About This Lesson
The unit objective demonstrates student understanding on how to identify character traits, connect them to their own traits. Identification, connection, understanding and application strategies are used in this lesson. The module students are studying: McGraw-Hill Study Sync – The Moral Compass. Students read an except Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women last week and several Chapters from Tom Sawyer. Raisin in the Sun is the class book we will read together. The following lesson plan is a two-week reading workshop and extended writing project for the third week. Students will have homework from this lesson as noted. The entire book, “A Raisin in the Sun”, is available as a PDF online, web resource provided to students in Study Sync.
OBJECTIVE.
What will your students be able to do?
Students are all 8th Grade ELA Students who are not in ELL/ELD Classes.
145 Students in five periods. 20 students require additional support.
Two Honors Classes
Students create an analytical assignment through collaboration and critical thinking strategies. Students will be able to use knowledge as a tool to solve problem based inquiries. Students will keep a double entry journal and write down each character’s name on one side, on the other will be the page number and character traits they discern through inference.
Improve reading comprehension through Metacognitive Strategies for Reading. (Mansoor Ahmed Channa1,2, Zaimuariffudin Shukri Nordin2, Insaf Ali Siming1,3, Ali Asgher Chandio1,4 &Mansoor Ali Koondher1, Canadian Center for Science and Education)
Best Practices for Reading Instruction: Explicit instruction in Vocabulary Development; Develop knowledge through text (i.e., it matters what students read); reinforce, deepen, and consolidate learning from reading; Use a variety of digital and low-text media for differentiation and student engagement; Emphasis syntax (yes capitalization and punctuation); Implement reading in the classroom.
Best Practices for Writing Instruction: “Evidence-based practices for teaching writing, including: daily writing practice, strategy instruction, self-regulation and meta-cognitive reflection (as in the Self-Regulated Strategy Development approach), peer collaboration, and regular feedback through formative assessment.” Laud, L. (2013) Read Around the Text (Figure 2). Provide students with clear instructions (step-by-step) for each segment of the lesson. Write out objectives and outcomes for each task so students have appropriate expectations. Check for understanding. Provide positive feedback and encouragement.
ASSESSMENT.
How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective?
How and when will you assess mastery?
The “thinking” strategies include student predictions and pre-reading activities (KWL Chart), a fast read, an in-depth (digital character map) or slow read and multiple options. Double Entry Journal Piece to reinforce character traits. The final assessment is writing a comparative essay based on the driving question “Are Morals the Same Over Time?” Rubric included.
COMMON CORE.
Which Common Core standards will you address?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1: drawnCite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as the inference drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.7: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.E: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
MATERIALS
KWL Graphic Organizer, Pencil, Paper, Chromebook Overhead Projector, Highlighter Pens, Curriculum Workbook, Paperback book, Activity Packet and movie of Raisin in the Sun, videos of students discussing moral themes about Tom Sawyer and Little Women. Google Docs, Schoology, additional computer resources. Powtoon, website for web development, Rubric.
OPENING. (10 minutes – suggested)
Write objectives on the White Board: Reading for Understanding of Themes and Characters.
Understanding Morality and how characters in Literature provide a way for us to learn about morality.
Discuss the characters in Little Women and Tom Sawyer (assignments previously read) and A Raisin in the Sun, a book they are to read as part of this lesson.
Create Google Folder – Share with Teacher & Academic Partner
Review Vocabulary definitions. Vocabulary words for “A Raisin in the Sun” see handout.
STRATEGIES
Discussion is part of the Anticipatory Set for the lesson.
Allow students time to prepare to think about the purpose of the lesson
Learn challenge words
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How will you engage students and capture their interest?
How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen?
How will you communicate its importance? How will you describe connections to previous & future lessons?
Increase vocabulary
DIFFERENTIATION
How will you differentiate your instruction to reach the diversity of learners in your classroom?
How will you address your English Learners?
List the specific strategies you will use.
TIME
15
TEACHER
5
STUDENTS
10
Flipped Classroom through use of digital tools
Small groups take notes in Google Classroom each time they feel a character has a moral dilemna.
Students are intrigued by the characters in Little Women answered questions and did the same with Tom Sawyer. These characters are different from the characters in A Raisin in the Sun.
Where and what are the moral dilemnas?
Use of metacognitive strategies of investigation, drawing inferences and clues from content, provide students access to methods which allow intuitively adaptive learning processes and provide an authentic student experience. Canadian Center for Education and Science (2016.)
INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL. (10 minutes – suggested)
KWL Chart to assist in anticipation of new material
Students will copy chart to Google Folder.
