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Homework, Poems, and Random Thoughts

Week Five Plans

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace and War

Lesson Title Monday: True War Story

Purpose/Goals

In this lesson students will be reading “How to Tell a True War Story” and be pulling criteria from the chapter.  They will then use this criteria to judge the quality of the war stories we have looked at so far.

Objectives

I can:

  • Determine evaluative criteria based on readings
  • Apply specific criteria to evaluate a piece of text

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text Standard

2.  Analyze and critique organizational patterns and techniques including repetition of ideas, appeals to authority, reason and emotion, syntax and word choice that authors use to accomplish their purpose and reach their intended audience.

5.  Examine an author’s implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject.

6.  Evaluate the effectiveness and validity of arguments in public documents and their appeal to various audiences.

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Writing Applications Standard

2.  Write responses to literature that:

a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective;

b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors;

6.  Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be developing a list of criteria for judging war stories and then using that criteria to evaluate whether or not Saving Private Ryan is a true war story.  I’ll be assessing them on how well they can apply the criteria we discussed as a class to their own interpretation of the movie.

Community Knowledge and Experience

With the opening discussion students will be linking applications of criteria they probably already use to be able to find criteria for judging the war stories.  They may also end up being able to evaluate war stories told by friends and family members for truth.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Discuss rating things based on criteria.  How do you determine if a song is “good?”  How about a “car?”
  2. Music based on lyrics, drumbeat/rhythm, overall message, band record label, etc.
  3. Car based on price, gas mileage, make, model, color, passengers, radio, etc.

Activities:

Read Chapter:

  1. Have students get copies of The Things They Carried.
  2. Read “How to Tell a True War Story”
  3. During reading have students notate (write down quote, or page number) every criteria they come across.
  4. After reading, ask students to volunteer the criteria they found.  Write this on the SmartBoard (so it can be saved for later use).
  5. Remind students that this criteria will be useful for some of the choice projects, so they may want to copy down the list.

Judge Saving Private Ryan:

  1. Have students pick at least 5 criteria to use in explaining why Saving Private Ryan is or is not a true war story.  Should be about a  page response
  2. Have students underline the 5 criteria they are using in their response.

Closing:

  1. Remind student to put their names on their responses and turn them in.
  2. Remind students that their first 10 points are due by Wednesday, and that Wednesday will be a project work day, so they should bring any materials they need with them.

Resources

SmartBoard

Audio recording of chapter

Novels

Paper/pencil

Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will be learning criteria for judging the validity and truth of war stories.  This may be useful for some of their choice projects or their final paper.  They may also be able to judge the truth of family members’ or friends’ war stories.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will also be able to make their own decisions about whether or not the movie is a true war story.  Also, since we’ll be listening to the audio recording of the chapter, it will aid those students who are better aural learners.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace and War

Lesson Title Tuesday: Historical Lens Notes, “Tommy,” and Veteran Discussion

Purpose/Goals

In this lesson students will be learning how to analyze a text through the historical lens.  They will get to practice the strategies we learn by reading the poem “Tommy” in both its original form and its updated form.

We will then move onto a discussion regarding the treatment of veterans and watch a movie clip that connects to this discussion as well as provides students with an exemplary model for one of the choice projects.

Objectives

I can:

  • Explain the assumptions and strategies for analyzing a text through the historical lens.
  • Apply the strategies for analyzing a text through the historical lens.
  • Make connections to multiple texts and knowledge sources in a discussion

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

5.  Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.

7.  Compare and contrast varying characteristics of American, British, world and multi-cultural literature.

8.  Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis.

Writing Applications Standard

6.  Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Communications: Oral and Visual Standard

1.  Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

5.  Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language and select language appropriate to purpose and audience.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be turning in their thoughts on how the time period may have changed the poem “Tommy.”  This will show an application of the historical lens.

Students will also be turning in their discussion notes.  This will allow me to see how they progressing with their understanding of veterans of wars

Community Knowledge and Experience

Many students have friends and family members who are currently in the armed forces or are veterans of war.  The discussion about veterans will be especially applicable to them, and as there are veterans in the community at least partially applicable to everyone.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

Activities:

Historical Lens Notes:

  1. Have students get out their guided notes sheets.  Project notes onto the SmartBoard
  2. Walk through the 3 Assumptions about the Historical Lens and the 3 Strategies for analyzing a text through the Historical Lens, having students fill out their notes sheet at the appropriate spots.
  3. Ask if there are any questions about the historical lens right now.

“Tommy”

  1. Have student get textbook and turn to page 1020 for the poem “Tommy”
  2. Read the biographical information from the text book.  Share additional information from http://www.kipling.org.uk/rg_tommy1_p.htm and  http://www.kipling.org.uk/kip_fra.htm
  3. Share information on the background of the term/name Tommy and the time frame of the text.
  4. Listen to recording of “Tommy” by Rudyard Kipling
  5. Have students talk with a partner to come up with ideas on how reflected the views of people at that time (WWI).  Write these ideas down on a sheet of paper (each person)
  6. Share ideas as a class.
  7. Read updated version of “Tommy” by Patrick Campbell RM
  8. Ask students to think about how the updated poem compares to the original by Kipling.  Have them write down 3 ways new context may have changed the poem, referring to specific quotes from the poem.

Discussion of Veterans of War:

  1. Lead from the discussion of the two “Tommy” poems into a discussion about how veterans are treated when they come home from war.  Some possible questions:
    1. Ask for background knowledge.  How were WWI vets treated?  WWII?  Korean War? Vietnam War?  Gulf War?  War on Terror?
    2. What effect did the war have on the soldiers?  The families?  The U.S.?  The foreign country?
  2. Have students write down they’re best contribution to the discussion or something new that they learned through the discussion.

Movie Clip (10 min): Project Example:

  1. Segue from discussion of veterans to “Do you want to know more?”  One of the choice projects is an interview, or a movie.  Here’s an example of a short movie that a high school student made for a scholarship contest in California.
  2. Show “A Vietnam Veteran’s Experience”

Closing

  1. Remind students to put their names on “Tommy” and discussion notes and turn them in.
  2. Remind students that their first 10 points are due tomorrow, and that it will be a project workday, so they should bring any materials they need to work with them.

Resources

Textbook

“Tommy” recording

updated “Tommy” text

SmartBoard

Len Guided Notes file

Extra copies of guided notes handouts

Movie clip

projector

Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be applying what they’re learning about veterans to the texts we’re reading later in the unit.  Also the movie clip will serve as an exemplar of one of the students choice projects.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

We will also be listening to a recording of the “Tommy” poem, which will aid students who learn better aurally.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace and War

Lesson Title Wednesday: Lab Work Day

Purpose/Goals

Today is a work-day for students.  They have their first 10 points of choice projects due at the end of the block.  This is also the only workday/planned lab time before the choice project presentations.  I’ve also planned for class work should students decide not to take advantage of the time to work.

Objectives

I can:

  • Manage my time and prioritize my work in order to make the best use of my time.
National and Ohio Standards Variety:

Depends on what projects students are working on.

Assessment

Summative

Students will be turning in their first 10 points of choice projects today.  This is part of their final unit grade.

Formative

Students will be turning in their first 10 points of choice projects today.  This will give me a chance to give them some feedback before they turn in the rest of their points for the unit.

Community Knowledge and Experience Students are working with topics related to war.  They are all likely affected in some way by war and are being given the opportunity to express that in a variety of ways.  Allowing students to manage their own time is also an important skill for them to have in the real world.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening

  1. Remind students they’ll be working on choice projects today.  At least 10 points are due by the end of the block.
  2. Let students know there are no more in-class work days between now and presentations on the 28th.
  3. Show some project exemplars.  Visual poem, comic strip, maybe others?
  4. Students will need to be able to tell me what they’re working on in order to head down to the lab.

