Articles Lesson Plan Critiques Original Lesson Plans Useful Resources
Introduction:
I have prepared this guide, not only to fulfill a class requirement,
but to narrow my objectives for improving my studentsí literacy.
As I believe that literacy encompasses more than just reading and writing,
I have chosen articles which reflect this notion. The articles explore
various types of literacy, including media, political, personal, vocal,
obligation, citizenship, and critical literacy, all of which have their
place in a Literature/ Language Arts classroom.
Following the article section, is the lesson plan critique section.
A couple of the lessons relate directly to the articles, and the teaching
of alternate literacy, and the other lessons caught my interest for their
possible adaptability into my classrooms next semester. I have also
included five of my own lesson plans in no consecutive order. These,
I hope my colleges will critique and offer suggestions, as I have done
with the previous five published lessons.
Finally, in the last section I offer five resources from the
English/ Language Arts content area that both I and my peers can benefit
from.
1. Understanding the Hype: Media Literacy (An Education World e-Interview
With Catherine Gourley)
URL:
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr310.shtml
Summary:
This article is an interview with media literacy expert Catherine
Gourley. The main focus of the interview is the importance of media
literacy and how it can be related to teaching literature. According
to Gourley, her initial interest in media literacy comes from her childhood
memories of singing jingles from television commercials, but at the time,
not realizing that she was being persuaded by these catchy advertisements.
She believes media literacy is important in the field of education because
students should have the right to be aware of persuasion tactics.
Applied to the teaching of literature, media literacy can be taught in
reference to book cover design, targeted audience, and the message the
author meant to convey to his/her audience.
Significance and connection to literacy:
Media literacy in education teaches kids not only to be aware
of persuasion tactics, but to be literate people. Media messages
come in the forms of advertisements, book themes, songs, movie messages,
bumper stickers, and campaign ads(just to name a few). Media literacy
is literacy awareness; an education that can gives students insight into
what they see and read everyday.
2. Writing WrongsÖBusiness Letters Give Students a Voice in World Affairs
by Ron Adams
URL:
http://www.nmsa.org/services/middle_ground/mg_august2001.htm#a
Summary:
In this article, educator, Ron Adams advocates turning typical
letter writing instruction in middle school into real letter writing for
political, constitutional, and human interest. Adams believes that
teaching business letter writing would be more productive if students cared
about what they were writing about. Students in his class keep up
to date on current events, and as part of their grade, they must search
for injustice and react to it with a letter. Students are not forced
to actually send letters, but according to Adams, most letters are mailed
out, and about two thirds actually get responses. Adams believes
that use of his method gives students something to write about that they
care about, and as a result, the curriculum teaches itself.
Significance and connection to literacy:
The literacy aspect in this article is more than just encouraging
students to write; it is giving young people a voice in society.
Students, especially middle school students, are too young to vote, and
often too young to be taken seriously; but they are not too young to have
opinions. This article describes the literacy of voicing an opinion
and the knowledge that that voice is entitled to his/her opinion, and that
it may even get a response.
3. The History and Purpose of Writing Portfolios, by Dr. Rick Bragg
Published on: September 22, 2002
URL: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/17013/95282
Summary:
This article is a call to all teachers to reevaluate the value
of traditional assessment. The author believes that portfolio assessment
will result in higher reading and writing achievement for most students
then will that of traditional testing. Bragg gives two reasons to
back his position, 1.) portfolios give students ownership of their work
in that they get to choose what pieces will go into their portfolios. 2.)
students learn responsibility through this method of assessment, as they
must insure that the portfolio is complete before handing it in for a grade.
Bragg wrote the article in response to his stateís considerably low standardized
test scores.
Significance and connection to literacy:
How we as teachers choose to evaluate our students is probably
the hardest part of the job, and that is why this article is important;
Bragg offers a good argument for an alternative method of evaluation.
The literacy connection is in the general process of using portfolio evaluation.
Portfolios not only teach students ownership and responsibility, but encourage
quantity. In most cases, quantity does not override quality, but
in the case of reading and writing instruction, practice is the key to
success, and use of portfolios does encourage a great deal of practice.
