SED 720óCooks
1. ìFrom Familiar Worlds to Possible Worlds: Using Narrative Theory to Support Struggling Readersí Engagement with Textsî
URL: http://0-search.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu:80/direct.asp?an=6285989&db=afh.htm
Summary:Ý This article discusses how to use narrative theory to engage students in the text.Ý The ìnarrative modeî of thinking uses storytelling as a way to help students make sense of the text.Ý Storytelling engages students in meaning making by drawing on personal experience.Ý When students can draw on prior personal knowledge they are better able to understand and remember the material.Ý Storytelling is also a way of helping poor readers become engaged in class discussion because it builds on studentsí abilities.Ý Using the narrative mode of thinking is also a way of linking home and school.Ý Storytelling is an effective way of creating a community of active learners in the classroom because everyone is recognized as an expert of his/her own experience.Ý
Connection to Literacy:Ý Using storytelling as a way of making meaning connects to literacy on many levels.Ý It helps develop the skills of poor readers by putting texts into context.Ý Storytelling can be a way of improving reading skills because children recognize reading as an interactive process, not simply a process of decoding words.Ý Storytelling also is a way of developing oral proficiency because students are engaged in classroom discussions.Ý The article also mentions role-playing activities as a way of bringing the text to life and creating connections.Ý Role-playing allows students to perceive the world through a different lens.Ý Using the narrative mode of thinking helps students improve literacy skills and can be adapted across content areas.
Significance: It is important for all teachers, across content areas, to understand and utilize the narrative mode of thinking in their curriculum.Ý Storytelling is a way of linking personal experience to new ideas and is a way to foster critical thinking.Ý It is also a way of creating a culturally relevant and sensitive pedagogy because children are able to connect home and school.Ý Students are much more likely to remember new material because stories are embedded in emotion.ÝÝÝ Through stories we help our students to feel connected to the text, each other, and to the world around them.
2. ìChanging Lives: Teaching English and Literature to ESL Studentsî
URL: http://0-search.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu:80/direct.asp?an=7276953&db=afh.htm
Summary:Ý This article focuses on the four main stages of second language acquisition, preproduction, early production, speech emergence, and intermediate fluency.Ý The article reviews the characteristics of each stage and strategies to support English Language Learners in secondary classrooms.Ý It is important to take note that proficiency in conversational English does not mean that students are at the level of English proficiency to succeed academically.Ý It can take anywhere from five to eleven years to reach academic proficiency in English.Ý Students are often placed in mainstream classes without proper support to ease transition.Ý Although students do not often fall neatly into one of the four stages of second language acquisition these stages can be helpful in assessing the needs of English Language Learners in the classroom.
Connection to Literacy: It is important to recognize language diversity as an asset.Ý Skills and knowledge of the first language can transfer to develop literacy in the second language.Ý If a student is literate in the first language, they come to the classroom already understanding the rules and function of language.Ý Rather than perceiving ELLs as lacking English proficiency, it is important to build on the skills and abilities ELLs bring to the classroom.Ý In order to build this proficiency in English it is important to maintain reading, writing, and speaking in the first language.
Significance:Ý This article is significant for all teachers.Ý With the increasing numbers of English Language Learners in the classroom teachers need to be prepared to meet the needs of all students.Ý In reality, all teachers, at some point in their careers, will have at least one student for whom English is a second language.Ý In order to meet the needs of all students, teachers need to know strategies for making the material comprehensible through hands on activities.Ý We must create environments that are inclusive and encourage all students to be active learners.Ý This means that teachers need to create a classroom environment that is safe for English Language Learners.Ý One way to lower stress for ELLs is to model correctness rather than direct correction.Ý With the growing population of English Language Learners in classrooms throughout the U.S. it is essential for all teachers know how to meet the needs of all students.
3. ìTeachersí Full Knowledge of Studentsí Popular Culture and the Integration of Aspects of that Culture in Literacy Instructionî
URL: http://0-search.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu:80/direct.asp?an=7004848&db=afh.htm
Summary: This article is based on research conducted to examine the significant role popular culture plays in literacy development.Ý The study was conducted to answer the following three questions:
In addressing these questions they discovered that by integrating popular culture into reading and writing exercises students were taught multiple literacy skills.Ý They also found that popular culture does have a place in literacy learning and is a good way create a better homeóschool connection.Ý The research also revealed that students demonstrate a broad scope of literacy skills while experiencing popular culture.
Connection to Literacy/Significance: One important point this article illustrates is that teachers need to find creative ways to integrate student popular culture into the curriculum, rather than resisting or trashing student pop culture.Ý By integrating popular culture into the curriculum teachers foster a connection between the literacy skills students utilize everyday through popular culture, and transfer these skills to school literacy learning.Ý It is essential that teachers are aware of the significant role popular culture plays in the development of literacy.Ý In this age of rapid technological advances it is important to recognize the significant role technology plays in the development of literacy skills.Ý In todayís workforce to be considered a truly literate person, one must not only know how to read, write, and speak well, one must also be literate in technology.