Activities

  1. Students will be working in the lab both periods.  At the end of 1&3 they will need to show me their progress.  We will be going back to the room to work if students aren’t working and move ahead with tomorrow’s readings.
  2. Due at the end of the block is at least 10 points worth of choice projects.

Closing

  1. Have students turn in choice projects.
  2. Remind students there are no more in-class work days between now and presentations on the 28th.

Resources

Computer lab

Extra copies of choice project options

Rubrics for choice projects

Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be working on their choice projects.  Depending on what the project is they can expand on it in different ways.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.  Students will be able to work at their own pace during this lab time.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace and War

Lesson Title Thursday: “On the Rainy River,” draft journal

Purpose/Goals

Students will be listening to this chapter.  They will then be working groups and applying some of the criteria we discussed on Monday for what makes a true war story to determine why this chapter is included in the novel, or why O’Brien had never told it before.  Students will then be connecting the story to their own life’s by writing a journal response to the idea of the draft.

Objectives

I can:

  • Apply criteria for a true war story to evaluate a text.
  • Make personal connections to a text and write a response based on those connections.

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard

1.  Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2.  Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

5.  Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

2.  Determine the usefulness of and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks (e.g., background reading, interviews or surveys).

5.  Use organizational strategies (e.g., notes and outlines) to plan writing.

Writing Applications Standard

1.  Write reflective compositions that:

a. use personal experiences as a basis for reflection on some aspect of life;

b. draw abstract comparisons between specific incidents and abstract concepts;

c. maintain a balance between describing incidents and relating them to more general, abstract ideas that illustrate personal beliefs; and

d. move from specific examples to generalizations about life.

2.  Write responses to literature that:

a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective;

b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors;

6.  Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be turning in a response journal for the chapter.  They will be connecting their lives and beliefs to the text

Community Knowledge and Experience When the males in the class register to vote (which many of them are old enough to have done already) they will also register for the draft.  If the draft were ever reinstated it is also quite possible that women would also have to register.  This will provide students with an opportunity to consider what would happen if the draft were reinstated while making connections to the text.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening

  1. Remind students of the criteria for a true war story, and that in novels, every chapter is included for a deliberate reason.  They should think about this while we’re listening to the chapter.

Activities

“On the Rainy River”

  1. Have students get books and open the chapter “On the Rainy River” on page 39.
  2. Listen to the audio recording of the chapter (44 min)
  3. Stop recording at annotated places in the text and have students write responses.

Overflow:

  1. Have students get with a few people around them and discuss for a few minutes to brainstorm ideas for why they think this chapter was included in the novel.  Then have them share their top reason with the class.  Let the class discuss.
  2. Have students write a journal with the prompt “If the draft were reinstated today and you were drafted to go to war in the Middle East, what would you do?  Why?  How would you feel about going to war?  Why?

Closing

  1. Remind students to put their names on their reading responses and other work and turn it into the tray.

Resources

Audio recording of chapter

Copies of novel

Pencil/paper

Applications, Connections, Extensions This will give students a chance to develop brainstorming for a possible extension for a choice project such as a short story or movie.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

We’re listening to the audio recording of the chapter.  This will aid students who are better aural learners.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace and War

Lesson Title Friday: Deconstruction Notes, “Spin,” “Dulce Et…”

Purpose/Goals

Students will be learning about the deconstruction lens and applying the strategies they learn to the chapter “Spin”.  They will then being using the TPCASTT and a previously learned lens to analyze “Dulce Et Decorum Est”

Objectives

I can:

  • Explain the assumptions and strategies for analyzing a text through the deconstruction lens.
  • Apply strategies for examining a text through tan appropriate lens

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard

1.  Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2.  Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

5.  Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

2.  Determine the usefulness of and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks (e.g., background reading, interviews or surveys).

16.  Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications Standard

2.  Write responses to literature that:

a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective;

b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors;

d. identify and assess the impact of possible ambiguities, nuances and complexities within text;

e. anticipate and answer a reader’s questions, counterclaims or divergent interpretations;

6.  Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be turning in their analysis of “Spin.” This will give me a chance to look at these and give them feedback before they write their critical lens paper next week.

Students will also be turning in their TPCASTT sheet on “Dulce Et…” which will give them practice tying all sorts of analysis together and practice choosing which lens they want to choose for analysis.  I will be able to give them feedback on this sheet.

Community Knowledge and Experience

The deconstruction lens is a useful tool for students to have when they are determining the reliability of various stories, including news in the media.  It gives them some idea of how to identify things that don’t necessarily match up or make sense.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening

Activities

Deconstruction Notes

  1. Have student get out their guided notes sheet.  Project notes onto SmartBoard.
  2. Walk through the 3 Assumptions about the Deconstruction Lens and the 3 Strategies for analyzing a text through the Deconstruction Lens, having students fill out their notes sheet at the appropriate spots.
  3. Ask if there are any questions about the deconstruction lens right now.

“Spin”

  1. Have students get copies of The Things They Carried out and open to “Spin” on page 31.
  2. Read “Spin.”  During the reading students should be focusing on the strategies for deconstruction listed on their guided notes.
  3. After reading have students analyze “Spin” through the deconstruction lens by answering the following questions:
    1. What things are opposed in the chapter?  Give several examples.
    2. Of those oppositions, which things seem to be favored, carry more weight, or have more power?  Why?
    3. What are some examples of evidence that proves that the favoring you found is wrong?
    4. How would the chapter read differently if the oppositions were reversed? Why?
    5. What is left out of the text?  What are the gaps and contradictions that make the text confusing or difficult to understand?
    6. What in the text is vague, or indeterminate, and doesn’t lead you to a solid conclusion?  Give several specific examples.
  4. Remind students to put their names on the questions sheet and turn it into the tray

“Dulce Et Decorum Est”

  1. Have students put away The Things They Carried and get a text book.  Open to the poem on page 989.
  2. Read the bio info preceding the poem.
  3. Read the poem aloud.
  4. Pass out TPCASTT sheets.  Students should pick one of the three lens we’ve learned about and use that as well as any other strategies we’ve practiced to guide them in filling out the TPCASTT sheet.  They need to write extended responses to each heading and say what lens they are using to guide them.

Closing

  1. Remind students to put their names on their TPCASTT sheet and turn it in.
  2. Anyone who didn’t finish can complete the sheet for homework over the weekend and turn it in on Monday.

Resources

The Things They Carried novels

“Spin” questions

textbooks

TPCASTT worksheets

Applications, Connections, Extensions Working with the deconstruction lens is a preliminary step for students to prepare them for writing their critical lens paper.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

We’ll be working with guided notes, helping those students who need some help with processing and remembering that kind of heady information.  The practice applying the strategies in class will help students.

April 17, 2010 Posted by | lesson plan, Student Teaching | , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Week Four Plans

Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Peace and War

Grade Levels:11th/12th grade

Subject/Topic Areas: Contemporary Literature

Key Words: war, critical lens, student choice,

Time Frame: 3 weeks

School District: Westerville City Schools

School: Westerville Central High School

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

In this unit we’ll be studying contemporary wars and the literature that has been written about them, or in response to them.  This unit follows a unit on Women, Men and Relationships building on what students know about relationships and applying it to society at larger.  After this unit we’ll be moving into Utopia/Dystopia, which will focus on what happens when societies try to create a more perfect world after war has happened.  Our focus novel for this unit will be The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and our focus concept deals with analyzing texts through various critical lenses.  I’ve structured this unit such that we’ll be generally moving forward in time with our texts (starting with the World Wars and moving up through the War on Terror) and breaking them down in different ways to study them.  There is the opportunity for lots of student choice in this unit.  I’ve arranged it so that each student will write an analytical paper, do in-class assignments, and then choose from a variety of different projects to get the rest of their points for the unit.  I think it’s important students learn to analyze texts based on tried and true methods that will be used in college, but to also be given the opportunity to complete projects of their choice that will play to their strengths and allow them to make and express there own understandings of the unit.