4. Drama Literacy: Center Stage, by George Branigan
Currents in Literacy
URL:
http://www.lesley.edu/academic_centers/hood/currents/v2n1/branigan.html
Summary:
ì...literacy has to do with powerful ways of understanding and interpreting
a world invented by and structured by printî(I just thought this was a
great definition of literacy, especially from my perspective as a future
English teacher).
The quote applies to a methodology that this article suggests,
and that is the use of acting and theater to improve reading and textual
literacy. Branigan is an educator who instructs his students to think
like actors in order to find meaning in a text. He sites the fact
that young children in a reading circle will often memorize a paragraph
before they are called on to read it. He also believes that children, by
nature, are actors, and often engage in make-believe character games.
With these two childhood assumptions in mind, the author believes that
use of memorization and characterization in the classroom can actually
improve literacy on two levels; on the basic reading level, and on the
larger level of understanding.
Significance and connection to literacy:
The two points that the author brings up about children are so
true. I can personally recall being in that Round Robin reading circle,
and memorizing my passage so that when it was my turn to read, I would
not be embarrassed. Memorization could be an effective tool for teaching
students to read if it is not over used. Beyond memorizing lines
for acting, Branigan also suggests word find activities that students could
play comparing memorized lines to lines that are actually written in the
text.
Iím not sure if I could see this theory governing an entire English
class, as Mr. Braniganís seems to, but I do see its merits applied to activities.
If nothing else, this is yet another method that could be used if the first
is not working.
5. Increasing Teacher Awareness of the Mental Processes Involved in
Reading,
by Rose Katz Ortiz
URL:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/une.education.pour.demain/articlesrrr/wordsinc/ortizmen.htm
Summary:
The article is basically to remind teachers of the extensive
process that reading requires, Ortiz begins by describing a conference
that she spoke at where she told a very ambiguous story and held a question
and answer session. Her colleges all had different initial interpretations
of the story based on experience, and imagination. The article continues
by providing a list of 32 factors that contribute to a readerís process
of physically deciphering words, and then mentally making meaning out of
those words.
Significance and connection to literacy:
We want our students to read at advanced levels, but reading
is not enough, it is necessary for kids to comprehend what they read.
This article is important for teachers, because in the process of trying
to improve student writing, many teachers forget all of the steps that
are necessary for that student to enjoy the reading process, and hopefully
pick up another book. Teachers often take advantage of their almost
subliminal observance of punctuation, but in doing so, we forget that a
text actually comes alive because of the way it is punctuated. This
is just one point on the authorís list, which I think is a very important
checklist in the process of advancing student reading abilities.
1. ìIndispensable Listening Skillsî, Ann Douglas, Pauls Valley,
OK
URL: http://yn.la.ca.us/cec/ceclang/ceclang.21.txt
Summary:
The basic objective is to teach students listening and observing
skills. In this lesson, the teacher reads a simple story, using elaborate
vocal intonations, and body language. Students are asked a set of
factual questions about the story, and then questions about how they came
to their conclusions.
Aspects:
Listening is an important skill that many people(adults included),
are not good at, and listening is certainly an aspect of literacy.
A good listener is able to engage in conversation and is therefore a socially
literate person.
Adapting:
I generally like the activity; it seems like a nice break from traditional
class time, and I can see students enjoying it and walking away with a
real skill. This is an activity that has its time and place.
I know that I have a hard time listening to a story if I donít have a copy
of it in front of me, as I am easily distracted by my own mind. This
probably being the case for others, the teacher would have to eliminate
many distractions in the room in order to facilitate this activity, which
could be difficult.