Students will perform the K&W parts of the table and complete the L part in the closing time allowed for the lesson
STRATEGIES
Digital KWL Chart, Exhibit B, provides format for inquiry by students about what they think they will learn and then compare it to what they actually do learn.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
What key points will you emphasize and reiterate?
How will you ensure that students actively take-in information?
How will you vary your approach to make information accessible to all students?
Which potential misunderstandings will you anticipate?
Why will students be engaged and interested?
DIFFERENTIATION
How will you differentiate your instruction to reach the diversity of learners in your classroom?
How will you address your English Learners?
List the specific strategies you will use.
TIME
10
TEACHER
0
STUDENTS
10
Anticipatory questions, what do students expect to learn?
The KWL Chart is an organizer they are familiar using. have used a KWL many times .
Students may work with academic partners and discuss what they anticipate from the literature.
GUIDED PRACTICE. (15 minutes – suggested)
Students will create their own character for the story, “A Raisin in the Sun” and write out what character attributes or traits. Students will use Character Sheet as a resource.
Students select a character from Little Women and from Tom Sawyer. The fill out the digital document for each character. Review literature to find out about each character. Fill out a style sheet for themselves as a character in one of the stories.
STRATEGIES
Use digital Character Sheet
Exhibit C
Writing out character traits bring comprehension to the reader. Characters start off as unfamiliar, and then become acquaintances, friends and then family.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
How will you ensure that all students have multiple opportunities to practice?
How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard?
How will you monitor and correct student performance?
Why will students be engaged and interested?
Character Sheet provides support for differentiation. Students will have access to Chromebooks to use to look up the meanings of traits as support.
TIME
5
TEACHER
Provide instructions on Power Point for self-paced student work
STUDENTS
15
Deeper understanding of text. Connecting text to self.
Students show an interest in the characters and like to select their own favorites. This engages them in the story as they analyze who they wish to choose. Their understanding increases with the connections to their own characters and which story would they like to participate?
Scaffolding is example sheets: Character: Tom. Tom is tall, skinny and you can hear him from down the block. (Tom is loud).
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. ( 25 minutes –suggested)
Students create the Double Entry Journal, listing characters on one side and traits on the other. Every time students find a character trait that is similar to theirs place an asterisk next to it.
Students will write down which story makes connections to their own selves.
STRATEGIES
Technology infused classroom strategies. “Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.” (Edutopia, 2006)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
In what ways will students attempt to demonstrate independent mastery of the objective?
How will you provide opportunities for extension?
Why will students be engaged and interested?
DIFFERENTIATION
How will you differentiate your instruction to reach the diversity of learners in your classroom?
How will you address your English Learners?
List the specific strategies you will use.
TIME
25
TEACHER
0
STUDENTS
25
Scaffolding this assignment allows students to show their understanding of character traits and produce a product which is different from written form.
Rubric of Double Entry Journal.
They can create a video explaining how character traits link stories, experiences, and people together though their stories, moralities may be different.
English Learners use Chromebooks and the Internet to translate words for assistance. They might also list some characters from stories they are familiar with who resemble characters from the content.
CLOSING. ( 5 minutes – suggested)
Reflect on what was learned. Did student gain the knowledge and understanding of the lesson and are they able to apply that awareness in a practical and concrete manner?
STRATEGIES
Use the “L” part of the KWL Graphic Organizer as the reflection strategy. This chart is not new to students, it is a tool they use on a regular basis.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How will students summarize what they learned?
How will students be asked to state the significance of what they learned?
How will you provide all students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of (or progress toward) the objective?
DIFFERENTIATION
How will you differentiate your instruction to reach the diversity of learners in your classroom?
How will you address your English Learners?
List the specific strategies you will use.
TIME
10
TEACHER
5
STUDENTS
5
Little stress summative assessment. Complete KWL Chart by filling out the “L” column. As students share ideas other students learn from same ideas.
Use videos and audio to demonstrate different types of characters. Align certain characteristics for reconition.
HOMEWORK (if appropriate).
Students will write a paper about their favorite character from a story and his/her traits and moral decisions.
Are character traits fixed?
How is a state of being different from a character trait?
Students can gather resources from videos as demonstration of understanding the impact features have on stories, outcomes and expectations. We expect good characters make good decisions.
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
Students may spend time looking at movie clips and making a list of characters and their character traits.
Technology infused classroom strategies. “Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction, and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.” (Edutopia, 2006)
They may watch movies in any language or one with subtitles as long as their information written in English is with associated characters and traits.