Enduring Understandings:

  • Great literature provides rich and timeless insight into the key themes, dilemmas and challenges of human existence.
  • Every text is made up of smaller elements that help to contribute to the text’s overall meaning.  There are many methods for dissecting a text to determine the overall meaning.

Essential Questions:

  • How can the study of genres and literary periods contribute to enjoyment of literature and to understanding commonalities in human experiences?
  • How do different characters respond to and handle conflict and uncertainty?
  • How do looking at texts through different lenses affect our understanding of a text’s meaning?

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace & War

Lesson Title Monday:  Opening & Saving Private Ryan Image Collection

Purpose/Goals

Since today is the beginning of a new unit, I’ll be explaining to students what is expected of them throughout this unit.  Since there are some unit long projects, we’ll briefly be going over those so students can choose what they want to do.

The class will also be watching Saving Private Ryan and collecting images from the movie.  This serves to keep them engaged with the film, and provide material for the poems we’ll be writing on Wednesday.

Objectives

I can:

  • Choose appropriate projects that play to my strengths
  • Identify and record moving and thought-provoking images in a text

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be collecting images throughout the movie.  I’ll be collecting this sheet at the end of the block to check on how they’re processing and engaging with the movie.

Community Knowledge and Experience Throughout this unit students will be asked to examine their own experiences with war and conflict and how it has affect them. In comparison to how it affects the characters and societies we encounter in the texts.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening: 15 minutes

  1. Welcome students back from Spring Break.  Introduce any new students (Boris).
  2. Hand out unit sheets and explain Peace and War Unit.
  3. Hand out Choice Projects sheet and Project Contract and explain how these will work.  Ask for questions or clarification.

Activities:

  1. Tell students they’ll be collecting and writing down moving, thought provoking, startling, or interesting images from Saving Private Ryan for an assignment they’ll get on Wednesday after finishing the movie.  I’ll be collecting this sheet at the end of the block.
  2. Watch Saving Private Ryan.
  3. During the movie I’ll be conferencing with students about the papers they turned in for the last unit.

Closing:

  1. Remind students to put names on their image collection sheets and turn them into the tray.

Resources

  • Unit Explanation sheet
  • Choice Project Sheet
  • Project Contract
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Equipment to show movie
  • Pencil/paper
  • Access to Turnitin.com and Progress Book for conferences
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students are collecting images for a poem that we will write on Wednesday.  One of the focuses of this unit is on the details of a text, and how they help to make up the whole.  Each reading we do will help to build on this knowledge.

Inclusive Instruction

The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will also be collecting images that are meaningful or thought-provoking to them, allowing them to build poem that speaks to them about the movie.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace & War

Lesson Title Tuesday:  Saving Private Ryan Image Collection

Purpose/Goals

The class will be watching Saving Private Ryan and collecting images from the movie.  This serves to keep them engaged with the film, and provide material for the poems we’ll be writing on Wednesday.
Objectives

I can:

  • Identify and record moving and thought-provoking images in a text

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be collecting images throughout the movie.  I’ll be collecting this sheet at the end of the block to check on how they’re processing and engaging with the movie.

Community Knowledge and Experience Throughout this unit students will be asked to examine their own experiences with war and conflict and how it has affect them. In comparison to how it affects the characters and societies we encounter in the texts.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Pass back image collection sheets
  2. Quickly review what has happened in the movie so far.  Ask students to summarize.

Activities:

  1. Finish watching Saving Private Ryan.
  2. During the movie I’ll be conferencing with students about the papers they turned in for the last unit.

Closing:

  1. Remind students to put names on their image collection sheets and turn them into the tray.

Resources

  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Equipment to show movie
  • Pencil/paper
  • Image Collection Sheet
  • Access to Turnitin.com and Progress Book for conferences
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students are collecting images for a poem that we will write on Wednesday.  One of the focuses of this unit is on the details of a text, and how they help to make up the whole.  Each reading we do will help to build on this knowledge.
Inclusive Instruction The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will also be collecting images that are meaningful or thought-provoking to them, allowing them to build poem that speaks to them about the movie.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace & War

Lesson Title Wednesday:  SPR Image Poem; New Critical Lens; Poem Threading

Purpose/Goals

The class will have watched Saving Private Ryan and collected images from the movie.  This provided them with material for the poems we’re writing today.

We will also be going over how to analyze a text through the New Critical Lens and reading through “Life at War” for practice with strategies students can use to analyze texts in this way.

Objectives

I can:

  • Create a poem from images I have collected.
  • Explain the assumptions and strategies for analyzing a text through the new critical lens.
  • Identify meaningful elements in a text.

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard

1.  Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

5.  Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.

8.  Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

5.  Use organizational strategies (e.g., notes and outlines) to plan writing.

9.  Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers and style as appropriate to audience and purpose, and use techniques to convey a personal style and voice.

Writing Applications Standard

6.  Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Communications: Oral and Visual Standard

1.  Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

4.  Evaluate how language choice, diction, syntax and delivery style (e.g., repetition, appeal to emotion, eye contact) affect the mood and tone and impact the audience.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be collecting images throughout the movie.  I’ll be collecting this sheet at the end of the block to check on how they’re processing and engaging with the movie.

Community Knowledge and Experience Throughout this unit students will be asked to examine their own experiences with war and conflict and how it has affect them. In comparison to how it affects the characters and societies we encounter in the texts.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Review what happened in the movie.  Ask students to summarize.

Activities:

15 Line Poem

  1. Explain 15 line poem assignment.  Let students know I’ll be asking them to share what they write at the end of the period.
  2. Hand out 15 line poem assignment sheet (students can write on the back of this sheet if they want to) and image collection sheets from yesterday.
  3. Give student until 10 minutes before the end of the period to write poems, then ask them to trade with a partner and read each other’s.
  4. Students should write on their partner’s poem at least one thing they liked about the poem, and one thing they think would make it even better.
  5. At the beginning of the next period ask if any students read a poem they think the whole class needs to hear.  Have 3 or students read their partner’s poem.
  6. Remind students to put their names on their poem sheets and turn them into the tray.

New Critical Notes

  1. Explain to students that we’ll be learning a few different ways to analyze different texts and that the new critical lens can be very useful for poetry, like the poems they just wrote.
  2. Hand out Guided Notes sheet and prepare SmartBoard projection of the sheet for mini lecture.
  3. Walk through the 3 Assumptions about the New Critical Lens and the 3 Strategies for analyzing a text through the New Critical Lens, having students fill out their notes sheet at the appropriate spots.
  4. Ask if there are any questions about the new critical lens right now.

Poem Threading

  1. Hand out “Life at War.”  Student will be writing on this sheet, but it can also be found in the textbook on page 1003.
  2. Explain that we’ll be reading around the room (show them in what order), and that students must keep up so they don’t get lost and miss their turn.  The first read through each person will read one line so we can focus on the structure of the poem, and how the line breaks affect the meaning.
  3. One the second read through each person will read to a punctuation mark (period, comma, long dash, colon, semi-colon, etc.) so we can focus on how the punctuation placement affect the meaning.
  4. Now have students pick a common element to thread throughout the poem.  They will circle every word that matches their threading.  Give examples such as colors, pronouns, body parts, senses…
  5. Have students come up to share what they threaded on the SmartBoard and explain why they decided on that element.  Ask the class how they think that element contributes to the meaning of the poem.
  6. Relate threading exercise back to New Critical lens as a way to identify important elements in a text.

Closing:

  1. Remind student to put their names on their poem threading sheet and turn it into the tray.
  2. Remind students that their project contract is due on Friday and to see me if they have any questions about choices or topics.