URL: http://0-search.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu:80/direct.asp?an=2996544&db=afh.htm
Summary:Ý This article reviewed research that revealed that attitudes toward literacy instruction vary between content area instruction in secondary schools.Ý Instruction that specifically focuses on helping students learn from text is often not a priority for many secondary teachers. ÝAn investigation of preservice secondary teachersí beliefs about content instruction revealed that many teachers do not teach specific strategies to help students learn from text.Ý This was due to attitudes about the importance of literacy instruction across content areas.Ý But, they found that many teachers had a positive change in attitude after completing literacy content course work.Ý They also found that reflective thinking and teaching in everyday realities of the classroom can facilitate greater communication both between students themselves and between the teacher and the students. The article points out that teachers who allow themselves to be learners are better able to discover new ways to enhance the learning of their students and increase literacy instruction.
Connection to Literacy/Significance:Ý This article discusses the importance of literacy instruction across content areas and the significant role literacy instruction plays in preparing preservice teachers.Ý As stated in the article, it is possible for a student to be literate in English literature but illiterate in Biology.Ý Therefore, direct literacy instruction should be incorporated into all content areas.Ý They point out that many preservice teachers do not see literacy instruction as an important part of their content area.Ý Yet, the study revealed that teachers often change their attitudes toward literacy instruction after completing literacy course work.Ý This demonstrates that it is not only important for students to receive literacy instruction across content areas, it is important for teachers to also receive literacy instruction across content areas.
URL: Ýhttp://0-search.epnet.com.opac.sfsu.edu:80/direct.asp?an=7241827&db=afh.htm
Summary: This article examined the many different factors that contribute to class discussions.Ý The study focused on one, ninth grade English Class to try to determine which factors affected the quality of a good class discussion.Ý One of the most significant findings of this study revealed that students often have different perceptions of what counted in classroom discussion.Ý They found that the studentsí conception of classroom discussion might be very different than the teacherís goals for discussion. The study also considered if the size of the group contributed to participation in classroom discussion.Ý What they discovered was that the size of the group affected students differently.Ý They examined the role of personality on class discussion, again highlighting how different students, as well as the teacher, may hold different perceptions and goals for classroom discussion.
Connection to Literacy/Significance: Classroom discussion plays a large role in developing both oral skills and critical thinking ability.Ý This article really highlights the significant role discussion plays in the classroom, and the need to take a closer look at the many factors that affect discussion.Ý One thing that the article points out is the need for both teachers and students to reflect on classroom discussion.Ý Students are often asked to reflect on reading and to keep reading logs.Ý Yet, this practice of reflecting is not often applied to classroom discussion.Ý It is important to ask students to articulate what they think constitutes a good classroom discussion.Ý This open dialogue not only helps facilitate critical thinking about the material, it also helps students and teachers reflect on discussion itself.Ý
1. Shakespeareís Epitaph
URL: http://ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0002.html
Summary: This lesson was designed to help teach students about iambic pentameter.Ý Students are provided a brief lesson on the burial practices of Shakespeareís day and informed of the imminent threat of grave robbers.Ý They are then provided with a copy of the epitaph Shakespeare had engraved on his headstone that cursed anyone that disturbed his grave.Ý The class is then divided into groups of three or four to work on writing their own epitaphs for Shakespeareís grave.Ý The epitaphs are to written using six lines of iambic pentameter.Ý The tone of the epitaph should be formal and pay homage to the literary contributions of Shakespeare.Ý Students will be assessed on the basis of appropriateness of the content and technical accuracy of the iambic pentameter.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: This is a good lesson to get students to understand and appreciate the difficulties Shakespeare faced in writing tens of thousands of lines in iambic pentameter.Ý Students are now asked to take on the challenge of writing six lines in iambic pentameter.Ý As students become familiar with the rhyme scheme as well as the language of Shakespearian sonnets it can help prepare students to read Shakespearian plays.Ý Some areas of development of this lesson might be to include more time together as a class to brainstorm.Ý Students might have trouble thinking of ways to describe Shakespeare and his works; brainstorming might get their ideas flowing before they get into groups.Ý This lesson might also be developed by providing a sample of an epitaph written today to compare and contrast with the written by Shakespeare.
