Lesson 5: Cluster 3 - Fight or Flight Vocabulary

What does it mean to survive?

What are your circumstances as a high school student? (work a job, drive a car, etc.)
Have you ever been in danger?
Can you see the blood vessels in your arm?
When do you have a lot of energy?
What is your favorite escape?
Would you perspire if you’re playing sports?
How can you stay healthy?
What are some groups you’re a part of?

Blood vessel
Circumstances
Danger
Energy
Escape
Perspire
Physical
System

9.12.8 determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

Reading for comprehension
Writing for comprehension
Understanding and applying vocabulary

To build academic language proficiency and deconstruct figurative phrases that impede comprehension.

DOK Level: Level 1 (Recall) & Level 2 (Skill/Concept)

The Universal Nature of Stress: Every human, regardless of culture or country of origin, experiences the physical sensations of stress (sweating, racing heart, dry mouth). This standardizes human biology across all backgrounds.
The "Principle's Office" Anxiety: The dread of being called into a authority figure's room (like a teacher or principal) is a universal schooling experience that students can easily map to their own lives.
Cultural Expressions of Fear: Different cultures have unique idioms for fear (e.g., "my blood ran cold," "goosebumps," or "shaking like a leaf"). Students can bridge the text to their culture by sharing how fear is described in their native languages.

Literal vs. Figurative Metaphors: Students may take the phrasing "your teacher is out hunting... hunting for you" or "when you see the tiger, uh, your teacher" literally, leading to confusion that the teacher is a physical danger or that a literal tiger is in the school.
The Caveman Timeline: The text jumps 25,000 years from cavemen to the modern day. Students from various educational backgrounds might struggle with the historical timeline or misunderstand the concept of an "internal caveman," thinking it refers to a literal ancestor living inside them rather than evolutionary biology.
Idioms and Expressions: Phrasings like "his mouth water" (meaning hungry), "stand your ground" (don't move), and "welcome to the modern era" are idiomatic and highly confusing if translated directly word-for-word.
Diagram Navigation: As noted in the text's "Language Background" callout, ESOL students may try to read the diagram’s scattered text blocks strictly from left-to-right/top-to-bottom, missing the holistic connections between the body organs.

Sentence starters
Visual aids
Small group instruction

Classwork

Exit ticket

Slides

Extension 

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