Resources

  • Copies of 15 Line Poem Assignment
  • Image Collection Sheet
  • Copies of Analytical Lens Guided Notes Sheet
  • Analytical Lens master copy
  • SmartBoard
  • Guided Notes SmartBoard file
  • Copies of “Life at War” poem threading sheet
  • “Life at War” SmartBoard file
  • pencil/paper
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students are writing poems based on images that they have collected.  They are also reading “Life at War” and practicing doing close readings and picking out details of the text.  One of the focuses of this unit is on the details of a text, and how they help to make up the whole.  Each reading we do will help to build on this knowledge.
Inclusive Instruction The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will also be collecting images that are meaningful or thought-provoking to them, allowing them to build poem that speaks to them about the movie.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace & War

Lesson Title Thursday:  The Things They Carried pre-write & read

Purpose/Goals

Student will be making lists of the things that they carry with them in order to help develop a connection with the characters in this story.  They will be reading the first chapter of the novel, “The Things They Carried,” to build on the understandings they’re making in creating their own lists.

Objectives

I can:

  • Make connections between ideas in literature and my own experiences in order to grow as an empathetic reader.

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard

1.  Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2.  Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard

1.  Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3.  Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4.  Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

5.  Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.

8.  Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be making lists of the things that they carry.  This pre-writing activity works a little bit like an anticipation guide for the chapter.  I’ll be collecting it at the end of the block to see what students are coming up with and how deep they are thinking.

Students will also be writing short responses during the reading to help build their understandings of the text.  I’ll be able to look at these and see where they are in their envisionment.

Community Knowledge and Experience Throughout this unit students will be asked to examine their own experiences with war and conflict and how it has affect them. In comparison to how it affects the characters and societies we encounter in the texts.

In this lesson they will be comparing “The Things They Carried” to their own lives, and identifying with the characters in the chapter as they make their own lists of things that they carry.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Lesson adapted from Read Write Think:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/worth-weight-letter-writing-1061.html

Opening:

  1. Have the following questions written on the board:
  • What do you carry every day in school?
  • What do you carry in the summer?
  • What do you have to bring to work?
  • What things do you carry that are very visible to the world?
  • What things are more hidden?
  • What things are totally invisible, that is, abstract or symbolic?
  • What do others make you carry?
  • What things do you carry that you’d like to put down?
  1. As students are settling into their seats ask them “How far they have traveled?” and “What they’ve brought with them.”

Activities:

Pre-write

  1. Have students get out a sheet of paper and ask them to make a list of everything they can think of that they carry both literal and symbolic.  Give some examples.
  2. Direct students to the questions written on the board to help them think of the things they might carry with them.
  3. Once students have created a fairly long list, ask them to share some of the things they carry and write these up on the board.
  4. Using this list brainstorm with the class various ways of grouping these things.  “Things I Love,” “Necessities,” “Luxuries,” “Abstract Things,” “Concrete Things,” “Things I wish I Could Put Down,” etc.
  5. Next ask students to assign some arbitrary weights to some of the things on the board.  Ask them to take a look at their own list and decided what some of those things weigh.
  6. Tell students we’ll be reading “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, about the lives of soldiers in Vietnam.  It’s a mostly autobiographical work.  Students should feel free to add to their list as we read through the chapter.

Read Chapter

  1. Have students come up and get a book.  We’re reading the first chapter.  Tell students there is some language in the book and when they see it to please use a euphemism (instead of the F-word, just say “eff”).
  2. I’ll start reading and ask students to pick up for me as we read through.
  3. We’ll be stopping occasionally to clarify the reading, or make predictions at annotated places in the text.  We’ll also be discussing the various things the soldiers carry and how we can relate to them and their weights.

Closing:

  1. Remind students that their project contract is due tomorrow.
  2. Remind students to put their names on their lists and turn them into the tray.

Resources

  • Questions written on white board or SmartBoard
  • Dry Erase markers
  • The Things They Carried class copies
  • The Things They Carried annotated text
  • Paper/pencil
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be making a list of the things that they carry.  This list will be used in tomorrow’s class to help them write a letter about what they are carrying.  It will also help them to connect to the text and the characters in it.
Inclusive Instruction The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will be making a list of what they carry.  This can be personal to them and allow them to explore connections in their own lives and the text

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Peace & War

Lesson Title Friday: The Things They Carried Letter Writing

Purpose/Goals

Students will be using the lists they created yesterday to write a letter about what that thing is.  It will give them a chance to practice writing a letter as well as help to build connections to the text.

Objectives

I can:

  • Make connections between ideas in literature and my own experiences in order to grow as an empathetic reader.
  • Apply my knowledge to write a composition in a letter format

National and Ohio Standards

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

2.  Determine the usefulness of and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks (e.g., background reading, interviews or surveys).

3.  Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing.

4.  Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies (e.g., adapting formality of style, including explanations or definitions as appropriate to audience needs) to address purpose and audience.

6.  Organize writing to create a coherent whole with an effective and engaging introduction, body and conclusion and a closing sentence that summarizes, extends or elaborates on points or ideas in the writing.

9.  Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers and style as appropriate to audience and purpose, and use techniques to convey a personal style and voice.

15.  Proofread writing, edit to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization), identify and correct fragments and run-ons and eliminate inappropriate slang or informal language.

16.  Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications Standard

1.  Write reflective compositions that: a. use personal experiences as a basis for reflection on some aspect of life; b. draw abstract comparisons between specific incidents and abstract concepts; c. maintain a balance between describing incidents and relating them to more general, abstract ideas that illustrate personal beliefs; and d. move from specific examples to generalizations about life.

3.  Write functional documents (e.g., requests for information, resumes, letters of complaint, memos, proposals) that: a. report, organize and convey information accurately; b. use formatting techniques that make a document user-friendly; and c. anticipate readers’ problems, mistakes and misunderstandings.

Writing Conventions Standard

1.  Use correct spelling conventions.

2.  Use correct capitalization and punctuation.

3.  Use correct grammar (e.g., verb tenses, parallel structure, indefinite and relative pronouns).

Assessment

Summative

Students will be writing a letter that demonstrates a connection between their own life and the lives of the characters in the text.

Formative

Students will be writing a letter that demonstrates a connection between their own life and the lives of the characters in the text.  Because we will be continuing to read more from this novel it also serves as a formative assessment as they are just beginning to build an understanding of the text and its characters.

Community Knowledge and Experience Throughout this unit students will be asked to examine their own experiences with war and conflict and how it has affect them. In comparison to how it affects the characters and societies we encounter in the texts.

They will be using the lists they created yesterday to write a letter that demonstrates their knowledge of the connections they can make to the text.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Lesson adapted from Read Write Think:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/worth-weight-letter-writing-1061.html

Opening:

  1. Have the following statements written on the board:
  • describe the item,
  • give some background information about it,
  • explain why you are carrying it,
  • explain it’s symbolic weight,
  • connect it to someone else in your life

Activities:

Free-write

  1. Pass back students lists of the things they carry and ask them to circle what they think are the three most significant weights they carry.  They can be positive or negative weights but should be important in their life and have impacted them in some way.
  2. Give students about 5 minutes to free-write on each item.  They can do this on the back of their list or on a new sheet of paper.  Point out the suggestions for writing on the board to help them.
  3. After they’ve finished free-writing, ask students to use their free-write to pick which item they feel most strongly about and would like to elaborate more on in a letter.

Letter Writing

  1. Pass out and explain the Letter Writing Assignment Sheet.
  2. Students will have the rest of this period to write their letter and work on editing and reflection questions.
  3. Final copy with answered reflection questions will be due on Monday.

Closing:

  1. Remind students that the final copy of their letter and the reflection questions are due on Monday at the beginning of the block.
  2. Collect Project Contracts as an exit ticket.  Students who don’t have one completed must complete one before going to Arts Alive.
  3. Go to Arts Alive for the second half of the block.