Adaptions: I might use this lesson as a way to prepare students before reading ìHamlet.îÝ This lesson gets students to think about the language and even provides a bridge into thinking about the issues of death that are so prominent in ìHamlet.îÝ I might also include this kind of activity at the end of reading ìHamlet,î to have students write an epitaph for one of the characters.Ý This would be a way for students to analyze one of the characters and again practice using iambic pentameter.Ý
URL: http://ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0008.html
Summary: This lesson is designed to help students understand the expressive and figurative language of poetry.Ý The lesson begins by having students listen to about three minutes of selected music, preferably without lyrics.Ý Students are instructed to image something taking place while they listen to the music; they then share with the class what they imagined.Ý The teacher then explains that when something is expressive it is powerful and moving.Ý Students then look at an expressive painting and are asked to describe the mood.Ý Thirdly, the class watches a clip from ìThe Dead Poetsí Society, where students are sharing their own poetry and Robin Williams talks about the meaning of poetry.Ý Then discuss the message of this piece with the class.Ý The students are then given guidelines to construct their own poems, using a four-step format.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: This lesson does a good job of bringing in many sensory aspects of media, such as music, visual art, and television.Ý I really like the multimedia aspects of this lesson to get students into a poetry unit.Ý I also like the four step guidelines to help students design their own poems.Ý For students who are just beginning to study poetry it is useful to make the directions explicit.Ý Yet, for students who are already familiar with poetry and figurative language, these guidelines may be restrictive.Ý
Adaptions: I might develop and extend this lesson further by having students bring in song lyrics.Ý Many students do not see a connection between poetry and the music they listen to everyday.Ý Through examining song lyrics they begin to see the connection to poetry.Ý This lesson does a good job demonstrating the connections to poetry, expression, and figurative language that are all around us.
3. Romeo and Juliet Alternative Endings
URL: http://ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0209.html
Summary: This lesson is designed to compare and contrast the original ìRomeo and Julietî with the modern movie version starring Leonardo DiCaprio.Ý Students will first be asked if they ever watched a movie and disliked the end.Ý Students are then given an opportunity to share the names and tell why they disliked the end.Ý Students will then watch the final scene of the modern movie of ìRomeo and Juliet.îÝ Then the class will compare and contrast the movie ending with the original and tell which one they preferred.Ý Next, the class is divided into groups of four.Ý Each group needs to brainstorm four possible alternate endings to the play.Ý Each group will then select one of their favorites to share with the rest of the class.Ý For homework students are assigned to re-write the ending of ìRomeo and Julietî in play form.Ý
Positive Aspects/Development Areas:Ý This lesson provides students does a good job of getting students to think about the ending of ìRomeo and Julietî by comparing and contrasting the original with the modern version.Ý It also provides students an opportunity to be creative, to think of other possible ways which the play could have ended.Ý Students will also develop writing skills and a greater understanding of dialogue and form through the homework assignment.Ý An area of development might be to have students question why the director of the modern movie might have changed those aspects of the play.Ý Once the students have named the changes to the text it is then important to question why those changes were made.
Adaptions: I think this is a good lesson for getting students to take a closer look at the text and then applying to a broader understanding of the play.Ý I would adapt this lesson to include more questioning of why changes were made to the original and what effect they made.Ý It would be interesting to have students analyze how changing the ending might alter the play as a whole.Ý I might also show the BBC version of the play to compare and contrast with the modern version of ìRomeo and Juliet.î
4. Group Poetry Writing
URL: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAESL-EFLGroupPoemBuildingActivity812.htm
Summary:Ý This lesson was designed for ESL students but it can work well for all students.Ý In this particular lesson the topic was terrorism.Ý The class then had to brainstorm titles for the poem; the suggestions are recorded on the board.Ý The students vote for their favorite title and on the style of the poem (rhyming or non-rhyming).Ý Once the title and style are decided each student is given time to write two lines of a poem.Ý Then the class is divided into groups of four or five to decide the order in which they will put each students two lines.Ý Once all the groups are done deciding on the order they need to correct any spelling and grammar mistakes and then put a copy of their stanzas on a sheet of paper.Ý The teacher will collect the papers from all the groups and each stanza is read.Ý A final version of the poem will be displayed on an overhead projector or copied for each student.
Positive Aspects/Areas of Development:Ý This lesson
does work well with ESL students to help develop fluency, accuracy, and
teamwork.Ý The small group setting
fosters a sense of community and cooperation.Ý
The students also have an opportunity to be creative and develop
vocabulary.Ý For ESL students, a sense
of community is really important to create a safe environment for English
Language Learners.Ý The small group
setting also provides students an opportunity to learn from each other.Ý An area of development in this lesson might
be to put students into groups of varying levels of English Proficiency and
when possible, with students who share the same native language.Ý This will increase a sense of comfort in the
group setting and allow students to learn from each other.Ý
Adaptions: I think this
lesson would work well to help all students actively participate.Ý Although the topic of terrorism is very
relevant to today, this lesson could be adapted to introduce the theme of a
novel unit.Ý This activity could also
work after reading a novel or short story, as a way of building on the themes
and symbols discussed in the book.Ý I
like the idea of giving each student a copy of the final poem.Ý This idea could be developed further to include
a final published book at the end of the unit in which students could publish
their own original works.
5. Their Eyes Were Watching God (Illustrating
Poetic Images)
URL: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/eyes/Eyesg4.htm
Summary: Students are
asked to choose six poetic passages from the text of Their Eyes Were
Watching God that represent significant events in Janieís journey.Ý Throughout the study of the novel students
have kept a double entry journal, which will aide in their passage selections
for this activity.Ý Students are then asked
to draw each image in an imaginative way.Ý
The students will then be asked to think of their drawings as pieces of
a quilt.Ý The drawing will be placed in
order, on a larger sheet of paper.Ý
Around the boarder, students should write a narrative describing the
story the pictures tell.Ý This narrative
should also include Hurstonís own descriptive phrases.Ý Students will be assessed on the aesthetic
quality of the work, the fluency and meaningfulness of the narrative, the
incorporation of Hurstonís own narrative descriptions, and the correct use of
Standard English.
