CERCA SLIDES
Growing and Becoming
Nature versus nurture – are we destined to be who we are from birth or do we become who we are based on the environment around us?
Check out this writing lesson set where students consider the influences that shape us as we grow.
CERCA Slides by Grade

Grades 3: A Fish Named Dog
Does Dog the fish have more of a positive or negative influence on Alex?
CCSS.RL.3.3
CCSS.W.3.1

Grades 4: Perfect with a Capital P
Did Sarita influence Jessica’s thoughts about being perfect? Why or why not?
CCSS.RL.4.3
CCSS.W.4.1

Grade 5: Sink or Swim
Did having to swim the breaststroke have more of a positive or negative influence on Jamie?
CCSS.RL.5.3
CCSS.W.5.1

Grade 6: Fish Cheeks
What specific kinds of imagery does the author use to communicate the tension that the narrator feels about her cultural identity?
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.W.6.1

Grade 7: The Coolness Equation
Using evidence from the text, what message is the author trying to convey about peer acceptance and our relationships with ourselves?
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.W.7.1

Grade 8: "I Am the Greatest"
Using evidence from the text, what message is the author trying to convey about self-confidence through the challenges assigned by his mother?
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.W.8.1

Grade 9: Once More to the Lake
What values and emotional experiences does the author convey through the descriptions of his childhood vacation spot? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your response.
CCSS.RL.9-10.1
CCSS.W.9-10.1

Grade 10: Excerpt from Breaking Night
What message does Liz Murray convey throughout her story about personal choice and its impact on identity?
CCSS.RL.9-10.1
CCSS.W.9-10.1

Grade 11: Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self
How do the author's memories support the idea that childhood experiences and relationships shape our identities as adults?
CCSS.RL.11-12.1
CCSS.W.11-12.1