Resources

  • Statements written on the white board or SmartBoard
  • Student lists of items
  • Copies of Letter Writing assignment sheet
  • Copies of Project Contract
  • Paper/pencil
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be using the lists that they created yesterday to help them write a letter about what they carry to someone in their life.  It will help them to connect to the text and the characters in it.  If students want to they can actually mail their letters.  If so, I could provide an opportunity for them to share the response they may receive.
Inclusive Instruction The nature of the student choice projects is inclusive.  Students are able to choose from an assortment of project options in order to play to their strengths and demonstrate their understanding in the best way that makes sense to them.

Students will be writing a letter about themselves and what they carry to someone in their life.  This leaves a lot of room for personal choice.

April 9, 2010 Posted by | lesson plan, Student Teaching | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Week Three Plans

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Monday: Review Debate Format and Work Day

Purpose/Goals

Today is a work-day for students.  They have a lot of projects culminating this week, so I’ve planned in time for them to work on their projects.  I’ve also planned for class work should students decide not to take advantage of the time to work.

Objectives

I can:

  • Manage my time and prioritize my work in order to make the best use of my time.
National and Ohio Standards Variety:

Depends on what projects students are working on.

Assessment

Formative

I’ll be assessing students on their productivity.  This will go into their class participation grade.

Community Knowledge and Experience

Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.  They will also be working with books that they’ve chosen and preparing to make recommendations to the rest of the class.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Collect any papers that didn’t have a hard copy turned in.
  2. Remind students that to get credit for the paper it must be turned in to TurnItIn.com.

Activities:

  1. Review Debate format and requirements for the debates.
  2. Explain the peer-assess and scoring sheet.
  3. Remainder of first/third period students can work on anything they need to for the Debates.
  4. Second/fourth period students can SSR or write their 4th book journal.  They can also meet with their book group to work on final book group projects.
  5. If students don’t appear to be taking advantage of the time, I can bring the class back together as a whole and we can watch and discuss stereotypes in commercials.

Closing:

  1. Remind students:
    1. They have book journals due tomorrow
    2. Book group presentations are tomorrow
    3. Written notes for 2-3 min. argument w/ 3 facts and 5 crossfire questions are due on the day of their debate
    4. The first debate is tomorrow (and who it is.  Schedule TBD right now)

Resources

  • Copies of assignment sheets
  • Copies of rubrics
  • Students need materials to work on projects
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be preparing for their debates in the coming days, and well as for their book group presentations.  This unit is wrapping up to end when Spring Break begins.

Inclusive Instruction

During this work day students can work at their own pace on projects they that they need the most work on or the most help with.  They will have chosen their debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also have the option of working with their group members.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Tuesday: Book Group 4 Meeting & Presentations and Debates

Purpose/Goals

Students will be having their final book group meeting, and then present their final project to the class.  This will allow the whole class to hear about the different books students have been reading and whether or not their peers would recommend them.  This opens students up to more opportunities for reading should they choose.

The second half of the class will be devoted to the first debate.  This gives students a chance to practice vocalizing and supporting an opinion, and give those students listening a chance to hear about different topics and learn to evaluate the arguments of others.

Objectives

I can:

  • Pose and respond thoughtfully to high-level questions.
  • Make value judgements based on a range of criteria.
  • Clearly vocalize and defend a position/opinion using persuasive techniques and specific evidence.

National and Ohio Standards

Research

7.  Use a variety of communication techniques including oral, visual, written or multimedia report to present information that supports a clear position about the topic or research question and defend the credibility and validity of the information presented.

Communication: Oral and Visual

1. Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for

clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

3. Critique the clarity, effectiveness and overall coherence of a speaker’s key points.

8. Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:

a. present a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject;

c. support the controlling idea or thesis with well-chosen and relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics, stories and anecdotes;

f. draw from and cite multiple sources, including both primary and secondary sources, and consider the validity and reliability of sources.

10. Deliver persuasive presentations that:

a. establish and develop a logical and controlled argument;

b. include relevant evidence, differentiating between evidence and opinion, to support position and to address counter-arguments or listener biases;

c. use persuasive strategies such as rhetorical devices; anecdotes and appeals to emotion, authority, reason, pathos and logic;

e. use speaking techniques (e.g., reasoning, emotional appeal, case studies or analogies).

Assessment

Summative

Students will be presenting for their book groups.  This is the group portion of the summative assessment for their book groups.  The more heavily weighted individual portion of their book group grade will come from their top book journal and self-assessed book log.

During the debates I will assessing students on how well they vocalize the argument for their side, and how well they anticipate the opposing side’s questions.

Formative

The students watching the debates will be keeping track of argumentative strategies to determine which side wins.  This will keep them engaged and thinking about how to evaluate the arguments of others.

The book journal and write chat both function as a running record of students’ thoughts about the book they’re reading, and their ability to compose and prepare their thoughts ahead of time, and respond thoughtfully using what they’re prepared.

Community Knowledge and Experience Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.  They’ll be learning important life skills in defending their opinion.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Tell student the agenda for the day.

Activities:

Book Group Meeting 4: (30ish minutes)

  1. Have students get into their book groups and have someone get the groups’ book log folder.  I’ll be coming around to check to be sure everyone has his or her journal.
  2. Students will be engaging in a Write Chat to discuss the section of the book they read and wrote a journal on for this meeting.  Students will take turns posing the discussion questions they prepared in their journals, and then responding on the write chat sheet with thoughts and responses, using their journal and prepared passage for examples and support.
  3. Following the Write Chat students will fill out the log sheet and put all the materials back into their Book Group Folder.
  4. Have students staple their 4 journals together, putting what they think is their best journal on top.  This will be the one that I’ll grade thoroughly.
  5. Students will get 5-10 minutes to do any last minute planning they need to for their presentation.

Book Group Presentations:

  1. As each group presents the rest of the class will be writing down the book titles and listening to the presentations.
  2. After all the presentations students will rank the books from highest to lowest in the order they think they’d like to read them.
  3. I’ll collect the written/drawn products from each book group after their presentation.

Debates:

  1. There is one debate today.  Schedule is TBD right now.
  2. Hand out peer-assess/score sheets.
  3. Set up for debate.
  4. Debate!

Closing:

  1. Remind students:
    1. Written notes for 2-3 min. argument w/ 3 facts and 5 crossfire questions are due on the day of their debate
    2. Who is debating tomorrow.  Schedule TBD right now.

Resources

  • book group folders w/ construction paper
  • book group final project assignment pieces
  • independent reading books
  • debate notes and questions
  • debate peer assess sheets
  • debate rubrics
Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.  They will also be working with books that they’ve chosen and preparing to make recommendations to the rest of the class.

Inclusive Instruction

They will have chosen their debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also be presenting in groups for the books.  There were different roles available in the group for the students to delegate as they saw fit.  This allowed for students to play to their strengths.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Wednesday: Gender Issues Debates (Commercial Stereotypes)

Purpose/Goals

Class will be devoted to the debates.  This gives students a chance to practice vocalizing and supporting an opinion, and give those students listening a chance to hear about different topics and learn to evaluate the arguments of others.

Any extra time will be used to debrief from the debates and possibly examine stereotypes in commercials and other media.

Objectives

I can:

  • Clearly vocalize and defend a position/opinion using persuasive techniques and specific evidence.

National and Ohio Standards

Research

7.  Use a variety of communication techniques including oral, visual, written or multimedia report to present information that supports a clear position about the topic or research question and defend the credibility and validity of the information presented.

Communication: Oral and Visual

1. Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for

clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

3. Critique the clarity, effectiveness and overall coherence of a speaker’s key points.

8. Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:

a. present a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject;

c. support the controlling idea or thesis with well-chosen and relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics, stories and anecdotes;

f. draw from and cite multiple sources, including both primary and secondary sources, and consider the validity and reliability of sources.