Positive Aspects/Areas of Development: This lesson does a good job of incorporating visual
images with the text.Ý Hurstonís writing
is full of beautiful images that will become even more immediate by having
students draw these images.Ý This lesson
also allows for a great deal of creativity.Ý
I like how this lesson incorporates the idea of the quilt.Ý This is an idea that could be developed
further, to discuss the significance of quilts in the African American
tradition.Ý Because this lesson relies
so heavily on artistic ability to draw, it might be helpful to have options for
students who do not think they can adequately draw out the images.Ý Perhaps there could be the option of
creating a collage rather than drawing the images.Ý Students could use images found in magazines, photographs, ect.,
to design their quilt pieces.Ý Although
this lesson requires students to research African American quilts on the
Internet, this is something that can be done in class.Ý It is important that students not only see
images of different quilts, it is also important to tie these images directly
into the lesson.
Adaption: I like this
lesson because it allows students to be creative and is an effective way to
bring the text to the forefront of imagination.Ý When working with poetic images it is important to make these
images real and immediate for students.Ý
Hurstonís writing is so full of beautiful images that appeal to the
senses.Ý This lesson encourages students
to analyze these images, to bring the text to life.Ý If I were to do this lesson in my class I would probably bring in
images of quilts to discuss.Ý Although
it is good to incorporate technology into the curriculum, I do not find it
necessary for this lesson.Ý In fact, it
may be more effective to do to share and discuss images of quilts as a class as
opposed to doing this individually.Ý I
also think I would allow more time for this project.Ý I might have students begin work on the project during class, to
be completed at home.Ý I might also have
an opportunity for students to share their work and then compile the pieces to
make a quilt.Ý
Ý
Englishó10th Grade
Class of 25 students
One 50minute class period
Objective:
… Students will analyze music and visual art in relation to ìIn Search of Our Motherís Gardensî
… Students will also begin to examine the contributions made by women in their own lives and communities
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
Materials:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ CD of Bessie Smith
CD player
Copies of art imagesóìSharecropperî by Elizabeth Catlett, ìMany Mansionsî by Kerry James Marshall, ìJeunesseî by Palmer Hayden, ìReturning Homeî by Hale Woodruff, and ìGrandma Storiesî by William Tolliver
… ìSharecropperî and ìMany Mansionsî can be found online at http://www.nku.edu/artaccess/AA_AfAm/pages/AfAm_8_lg.shtml
ìJeunesseî can be found at
http://www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/hayden.html
ìReturning Homeî can be found at
http://www.montclair-art.com/collections/search/page_03.asp?PixIndex=77
ìGrandma Storiesî can be found at
http://www.artbytolliver.com/id91.htm
Steps:
Assessment:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ This lesson will allow students to be assessed in a variety of ways.Ý They will be assessed through their journal writing.Ý They will also be assessed by their participation and cooperation in the group activity.Ý Verbal skills can be assessed in their oral presentations.Ý Students are also asked to connect the group work on art with the reading of ìIn Search of Our Motherís Gardens.îÝ Based on student responses to the question of why we might have only examined one work by an African American woman artist I can evaluate if students are drawing connections to the reading.
Literacy Aspect:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ There are several literacy aspects involved in this lesson.Ý Students begin the lesson with a written exercise where they will be writing a response to music.Ý They will also be developing verbal skills in an informal group setting discussing their response to visual art.Ý Students will also be developing more formal verbal skills in their presentations of the art in front of class.Ý
Debriefing:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ My main concern in this lesson plan is time.Ý Depending on student responses to the music and art time may become an issue.Ý There is a lot to get through in this lesson and there will need to be some careful pacing.Ý Students may also need some direction in their responses to the art.Ý Some students may be uncertain of what to say about the art so it would be helpful to have a prepared list of questions for students to go through in their groups.
Englishó10th Grade
Class of about 25 students
One 50-minuet class period
Objectives:
… To connect material covered in the womanist poetry unit to studentsí lives
… To begin work on quilt
… To reflect on women who have had a significant impact on studentsí lives and to write journal
Materials:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Each student will be given a square of cardboard and a piece of fabric
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Notes home to invite parents and friends to the open house
Steps:
1. The lesson begins with a free write time of about 5 to 10 minuets.Ý Ask student to write a reflection about a significant woman in their lives.Ý This needs to be someone they know personally.
2. When students have completed the free write responses put them into small groups of either three or four with their neighbors.
3. Allow students about 10 minuets to share their responses with the group.
4. When time is up bring the class back together as a whole.
5. Explain to the class that as a final activity we are going to have an open house on Friday in which students can invite family and friends.
6. Introduce the quilt project to the class.Ý Explain that for our final project everyone will design their own piece of a quilt to commemorate a significant woman in their lives.Ý All of the pieces will be collected on Thursday and assembled as a whole quilt to be displayed at the open house.
