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=Unit: Identity and Self Definition=

  
 * **Rationale:**
 * Adolescence is plagued with feelings of inadequacy and dramatic attempts to fit in. As the dictionary describes, this time in students’ lives is a process of growing up, learning about themselves, and finding their place in the world. Thus, it is important for these students to become aware of the culture and place from which they came, as well as the world that lies ahead of them. They must also become knowledgeable about the relationships among and across families, communities, societies, and cultures.
 * A key importance in the State of Michigan Standards for 9th grade English Language Arts is that of inter-relationships and self-reliance. In this way, it is important for students to be given the opportunity to read, write, question, discuss, and overall express their understanding of their identity, sense of self, and relationship with the world around them in the classroom. Through this, the hope is that students will gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their beliefs, while learning to write within a meaningful context.
 *  I would employ this unit towards the beginning of the year, due to the fact that writing personal narrative is relatively low stakes for students. The final assessment to this unit will also provide an essential baseline assessment to understand where each of my students is at in the level of their writing. I firmly believe that personal narratives and creative writing are an essential piece of writing instruction and deserve a prominent place in the classroom. My philosophy reflects a process approach to writing, in that I will assess how my students’ progression toward the end goal, how much they have improved, and how much effort they put forth in my class.