10. Deliver persuasive presentations that:

a. establish and develop a logical and controlled argument;

b. include relevant evidence, differentiating between evidence and opinion, to support position and to address counter-arguments or listener biases;

c. use persuasive strategies such as rhetorical devices; anecdotes and appeals to emotion, authority, reason, pathos and logic;

e. use speaking techniques (e.g., reasoning, emotional appeal, case studies or analogies).

Assessment

Summative

During the debates I will assessing students on how well they vocalize the argument for their side, and how well they anticipate the opposing side’s questions.

Formative

The students watching the debates will be keeping track of argumentative strategies to determine which side wins.  This will keep them engaged and thinking about how to evaluate the arguments of others.

Community Knowledge and Experience Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.  They’ll be learning important life skills in defending their opinion.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Hand out peer-assess/score sheets.
  2. Set up for first debate.

Activities:

  1. There are three debates today.  Schedule is TBD right now.
  2. Possible overflow activity:  Watching commercials that contain stereotypes and discussing these in relation to the unit as a whole.

Closing:

  1. Remind students:
    1. Written notes for 2-3 min. argument w/ 3 facts and 5 crossfire questions are due on the day of their debate
    2. Who is debating tomorrow.  Schedule TBD right now.

Resources

  • debate notes and questions
  • debate peer assess sheets
  • debate rubrics
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.
Inclusive Instruction They will have chosen their debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also have the support of a group member by their side, as well as any notes they have prepared.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationship

Lesson Title Thursday: Gender Issues Debates (Commercial Stereotypes)

Purpose/Goals

Class will be devoted to the debates.  This gives students a chance to practice vocalizing and supporting an opinion, and give those students listening a chance to hear about different topics and learn to evaluate the arguments of others.

Any extra time will be used to debrief from the debates and possibly examine stereotypes in commercials and other media.

Objectives

I can:

  • Clearly vocalize and defend a position/opinion using persuasive techniques and specific evidence.

National and Ohio Standards

Research

7.  Use a variety of communication techniques including oral, visual, written or multimedia report to present information that supports a clear position about the topic or research question and defend the credibility and validity of the information presented.

Communication: Oral and Visual

1. Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for

clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

3. Critique the clarity, effectiveness and overall coherence of a speaker’s key points.

8. Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:

a. present a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject;

c. support the controlling idea or thesis with well-chosen and relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics, stories and anecdotes;

f. draw from and cite multiple sources, including both primary and secondary sources, and consider the validity and reliability of sources.

10. Deliver persuasive presentations that:

a. establish and develop a logical and controlled argument;

b. include relevant evidence, differentiating between evidence and opinion, to support position and to address counter-arguments or listener biases;

c. use persuasive strategies such as rhetorical devices; anecdotes and appeals to emotion, authority, reason, pathos and logic;

e. use speaking techniques (e.g., reasoning, emotional appeal, case studies or analogies).

Assessment

Summative

During the debates I will assessing students on how well they vocalize the argument for their side, and how well they anticipate the opposing side’s questions.

Formative

The students watching the debates will be keeping track of argumentative strategies to determine which side wins.  This will keep them engaged and thinking about how to evaluate the arguments of others.

Community Knowledge and Experience Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Hand out peer-assess/score sheets.
  2. Set up for first debate.

Activities:

  1. There are three debates today.  Schedule is TBD right now.
  2. Possible overflow activity:  Watching commercials that contain stereotypes and discussing these in relation to the unit as a whole.

Closing:

  1. Have a good spring break!
  2. We’ll be starting a unit on Peace and War when we get back.

Resources

  • debate notes and questions
  • debate peer assess sheets
  • debate rubrics
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will be working with debate topics they have chosen.  These topics are all relatively current in the media.
Inclusive Instruction They will have chosen their debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also have the support of a group member by their side, as well as any notes they have prepared.

April 8, 2010 Posted by | lesson plan, Student Teaching | , , , , | Leave a Comment

Week Two Plans

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Monday:   Yellow Wallpaper & Andrea Yates

Purpose/Goals

In this lesson students will examine a story from the late 1800s in conjunction with a newspaper article from the early 2000s.  They will look at these two texts together in order to examine how the same issues that women dealt with in the past are still applicable to today, and many challenges are still there for equality to be reached.

Objectives

I can:

  • Make connections between two different texts
  • Recognize similar themes and conflicts in multiple characters and texts

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies

1. Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text

1. Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3. Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4. Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

8. Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Writing Applications

2.  Write responses to literature that: a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective; b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors; c. analyze the author’s use of stylistic devices and express an appreciation of the effects the devices create; d. identify and assess the impact of possible ambiguities, nuances and complexities within text; e. anticipate and answer a reader’s questions, counterclaims or divergent interpretations; and f. provide a sense of closure to the writing.

6. Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Assessment

Formative

  1. Students will be writing down thoughts after reading the story and the article.  This will give me a sense of how they’re comprehending and making connections.
  2. I will be occasionally asking clarifying questions during the readings to see how students are understanding the readings as we go.
Community Knowledge and Experience Students will be working with a relatively recent article, and around an issue that is still relevant to today’s time.  They may have some prior knowledge to bring into the classroom regarding the themes and issues in the texts.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Activities:

Andrea Yates article & Yellow Wallpaper (pg 307-319):

  1. Have students get textbooks and turn to page 307.  Give some historical background.
  2. Read “The Yellow Wallpaper.”  Stopping occasionally to make predictions and check comprehension.
  3. Have students take 2-3 minutes to write down thoughts or ideas about the story.  Initial impressions or questions they have.  We’ll come back to these tomorrow.
  4. Pass out copies of the Andrea Yates article.  Give some context.  Ask if anyone remembers this story in the news.
  5. Read the articles.
  6. Have students take 2-3 minutes to write down thoughts or ideas about the articles on the same sheet as their other thoughts.  Initial impressions or connections they see to “The Yellow Wallpaper”  We’ll come back to these tomorrow.

Resources

  • textbooks
  • copies of the Andrea Yates article
  • copies of journal prompt
  • paper/pencil
Applications, Connections, Extensions Students will continue to build knowledge about stereotyping in order to be able to challenge the accepted assumptions regarding gender and relationships.  This will lead to a debate about an issue of their choice at the end of the unit.
Inclusive Instruction

We will be reading the texts out loud.  This will give students who prefer to learn with auditory support a better opportunity for understanding.  Students will also be given time to think and write down their ideas before they are called upon to share those ideas with the class.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Tuesday: Historical to Contemporary Comparison & Article Jigsaw

Purpose/Goals

In this lesson students will continue examining a story from the late 1800s in conjunction with a newspaper article from the early 2000s.  They will look at these two texts together in order to examine how the same issues that women dealt with in the past are still applicable to today, and many challenges are still there for equality to be reached.

Students will also be doing some activities to prepare them for debates.  They will be brainstorming issues and ideas, and then doing a jigsaw activity with articles similar to ones they may find in their research.  The jigsaw will give them practice in summarizing an article and boiling it down for a few main points.

Objectives

I can:

  • Make and analyze connections between two texts.
  • Generate ideas for my writing by talking with others.
  • Summarize a text by identifying key details.

National and Ohio Standards

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies

1. Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

Reading Applications: Literary Text

1. Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2.  Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3. Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

4. Evaluate an author’s use of point of view in a literary text.

8. Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis.

Writing Process Standard

1.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Writing Applications

2. Write responses to literature that: a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective; b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors; c. analyze the author’s use of stylistic devices and express an appreciation of the effects the devices create; d. identify and assess the impact of possible ambiguities, nuances and complexities within text; e. anticipate and answer a reader’s questions, counterclaims or divergent interpretations; and f. provide a sense of closure to the writing.

6. Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Research

1.  Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend the investigation.

Oral and Visual Communication

1.  Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace).

9.  Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations that convey relevant information and descriptive details.