7. Provide students with some examples of how they might want to design their pieces.Ý This can be done with prepared examples or it can simply be explained that the pieces of quilt need to represent a significant woman in their lives with various symbols.Ý Students can choose a variety of materials to design their pieces.Ý
8. Give students examples of materials that they can use.Ý Such as photographs, words, pictures, magazine cut outs, pieces of fabric, ect.
9. Explain that along with the quilt pieces each student needs to include a one to two page essay explaining his or her project.Ý This essay should include a description of the woman they chose, why she is significant, and an explanation of how they chose to represent her in the quilt.
10. Pass out squares of cardboard and fabric to the class.
11. Explain that the projects need to be done on these pieces of cardboard but that the fabric is optional.Ý They may want to use the fabric as a backdrop, but this is not required.Ý
12. Encourage students to be creative with the project.
13. Ask if there are any questions or concerns about the project.
14. After questions are addressed explain that the class will be presenting the quilt at the open house.Ý In addition, the class will be selecting one of the poems we have read to present at the open house.
15. Ask for volunteers and explain that students who volunteer to speak at the open house will receive bonus points toward participation.
16. When a list of volunteers has been made, pass out notes for the students to bring home explaining the open house.Ý This is an invitation for parents and friends to attend the open house.
17. Encourage students to get started on their projects as soon as possible; they will have two nights to complete the project.
Assessment:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Students will be assessed by their journals and in class group discussions.Ý The formal assessment for this lesson will be done when the projects have been turned in on Thursday.Ý But there will be an informal assessment of this lesson through observing how receptive the class is to the project.Ý This can be gauged by their responses, questions, and concerns they may address about the project.Ý Assessment can also be done on what kind of response is given when students are asked to volunteer to speak at the open house.Ý The assessment for this lesson is based mostly on participation.
Literacy Aspect:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The literacy aspect of this lesson focuses on student free write response and small group discussions.Ý In this lesson students will practice writing skills in an informal written response.Ý This kind of free write allows students to respond to a question without the pressure of receiving a grade on the quality of their response.Ý Students will also be asked to share their responses in a small group.Ý The small group setting is important because it helps to develop a more comfortable environment to share their personal responses.Ý Creating a comfortable, safe classroom setting is crucial to the success of the class.Ý Small group discussions also help students to create connections to their peers.
Debriefing:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The most challenging part of this lesson that I foresee is getting students to volunteer to speak at the open house.Ý But, this also really depends on the group dynamics of the class.Ý If there is a student, or perhaps, a group of students in the class who readily participate in speaking in front of the group then finding a volunteer to speak will be less of a challenge.Ý Another challenge might be the small group discussions where students are asked to share a personal response.Ý Students may not feel comfortable sharing their stories of a significant woman in their lives.Ý For some students this may touch on a very sensitive issue.Ý This is something to keep in mind when doing this lesson.Ý Perhaps it would be a good idea to foreworn students that they will be sharing their responses in small groups.Ý This way, students will be prepared to share what they have written.Ý This lesson really focuses on students reflecting on their own lives and communities and creating connections.Ý The free write response helps students to think about the connections they have with women in their lives and communities.Ý The small group discussion encourages students to form connections with each other.Ý The purpose of this lesson is for students to form connections with their own personal heritage but also to form a sense of our collective identity.Ý The quilt will be a physical representation of this connection.
Lesson
Plan #3: The Bluest Eye ìCharacter Bagî
Englishó10th / 11th Grade
About 25 students
One 55-minute class period
Objectives:
… To identify internal and external characteristics depicted by the author
… To discuss and generate questions based on findings
… To analyze the meaning and importance of internal and external characteristics
… To discuss how the views of others can impact our own internal consciousness
Materials:
Novel, brown bag, markers, glue, magazines, scissors
Ý
Prep Procedures:
1. Teacher explains the character bag and provides example.
2. Each student chooses a character from the novel
3. Students will write in their journal formulating their thoughts on how the other characters perceive their chosen character and how that character feels about him/herself.
4. Students will design character bags for homework.Ý Students, without using the chosen charactersí name on the bag, will portray him/her by drawing, writing, or using magazine cut outs.Ý Those items that are perceived by other characters will go on the outside of the bag.Ý The items perceived by the character will go on the inside of the bag.
Procedure:
1. The character bags will be collected at the beginning of the class period.
2. The bags are then distributed, making sure no one receives their own bag.
3. Students will take a moment to reflect on the new bag and how the objects inside/outside the bags do or do not correlate.
4. Students write a response to the new character bag.Ý The response should include who they think the bag represents and a response to how the character is represented.Ý Students will place their responses inside the bags.
5. Students will then swap bags with a partner to examine another bag and write another response. This will be done a total of three times.
6. Bags are then collected and distributed back to the owner.
7. Students are then given time to write a journal reflection on the activity.Ý The response can be a reflection on their own character bags or a reflection on how other students chose to represent a character.