2. Media Literacy Lesson Plan: ìIdentifying a Message's Purposeî
Student Resource: "Faces in Sports: Jackie Joyner Kersee," by Judith
P. Josephson
URL:
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/health/teachres/lessonplans/mlfaces.shtml
Summary:
The teacher brings articles to class about athletes that the students
are most likely familiar with. The class discusses the articles,
picking out commonalties and differences. The teacher then explains
that every media construction has a purpose behind it; that some are written
to inform, some persuade, and some simply entertain. Following this
short activity, the teacher hands out a short biography and asks students
to read it and look for purpose. The lesson plan includes great follow
up questions that test students' awareness, analytical abilities, evaluative
strategies, and communication skills. The last part of this lesson
plan is to have students pick out a goal for themselves and map out an
action plan for how a person might accomplish this goal; noting the purpose
of the plan.
Aspects:
Media literacy translates to basic awareness, and the ability to recognize
persuasion tactics. Without a doubt, this is a literacy worth teaching
high school students. I especially like the way this lesson plan
uses athlete stories and biographies as role models for students to begin
thinking about their own long term goals.
Adapting:
This lesson plan would fit very easily into a journalism class.
I would love to do it just the way it is if I could find a way to fit it
into my required curriculum. The only problem I can foresee is that
some athlete's stories are not all that inspirational, and I would have
to be careful of the biographies I choose
3. ìThe Story Behind Musicî
URL: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/music3.html
Summary:
The goal of this lesson plan is to show students that a song tells
a story. Basically, the teacher plays a piece of music and asks the
class to think about what story the song might be telling. After
students write down some ideas, the song is played a second time and students
are asked to either draw or write the story that they imagined.
Aspects:
This is a great way to get students to think outside of the box.
The lesson incorporates and connects music, art, writing, and the concept
of a short story or poem. Literacy is taught on several levels; students
are writing down their ideas and using their imaginations to create their
own stories. Students are also learning cross curricular literacy
and the ability to make connections between various artistic formats.
Adapting:
I generally like this idea, but I think it could be more concrete.
Please refer to the "Original Lesson Plans" section for my adaptation of
this lesson plan.
4. ìUsing Superman to Teach the Epic Hero in The Odysseyî
Posted Mon Oct 11 19:47:48 PDT 1999 by Melissa Smith
URL: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts//1347.html
Summary:
After students have read Homer's Odyssey, the class watches
the movie Superman. Students brainstorm traits and characteristics
that heroes possess. Students then compare and contrast the heroic
characteristics of Superman and Odysseus.
Aspects:
Watching a movie like Superman in class will definitely grab
most students' attention, and this could be a fun activity to follow up
with after reading The Odyssey.
The literacy aspect in this lesson plan is teaching young people to
recognize people traits. This is a useful skill to have both in a
literature class, and in any social setting. The art of reading,
describing, and understanding other people and the traits they possess
is an important concept for teenagers to grasp.
Adapting:
I think connecting Superman to The Odyssey is a great
idea. I might use this activity as a starting point for teaching
students to write a contrastive, or a persuasive essay. The initial
list of traits would be an easy bouncing off point for creating an essay
outline. The class could also hold a debate as to which character
is the best hero; a debate is a fun way to teach oral literacy.
5. ìRomeo and Juliet Character Huntî, Submitted by: Travis Vanest
URL:
http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0207.html
Summary:
In small groups, students are assigned characters from Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet. Each group must come up with five objects
that could symbolize their character. For homework, students take
home Zip-lock bags and fill them with the items on their symbols
list. For example, Travis Vanest suggests that Romeo is a risk taker
and can therefore be represented by a Mountain Dew can, because
the commercials for Mt. Dew are all about risk taking. Another
example is Mercutio's loyalty and attachment to Romeo; this can be symbolized
by a magnet.
Aspects:
This is a fun way to get students to think about the characters in
the play as more than just characters in a play. This is also a creative
way to teach students how to reference a text, which is the lesson's main
literacy aspect. Overall, I think this is a great idea which I will
try in my own classroom. I will warn students (as Vanest does) not
to bring anything from home that they don't want to lose.
1. "What would it be like to be invisible?"
Objective: Students will explore the concept of invisiblity on several levels.
Materials: class copies of The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, paper and pens.
Procedure: This is a beyond activity following the completion
of the novel.
