue)
Rationale: Myers' historical epilogue grounds the drama in real historical evidence, reminding students that the 1863 riots were actual events with lasting national consequences. Distractors A, C, and D state falsehoods.
Part 4: Written Response Exemplars & Rubric 2-Point Scale
2 pts: Strong text-based claim, precise textual citation, in-depth explanation. | 1 pt: General claim or missing textual evidence. | 0 pts: Inaccurate or blank.
Response 1 Exemplar (RL.7.2 - Final Monologue Synthesis):
In her final monologue, Claire stands overlooking the scarred skyline and declares that neither side can force her to hate the other. Her words synthesize the core themes of the novel: empathy triumphs over blind tribalism, and true strength comes from owning the whole truth of who you are, regardless of society's prejudices.