8. Class discussion on how each of the characters is represented in the character bags.Ý
Assessment:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Students will be assessed on their participation in the class activity and the quality of the character bag.Ý The bags should reflect an understanding of the character his/her relation to other characters in the novel.Ý The journal responses are another way to assess this lesson.Ý The journals should reflect what students learned from doing this activity and what they learned from their peers.
Debriefing:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ It is important that the character bags are distributed anonymously to encourage authentic peer response.Ý Having this done anonymously also helps students who might be hesitant to share their work in class.Ý An important part of this lesson is to learn from each other.Ý The basis of this activity is to explore perceptions.Ý The character bags should demonstrate not only the varying perceptions of the characters but also the varying perceptions the students have about the characters.Ý
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ This lesson incorporates both written and verbal responses to the activity.Ý Students will write peer responses to the work as well as writing journal responses.Ý Students will also be engaged in a class discussion.Ý This lesson can be developed further to have students present their chosen character in front of the class in a more formal presentation of the character.
English 11th Grade
About 25 students
One 55-minute class period
Ý
Objectives:
… To have students compare and contrast the original ìHamletî with the modern version staring Ethan Hawke
… To read and discuss the PopMatters Film Review
ÝÝÝ http://popmatters.com/film/reviews/h/hamlet.html
… Students write and share their own reviews of the Ethan Hawke version
… Students gain understanding of how Shakespeare is relevant to and understood in todayís society through other modern versions, such as, ìOî and ìRomeo and Juliet.îÝ What happens to the original text when it is put in modern setting?
Materials:
Student journals, PopMatters Film Review of ìHamletî starring Ethan Hawke, ìHamletî text, and film to reference if needed
Prep Procedures:
1. Students have completed reading Shakespeareís ìHamletî
2. Students have viewed the film version starring Ethan Hawke
Procedure:
1. Students write journal response to the film version of ìHamlet.îÝ Did they like the movie? Why or Why not?Ý What were the major differences between the movie and the original?Ý Do you think these changes enhanced your understanding of the original text, or detracted from Shakespeareís version?
2. Hand out PopMatters Movie Review
3. Give students enough time to skim the review
4. When students are done reading the review read aloud the reviewerís final statement about the film:
ìIf a new contribution to cinematic Shakespeare doesn't show relevance for or add insight to a contemporary audience's understanding, then it can feel like a waste of time. Here the loss feels more tragic, because this Hamlet began with such promise.î
5. Do they agree with this statement why or why not?
6. Continue with open discussion comparing and contrasting the film with the original text
7. Then instruct students that they have about ten minutes to write their own reviews of the film.Ý Students should use explicit examples from the movie and the text to back up their review.
8. Student then get into groups of three or four to share their reviews
9. After each group is finished sharing call on each group to report out what they discussed.Ý Did most people recommend the film or pan it?
10. ÝAfter calling on each group, ask if any students have seen other modern versions of Shakespeareís plays, such as ìOî or ìRomeo and Julietî
11. ÝLead discussion of the positive and negative aspects of these modern versions.Ý What are the benefits of updating Shakespeareís plays? Ect.
12. For Homework students should think of other movies, television shows, or music that deal with the theme of revenge.Ý Students should write one page describing how the piece deals with revenge and compare and contrast modern ideas of revenge with Hamletís revenge.
Assessment:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Students will be informally assessed on the basis of class participation.Ý Assessment will also be done on the basis of the journal entries and Film reviews.Ý The journal entries and reviews should demonstrate understanding of the text and the movie version of ìHamlet.î
Debriefing:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ In order to get through this lesson there will need to be some careful monitoring of time.Ý But, this lesson provides many opportunities for students to share and learn from each other, both in class discussions and in small groups.Ý It is important to have students report out after sharing their film reviews in order to check for comprehension and to keep students on track in their conversation.Ý This lesson also involves bringing Shakespeare into the modern age.Ý It is important to see how students react to these modern versions.Ý These films attempt to make Shakespeare relevant to todayís society.Ý It is important to have students evaluate the relevance of these films and to find connections to other movies, TV. Shows, and music that deal with this same issue of revenge.
Literacy Aspect:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ This lesson includes writing in both journals and film reviews to develop fluency and persuasive writing in the reviews.Ý This lesson also incorporates reading; students are required to skim the film review, developing the skill quick reading.Ý It is important that students develop this skill of skimming material and being able to pick out the important information.Ý This lesson also requires quite a bit of verbal interaction, both between the teacher and the students and between the students themselves.
Lesson
Plan #5: House on Mango Street Student Book Reviews
English 9th/10th Grade
About 25 Students
One 55-minute class period
Objectives:
… To understand the importance of community through reading The House on Mango Street
… To reflect and share significant aspects of students lives
… To begin work on student books
Materials:
Student journals, The House on Mango Street text, paper, colored pencils, pens
Prep Procedure:
1. Students have finish reading House on Mango Street
2. Students have written vignettes on one of the following prompts about a significant aspect or importance of:
ß ÝYour Name
ß ÝÝÝÝ Your Neighborhood
ß Games or Favorite Toys from your Childhood
ß Ý A Time You Got Into Trouble
ß A Time You Saw Someone Else Get Into Trouble
ß Advice From an Adult
ß A Positive Story From Your Experiences at School
ß A Negative Story From Your Experiences at School
ß A Special Family Member
ß A Happy Time For You
ß Going to Work
ß A Special Holiday
ß A Special Birthday
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Procedure:
1.