I will ask the class to split up into smaller groups and come
up with a short list of ways that the main character is seen or not seen...they
can refer to their books to refresh their memories. Following
this short group activity, the class will discuss what they came up with.
Based on their findings, I will ask them to identify and talk about a group
in their community that might be seen as ìinvisibleî. I will
then quickly review the format for writing a business letter. I will
ask everyone to either write a letter to someone who has made them feel
ìinvisibleî or to write a letter of apology to someone who might have felt
ìinvisibleî because of their actions.
Homework: Type letters; must be in business letter format.
Assessment: I will not grade this assignment because the letters may be very personal; however, I will give students credit for doing them, and students will be able to include them as one of their portfolio pieces at the end of the term.
Literacy Aspect: Several literacy aspects are covered in this lesson plan; the simplest is the ability to write a formal letter. Beyond the letter writing, students will be exploring cultural diversity and both local and societal discrimination. Students explore their place in society, how they are treated, and how they might treat others. The lead-in to this activity requires that students cite evidence from the text.
Notes: My only concern is the personal nature of this assignment.
Students could have the option of writing a letter to a television character,
or to a friend; this might ease up on the level of intimacy of this assignment.
2. " The 'Sameness' Debate"
Objective: Students will describe themselves, engage
in a class debate, form a cohesive argument, and reflect on their own beliefs
with regards to the concept of "Sameness"(as described in The Giver,
by Lois Lowery)
Materials: class copies of The Giver, by Lois Lowery,
blank paper and some pens.
Procedure: The class has read The Giver, by Lois
Lowery. We have already discussed themes of death, euthanasia, coming
of age, post-war, the importance of memory, competition, etc... (this is
a very rich book). Today, we will explore the theme of diversity.I
will begin by handing out a sheet of paper and asking everyone to fold
it in half. I will ask the class to make a list of adjectives and
nouns that they would use to describe themselves to someone who has never
met or seen them before. They will then turn to the clean half of
their papers and do the same thing without using any visually descriptive
words ( I will put a list of words/descriptions on the board that cannot
be used). I will then ask students to compare the two lists that
they made and cross off anything that appears on both lists. What
do you have left? If all goes well, the only description left will
be gender. The Giver describes a society that practices ìSamenessî...everyone
is the same. Based on the events in the novel and my studentsí own
beliefs, I will divide the class in half and they will hold a debate for
or against ìSamenessî.
Homework: Who won today's debate? You may feel that
your side won, or you may feel that the other side one. You must
have evidence to support your opinion.
Assessment: I will give students credit for participation in the debate, and I will grade their homework assignments.
Literacy Aspect: The main topics covered in this lesson plan are oral presentation, interpretation, written observation, diversity in our society, self identification. Debate is a very important literacy skill because it is comprised of the abilities to think on one's feet, form an argument, communicate orally, and listen. Students are (as always in my class) required to cite evidence from the text in order to validate arguments.
Notes: The idea of a society where everyone is the same
is certainly an interesting prospect with many pros and cons. When
I first came up with this idea I was worried that everyone would choose
one side, so I sat down and made a list for both sides. At this point
I'm not sure what side I would want to be on in a formal debate.
I think this will be a fun and inspiring activity.
3. "The Metaphor of Flight" (pop culture)
Objective: Students will identify and interpret metaphors of birds and flight in various songs.
Materials: The following songs with lyric sheets:
ìFly Awayî, Lenny Kravitz
ìLike a Birdî, Nellie Furtado
ìFreebirdî, Leonard Skynard
ìLearning to Flyî, Tom Petty
Procedure: We will listen to these songs, or parts of these songs in class and discuss the common metaphor that each poem contains. The class will vote on one poem to focus on. In small groups, students will discuss their interpretations of the song, and report back to whole group. I will follow up this activity by reading Mirror and Bogface, both by Sylvia Plath (two poems that are rich in metaphor).
Homework: In your journals, answer the following question: If you could have any super power (such as the ability to fly), what would it be and why?
Assessment: I will give credit for completion on homework assignments and class participation.
