Prairie & Pine Curriculum

Hilbilly Elegy Unit Study - Voices of the Working Class (High School)

$40.00 USD

~~$40.00 USD~~ $40.00 USD

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What’s Included:
Each unit study includes a student workbook and a parent guide. Students can complete the work directly in their workbook, which contains QR codes for accessing necessary resources and space for writing responses. The parent guide provides comprehensive explanations for each assignment, equipping parents to confidently support their child’s learning.

Primary Text: Hillbilly Elegy – Dive into J.D. Vance’s eye-opening memoir that explores the struggles and resilience of America’s white working-class, sparking powerful discussions on class and identity.

Engage in Critical Exploration – Students examine essential questions about poverty, social mobility, and persuasion techniques, challenging preconceived notions and fostering deeper understanding.

Real-World Connections – Complete a hands-on cost of living project, analyzing wages vs. essential expenses, and unpack key factors like education, health, and geography that contribute to systemic poverty.

Master Rhetorical Analysis – Study rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, logos) in Vance’s narrative to gain a deeper grasp of persuasive writing and the impact of language on argumentation.

Essential Themes – Cover key social issues such as resilience, changing culture, identity, and limited agency in certain communities, broadening students’ perspectives on social and economic challenges.

Build Empathy and Insight – This unit helps students develop a compassionate understanding of the complexities of poverty, preparing them to think critically about these issues in today’s society.

Hillbilly Elegy is not included with this unit study and will need to be purchased separately from your preferred bookstore or retailer.

The book Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance contains mature language and themes, including references to addiction, poverty, and family dysfunction. While this curriculum is designed to facilitate thoughtful discussions around the book's content, we encourage parents to review the text beforehand.

What's Included

Each unit study includes a student workbook and a parent guide.

Unit Activities

Each unit study incorporates a variety of activities designed to engage students with literature and critical thinking. Every unit study will include:

Annotation guides to enhance comprehension (except elementary)
Journal prompts for reflection before and after reading each chapter
Reading logs to develop close reading and analytical skills. These are customized to each unit study and include grading rubrics.
Research projects such as mini-research tasks on relevant themes
Film, music, art, and poetry pairings with assignments that encourage deeper analysis
Hands-on activities like creating collages, designing market stands, building shelters, or working on botany projects (depending on the unit)
Vocabulary building exercises to expand academic language
Essay prompts (analytical, argumentative, and creative) with step-by-step instructions, graphic organizers, outlines, step-by-step checklists, and grading rubrics
Final Projects that allow students to convey their understanding of important concepts presented in the text. Type of project varies with each unit

These activities offer a mix of creative and academic approaches that cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring a rich, multifaceted educational experience

Extras

Each unit also includes:

Informational text graphic organizers, designed to support student comprehension of nonfiction texts.
Original recipes related to the content of the unit, adding a fun, cultural element that engages multiple senses.
Exclusive access to a private Facebook group for purchasers, where parents can connect and ask questions directly to the creators for additional support.

These extras offer both enrichment and practical tools for making the curriculum more interactive and enjoyable for students and parents

Parent/Teacher Guide

The Parent Guide is a key component of every unit study, designed to empower parents and help them feel confident in providing a high-quality education to their children. Each guide offers the following:

Comprehensive Overview: The guide lays out the structure of the unit, including pacing suggestions, key concepts, and how to integrate the material smoothly into your homeschool schedule.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Whether you’re familiar with the subject matter or new to the content, the guide walks you through each lesson with clear, detailed instructions.
Grading Rubrics: For assignments like essays, projects, and reading logs, rubrics are included to make assessment straightforward, giving you peace of mind when evaluating your child’s work.
Supplemental Tips: From how to spark meaningful discussions to ways of enriching your child’s experience with hands-on activities, the guide includes practical advice to enhance learning.

The Parent Guide ensures that parents of all experience levels can feel confident guiding their child through rich, meaningful lessons that foster both academic growth and personal connection.

Secular or Religious?

All of our unit studies are written from a neutral perspective, placing the power back in the hands of families to guide their children according to their own values. For example, when a character in a book expresses a belief, students are invited to analyze that belief and compare it to their own or their family's. This approach gives parents the opportunity to lead meaningful discussions and provide direction in a way that aligns with their household.