Read students quote
from Sandra Cisneros, "you will always be Mango Street.Ý You can't erase what you know.Ý You can't forget who you are."Ý
2. Have students write a brief reflection on this quote.Ý What do you think Cisneros means when she says, ìyou will always be Mango Street?
3. When students are done writing in their journals collect the stories they wrote for homework.Ý Remind students that they should not have their names on the paper but should have their student id written at the top.
4. After collecting the papers distribute them randomly
5. Instruct students that they should read through the story and correct any grammatical or spelling errors that they find.Ý They also need to write a response to paper, including positive remarks and any questions you have, or any information you think they should add to make the story more complete.
6. Give students about fifteen minutes to read, edit, and respond
7. When students are done writing collect the papers and responses
8. Have students find their papers and responses
9. When this is done instruct students that these stories will be included as one chapter in their books.
10. Explain that everyone is going to create a book that includes five chapters. They need to select four more topics from the list to write on.Ý
11. Pass out and review directions
12. ÝThe book needs to include a title/title page, table of contents, dedication, and illustrations throughout.Ý The illustrations can be drawings, photographs, or collages.
13. ÝExplain that student will have some class time to work on the projects but some work will need to be done at home.Ý Answer any questions students have about the project.
14. ÝExplain that the students can use the remainder of the class period to revise the stories they did for homework, start brainstorming ideas for the next four chapters, or work on illustrations.Ý
15. For those students who choose to work on the illustrations pass out paper and colored pencils.
16. Students work on the project for the remainder of the period.
Assessment:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Students will be assessed by the quality of their peer responses and their own vignettes they completed for homework.Ý Students will be formally assessed on the final projects.Ý The books need to include all of the necessary and specified components and will be assessed on the basis on completeness and creativity.
Debriefing:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ It is important to remind students to hand in their papers anonymously; some students may be hesitant to share their stories.Ý This also helps in the peer editing process to get a more authentic peer response.Ý Some students may choose to work on illustrations before they work on their vignettes.Ý This might be helpful for some students to write their vignettes after having developed a clear picture to work from.
Literacy Aspect:
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ This lesson is focused on developing writing skills.Ý Students are required to write both journal entries and vignettes.Ý They will also work on editing to develop skills and understanding of standard English.Ý This lesson also requires students to read and respond to the work of a peer.Ý This process will help build skills in critical thinking because students are required to not only pick out grammatical and spelling mistakes, they also need to form questions and suggestions.
Resources
1. Ýhttp://www.awesomelibrary.org/
ÝÝÝÝÝ Summary: This website is really helpful and easy to use.Ý It contains lesson plan ideas and links to other valuable resources for teachers of all content areas and grade levels.Ý This site is valuable for everyone involved in education, including teachers, counselors, and nurses.Ý This website covers everything from health issues, tobacco prevention, resources for low income students and their families, to valuable resources for the classroom teacher such as lesson plan ideas.Ý
Positive Aspects/Development Areas:Ý There are so many positive aspects of this website that it is difficult to think of any development areas.Ý This site provides so much valuable information for everyone working in education from teachers to the families and communities we serve.Ý But, what I like best about this site is how easy it is to use.Ý I found it easy to navigate my way through the plethora of information found on this site despite being somewhat computer illiterate.
Use in the Classroom: This website has many good lesson plan ideas that can be adapted for my classroom.Ý I might also use this as a tool in finding other resources to incorporate into my classroom.Ý This site offers links to books and resources that are helpful for the classroom teacher, including information on how to involve families and communities in our schools.
Summary: The pbs website provides a lot of good information to incorporate into the classroom.Ý There are links that are helpful in lesson plan ideas as well as ideas for incorporating technology into the classroom.Ý There is also information on many pbs documentaries that can enhance classroom learning.Ý This site gives information on how to incorporate these documentaries into the curriculum as well as suggestions on creating interdisciplinary approach to teaching.Ý This site also provides other resources to help teachers, such as, books and other websites.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: This site offers a lot of information and ideas on how to incorporate pbs documentaries into the curriculum.Ý This can be helpful in organizing film and media into the curriculum.Ý Although this site is helpful in getting ideas on using technology in the classroom, lesson plan ideas on this site are designed to incorporate pbs shows into the curriculum.Ý I found the awesome library site to be more comprehensive, but this pbs site does offer some really great suggestions on how to utilize technology in the classroom.
Use in the Classroom:Ý I would use this site in my classroom to get lesson plan idea incorporating different shows and documentaries put on by pbs.Ý In planning a curriculum guide to The Joy Luck Club I found a documentary on the development of San Franciscoís Chinatown.Ý Documentaries such as this one can really bring to life the history and culture of the communities we live in and are an invaluable resource for the classroom.