Literacy Aspect: Though I do believe that there are many different types of literacy, I am a future English teacher, and I can't fight my need to teach some of the basic aspects of literary interpretation. This lesson plan gives students a better understanding of metaphor and how it is used in both music and poetry...I may even be able to get across that these two artistic formats are often one in the same. This lesson plan is a fun listening and interpretive activity.
Notes: I can also see this activity extended into a long-term
project where students would find their own songs containing metaphors
and present them to the class with an overview of their interpretation
of how the metaphor is being used.
4. "Romeo, Juliet, and Yoda"
Objective: Students will learn proper subject and verb placement using Shakespeareís Prologue to Romeo & Juliet, and select scenes from George Lucasís Star Wars movies. The goal is for students to find the subject in each sentence and re-write the sentence so that the focus is where it should be.
Materials: class copies of Romeo and Juliet, and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Procedure:
Part 1: You will be working in a group to translate the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet into modern (understandable) English. For practice, translate these sentences into modern English:
1. The sandwich I will eat.
2. No more will dishonest John sell us used cars.
3. Wile home from school sadly was my cousin John walking, little children
far away happily singing in the afternoon heard.
Part 2:
Much like Shakespeareís language, Yoda (Star Wars) tends to bury
the subjects of his sentences between fragments and dangling modifiers.
I will show a movie scene and ask students to listen to Yoda for sentences
that sound odd to them. We will create a class list and then students
will go back into groups to rewrite sentences into modern English.
This should lead into a brief lesson on passive/ active sentences and sentence
focus.
Part 3:
In groups, translate the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet into modern
English, paying close attention to sentence focus. Groups will present
their translations to the class.
Homework: Complete worksheet on sentence focus, verb and subject placement.
Assessment: Groups will get credit for presenting, and I will grade the homework assignment.
Literacy Aspect: Standard American grammar is necessary for our students to become a part of the writing community. Writing is most definitely an aspect of literacy, and obtaining the conventions of grammar will grant young people the ability to take risks in their writing.
Notes: Most schools do require that English teachers incorporate grammar into their classrooms, which is something I am very afraid of doing because I don't want to scare my students away. I think that teaching grammar in context (as I am attempting to do with this lesson) will make teaching grammar both more fun, and more digestible for my students.
5. "Stan and the elements" (pop culture)
Objective: Students will identify literary elements in a popular song by Eminem.
Materials: "Stan", by Eminem (the censored version).
Procedures: I will post a list of literary elements on
an overhead; these will include(to name a few) plot, rising action, climax,
exposition, mood, setting, etc...
I will briefly go over the definitions of these literary terms and
then we will listen to the song "Stan", by the extremely popular artist
Eminem. I chose this song because its catchy, and in it, Eminem tells
a very provocative story about a disillusioned young man who becomes obsessed
with his favorite hip-hop artist. The character in the song (Stan)
winds up building his entire life around this obsession, until he realizes
that he has nothing of his own; he commits suicide in the end.
I am fairly certain that most of the students will have heard this
song before; some may already know the lyrics and the story. Those
students can help the students that are not as familiar with the song.
After listening to the song played once, I will
ask the class to divide up into small groups and diagram the basic plot
and major events in the song. We will agree on the song structure
as a class, and then groups will identify literary elements in the song.
Homework: Journal entry: why do you think Stan kills himself?
Assessment: Students will be graded for participation and
they will be given credit for journal entry.
Literacy Aspect: Literary elements are required learning,
and they appear everywhere; in songs, books, movies, and TV shows.
This is the aspect of literacy that I believe this lesson covers; awareness
of common formulas in various media formats. Students who know the
literary elements will become more successful readers as well.
Notes: My only concern is the parents who come to me after
this class and complain that their kid was encouraged to listen to Eminem
at school. My answer to this is that s/he listens to it outside of
school and all that s/he hears is the violence and the offensive language.
When the same kid listens to the same song in a controlled atmosphere,
the teacher is able to direct the student to a less violent interpretation.
This is just one way I might handle a complaining parent; yet this would
still be a concern with this particular lesson plan.