Assessment

Formative

  1. Students will be writing down thoughts after reading the story and the article.  This will give me a sense of how they’re comprehending and making connections.
  2. I will be occasionally asking clarifying questions during the readings to see how students are understanding the readings as we go.
  3. Students will be writing a journal entry exploring connections between the historical story and the contemporary article.
  4. Students will be developing a list of possible issues to use for the debate.
  5. I will be observing students in a jigsaw, as they work together to pull main points out of an article and explain it to their peers.
Community Knowledge and Experience Students will be working with a relatively recent article, and around an issue that is still relevant to today’s time.  They may have some prior knowledge to bring into the classroom regarding the themes and issues in the texts.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Activities:

Debate Issues Brainstorm:

-       We will be working as a class to brainstorm possible issues for the debate.  Possible issues are:

  • Same-sex marriage, single parents, gay adoption, gays in the military, women in the military, polygamy, Title IX, women in the workplace, gender equity in education, domestic violence, body image and the media, women’s rights to contraception

-       I will give students a sheet to fill out with their top 3 issues they’d consider doing for the debate, and 3 other people they’d consider working with.   I’ll use this to pair students up for the library tomorrow.

“Yellow Wallpaper”:

  1. Finish Reading “The Yellow Wallpaper” and the Andrea Yates articles (see yesterday’s plan).
  2. Hand out initial thoughts papers from yesterday for students to use on the journal.  Hand out journal prompts for the comparison between the two texts.
  3. Students have the rest of the period to work on the journal.  (It will be due tomorrow at the beginning of the period if it’s not finished.)

Article Jigsaw:

  1. I will number students off into 4 expert groups, A,B,C,D.  Each group will read a different article and have time to identify and write down 3 main ideas for this article.
  2. I will then put students into learning groups of four, where each group has at least one person from each expert group.  In these groups each student will have a chance to speak, giving a brief synopsis of their article with their 3 main points.
  3. Students will have a worksheet to fill in the three main points for each article.

Closing:

  1. Collect article jigsaw assignment sheet
  2. Remind students to bring their books & journals for the Book Group Meeting tomorrow.

Resources

  • textbooks
  • copies of the Andrea Yates article
  • copies of “Yellow Wallpaper” journal prompt
  • Copies of Articles for jigsaw
  • Article jigsaw assignment sheet
  • debate topic preference sheet
  • paper/pencil
Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will continue to build knowledge about stereotyping in order to be able to challenge the accepted assumptions regarding gender and relationships.  They will be building off their knowledge of stereotyping and gender issues as they begin to brainstorm ideas for the debate.

Inclusive Instruction

Students will be working in groups to make meaning of their articles for the jigsaw activity.  The heterogeneous group will allow students to gain an understanding in the expert groups before they move into their learning groups and explain their article.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Relationships

Lesson Title Wednesday: Intro to Research for Debate & Book Group 3

Purpose/Goals

Students will be preparing for the debates next week by finding articles to work with, writing abstracts, developing a reasoned opinion statement, and making notes to speak from.  Ms. Hamrick’s presentation in the library will help to get them started and learn how to find relevant and reliable articles online.

Students will also be continuing discussing their novel in their book groups.  The groups are in place to give students an additional source and perspective to learn more about gender and relationships.  The group format allows students to engage in small discussion and bounce ideas off each other.

Objectives

I can:

  • Pose and respond thoughtfully to higher-level questions.
  • Find appropriate sources for my research
  • Formulate questions and ideas based on what I read

National and Ohio Standards

Acquisition of Vocabulary

1. Recognize and identify how authors clarify meanings of words through context and use definition, restatement, example, comparison, contrast and cause and effect to advance word study.

5. Determine the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, technology and textual features, such as definitional footnotes or sidebars.

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies

1. Apply reading comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing conclusions.

2. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.

3. Monitor own comprehension by adjusting speed to fit the purpose, or by skimming, scanning, reading on, looking back, note taking or summarizing what has been read so far in text.

4. Use criteria to choose independent reading materials (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of authors and genres or recommendations from others).

5. Independently read books for various purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, for literary experience, to gain information or to perform a task).

Reading Applications: Literary Text

1. Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters’ thoughts, words and actions.

2. Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting.

3. Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility.

Writing Processes

6. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with an effective and engaging introduction, body and conclusion and a closing sentence that summarizes, extends or elaborates on points or ideas in the writing.

8. Use paragraph form in writing, including topic sentences that arrange paragraphs in a logical sequence, using effective transitions and closing sentences and maintaining coherence across the whole through the use of parallel structures.

16. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications

2. Write responses to literature that:

a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective;

b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors;

6. Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Research

1.  Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend the investigation.

2. Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources (e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internet-based resources).

3.  Determine the accuracy of sources and the credibility of the author by analyzing the sources’ validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date and coverage, etc.).

Assessment

Formative

Article Search:

Having students start by finding 3 articles they could possibly use for their abstracts and opinion statement will help to dampen the procrastination.  When they are annotating their articles, it will help me to see how they are thinking about what they’re reading.

Journal #3 and Write Chat:

These both function as a running record of students’ thoughts about the book they’re reading, and their ability to compose and prepare their thoughts ahead of time, and respond thoughtfully using what they’re prepared.

Community Knowledge and Experience

Students will be brainstorming ideas for the debate issues, so they will have a chance to work with something they either already have some knowledge of that they can access, or with something they are interested in or passionate about.  They are also likely to be working with current event and issues.

Students will be bringing in their own knowledge of the book they’re reading along with their interests and interpretations of the text.  They will be given the opportunity to pose their own questions in order to engage in the text.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. I will be giving students their assignments for their debate topics, based on the preferences sheet they turned in yesterday.  They will be put in groups of four.  Two students will be on the pro side, and two on the con side for purposes of the debate.  Any students who were absent will have to join a group that is short one member.
  2. Explain Mini-Research paper expectations.
    1. Each student will write a paper including 2 abstracts/summaries of different articles (one supporting and one opposing) that are different from their partner’s articles and a reasoned opinion.
    2. The reasoned opinion is an explanation of why you feel that way and take that side (it does not need to be the side you’re supporting in the debate, though it may help if it is), and it includes at least:
  1. i.     2 supporting facts (details)
  2. ii.     1 opposing viewpoint
  3. iii.     1 counterargument for the opposing viewpoint
  1. Explain what we’re going to do in the Library and what their expectations are for the end of the period.
    1. Have 3 articles (2 supporting/1 opposing) annotated
    2. Bibliographic information for those 3 articles.

Activities:

Library: (periods 1&4)

  1. Intro to research presentation by Ms. Hamrick.  She’ll be showing them how to access and search through the internet databases for articles regarding gender issues, as well as the possible tools provided through these sites to help them organize their notes.
  2. Students will need to find 3 different articles (They should not be the same as their group member’s articles).  2 supporting their side, and 1 opposing their side.  They will then print these out and annotate each article according to these guidelines:
    1. Read your article
    2. Underline opinions.  For each underlined opinion:
  1. i.     Give a counter argument.
  2. i.     Give a counter argument.
    1. Underline specific facts.  For each underlined fact:
    1. Highlight or circle the 2 most significant pieces of information.
  1. Hand in your works cited paper that includes the MLA bibliographic documentation for your 3 articles.
  2. Whatever annotating students haven’t finished will be homework.

Book Group Meeting 3:

  1. Have students get into their book groups and have someone get the groups’ book log folder.  I’ll be coming around to check to be sure everyone has his or her journal.
  2. Students will be engaging in a Write Chat to discuss the section of the book they read and wrote a journal on for this meeting.  Students will take turns posing the discussion questions they prepared in their journals, and then responding on the write chat sheet with thoughts and responses, using their journal and prepared passage for examples and support.
  3. Following the Write Chat student will fill out the log sheet and put all the materials back into their Book Group Folder.