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3. ÝChristenbury, L. & Kelly, P. P. (1983). Questioning: A Path to Critical Thinking. Urbana: ERIC/NCTE.
Summary:Ý This is a rather short pamphlet that begins by explaining the theories and research about questioning and classroom discussion and then puts these theories into practice.Ý The pamphlet addresses the questions of how and when to use questioning, and how to help students generate questions.Ý Christenbury and Kelly offer suggestions on how to apply the ìQuestioning Circleî to classroom discussions.Ý The Questioning Circle does away with the hierarchy of questioning and focuses on a schema of overlapping circles as a model for developing instructional questioning.Ý The three overlapping circles are labeled, ìText,î ìReader,î and ìWorld and Other Literature.îÝ Teachers should include questions that fall in each on these three circles as well as questions that overlap, tying the reader, text, and other knowledge together.Ý This model of questioning allows students to respond from experience while encouraging students to incorporate those personal experiences into a greater understanding of the text.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: This pamphlet is easy to read and very applicable to the English classroom.Ý This is a good resource for all teachers, but I think it is an especially valuable resource for teachers of English literature.Ý I like how they do not only address the theories and research behind questioning; they provide strategies to incorporate into the classroom.Ý This pamphlet also provides good information on how to elicit student response and how to encourage students to generate their own questions.Ý Student generated questions are an essential element in the process of critical thinking.Ý As teachers, we need to not only know how to pose questions and elicit responses, we need to also know how to encourage our students to go a step further and generate their own questions.Ý This pamphlet also provides explicit examples of questions that fit into various areas in the question circle.Ý I found these examples helpful in understanding the sometimes dense text explaining the Question Circle.
Use in the Classroom:Ý
I definitely plan on integrating the model of the Question Circle into my teaching practices.Ý The Question Circle provides a clear framework for developing a student-centered classroom and encouraging student-centered discussions.Ý This is really good and applicable resource for all teachers.
4.
Kirby, D. & Liner, T. with Vinz, R. (1988). Inside
Out: Developmental Strategies for Teaching Writing. Second Edition.
Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
Summary:Ý This book provides some really great and practical approaches to the teaching of writing.Ý Kirby and Liner suggest strategies for fostering fluency in developing writers through journal writing as well as stressing the importance of creating the sense of writing for a real audience.Ý They also provide strategies for responding to student writing.Ý In order to develop trust between students and teachers it is important to not be overly harsh or critical of student writing.Ý Teachers need to offer concrete, helpful suggestions about specific areas in the writing.Ý This book also provides good information on grading and evaluating student writing.Ý Kirby and Liner also discuss the importance of publishing student work, both inside and outside the classroom.Ý This book encompasses many great ideas and strategies for getting students to write, as well as providing strategies for developing writing skills.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: I found this book to be really helpful and easy to reference.Ý I like how the book is broken down into small, easy to read sections.Ý This book covers a lot of ground on the topic of writing and discusses how to encourage student writing as well as explaining practical strategies for grading and evaluating student works.Ý I think this is a good reference book to have on hand when teaching writing.Ý The end of the book also offers further resources and a brief synopsis of each resource.
Use
in the Classroom: Inside Out is a great resource that I will
continue to reference throughout my teaching career.Ý It offers good suggestions about journal writing as well as how
to teach students to write poetry.Ý I
especially like the strategies for teaching poetry because it is a subject I am
not that familiar with.Ý Although I have
learned a lot about analysis and interpretation of poetry, I have not had as
much practice teaching students how to write their own poetry.
5.
Kahn, E.; Calhoun Walter, C. & Johannessen, L.
(1984). Writing about Literature.Ý
Urbana: Eric/NCTE.
Summary: ÝThe beginning of this book deals with a lot of theories and research.Ý They begin by discussing assessment of student writing and how to teach students the skills necessary to be good writers.Ý One major problem students face in their writing is supporting their claims with evidence from the text.Ý In order to help students go from a more literal interpretation of the text to more complex interpretations, it is important to scaffold student learning.Ý The book then provides many ways to put the theories and research into practice.Ý They include many good activities that can be easily adapted to different lessons.Ý There are activities that help students learn to find and use evidence in their writing.Ý They also include different ideas for opinionaires and surveys to help students see differing points of view and help students to focus on character analysis.
Positive Aspects/Development Areas: Writing about Literature has some really good activities that can be easily adapted.Ý I like how the book applies the theories and research to practical applications.Ý The surveys and opinionaires are good ways of getting students to evaluate their own belief systems as well as those of the characters.Ý Students often make wide sweeping moral judgments about a character based on their personal beliefs systems, so these activities really help students see differing perspectives.Ý Although these activities are really good, the book also includes a lot of dense theories that can be difficult the sort through.Ý But, after getting through these dense theories and research presented at the beginning, this book proved to be very helpful.
Adaptions: I plan on incorporating a lot of the ideas and activities found in this book into my curriculum.Ý It is a good reference to have and supplies many good and easily adapted activities.Ý
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