1. Milner, Joseph OíBeirne, and Milner, Lucy Floyd Morcock. Bridging English, 3rd. Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 1993.
Summary: This is a great book for first year and experienced English teachers. The text is chock full of useful theory and methodology; these are practically applied to various lesson plan ideas and activities. The book addresses concerns such as how to design reading and writing activities to include second language learners and inclusion students. Bridging English is definitely not a book that I will be selling back at the end of this semester.
Adaptation: Some of the most important issues for English
teachers are how to teach grammar, improve writing skills of second language
learners, respond to essays, and manage the enormous paper load.
Bridging English offers great advise and various strategies for
dealing with these important issues.
2. Christenbury, Leila, and Kelly, Patricia P. Questioning a Path to Critical Thinking. Illinois: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills & NCTE, 1983.
Summary: This small book is the key to getting students to think outside of the box. The authors suggest that there are three types of questions; there are those that ask for facts (white questions); those that ask students to consider the facts on a more personal level (shaded questions), and those that ask students to connect the matter to their own personal reality, and to the external reality (dense questions). This level of questioning is a great guide for teachers as far as getting into a piece of literature and then finding a path to go beyond it.
Adaptation: The style of questioning described in this
book sets limitations for what concepts teachers should be covering at
a particular time. The Dense question format would be a very helpful
guide for designing good essay questions. Overall, the importance
of this book is in its title; encouraging students to think critically
is my main goal as a teacher.
3. Kirby, Dan, and Liner, Tom, with Ruth Vinz. Inside Out: Developmental Strategies for Teaching Writing, 2nd Ed. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/ Cook Publishers, Inc., 1988.
Summary: This is a book of ideas for teaching writing; it includes writing prompts, poetry activities, and fun ways to make literary connections. Some of the topics covered are: responding to student writing, expository writing, revision, and personal writing. The best thing about this book is that it includes some very creative, unconventional ideas for teaching writing, such as having students write obituaries for dead characters in a play or a novel. This is just one of many good ideas.
Adaptation: Teaching writing is very important to me, and
it is a requirement for almost all high school teachers. Inside
Out definitely offers some clever ideas that can help make writing
enjoyable for both the students and the teacher. I have tried some
of the activities already, and they have worked out great.
4. Tiedt, Iris M., Tiedt, Sidney W. Language Arts Activities for the Classroom, 2nd Ed. San Jose State University: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1987.
Summary: This is just a book of activities for English teachers. I am suggesting more than one book of activities because I think this is what most of my peers seem to be most concerned about; practical ideas. Some of the activities and lessons in this book are a bit immature for high school students, but that can be adapted to work with older students.
Adaptation: One activity that I particularly liked was
called "The Con game." Basically, the teacher writes the prefix "Con"
on the blackboard, and she sets a timer for two minutes. Students
have to come up with as many words as they can beginning with that prefix.
This is a great activity for teaching vocabulary, and vocabulary is a requirement
for success on standardized exams.
5. Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature as Exploration, 5th Ed. New York, NY: The Modern Language Association, 1995.
Summary: In Literature as Exploration, Rosenblatt describes what has been dubbed the reader response theory; however, her version is one of the first, and it is quite unique. She suggests that meaning is not found in the text or within the student; rather, it is the teacher's job to guide the student into finding his/her own philosophies and ethical beliefs which will in turn guide the student to textual meaning. This sounds much more complicated than it actually is. Basically, Rosenblatt thinks that English teachers are responsible for opening up their students minds to different ideas and walking them through formulating their own opinions. Once students are armed with the ability to critically think for themselves, they will find their own meaning in a text.
Adaptation: The ideas in this book are important because they focus the reader's attention on the positive aspects of a student centered reading experience. When teachers give up the right to textual meaning, they empower students to think for themselves, which is something that many sudents (especially ELL students) rarely get to do. Rosenblatt's theory follows the path of Constructivism with a few twists. I think many of her ideas could be applied over time in a single classroom when students are at the point where they feel safe enough to express their own philosophies, and when they realize that by interpreting a text, they are giving out personal information about how they see the world on a larger scale.