Explain Book Group Final Project:

  1. Each will be writing about a 100 word summary of their book including a recommendation and then presenting to the class as a group why we should or should not read the book.
  2. Each person in the group must give at least one reason and explanation that is different.

Resources

  • Mini-research assignment sheet
  • Debate assignment sheet
  • book group folders w/ construction paper
  • book group final project assignment
  • independent reading books
  • Ms. Hamrick’s presentation materials
  • computers w/ internet access

Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will begin researching articles regarding various gender issues in order to prepare for a mini-research paper and debate on their chosen topic.  In their book groups they will be continuing to build knowledge about stereotyping in order to be able to challenge the accepted assumptions regarding gender and relationships.

Inclusive Instruction

Students will have chosen their possible debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also be working in pairs, and so can bounce ideas off of their partner.

Student will be discussing a book that they chose to read with their group.  This makes it more likely that they will be engaged with their own interests.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Realtionships

Lesson Title Thursday: Writing Mini-Research Paper & Prep for Debate

Purpose/Goals

Students will be preparing for the debates next week by finding articles to work with, writing abstracts, developing a reasoned opinion statement, and making notes to speak from.

Objectives

I can:

  • Include appropriate documentation for my sources
  • Analyze and defend the credibility of my sources.
  • Explain the main supporting details in a text.

National and Ohio Standards

Writing Process

4.  Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies (e.g.,

adapting formality of style, including explanations or definitions as appropriate to audience needs) to address purpose and audience.

10. Use available technology to compose text.

16. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications

4.  Write informational essays or reports, including research, that:

a. develop a controlling idea that conveys a perspective on the subject;

b. create an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience and context;

c. include information on all relevant perspectives, considering the validity and reliability of primary and secondary sources;

d. make distinctions about the relative value and significance of specific data, facts and ideas;

Writing Conventions

1. Use correct spelling conventions.

2. Use correct capitalization and punctuation

3. Use correct grammar

Research

1.  Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend the investigation.

2. Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources (e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internet-based resources).

3.  Determine the accuracy of sources and the credibility of the author by analyzing the sources’ validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date and coverage, etc.).

Assessment

Summative

Abstracts:

Students will have 2 abstracts due at the end of the block today.  They will need to print this off and hand them in.  They will be graded on the MLA documentation, separating and providing key facts from opinion, well thought summary and analysis of articles, and mechanics.

Formative

I will be checking on students throughout the block, helping them focus their writing and format their documentations.

Community Knowledge and Experience

Students will be brainstorming ideas for the debate issues, so they will have a chance to work with something they either already have some knowledge of that they can access, or with something they are interested in or passionate about.  They are also likely to be working with current event and issues.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Early Release Day

Opening:

  1. Explain what they’ll responsible for by the end of the block.
    1. Write abstract for 1 supporting article
    2. Write abstract for 2 opposing article
    3. Have MLA documentation for both these articles

Activities:

  1. In the writing lab working on abstracts

Closing:

  1. Collect 2 article abstracts

Resources

  • Mini-research assignment sheet
  • Debate assignment sheet
  • computers w/ internet access

Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will continue researching articles regarding various gender issues in order to prepare for a mini-research paper and debate on their chosen topic.  They will be writing abstracts to gain information on their chosen topic.  This will lead them into writing an opinion statement and help them gain information for their debate.
Inclusive Instruction

Students will have chosen their possible debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also be working in pairs, and so can bounce ideas off of their partner.

Subject Area Contemporary Literature

Title of unit (of which this lesson is a part) Women, Men, and Realtionships

Lesson Title Friday: Writing Mini-Research Paper & Prep for Debate

Purpose/Goals

Students will be preparing for the debates next week by finding articles to work with, writing abstracts, developing a reasoned opinion statement, and making notes to speak from.

Objectives

I can:

  • Anticipate and address a reader’s potential biases, misunderstandings and expectations.
  • Make my position/opinion clear in my writing using specific details/evidence

National and Ohio Standards

Writing Process

4.  Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies (e.g., adapting formality of style, including explanations or definitions as appropriate to audience needs) to address purpose and audience.

5.  Use organizational strategies (e.g., notes and outlines) to plan writing.

6.  Organize writing to create a coherent whole with an effective and engaging introduction, body and conclusion and a closing sentence that summarizes, extends or elaborates on points or ideas in the writing.

10.  Use available technology to compose text.

12.  Add and delete examples and details to better elaborate on a stated central idea, to develop more precise analysis or persuasive argument or to enhance plot, setting and character in narrative texts.

16.  Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications

2. Write responses to literature that:

a. advance a judgment that is interpretative, analytical, evaluative or reflective;

b. support key ideas and viewpoints with accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works and authors;

4.  Write informational essays or reports, including research, that:

a. develop a controlling idea that conveys a perspective on the subject;

b. create an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience and context;

c. include information on all relevant perspectives, considering the validity and reliability of primary and secondary sources;

d. make distinctions about the relative value and significance of specific data, facts and ideas;

e. anticipate and address a reader’s potential biases, misunderstandings and expectations; and

f. provide a sense of closure to the writing.

Writing Conventions

1. Use correct spelling conventions.

2. Use correct capitalization and punctuation

3. Use correct grammar

Research

1.  Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend the investigation.

2. Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources (e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internet-based resources).

3.  Determine the accuracy of sources and the credibility of the author by analyzing the sources’ validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date and coverage, etc.).

4.  Analyze the complexities and discrepancies in information and systematically organize relevant information to support central ideas, concepts and themes.

5.  Integrate quotations and citations into written text to maintain a flow of ideas.

Assessment

Summative

Reasoned Opinion Statement:

Students will have a reasoned opinion statement due at the end of the block today.  They will need to print this off and hand it in.  They will be graded on the separating and providing key facts from opinion, how convincing their argument is, how interesting/original their report is, and mechanics.

Formative

I will be checking on students throughout the block, helping them focus their writing and develop convincing arguments.

I will also be available to students to help them develop their argumentative statements for the debate and prepare their notes and questions.

Community Knowledge and Experience

Students will be brainstorming ideas for the debate issues, so they will have a chance to work with something they either already have some knowledge of that they can access, or with something they are interested in or passionate about.  They are also likely to be working with current event and issues.

Procedures including:

• Opening

• Activities

• Closure

Opening:

  1. Tell students that we’ll be in the lab the first half of the block, and in the library for the second half of the block.
  2. Explain what they’ll responsible for by the end of the block.
    1. Reasoned opinion
    2. Notes for debate
    3. SSR
    4. Notes for the debate (each person must have)
      1. Prepared 2-3 minute argument (different from your partner’s)
      2. At least 5 Crossfire questions written down (different from your partner’s)
      3. Briefly explain Debate format (we’ll go over this in more detail on Monday)
      4. Assign Debate Days:  notes for the debate are due the day you are debating.

Activities:

  1. In the writing lab 1&3, working on the reasoned opinion statement
  2. In the library 2&4, finishing reasoned opinion statement and preparing for the debate.
  3. SSR if finished with other work.

Closing:

  1. Collect reasoned opinion statement

Resources

  • Mini-research assignment sheet
  • Debate assignment sheet
  • Debate schedule
  • independent reading books
  • Ms. Hamrick’s presentation materials
  • computers w/ internet access
  • notecards
  • paper/pencil

Applications, Connections, Extensions

Students will continue researching articles regarding various gender issues in order to prepare for a mini-research paper and debate on their chosen topic.  They will be writing abstracts to gain information on their chosen topic.  They will be writing an opinion statement and preparing notecards and questions for the debate.
Inclusive Instruction Students will have chosen their possible debate issues, so they’ll be working with a topic that they at least have some passion for.  They will also be working in pairs, and so can bounce ideas off of their partner.

April 8, 2010 Posted by | lesson plan, Student Teaching | , , , , , | Leave a Comment

   

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